695: Chapter 695 Bored

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"Sigh... with this time off, I'm so idle I'm about to grow mushrooms."

In the long and quiet starship corridor, Li Yang strolled slowly by himself, hands tucked into the pockets of his casual trousers.

The floor emitted soft, rhythmic sounds beneath his feet, and the light strips on either side cast a soft, cool white glow, elongating his shadow.

This was already the thirty-seventh day he had been drifting through the starry sky with the Nineteenth Division.

He had visited all the old leaders he needed to, reunited with all his old subordinates, and had even wandered through almost every corridor and compartment on the starship.

Without mountains of files, urgent inspection tasks, or critical military and political matters requiring his decision, this sudden "complete idleness" left Li Yang, who was used to high-intensity work, somewhat at a loss, even feeling a faint sense of unbearable boredom.

Bored, he twirled a small trinket between his fingers. Just as he was about to head back to the command cabin, his gaze inadvertently swept toward a corner not far ahead.

Two young officers in junior officer uniforms were leaning against the alloy bulkhead, holding energy water cups and discussing something in low voices. Their tones carried the relaxation of a holiday, mixed with a hint of anticipation for the future.

"Honestly, we've been resting for over a month now. I've almost forgotten what it feels like to go on a mission."

The slightly taller Second Lieutenant took a sip of water, his tone full of emotion.

"I really don't know which Galaxy Cluster our next mission will send us to—whether it'll be the frontier or if we'll be attached to another unit like before. But then again, I've never had such a long break in my life. Before, let alone a month, even a full week of leave was rare."

His companion nodded in deep agreement, a bitter smile appearing on his face.

"Exactly. Who told our Division Commander to be in a 'unemployed' state right now?"

After all, since even their Division Commander, Li Yang, hadn't received transfer orders from his superiors, these subordinates naturally had no specific tasks.

Aside from the unwavering daily combat readiness training, they spent their time checking the starship's propulsion System, maintaining weaponry, and calibrating main gun parameters. The rest of the time was free, and life was truly leisurely—so leisurely it was almost unsettling.

"Isn't being idle good? I'd love for it to stay this way forever."

The short officer put down his water cup, his eyes full of yearning. He suddenly lowered his voice and said with a hint of longing.

"Speaking of which, I really hope to visit the Lese Star Cluster. You know, its entertainment industry is famous throughout the Empire, known as the 'Entertainment Capital of the Empire.' It has everything: games, films, amusement parks, and unique starports.

In the past, I was always running around with the troops, either on combat missions or investigating cases with the Inspection Team. I never had the chance or the mood to have fun. Now that we finally have such a long break, I really want to find an opportunity to go there, see the sights, and truly relax."

"Haha, keep dreaming!"

The tall Second Lieutenant couldn't help but laugh. He patted his companion's shoulder and teased.

"The Lese Star Cluster might have a thriving entertainment industry, but it's also notoriously chaotic. If they really sent us there, it would likely be for a stability maintenance mission. Since when would you get to wander around? If you really want to go, why not write a leave application now and ask the higher-ups to approve it? If you're lucky, they might actually grant you a few days' leave?"

"Go on, stop making fun of me."

The short officer rolled his eyes and waved his hand helplessly.

"I still want to work for a few more decades! At a time like this when the whole division is on standby, if I dared to ask for individual leave to go play, the leaders would surely give me a piece of their mind. I'm just talking big here; for leave to actually be approved, the sun would have to rise from the west!"

The sounds of their laughter and banter gradually faded. Li Yang stood not far away, listening to their conversation, and a faint smile couldn't help but touch the corners of his mouth.

So he wasn't the only one who felt bored.

He shook his head, but a thought suddenly occurred to him.

Perhaps it was time to arrange some actual relaxation for these soldiers who had followed him through battles across the north and south.

According to the standard regulations of the Xili Empire's military, during rest periods without urgent combat readiness tasks or cross-Galaxy deployments, grassroots officers and soldiers are originally entitled to a fixed number of days of paid leave.

With the Empire's mature Star-gate jumps and Faster-than-light travel, as long as one doesn't cross several large Star Domains, even traveling to a neighboring Galaxy for fun would take less than a day for a round trip. It's entirely possible to travel easily and return to the unit on time without affecting the unit's normal organization and combat readiness.

But Li Yang considered his current special situation.

With no clear position and no fixed garrison, the entire division was on standby, liable to be urgently redeployed by the central command at any moment.

To prevent personnel from being scattered and unable to assemble immediately if the high command suddenly issued a top-secret transfer order, Li Yang had issued a special directive at the Early Stage of the leave.

Officers and soldiers of the entire division could go out and relax normally within the Base Galaxy, but they were strictly forbidden from leaving the current Garrison Galaxy without authorization.

This way, he could ensure the soldiers got some relaxation while also guaranteeing that the entire division could assemble in the shortest time possible and jump out at a moment's notice should an urgent mission arise.

The two young officers were still leaning against the bulkhead, laughing and chatting, completely unaware of the movement behind them.

They continued to discuss the prosperity of the Lese Star Cluster, complaining about the regret of not being able to take leave to clear their heads, their tones full of youthful longing and helplessness.

Just then, Li Yang lightened his steps, making no sound at all. Like a silent shadow, he noiselessly walked up behind the short officer who had just been full of hope for leave and had mentioned the Lese Star Cluster.

He stood tall, his aura steady and restrained. Even after he stopped, the two officers, still immersed in their chat, had not yet discovered that their supreme Commander was standing right behind them.

"Ch-Chief!!"

The tall officer leaning against the corridor wall was the first to catch a glimpse of Li Yang's upright figure.

His pupils constricted, and the grin on his face instantly froze. Almost reflexively, he snapped to attention, his right hand snapping to his brow with a "pa" sound, offering a standard and solemn Imperial military salute.

His voice even carried a hint of imperceptible trembling due to excessive nervousness.

Meanwhile, his companion was still immersed in the joking atmosphere from moments ago, completely unaware of the change behind him.

Seeing his companion suddenly salute and speak so respectfully, he thought the other was playing a "prank" again, trying to give him a scare.