Qianyuan: My crew comes from the world of anime.

She immediately sprang up from the chair and then crouched down to adjust the aiming angle of the railgun.

At this moment, Revy, who was unusually clear-headed, complained: "Hey, I've wanted to complain about this for a long time... With half of your hand in your sleeve, isn't it strange to operate a weapon like that?"

"..."

Nan Mengya looked at her cute sleeves and said, "Because it's cute to do this~?"

Levi wanted to complain, but considering that she had never missed, she refrained from doing so.

With a tremor that reverberated throughout the Nautilus, the railgun delivered the nuclear bomb 3.8 kilometers into the ocean, where it was then detonated.

At this distance, the shockwave from the nuclear bomb is no longer sufficient to significantly damage the ship, and the flash of the core only occupies a small corner of the screen.

However, in response, strong electromagnetic radiation came from afar, and any submarine crew members who detected this information were shocked.

The control tower, which had resumed operation within the site, was the first to detect the anomaly.

"Strong electromagnetic radiation confirmed—it's a nuclear explosion!" controllers announced over the radio. "The strike is expected to arrive within three seconds... three, two... hiss... hiss..."

"All personnel working outside the cabin, please assemble immediately at the No. 1 airlock. Unless absolutely necessary, residents are advised not to approach the outer wall area of ​​the site."

"..."

Throughout the entire capital station, only Luo Tianming remained calm and composed, because he knew that the next nuclear bomb would definitely not hit him directly overhead.

However, the others were unaware of this, especially the insurgent soldiers still resisting within the site. The news of the nuclear bomb was undoubtedly the last straw that broke their backs, meaning that there was no way they could get any reinforcements from the outside world, and all that awaited them was death.

At this point, Lieutenant General Lycam sent men to persuade them to surrender, and the result was unexpected.

The unrest in the capital has temporarily come to an end, but it is impossible to return to the way things were in an instant, and the wounds in people's hearts are difficult to heal.

However, after reconnecting to the outside world, some encouraging news also came:

The Europa Alliance has arrested most of the rebellious soldiers, the abandoned site is being restored to normal function, and a large number of new recruits have joined the army. The Alliance will restart the Age of Exploration due to the construction of the shelter, which is expected to accommodate 150,000 people...

"..."

Of course, among all this good news, there was also one piece of bad news that Luo Tianming least wanted to hear:

Major Soloviev of Red Star Station has been promoted two ranks to colonel for his bravery in the defense of Novomoskov Station, and has also been awarded the Order of Hero of the European Union.

……

"Special promotion of two ranks" is actually a very euphemistic way of saying that when the Europa Alliance does not want to publicly announce the sacrifice of a general in the news, they will use the honor of being promoted two ranks in military rank as a posthumous honor.

The 'Hero Medal' was intended to highlight his status as a martyr, and it also served as a political propaganda tool to proclaim his loyalty to the Alliance and his death.

The overall impression of the news is that the Europa Alliance is promoting a glorious spirit of sacrifice, where "alliance heroes would rather die than surrender in the face of betrayal, sacrificing themselves for the great ideals of the alliance," while also subtly highlighting the alliance's determination to eliminate the rebels at all costs.

But only Luo Tianming knew that they had no supplies, no way out, and no way to make their voices heard. They were forced to their deaths by the cruel system of the Europa Alliance.

Even so, the league is unwilling to let go of their promotional value.

"..."

Lieutenant General Laycam noticed Luo Tianming's low spirits, walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "I've already sent people to find Soloviev's family. They don't live in the capital, but at a remote station."

"The Alliance... will most likely not treat his family unfairly; they can be granted access to the shelter."

Luo Tianming remained silent.

Even if we can get to the shelter, who will remember the sacrifices Major Soloviev made?

For Europa, today is nothing more than the death of a major who is insignificant to the Alliance. They can exaggerate his tragedy and his bravery, and then throw him into the corner of their memory when they no longer need him, never to be remembered again.

But for Luo Tianming, it meant that a person who was alive and well in his memory had completely died.

He may not feel sadness, nor will he cry his heart out... only occasionally, when he sees something that reminds him of this person, an immense emptiness will appear in his heart.

The last soldier loyal to the Alliance and to his faith fell.

Major Soloviev's death did not awaken any conscience; what remained for the Europa Alliance was only endless conflict.

Chapter 399 Bad Woman

Back on the Nautilus, Luo Tianming's expression was more somber than ever before.

His mood didn't improve with the end of the war; in fact, it worsened, becoming even more gloomy than when Coco had been.

Levi's only comment upon seeing this face was:

"Why don't you go look in the mirror? I'm telling you... it's a little scary... or how about I give you a gun to shoot at?"

Luo Tianming followed Levi's advice and carefully examined himself in the bathroom mirror:

The person in the mirror was completely unfamiliar... messy hair, bloodshot eyes, and a gaze that seemed ready to devour someone at any moment.

If someone like him is allowed to stay outside, it could cause very serious problems.

He himself knew that his mind was damaged and he should immediately go to Dr. Wu Jianmiao and ask her to prescribe some sedatives or similar medications.

However, when they reached a ballast tank, Luo Tianming inexplicably walked inside on his own.

"..."

The metal hatch creaked open, revealing that the interior wasn't simply dark; a soft, nightlight-like glow illuminated the cabin. In the center of the room sat a beauty resembling Princess Kaguya.

If it weren't for Coco's exotic face, Luo Tianming would probably have mistaken her for some white-haired, youthful-looking immortal.

Despite being locked up for three days, Coco showed no signs of distress. It seemed that someone must have been bringing her food and drink during this time, most likely Nan Mengya... because she was the most soft-hearted.

However, Luo Tianming hadn't actually forbidden anyone from visiting Coco; he had simply confined her to her quarters.

Seeing how well she's doing now makes me feel a little resentful.

"Ha, you're living a carefree life... leaving me out there to clean up your mess."

Luo Tianming spoke to her with a slightly sarcastic tone.

Coco smiled wryly and said, "Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm reflecting on my actions again."

"Reflect on your actions? What conclusions have you drawn from your reflection?"

She leaned closer with a mysterious expression and said, "Next time, I'll definitely do it even more perfectly, so you won't even notice the mess, and I'll keep you completely in the dark!"

"you……!"

Luo Tianming looked at her in shock and anger.

Coco, completely unaware, came to his side and wrapped her arms around him like a snake.

He was about to tell Coco to be serious when he heard the metal hatch behind her click as it closed without her noticing.

The door was locked, and it was clearly impossible to open it from the inside.

"Hehe..." Coco smiled smugly and teased him.

"Look~ Now we're all locked up, and we can stay here leisurely for a long time before anyone finds out~~"

"So, did you not notice anything at all?"

"Tsk..."

Luo Tianming's anger, which had just been suppressed, was now reignited by Coco's provocation, but she showed no fear whatsoever, even poking Luo Tianming's face with her index finger and saying:

"Oh, so that's the expression... No wonder even Miss Levi was scared."

Luo Tianming asked doubtfully, "Is it really that scary...?"

“Mmm,” Coco nodded seriously, “It’s not that my face is ugly, it’s just that I find it scary from the bottom of my heart.”

Do you know what people's first reaction is when they see a criminal?

“Hatred, fear, anger…”

"The reason why evil people can do evil is precisely because they can ignore these gazes and deliberately make themselves outcasts in human society."

Coco spoke as if she were talking about her own experiences.

"But even evil people have something they fear, which is seeing those who were originally kind reveal their malice."

Luo Tianming, who was being talked about, did not show any change in expression, letting Coco do whatever she wanted to his face.

"Aren't you going to ask why?" she asked.

Luo Tianming: "Anyway, it will definitely be 'fallacies'."

He had already seen through Coco's true nature. She would speak nonsense with a straight face and then do what she thought was right. It might be related to her ability to come up with a story that would benefit her no matter what the situation was.

The only way to deal with it is to ignore it.

If you believe her 'fallacies,' then you'll easily be captivated by her.

"Eh~~" Coco said in a drawn-out, coquettish voice.

"Just listen to me... The reason for being afraid is simple: evil people know they have no bottom line, while good people are bullied because they always leave themselves an out."

“They think they understand this principle, so they can keep bullying kind people. But as long as those good people also lose their bottom line, the evil people will find that they are not special at all, and may even be regarded as the weaker party.”

"So..."

Coco clung to Luo Tianming like a koala and said:

"Seeing a nice guy get angry is really scary; it can even make a 'bad woman' like me feel terrified."

However, her expression didn't show much fear.

She pressed her face against Luo Tianming's cheek and said in a gentle tone, "What's wrong? Did you encounter some setback? Are you unable to bear the cruelty of war? Or do you feel that too many people have died?"

"Chirp~..."

Before he got angry, Coco smiled and kissed him gently, but this time it was on the lips.

At the same time, she looked at him with bright eyes and touched his cheek with her fingers.

"Calm down. Whether it's hatred, anger, or anything else, don't let your emotions cloud your judgment."

Coco shared her 'experience' with him.

"Decisions made on impulse are mostly regrettable... It's better not to make any decisions than to force yourself to have unwanted thoughts."

Luo Tianming asked, "Then... have you made a decision that you regret?"

Although she was 'smiling,' she had a heartbreaking expression on her face: "There are countless examples."

"But I don't regret it anymore. Rather than regret... I'm more busy now. As long as I keep myself busy enough that I don't have the energy to regret, I naturally won't have those kinds of feelings."

"So, did my experience help you...?"

It seems that Luo Tianming really made the right bet by asking Coco to chat with him.

No one on the Nautilus had a more extensive experience than Coco, a global arms dealer, nor did anyone understand topics like regret, failure, and war better than her.

If I go to Wu Jianmiao, the most she can offer is medication, but she can't help me resolve my inner conflict.

After hearing Coco's words, the knot in Luo Tianming's heart dissipated.

Luo Tianming was very concerned about Major Soloviev's death, and even had the idea of ​​taking revenge on the rebel soldiers and then on the Europa Alliance, making them pay the price.

But if we do that, will the major come back to life?

No, this is definitely not what he wanted to see.

I need to calm down. The Europa alliance is still a loose and disorganized mess, and we could lose everything if we are not careful.

"Ah, if you decide to seek revenge, I won't stop you, okay?"

Coco suddenly whispered a mesmerizing smile in his ear:

"I will help you devise a plan. No matter if you intend to take revenge, harm someone, or make someone your enemy, I will make sure they die a miserable death."

"Because I'm a 'bad woman'..."

It has to be said that Coco's suggestion was incredibly tempting; she was sure to solve any problem you asked her to solve.

In a sense, she could be considered a 'wise and virtuous wife' who aided and abetted murder and arson.

Luo Tianming raised his hand and tapped her on the head with a chop, saying:

"Come on, do you think I don't know what you're thinking?"

"This experience has taught me a lesson. Your so-called 'perfect' evil may not be what I think it is."

Coco hugged him and rubbed against him, saying, "I'm sorry, I probably will never be the 'good person' in your eyes."

“I will continue to do bad things… continue to do bad things that benefit you.”

Upon hearing these words, all the anger Luo Tianming had felt towards her vanished without a trace.