Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Jing Cun: "Yes."

To be precise, at least until the rumors of instability emerged when Lin Fu was six, he had used his psychic powers, even saving someone with them.

Tang Qian was the person he had saved.

But after the age of six, his psychic power sharply declined.

Jing Cun brought up some of the test reports he had found, sending them to Cheng Jiu: "These are the test results from that time, along with the genetic database match results and the doctors' diagnoses when he was eighteen."

Cheng Jiu browsed through the documents, instructing as he did so: "Investigate these doctors thoroughly. And gather all the information related to the Lin family."

Jing Cun nodded, but hesitated midway: "General, there's someone in the Lin family... who might be difficult to investigate. Moreover, the possibility of her involvement in this matter is extremely slim... Should we take the risk?"

Cheng Jiu replied indifferently, "Are you referring to Lin Sizhen?"

Jing Cun: "Yes."

"Investigate."

*

The Lin Family.

From the first day he saw Lin Fu in the preliminary rounds, he had been restless.

Lin Sixing returned home in a rage, smashing a multitude of objects to vent his anger.

When Luo Qirui returned home with the children, she was greeted by the chaos.

Her delicate eyes elongated with displeasure, yet she said nothing. Carrying her younger son upstairs, she left him with the robotic maid, then descended the stairs herself.

"What's wrong with you? Weren't you attending the school's anniversary celebration today?"

Lin Sixing was panting heavily, his face red with anger, ferocious like a wild beast.

"What's the matter? Didn't anyone watch the live broadcast today?"

Luo Qirui, lifting her skirt, navigated around the debris: "What's there to see?"

Having vented, Lin Sixing was much calmer, and coldly said: "Lin Fu participated in the anniversary competition and successfully advanced to the next round."

Luo Qirui's head snapped up, her voice sharp: "What!?"

Incredulously, she said: "Isn't he a guide? It was already outrageous for Karl Laine to let him enter the military academy, and now he's participating in the anniversary competition!? Has he gone mad!?"

Lin Sixing: "He's not mad. That brat making it to the advanced rounds is already telling."

Luo Qirui paced anxiously: "How is this possible? Shouldn't he be dead by now? Even if not dead, he should be weak. Doesn’t piloting a mech require psychic power!?"

Lin Sixing poured a glass of water and took a sip, his expression returning to calm: "Of course it does. What we need to find out now is just how much he has recovered and why. In the advanced rounds, he didn't use his psychic body and was even ambushed, saved by his classmates."

Luo Qirui’s face showed a flicker of joy, but he added: "But we can't rule out the possibility that the brat was deliberately concealing his abilities."

"I'll inform father. Tomorrow, you should stay in and closely watch the live broadcast for any clues."

Luo Qirui: "Alright."

In such anxiety, the Lin family awaited the next round, where they saw Lin Fu barely triumph in his battered mech. As they sighed in relief, their urgency to eliminate him only intensified.

A guide capable of defeating a B-ranked sentinel was impressive enough to warrant their vigilance.

"Tomorrow, I shall meet with the dean of the Royal Military Academy. Send Xiao Shi."

"In the heat of competition, it's not uncommon for one to strike too hard."

*

Lin Fu rises to fame in a single battle!

Within a matter of days, various videos and photos spread across major online platforms.

Endless chatter of husbands and wives emerged.

Meanwhile, the public's concern for his injuries escalated to new heights.

Yet, the official response from Artemis was frustratingly delayed.

As his fan base grew, speculation about Lin Fu's relationship with the Lin family began to emerge online.

It was indeed very strange.

Both the Lin family's reaction and Lin Fu's current treatment were subjects worthy of deeper scrutiny.

During the competition, everyone was too preoccupied with the fluctuating odds and the intense battles to ponder these matters.

Guides have always held a privileged position in the interstellar community. Due to their scarcity and vulnerability compared to sentinels, protective laws are stringent; no one would intentionally harm a guide.

Lin Fu was not only a beloved guide but also a young master from a major family, deserving of double the care and affection.

Yet, the reality was that he risked entering the military academy, mingled daily with sentinels, and even entered the arena to fight them. His mech was suspicious, and the attitude of his final opponent fueled conspiracy theories.

The two shared a blood relation; they were kin. Would true relatives not care for each other but instead deliver fatal blows in the arena?

Coupled with the sentiments expressed by the Artemis dean, it was evident there was a deep-seated loathing for the Lin family.

This aversion was not solely based on the past incident of desertion but was compounded by a fresh layer of disgust and contempt.

Someone compiled a series of clips featuring the Lin family, particularly emphasizing their reactions when Lin Fu appeared, further confirming the Lin family's mistreatment of him.

Many approached the Guide Protection Association, jointly reporting and demanding a thorough investigation into the Lin family's treatment of guides.

*

Lin Fu regained consciousness three days later.

Upon opening his eyes, his gaze immediately met Gong Yuan's.

The usually gentle person couldn't help but let out a rare sarcastic remark: "Oh, you're awake? I thought you had decided not to."

Lin Fu: "..." didn't dare to talk back.

Before the competition, he had assured the principal and Gong Yuan that the worst-case scenario would be a beating, or at most losing the match.

Fainting was purely accidental.

Gong Yuan pulled up a chair and sat down beside Lin Fu's bed: "You've been out for three days, want to know your current mental state?"

Lin Fu's mind stirred: "Yes."

The system's assessment was also complete: [Significant recovery in mental strength, capable of external mental exertion, one more phase of recovery and a mental body will form.]

Gong Yuan's report was also handed to him: "Take a look for yourself."

Ever since learning of his poisoning, he had been undergoing regular checks at Gong Yuan's, monitoring the values.

Now, the blue line representing mental strength, which had been steadily progressing, spiked three days ago, reaching new heights before stabilizing once again.

He said: "It's confirmed that your mental strength is recovering. The impact of the mental toxin is limited, having peaked, its effect is gradually waning."

Lin Fu closed the report and nodded.

No further explanation was offered.

The mental toxin had taken effect, and quite effectively at that.

He spent a brief ten minutes catching up on the events of the past three days.

After he had fainted, his popularity among the public soared to unprecedented levels. With a slight nudge, the public opinion against the Lin family could be easily swayed, prompting countless of his followers to leverage their connections for verification.

Soon, the door of the room suddenly opened.

Gong Yuan stood up to leave: "Major General Cheng, I'll leave you two to talk."

Cheng Jiu responded with a sound, and the door of the ward closed.

He walked to Lin Fu's bedside and looked down at him.

Lin Fu had no choice but to look up: "What is it?"

Cheng Jiu smiled slightly: "Young friend, shouldn't you say 'thank you' instead of 'what is it'? That question is my line."

Lin Fu turned his head, unable to suppress a laugh: "Alright then, thank you."

Cheng Jiu reached out to ruffle his hair, which Lin Fu swatted away unhappily: "Don't touch my head."

Cheng Jiu raised his hands: "Got it, I understand, touching the head can stunt growth."

Lin Fu: "..."

Seeing that further teasing might ruffle feathers, Cheng Jiu spoke seriously: "I came to see how you were doing. Now that you're awake, it's time for serious talk. I've investigated the Lin family. They're suspicious of the extent of your mental strength's recovery. They've found someone, hoping you'd save them, thereby exposing the state of your mental strength."

Lin Fu found the Lin family's scheme laughable: "Do I look stupid? Or like a purely benevolent person?"

Cheng Jiu's gaze paused, sizing him up from head to toe: "You certainly don't look like a purely benevolent person. You're the type who complains with words but acts with integrity."

Lin Fu stared at him with his dark eyes and suddenly called out: "Brother."

He had just woken up not long ago; his voice was still somewhat hoarse. When he deliberately lowered it, it was like a soft feather lightly brushing someone's eardrums, causing Cheng Jiu to shiver and ask blankly: "What is it? What do you need me to do?"

Lin Fu raised his eyebrows, tongue-in-cheek: "Major General Cheng, they haven't used the beauty trap on you, have they? Otherwise, you would've switched sides long ago. Why go through the trouble of all this fighting and shouting?"

His eyes were full of teasing.

Cheng Jiu came back to his senses, rendered speechless by Lin Fu's retort.

After sitting for a while, he stood up to leave. Before closing the door, he suddenly said to Lin Fu: "I promised I'd do something for you if you called me 'brother', and I'll honor that. Also, don't use that voice to call anyone else in the future."

Lin Fu: "?" His mind filled with question marks as he watched Cheng Jiu close the door.

It was just a joke, surely it didn’t sadden him?

He thought about some stories he had heard before about beautiful female spies and generals.

Could it be that Cheng Jiu once had a romantic episode?

*

The first piece of good news Lin Fu received upon returning to the Artemis Military Academy was that his bet had paid off fivefold.

Because they acted their parts well, the other four military academies spared no effort in creating obstacles for them, making countless netizens feel that they were doomed to fail.

But they didn't fail!

The Royal Military Academy, which had planned to make a killing, didn’t earn much profit, and their faces were greener than before.

Lin Fu looked at the string of zeros added to his account balance and felt a sense of fulfillment.

Yan Yan looked at his expression and couldn't help but laugh: "Just a few tens of thousands of star coins, are you that happy?"

Lin Fu solemnly said, "You don't understand." You should know that when he first arrived here, his entire fortune wasn't even half of what was in the account now.

Fortunately, he joined Artemis not long after, and there wasn’t much need for spending; otherwise, it would've been a case of a hero brought down by lack of money.

After exchanging greetings, he said goodbye to Yan Yan.

Tang Qian followed beside him, returning to the lower grades campus together.

As they rounded a long corridor, Tang Qian’s face suddenly darkened: "Don’t go over there, a sentinel’s spirit is in turmoil."

Lin Fu’s eyes dimmed.

The person arranged by the Lin family had arrived.

This place was very quiet, a necessary path through the lower grades campus.

But usually, few students would cross from the lower to the upper grades campus, and it was class time now.

The only one who would be wandering around here and taking this path at this time was Lin Fu, returning to school from the hospital.

"Let’s go over."

Tang Qian urgently grabbed Lin Fu, "He's in a psychic frenzy; he could hurt you, and I can't stop him!"

Lin Fu lowered his voice, "I know."

Something dawned on Tang Qian, and the urgency in his expression softened.

Yet, he still stood protectively close to Lin Fu.

A sentinel in psychic turmoil wasn't a joke; once berserk, they couldn't be contained by peers.

The sentinel lay on the ground, clad in the black uniform of Artemis, a student.

Clutching his head, he rolled in agony, a throaty groan continuously emanating from him. His veins bulged, crawling like insects across his neck and forehead. Uncontrolled psychic energy swirled around him, volatile as a touch-triggered bomb.

This energy, upon touching Lin Fu, still agitated him.

The difference now was that he could control it.

A guide's psychic energy latched onto the stray psychic threads, disregarding their struggle, forcibly bundled them together, and dragged them back to their owner. It entered the other's psychic sea, staying at the periphery.

The psychic sea was exceedingly private, and even in healing, a guide wouldn’t rashly intrude, only working on the fringe to soothe, untangle, and subdue the restless psychic threads.

Beads of cold sweat formed on Lin Fu's forehead. The previous cases he dealt with were nowhere near as severe as this sentinel's, and the problems weren't as thorny.

It took several minutes before the sentinel gradually calmed, lying on the ground, his tense limbs relaxed, entering a coma, with his psyche in recovery.

Lin Fu sat on the ground, gasping for breath and resting.

The system registered this person's energy.

The teacher who received the notification arrived quickly, took the person away, and before leaving, looked at Lin Fu with a peculiar gaze, "Your psychic power has recovered?"

Lin Fu smiled without any guard, "Yes, it's almost fully restored."

The teacher nodded, casually advising him to rest well before leaving with the sentinel.

Tang Qian escorted Lin Fu back to the villa area.

The moment he returned to his room, Lin Fu's smile faded, his expression turning ice-cold.

The Lin family indeed plays dirty, merciless even to their own kin; outsiders fare far worse.

The sentry's mental breakdown lasted too long; even if pacified, a demotion is inevitable.

Military academy life is drawing to a close.

Soon after, Cheng Jiu's video call came through. Lin Fu answered, "Has the Lin family received the news?"

Standing behind a French window, Cheng Jiu, clad in his military dress uniform, wore a dark blue military cap that shaded his brows, giving him a somber and profound look. His amber eyes, twinkling with mirth, stood out even more, "Yes, they were utterly shocked upon hearing it. Even the old man in the distant stars rushed back to the capital star immediately after receiving the news."

Someone approached; Cheng Jiu glanced over and quickly averted his gaze, stepping to another spot.

"Young friend, have you decided on how I can assist you? Taking care of the Lin family for you?"

Lin Fu replied, "No need. There's something else I need your help with."

Cheng Jiu, curious, asked, "What is it? Can't you tell me now?"

Lin Fu, finding it hard to explain at the moment, said, "You'll know when the time comes. Are you busy?"

Cheng Jiu extended his wrist further, pondering for a moment before deciding to initiate a full-body video call.

Lin Fu, puzzled, consented, and soon a virtual image stood before him.

The dark blue dress uniform, unlike the usual crisp military attire, was adorned with intricate embellishments. Golden tassels fastened at the left chest over the heart, crossing the left shoulder epaulette to fix at the lower back. A black belt cinched his lean waist, military boots wrapped his calves—tall and straight.

He held a cape in his right hand, and his chest bore military medals, each a testament to his current rank, as he looked at Lin Fu with a smile brimming with pride.

At such moments, Lin Fu couldn't help but admit that Cheng Jiu was indeed very handsome.

An ultimate sense of power, appealing to both men and women, unassuming, like a treacherous reef hidden beneath a calm sea surface, perilous beyond measure.

Lin Fu, looking at this splendid physique, then thought of his own.

“……”

Cheng Jiu, with a mere word, could shatter this cool demeanor, "Handsome, isn't it? Do you like it? Big brother can let you touch."

Lin Fu hung up the video call, expressionless.

Lunatic.

*

Cheng Jiu, looking at his terminated call screen, touched his nose, feeling a tad disheartened.

Kids are so sensitive to teasing.

"Why is Major General Cheng still here? Today is your celebration banquet, please go inside."

Cheng Jiu lowered his hands, smiling warmly, "Alright."

……

News of Lin Fu's mental grooming quickly spread among others.

Karl had someone summon him to his office.

Upon entering, Lin Fu was met with a fiercely grim face, shrouded in darkness, its scars contorted.

Lin Fu greeted dryly, "Principal."

Karl, not responding, fixed him with a stare so intense that Lin Fu admitted his faults before Karl finally spoke, "There's not a single word of truth in you Lins' mouths!"

Lin Fu explained, "That was an accident..."

"And today was an accident too?"

Lin Fu brought up Cheng Jiu, "Today wasn't an accident, but I discussed it with Major General Cheng."

He had previously noticed Karl's particular fondness for Cheng Jiu.

Sure enough, upon hearing Cheng Jiu's name, Karl's expression cleared slightly.

His summoning of Lin Fu was regarding matters related to the Lin family.

Online discussions about Lin Fu reached a peak, and the condemnation of the Lin family gradually grew louder.

But with the main party not stepping forward, no matter how loud the uproar, it was ineffective.

Often, public opinion, when wielded properly, becomes a sharp weapon.

Lin Fu opened an account on the largest social interaction platform on Star Web, issuing a statement.

He announced that he had severed ties with the Lin family since the age of eighteen, and all his achievements were unrelated to the Lin family. He also hoped the Lin family would not involve him in their affairs henceforth.

Artemis Military Academy's official website shared the statement.

Lin Fu's account gained a myriad of followers overnight, and the statement's shares skyrocketed.

The faces of the Lin family members turned green when they saw this.

The Lin family patriarch, just returned from a distant star, Lin Fu's grandfather, smashed a bowl in fury.

The room fell silent, with everyone afraid to even breathe.

"Unfilial! Worthless! He's a seed of the Lin family, how dare he claim to break away!? A worthless guide like him, how dare he!"

Lin Sixing implored, "Dad, what matters now is how we handle this!"

"Go see him! You go tonight! Tell him to crawl back here!"

Lin Siji scoffed coldly, "Dad, if my second brother had the capability, he would've brought him back at the school anniversary race, there would be no need for this now."

The father hurled another cup, narrowly missing Lin Siji's forehead, "If you don't speak, nobody will think you're mute!"

Lin Siji shut his mouth, his expression darkening.

He fumed for a while but understood that his eldest son was right.

Now, with Karl backing his grandson, Lin Fu was not afraid of the Lin family. As for familial bonds, he wasn't naive enough to believe that such a thing could bring Lin Fu back.

Pacing back and forth, he finally decided, "Bring Si Zhen back, get him out of Artemis Military Academy."

The dining table fell silent.

Luo Qirui, holding her youngest son in her arms, smiled and said, "Dad, Si Zhen has to be willing to come back first. She's not like Sixing, who obediently listens to you."

The father felt a flash of irritation, but quickly suppressed it.

Luo Qirui was right; getting Lin Sizhen to come back for this was not going to be easy.

That rebellious daughter was also a source of constant worry.

But of course!

She just happened to be the most promising member of the Lin family!

Lin's father, stifling his frustration, waved them off to eat and turned to ascend the stairs.

*

With Karl orchestrating the affairs of the Lin family and the tasks of the school anniversary race completed, Lin Fu only needed to comply.

He relished a rare few days of leisure; Gong Yuan forbade him from training, insisting he must recuperate first.

Thus, he could only squat boredly at the mecha training grounds, watching Tang Qian train with others.

Suddenly, he remembered something he had almost completely forgotten.

He found a spot on the sidelines and released the mecha that Cheng Jiu had given him.

The training ground fell silent for a moment, punctuated by exclamations of amazement.

Envy from the men rang out: "Damn, that's cool!"

"Lin Fu, where exactly did you have this customized? We're classmates after all, spill the beans!"

Someone questioned, "Isn't this mecha... the same as Major Cheng's?"

Mentioning Cheng Jiu, they immediately found a new topic, winking and nudging each other: "Speaking of which, what's your relationship with Major Cheng? When did you get to know such an important figure behind our backs?"

"That day you fainted, you don't know, but Major Cheng was sitting nicely in the audience and suddenly, he was at the race track, carrying you out of the cockpit and taking you away."

"...Come to think of it, why does Major Cheng have access to your mecha?"

Bombarded by their questions, Lin Fu's head buzzed: "Go ask him yourself!"

He gestured dismissively: "The mecha was a gift from Major Cheng."

They scratched their heads in confusion: "But why would he give it to you?"

Lin Fu buried himself in repairing the mecha, using the sound of disassembling the chest plate to drown out their incessant questions.

Seeing this, they had no choice but to leave reluctantly, still hoping against hope as they exchanged glances with Tang Qian, wishing he could uncover some juicy gossip.

Tang Qian remained unfazed, as if blind and deaf to everything around him.

Upon disassembling the mech, Lin Fu immediately detected remnants of psychic energy.

He slowly recalled the details of the final battle against Lin Shi.

Those surges of irritability came without warning.

But what was most inexplicable was the uncontrollable urge he felt after linking with this mech.

He repaired the pierced section of the breastplate and the blade, pondering over the material used and deciding to consult Cheng Jiu later on.

Otherwise, using inferior materials might reduce the mech's defensive capabilities, a loss that would outweigh the savings.

After the repairs were complete, he logged back into the mech, linked his psychic energy, and revisited the situation at that time.

This time, the impulsive feeling didn't arise, as if he had adapted to the new mech and subconsciously understood that this mech wouldn't make him invincible.

So, he calmed down.

As he sat in the cockpit pondering, a message from Carl arrived.

After reading it, he immediately replied with an affirmative.

Then, he sent a message to Cheng Jiu: "Now it's your turn to lend a hand."

*

The Parliamentary Hall.

This place held sway over half of the empire's power, reigning over the imperial authority.

It was also responsible for drafting and amending the code of laws.

Currently, they were in a heated debate over a matter.

— Whether guides should be allowed on the front lines of the battlefield.

"We should have written 'Prohibiting guides from enrolling in military academies and serving on the front lines' into law when that incident happened earlier. Then we wouldn't be arguing over this now!"

"Why even mention this!? Who would have expected there'd be those so fearless of death!? The real issue now is how we can justifiably ban him!"

"I personally see no issue. If he's set on this path and dies, it'll be on him, serving as a warning for future guides."

"Have you seen the StarNet? How many guides now harbor the ambition to join the military academy? If we don't curb this trend, we'll be in trouble soon!"

"Enough! All this bickering, and don't we still have to wait for Carl Laine to arrive before deciding?" The council president squinted his murky eyes, staring at those around the conference table.

The quarreling quieted considerably.

A guard announced: "Gentlemen, General Carl Laine has arrived. Accompanying him are Major General Cheng Jiu and Lin Fu."