Rallying for the Expedition (Part 2)

The rallying point for the Mars expedition was set in Mexico. Word had it that the specific reason went back to the days just after the Azure Coalition was formally established, when humanity achieved its first victorious kill against a Great Spike tour ship in this wild, untamed country. By "coincidence," the rally grounds were quite close to the City of Sin. To be precise, the City of Sin lay inside Mexico itself... the very place where Major Qing had once sought refuge in exile, later rising to make his resurgence and officially proclaim the birth of Stream Blades. On October 28, 1996, after spending two days traveling through Huaxia, the contingent from Stream Blades arrived in Mexico City by airship in the local afternoon. Because time was already tight upon arrival, they neither stopped by the local Azure base nor went to visit their old acquaintances in the elite Mexican Chichen Itza Squad. Instead, the group descended directly from the airship onto the rooftop of a high-rise, went downstairs, and knocked on the door of an ordinary roadside home near the plaza to ask for a late lunch. Aside from standing momentarily dumbfounded in sheer shock when they first opened the door, the elderly Mexican couple who owned the house treated them with tremendous hospitality throughout, appearing almost overly nervous and thrilled. After all, in the world today, virtually no one would fail to recognize the figures sitting around their dining table. Furthermore, the long history and deep bond of friendship Stream Blades shared with the City of Sin and the Chichen Itza Squad had always been a source of immense pride for the entire nation and people of Mexico. Over lunch, with Wen Jifei leading the conversation, the group had an earnest, lively discussion with the host on the state of the universe, humanity's future, culinary cultures across the globe, the charms of women from various regions, and the power dynamics between husbands and wives. The conversation was thoroughly delightful. By the time they expressed their gratitude and stepped out the front door, both sides of the long street leading from the house toward the Zócalo had already been packed to bursting by fervent, roaring Mexican crowds and citizens of various nations who had traveled there specifically to witness the departure ceremony. Amidst the gathering, Wu Xu also caught glimpses of several familiar figures from the City of Sin. "God is my witness, I didn't tell a soul you were visiting our home," the elderly Mexican woman explained with a kindly, beaming smile from behind them. Turning toward the television screen inside, she added, "Someone snapped a photograph of you all on the rooftop... There was no stopping it; this is the big news the whole of Mexico has been waiting for. But luckily, you all looked exceptionally handsome up there." The distant shot of the rooftop currently airing on the television indeed looked quite impressive. "Thank you." Han Qingyu smiled helplessly. It seemed they would have no choice today but to walk down this long street amidst the onlookers and cheers. Waving back was out of the question, of course... except perhaps for He Tangtang. "Roar! King! Win! Sure...!" Through a chorus of peculiar accents and shouting, the roars echoed across the street all the way to the plaza. "So, are they actually yelling Qing, Wen, and Xu'er? Haha," Rusty Sister asked in a curious whisper. "And the God Who Eats Great Spikes!" He Tangtang insisted, emphasizing that his title was clearly much more resounding, before raising his hand to wave at the crowd. The cheers erupted into an even greater frenzy. "Oh, in that case, maybe they're shouting for Pegmont—sending distant cheers to pay tribute to the lonely predator of Great Spikes stranded on Mars," Rusty Sister poked fun at him, thinking secretly to herself: *If I were appearing in my iron armor, humph, the cheers for me would definitely be louder than yours.* Her name had also appeared on the roster of major commanders and key combatants for the Mars expedition published a short while ago. Naturally, it was under the identity of Azure Major General and Special Liaison to Stream Blades, Yang Tieyu. To the rest of the world, that remained a brand-new name. Pegmont's name was also on that list. To clearly convey his contributions to humanity, Azure emphasized that he was the vanguard expeditionary of the Martian battlefield, not someone waiting to be rescued. The Commander-in-Chief on the expedition roster was a veteran Azure general named Yergana. This seventy-one-year-old four-way mixed-blood general also carried Huaxian ancestry from a generation back. During the earlier era of the Great Spikes' full-scale invasion, he had served as Vice Commander-in-Chief, as well as the closest mentor and comrade-in-arms to General Siglo, co-directing the early and middle stages of the decisive battle of Oceania. After that campaign, he had retired due to advanced age, while General Siglo, who was considerably younger, chose to continue his commanding career. In the end, burdened by unbearable guilt over the loss of more than five hundred thousand troops during the South Pole expedition, Siglo had personally marched into the jaws of death and fallen in battle beneath the polar tractor field. Had that disaster not occurred... had he not died, it would have been Siglo leading this campaign. Thus, General Yergana had returned despite immense pressure, driven by the resolute will to accept death and the risk of being branded a sinner in human history. Beyond answering Azure's call and obeying the organization's needs, he did so for another critical reason: to shoulder the burden left behind by his disciple and old friend Siglo, and personally atone for that lingering regret. Ranked just below Yergana as the Vice Commander-in-Chief on the expedition roster was Stream Blades' Wen Jifei. The world's recognition of Second Lieutenant Wen Jifei had begun with his sniping with the Endless rifle and the title of God of Guns in the City of Sin. It later grew to his role as the Chief of Staff of Stream Blades—and rumored to be the only person capable of holding Major Qing in check, both in decision-making and personal rapport. Eventually, it culminated in him being personally endorsed by Xu Xiaohong, Chief of General Staff of the Sole Witness Legion, as the successor that legendary strategist most hoped and anticipated would take over his mantle. Therefore, when Wen Jifei's name appeared on the roster in the Vice Commander-in-Chief position, the entire world cheered. That alone gave people the feeling that their chances of victory in the expedition had multiplied. Yet at the same time, many voices expressed worry for him. By now, the world was well aware that Second Lieutenant Wen Jifei was not a source energy powerhouse; as a Dice, he had no such power, at least not most of the time. "Fortunately, they're still together this time. Once again, they set out side by side," people said. The other half of that "they" was the most important name on the roster: Han Qingyu. Of course, the world was far more accustomed to calling him Major Qing, while a small faction still preferred his old moniker: the Straight Man of Dead Iron. Azure had attached no official military rank or title behind his name. None was needed. His presence on that roster was enough; it proved everything, including Azure's absolute resolve for this expedition, humanity's refusal to abandon Major General Pegmont, and the world's desperate hunger and hope for victory. Beyond them, names like Wu Xu and He Tangtang on the roster were crucial weights stacked onto humanity's side of the scales. "Second Lieutenant Wen! Second Lieutenant Wen...! Major General He Tangtang, Great Spike-Eating Demon, Great Kidney Striker...!" shouts echoed from the crowded roadside near the plaza. Here, journalists from all over were gathering in even greater numbers. Wen Jifei hadn't noticed the calls from the roadside, but He Tangtang turned his head, heard them, and saw who it was. The ones shouting were their old acquaintances, arguably Azure's most renowned war correspondent duo and the ones with the deepest ties to Stream Blades: Ashleia and Ivan. "You guys?" He Tangtang walked over. "We're going to Mars too!" Ashleia said joyfully. Ivan smiled beside her and added, "Because whatever happens on Mars will be nearly impossible for this world to witness... We feel it is our duty to make sure this world sees it, knows it, and remembers it." "Oh, fair enough. This might just be my stage," He Tangtang nodded, just about to start bragging when Ashleia grabbed his arm. Leaning in, she asked, "Who is that? I mean Liaison Officer Yang Tieyu from Azure. She acts as if she's already part of your core team. Caixin was just whining jealously to me over the phone about it." "Oh, her..." He Tangtang thought about it with an awkward grimace, then said, "Right now, she's basically Qingzi's fiancée." Qingzi was, of course, Major Qing. Upon hearing this, Ashleia fainted on the spot. Fortunately, the crowd was densely packed, allowing Ivan to catch her with a wry smile. "Fantasies. Stories unconsciously beautified by personal bias through repeated battlefield encounters, observations, and recordings through the lens—blind feminine fantasies," Ivan chuckled, twirling a finger beside his temple. He prepared to offer some words of congratulation, though it felt difficult; even as a man, the idea of Major Qing getting married felt thoroughly incomprehensible and bizarre to him. "You, get lost!" Before Ivan could utter any congratulations, Ashleia snapped back to her senses with sheer willpower. She leaped to her feet, gritting her teeth and glaring fiercely. "On what grounds?!" She said this while staring straight at He Tangtang. "On the grounds of... Hahahaha, you'll find out later!" He Tangtang laughed uproariously and strode forward to catch up with the others. Meanwhile, within the plaza, one hundred thousand Azure veterans had already completed their arming and stood in formation. In the sky, source energy airships of various sizes formed disciplined columns, howling through the air before descending and mooring at a nearby launch field to await departure. Inside one of those airships, a suit of iron armor—once so intimately familiar to this world, and later mourned with profound grief—silently awaited the onset of battle. Han Qingyu remained the same Han Qingyu who felt easily awkward in such settings, yet this time, he had no choice but to step directly into the atmosphere and the spectacle. Because no matter who one was in this world, everyone knew in their heart that he was the true leader of this expedition. And so, Han Qingyu did his best to keep a cold, expressionless face, offering neither reaction nor emotion. Even so, the cheers echoing from the long street behind him and around the plaza reached a fever pitch the moment Major Qing's figure finally appeared before the battle formations. *Swish...* *Clang!* *Buzz...* Across the plaza, one hundred thousand Azure veterans surged their source energy in unison, drawing their blades to salute him. These were one hundred thousand retired veterans; some were already aged, others carried permanent wounds and disabilities... Even if Han Qingyu had planned to keep a cold face all the way through, even if he was utterly unaccustomed to such occasions and disinclined to speak, he could not fail to respond in this moment. Furthermore, the world still did not know for sure what state his recovery was in following the South Pole battle. In a sense, he truly needed to do and say something to reassure the army and ease humanity's hearts. *Clang!* The screech of dead iron friction sounded with blinding speed. Without breaking stride and with barely any movement from his body, the dead iron long saber on Major Qing's back flew free at his command, piercing the sky. After a momentary pause in midair, it plunged straight down with a piercing *whoosh*, embedding itself firmly into the ground before the battle lines. At the same time, Han Qingyu turned and came to a halt on the raised platform... facing the one hundred thousand veterans, silently raising his hand in a salute.