Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

It didn’t take long to clean the gear. Everyone kept busy for a bit and quickly finished their tasks.

However, this didn’t mean they could go straight back to sleep.

”Captain, does the report need to be detailed?” Bai Lin was the first to approach Li Chang’an, a log sheet in hand.

”Regarding the situation in the mine, I’ve written down the basic course of events and the enemy’s numbers. Do I need to add more detail?”

”Detailed, but not long-winded.” Li Chang’an glanced at the log sheet and nodded.

”Especially the signs of Insect Race activity. That intel is critical for future operations.”

”Understood!” Bai Lin nodded and turned to revise the report.

”Captain, so... can us mere mortals head off to bed now?” Sun Yang asked, poking his head over.

”After all, for a report like this, having a genius hacker like Bai Lin handle it is enough!”

”Easy for you to say!” Han Ruoxi snorted.

”Bai Lin’s writing the report and we cleaned the gear. Other than firing a few shots, what exactly did you do today?”

”Hey now, I’m the heavy-hitter who saved the team! Isn’t my contribution to morale big enough?” Sun Yang retorted, looking indignant.

”No amount of morale can fill your stomach.” Li Chang’an cut off their bickering, casually picking up his terminal to check the time.

”Alright, once Bai Lin finishes the report, we’ll all head to the cafeteria. We can fill in the remaining details after we eat.”

”The cafeteria!” Sun Yang’s eyes lit up.

”Captain, I knew I could count on you! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go right now!”

”Go now? The report isn’t finished!” Shen Qiuyue stopped him.

”Stop thinking about food all the time. We’ll go after Bai Lin is done!”

”Fine, fine.” Sun Yang scratched his head and reluctantly stepped aside.

”Bai Lin, I’m counting on you, buddy. Finish up quick, I’m getting a double portion of meat tonight!”

”Don’t rush me!” Bai Lin didn’t even look up, his fingers swiping rapidly across the terminal.

”What’s the hurry? The cafeteria isn’t going to run away!”

A short while later, Bai Lin finished the report. The team could finally breathe a sigh of relief as they headed to the cafeteria together.

Sun Yang didn’t shut up the entire way there.

”Hey, Captain, when do you think they’ll upgrade the cafeteria?” he asked, stretching as he grumbled.

”Can’t they add some variety? We eat the same few things every day. My taste buds are dying of boredom!”

”Complaining about the cafeteria?” Li Chang’an shot him a sideways glance.

”If you don’t think it’s good enough, you can try cooking for yourself.”

”Me cook?” Sun Yang blinked.

”Get real. These hands are for firing a gun, not chopping vegetables!”

”Then stop complaining and hurry up!” Shen Qiuyue gave him a shove from behind.

”If you keep dawdling, your favorite meat dish might be gone by the time we get there!”

”Whoa, Sister Shen, don’t scare me! I’m moving, I’m moving!” Hearing that, Sun Yang immediately picked up his pace.

When they got to the cafeteria, the team grabbed their trays and sat down at a table. The menu was the same as always: stew, stir-fried vegetables, and soup.

”Yep, the same old three dishes,” Sun Yang sighed in resignation, but his chopsticks didn’t slow down a bit.

”Still, it’s better than an empty stomach. Alright, time to dig in!”

”Don’t eat it all, save some for everyone else!” Han Ruoxi couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the way he was wolfing down his food.

”Serves him right for complaining so much,” Shen Qiuyue chimed in.

”He complains about it, but he eats more than anyone else!”

”Gotta eat a lot to have the strength to fight the Insect Race!” Sun Yang mumbled, his mouth stuffed with food.

”Right, Captain?”

”Don’t talk while you’re eating,” Li Chang’an replied coolly.

Sun Yang immediately fell silent and focused on his food.

After dinner, the team returned to the lounge at a leisurely pace and went their separate ways.

Han Ruoxi continued calibrating a new device, Bai Lin went back to his computer to check the base’s network security, and Shen Qiuyue went to practice with her sword. Only Sun Yang was left, dozing lazily on the sofa.

「Some time passed.」

”Captain Li, are we training today, or is it a rest day?”

Sun Yang asked, his voice muffled as he stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth.

His cheeks were puffed out like a hamster’s; he had clearly just snuck some food from the cafeteria.

”Rest my ass. Did you forget the assessment this afternoon? Liu Na gave us a special warning yesterday, saying she was going to ’test our training results against live-fire standards.’ Don’t you dare be the one to drag us down again!”

Li Chang’an was sitting on a bench, reading a mission briefing from the base, and didn’t even look up.

”Assessment? Huh? That’s today?”

Sun Yang froze, the bread still in his mouth.

He slapped his forehead.

”Holy shit, I forgot! I was gaming last night. Han Ruoxi, that troll, insisted I play with her, so I played a couple more rounds, and...”

”Sun Yang!”

Han Ruoxi appeared at his side, hands on her hips, glaring at him furiously.

”What’s that supposed to mean? Who are you calling a troll? You’re the one who sucks at the game, and you’re trying to blame me? Besides, you were the one who dragged me into playing last night! I told you ten times I was going to bed, but you were the one who refused to log off!”

”Then you should’ve just ignored me! If you’d logged off earlier, I would’ve gone to bed!”

Sun Yang looked completely self-righteous, wearing an expression that said, ’This is all your fault.’

”What does me ignoring you have to do with anything? Sun Yang, you total jerk, you’re unbelievable!”

Han Ruoxi was so angry she was hopping mad, one finger pointed right at Sun Yang’s nose, the other hand planted on her hip.

”And another thing! Why didn’t you prepare for the assessment earlier? You don’t practice, so what, you expect Heaven to help you pass?”