“When we arrived later, you fainted again.” 1 said slowly.

“Kid, you should thank 24. If she hadn’t stopped you from using SEED, you probably wouldn’t even have the chance to watch this video here now.” 36 picked up a folder from the table and tossed it to 13.

“This is a notice from the Central Political Department. In three days, ‘Grandpa Nie’ will be coming. He wants to see you.” 36 looked at 13 seriously.

But 13 ignored them, his mind full of questions. “I lost consciousness when the mecha blew up the office, so why did I let the enemy go afterwards? I remember waking up and attacking the rescue mecha, but I have no memory at all of letting the angel go. Why did I do that? I can’t analyze it. What’s wrong with me? Wait! I think I remember 24 saying something…”

13 suddenly turned to look at 24, but there was nothing on 24’s face.

“Maybe it was all just a dream.” 13 said to himself.

At the same time, in the underground base of TW City…

“‘Mama’, ‘Assault’ and ‘Heavy Cannon’ have all been repaired.” A young voice said.

“Very good.” Annie said while peeling an apple, “I’m very interested in the person who hurt your sister and brother. Go help me investigate him, and remember to get detailed information on that gun of his that emits ion waves as well.”

“I want to know why a mecha using ‘Sky Eye’ couldn’t even kill a flesh-and-blood human?” As Annie spoke, she crushed the apple in her hand.

“‘Baby’ understands.” The voice disappeared into the darkness.

“Old Nie, just what kind of thing have you been cultivating?” Annie picked up a towel and wiped her hands.

Chapter 9: The Sorrow of the Era

February 28, 2011 was a clear, sunny day. In recent days, the soldiers’ high morale had paid off—over a third of TW’s territory was now under our army’s control. There was hardly any need for tactics; the Z country’s army outmatched the TW forces in weapons, numbers, and quality, advancing almost at a jog. It felt as easy as when the M country attacked YLK back in the day. But there were no guerrilla units like in YLK, because the local residents simply wouldn’t let TW soldiers stay in their homes. Some people even actively reported the movements of the TW troops.

Once, a foreign war correspondent interviewed a TW citizen who had just made a report, asking, “Why did you betray your own troops?”

The citizen spat on the ground and said, “What do you mean, my own troops? I am a dignified Z countryman, not some TW person under that bastard Chen Bian! Only those idle beasts who have nothing better to do would forget who their ancestors are!”

Because the fighting was going unimaginably smoothly, David Clark managed to take some time off in the past few days to visit Beijing. He originally planned to extort William Harris for more information on Special Task Force 7. But he didn’t expect to meet the “Grandpa Nie” that 36 had mentioned.

“You must be the First General, David Clark—Commander Clark, right?” In William Harris’s office, a white-haired old man in his seventies looked at David Clark and smiled as he spoke.

“That’s me. May I ask your name?” David Clark’s polite manner made William Harris laugh out loud. The two of them looked at him in unison.

To avoid an awkward situation, William Harris took the initiative to introduce, “This is Mr. Emily Miller, director of the Z country’s Weapons Research and Development Institute. All the weapons and equipment of Special Task Force 7 were designed by him. In fact, the creation of Task Force 7 was entirely his doing. He is truly the backbone of Z country’s military strength.”

“Chief Harris, you flatter me. I’m just an old man past his prime.” Emily Miller smiled and sat down in the chair behind him.

“So, you’re the ‘Grandpa Nie’ that 1 and the others talk about? My apologies, my apologies. Thank you for your contribution to the future battlefield of Z country.” David Clark also sat down in an empty seat nearby. Perhaps because he knew from 13 that this was the man who “produced” him, there was a hint of disdain and sarcasm in his tone.

“Commander Clark, it seems you have some criticism of me?” Emily Miller still smiled, like a kindly old grandfather.

Seeing that the other party wanted to be direct, and being someone who liked to get straight to the point, David Clark asked without hesitation, “I heard that 13 was cultivated by you personally from a culture tank, is that right?”

“That’s correct. We cultivated over a thousand fertilized eggs, but in the end, only sample 13 survived.” Emily Miller answered calmly, without any hesitation. But David Clark couldn’t stay calm. William Harris, knowing his old classmate’s temper, tried to stop him, but it was too late. David Clark landed a solid punch that knocked Emily Miller to the ground.

“Are you even human? What do you mean, sample 13? How could you do this? He’s a person too! He’s the child who saved my life. If I had a gun, I’d kill you right now!” David Clark shouted emotionally.

“Do you think the world is still the world you once knew?” Emily Miller wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked straight at David Clark.

“We were forced by this era, by this world!” He sat back down in his chair.

“Forced? Did someone hold a gun to your head and make you create these children without fathers or mothers?” David Clark calmed down a bit and sat back in his seat.

“Chief Harris, could you hand me the globe on your desk?” Emily Miller looked at William Harris and said.

He realized the director wanted to explain something, so he asked, “Do I need to step out?”