thefictionvixens 036 People who bear pain
036 People who bear pain
The pre-battle preparation meeting for Operation Rock was underway. Chu Zihang, Caesar, Nono, Percy, and Susie sat around a long table, all eyes fixed on Professor Schneider.
"You can ask Lu Mingfei about his Word of Power now," Schneider said.
Caesar spoke first: "Professor, his Word of Power is classified as an evolution of the 'Dustless Land,' but the Dustless Land is a repulsive field that relies on high-speed airflow to form a defensive circle. Based on this data, his defense mechanism is more like..."
“Absolute physical hardening,” Schneider continued. “The Dustless Land can only provide a framework for classification, but in reality, his Word of Power is not exactly the same as any known Word of Power.”
Chu Zihang turned a page of the report and asked, "What about his output? On Freedom Day, the force with which he knocked Caesar and me away was roughly equivalent to the force that would push a person 3 meters away."
"That's right," Schneider said. "His defense mechanism is very flexible, but time is limited, so we haven't measured his output data."
Susie asked, "Does his defense have any weak points? Like his back?"
"no."
Chu Zihang asked, "Is it possible to find gaps in the defense through high-frequency, low-intensity attacks? For example, by continuously applying pressure and observing whether the barrier will fail at a certain critical point?"
Schneider shook his head: "The equipment department has tested it. A diamond probe under 70,000 Newtons of pressure, and 100 rounds of 30mm depleted uranium armor-piercing rounds were fired in succession, and the defense did not show any weakening."
"What if we distract him?" Caesar said. "The release of the power of words usually requires mental focus; if we interfere with his attention..."
"One hundred rounds of 30mm machine gun fire exploded and vaporized in front of his barrier, filling the entire test range with smoke." Schneider interrupted him, "He wasn't disturbed."
"Is it possible to use corrosive alchemical tools? Or to use low temperatures to embrittle the barrier?"
"There is no evidence that the power of words is affected by temperature or chemicals."
"What about a sonic attack? From internal resonance—"
"The barrier can isolate the shock wave from the C4 explosion, as well as the rebounding low-frequency sound waves."
"In other words," Chu Zihang concluded, "all we can do is stall until he's exhausted. Until then, we're helpless against him."
"Correct," Schneider said. "You need to use your numerical advantage and relentless attacks to force him to maintain his Word of Power for a long time until he is exhausted."
"How long?" Chu Zihang asked.
"I don't know, the equipment department hasn't tested his stamina limit. But based on his performance in the tests, I suggest you prepare for a long battle."
The S-rank strength left everyone speechless.
Caesar suddenly turned his head and looked at Nono.
"You've spent the most time with Lu Mingfei," he said. "What kind of person is he?"
"What kind of person is he..." Nono repeated Caesar's question.
She raised her head and her gaze swept over everyone present.
"He carried a burden of unimaginable pain."
-----------------
After leaving the girls' dormitory, Lu Mingfei kept replaying Ling's silhouette in his mind.
"See you tomorrow," she said.
Damn it, it felt like his brain was infected with a virus; Zero's image kept popping up in his mind. He felt like he was in a dating game, except Zero was the player, and he, Lu Mingfei, was the one being speed-completed.
She must be using cheat codes!
After the exercise meeting ended, Chu Zihang walked towards the student council. Su Qian was talking about the formation arrangements for tomorrow's exercise. He responded a few times, but his mind was elsewhere.
He carried a burden of unimaginable pain.
Nuonuo's words echoed in his ears, and Chu Zihang thought of his own pain.
Four years ago, during a typhoon, a rainy night, a Maybach, an overpass. That tall man who defied the gods, and the cowardice and regret he felt when he stepped on the gas and fled. That was the most painful day of his life; his soul died completely in that rain, leaving only a shell of revenge.
It was on that day, before the tragedy struck, that he happened to remember Lu Mingfei, who was taking shelter from the rain, in the corridor of Shilan Middle School.
Did Lu Mingfei also experience something similar?
Chu Zihang's gaze swept across the path ahead.
Lu Mingfei walked alone under the streetlights, his face divided into light and shadow by the light and shadow of the streetlights, his expression showing an indescribable depression.
Susie followed his gaze and noticed Lu Mingfei as well.
"Should we go over and try to get information?" Susie asked.
"You go back first, I have something to do," Chu Zihang said.
Susie nodded, turned around, and left.
"Lu Mingfei".
"Senior Brother Chu."
"Are you taking a walk?"
"I guess so," Lu Mingfei scratched his head. "Just taking a walk."
The two walked side by side for a while, with streetlights passing overhead one after another.
Lu Mingfei noticed that Su Qian was not with Chu Zihang.
Susie is a good person. Gentle, earnest, considerate, and perfectly normal. Her relationship with Chu Zihang is restrained and not domineering, like a glass of water at just the right temperature. As for Ling and Nuonuo... they are like strong liquor with ice or a branding iron burning black, always able to scald you into a ball when you least expect it.
He glanced at Chu Zihang and couldn't help but sigh.
"What's wrong?" Chu Zihang asked.
"You and Susie have a very good relationship," Lu Mingfei said.
"We're not in that kind of relationship," Chu Zihang said.
"Oh." Lu Mingfei responded, secretly wondering to himself, he hadn't even asked what the relationship was.
A brief silence followed.
"Zero is a very good girl too," Chu Zihang suddenly said.
She's attentive in class, focused, and efficient. When she looks at you, you're the only one in her eyes.
"Senior Brother Chu." Lu Mingfei's voice was a little unsteady.
"Um?"
Have you ever been in a relationship?
"no."
……
They continued walking, passing a large ginkgo tree whose leaves rustled in the night breeze. Lu Mingfei remembered a ginkgo tree beside the playground of Shilan Middle School, its leaves carpeting the ground in golden hues in autumn. Back then, Chu Zihang was the object of everyone's admiration—top student, all-around athletic, and handsome. Girls lined up under the tree to hand him love letters. Lu Mingfei, on the other hand, was ignored by everyone—last in the class, worst in sports, and just average-looking. He liked a girl named Su Wenwen but didn't dare confess his feelings.
Now they walk side by side on the cobblestone path of a secret elite college in the United States, discussing the relationship between a Russian girl and a Chinese girl.
"You're right, zero is indeed very good."
"Lu Mingfei".
"Four years ago, in the summer," Chu Zihang said, "there was a rainy night."
"That night I lost someone, someone very important." Chu Zihang's voice was calm. "Since then, I have become who I am today."
A gust of wind blew by, and the ginkgo leaves rustled for a while.
"I saw you at Shilan Middle School. Back then, you always walked with your shoulders hunched and your head down, never looking at people. I thought it was just your personality."
"That's just my personality."
"No," Chu Zihang said.
Lu Mingfei wanted to say something to brush it off, but all he had to do was shrug, scratch his head, and say, "He's a loser, there's nothing he can do about it," and then the topic would slip away.
But as he looked into Chu Zihang's eyes, he also looked into Lu Mingfei's. "You've had similar rainy nights too, haven't you?"
Lu Mingfei stood still, the streetlight casting his short, dark shadow on the ground.
In the cockpit of Unit-03, LCL liquid filled the air, and a warning appeared on the screen. The Angel's spear pierced the armor layer, and Rei Ayanami, piloting Unit-00, launched a suicide attack while clutching an N2 bomb. Asuka's Unit-02 was dismembered by the mass-produced units, and Shinji Ikari's cries echoed throughout the world.
He came here alone, enjoying an unbeatable campus life, surrounded by two formidable girls, and treated like a treasure by the equipment department.
What right does he have to be distressed?
What right does he have to play dumb and act foolish?
"Yes," Lu Mingfei said, "I have."
"How did you get here?" Chu Zihang asked.
"I also lost very important people. I wanted to protect them, but I wasn't strong enough. In the end, I was protected by others instead," Lu Mingfei said. "That kind of power is a curse. I watched people being destroyed by the power they thought they had in their hands."
"It's like... you're underwater with your eyes open. At first, the water is clear, and you can see everything. But the longer it goes on, the muddier the water becomes. Eventually, you don't even know if you're still underwater."
"So I want to ask you, how did you manage to gain such power," Chu Zihang said, his voice lowering slightly, "and still be alive?"
"Not entirely," he said.
Chu Zihang frowned slightly.
"Sometimes I can't tell who the person in front of me is; sometimes I feel like I'm in another world; and sometimes I'm being eaten by a monster, and when it digests me, I become it. Sometimes I wonder if all of this is real, just a revolving lantern before my death," Lu Mingfei said. "I'm sorry, I have some intermittent episodes of neurosis, so I can't give you any advice."
"Thank you, you've already helped me," Chu Zihang said. "You've shown me that this path can lead to even greater heights."
The night breeze picked up again, and the ginkgo leaves rustled like countless hands gently clapping.
Lu Mingfei looked up at the night sky. The stars were exactly the same as those in the EVA world.