When a person becomes famous, the world tends to become a friendlier place.
The same was true for the Lin family.
Several banks proactively contacted Lin Dad, asking if he needed low-interest loans, with rates so low they were nearly zero.
The boxing arena sought out Lin Chiyang, inviting him to participate in the next boxing tournament and promising him direct entry into the finals, skipping the preliminary rounds.
After learning about the Lin family’s situation, the Wasteland Planet government proactively offered them a public welfare position—2,000 space coins a month for work that wasn’t too demanding.
Despite these olive branches extended from all sides, the Lin family didn’t accept immediately. They wanted to wait for Lin Xiaohe to return safely and seek her opinion.
The Lin family continued their routine of farming the land, not taking a single step out of Hengshan Village.
Of course, life still had its changes.
Lin Dad splurged on a TV network subscription. Come evening, the whole family would huddle in front of the television, watching the recruitment ads and seeing how the news praised the military’s rising star, the Bug God Lin Xiaohe!
Lin Dad was so happy his eyes crinkled into slits: “Xiaohe has been dubbed the Bug God! Not every mech gets a title like that, you know. Xiaohe is truly amazing!”
Lin Jingqiu recorded all the praise from the news, planning to loop it before bed. It would surely help her have sweet dreams.
This time, the Sixth Ring Military Region’s Publicity Department went all out promoting the Black Sea Desert campaign on Moluo Planet.
The campaign was executed flawlessly, and the protagonist was an 18-year-old military academy student from a wasteland planet. It was highly topical and perfect for inspiring young people from humble backgrounds to join the military.
Consequently, not only online, but even on the projection screens of major shopping malls offline, one could see the grandeur of that battle.
The photo, titled [The Bug God Descends] , went viral and was downloaded by countless young people onto their smart devices as a way to pay homage to the legend.
However, none of this commotion had anything to do with Lin Xiaohe.
Lin Xiaohe was diligently fighting mutated plants at the observation post, grinding for skill points.
Two days after the Empire’s secret base in the Black Sea Desert was destroyed, they launched a frenzied retaliatory attack on the Federation-occupied Kashi District.
The conflict between the two sides escalated further. The various minor factions that had been barely surviving in the cracks on Moluo Planet were forced to withdraw entirely under such intense bombardment.
Around the Kashi District, both sides continuously poured in troops and weapons. It gradually became a meat grinder, every inch of land soaked with soldiers’ blood.
The logistics trio was run off their feet, too busy even to send their regards to the big shot, Lin Xiaohe.
Darcy still hadn’t assigned Lin Xiaohe any other tasks. But this time, it wasn’t out of disregard, but for her protection.
The military region sent a notification: Lin Xiaohe’s practical assessment in the Sixth Ring had been perfectly completed. She would board a transport ship in five days and leave Moluo Planet.
Darcy hoped Lin Xiaohe would have a smooth journey, rise steadily through the ranks, and shine in the wider sea of stars, rather than being dragged into the meat grinder.
At the observation post.
Lin Xiaohe was lying bored on Little Bug’s shell, staring blankly at the clouds in the sky.
Moluo Planet was an Earth-like planet, orbiting a star named Apollo. One orbit took 360 days, very similar to Blue Star.
However, the native creatures of Moluo Planet were a group of low-intelligence beings that looked like lizards.
The Federation claimed that when the exploration team discovered Moluo Planet, over half of the lizard-people had already been killed by mutated plants. The Federation came to save Moluo Planet.
The Empire’s propaganda stated that the Federation, in order to seize Moluo Planet’s resources, mercilessly killed the native lizard-people and then framed the mutated plants.
It was so long ago that Lin Xiaohe didn’t know who was telling the truth.
“Little Buggy fly, Little Buggy run…”
Lin Chiyang’s lethal singing voice echoed through the empty post.
Xinbao’s two leaves swayed to the rhythm. It loved this song and would play it on loop over a dozen times a day.
Lin Xiaohe smiled fondly.
Her gaze swept over the mutated plant zone, and her smile slowly faded.
She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but the mutated plant zone seemed to have changed.
Lin Xiaohe sat up straight and carefully examined the mutated plant closest to her.
Its roots were sturdier, the leaves near the ground had turned yellow, and the previously sparse small yellow flowers were even more vibrant.
Lin Xiaohe had Little Bug scan the plant in front of her, then zoomed out on the image.
“This… doesn’t it look like a tomato plant?” Lin Xiaohe scratched her head, frowning deeply.
Tomatoes are vines; without staking, it’s hard for them to grow this tall.
Her heart, as an agriculture student, began to stir restlessly.
Maybe… go in for a look?
Lin Xiaohe climbed into the mech cockpit, wavering between going in and staying out.
Less than a mile away from her, Brother Pili and Lao Hei were entangled by a mutated plant.
“That bitch Lisa definitely had ill intentions!” Brother Pili dodged left and right, but the mutated plant seemed to have a mind of its own, reaching out with vines trying to pull his mech inside.
He didn’t dare use artillery on the plant. According to the data, once these mutated plants here were attacked, they would release a neurotoxin, subtly causing enemies to willingly walk deeper into the plant zone.
Lao Hei wasn’t in a good situation either. The mutated plant was shooting yellow flowers at him.
Earlier, he had accidentally stepped on one, and the sap corroded a large hole in his mech’s left leg, also damaging the neural connection lines.
Lao Hei had lost control of the mech’s left leg.
“Lao Hei, hang in there! We’re not far from the Federation post. Once we shake off this plant, we’ll seize the observation post.”
Lao Hei’s mech couldn’t stand, so he had to take to the air.
He said, with a hint of bitterness, “We probably don’t stand a chance.”
“What do you mean?”
Lao Hei couldn’t believe their terrible luck. Had they stepped in dog shit on their way out?
Why else would that pink Federation Beetle mech appear at this remote observation post?!
Hearing the devastating news, Brother Pili felt as if he’d been struck by lightning.
“Why is my fate so cruel?!”
In a moment of distraction, Brother Pili was caught by a vine. Green vines rapidly wrapped his mech, turning it into a green cocoon.
Lao Hei raised his arm and fired a shot!
But this blast didn’t blow open the green cocoon; instead, it alarmed the alien plant zone.
Yellow flowers shot towards Lao Hei like bullets.
Lao Hei dodged with difficulty. “Brother Pili? Brother Pili?”
There was no response on the squad channel.
Lao Hei’s heart sank. The strength and danger level of this alien plant zone far exceeded what Lisa had told them.
The mech’s radar emitted a sharp alarm.
It was the pink Federation Beetle! It had detected him.
To make matters worse, the mutated plant launched another volley of flower rain. Lao Hei had nowhere to run.
Was today his day to die? He felt such regret. There were still so many things left undone.
Ignoring the flower rain, Lao Hei piloted his mech towards Brother Pili.
If he could save him, he would. If not, they’d die together!
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the pink Beetle: “Brother Lao Hei, get behind me!”
“Xiaohe?!”
