Chapter 85

Xia You boarded the aircraft, his mind seemingly elsewhere.

Sitting on the sofa, Xia You absentmindedly fiddled with a fluffy ball in his hands. The texture felt oddly realistic, not resembling a furball or cushion. When he looked down slowly, he was met with the eyes of a little panda gazing calmly back.

Xia You: "...?"

When did Tang Gao end up in his hands?

Tang Gao chuckled, brushed off Xia You's hand that was ruffling his head, and then hopped to sit beside him, spreading his legs, with his fluffy tail stretching out in between.

He had just felt a bit tired earlier and decided to get some sun before returning. Yet, on his way out, he was abruptly scooped up by Xia You and taken aboard the aircraft.

Despite his several cries, Xia You didn't react, clearly preoccupied with something.

But now that he's out in the open, with all the prying eyes, it's surely not the place to continue his research. It might be better to take a break and resume once he's back home.

With that thought, Tang Gao yawned, his fluffy body sliding down a bit, resting his head on a nearby cushion.

Seeing the little panda, Xia You couldn't resist pulling an apple from his dimensional knot.

Without hesitation, Tang Gao stretched out his paw.

Xia You handed him half, "Sit up while eating, careful not to choke."

Reluctantly, Tang Gao sat up straight, a stark contrast to when he's in workaholic mode.

Crunch, crunch.

The sound of munching on apples intertwined, and Xia You glanced at the little panda.

Perhaps because Tang Gao had witnessed some of his most awkward moments with His Highness, any additional embarrassment seemed trivial.

Of course, among all fluffy creatures, Xia You felt a natural affinity towards the little panda.

Suddenly, Xia You felt the urge to share.

Clearing his throat,

Tang Gao, still holding the apple, looked up at him. Then, shifting his fluffy behind, he turned to face Xia You, adopting an attentive pose that read, "I'm all ears."

Xia You awkwardly fiddled with the sofa fabric and, in a low voice, recounted the story of the tiny tendrils.

As Xia You spoke, the little panda was so engrossed that he even stopped munching on his apple.

Initially, Xia You spoke with some embarrassment, but by the end, he was looking intently into the little panda's eyes.

The little panda felt a bit overwhelmed, feeling as if the apple in his paw was getting uncomfortably hot.

After a long hesitation, he typed somewhat sheepishly, "[Well... I've never been in a relationship either. I'm inexperienced in matters of the heart... I didn’t get to read much literature in school either, so I might not be of much help...?]"

"[But to be honest]"

Tang Gao raised a thumb, his gaze sincere.

"[I think you're pretty good at romance. You'll surely win over the Marshal soon.]"

[Really!]

Xia You: "???"

"I wasn't talking about that!"

Annoyed, Xia You swiftly snatched the apple from the little panda's grip, puffing out in frustration, "I was wondering if we could secretly sneak His Highness out of the hibernation chamber for a bit and then quietly put him back!"

Xia You visualized the scenario: stuffing another person into the hibernation chamber was surely impractical. Introducing his psychic tendrils would not meet the therapeutic requirements—Xia You's tendrils needed skin contact to access one's mental realm.

Merely channeling psychic energy into His Highness without intentionally healing would be of limited effect.

It would be too slow.

Xia You: "You've eaten my apple; you owe me some assistance."

The little panda took out a handkerchief from the spatial knot and wiped his paws.

He didn’t necessarily need to eat that apple, after all.

Quick as lightning, Xia You carved out a small slice and offered it to the little panda.

Tang Gao found his mouth stuffed with the apple slice. Unable to spit it out, he chewed and swallowed, opening his mouth to speak only to have Xia You stuff in another piece.

Tang Gao swiftly climbed onto Xia You's shoulder, paw resting on Xia You's wrist, firmly refusing any more apple offerings.

Slightly disappointed, Xia You popped the remaining apple slice into his own mouth.

Tang Gao pondered for a moment, then typed: [The hibernation chamber doesn't restrict the number of times it's opened or closed. The real concern is the anesthetic gas, which can affect the human nervous system.]

Xia You nodded, "I’ve researched the hibernation chamber. Though there's limited information, it's said that unless the person inside awakens, the chamber won't open."

The little panda gave a disdainful snort.

[The military folks are thick-headed. And their stubbornness has affected the researchers at the institute, leading them to dead-ends.]

After saying this, he paused for a while, hesitating before continuing to type.

[There was a batch of improved hibernation chambers auctioned on the black market. After the black market underwent a purge, these chambers disappeared... probably preemptively moved by the auctioneers who caught wind of it, then traded underground.]

[These cryogenic pods sold at astronomical prices when they first came out, primarily because they allowed flexible control over the duration of hibernation. This helped delay the onset of complete mental disorder.]

[Of course, there were side effects.]

Xia You hurriedly asked, "What kind of side effects?"

The little panda shrank back a bit, typing somewhat sheepishly: [I don't know, it's random.]

Xia You remarked, "...This is something that came from you, isn't it?"

The little panda raised its paw to rub its cheek, nodding slowly.

Xia You exclaimed incredulously, "You sold something without knowing its side effects?!"

The little panda's front paws came together, ears drooping.

Back then, he operated on the dark web's black market, often in a morally gray zone. He was a genius, daring to innovate, resulting in many unusual creations.

Working undercover was exhausting enough, he simply didn't have the energy to spend extensive time mitigating the side effects of his creations.

As soon as Xia You spoke, she realized her mistake and apologized earnestly without hesitation.

Tang Gao, feeling slightly embarrassed, swished his tail around Xia You's neck and typed: [If you can find one, I'll help you modify it.]

Xia You rubbed her temples, sighing, "Finding one might be difficult... I think I'll just tell the Prince about the tentacle incident when I get back."

Tang Gao shrugged, patting Xia You's cheek with his paw.

As a form of consolation.

*

The aircraft landed in front of a villa.

The mansion didn't appear particularly imposing; it lacked the stern solemnity of a marshal's residence but exuded a refined elegance.

Just seeing it made one feel a sense of warmth and affinity towards its owner.

The little panda, not wanting to meet outsiders, chose to stay inside the aircraft, cuddling a pillow and dozing off.

Although Xia You decided to visit on a whim, she still sent an advance notice to the Zhu family the day before.

The butler conveyed the message of Xia You's visit to the Zhu family, while Xia You curiously observed his surroundings.

Indeed, as Lu Yinghuai had mentioned before, the entire mansion was enveloped in a purification shield. The garden was meticulously tended to. The moment Xia You stepped in, he felt a lightness in his breath, an invigorating sense of clarity and comfort.

Such is the luxury of the constantly money-burning purification shield.

"Impressive," Xia You mused silently.

In the Empire, many agencies handle internal governance, but the main entities boil down to the Military Department and the Senate. While the Royal Family is a unique entity, there's another institution on par with its exclusivity: the Supreme Prosecution Court.

Cases presented to the Supreme Prosecution Court usually pertain to internal governance, the Royal Family, or other significant individuals with exceptional status.

Zhu Zaiyuan hailed from the prosecutorial ranks, and his mentor once served as a first-class prosecutor at the Supreme Prosecution Court.

However, Zhu Zaiyuan's position as Vice-Marshal was hard-earned through genuine military merit.

Xia You hadn't waited long before he was warmly ambushed by a swiftly darting ball of grey-black fur.

After several months apart, the once-tiny Pika bunny had grown substantially. Holding it felt significantly heavier now, transitioning from a fluffy furball to a solid cub.

Clearly, it had been living a life of abundance.

The little Pika chattered and mewled, rubbing its face against Xia You's chin and cheeks, surprisingly recalling their short-lived acquaintance from days past.

A massive adult Pika bunny bounded out, chasing after its young. Spotting Xia You, it made a swift halt, retracting its paws in a flustered manner and settling down in an upright posture.

Hm?

Xia You fixed his gaze on the large Pika bunny, examining it closely.

Having encountered numerous furry companions at home, the gleam in the big Pika's eyes was undeniably human-like. It reminded Xia You more of His Highness's current state than any companion beast.

Yet, this was not a good sign—it suggested that Deputy Marshal Zhu's psychic energy might be spiraling out of control.

The oversized Pika bunny, twice as large as a regular one, hesitated momentarily but eventually stepped forward, extending its front paw to Xia You.

Xia You's lips curled into a smile as he grasped the Pika's paw, reminiscent of their handshake from their previous meeting.

Soft laughter echoed. Turning towards the source, Xia You saw a woman exuding elegance and grace in every gesture, emerging from beside the garden. Her face was adorned with a gentle smile.

This must be Vice Marshal Zhu's wife, Lin Siqiong.

"Good day, Miss Xia You," Lin Siqiong greeted with a slight curtsy.

After exchanging pleasantries, they all proceeded through the garden towards the mansion's main entrance.

The larger hare took the smaller one, placing it atop its head. From behind, the pair looked like a moving furry gourd with matching fur and tails of differing sizes swishing in tandem.

The conversation inevitably turned to the Vice Marshal's condition.

Lin Siqiong spoke in soft, soothing tones, "Zaiyuan's mental energy has been unstable these past few days. Last night, he suddenly lapsed into unconsciousness, but thankfully he remains lucid."

"If it's convenient, I could check on Vice Marshal Zhu," offered Xia You.

Lin Siqiong seemed intrigued, but a hint of hesitation clouded her expression.

However, the large hare in front of them turned to face Xia You, giving a small bow.

Seeing Zhu Zaiyuan's implicit agreement through the hare, Lin Siqiong nodded without further hesitation.

About fifteen minutes later,

Xia You observed as Lin Siqiong confidently halted the stasis chamber's program, her expression momentarily blank.

The smaller hare, seemingly aware of its "father's" condition, obediently lay atop the head of the larger hare, gazing intently at the figure resting inside the chamber.

Noticing Xia You's reaction, Lin Siqiong explained, "This stasis chamber is unique; you can interrupt its process at any time—"

But the large hare discerned the true meaning behind Xia You's gaze, pulling up a holographic screen and awkwardly typing with its claw-tip: [Are you familiar with this stasis chamber, Miss Xia You?]

Xia You took a deep breath to calm her surge of emotions and responded evenly, "Yes, I am."

"Vice Marshal Zhu, Madam Zhu, if you'd allow, I'd like to know how you acquired this stasis chamber. In exchange, I'm willing to offer five treatment sessions for the Vice Marshal free of charge."

Lin Siqiong and her husband exchanged a glance, both reflecting surprise.

They had been pleasantly surprised by Xia You's unexpected visit, especially given Zhu Zaiyuan's deteriorating condition.

Zhu Zaiyuan was well aware of the underlying political struggles concerning the successor to the marshal position. Preferring to remain out of it, he and his wife had prepared a generous compensation to privately seek Xia You's healing services.

They hadn't anticipated that Xia You would offer her services in exchange for information about the stasis chamber.

Lin Siqiong paused for a moment, then said, “To be frank with you, the side effects of this stasis chamber are significant. If you're thinking of acquiring one for personal use, I'd advise against it.”

Zhu Zaiyuan chose to bear its side effects to spend more time with his wife. In reality, this approach might worsen his condition.

Both were puzzled. With Xia You's capabilities in the Marshal's Mansion, they shouldn't need a stasis chamber.

Xia You mentioned her keen interest in studying the stasis chamber and hoped they'd consider her proposed trade.

Perceiving Xia You's persistence, Lin Siqiong took a pristine white card from her spatial pouch and handed it over.

“My mother won this stasis chamber at an auction and gave it to me. If you're inclined, you can try your luck at this address.”