Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

Song Changlong initially thought he was just helping his friend reunite with his long-lost cousin while recruiting a group of skilled individuals in the process.

But the series of shocking twists left him feeling utterly disoriented. Listening to the conversation with only partial understanding, he eventually pieced things together.

Although the story was beyond belief and defied his lifelong adherence to scientific principles, the arrival of the apocalypse had already shattered his sense of normalcy. At this point, nothing seemed too far-fetched anymore.

The supernatural phenomenon he had witnessed earlier—the beams of light rising from the two girls’ heads—was undeniable proof. After seeing it with his own eyes, even the idea of a soul swap no longer felt impossible.

From Lin Kexin’s words, it became evident that Lin Ruihai and the others had long known the truth: the Lin Kexin who had been “resurrected” a year ago was not the original Lin Kexin.

Only now did Song Changlong understand the strange dynamic he had observed over the past year. The way Father Lin and Mother Lin treated Lin Kexin always gave him a subtle sense of incongruity, as though their smiles were forced. Sometimes, he even noticed an indescribable sadness in their eyes. He used to think he was imagining it, but now everything made sense.

Then there was his own reaction. Before, he had thought of the girl next door as a sister, nothing more. However, after her miraculous recovery a year ago, her newfound strength and bravery had stirred different feelings in him—romantic ones. He used to be puzzled by this shift, but now he finally understood.

“This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s go back home,” Song Changlong suggested.

He felt that this matter was far too shocking to be discussed openly. Other than Father Lin and Mother Lin, it was better for no one else to know. Though this was a relatively secluded public space, it wasn’t entirely secure.

“Kexin, come home with me to see Mom and Dad. They’ll be so happy to know you’ve returned,” Lin Ruihai said, looking at Ruo Manni with a pleading expression.

Over the past year, their mother often cried in secret, and she had aged significantly. Although the new “sister” was kind and they were grateful to her, the loss of their beloved daughter, whom they had cherished for over twenty years, was irreplaceable.

Hebrew Adam couldn’t and wouldn’t stop Manni from reuniting with her family, but his stance was clear—he was the person who would walk alongside Manni, no matter what.

The five of them walked out of the office and ran into Li Zhongping, who was leading Hua Deli and the others over.

“Brother, there are ten other companions who came with us, and I also rescued Wang Miaomiao and her boyfriend on the way. We need to find someone to arrange a place for them,” Ruo Manni explained.

Song Changlong now understood why these twelve young men and women possessed such extraordinary skills. It was because they weren’t from this world—they were from a future interstellar civilization.

In the interstellar era, humanity’s physical capabilities were naturally superior, and for these individuals to serve in the prince’s royal guard, their physical fitness and abilities must have been among the best in their original world.

Although it was unclear how long they would remain in this world, the connection they now had made it certain that if these twelve people stayed, they would become members of the B City Survivor Base.

Just the thought of having such a powerful group of elite warriors in their base made Song Changlong feel exhilarated.

The body refining techniques that he and Lin Ruihai had learned from Kexin were already excellent, but since Kexin herself wasn’t a martial arts specialist, there were aspects they didn’t fully understand and couldn’t clarify. These twelve individuals, coming from the same place as Kexin, likely had a deeper understanding of these techniques.

During this recent perilous encounter, Song Changlong deeply realized his own weakness. If he had even half the skills of these people, he would have been able to handle that Tier 4 mutant snake with ease.

“Let’s house them in Villa No. 3,” Song Changlong suggested to Lin Ruihai. Considering their exceptional abilities and the fact that one of them was an imperial prince, any lesser accommodation would be inappropriate.

Villa No. 3, located in Lishan Resort, was the best villa available, equivalent to a presidential suite. Everyone wanted to live there, but Lin Ruihai, being the base leader, had opted to stay in the more modest Villa No. 5, leaving Villa No. 3 unoccupied as no one dared to claim it.

After thinking it over, Lin Ruihai agreed with Song Changlong’s suggestion. He quietly explained the special status of Villa No. 3 to Ruo Manni and sought her and the imperial prince’s opinions.

Hebrew Adam immediately responded, “No need. Just give us a large, open area where others won’t intrude, and we’ll stay in our RV.”

Lin Ruihai hesitated. Even the best RVs would be cramped and inconvenient for so many people.

“This isn’t an ordinary vehicle. Even in the interstellar era, it’s considered highly advanced,” Ruo Manni explained.

With that clarification, Lin Ruihai quickly understood that the RV must have special features, so he didn’t push the matter further. Instead, he began considering where in the base would be suitable for them.

“There isn’t much open space left inside the walled base, but there is some on the mountain. There’s a road that leads directly to the summit. You can take a look, and if it works, you can expand the area as needed,” Song Changlong suggested.

Hebrew Adam immediately called over Su forty-three and Abulaiti Asimu, instructing the cousins to scout the mountain for a suitable location. Since they anticipated staying here for a while, they needed a space large enough to fully deploy their hover vehicle as living quarters.

“Kexin!” Wang Miaomiao called out happily as she ran toward Lin Kexin, relieved to see her safe and sound.

Lin Kexin was fully aware that this woman was now Ruo Manni’s university friend, who, by coincidence, had been rescued alongside her boyfriend by Ruo Manni on the way here.

However, Wang Miaomiao didn’t know about the soul-swapping incident, so in her eyes, her friend was still the current Lin Kexin.

This left Lin Kexin, the imposter, feeling awkward in the presence of the original. But no matter how awkward it was, Lin Kexin had to maintain the act, showing concern for Wang Miaomiao as though nothing were amiss.

Ruo Manni glanced at Lin Ruihai and said, “These two are both ability users with decent skills, and they’re loyal enough. You should arrange a place for them. They’re not suited to keep traveling with us.”

Life is unpredictable, and people come and go. The matter of the soul swap couldn’t be revealed to Wang Miaomiao, nor could Ruo Manni keep Wang Miaomiao and Liu Yang by her side forever. By saving Wang Miaomiao and bringing her to the base for proper settlement, she had fulfilled the friendship they once shared. After that, they would go their separate ways.

Lin Ruihai nodded—this was a small matter.

Ruo Manni watched as Hua Deli and Dean Atchison headed up the mountain. She thought about calling them back but decided against it. Since Lin Kexin didn’t yet know the truth about her origins, it would be better to explain everything to her first and let her decide whether to acknowledge it or not.

Meanwhile, Lin Father and Lin Mother had heard about Song Changlong’s disappearance and were deeply worried.

When the apocalypse struck, Song’s mother had turned into a zombie and killed Song’s father, leaving Song Changlong without a family.

After arriving at the B City base, Song Changlong had been living with the Lin family. To Lin Father and Lin Mother, he was almost like another son.

When they heard about his disappearance, the elderly couple was extremely anxious. However, both their son and daughter had gone out early in the morning, leaving them with no one to ask for information. They could only sit in the living room with worried expressions, waiting for their children to return.

Finally, they heard voices in the courtyard. Recognizing Lin Ruihai’s voice, Lin Father, being the more impatient of the two, immediately went outside.

The first person he saw was Song Changlong. Relieved to see him unharmed, Lin Father was overjoyed and was just about to speak when his eyes fell on Lin Kexin and Ruo Manni…