Chapter 93.2
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Thank you Ery for your donation! I’ll upload the bonus update today, please be patient~
T/L: alright, a confession of sin. I translated “Master Shang” and “Master Ren” with the same title, but in Chinese, they’re actually different!
Master Shang is 尚大师, literally Shang “Great Teacher”, but rather than teacher, it’s more like, he’s a respected master in his profession. One of the best.
As for Master Ren, he’s referred as 任老, literally “Ren Lao”. I usually translate such appellation as “Elder Ren”, but… that’s usually referring to a family setting? Like, I used that translation when referring to Elder Ning, who’s quite literally an Elder of a family. So, in the beginning, I used “Master Ren” as a translation because I think it’s more appropriate – he’s a respected senior professional, so calling him a “Master” is suitable in English translation. And I thought that Chu Rong and the others call him “Ren Lao” because he’s quite close to them also.
But now, I made it as if both of them have the same “status”…
Well, since I’ve translated things this far, I’m going to continue to translate them as both “Master Shang” and “Master Ren”. Forgive me for my inadequacies.
Qiao Zhiya: Half-elf, half-dwarf MC.
Chu Rong: Marshal ML.
Ren Mo: aka Master Ren. A mecha master making full manually-piloted mecha.
Fan Xiangnan: ML’s second-in-command.
Zhuang Yu: A doctor in ML’s army.
Chu Yan: ML’s younger brother. Is the same age as MC.
Chu Huai: ML’s older brother, he’s in politics.
Gu Yan’an: Chu Huai’s wife. She’s a doctor.
Yuan Xiu: Chu Yan’s bestfriend.
Yuan Lie: Yuan Xiu’s father, a Lieutenant General.
Bearded Teacher aka Master Shang: Qiao Zhiya’s Mecha teacher in VR. Chu Rong’s mother’s teacher. Is currently a mecha manufacturing teacher.
Xiang Kun: Chu Yan’s mortal enemy. Xiang Hui’s younger brother. Mecha manufacturing student.
Ning Tianya: Ning family’s head. Former Chairman.
Ning Tianxing: Ning Kongran’s father, Ning Tianya’s older brother.
Long Ruifeng: the President.
Long Ruizhang: The President’s younger brother.
=The Empire=
An Xei: The Emperor’s younger brother. A Prince and a scholar. Married to Ning Tianwu.
An Mhu: Third Imperial Prince.
Neitaxi: General from the Empire, the strongest mecha soldier in the Empire.
Feng: The Imperial High Advisor.
On the primitive planet, Chu Rong’s wrist suddenly flashed with the red thread, accompanied by a wave of warmth.
He busily raised his hand, gripping his own wrist, and looked up at the sky to the southwest. There was an inexplicable heaviness in his heart. It wasn’t until he heard the approaching footsteps of Qiao Zhiya that he snapped out of it. Quickly reigning in his emotions, he turned around to see Qiao Zhiya walking over with the newly made forge. He immediately stepped forward to help.
As they progressed to the repair blueprints of the flagship, they became increasingly complex. Perhaps sensing Chu Rong’s anxiety, Qiao Zhiya gradually stopped wandering in the forest to relax and instead devoted his days to studying the blueprints and making parts. He worked tirelessly, almost to the point of neglecting proper rest and food.
Chu Rong frowned as he watched, fearing that if Qiao Zhiya continued to push himself like this, his health would deteriorate. So, in addition to helping as much as possible, Chu Rong often forcibly made Qiao Zhiya take breaks. Every day, he also tried various ways to prepare delicious food for him, ensuring that he didn’t solely rely on nutrient solution for his meals.
In the blink of an eye, one month had passed. The most difficult part of repairing the flagship, the production of the complex components, was finally completed. Only the final steps remained—installing the new parts, repairing the damaged hull, and the final debugging and test-drive.
The venerable ancient tree generously provided a branch to serve as a mooring spot for their enormous flagship. Qiao Zhiya crawled into the damaged interior of the flagship and proceeded to install the new components one by one according to the blueprint requirements. Thankfully, he had great strength, and Chu Rong continuously piloted the mecha to assist. Without their combined efforts, and without suitable tools or equipment at hand, the installation process wouldn’t have been possible with just the two of them.
It took a full two days to install all the components. Qiao Zhiya temporarily didn’t touch the damaged outer shell of the flagship and instead had Chu Rong proceed with the startup debugging to check if the new components had any issues.
After twelve years, the long-dormant flagship finally lit up its navigation lights again. The sound of the ship’s power system coming to life was incredibly beautiful and exhilarating at that moment. Ten minutes later, Chu Rong turned off the flagship and jumped down, embracing Qiao Zhiya tightly and giving him a passionate kiss.
Success! All the components passed inspection, and the power system ran smoothly without any hesitation. The flagship was truly repaired.
Qiao Zhiya squinted his eyes in a smile, hugged Chu Rong back, and nuzzled against him before immediately diving into the repair work of the flagship’s outer shell with full enthusiasm.
In the Federation, the news from the frontline has been quickly updating.
After arriving at the front lines, Yuan Lie developed a combat mode that involved using small combat ships to launch long-range attacks in teams. This tactic effectively halted the advance of the Zergs and firmly held the defense line. The performance of Chu Yan’s squad was particularly outstanding. Chu Yan’s unpredictable tactical arrangements caused the less agile-minded Zergs to suffer numerous heavy losses.
On the other hand, with the support of neural wave resistance medicines, the Ning family army and the You family army have been continuously exterminating the Zergs using the powerful and agile nature of their mechas, forcing the Zergs to retreat a considerable distance.
Although the Xiang family still adopts a conservative approach, primarily conducting long-range attacks from within their ships, they have developed numerous new weapons for their vessels, significantly enhancing the combat capabilities of their fleet.
Everything was progressing in a positive direction, and the martial law on various planets has slightly relaxed. This was because everyone has noticed something: unlike the random appearances of the Zerg tides over a decade ago, this time, although the Zergs appeared in large numbers, they mainly concentrated in outer space rather than randomly appearing on planets. Therefore, as long as the military holds the front lines, the civilians protected on the planets are generally safe from danger.
On top of that, this time, the Zergs had no apparent leader, and all their attacks were done purely from instinct. Without a “commander” to lead them, they have become much easier to deal with.
After about half a month of relative stability, a major event occurred in the Empire — the Emperor passed away.
As soon as the news came out, the Empire was in chaos.
In the palace, the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince, who had never gotten along, started a fierce conflict. They schemed against each other, exposing each other’s weaknesses. The nobles who supported them also attacked and schemed against each other, further plunging the Empire into chaos.
Unable to tolerate the ruthless behavior of his brothers, the Third Prince, in anger, departed for the front lines. He led his personal guards to join the resistance against the Zerg tides, displaying a blatant disregard for the throne.
The citizens of the Empire immediately expressed their enthusiasm for the Third Prince, in contrast, they silently harbored disdain for the Second Prince and Fourth Prince.
Several days later, during the funeral of the old Emperor, the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince unexpectedly got into another altercation, escalating to the point of physical confrontation.
Unable to tolerate the situation any longer, the people and other neutral courtiers joined forces to condemn the Second and Fourth Princes. Through various maneuvers, they managed to discredit both of them, citing their lack of filial piety and suitability as heirs to the throne. Unilaterally, they declared the Third Prince, who was currently fighting on the front lines, as the new Emperor.
Upon receiving the news, the Third Prince hurried back to the capital. In a public declaration, he expressed that he didn’t consider himself to be sufficiently qualified and capable to shoulder such a heavy responsibility.
Both the courtiers and the citizens had the psychology of “the more the Third Prince refused the throne, the more suitable he actually is”. So, they persisted in pushing him forward. They were determined not to let the two short-sighted Second and Fourth Princes rule the Empire.
Amidst the stalemate, Prince An Xei, who had slightly recovered from his injuries, personally sought out the Third Prince. He reasoned with him and appealed to his emotions. Eventually, Prince An Xei managed to persuade the Third Prince, urging him to endure the pain of losing his father and the heartache of his brothers’ discord. With the support of the people, the Third Prince reluctantly ascended to the throne, becoming the new Emperor1a reminder, Prince An Xei is not the first prince. The first prince has long been disposed because he attempted a coup during the time when the Emperor was missing (the Emperor is actually with Chu Rong and the Imperial High Advisor
The Second and Fourth Princes, unwilling to accept the situation, hired someone to assassinate the Third Prince. However, their plot was discovered and exposed. Prince An Xei, usually gentle, showed his rare anger at them. He used his authority as a prince and his senior status to demote both of them to commoners and imprisoned them.
The people of the Empire expressed great relief, and even the sense of panic caused by the attacks of the Zergs diminished significantly. It seemed that so long as the Third Prince ascended to the throne, the Empire could overcome the Zergs threat and restore its former prosperity and peace.
“They’re quite adept at guiding the public opinion,” Chu Huai closed the news about the Empire and turned to face Fan Xiangnan. He asked, “Have we figured out the patterns of the appearances of the Zergs and the black holes?”
“We’ve got some clues,” Fan Xiangnan replied with a hint of weariness on his face, but his demeanor remained as reliable as ever. “Through our investigations during this period, we’ve found that black holes only appear in areas far from the Federation’s detection range. They never approach regions with a higher concentration of humans, nor have they ever appeared within the human defense line. So, we speculate that the opening of the black hole channels requires time to arrange, and it’s not feasible to do so in densely populated human areas without being detected.”
This speculation aligns closely with Chu Huai’s previous conjecture. He lowered his gaze, pondered for a moment, and then said, “The current situation where neither the Zergs nor black holes have appeared within our defense lines could be due to either An Xei still having some tricks up his sleeve or because the speed of the martial law enforcement on various planets was too fast, and the Empire’s people didn’t have time to arrange beforehand. This move against the Chu family clearly indicates long-term planning, so I’m inclined to the latter. Instruct them to maintain the defense levels on each stationed planet, increase patrol troops, and conduct a population census. Anyone suspicious should be secretly monitored, keeping disturbances to a minimum to avoid causing panic among the populace.”
“Understood,” Fan Xiangnan nodded in agreement. As he turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something and added, “Master Ren sent a message earlier, mentioning that there’s been a problem in the research, and he needs you to take a look.”
Chu Huai frowned, and immediately got up.
For the sake of convenience in research, Master Ren had already moved back to his own personal laboratory, which was better equipped. Upon receiving the message, Chu Huai swiftly made his way there. However, unexpectedly, it wasn’t Master Ren who encountered the problem in the research, but Master Shang, who volunteered to help.
“Xiao Huai, you’ve arrived just in time,” Master Shang said, frowning deeply as he held a magic array pattern in his hand. “The first version of the manually-piloted mecha has been finalized, but we’ve encountered a problem with the system’s implementation. This is the framework system template left by Qiao. The most crucial part is this thing called a magic array and the energy slot made of sapphire. We’ve dissected this section, but we can’t seem to understand the principles behind it.”
Chu Huai followed his gaze towards the miniaturized driving system on the platform, sighing helplessly.
Seeing his expression, Master Shang felt that something was amiss and asked, “You don’t understand it either? Qiao never told you?”
Chu Huai shook his head and replied, “Qiao always conducts his research alone, taking his time to figure things out. He shares the results with Xiao Rong, who then handles the detailed arrangements for promotion. We don’t usually inquire about the details of his findings.”
“I told you, calling him here would be useless. What can he handle?” Master Ren emerged from the inner room, not mincing his words as he jabbed at Chu Huai. “Qiao once mentioned that the pattern is actually an alternative energy traction method. If we can’t understand it, then we should stop trying and find alternatives. Spiritual power is affected by neural waves and cannot be used. Mechanical methods should suffice. Coupled with the unique biological sensitivity of the alien beast tendons, perfect synchronization isn’t achievable, but we can manage around 80% of what Qiao achieved.”
Master Shang frowned upon hearing this but reluctantly glanced at the pattern in his hand. However, he knew that now wasn’t the time to indulge in research. He said, “Let’s change our approach. Qiao has already established the overall framework for the piloting system. It’s just a matter of finding an alternative for one connecting part. I don’t believe that between the two of us, we can’t come up with a solution.”
So Chu Huai made a futile trip and returned home after being scolded, feeling helpless.
Unexpectedly, as Chu Huai’s hover car approached his residence, a black hole suddenly materialized out of nowhere, nearly sucking his hover car into its vortex. Fortunately, the security personnel left behind by Fan Xiangnan were quick to react. They immediately deployed a silver net from behind to shield Chu Huai’s car and pulled it back to safety.
Although Chu Huai safely made it home without any accidents, the news of the incident spread quickly, causing panic among the populace once again. The fact that the Zergs had reappeared from within the planet’s interior reignited fears of a return to the chaotic scenes of all-out war from over a decade ago.
Chu Huai’s encounter was just the beginning. Soon after, black holes began appearing within the defense lines of other planets in the Federation, one after another. The atmosphere of panic continued to escalate. It reached the peak, once the news that the Zerg Queen reemerged in the Empire.
After the Zerg Queen appeared, all the Zergs seemed to go mad, launching relentless assaults on the borders of various planets. The frequency of the Zergs’ appearances within the planetary defense lines also increased. Apart from the planets where the Chu family stationed their troops, casualties began to occur on other planets as well.
As the battle intensified, even the Xiang family eventually compromised and started using the medication provided by the Ning family. However, somehow news spread about the Chu family’s military forces receiving the medication but refusing to use it. Rumors even suggested that they encouraged Yuan Lie and He Hongjun to refrain from using the Ning family’s medication as well.
Public opinion erupted once again. At the brink of a major crisis, cracks began to appear in the sympathy and trust the populace held towards the Chu family. With the increasing number of the Zergs’ assaults, the visible weaknesses of their conservative approach and the small-scale attacks by their warships, along with the continuous retreat of their defense lines, doubts about the Chu family’s statements gradually grew.
Everyone still remembered Qiao Zhiya’s revelation about the Ning family’s drugs. But still, they unanimously criticized the Chu family for being too stubborn, clinging to old impressions at such a crucial moment, and playing with the lives of officers and civilians – blind stubbornness on what they believed to be right.
The Chu family found themselves at the center of controversy once again. Finally, when news spread that Chu Yan’s small warship had nearly been sucked into a black hole, public opinion reached its peak.
The populace became agitated, questioning fervently: Why not use the medicines? Why waste the resources and energy of the military and soldiers for no reason? Is the Chu family going to push itself to the brink just because of past biases against the Ning family? While the Ning family may have been wrong in the past, they are heroes in this matter! How much longer will the Chu family remain stubborn?
“Long Ruifeng has gone mad! He actually wants to target Xiao Yan!” Gu Yan’an trembled with anger, hatred flickering in his eyes. She exclaimed, “First it was Xiao Rong and Qiao, then you, and now Xiao Yan! Is he trying to wipe out the entire Chu family?”
Chu Huai frowned, holding her hand, trying to offer her comfort.
“And those who have been criticizing you… I really want to reveal the whole truth to them and show them what terrifying things they’ve chosen to believe in now!” Gu Yan’an said, then broke down, covering her face as tears streamed down uncontrollably.
The unjust accusations from the public were the most hurtful – especially since the Chu family has tried every means to protect them.
“They were just fanned by our opponents. In fact, only a small portion of them are actually this extreme, most of them are normal, rational people.” Chu Huai stood up and hugged her. His heart ached once he saw how pale her complexion had become.
He also wanted to reveal all the truth to the public directly, but it was not feasible. Without absolute power, tearing these truths apart would only lead to one result – the Chu family would be scapegoated, and then swiftly eradicated by enemies who would stop at nothing.
“Where are Xiao Rong and Qiao…” Gu Yan’an held him tightly, feeling somewhat hopeless. “Please bring Xiao Yan back, even if it means death. If we can only die, then we should die together. Ah Huai, bring Xiao Yan back…”
“Everything will be solved, believe me.” Chu Huai gently stroked her hair. He felt that her erratic heart beat slowed down, little by little.
‘It’s been nearly two months, and there’s still no news of Xiao Rong and Qiao. Could it be… No, it can’t be.’
He couldn’t allow himself to think like that. If even he became uncertain, then this family would truly be finished.
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Thank you Ery for your donation! I’ll upload the bonus update today, please be patient~
T/L: alright, a confession of sin. I translated “Master Shang” and “Master Ren” with the same title, but in Chinese, they’re actually different!
Master Shang is 尚大师, literally Shang “Great Teacher”, but rather than teacher, it’s more like, he’s a respected master in his profession. One of the best.
As for Master Ren, he’s referred as 任老, literally “Ren Lao”. I usually translate such appellation as “Elder Ren”, but… that’s usually referring to a family setting? Like, I used that translation when referring to Elder Ning, who’s quite literally an Elder of a family. So, in the beginning, I used “Master Ren” as a translation because I think it’s more appropriate – he’s a respected senior professional, so calling him a “Master” is suitable in English translation. And I thought that Chu Rong and the others call him “Ren Lao” because he’s quite close to them also.
But now, I made it as if both of them have the same “status”…
Well, since I’ve translated things this far, I’m going to continue to translate them as both “Master Shang” and “Master Ren”. Forgive me for my inadequacies.
Qiao Zhiya: Half-elf, half-dwarf MC.
Chu Rong: Marshal ML.
Ren Mo: aka Master Ren. A mecha master making full manually-piloted mecha.
Fan Xiangnan: ML’s second-in-command.
Zhuang Yu: A doctor in ML’s army.
Chu Yan: ML’s younger brother. Is the same age as MC.
Chu Huai: ML’s older brother, he’s in politics.
Gu Yan’an: Chu Huai’s wife. She’s a doctor.
Yuan Xiu: Chu Yan’s bestfriend.
Yuan Lie: Yuan Xiu’s father, a Lieutenant General.
Bearded Teacher aka Master Shang: Qiao Zhiya’s Mecha teacher in VR. Chu Rong’s mother’s teacher. Is currently a mecha manufacturing teacher.
Xiang Kun: Chu Yan’s mortal enemy. Xiang Hui’s younger brother. Mecha manufacturing student.
Ning Tianya: Ning family’s head. Former Chairman.
Ning Tianxing: Ning Kongran’s father, Ning Tianya’s older brother.
Long Ruifeng: the President.
Long Ruizhang: The President’s younger brother.
=The Empire=
An Xei: The Emperor’s younger brother. A Prince and a scholar. Married to Ning Tianwu.
An Mhu: Third Imperial Prince.
Neitaxi: General from the Empire, the strongest mecha soldier in the Empire.
Feng: The Imperial High Advisor.
On the primitive planet, Chu Rong’s wrist suddenly flashed with the red thread, accompanied by a wave of warmth.
He busily raised his hand, gripping his own wrist, and looked up at the sky to the southwest. There was an inexplicable heaviness in his heart. It wasn’t until he heard the approaching footsteps of Qiao Zhiya that he snapped out of it. Quickly reigning in his emotions, he turned around to see Qiao Zhiya walking over with the newly made forge. He immediately stepped forward to help.
As they progressed to the repair blueprints of the flagship, they became increasingly complex. Perhaps sensing Chu Rong’s anxiety, Qiao Zhiya gradually stopped wandering in the forest to relax and instead devoted his days to studying the blueprints and making parts. He worked tirelessly, almost to the point of neglecting proper rest and food.
Chu Rong frowned as he watched, fearing that if Qiao Zhiya continued to push himself like this, his health would deteriorate. So, in addition to helping as much as possible, Chu Rong often forcibly made Qiao Zhiya take breaks. Every day, he also tried various ways to prepare delicious food for him, ensuring that he didn’t solely rely on nutrient solution for his meals.
In the blink of an eye, one month had passed. The most difficult part of repairing the flagship, the production of the complex components, was finally completed. Only the final steps remained—installing the new parts, repairing the damaged hull, and the final debugging and test-drive.
The venerable ancient tree generously provided a branch to serve as a mooring spot for their enormous flagship. Qiao Zhiya crawled into the damaged interior of the flagship and proceeded to install the new components one by one according to the blueprint requirements. Thankfully, he had great strength, and Chu Rong continuously piloted the mecha to assist. Without their combined efforts, and without suitable tools or equipment at hand, the installation process wouldn’t have been possible with just the two of them.
It took a full two days to install all the components. Qiao Zhiya temporarily didn’t touch the damaged outer shell of the flagship and instead had Chu Rong proceed with the startup debugging to check if the new components had any issues.
After twelve years, the long-dormant flagship finally lit up its navigation lights again. The sound of the ship’s power system coming to life was incredibly beautiful and exhilarating at that moment. Ten minutes later, Chu Rong turned off the flagship and jumped down, embracing Qiao Zhiya tightly and giving him a passionate kiss.
Success! All the components passed inspection, and the power system ran smoothly without any hesitation. The flagship was truly repaired.
Qiao Zhiya squinted his eyes in a smile, hugged Chu Rong back, and nuzzled against him before immediately diving into the repair work of the flagship’s outer shell with full enthusiasm.
In the Federation, the news from the frontline has been quickly updating.
After arriving at the front lines, Yuan Lie developed a combat mode that involved using small combat ships to launch long-range attacks in teams. This tactic effectively halted the advance of the Zergs and firmly held the defense line. The performance of Chu Yan’s squad was particularly outstanding. Chu Yan’s unpredictable tactical arrangements caused the less agile-minded Zergs to suffer numerous heavy losses.
On the other hand, with the support of neural wave resistance medicines, the Ning family army and the You family army have been continuously exterminating the Zergs using the powerful and agile nature of their mechas, forcing the Zergs to retreat a considerable distance.
Although the Xiang family still adopts a conservative approach, primarily conducting long-range attacks from within their ships, they have developed numerous new weapons for their vessels, significantly enhancing the combat capabilities of their fleet.
Everything was progressing in a positive direction, and the martial law on various planets has slightly relaxed. This was because everyone has noticed something: unlike the random appearances of the Zerg tides over a decade ago, this time, although the Zergs appeared in large numbers, they mainly concentrated in outer space rather than randomly appearing on planets. Therefore, as long as the military holds the front lines, the civilians protected on the planets are generally safe from danger.
On top of that, this time, the Zergs had no apparent leader, and all their attacks were done purely from instinct. Without a “commander” to lead them, they have become much easier to deal with.
After about half a month of relative stability, a major event occurred in the Empire — the Emperor passed away.
As soon as the news came out, the Empire was in chaos.
In the palace, the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince, who had never gotten along, started a fierce conflict. They schemed against each other, exposing each other’s weaknesses. The nobles who supported them also attacked and schemed against each other, further plunging the Empire into chaos.
Unable to tolerate the ruthless behavior of his brothers, the Third Prince, in anger, departed for the front lines. He led his personal guards to join the resistance against the Zerg tides, displaying a blatant disregard for the throne.
The citizens of the Empire immediately expressed their enthusiasm for the Third Prince, in contrast, they silently harbored disdain for the Second Prince and Fourth Prince.
Several days later, during the funeral of the old Emperor, the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince unexpectedly got into another altercation, escalating to the point of physical confrontation.
Unable to tolerate the situation any longer, the people and other neutral courtiers joined forces to condemn the Second and Fourth Princes. Through various maneuvers, they managed to discredit both of them, citing their lack of filial piety and suitability as heirs to the throne. Unilaterally, they declared the Third Prince, who was currently fighting on the front lines, as the new Emperor.
Upon receiving the news, the Third Prince hurried back to the capital. In a public declaration, he expressed that he didn’t consider himself to be sufficiently qualified and capable to shoulder such a heavy responsibility.
Both the courtiers and the citizens had the psychology of “the more the Third Prince refused the throne, the more suitable he actually is”. So, they persisted in pushing him forward. They were determined not to let the two short-sighted Second and Fourth Princes rule the Empire.
Amidst the stalemate, Prince An Xei, who had slightly recovered from his injuries, personally sought out the Third Prince. He reasoned with him and appealed to his emotions. Eventually, Prince An Xei managed to persuade the Third Prince, urging him to endure the pain of losing his father and the heartache of his brothers’ discord. With the support of the people, the Third Prince reluctantly ascended to the throne, becoming the new Emperor1a reminder, Prince An Xei is not the first prince. The first prince has long been disposed because he attempted a coup during the time when the Emperor was missing (the Emperor is actually with Chu Rong and the Imperial High Advisor
The Second and Fourth Princes, unwilling to accept the situation, hired someone to assassinate the Third Prince. However, their plot was discovered and exposed. Prince An Xei, usually gentle, showed his rare anger at them. He used his authority as a prince and his senior status to demote both of them to commoners and imprisoned them.
The people of the Empire expressed great relief, and even the sense of panic caused by the attacks of the Zergs diminished significantly. It seemed that so long as the Third Prince ascended to the throne, the Empire could overcome the Zergs threat and restore its former prosperity and peace.
“They’re quite adept at guiding the public opinion,” Chu Huai closed the news about the Empire and turned to face Fan Xiangnan. He asked, “Have we figured out the patterns of the appearances of the Zergs and the black holes?”
“We’ve got some clues,” Fan Xiangnan replied with a hint of weariness on his face, but his demeanor remained as reliable as ever. “Through our investigations during this period, we’ve found that black holes only appear in areas far from the Federation’s detection range. They never approach regions with a higher concentration of humans, nor have they ever appeared within the human defense line. So, we speculate that the opening of the black hole channels requires time to arrange, and it’s not feasible to do so in densely populated human areas without being detected.”
This speculation aligns closely with Chu Huai’s previous conjecture. He lowered his gaze, pondered for a moment, and then said, “The current situation where neither the Zergs nor black holes have appeared within our defense lines could be due to either An Xei still having some tricks up his sleeve or because the speed of the martial law enforcement on various planets was too fast, and the Empire’s people didn’t have time to arrange beforehand. This move against the Chu family clearly indicates long-term planning, so I’m inclined to the latter. Instruct them to maintain the defense levels on each stationed planet, increase patrol troops, and conduct a population census. Anyone suspicious should be secretly monitored, keeping disturbances to a minimum to avoid causing panic among the populace.”
“Understood,” Fan Xiangnan nodded in agreement. As he turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something and added, “Master Ren sent a message earlier, mentioning that there’s been a problem in the research, and he needs you to take a look.”
Chu Huai frowned, and immediately got up.
For the sake of convenience in research, Master Ren had already moved back to his own personal laboratory, which was better equipped. Upon receiving the message, Chu Huai swiftly made his way there. However, unexpectedly, it wasn’t Master Ren who encountered the problem in the research, but Master Shang, who volunteered to help.
“Xiao Huai, you’ve arrived just in time,” Master Shang said, frowning deeply as he held a magic array pattern in his hand. “The first version of the manually-piloted mecha has been finalized, but we’ve encountered a problem with the system’s implementation. This is the framework system template left by Qiao. The most crucial part is this thing called a magic array and the energy slot made of sapphire. We’ve dissected this section, but we can’t seem to understand the principles behind it.”
Chu Huai followed his gaze towards the miniaturized driving system on the platform, sighing helplessly.
Seeing his expression, Master Shang felt that something was amiss and asked, “You don’t understand it either? Qiao never told you?”
Chu Huai shook his head and replied, “Qiao always conducts his research alone, taking his time to figure things out. He shares the results with Xiao Rong, who then handles the detailed arrangements for promotion. We don’t usually inquire about the details of his findings.”
“I told you, calling him here would be useless. What can he handle?” Master Ren emerged from the inner room, not mincing his words as he jabbed at Chu Huai. “Qiao once mentioned that the pattern is actually an alternative energy traction method. If we can’t understand it, then we should stop trying and find alternatives. Spiritual power is affected by neural waves and cannot be used. Mechanical methods should suffice. Coupled with the unique biological sensitivity of the alien beast tendons, perfect synchronization isn’t achievable, but we can manage around 80% of what Qiao achieved.”
Master Shang frowned upon hearing this but reluctantly glanced at the pattern in his hand. However, he knew that now wasn’t the time to indulge in research. He said, “Let’s change our approach. Qiao has already established the overall framework for the piloting system. It’s just a matter of finding an alternative for one connecting part. I don’t believe that between the two of us, we can’t come up with a solution.”
So Chu Huai made a futile trip and returned home after being scolded, feeling helpless.
Unexpectedly, as Chu Huai’s hover car approached his residence, a black hole suddenly materialized out of nowhere, nearly sucking his hover car into its vortex. Fortunately, the security personnel left behind by Fan Xiangnan were quick to react. They immediately deployed a silver net from behind to shield Chu Huai’s car and pulled it back to safety.
Although Chu Huai safely made it home without any accidents, the news of the incident spread quickly, causing panic among the populace once again. The fact that the Zergs had reappeared from within the planet’s interior reignited fears of a return to the chaotic scenes of all-out war from over a decade ago.
Chu Huai’s encounter was just the beginning. Soon after, black holes began appearing within the defense lines of other planets in the Federation, one after another. The atmosphere of panic continued to escalate. It reached the peak, once the news that the Zerg Queen reemerged in the Empire.
After the Zerg Queen appeared, all the Zergs seemed to go mad, launching relentless assaults on the borders of various planets. The frequency of the Zergs’ appearances within the planetary defense lines also increased. Apart from the planets where the Chu family stationed their troops, casualties began to occur on other planets as well.
As the battle intensified, even the Xiang family eventually compromised and started using the medication provided by the Ning family. However, somehow news spread about the Chu family’s military forces receiving the medication but refusing to use it. Rumors even suggested that they encouraged Yuan Lie and He Hongjun to refrain from using the Ning family’s medication as well.
Public opinion erupted once again. At the brink of a major crisis, cracks began to appear in the sympathy and trust the populace held towards the Chu family. With the increasing number of the Zergs’ assaults, the visible weaknesses of their conservative approach and the small-scale attacks by their warships, along with the continuous retreat of their defense lines, doubts about the Chu family’s statements gradually grew.
Everyone still remembered Qiao Zhiya’s revelation about the Ning family’s drugs. But still, they unanimously criticized the Chu family for being too stubborn, clinging to old impressions at such a crucial moment, and playing with the lives of officers and civilians – blind stubbornness on what they believed to be right.
The Chu family found themselves at the center of controversy once again. Finally, when news spread that Chu Yan’s small warship had nearly been sucked into a black hole, public opinion reached its peak.
The populace became agitated, questioning fervently: Why not use the medicines? Why waste the resources and energy of the military and soldiers for no reason? Is the Chu family going to push itself to the brink just because of past biases against the Ning family? While the Ning family may have been wrong in the past, they are heroes in this matter! How much longer will the Chu family remain stubborn?
“Long Ruifeng has gone mad! He actually wants to target Xiao Yan!” Gu Yan’an trembled with anger, hatred flickering in his eyes. She exclaimed, “First it was Xiao Rong and Qiao, then you, and now Xiao Yan! Is he trying to wipe out the entire Chu family?”
Chu Huai frowned, holding her hand, trying to offer her comfort.
“And those who have been criticizing you… I really want to reveal the whole truth to them and show them what terrifying things they’ve chosen to believe in now!” Gu Yan’an said, then broke down, covering her face as tears streamed down uncontrollably.
The unjust accusations from the public were the most hurtful – especially since the Chu family has tried every means to protect them.
“They were just fanned by our opponents. In fact, only a small portion of them are actually this extreme, most of them are normal, rational people.” Chu Huai stood up and hugged her. His heart ached once he saw how pale her complexion had become.
He also wanted to reveal all the truth to the public directly, but it was not feasible. Without absolute power, tearing these truths apart would only lead to one result – the Chu family would be scapegoated, and then swiftly eradicated by enemies who would stop at nothing.
“Where are Xiao Rong and Qiao…” Gu Yan’an held him tightly, feeling somewhat hopeless. “Please bring Xiao Yan back, even if it means death. If we can only die, then we should die together. Ah Huai, bring Xiao Yan back…”
“Everything will be solved, believe me.” Chu Huai gently stroked her hair. He felt that her erratic heart beat slowed down, little by little.
‘It’s been nearly two months, and there’s still no news of Xiao Rong and Qiao. Could it be… No, it can’t be.’
He couldn’t allow himself to think like that. If even he became uncertain, then this family would truly be finished.
Thank you Ery for your donation! I'll upload the bonus update today, please be patient~T/L: alright, a confession of sin. I translated Master Shang and Master Ren with the same title, but in Chinese, they're actually different!Master Shang is , literally Shang Great Teacher, but rather than teacher, it's more like, he's a respected master in his profession. One of the best.As for Master Ren, he's referred as , literally Ren Lao. I usually translate such appellation as Elder Ren, but that's usually referring to a family setting? Like, I used that translation when referring to Elder Ning, who's quite literally an Elder of a family. So, in the beginning, I used Master Ren as a translation because I think it's more appropriate he's a respected senior professional, so calling him a Master is suitable in English translation. And I thought that Chu Rong and the others call him Ren Lao because he's quite close to them also.But now, I made it as if both of them have the same statusWell, since I've translated things this far, I'm going to continue to translate them as both Master Shang and Master Ren. Forgive me for my inadequacies.Qiao Zhiya: Half-elf, half-dwarf MC.Chu Rong: Marshal ML.Ren Mo: aka Master Ren. A mecha master making full manually-piloted mecha.Fan Xiangnan: ML's second-in-command.Zhuang Yu: A doctor in ML's army.Chu Yan: ML's younger brother. Is the same age as MC.Chu Huai: ML's older brother, he's in politics.Gu Yan'an: Chu Huai's wife. She's a doctor.Yuan Xiu: Chu Yan's bestfriend.Yuan Lie: Yuan Xiu's father, a Lieutenant General.Bearded Teacher aka Master Shang: Qiao Zhiya's Mecha teacher in VR. Chu Rong's mother's teacher. Is currently a mecha manufacturing teacher.Xiang Kun: Chu Yan's mortal enemy. Xiang Hui's younger brother. Mecha manufacturing student.Ning Tianya: Ning family's head. Former Chairman.Ning Tianxing: Ning Kongran's father, Ning Tianya's older brother.Long Ruifeng: the President.Long Ruizhang: The President's younger brother.=The Empire=An Xei: The Emperor's younger brother. A Prince and a scholar. Married to Ning Tianwu.An Mhu: Third Imperial Prince.Neitaxi: General from the Empire, the strongest mecha soldier in the Empire.Feng: The Imperial High Advisor. On the primitive planet, Chu Rong's wrist suddenly flashed with the red thread, accompanied by a wave of warmth.He busily raised his hand, gripping his own wrist, and looked up at the sky to the southwest. There was an inexplicable heaviness in his heart. It wasn't until he heard the approaching footsteps of Qiao Zhiya that he snapped out of it. Quickly reigning in his emotions, he turned around to see Qiao Zhiya walking over with the newly made forge. He immediately stepped forward to help.As they progressed to the repair blueprints of the flagship, they became increasingly complex. Perhaps sensing Chu Rong's anxiety, Qiao Zhiya gradually stopped wandering in the forest to relax and instead devoted his days to studying the blueprints and making parts. He worked tirelessly, almost to the point of neglecting proper rest and food.Chu Rong frowned as he watched, fearing that if Qiao Zhiya continued to push himself like this, his health would deteriorate. So, in addition to helping as much as possible, Chu Rong often forcibly made Qiao Zhiya take breaks. Every day, he also tried various ways to prepare delicious food for him, ensuring that he didn't solely rely on nutrient solution for his meals.In the blink of an eye, one month had passed. The most difficult part of repairing the flagship, the production of the complex components, was finally completed. Only the final steps remainedinstalling the new parts, repairing the damaged hull, and the final debugging and test-drive.The venerable ancient tree generously provided a branch to serve as a mooring spot for their enormous flagship. Qiao Zhiya crawled into the damaged interior of the flagship and proceeded to install the new components one by one according to the blueprint requirements. Thankfully, he had great strength, and Chu Rong continuously piloted the mecha to assist. Without their combined efforts, and without suitable tools or equipment at hand, the installation process wouldn't have been possible with just the two of them.It took a full two days to install all the components. Qiao Zhiya temporarily didn't touch the damaged outer shell of the flagship and instead had Chu Rong proceed with the startup debugging to check if the new components had any issues.After twelve years, the long-dormant flagship finally lit up its navigation lights again. The sound of the ship's power system coming to life was incredibly beautiful and exhilarating at that moment. Ten minutes later, Chu Rong turned off the flagship and jumped down, embracing Qiao Zhiya tightly and giving him a passionate kiss.Success! All the components passed inspection, and the power system ran smoothly without any hesitation. The flagship was truly repaired.Qiao Zhiya squinted his eyes in a smile, hugged Chu Rong back, and nuzzled against him before immediately diving into the repair work of the flagship's outer shell with full enthusiasm.In the Federation, the news from the frontline has been quickly updating.After arriving at the front lines, Yuan Lie developed a combat mode that involved using small combat ships to launch long-range attacks in teams. This tactic effectively halted the advance of the Zergs and firmly held the defense line. The performance of Chu Yan's squad was particularly outstanding. Chu Yan's unpredictable tactical arrangements caused the less agile-minded Zergs to suffer numerous heavy losses.On the other hand, with the support of neural wave resistance medicines, the Ning family army and the You family army have been continuously exterminating the Zergs using the powerful and agile nature of their mechas, forcing the Zergs to retreat a considerable distance.Although the Xiang family still adopts a conservative approach, primarily conducting long-range attacks from within their ships, they have developed numerous new weapons for their vessels, significantly enhancing the combat capabilities of their fleet.Everything was progressing in a positive direction, and the martial law on various planets has slightly relaxed. This was because everyone has noticed something: unlike the random appearances of the Zerg tides over a decade ago, this time, although the Zergs appeared in large numbers, they mainly concentrated in outer space rather than randomly appearing on planets. Therefore, as long as the military holds the front lines, the civilians protected on the planets are generally safe from danger.On top of that, this time, the Zergs had no apparent leader, and all their attacks were done purely from instinct. Without a commander to lead them, they have become much easier to deal with.After about half a month of relative stability, a major event occurred in the Empire the Emperor passed away.As soon as the news came out, the Empire was in chaos.In the palace, the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince, who had never gotten along, started a fierce conflict. They schemed against each other, exposing each other's weaknesses. The nobles who supported them also attacked and schemed against each other, further plunging the Empire into chaos.Unable to tolerate the ruthless behavior of his brothers, the Third Prince, in anger, departed for the front lines. He led his personal guards to join the resistance against the Zerg tides, displaying a blatant disregard for the throne.The citizens of the Empire immediately expressed their enthusiasm for the Third Prince, in contrast, they silently harbored disdain for the Second Prince and Fourth Prince.Several days later, during the funeral of the old Emperor, the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince unexpectedly got into another altercation, escalating to the point of physical confrontation.Unable to tolerate the situation any longer, the people and other neutral courtiers joined forces to condemn the Second and Fourth Princes. Through various maneuvers, they managed to discredit both of them, citing their lack of filial piety and suitability as heirs to the throne. Unilaterally, they declared the Third Prince, who was currently fighting on the front lines, as the new Emperor.Upon receiving the news, the Third Prince hurried back to the capital. In a public declaration, he expressed that he didn't consider himself to be sufficiently qualified and capable to shoulder such a heavy responsibility.Both the courtiers and the citizens had the psychology of the more the Third Prince refused the throne, the more suitable he actually is. So, they persisted in pushing him forward. They were determined not to let the two short-sighted Second and Fourth Princes rule the Empire.Amidst the stalemate, Prince An Xei, who had slightly recovered from his injuries, personally sought out the Third Prince. He reasoned with him and appealed to his emotions. Eventually, Prince An Xei managed to persuade the Third Prince, urging him to endure the pain of losing his father and the heartache of his brothers' discord. With the support of the people, the Third Prince reluctantly ascended to the throne, becoming the new Emperor1a reminder, Prince An Xei is not the first prince. The first prince has long been disposed because he attempted a coup during the time when the Emperor was missing the Emperor is actually with Chu Rong and the Imperial High AdvisorThe Second and Fourth Princes, unwilling to accept the situation, hired someone to assassinate the Third Prince. However, their plot was discovered and exposed. Prince An Xei, usually gentle, showed his rare anger at them. He used his authority as a prince and his senior status to demote both of them to commoners and imprisoned them.The people of the Empire expressed great relief, and even the sense of panic caused by the attacks of the Zergs diminished significantly. It seemed that so long as the Third Prince ascended to the throne, the Empire could overcome the Zergs threat and restore its former prosperity and peace.They're quite adept at guiding the public opinion, Chu Huai closed the news about the Empire and turned to face Fan Xiangnan. He asked, Have we figured out the patterns of the appearances of the Zergs and the black holes?We've got some clues, Fan Xiangnan replied with a hint of weariness on his face, but his demeanor remained as reliable as ever. Through our investigations during this period, we've found that black holes only appear in areas far from the Federation's detection range. They never approach regions with a higher concentration of humans, nor have they ever appeared within the human defense line. So, we speculate that the opening of the black hole channels requires time to arrange, and it's not feasible to do so in densely populated human areas without being detected.This speculation aligns closely with Chu Huai's previous conjecture. He lowered his gaze, pondered for a moment, and then said, The current situation where neither the Zergs nor black holes have appeared within our defense lines could be due to either An Xei still having some tricks up his sleeve or because the speed of the martial law enforcement on various planets was too fast, and the Empire's people didn't have time to arrange beforehand. This move against the Chu family clearly indicates long-term planning, so I'm inclined to the latter. Instruct them to maintain the defense levels on each stationed planet, increase patrol troops, and conduct a population census. Anyone suspicious should be secretly monitored, keeping disturbances to a minimum to avoid causing panic among the populace.Understood, Fan Xiangnan nodded in agreement. As he turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something and added, Master Ren sent a message earlier, mentioning that there's been a problem in the research, and he needs you to take a look.Chu Huai frowned, and immediately got up.For the sake of convenience in research, Master Ren had already moved back to his own personal laboratory, which was better equipped. Upon receiving the message, Chu Huai swiftly made his way there. However, unexpectedly, it wasn't Master Ren who encountered the problem in the research, but Master Shang, who volunteered to help.Xiao Huai, you've arrived just in time, Master Shang said, frowning deeply as he held a magic array pattern in his hand. The first version of the manually-piloted mecha has been finalized, but we've encountered a problem with the system's implementation. This is the framework system template left by Qiao. The most crucial part is this thing called a magic array and the energy slot made of sapphire. We've dissected this section, but we can't seem to understand the principles behind it.Chu Huai followed his gaze towards the miniaturized driving system on the platform, sighing helplessly.Seeing his expression, Master Shang felt that something was amiss and asked, You don't understand it either? Qiao never told you?Chu Huai shook his head and replied, Qiao always conducts his research alone, taking his time to figure things out. He shares the results with Xiao Rong, who then handles the detailed arrangements for promotion. We don't usually inquire about the details of his findings.I told you, calling him here would be useless. What can he handle? Master Ren emerged from the inner room, not mincing his words as he jabbed at Chu Huai. Qiao once mentioned that the pattern is actually an alternative energy traction method. If we can't understand it, then we should stop trying and find alternatives. Spiritual power is affected by neural waves and cannot be used. Mechanical methods should suffice. Coupled with the unique biological sensitivity of the alien beast tendons, perfect synchronization isn't achievable, but we can manage around 80% of what Qiao achieved.Master Shang frowned upon hearing this but reluctantly glanced at the pattern in his hand. However, he knew that now wasn't the time to indulge in research. He said, Let's change our approach. Qiao has already established the overall framework for the piloting system. It's just a matter of finding an alternative for one connecting part. I don't believe that between the two of us, we can't come up with a solution.So Chu Huai made a futile trip and returned home after being scolded, feeling helpless.Unexpectedly, as Chu Huai's hover car approached his residence, a black hole suddenly materialized out of nowhere, nearly sucking his hover car into its vortex. Fortunately, the security personnel left behind by Fan Xiangnan were quick to react. They immediately deployed a silver net from behind to shield Chu Huai's car and pulled it back to safety.Although Chu Huai safely made it home without any accidents, the news of the incident spread quickly, causing panic among the populace once again. The fact that the Zergs had reappeared from within the planet's interior reignited fears of a return to the chaotic scenes of all-out war from over a decade ago.Chu Huai's encounter was just the beginning. Soon after, black holes began appearing within the defense lines of other planets in the Federation, one after another. The atmosphere of panic continued to escalate. It reached the peak, once the news that the Zerg Queen reemerged in the Empire.After the Zerg Queen appeared, all the Zergs seemed to go mad, launching relentless assaults on the borders of various planets. The frequency of the Zergs' appearances within the planetary defense lines also increased. Apart from the planets where the Chu family stationed their troops, casualties began to occur on other planets as well.As the battle intensified, even the Xiang family eventually compromised and started using the medication provided by the Ning family. However, somehow news spread about the Chu family's military forces receiving the medication but refusing to use it. Rumors even suggested that they encouraged Yuan Lie and He Hongjun to refrain from using the Ning family's medication as well.Public opinion erupted once again. At the brink of a major crisis, cracks began to appear in the sympathy and trust the populace held towards the Chu family. With the increasing number of the Zergs' assaults, the visible weaknesses of their conservative approach and the small-scale attacks by their warships, along with the continuous retreat of their defense lines, doubts about the Chu family's statements gradually grew.Everyone still remembered Qiao Zhiya's revelation about the Ning family's drugs. But still, they unanimously criticized the Chu family for being too stubborn, clinging to old impressions at such a crucial moment, and playing with the lives of officers and civilians blind stubbornness on what they believed to be right.The Chu family found themselves at the center of controversy once again. Finally, when news spread that Chu Yan's small warship had nearly been sucked into a black hole, public opinion reached its peak.The populace became agitated, questioning fervently: Why not use the medicines? Why waste the resources and energy of the military and soldiers for no reason? Is the Chu family going to push itself to the brink just because of past biases against the Ning family? While the Ning family may have been wrong in the past, they are heroes in this matter! How much longer will the Chu family remain stubborn?Long Ruifeng has gone mad! He actually wants to target Xiao Yan! Gu Yan'an trembled with anger, hatred flickering in his eyes. She exclaimed, First it was Xiao Rong and Qiao, then you, and now Xiao Yan! Is he trying to wipe out the entire Chu family?Chu Huai frowned, holding her hand, trying to offer her comfort.And those who have been criticizing you I really want to reveal the whole truth to them and show them what terrifying things they've chosen to believe in now! Gu Yan'an said, then broke down, covering her face as tears streamed down uncontrollably.The unjust accusations from the public were the most hurtful especially since the Chu family has tried every means to protect them.They were just fanned by our opponents. In fact, only a small portion of them are actually this extreme, most of them are normal, rational people. Chu Huai stood up and hugged her. His heart ached once he saw how pale her complexion had become.He also wanted to reveal all the truth to the public directly, but it was not feasible. Without absolute power, tearing these truths apart would only lead to one result the Chu family would be scapegoated, and then swiftly eradicated by enemies who would stop at nothing.Where are Xiao Rong and Qiao Gu Yan'an held him tightly, feeling somewhat hopeless. Please bring Xiao Yan back, even if it means death. If we can only die, then we should die together. Ah Huai, bring Xiao Yan backEverything will be solved, believe me. Chu Huai gently stroked her hair. He felt that her erratic heart beat slowed down, little by little.It's been nearly two months, and there's still no news of Xiao Rong and Qiao. Could it be No, it can't be.'He couldn't allow himself to think like that. If even he became uncertain, then this family would truly be finished.
