Chapter 127 Handshake

Vanity, Xinghe's responses and actions greatly satisfied Gao Yuan's vanity.

Gao Yuan knew why so many people were eagerly anticipating him outside the base, and he understood why Xu Manzhi came to greet him in person, because without him, Xinghe would not speak.

Although the attention he received was thanks to Xinghe, as the person under the spotlight, Gao Yuan felt good.

Turning his head to look at the person next to him, Gao Yuan asked Xinghe, "Why are you waiting for me?"

Indeed, why wait for Gao Yuan?

It's not as if there was any special connection between Xinghe and Gao Yuan, apparently.

Yes, Gao Yuan was the first one to talk to Xinghe, but that was only slightly earlier than others, and later on, Xiang Weiguo and the others communicated with Xinghe much more than Gao Yuan did. Was it because Gao Yuan was unconscious at the time and couldn't talk even if he wanted to?

So Xinghe's attitude was somewhat abnormal.

Xinghe looked at Gao Yuan, leaned down a bit, and said to him very calmly, "Because I know everything about you."

This answer only made matters more confusing, not just for others, but Gao Yuan didn't understand it either. Fortunately, Xinghe quickly added another sentence.

"So you are trustworthy."

Pointing at his own nose, Gao Yuan said in bewilderment, "I'm trustworthy?"

Xinghe continued calmly, "I want to meet with Earth's highest ruler. This is a moment of great importance for both civilizations. At this crucial time, I hope you can be present."

Xu Manzhi nodded repeatedly, then said to Gao Yuan, "I understand, I understand. Xinghe trusts you a lot. He wants you to be present when meeting our highest leader. This sentiment is understandable, isn't it? You are the one he knows and trusts, so you will represent our Earth, is that the meaning?"

Xinghe said to Xu Manzhi, "Yes."

Xu Manzhi immediately said, "Now that we know why, let's hurry to meet the supreme ruler. Everyone, get on the vehicle."

Arrangements must have been made already, only Gao Yuan just came back and was unaware. As soon as they mentioned getting on the vehicle, Xiang Weiguo and Yu Shunzhou came out from the crowd and boarded the cars waiting outside.

You could drive within the base as well, and those were electric vehicles. Gao Yuan didn't know why the electric vehicles here could avoid being damaged by the electromagnetic pulse; presumably, it was due to being sheltered by the caves.

The vehicle prepared for Xinghe was a topless car, which looked like an ammunition transport vehicle that had been modified for use as a courtesy vehicle for Xinghe. There was no other choice because Xinghe's mecha was too tall and large, and there probably wasn't a special courtesy vehicle in this underground base, so they had to make do.

After riding the battery car for a short distance, Gao Yuan and the others got out because there were rails in a separate tunnel.

Gao Yuan and the others switched to a train, specifically a high-speed train. The train had only three carriages. Once Gao Yuan and the others boarded, the high-speed train began to move through the tunnel.

The high-speed train moved very fast, and there were lamps at intervals along the tunnel. Although the overall lighting was dim, it didn't greatly affect visibility.

At intervals, there were iron doors inside the tunnel, but all the iron doors were closed.

Noticing Gao Yuan's constant attention to the frequently appearing iron doors, Xu Manzhi whispered to him, "We are inside the Supreme Command's cave command center. Base No. 12 is a part of it. We are currently on the combat readiness route, which is also the main artery, connecting all the sub-bases with the main command. Each iron door you see leads to a relatively independent area. For example, the one ahead leads to the industrial zone. These doors are fifty centimeters thick and double-layered, creating a completely enclosed and independent environment once they're closed."

Gao Yuan turned to look at Xu Manzhi and whispered back, "Isn't this military confidential information?"

"It is, but you are now eligible to know."

Indeed, it was about time to meet the supreme leader, so these secrets that relatively concern the main road wouldn't be secrets anymore, would they?

"So can you tell us where we're going?"

Xu Manzhi hesitated briefly before responding, "To Base 10, our Base No. 12 is more of a production and living base than a combat-ready one, but the sole purpose of Base 10 is combat-readiness, making it even safer."

Gao Yuan nodded, and Xu Manzhi, as if explaining to him as well as to Xinghe, loudly said, "Originally, upon receiving the news, the supreme leader wanted to rush to Base No. 12 immediately, but the comrades responsible for the leader's security firmly disagreed. The security level of Base No. 12 is relatively lower. Moreover, the supreme leader also hoped to invite Xinghe to the safest place."

Gao Yuan glanced around the carriage, which wasn't particularly luxurious, but it was clear that this carriage was reserved for high-level leaders.

It would be impossible not to feel sentimental, but to say that he felt deeply sentimental didn't quite fit either. After facing so many life-and-death situations, many things had naturally faded in significance.

The high-speed train traveled for about forty minutes, and Gao Yuan had no idea how far they had come, but based on the speed of the train, they should have covered a considerable distance by now.

The train slowed down. There was no platform to speak of in the tunnel, but the space where the train stopped was noticeably larger.

Once the train came to a halt, Xu Manzhi stood up eagerly and then said to Xinghe, "Xinghe... please."

Xu Manzhi wanted to use an honorific, but finding the right one was indeed challenging for him.

Calling him 'Mr.' was not right, 'Miss' was inappropriate, 'distinguished guest' certainly wasn't suitable, and in the end, you couldn't just call him 'comrade'. So Xu Manzhi had no choice but to omit the honorific, making his tone all the more polite instead.

Xinghe walked behind Xu Manzhi, with Gao Yuan following behind Xinghe, and the three of them disembarked from the train.

As he stepped out of the carriage, Gao Yuan saw a group of people standing on the platform next to the railway tracks.

They were truly illustrious, but this was not the glamour of celebrities — the most powerful individuals of humanity were gathered here.

In fact, the crowd wasn't too large. Among those there to greet them, Gao Yuan immediately spotted three generals.

Of course, the highest-ranking was the person standing at the forefront of the group.

The supreme leader of Shenzhou, Li Wen.

Someone he had only ever seen on television was now genuinely standing before him, and Gao Yuan suddenly found it difficult to breathe, overwhelmed by the presence, perhaps.

No introduction was necessary; the moment Xinghe stepped out of the carriage, everyone knew he was the alien visitor they had been awaiting.

Li Wen took a step forward, extended his hand with a smile, and said, "Hello, I am Li Wen. I'm very pleased to meet you."

Xinghe extended his hand. He didn't shake Li Wen's hand, for he understood the gesture of handshake but was not suited for it.

Stretching out his palm, Xinghe gently touched Li Wen's hand and then said with a serious tone, "Hello, I am Xinghe."

After speaking, Xinghe withdrew his mechanical hand, placed it in front of Gao Yuan, and then said to Li Wen, "Let me introduce my friend, Gao Yuan."

An alien introducing one Earthling to another Earthling — what an odd scene this was.

While Gao Yuan stood there unsure of how to react, Li Wen had already extended his hand towards Gao Yuan with a smile, saying, "Hello, Gao Yuan, I'm very pleased to meet you."

Gao Yuan extended both hands to grasp Li Wen's, and hastily said, "I, I'm very pleased too, really pleased..."