Chapter 32: This Is My Deep Love for the Country!

In low Earth orbit, the Bluebird spacecraft, traveling at 35 times the speed of sound, seemed almost motionless when compared to the vastness of the universe. Only the occasional satellite or space debris flying by reminded Song Han that he was moving at an incredible speed.

Outside the porthole, the deep expanse of the cosmos was both mysterious and magnificent. Countless stars twinkled with faint light, as if telling the stories of their long existence.

When the Bluebird completed an orbit around the Earth, the sun quickly jumped out from the horizon, casting its blazing light to illuminate the darkness ahead.

"Ah! My eyes!"

Inside the Bluebird, Song Han clutched his eyes and groaned.

"Without the atmosphere to filter it, you can't look directly at the sun with your naked eyes. You need a specialized observation port!"

On the spacecraft, with the help of the payload specialist medical team, Song Han applied ice packs to his bloodshot eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the medal floating in front of him. Under the envious gazes of those around him, he grabbed it and absentmindedly played with it, his mind still lingering on the conversation he had with Old Li before parting.

"Aren't you afraid of unconventional weapons if the other side uses them?"

"Even if unconventional weapons are used, we will be the first country to recover and resume production and life on this wasteland!"

When Old Li said this, he stood tall and proud, his voice filled with absolute confidence.

"Do I really have to go to space?"

Although Song Han didn't hesitate in his actions, he still felt an inexplicable attachment to the land beneath his feet.

"Over the years, the Zhulong Lair has spread across the country. For your safety, the state has allocated hundreds of billions in funding. Every department has exhausted every possible solution, and in the end, the aerospace department took you away. After all, compared to the ground, where a lot of manpower and resources are needed to safely complete spatial coordinate transfers, the space station's coordinates are constantly moving at high speed. After you leave, your special security funding won't be cut. It will be directly merged into the aerospace department, and they'll be responsible for it. They've hit the jackpot!"

Old Li didn't directly answer Song Han's question but calmly explained from a different angle.

On the ground, Old Li only withdrew his gaze after the rocket disappeared from sight. He dusted off his hair, which had been covered in sand and gravel, and rubbed the bump on his forehead caused by a flying stone.

"Careless, didn't dodge in time!"

He turned stiffly and looked at the now revitalized launch site, pounding his numb lower back.

"Dozens of steel nails. I wonder if I could have used fewer. Now I can't even bend down to tie my shoes."

As he spoke, he looked down at the pair of automatic, lace-free "Go FlyEase" sneakers on his feet, shaking his head helplessly.

"Too flashy!"

Suddenly, he laughed.

"Without the Zhulong as a security blind spot, I might finally have a chance to remove these dozens of steel nails!"

...

In the vastness of space, the Tianhe Space Station floated alone. Compared to the boundless depths of the cosmos, it was like a drop in the ocean—small yet resolute, like a giant tree without roots. The solar panels extending from the space station were its branches, reaching out into the void.

It also resembled a lone canoe drifting in the vast Pacific Ocean, using its solar panels as oars to struggle against the unfamiliar waves.

"Is this the Tianhe Space Station? It's so small?"

"Leader, we're still some distance away from the Tianhe. Currently, our Tianhe is the largest space station in extraterrestrial space. In a few years, when the international space station retires, it will also be humanity's only extraterrestrial habitat."

The title "Leader" made Song Han's heart swell with pride.

Compared to his past life, where he only achieved the title of "Chief" in his seventies, now...

Wait, how old was he now?

After thinking for a while and failing to recall his current age, Song Han decided not to waste brain cells on such trivial matters. In any case, he had won big!

Reflecting on this rebirth, aside from losing his legs, being confined for decades, never experiencing love, never making friends, and only having Old Li for company, without the warmth of family or the sweetness of romance...

Compared to An Jian, who lost both legs, and the soldiers who fell one after another in front of him, what more could he ask for?

Decades of luxury, a handsome and strong body, and the opportunity to achieve greatness at a young age—this time, he still had time and chances!

All these years, he had tirelessly worked for the rise of the nation, living up to the administrative jacket he wore for decades and fulfilling the oath he made under the Martian red flag.

After some self-consolation, Song Han felt like he had won again, though two streams of tears slowly trickled down his cheeks, unstoppable.

Song Han's distraction left the others on the spacecraft at a loss. A young man, not part of the original plan, boarding at the last minute, wearing the highest honor medal, and dressed in a way that suggested he might be working with them in the future—such a presence made everyone unsure how to interact with him.

"Captain, it's time to dock."

The highly integrated and automated Bluebird was originally designed under the guidance of an unmanned strategy. This transport mission was supposed to be carried out by the YuanKong series of carrier rockets. However, for absolute safety, the Bluebird was temporarily activated.

The passengers on the space station didn't know this, but the captain, who had been repeatedly briefed before departure, was well aware of his primary responsibility.

The captain didn't leave but instead crouched beside Song Han's seat and asked softly, "Leader, are you okay?"

Seeing that Song Han still didn't respond and that the tears in his eyes were increasing, the captain panicked and looked at the medical team in the cabin.

"Wasn't it just a flash from the sun? Why is he crying so much?"

The doctor from the medical team also looked distressed.

"I don't know either! The earlier examination showed no issues with his pupils or corneas. For a more in-depth check, we'd need the medical pod on the space station."

"I'm fine."

Song Han casually wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, though for some reason, the more he wiped, the more they flowed. He looked at his hands, wet with tears, and choked out, "This is my deep love for the country!"

Everyone was solemn.

No wonder he was awarded the highest honor medal. Such dedication was truly admirable!

Coming back to his senses, Song Han looked at the people floating around him and mustered some energy.

"Call me 'Leader' a few more times."

...

Song Han's decades of solitary life, though not regressing his language skills thanks to Old Li's presence, had caused some impairment in his ability to organize his thoughts. This manifested in his directness and lack of emotional restraint.

A sudden jolt from the spacecraft interrupted the chorus of voices.

The spacecraft's AI spoke in a cool tone, "Docking complete. Time taken: 13 minutes and 12 seconds."

"Connection channel self-check complete. Airlock decompression in progress."

Beep beep...

"This is the Tianhe Space Station. I am Zhou Peng, the commander of Tianhe. On behalf of all my colleagues, I welcome you aboard!"

"Captain, shouldn't the leader go first?"

Everyone in the cabin turned to look at the circular hatch. The sight of the space station crew holding flowers and lining up to welcome them made everyone exchange glances, eventually settling their gaze on Song Han.

Song Han, however, was already eager to move.