Counterfeit Hero

”Helen... look, should we discuss this again?” Fatty moved his arm, nudging Helen, and in that movement, accidentally brushed against something soft and ample... Ow... It’s killing me. Fatty felt his head spinning, his body tingling, and when he spoke, his voice carried a trembling mix of fire and ice, ”Ever since we got here, we’ve been so busy, we haven’t really had a proper talk...”

”Whatever you want to say, I’ll be here to listen.” Helen, hanging onto Fatty’s arm, a faint blush blooming on her cheeks, bit her lip with a soft smile, ”Anyway...”

Having taken this step, Helen seemed to have left the cage of her heart, becoming vibrant and spirited. All the hesitation and indecision of these past days, the fear of gain and loss, had all been cast aside.

Women are emotional beings; few men understand that in every woman’s heart, there exists a pure sky. In this sky, there are beautiful dreams, hopes, and all things wonderful, untouched by the world outside.

No matter how arduous life becomes, no matter how one ages, people can always see that enchanting shy beauty reveal itself when women receive flowers from their lovers, embrace their children, or obtain a coveted beautiful dress, peering into the world within their hearts.

Once this world is occupied by someone, a woman is no longer herself. She belongs to this occupier—her lover, child, or sweetheart—for whom she might sacrifice everything.

In this chaotic world, the meaning of life is merely to survive. No one knows how long they will live nor what the future holds.

Helen didn’t want to regret. She loved this annoying Fatty. When this Fatty unhesitatingly threw himself on her to shield her from an explosion, he had already entered that part of her heart totally different from this chaotic world. In that warm and peaceful place, he was everything.

He fascinated her, made her worry, and threw her heart into turmoil. Every move this man made was magnified infinitely in Helen’s eyes.

When Helen’s heart ached at seeing Fatty’s weeping back, when she felt a pang at the heart for the nurse named Meiduo, she realized she could wait no longer. She couldn’t let herself drift further away from him, didn’t want to live future days relying on lonely memories.

Traditions, rules, laws... these constraints humanity imposes on itself become insignificant in the face of life and love.

Helen cuddled Fatty’s arm with her heart pounding like a little deer. She felt shy, her breathing became rapid, a little suffocating yet sweet... It turns out, even in this cruel chaotic world, there can be such a feeling of love. All the war, all the displacement, all the death... none of it mattered anymore.

Helen’s confession left Fatty’s mind completely blank. He was no saintly person of moral pretense; how could he remain unmoved before the first beauty of Leray, whose mere glance made his heart race and mind fill with fantasies? Yet he still felt like a failure. The ancients like Tian Boguang who flirted freely, leaving not a trace, were so enviable. Yet he... sigh, dabbling in the housing market and ending up as a landlord, playing in stocks and becoming a stakeholder, chasing women only to turn into a husband—there’s nothing more frustrating in life... it’s too embarrassing to even speak of!

Feeling Helen’s firm, soft curves rubbing against his arm, Fatty wore a dazed and pretentious expression.

The crew member who served earlier came over again, with an expression on the face seeming very surprised.

Fatty felt wronged. I’m the one being taken advantage of, alright? Look carefully at my spotless and pure arm!

Helen obviously noticed the crew member’s amazed and ambiguous gaze too. However, she didn’t release Fatty but buried her blushing face in Fatty’s elbow, holding on even tighter.

The journey was a burning torment.

Fatty was still slightly twisting his arm, lost in thought, his mind repeatedly grappling with the philosophical dilemma of whether to resist or succumb when the spaceship reached Base No.1.

Seeing that Fatty had no intention of disembarking, Helen gave a flirtatious white eye and slapped his mischievous arm, whispering softly, ”We’re at the base.”

”So soon?” Fatty was surprised and disappointed.

”Pervert...” Helen bit her lip, glancing at the bandit soldiers waiting at the cabin passage, tugging hard on Fatty’s arm, whispering shyly, ”Get up.”

”Wait a minute...” Fatty pressed down with both hands, curling his body, taking a deep breath, ”Let me calm down.”

Calm down? Helen’s skeptical gaze slid downward...

Oh no!!!!

Ten minutes later, Fatty walked out of the cabin door.

The port hall was already thronged with people.

The bandit soldiers in blue uniforms stood straight in formation, like tall green pines.

At the front of the formation were Sect Masters of various major factions and base-level officers like Cosmo and Weiseler who had arrived earlier. Even more forward were Barbarossa, Chekov, Audrey from the logistics department, Belchi from the logistics research unit, and Saleria officers headed by Fang Xiang.

When Fatty walked out of the cabin door, suddenly, a burst of thunderous applause and cheers erupted like a volcano—the sound came from the Leray people densely packed behind the port.