“Mm, when you were unconscious, your breathing was as calm as a child’s. But when you’re awake, you’re like a beast ready to fight at any moment.” 24 shifted into a more comfortable position, watching 13.

“I can take that as an insult, can’t I?” 13 smiled slightly.

“Think whatever you want, as long as you’re still alive, that’s all that matters…” 24 stood up. “I’m leaving, you keep resting.” She didn’t give 13 a chance to speak again and ran out of the hospital room. 13 noticed something strange about 24—she seemed to be crying. He didn’t stop to think about what he should do, he just quickly got out of bed and chased after her. 24 was running at combat speed, and there was no way 13 could catch up to the fastest special agent, 24. When he reached the hospital lawn, 13 shouted loudly, “24!”

Strangely enough, she actually stopped, which left 13 at a loss for words.

The wind swept across the lawn where only the two of them stood, and the rising sun painted the earth red. Everything felt so quiet, as 13 simply watched 24’s back.

“What’s wrong with you?” 13 asked awkwardly. He wasn’t used to showing concern for others.

Suddenly, 24 turned around and hugged 13, leaving him bewildered. His heart started beating faster for no reason—was there an enemy nearby? 13 chalked up his reaction to battlefield instinct, and reflexively hugged 24 back, keeping a wary eye on their surroundings.

When 13 hugged 24 back, he felt 24 tremble in his arms.

“Why do you have to push yourself so hard? Why do you have to keep shooting, over and over again! Facing all the enemies alone every time! Do you really have no attachment to this world at all? Is there really nothing in this world worth cherishing for you? If that’s the case, it’s fine, but there are still people in this world who worry about you, who feel that the world isn’t as bad as it seems because of you. Because of you, I feel that it’s good to be alive! Meeting you really is a wonderful thing. So if you ever face death again, please remember that someone will be sad for you—not because you’re some ‘fighting machine’ or ‘national hero,’ but simply because you are 13!” After saying this, 24 turned and ran off again.

This time, he didn’t chase after her. He just stood there quietly, feeling the warmth of the sunlight, the freshness of the air, and the taste of tears on his chest…

“Where did you go? I was looking all over for you. Let’s go to the conference room, your teammates will be waiting for you there.” David Clark suddenly noticed 13 was lost in thought and tried to nudge him.

“Huh? Oh. Let’s go!” 13 finally snapped out of it and looked at David Clark.

David Clark noticed something different about 13. Normally, no one could get this close to him without being noticed. But David Clark didn’t ask further—after all, who doesn’t have their own secrets?

February 25, 2011, 07:00, GX City Forward Operations Base, conference room…

“Hey! ‘Hero,’ you’re finally awake.” 36 still had that childish attitude, immediately teasing him.

“13, are you alright? If the commander hadn’t told us to wait for you here, we were going to visit you at the hospital today.” 1 said with a smile.

“It’s fine, I’m already recovered. No injuries, I can join the fight at any time.” 13 had returned to his usual cold demeanor.

“Where’s 24?” David Clark asked casually. 13 flinched.

“She took sick leave after coming back this morning,” 1 replied.

13 found a seat and sat down.

David Clark closed the doors and windows, and drew the blinds. The conference room was instantly plunged into darkness.

“Now let’s show 13 what’s changed in the world during the days he was unconscious!” In the darkness, David Clark’s tone was full of excitement.

The projector started up, and 13 watched the screen with curiosity…

February 18, 2011, press conference in front of Tiananmen…

Z Country’s Minister of Information, Henry Grant, stepped onto the podium, and the flashes from the cameras sparkled like stars. The number of foreign journalists attending today was even higher than when M Country unveiled their mecha. This allowed the over-sixty-year-old Henry Grant to truly experience what pride meant. Thinking about Z Country’s years of conservative foreign policy, he couldn’t help but feel a thousand emotions.

He composed himself and smiled at the reporters, “Thank you all for coming today. I didn’t expect so many of you—now I’m not sure if there’ll be enough food at the reception later!”

The reporters laughed at Henry Grant’s joke, and the atmosphere relaxed considerably.

“Alright, let’s get to the main topic.” Henry Grant skillfully steered the pace of the press conference. “Our TW Return Forces have confirmed that, as of noon yesterday, we officially made contact with the experimental mecha that M Country had loaned to TW…”

All the reporters perked up their ears, wishing they could throw their microphones onto the stage.

“At the time, our main forces were conducting operations on the perimeter, and one of M Country’s mecha apparently entered the wrong coordinates during testing and ended up at our GX City forward operations base.”

The reporters laughed again, while the M Country journalists looked uncomfortable.

“After our warnings were ignored, we opened fire, but unfortunately, we lost 76 soldiers without inflicting any effective damage. I have to admit, M Country’s mecha are very strong…” Henry Grant’s expression grew solemn.

“Here, on behalf of the entire nation, I ask for three minutes of silence for the 76 heroic martyrs who gave their lives…” With that, he closed his eyes, and the reporters all joined in a moment of silence.