Stabilizing Madness [Interstellar]

"Chapter 35: Soul Memory"

"Chapter 35: Soul Memory"
    "At this moment, the students of Grantis Military Academy realized that the gentler a person is, the more terrifying they become when serious."
    "Shen Tingyu's teaching continued."
    "Throughout the afternoon, the training field swarmed with practice insectoids, filling every safely sectioned corner with various cries of panic. Just listening was enough to imagine the students' disarray."
    "Everyone initially attended Shen Tingyu's class with a relaxed mindset, only to find themselves emotionally crushed by day's end. Even the usually competitive Ni Xiaoyan was reduced to teary-eyed introspection, and the gentle Lin Qianmu was no exception."
    "When Shen Tingyu got serious, he spared no one."
    "This included his nephew-in-law, Xu Qingran, who received no special treatment."
    "Xu Qingran's attitude remained calm, but his speed in targeting and firing was far below Shen Tingyu's minimum standard. For a novice like him, controlling the mental force while shifting targets with the gun in hand was as challenging as dragging something immensely heavy, far from being swift."
    "Shen Tingyu stood beside him, silent."
    "But that somewhat oppressive silence said everything."
    "Shen Tingyu mentioned that the insectoids they practiced with today were very low-level and easy to deal with. Keeping pace with alien species in star battlefield combat was a basic requirement. If they couldn't even do that, they were simply marching to their deaths."
    "The previously praised top students soberly realized that what they considered impressive was merely full of flaws in the eyes of real military personnel. All the sharp students, not wanting to be outdone, took the criticism to heart and practiced even more earnestly, staying late."
    "The last to leave was still Xu Qingran."
    "As he continued practicing, Shen Tingyu, as the special instructor, kept his watchful eyes on him. Even after Chen Bin, who operated the equipment, had left for the day, Xu Qingran was still inside, struggling against the system-generated insectoids."
    "Perhaps due to the heavy mental exertion, Xu Qingran's forehead was already drenched in sweat."
    "Seeing him fail again, Shen Tingyu asked, 'Is that all you're capable of, Xu Qingran?'"
    "Xu Qingran didn't respond, but refocused, managing to hit two insectoids before they crossed the warning line. Despite his trembling hand, he was determined not to give up."
    "He was about to lower his weapon to rest when Shen Tingyu commanded, 'Continue.'"
    "In his striking blue eyes, there was a depth like an unfathomable icy abyss."
    "He declared, 'I'll watch you until you can strike three in a row. If you don't reach the target, you'll train until dawn.'"
    "Hearing this, Xu Qingran chuckled coolly, 'Exactly what I want.'"
    "They trained until around 10 or 11 pm, when Xu Qingran finally achieved the triple strike Shen Tingyu demanded. Exhausted, with his head buzzing and every mental nerve aching, he could only sit and rest on the ground."
    "Yet, he felt exhilarated, as if he had broken through a physical limit and accomplished a challenging task. Looking at his palm with the military wristband, he curled his hand slightly, savoring the extreme sensation under his skin."
    "Indeed, it was this kind of masochistic training that brought him both physical and mental satisfaction."
    "Suddenly, Shen Tingyu's ink-gold boots appeared in his line of sight."
    "The golden patterns on them resembled the tail feathers of a bird, stunningly beautiful."
    "Without lifting his head, Xu Qingran extended a hand and coldly commanded, 'Pull me up.'"
    "Shen Tingyu raised an eyebrow, his stern instructor demeanor gone, and complied. However, due to Xu Qingran's exhaustion, his legs gave way as he stood, causing him to crash forcefully into Shen Tingyu's embrace."
    "The impact made Xu Qingran's chin ache."
    "Shen Tingyu paused, instinctively steadying him and teased, 'Xu Qingran, you really can't handle it.'"
    "After regaining his balance, Xu Qingran pushed him away dismissively, 'Stop mocking me. Consider how long you've been training compared to when I started.'"
    "Shen Tingyu smiled, but remained silent."
    "Late at night, the canteen at Linglong City Base was already closed."
    "Planning to return and snack on some biscuits, Xu Qingran was surprised when Shen Tingyu offered, 'Hungry? I can make something for you to eat.'"
    "Staring into those deep blue eyes, he asked skeptically, 'Are you trying to apologize for being too cold and rough with me earlier, General Shen?'"
    "Shen Tingyu chuckled softly, 'Isn't it obvious?'"
    "Xu Qingran accepted graciously, 'I appreciate it.' Then added, 'But there are many others you owe an apology to.'"
    "Shen Tingyu shrugged, 'If they stayed as late as you did.'"
    "Thus, Xu Qingran didn't return to his temporary room but accompanied Shen Tingyu to his residence, discovering that he even had a private villa in the Linglong City Base, ready for his use at any time."
    "Xu Qingran was quite envious."
    "The villa even had a large bath!"
    "Xu Qingran queried the system, 'Is there really no way to switch souls with Shen Tingyu?'"
    "To experience life in his more fragile body."
    "The system replied firmly, 'No!'"
    "Even if there was, it couldn't be allowed!"
    "After returning to his room, Shen Tingyu removed his heavy coat, casually unbuttoning the top two buttons at his neck."
    "As if intuitively sensing his thoughts, Shen Tingyu offered, 'Do you need to use the bathroom?'"
    "Xu Qingran never stood on ceremony with others, replying, 'That would be great.'"
    ......
    "Shen Tingyu's villa had a cooking robot."
    "But he didn't use it. When Xu Qingran came downstairs after his bath, Shen Tingyu was just placing some simply grilled fish and meat on the table."
    "Xu Qingran was somewhat surprised, 'You can cook?'"
    "Shen Tingyu countered, 'Do I not look like I can?'"
    "Not only could he cook, but his culinary skills were exceptionally good, rivaling those of professional chefs."
    "Xu Qingran sat opposite Shen Tingyu, eating intently."
    "Caught off guard, he hadn't brought any change of clothes and was wearing an old cotton shirt he found in Shen Tingyu's closet."
    "Shen Tingyu watched him quietly."
    "He could cook, but rarely did for anyone other than himself. Seeing Xu Qingran savoring every bite, even the tiny beans in the sauce, filled him with a peculiar sense of satisfaction."
    "Shen Tingyu was actually quite hesitant."
    "Rationally, he should reduce excessive contact with Xu Qingran, but he felt like a person hovering on the edge of danger, constantly stirring up crises with confidence, relishing the thrill of potential collapse."
    "Lost in thought, Xu Qingran suddenly called out to him, 'My amiable future uncle.'"
    "Shen Tingyu snapped back to reality, lifting his eyes slightly."
    "He suddenly felt that the title wasn't particularly pleasing."
    "Given that you've already offered me dinner and the use of your bathroom,' Xu Qingran said, wiping his mouth with a napkin, his tone serious, 'why not lend me your bed to sleep in too?'"
    "Shen Tingyu remained silent."
    "Then he was amused despite himself."
    "Xu Qingran ended up being escorted back to his temporary residence in Linglong City."
    "The following week under Shen Tingyu's leadership, the class underwent grueling training."
    "He was the same as ever, easygoing outside of training, but incredibly strict during sessions, pushing them to the brink. Despite the strain, this intensive approach proved highly effective for their level, leading to rapid progress."
    "By the end of the week, everyone had caught up with the speed of the low-tier insect species, with a minimum of five consecutive strikes. They barely met Shen Tingyu's minimum requirements."
    "Only Xu Qingran had double the training time and tasks compared to the others."
    "On the day the class reached the five-consecutive-strike milestone, Shen Tingyu demanded nine consecutive strikes from Xu Qingran after class. When Xu finally managed ten, Shen Tingyu personally increased the difficulty by selecting tougher species for him to target."
    "It wasn't that Shen Tingyu was being intentionally harsh; in fact, it was more Xu Qingran's own choice."
    "On the second day of training, Shen Tingyu had asked him a question."
    "'Do you want to be just another student keeping up with the class, or do you aspire to be the one everyone looks up to?'"
    "Xu Qingran obviously chose the latter."
    "During his extra training hours, Shen Tingyu designed a more rigorous improvement plan for him, making it clear, 'Alright, but if you don't meet the goals I set, you're headed for re-examination.'"
    "Xu Qingran proved to be quite determined."
    "So far, he hadn't given Shen Tingyu any reason to underestimate him."
    "Over the course of a month, under the alternating guidance of Shen Tingyu and Lu Cheng, the students made remarkable progress. The once thick, pipe-like beams of psychic energy they emitted had become half as wide, enabling them to easily penetrate the defenses of mid-tier insect species."
    "The day before the project assessment was a preparation day, with everyone eager to conserve energy for optimal performance in the evaluation, concentrating training from morning to noon. Both Lu Cheng and Shen Tingyu were present, focused solely on the students, working in unspoken agreement to avoid interacting with each other."
    "Xu Qingran, as usual, was the last to leave."
    "Ni Xiaoyan was the second last, conceding that she couldn't outdo him. Before leaving, she kindly warned, 'Xu Qingran, don't overdo it today. Be careful not to impair your psychic recovery for tomorrow's assessment.'"
    "Xu Qingran nodded: 'Thanks, you too.'"
    "Ni Xiaoyan waved goodbye to them and left the training area."
    "By six in the evening, only Xu Qingran and Shen Tingyu remained."
    "Lu Cheng had left without a word five minutes earlier, an unusual move for him. The assistant instructor had already finished for the day, and Chen Bin, drowsy, sat beside the control console. Shen Tingyu approached, careful not to disturb Chen Bin, and summoned a high-tier insect species that Xu Qingran hadn't encountered the previous night."
    "This species had a tough shield-like armor, requiring aim at its underbelly near the abdomen. There, fragile plates with significant gaps between them were its weak points. Striking these gaps with sufficient force was necessary to inflict damage."
    "'Let's begin,' said Shen Tingyu."
    "Leaning against the side of the training area, he watched Xu Qingran intently."
    "Having mentally reviewed his techniques the night before, Xu Qingran's performance today showed marked improvement, including the ability to compress his psychic attacks to the thickness of a finger. His initial skill level may have been the lowest among the top students, but his progress and innate talent outpaced them all."
    "As a military general, setting aside other considerations, Shen Tingyu wanted to elevate this man to where he truly belonged."
    "The rest could wait until that time came."
    "This time, it took Xu Qingran only fifteen minutes to defeat the high-tier insect species."
    "He stood still, gazing at the spot where the insect's figure had vanished, his eyes shimmering with satisfaction and joy, evidently relishing the sense of accomplishment from the kill."
    "'That's enough. My guidance for you in this project ends here,' Shen Tingyu approached him."
    "'I'll be joining the other instructors tomorrow to evaluate your assessment. As long as you don't falter, you should be able to present an excellent report card on your own.'"
    "Xu Qingran returns the firearms borrowed for class from the academy to the storage connected to the training room."
    "Shen Tingyu follows him silently."
    "Noticing close combat knives in the storage, Xu Qingran asks, 'I remember you and Lu Cheng teaching close combat recently. My next subject is this. Will you two continue to alternate classes?'"
    "Shen Tingyu replies with a smile, 'I'm not sure about Lu Cheng, but I won't be.'"
    "After spending a month at the academy, General Shen is being called back to Jin Yi's main camp."
    "Seeing Xu Qingran's gaze lingering on the knives, Shen Tingyu asks, 'Do you want me to practice with you now?'"
    "Xu Qingran, however, turns and walks out of the storage room."
    "'No need,' he says confidently, 'Once you master one, you master them all. I already know what to do.'"
    "'I just thought, having been here for nearly half a year, do you want to have a fight with me?'"
    Shen Tingyu readily agrees.
    Perhaps this idea had been buried deep in both their hearts for a long time.
    To ensure a fair contest, Shen Tingyu suppresses his psychic power to around S-A level. When Lu Cheng returns from the cafeteria with his take-out meal to the training ground, he witnesses the two locked in combat.
    It's Lu Cheng's first time seeing Xu Qingran fight.
    Xu Qingran's reactions and skills are as refined as a seasoned martial artist. Facing an opponent like Shen Tingyu, he shows no trace of fear; his eyes are firm with a hint of wild ferocity, completely overwhelming any opponent who dares to enter his realm.
    Most importantly, Xu Qingran seems to thoroughly enjoy the fight.
    Watching Shen Tingyu spar with Xu Qingran, Lu Cheng can clearly see Shen Tingyu's immersion. Despite facing the significantly less powerful Xu Qingran, Shen Tingyu doesn't hold back. Their punches land with precision and full force.
    Lu Cheng suddenly recalls a question Shen Tingyu had asked him.
    — Does he truly understand the Xu Qingran of today?
    Until now, Lu Cheng had been confident in his understanding.
    Yet, he realizes that a year or so has made the once familiar boy somewhat a stranger, yet closer to the ideal comrade Lu Cheng had often fantasized about, fighting side by side.
    Lu Cheng feels a tinge of reluctance.
    It should be him, he thinks, who is sparring with Xu Qingran so freely.
    The collision of their fists creates a vigorous psychic energy wave. Since they control their power, the impact is mild, stirring up a breeze-like movement in the air.
    This is exhilarating.
    Xu Qingran thinks to himself.
    He finds their thoughts often align.
    Even when it comes down to pure skill, without using their psychic powers, it's hard for either to gain an upper hand, constantly needing to come up with more cunning moves to attack, which the other swiftly counters.
    This is unlike any fight he's had in his past life.
    In his previous apocalyptic world, where every fight was a matter of life and death and involved the use of special abilities, he rarely had the chance to enjoy a genuinely thrilling and evenly matched spar.
    Suddenly, Xu Qingran feels that befriending Shen Tingyu to a close level isn't such a bad idea.
    The clash of their fists seems to signal the end of their mutual understanding in sparring. Xu Qingran stops, noticing Shen Tingyu's slightly altered demeanor, his gaze unfocused, his punch not immediately retracting.
    "Shen Tingyu?"
    It's only after Xu Qingran's puzzled voice that the man with black hair and blue eyes reacts, affirming after a few seconds, "Not bad. There's significant improvement in both physical fitness and defensive techniques."
    Xu Qingran responds without false modesty: "I think so too."
    Lu Cheng, holding his packed meal, approaches them, trying to mask his concern: "You've been training late recently, and by the time you finish, the cafeteria is closed. Don't starve yourself, especially with such an important day tomorrow."
    Xu Qingran accepts the meal, saying, "I've been fine, not really hungry."
    He nods towards Shen Tingyu: "I've been dining at his villa every evening."
    After the first week of Shen Tingyu's teachings, Xu Qingran had unabashedly knocked on his door, finding the dinner precisely prepared for two, and his visit not turned away.
    Hence, Xu Qingran has dined there every evening this month, feeling not only satiated but slightly overfed.
    Lu Cheng is left looking somewhat foolish at this revelation.
    Lost in thoughts, he pondered silently.
    "But since you've brought it for me, let's not waste it." Xu Qingran thanked him, then urged Shen Tingyu to go back to cooking, muttering self-righteously, "I'll share this rice bowl with you later, don't be polite."
    On the way back to the villa, Shen Tingyu was unusually quiet.
    He seemed distracted.
    His mind was filled with images that had suddenly invaded his thoughts during the last moment of his encounter with Xu Qingran.
    It was a city in ruins.
    With its outdated style, it resembled the ancient cities of legends.
    Atop the rubble stood a young man.
    His attire blended perfectly with the dark night; his deep, bottomless eyes brimming with world-weariness and darkness. Behind him, a dim and murky moon loomed, under which a group of people gazed up at him, as if looking up to an unattainable deity.
    They thought they had him surrounded.
    Until the person gazing down at them moved his fingers, summoning countless bolts of lightning.
    In an instant, everything shattered.
    In that fleeting vision, Shen Tingyu locked eyes with those dark orbs. The familiar pride and loneliness slowly overlapped with the person he was sparring with in the training ground.
    Shen Tingyu was lost in thought again.
    When two souls' energies collide, there is a chance to trigger a soul memory retrieval. The energy that melds into the other's psyche during the breath can carry the memories of the colliding soul's past, inadvertently presenting fragments of those memories in the recipient's mental sea.
    Not fantasy, but real experiences of the past.
    The face Shen Tingyu saw in the vision was unfamiliar, vastly different from Xu Qingran's current frail and innocent appearance. But just by meeting those eyes, he instantly understood that it was indeed Xu Qingran.
    It was more about recognizing this Xu Qingran he knew.
    "Shen Tingyu, you don't still expect—I could unlock your villa's door, do you?"
    Xu Qingran's voice was naturally clear and soft, but perhaps due to a speaking habit of the 'core' inside, there was a subconscious effort to slightly lower the tone. When slightly agitated, the end of his sentences would waver, teasingly scratching at one's heart.
    Shen Tingyu smiled subtly, raising his hand to unlock the door: "You could try."
    He seemed to understand the reason behind the great disparity between Xu family's young master's character and strength.
    But, he had no intention of delving deeper.
    To put it bluntly, his interest was always in the soul currently residing in that body. The life and death of others, as well as the reasons for all these events, were of no concern to him and had nothing to do with him.
    ·
    A night passed.
    The trainees finally faced another day of project assessments. The evaluation site was in the underground base, where the examiners stood in connected observation rooms, assessing their performance. They also needed to meet the training ground system's passing criteria to succeed in the evaluation.
    The assessment involved many students simultaneously in different corners.
    Besides observing the attack power of their psychic guns, they were also tested on their accuracy on static targets, and the speed and number of dynamic insectoid kills.
    In rotation, it was soon Xu Qingran's batch's turn for evaluation.
    Holding the psychic gun he used for regular training, he stood ready in his assigned corner when suddenly, Shen Tingyu walked out of the observation room.
    "Wait," Shen Tingyu interrupted, halting the start of Xu Qingran's evaluation.
    The instructors in the observation room looked puzzled, craning their necks to see what was happening.
    Lu Cheng also stood up and walked to the window, warily observing, as if worried Shen Tingyu might do something detrimental to Xu Qingran at the last moment.
    Shen Tingyu approached Xu Qingran, taking out his own custom-designed psychic gun and handed it to him, saying, "Use this."
    As he spoke, he also reached out to take the gun Xu Qingran was holding.
    To the uninitiated, it might seem like a stroke of luck for Xu Qingran to receive special attention from the Golden Wing Camp's general, even being lent his precious personal weapon! But those who truly understood the situation—like Lu Cheng, other instructors, and some students—were worried for him.
    They thought—Is General Shen setting up Xu Qingran?!
    The more sophisticated and high-end the psychic gun, the more difficult it is to use.
    They were just beginners who had recently started; switching guns on the day of the assessment, without prior coordination, would naturally lead to failure! Hence, from the beginning of their training, they always used the same firearm to ensure their best performance on assessment day.
    The supervising referee, feeling sympathetic, tried to intervene: "General, changing guns for today's evaluation might not be advisable..."
    Shen Tingyu didn't even spare him a glance, his gaze fixed on Xu Qingran, and he coldly ordered: "Switch."
    Xu Qingran lifted his gaze, barely perceptibly curling the corner of his lips.
    Without objection, he switched guns with the other man.
    Shen Tingyu, holding the gun Xu normally used for training, returned to the observation room. As soon as he entered, Lu Cheng rushed up and grabbed his collar, eyes blazing with fury, "Shen Tingyu, you despicable and shameless villain!"
    It was as if he was exerting immense self-control, barely keeping his rationality intact.
    Meanwhile, Xu Qingran's assessment had also begun.
    The instructors in the room were all very concerned.
    Lu Cheng continued to interrogate Shen Tingyu: "What? Do you find pleasure in manipulating others?"
    "Pretending to guide with care, watching Qingran prepare for so long, yet on the most crucial day, you sought to ruin him!"
    Lu Cheng, red in the neck with anger, exclaimed, "I truly regret not resisting the dean to the end, allowing a cancer like you to get close to him!"
    Shen Tingyu didn't respond, merely grasped Lu Cheng's hand clutching his collar and gently but firmly shook it off.
    Then, he shifted his attention back to the young man outside.
    As expected, Xu Qingran's assessment results were not as good as anticipated. Surprisingly to everyone, though, he managed to barely make it into the top rankings. Regrettably, with a more suitable weapon, his performance could have been even better.
    Xu Qingran's expression after the test was far from pleasant.
    Anyone suddenly faced with such a situation would not be in a good mood.
    Xu Qingran, looking at the despicable man approaching him after the test, thought that he should be thankful for the many meals prepared for him over this period; otherwise, he might have directly aimed the gun in his hand at his head and fired.
    Shen Tingyu, still holding the gun Xu usually used, asked, "Are you upset that I made you change guns at the last minute?"
    Xu Qingran, gazing at the handsome face before him, spoke with a calm and steady tone, "I just want an explanation."
    Shen Tingyu nodded and signaled to the main control officer at the console.
    Soon after, on the field where Xu Qingran had just completed his assessment, another creature from the insect race appeared.
    "Step aside," Shen Tingyu said softly.
    Xu Qingran moved to the side as instructed, watching Shen Tingyu raise his training gun and fire at the newly emerged insect. The others on the field watched as well, halting even the assessments in other corners.
    Shen Tingyu fired his gun.
    But the creature that had just emerged wasn't destroyed. Instead, the gun in his hand exploded without warning. The psychic energy infused in it became chaotic upon collision and burst forth as the gun disintegrated.
    The training field fell into an eerie silence in an instant.
    Everyone, stunned by the sudden explosion, stared in disbelief. Lu Cheng, who had just been furious at Shen Tingyu's unbecoming behavior, looked on in shock.
    The hand holding the gun slowly lowered, with bright red blood streaming down from the wound and dripping onto the ground.
    Soon, a dark red stain formed on the floor.
    Xu Qingran's eyes slightly widened.
    The man at the center of countless astonished gazes remained as composed as ever, unfazed.
    It was as if the severe wound on his hand was merely an ant bite.
    Finally, he lifted his eyebrows slightly towards Xu Qingran and said, "That's the reason."
    Xu Qingran: "..."
    Numb.
    Encountering a formidable and equally matched opponent.
    Seconds later, the officers in the observation room rushed out, surrounding Shen Tingyu: "My God! General, you're injured!"
    "This is bad, get the General to the infirmary quickly! Such a valuable hand, what if it suffers permanent damage?!"
    "What happened? How could such an error occur with the training guns used by the students?!"
    "Instructor Liu, you're normally in charge of this class group. I give you five days to thoroughly investigate the cause of this incident!"
    Everyone was talking at once.
    In the end, it was Xu Qingran who escorted the injured to the infirmary.
    The impact injury Shen Tingyu sustained from the psychic power gun explosion was more severe than expected. Only when he took off his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeve did the extent of the injury become evident, with a wound splitting half his arm, bleeding profusely.
    Given Shen Tingyu's prestigious status, the medical staff were trembling as they treated his wound.
    The injured party himself, however, was remarkably calm and collected, turning to Xu Qingran, who was watching nearby: "I had to lend you my gun as there was no other replacement available."
    "But you didn't disappoint me."
    Xu Qingran, looking at him, suddenly said earnestly, "Thank you."
    And it wasn't just for today's incident.
    The high-intensity training Shen Tingyu arranged for him seemed torturous, but after a month, Xu Qingran found his psychic power pool's capacity had significantly increased.
    No one understood the importance of the depth of the psychic power pool better than Shen Tingyu, who occupied a high position. Perhaps not knowing to what level Xu Qingran's psychic power would eventually break through, Shen Tingyu focused more on enhancing his foundational strength in the training.
    Ensuring that even if he remained at Level A, he would be the pinnacle of that level.
    Xu Qingran had planned to properly thank him after the assessment, but didn't expect today's incident to occur.
    Shen Tingyu was slightly surprised by his earnest thanks, pausing before saying, "Don't feel too guilty about it; for me, it's just a superficial wound."
    But if it had happened to Xu Qingran now, the outcome might not have been the same.
    It was only because he had activated his high-level psychic protection that he minimized the injury. With Xu Qingran's current psychic level, he wouldn't withstand such a sudden explosive injury; it could render his entire hand and crucial psychic veins useless.
    Xu Qingran's gaze turned cold: "Guilty?"
    "I just want to kill you."
    Xu Qingran felt his temper had been quite volatile lately, probably provoked by Shen Tingyu.
    "There are many ways to explain, yet you choose the most insane and extreme one," Xu Qingran said fiercely. "If you're sick, don't drag me down with you. If you kill yourself, I'll eat three big bowls at your funeral!"
    The system nodded vigorously in agreement.
    How could their target die! If he did, its host's special ability would be locked forever, and it couldn't meet its KPI!
    Feeling exhausted.
    It was hard enough dealing with a host, but now the mission target was a lunatic too, leaving it constantly on edge.
    Xu Qingran escorted Shen Tingyu to the infirmary. Seeing that he was still in a preliminary stage, the medical staff also conducted a quick check-up on him. The results came out while Xu Qingran was still arguing with Shen Tingyu.
    Despite being scolded, Shen Tingyu still wore a gentle smile, speaking softly, "So, I am an extremist."
    Everyone couldn't help but internally praise — General Shen really has a good temper, an anomaly among Type Es.
    The military doctor assisting nearby, upon receiving the data from Xu Qingran's check-up, interrupted in surprise: "Mr. Xu, there are signs your soul is taking shape."