A female soldier on the train, who was single before boarding, became engaged to a male soldier within these two hours. They held a simple wedding ceremony on the train, experienced pregnancy and childbirth, and the infant has now been transferred to the military hospital for examination. All officers and soldiers of Car Six are currently undergoing inpatient treatment, suffering from varying degrees of illness and severe malnutrition, accompanied by psychological issues of varying severity.
We have accessed the train's database, which indicates that time on board was indeed disrupted. Data recovery is still in progress.
This incident has spread throughout the military, causing widespread panic. We request that you order a temporary halt to operations, allowing time to study the blue toads, investigate the scene of the incident, and determine the cause of the two-hour time differential between the inside and outside of the train stretching to two years.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng were stunned, repeatedly rereading the long letter.
The letter concluded with an attachment. Upon opening it, they found on-site photographs.
The first photo showed a "pufujī" (flying wing aircraft) using a flamethrower to clear mountains of blue toads. The sheer number of toads was astounding, piled into a viscous hill. Under the flames, many burst toads sprayed their juices, with blue liquid flowing like an ink river.
The second photo showed the last two carriages, filled entirely with feces. Due to the prolonged time, they had turned black and white, with a texture resembling metal. Along the windows, disgusting long worms and yellowish-green fungal masses were visible. Only a long-accumulated septic tank would produce such an effect.
The third photo depicted train soldiers being carried out by medics. They were all emaciated, with gaunt faces and beards and hair like wild beggars, resembling survivors from a concentration camp. Some of the train soldiers clearly had madness in their eyes.
Jiang Ye immediately ordered that the trains on Meteorite Star cease operations and temporarily hold their occupied railway lines and the defense perimeter of the capital city.
Concurrently, Jiang Ye submitted all information, unchanged, to Li Nannan.
Li Nannan was also greatly shocked and quickly replied, stating that elite experts from the Galactic Empire would be dispatched to investigate.
...
Meteorite Star, Capital City First Military Hospital.
Pei Yongxin sat by the large bed, slowly sipping Da Hong Pao tea. This was the division commander's ward, specially approved for him, sixty square meters in size, with a double bed, dining table, beverage cabinet, flowers, sofa, and bookshelf with a television. It was brand new and luxurious.
The door was knocked, and a young nurse peeked in, "Pei Yongxin, you have a new delivery. Do you need me to get it for you?"
"Yellow daisies?" Pei Yongxin turned his head.
The nurse looked down at her phone, "It seems so. Just say it's a pot of flowers, delivered from the refugee star military logistics city."
"Can you get it for me and then place it on my dormitory windowsill?" Pei Yongxin asked.
"Of course! How are you feeling today?" The nurse nodded. She had been exclusively attending to Pei Yongxin, a VIP patient, for the past few days. Pei Yongxin was even easier to care for than mushrooms; he spent his days in the ward reading, watching television, and spacing out. The nurse was bored.
"Thank you," Pei Yongxin said. "I'm feeling very well and have rested enough. I can rejoin my unit anytime."
"Why the rush to rejoin? You finally get a break. Besides, there's nothing to do if you rejoin. The order just came down that all military operations have been suspended," the nurse said. "I'll go get your package. You can go downstairs and move around; sitting all the time isn't good for your health."
The ward door closed.
Pei Yongxin continued to sip his Da Hong Pao, gazing out the window in a daze.
After only two sips, the door was knocked again.
Pei Yongxin thought it was the nurse returning. When he turned, it was the division commander.
He immediately stood up and saluted.
"No need for formalities," the division commander said with a strange expression. "Change your clothes and come with me. The superior wants to see you."
"Superior?" Pei Yongxin blinked. "Which superior?"
"The highest superior," the division commander said, pointing a finger at the ceiling.
Pei Yongxin was surprised. He quickly took his dress uniform from the closet, changed, then went to the mirror to shave, polished his military boots twice, and hurried out of the ward.
Half an hour later, he arrived at the star station and boarded a star-class spaceship. The division commander sat opposite him, engrossed in a large stack of books. A flight attendant served the spaceship meal: steamed rice, beef and potatoes, peas and carrots, and an energy drink.
While eating, Pei Yongxin saw the titles on the side of the division commander's stack of books.
"Foundations of Time Ring Theory," "Reaching the Edge of Time Through Distance," "Time Laws in Higher-Dimensional Spaces," "100 Ways to Time Travel"...
Pei Yongxin felt a warmth in his heart, thinking the division commander cared about him. However, this warmth quickly dissipated, as the division commander might just be studying for work, given the accident involving a unit under her command.
Half an hour later, the division commander led Pei Yongxin off the star-class spaceship's skybridge and into the nebula-class spaceship.
This was Pei Yongxin's first time inside a nebula-class spaceship. Its grandeur and luxury far exceeded his imagination. Everywhere were bright white lights, shops, roads, robots, and high-ranking military officers.
After several security checks, the division commander and Pei Yongxin entered a reception room with a red carpet and sat on a large leather sofa. Guards stood by the door, announcing that the superior would be arriving shortly.
Pei Yongxin was so nervous he began to sweat. He sat upright, not daring to move.
He had seen the superior on television, on the internet, and in newspapers. During the full military assembly, he had seen the superior from the back row from afar. However, the venue was too large, and he couldn't see the facial features clearly.
This time it was a face-to-face private conversation. Although everyone said the superior was approachable, Pei Yongxin's heart still raced uncontrollably.
On the way, he had told himself it was no big deal and not to be nervous. But now, sitting on this soft leather sofa, the entire conference room was so quiet he could hear his own breathing. A sense of panic surged from his legs to his head, his skin felt cold, and he felt almost oxygen-deprived.
"Damn, I'm so nervous," the division commander suddenly whispered.
Pei Yongxin was startled and turned to look at her.
Sweat beaded on the division commander's temples.
She sat upright, like a student who had made a mistake and was waiting to be reprimanded.
Pei Yongxin's nervousness lessened considerably, and he even felt like laughing. The division commander was usually carefree and authoritative, with a quick temper. He never expected her to be so timid.
"Why aren't they here yet? How long has it been?" the division commander whispered.
Pei Yongxin looked up at the clock on the wall. "Only three minutes have passed."
The division commander blinked. "How did it feel like over ten minutes to me?"
"Relax, don't be nervous," Pei Yongxin said in a low voice.
Suddenly, the conference room door was pushed open by a guard. The guards at the door snapped to attention and saluted.
Someone stepped in.
They're here!
Pei Yongxin and the division commander quickly stood up, looked straight ahead, straightened their chests, and saluted with all their might, "Greetings, Superior!"
"Oh no, I can't accept that. You two should get a good look at who it is before saluting," the newcomer said.
Pei Yongxin and the division commander, who hadn't dared to look directly at the person entering, now turned their heads. It turned out to be a white chef, wearing a white chef's hat.
Pei Yongxin and the division commander awkwardly lowered their saluting hands.
"I am the head chef for tonight, responsible for cooking for the superior," the white chef said. "The superior will be here shortly and asked me to ask you two what you would like to eat tonight?"