Even before entering the virtual world, Qin Chu had told them about several extreme scenarios.
Seeing yourself in the virtual world is one of them.
But when this group of people encountered this scene, their first feeling was not one of strangeness, but rather an eagerness to fight.
Burke felt this way particularly strongly, and he said bitterly, "I'm most afraid of imposters. When I see one later, I'm going to beat him to a pulp!"
Qin Chu and Levy, who had seen the imposter Burke several times, were speechless.
I'd better not tell him.
Judging from the speed of the starship ahead, Qin Chu knew that he probably couldn't dodge it.
Shortly after, they received a signal from the other side ordering them to immediately cease their advance. The signal was, unsurprisingly, signed by the captain's office of the first warship.
Burke patted Qin Chu on the shoulder: "Look, your imposter is here."
Levi seemed quite interested and looked at Qin Chu teasingly: "Should I go down and fight later?"
“…Go stay in the back,” Qin Chu said. “If anyone’s going to fight, it’ll be me.”
Even so, Qin Chu still instructed Noah to reply with a slightly more moderate signal.
They quickly replied, saying they would send envoys to meet.
“Burke, you go.” Qin Chu paused again, “Never mind, I’ll go myself.”
Burke wanted to ask what was going on, but he quickly figured it out.
They were very experienced in blocking unusual starships, and given Qin Chu's consistent style, the current peace talks were not genuine. The warships' initial pursuit had already indicated their stance, so the meeting that was about to take place was highly unlikely to be an ordinary one.
The other side remained unmoved, and Qin Chu first put on his protective suit and left the starship.
A group of people on Noah's starship were very interested, some crowding around the screen, others peering out the windows.
Especially Levi, who was very curious about what it would be like if Qin Chu fought with himself, and couldn't wait to go out and watch the show.
After waiting for a while, the first warship on the other side finally opened its doors.
But to everyone's surprise, it was a man they didn't recognize who got off.
The man looked somewhat mild-mannered, and the rank of lieutenant general was on his shoulder.
Seeing the man come down, some of the younger team members were completely confused.
"Do you recognize him? Is he from your warship?"
"Never seen it before."
Several legions shook their heads after being asked.
However, the other group of slightly older team members were stunned the moment they saw this man and remained silent for a long time.
Qin Chu, who was outside, looked up and saw this person, and a look of shock appeared on his face.
Even Levi, who had been watching the show with amusement, straightened up and frowned slightly.
After a long while, an older captain suddenly exclaimed incredulously, "Instructor Chu!"
Only then did everyone notice that the nameplate on the man's chest read "Chu He".
Qin Chu's prediction was correct; this was not a friendly meeting.
The man stepped off the aircraft, his expression remaining gentle, but his attack was extremely fierce.
But Qin Chu, who was usually ruthless, was acting strangely, his every move was defensive, and his expression was somewhat off. His eyes were fixed on the man in front of him.
"What's going on? This isn't how the officer is supposed to be!" Some of the younger team members were very anxious.
But Burke, who always liked to stir up trouble, didn't say anything, and also frowned as he stared at the battle outside.
"Kid, not bad skills." The man praised him, but then added, "A new pirate group? Our military doesn't usually get involved in these things, but we can't just ignore it if we encounter it on the way back."
“…You.” Qin Chu hesitated before speaking, but ultimately pursed his lips and said nothing.
Then the hatch of the first warship opened, and a short-haired woman in a protective suit came out.
Her eyes were sharp, and her voice was cold: "When Chu He comes back, you can't beat him."
As soon as the woman said this, the surrounding fleet of aircraft immediately surrounded Noah's starship, revealing the dark muzzles of its cannons.
The moment this woman in military uniform appeared, the previously noisy starship fell into a deathly silence.
All the team members, regardless of age, remained silent and looked outside.
The commanders of the various legions will be recorded in the military history.
Some of them had actually met this officer, and some had even fought alongside her. Others, the younger members, had all seen her in their military academy history classes.
"General Qin Fei..." someone murmured.
Qin Fei and Chu He were Qin Chu's parents... who passed away more than thirty years ago.
No one knows what Qin Chu is feeling.
The woman opposite me was very powerful; her every move exuded absolute confidence in her abilities.
Before stepping completely off the warship, she patted the man beside her on the shoulder, a gentle smile playing on her lips.
She said, "It'll be a quick and easy job, so I can go back and pick my son up from school."
Levi's expression was unusually serious. He patted the control panel and said, "Noah, open the hatch."
Without even putting on his protective suit, he turned and walked towards the cabin door, preparing to meet Qin Chu.
However, Qin Chu had already returned to the starship the moment the hatch opened.
He took off his helmet and sat down silently to the side.
No one cared about Qin Chu's loss of composure, because most people were in no better shape.
Several veterans even had tears welling up in their eyes, covering their foreheads and murmuring the names of those people from the past: "General Qin Fei, Lieutenant General Chu He, Old Liu, Tok..."
Before they came, they had made all sorts of mental preparations.
But when they actually witnessed this scene, many people were instantly devastated.
They are not afraid of seeing an exact replica of themselves, nor are they afraid of encountering dangerous situations that could cost them their lives.
But now, they saw their most respected superiors, their most beloved teachers, and their closest comrades-in-arms. Even their relatives, lovers, and parents were there…
In that mission, the entire First Legion was almost completely wiped out.
Only a few people who remained on the warship and those who went home on leave escaped the disaster.
But they didn't want it to be like this.
Seeing their comrades and superiors die in the line of duty, they would feel like deserters.
They were people who had gone through thick and thin together, so why did they die while he was still alive?
After that mission, all the surviving soldiers of the First Army Corps, including many from other corps, underwent years of psychological treatment before being able to return to their posts in the military.
There are also some people who can never overcome their trauma and can only work in logistics or leave the military altogether.
But now, seeing these familiar faces again, the sorrow that had been dormant for thirty years suddenly burst forth. Even the dozen or so space pirates who had nothing to do with these matters or the military fell silent, not breaking the heavy atmosphere.
"Warning! Warning! The group's emotions are fluctuating too much, and the stability of the consciousness is decreasing!" Noah's warning rang out inside the starship.
Qin Chu raised his head, composed himself, and coldly commanded, "Remember your mission!"
With Qin Chu's reminder, everyone mustered their spirits. Although their emotions were still turbulent, they managed to stabilize their consciousness.
"Noah, is there any other way to reach the space point?" Qin Chu came to the control panel.
"No...we're surrounded. We could actually fight them; they're just data entities..." Noah's voice trailed off as he said this.
During Qin Fei's lifetime, Noah was already under development. It can be said that the soldiers of that era were the first humans that this artificial intelligence came into contact with.
Noah's feelings were also somewhat complicated.
Simulating real people with data is very difficult, but it is limited to living people.
Because living people are always encountering new things, constantly growing and changing. But if you put all the data about the deceased into it, and built a data system...
It's like the dead being reborn in the world of data.
Qin Chu sighed and sat down in the chair.
Levi walked over and patted his head, but Qin Chu pressed his hand down and squeezed it tightly.
Because the starships here have been slow to move, it seems that the first warship that has crossed time and space is constantly being challenged by people.
"Hey, is this any good? Why did you all back down as soon as our commander came out?"
"If you're going to be a space pirate, don't be a coward!"
"Or we can dismantle your starship!"
After surrounding the pirate group, the military generally won't be too forceful in order to secure the supplies above.
What they are saying and doing now is the process that Qin Chu and the others are most familiar with.
It is precisely because it is familiar that it is even more painful.
They watched as the dead continued their unchanging lives in this virtual world.
On their way back, the thought of going home soon brought a relaxed smile to everyone's face.
They were just doing their duty by stopping another ordinary pirate ship. Now everyone was looking forward to returning to the capital planet to pick up their children who had just come home from school, or to give their loved ones who had been waiting for them for years a surprise.
They will visit friends, see the elderly, comfort children, and rest for a while before embarking on their next voyage.
They will never know that they are already dead.
The provocative words outside continued.
But no one felt angry.
They desperately tried to convince themselves that these familiar people were just data entities simulated by the mainframe.
But when they hear those familiar voices, they can't help but think, "That's the guy. He has the loudest voice. He was the one who shouted the loudest that time."
Or staring at that familiar yet unfamiliar face, remembering how this person used to wake you up during every training session.
That short guy over there still owes him a pot of hot water.
Qin Chu looked down at the outside world; the only people on the warship were those who had passed away.