From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 448 "Open Your Eyes to the World" "Special Operations Command"

Soon after, the atmosphere in the bar seemed relaxed yet warm.

Through the large portholes, the faint blue glow of the mezzanine space is still clearly visible.

And in the corner near the porthole;

"Hello~ My name is Narita Loslien, what is your name?"

The female elf sitting opposite Charlie spoke with a smile, her tone brisk and with a hint of undisguised enthusiasm.

While asking, she raised the metal glass in her hand, which was filled with clear vodka, and ripples appeared as she moved.

"Charlie Hoinold."

Charlie replied, while also picking up his own glass and clinking it with the other party cautiously.

"Hahaha! Nice to meet you, Charlie!"

Narita laughed heartily, and her bright smile matched her fiery red hair perfectly, as if her whole body was emitting some kind of dazzling light.

After expressing her joy, the elf girl tilted her head back and drank the vodka in the glass without waiting for Charlie to respond.

The movements were quick and decisive, without any delay.

"."

Charlie felt a little scared by this scene.

The female elf in front of him was most likely drinking vodka on an empty stomach and had not shown any signs of discomfort.

What was even more shocking was that after she put down the empty glass, she immediately picked up the bottle again and skillfully filled it with vodka, as if she was ready to continue drinking.

There was vodka in his glass as well, but he hadn't eaten since breakfast and his stomach was empty.

You know, drinking a high-alcohol beverage like vodka on an empty stomach is a very "stimulating" thing, not to mention drinking a whole glass directly.

The key point is that he is not like the auxiliary soldiers who have been injected with Inquis serum, nor has he undergone genetic enhancement like the investigators.

The behavior of the elf before him seemed not only magnanimous but even a little intimidating to him.

Charlie swallowed secretly, and once again marveled at the powerful physique and extraordinary style of the elves.

Noticing Charlie's hesitation, Narita seemed to understand something.

She raised her eyebrows, smiled and waved her hands: "Haha, don't be nervous, I'm not forcing you to drink the whole glass, I just feel that this kind of atmosphere, without some wine, always feels a little less fun."

After a pause, Narita continued, "But if you are not good at drinking vodka, we can switch to something lighter, such as beer or wine."

“No, you can drink it.”

Charlie responded casually and took a symbolic sip of vodka. The spicy liquid slid down his throat, making him frown slightly involuntarily.

At the same time, he lowered his head and operated the small touch-screen menu on the corner of the table, ordered a few salads and Chinese-style side dishes, and specially selected two classic MOA burger sets.

Then he looked up at Narita opposite him and added with a smile:

"I'll treat you this time. We can have lunch together."

"no!"

Narita shook her head decisively, with an undisguised firmness in her tone, "Since I took the initiative to invite you, how can I let you pay the bill? This is not logical, and it is not in accordance with the rules."

Charlie was stunned for a moment, and before he could respond, Narita continued:

“I know that you human men are used to thinking that you have to pay for your own meals, drinks, and even entertainment, especially for women.

But we elves don’t care about these things. We advocate equality and mutual respect. Whoever takes the initiative is responsible.

Besides, I can still afford this little money."

“That’s also true, haha.”

Charlie scratched the back of his head in response.

He looked at Narita's calm face and felt a little admiration in his heart.

The elves did have many different concepts from humans, and the other party's frank and sincere attitude really made him feel a little relieved.

He recalled his past emotional experiences in high school and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

He is obsessed with his entanglement with the so-called "Sea Queen", who not only has to provide a constant supply of emotional value, but also has to bear most of the expenses, like a never-ending "ATM".

He was exhausted and helpless at the time, but he could never make up his mind to leave that relationship. Fortunately, his sister exposed the other party's mask in time and saved him from suffering.

Now, the Narita in front of him not only has a generous personality, but also takes the initiative to mention "equality" and "respect", which makes Charlie feel that the other party seems to be completely different from the women he has met before.

Moreover, with men's "direct" thinking, when they see a woman they like, the image of marrying and having children with her will automatically "appear" in their minds.

!

Realizing that he was a little distracted and even thinking too far ahead, Charlie suddenly retracted his thoughts and tried to refocus on the situation at hand.

Narita in front of him was leaning forward slightly, holding a wine glass in her hand, her eyes full of interest in the topic, as if she was completely unaware of his brief distraction.

Then, the two naturally started a more in-depth discussion about the Starfighter comic series.

From the historical origins of Atlas Entertainment to the style and influence of its works, the two became more and more engaged in the conversation.

In fact, the comic "Starfighter" is not an ordinary commercial superhero work, but a classic work with the theme of "super soldier" and realistic style.

Long before Atlas became an imperial state-owned enterprise, that is, on Earth in the 1960s and 1970s, it launched this series.

The comic culture at that time was full of superhero atmosphere, but "Starfighter" took a unique approach, abandoning exaggerated descriptions of super powers and instead focusing on the super soldier's tactical deployment, weapon details, and the character's growth process.

This down-to-earth realistic style won the favor of teenagers and adults, and became one of the few works of that era that could compete with traditional hero comics.

Charlie and Narita happen to be big fans of this realistic style.

The two talked about the classic battle scenes in the comics, and could even recount those exciting scenes like they knew them by heart.

They explored the protagonist's choices in the confrontation between the enemy and us, and also analyzed the profound impact of comics on real military.

Before they knew it, the food they ordered had been served.

The two of them then simply clinked their glasses and continued chatting while eating.

As the conversation went on, Charlie gradually relaxed and even couldn't help but reveal some of his personal experiences to Narita.

He talked about his past self, which not only had a lot of money been squeezed out of him, but also had a lot of emotional energy wasted, and in the end he ended up with nothing.

At the end, he couldn't help but laugh at himself, "Tell me, am I a little stupid?"

Narita couldn't help laughing after hearing this, and she almost spilled the vodka.

She shook her head, with a hint of teasing in her tone: "It's a little silly, but I think it's more because you're too soft-hearted. But then again, after all this, you should be smarter now, right?"

Charlie smiled bitterly and spread his hands: "I hope so."

As the dinner was coming to an end, Charlie was still confused, so he asked tentatively: "But I still don't quite understand why you invited me to the bar just to discuss the plot of the comics?"

Hearing this question, Narita blinked first, then nodded slightly:

"The main purpose is indeed to talk about comics."

Then, she raised the corner of her mouth and added bluntly: "But there is a deeper reason, I like your appearance and temperament, so I want to take this opportunity to get to know you better.

To be honest, I think you are quite special. If our personalities, hobbies and values ​​are compatible, we might be able to develop further and become a couple."

"."

Hearing this, Charlie felt mixed emotions.

He had long heard that the elves acted directly and spoke frankly, but after experiencing it personally, he found that this "directness" was far more straightforward than what had been rumored.

He just took advantage of the free time of the short holiday to "take a walk and do some shopping", but he was unexpectedly invited to drink and even confessed his love.

Then there is a high possibility that there will be an elf girlfriend? ?

Charlie looked down at the wine glass in his hand, then looked up at Narita. This female elf with long fiery red hair and a free and easy temperament was leaning leisurely in her seat with a faint smile on her lips, without any anxiety or uneasiness at all.

"I didn't expect that my military career would open my eyes to the world."

Charlie sighed inwardly.

After taking a deep breath, he shook his head, trying to calm himself down, and then answered in a tone as natural as possible:

"Let's take a look first. This all happened so fast that I can't accept it for a while."

"Haha~ I understand. This is indeed a little hard for humans to accept."

Narita didn't seem disappointed at all, and there was even a hint of relief in her tone.

She shrugged calmly and added, "We can talk about it later when we have a chance. We are not in a hurry anyway."

In fact, Narita was one of the more straightforward elves, and she was less likely to beat around the bush than humans.

What's more, she really made this active invitation because Charlie had similar interests and hobbies to her, and his appearance and temperament also met her standards for a partner.

Of course, another reason is that she is "only" over a hundred years old this year. According to the life cycle of elves, she is in a stage where she feels fresh and curious about everything.

So compared to those tribesmen who are three or four hundred years old, they are much more unrestrained.

Then, she swiped her wrist across the screen on the corner of the table and paid for the meal using her biometric information.

Before turning to leave, the female elf did not forget to say goodbye. She looked at Charlie with a friendly and expectant look and said:

"Let's chat online later! The full-scale cleanup operation will begin soon, remember to protect yourself and don't let those bastards take advantage of you~."

Her voice was light, with a hint of teasing in her tone, but more of it was genuine concern.

After saying that, she left the bar with light steps, and her figure quickly disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Charlie left his seat somewhat absent-mindedly, carrying the snacks and comics he had bought, and returned to the dormitory of their combat team.

It will still take some time for the fleet to complete its jump voyage.

Charlie originally planned to take this opportunity to have a good rest and to be in the best condition to face the upcoming battle.

However, his mentality has been slightly disturbed by recent events.

Although this influence is not a real obstacle, it is indeed surprising for a soldier who has always lived a regular life and thought carefully.

This chance encounter, invitation and conversation with Narita were so "dreamlike", almost like the plot of a love game he had secretly played when he was fourteen or fifteen years old, without knowing it from his sister and father. It was unbelievable.

However, the PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) caused by Aquaman still made him wary of Narita's proactive kindness, and it was difficult for him to completely let down his guard.

In the following time, Narita remained proactive as always and was full of enthusiasm in the online chat software.

She was the one who initiated the conversation almost every time, whether it was discussing the plot of the comics or sharing some interesting stories about the elves, she could always find topics easily.

Charlie, a typical passive personality, responded half-heartedly at first, but eventually the conversation started to become "hot".

Even before going to bed, Natalie insisted on ending the conversation with her own "good night", which made Charlie a little flattered.

After all, in the main universe society, among the younger generation of couples, or men and women who are still in an ambiguous relationship, it is often the men who end the "conversation of the day".

Unconsciously, Charlie had forgotten his "dream" of buying a bionic companion, because the companion made him gradually realize that perhaps some things could not be replaced by machines and programs, until -

Just when the fleet was expected to exit the jump space in an hour, the battalion headquarters where Charlie was located received an emergency order. All members were required to immediately pack up their weapons and equipment and gather in the designated hangar in advance.

soon.

After putting on sealed combat uniforms and mechanical skeletons and taking sufficient weapons, ammunition and other supplies, they immediately rushed to Hangar No. 4 on the lower belly of the ship.

Moreover, this is the first time they have completed a battalion-level assembly since they officially joined the Marine Corps.

After all, since they joined the Marine Corps, they have only received combat platoon sergeant training on the Phoenix class, as well as the usual live-fire shooting.

Before he could even carry out any larger-scale mission, he was dispatched to the chaotic star field by the Empire to prepare for a complete elimination of the so-called scum.

In addition to their Marines, there is also an ODST combat company and more than a dozen heavily armored Tyrants controlled by the pilot's consciousness in Hangar 4.

There may be more creatures, mechanical weapons, or cloned soldiers, but those guys without self-awareness and souls do not need to be assembled, they only need to be deployed by airdrop.

Just as Charlie and his comrades were wondering why they had to gather early, another company-sized group of armed men arrived.

This group of armed personnel are equipped with more sophisticated weapons and equipment, including the latest model of MacP power armor, painted in dark gray, and some members' helmets have personalized patterns and logos.

The leader, as soon as he arrived in front of everyone, shouted loudly on the communication:

"Everyone! I am Colonel Janes Thomson of the 36th Fleet's Special Operations Command, and you guys will be under the direct command of the Special Operations Command. Do you understand?!"