Logically speaking, it shouldn't be necessary.
This was the first time Qin Chu had faced such a situation of separation from loved ones.
In his experience over the past decade or so, whenever he went out on a mission alone, he only ever considered transmitting mission information and confirming mission objectives and progress.
Apart from that, there seems to be no reason to contact anyone else.
As for other purposes...
Qin Chu had never tried this before in his life.
Rationally, Qin Chu knew very well that what he should do now was not to contact Levi or think about Levi's situation.
This person was an adult no less capable than him, thriving in the virtual world and requiring absolutely no concern from him. What he needed to do now was understand his own identity, his environment, and the various events he was facing…
That's what he thought, but when Qin Chu came to his senses, he found that his personal terminal had been switched to the communication page.
They even entered half of the communication number belonging to "Qin and Chu".
Perhaps... I should get in touch with them?
At least ask if this guy is dead.
The evil can linger for a thousand years. Theoretically, there shouldn't be any problem, but what if an accident happens?
There seems to be some trouble on the edge of the system right now. Can this imposter captain Levy handle it? What if Burke discovers his identity is a lie and arrests him as a spy?
Upon seeing the communication interface, my previously vague feelings seemed to become clearer and more earnest.
A jumble of worries rose from the depths of his heart in an instant, turning into an unfamiliar shock that made Qin Chu frown.
Besides...
The scene on the first starship was rather strange, and he should have discussed it with Levy.
He is still using Levi's identity, and contacting Levi can help him confirm his current situation.
Finally, the most suitable reason was found.
Qin Chu then entered the contact number and clicked the dial button.
The communication page spun for a while, but the call didn't go through; instead, it displayed that the number was unreachable.
Unable to contact.
Qin Chu pursed her lips.
He had also encountered situations where the operator lost contact while he was doing a task, but he never panicked because of it.
Qin Chu even had a complete process in mind for handling similar situations, but none of them were applicable now. The confusion he had just felt and the hesitation he had before contacting Levi dissipated, and the worry that had been hidden beneath the surface was now clearly visible.
Qin Chu put on his personal terminal and, without further hesitation, strode out of the lounge.
He needed to familiarize himself with the current situation and, ideally, obtain a military aircraft to immediately travel to the edge of the star system where the First Warship was stationed.
Just as Qin Chu was about to open the door to the lounge and walk out, another door in the lounge marked with a restroom sign suddenly shook.
Qin Chu frowned and looked in that direction.
How come he didn't notice there was someone in the lounge?
As soon as he woke up in the room, Qin Chu confirmed that there was no other person breathing or having a heartbeat in the rest room.
The door shook again. This time, Qin Chu didn't hesitate. Instead, he tiptoed towards the bathroom.
The door was shaking continuously, as if someone inside was holding the doorknob and pushing it open.
But the door wasn't locked.
Qin Chu stood sideways by the door, reaching out to turn the knob to open it.
Just as his hand was about to reach the doorknob, the door was kicked open with a bang, and a figure in a silver military uniform stepped out of the bathroom.
Qin Chu was standing in front of the door and was almost bumped into.
The two stared at each other, wide-eyed.
In the end, it was the person in military uniform who broke the silence first.
His gaze swept over Qin Chu, and he whistled lightly, "Nice clothes. How about we make a deal? Can you wear something similar to bed next time?"
Upon hearing this, most of the power Qin Chu had been holding in dissipated.
Very good, judging from the tone of voice, it should be the person himself.
"What... are you doing here?"
The person whose fate was previously unknown suddenly appeared. Qin Chu looked at the restroom behind Levi, his expression indescribable.
Levi followed his gaze and turned to look, then immediately explained, "I didn't lock myself in the bathroom."
As he spoke, he reached out and grasped Qin Chu's fingers.
"I was just in a foggy space, and I realized you weren't here..."
Levy was still talking about his recent situation when Qin Chu looked down at their clasped fingers.
Warm fingers touched and intertwined.
The warmth and undeniable strength of the other person's body made them feel the reality of seeing each other again.
Levi spoke in a relaxed tone, even cracking a joke when they first met, but his fingers were gripping tightly. It wasn't a simple handshake; his fingers were wrapped around Qin Chu's almost completely, so tightly that Qin Chu's knuckles ached.
There wasn't a single word of anxiety or unease, but the worry and fear of separation were already revealed in their actions.
Before today, Qin Chu never thought there was anything to worry about about separating.
He also didn't understand why Levi liked to stick to him so much.
Just now, that feeling of being unable to contact anyone, of being completely lost and confused, surfaced and surged uncontrollably through his chest.
"...I saw a door, pushed it open and went out, only to find out it was the restroom..."
Levy's words came to an abrupt end.
Qin Chu pinched his chin and leaned in to kiss the corner of his mouth.
"It's alright now," Qin Chu said.
Levi reached out and pulled him into his arms. After a long silence, he buried his face in Qin Chu's neck and sighed softly, "You scared me to death. I thought I had lost you again."
Author's Note:
Short Second Update
Chapter 124, The Sixth Story (8)
Qin Chu pursed her lips and then reached out to touch Levi's hair.
He entered the scene normally, so he assumed that Levi had also entered, just in a distant outer star system. Even so, he couldn't help but worry.
But Levy's situation was even worse; he was trapped in that strange space, and there was no trace of him around.
It's easy to imagine that Levy's worries were even more serious than his.
“I thought the mainframe couldn’t resist taking action against you and had taken you away,” Levy chuckled self-deprecatingly.
Qin Chu understood his emotions; it was a very peculiar feeling.
Both he and Levy had faced various dangerous situations alone, and the current situation was not the worst they had ever experienced. If they were alone, they could handle it calmly and casually.
Levi might even be in the mood to take a leisurely nap in that space.
But after having each other, an indescribable heartache arises.
In the previous few small worlds, there were rules in place, and the mainframe could not do whatever it wanted.
But this world is really strange. They haven't really made contact with the mainframe yet, but they can already sense that the mainframe has a lot of initiative in this world.
This undoubtedly represents a danger.
Were he and Levy worried because of this danger?
It doesn't seem so.
This level of danger is not enough to cause concern for Qin and Chu. The same should be true for Levy.
However, they still felt something indescribable and impossible to delve into, standing between them.
"The tattoo is still there?" Levy's voice rose slightly.
Qin Chu felt him tug at the back of his neck.
Qin Chu also glanced at Levi, and could see two dark red letters on the back collar of Levi's military protective suit.
Seeing the tattoo seemed to calm my anxiety a little.
Qin Chu pulled Levi away from the bathroom door and leaned against the armrest of the sofa in the lounge.
"How did you get out?" he asked.
Levi leaned lazily against him: "At first, there was nothing around me except some data streams, and I thought the mainframe had kicked me out. Then my personal terminal vibrated, as if a signal was coming from it."
Qin Chu was taken aback, remembering the call he had made.
“I followed the data stream from the signal and saw the door appear in front of me.” Levi turned to look at Qin Chu and waved his personal terminal at him. “I’m curious, who made this call to me?”
"..." Seeing his cheeky expression, Qin Chu suddenly didn't want to admit it anymore.
However, his interruption dispelled all the lingering worries in Qin Chu's heart.
He raised his hand to push Levi's head, wanting to continue walking out of the lounge.
Levi didn't back down at all, reaching out to pull him back and gently kissing Qin Chu's cheek: "I'm more curious why my boyfriend paused for ten minutes after realizing I wasn't around before contacting me. Shouldn't he have called me immediately?"
"...You've got a good idea." It's already a miracle that they're willing to call you.
Looking at Qin Chu's tense face, Levi chuckled: "Then let me guess, during those ten minutes or so, was my boyfriend struggling with this?"
"Should I call him? Would it seem like I'm being too clingy? Is he at work? There doesn't seem to be any reason to call him."
Levy feigned distress, mimicking Qin and Chu's thoughts in an offensively vulgar tone.
"That's enough." Qin Chu's ears turned red for a moment after being caught out.