Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Cheng Jiu squinted, remaining silent, while the middle-aged man held the crying child, furrowing his brows, "What's there to fuss over with a child? Surely he couldn't have hurt you with that throw?"

The middle-aged man before him was none other than the current head of the Cheng family, and the child in his arms was Cheng Jiu's half-brother, sharing the same father.

He crossed his arms, speaking in a languid tone, "Why bother quarreling with a child like me? Could I possibly injure him?"

"You!" Cheng Ying stared at him, on the verge of reprimanding his words and actions, but suddenly remembered that Cheng Jiu was no longer the little boy he could scold at will.

He barely suppressed his anger, setting the child down, "Go find your mother."

The child wiped his tears, reluctantly walking away. As he passed by Cheng Jiu, he tried to spit at him.

But it was futile, repelled by an unseen barrier, causing him to topple over once more.

Startled, he puckered his lips, about to burst into tears, but then he locked eyes with Cheng Jiu. Those eyes were icy, smiling yet devoid of any true mirth. The cry he was about to let out was stifled abruptly. Scrambling up, he ran away as fast as he could, fearing Cheng Jiu might chase after him.

The butler also took his leave with the child, not daring to eavesdrop on the father-son conversation.

With no outsiders present, Cheng Ying asked, "What brings you here today?"

Cheng Jiu replied, "I'm here for a recommendation letter."

Cheng Ying scoffed, "For that little guide?"

Cheng Jiu raised an eyebrow, "Since you're aware, that makes things easier. Any demands you have can be made, as long as they're reasonable, I’ll agree to them."

Cheng Ying looked as if he had seen something unbelievable, "For such a trifle, you're quite generous. Yet, you're so unyielding with your own family. You truly are my good son."

Cheng Jiu remained unmoved.

His smile didn't waver in the slightest, nor did he find his biological father's words worth any concern.

Cheng Ying didn’t dwell on this matter for too long. He was a rational businessman, capable of squeezing out every bit of profit.

"Secure a seat in the council for the Cheng family."

As soon as the demand was made, Cheng Jiu’s smile turned somewhat mocking, "You really do ask for the moon. It’s just a recommendation letter. If you won't give it, I can get it elsewhere as a favor from someone else."

Cheng Ying's expression remained unchanged, and he spoke again, "In exchange, you'll provide unlimited support for that child. Once you’re back on the front lines, no one will be there to look after him on the Imperial Capital Star. The council won’t tolerate such an anomaly, and Carl alone can’t ensure his safety. The Harvey family’s boy has a good relationship with him, but unfortunately, their family now has...

an orphan."

"A widow has enough trouble fending for herself, let alone meddling in the affairs of others."

After pondering for a moment, Cheng Jiu found the suggestion unexpectedly in line with his own desires.

With a curved smile, he reminded Cheng of the condition he had agreed to: "It's unconditional support. I hope not to discover any breach upon my return, for in teaching children, one must lead by example, Father."

*

Lin Fu's training intensity significantly increased after agreeing to participate in the Wild Star Race.

It was not only about surviving in the Wild Star Race but also about achieving a result that would leave no room for criticism.

The scale of the Wild Star Race was far beyond what the anniversary races of the five major military academies could compare to.

If making it smoothly into the second year meant being classified as reserve military and gaining the qualification to ascend to the frontlines, then the Wild Star Race was the pass to survive on the frontlines.

Every military academy student who survived the Wild Star Race invariably thrived on the frontlines, and barring major accidents, all would return in triumph.

And those who achieved results in the Wild Star Race were essentially equivalent to future reserve officers.

This was the final rehearsal before ascending to the frontlines, and any military academy with even a modicum of fame had the right to participate, selecting some outstanding students from the senior year to compete.

Second-year students, having only completed the most basic training, found it extremely difficult to survive in the Wild Star Race, let alone achieve any results.

It was as difficult as scaling the heavens.

This right was hard-won; Lin Fu's training evolved from initially following Bazel to being personally trained by Karl, and later supplemented by Tang Qian and Albert.

There was just less than half a year left before the start of the Wild Star Race.

The council, after all, was reluctant to let Lin Fu's wishes be easily fulfilled and soon amended the selection rules for participants in the Wild Star Race.

They changed the condition that only seniors could participate to allow all military academy students to join, and altered the original Wild Star selection mechanism to lean towards the more peripheral, undeveloped stars.

More peripheral meant even less safety, with a higher probability of insectoid gatherings than in the mid-section undeveloped stars, and thus a higher mortality rate. This was compounded by the new rule allowing lower-year students to participate.

Tang Qian, looking at the notice suddenly issued to the military academies, was bewildered as he gazed at Lin Fu.

Lin Fu rolled up his sleeves, tidying the disheveled cuffs bit by bit, his forehead glistening with sweat, damp hair sticking to his flushed skin. His expression showed no surprise: "See, what was expected has come. Let's register through the official portal."

Tang Qian couldn't comprehend the council's rationale behind such a decision.

"Their participation won't affect Lin Fu's chances of survival, nor can it compel him to yield and forgo his place on the battlefield of the Wild Star Race."

Lin Fu said, "They aim to intensify the competition. The harsh environment will weed out the weak. Those who sign up will be walking into their graves, posing no threat to the frontlines. Moreover, they want to pin their deaths on me. Without me, this passage wouldn't open, and they wouldn't die—such is their logic."

Albert, who had jumped out of his mech, asked them, "What are you discussing?"

"The registration portal for the Wild Star Race has opened."

Albert activated his holographic computer: "Let me take a look."

Lin Fu raked his fingers through his hair, slicking back the sweat-drenched strands to reveal a smooth forehead, and while looking down, he received a message from Cheng Jiu.

It had been a while since he had last contacted Lin Fu.

The message was an invitation to meet outside the school gates.

Lin Fu was about to suggest discussing it over the holographic computer when he remembered the sudden outbreak of insectoids on the frontlines. It was most likely about deploying early.

After putting his belongings aside and informing Tang Qian, Lin Fu headed to the school gates alone.

There, Cheng Jiu was nonchalantly leaning against a tree near the gate, arms crossed and dressed in a crisp combat uniform, idly twirling his cap in his hand.

Hearing footsteps, he turned and saw Lin Fu, his smile widening: "Hey, look at you, quite the handsome fellow. Just finished training?"

Lin Fu wasn't particularly moved by the compliment, as he had a clear self-awareness. The word "handsome" didn't quite apply to him yet: "I'm still in training. Are you setting off early?"

Cheng Jiu nodded: "Yes. I was planning to wait until you went to the Wild Star Race, but the uprising happened unexpectedly."

Lin Fu knew Cheng Jiu was worried about the council's underhanded tactics and said, "With the principal around, and given my good standing with the Harvey family, they wouldn't dare act rashly. Worst comes to worst, I'm not without the means to protect myself, unlike a year ago."

Cheng Jiu nodded along with a smile: "Indeed, you've become quite formidable, little classmate. But don't let your guard down, you're smart, aren't you?"

As he spoke, his hand moved instinctively toward Lin Fu's head, intending to ruffle his hair but instead gently patted him, remarking, "You've grown taller."

What once barely reached beyond his chin now almost touched the tip of his nose.

Lin Fu nodded earnestly: "I'm still growing."

Amused by his serious demeanor, Cheng Jiu chuckled softly, lowered his hand, and whispered, "Alright, big brother has to go now. Try not to leave the military academy, and if you encounter any insurmountable issues, seek out the Cheng family. They'll help you resolve them. Understand?"

Lin Fu furrowed his brows at Cheng Jiu's instructions, "Why would they help me solve it?"

Cheng Jiu's smile was lazy, "Because you have your big brother to back you up."

Having said that, without giving Lin Fu the chance to ask more, he lifted his foot to turn around, waving his military cap in farewell: "When the frontlines settle, big brother will come to see you. Be good and listen."

His tone was that of cajoling a child.

Lin Fu watched his retreating figure, calling out, "I wish you complete victory."

Cheng Jiu was too far away to know if he heard, simply waving his hand without turning around.

*

Ever since confirming the restoration of Lin Fu's mental strength, the Lin family had been eerily quiet.

Lin Fu remained vigilant, yet according to Karl's surveillance, they had indeed been laying low and behaving lately.

Perhaps the fierce online backlash against the Lin family had reached such a level that it temporarily deterred them from any rash actions.

Despite being second-rate compared to the top families, their status as a noble house remained unaltered. Being subjected to public scorn was an unprecedented humiliation for them.

Unfortunately, there's safety in numbers, and no matter how enraged they were, they were powerless under the weight of public opinion.

In fact, many smaller families had even banded together to petition the Guide Protection Organization to hold the Lin family accountable.

The Lin family, left with no choice, had paid a substantial fine to temporarily close the matter.

Lin Fu was surprised when half of the fine amount was transferred into his account.

He hadn't expected to receive a share.

He made a point of logging onto his social media account to express gratitude to those who had spoken up and reported on his behalf, posting the receipt notification.

This probably infuriated the Lin family once more, but online, it was a cause for great merriment.

"Hahaha, this must be the Lin family's compensation to our little guy!"

"You can use it to buy some tasty treats, oh yeah!"

"I heard the Wild Star Race is about to start, Lin Fu, have you signed up to participate?"

"I saw the official roster too, Lin Fu. This competition is for upperclassmen; you're just a sophomore. Don't be rash."

"The death rate in the Wild Star Race is so high. I don't know what got into them this year, allowing lowerclassmen to participate. My little brother went crazy wanting to join, and it took a beating to bring him to his senses."

"Having the courage to go to the frontline is commendable, but you're a guide, little one. There's nothing wrong with a clerical position, and combat on the frontlines is meant for sentinels."

"Ah, my heart aches for you. I'm so afraid you'll get hurt. We guides should be protected in the rear. Why can't you see that?"

"Wasn't there a very talented guide before who was determined to go to the battlefield, but ended up in a tragedy? Why don't kids ever listen to advice?"

"File a complaint on the Artemis official website. If they're sending guides to the battlefield, they need to be held accountable!"

The tone of the comments began to shift.

Lin Fu hadn't been paying attention to the online chatter, but after browsing for a while, he felt a discomfort in his heart.

It was a feeling more distressing than the oppression from the Lin family and the council.

He picked a comment and replied, "Thank you for your concern, but why must a guide be protected in the rear? I thought my victory would demonstrate that the physical disparity between guides and sentinels isn't insurmountable."

After responding, he logged out of his account.

He continued his training.

Some things require proof to be believed.

"Lin Fu, your aunt is here looking for you!"

A sentinel ran over with the message.

Aunt?

Since when did he have an aunt?

Weren't there only three brothers in his father's generation in the Lin family?

Could it be, he had an illegitimate

Child outside

？