Chapter 58

Chapter 58

"Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

"Let him turn around! Let him turn around!!!"

"We were so close to seeing his face! Whoever recorded this, you're inhuman!!! Ugh, I'm so mad!!"

"I command you! Release the rest of the video with his face right now! I want to see our baby's handsome face!!!"

"Help! So handsome!! I think I've turned to stone!! Husband!!"

"Take my life as an offering to boost your spirits, Big Brother. I only ask for a dignified death."

"Is this the Guide!? I don't believe it! He must be a Sentinel disguised as a Guide! I want to marry him!"

"Double joy! The person I like has shared a post from another person I like!"

"Now we have a face to show! Let's see which fool dares to challenge that it's not our Lin Zai Zai. If anyone dares, I'll show them what blooming on the bar means!"

"Ming Xi, I'm sorry, I'm just hopping over the wall for a second, really just a second!"

The comment section erupts in frenzied screams.

When Qi Ming Xi's fans first saw their idol post a video about Lin Fu, they guessed that their idol must really like him. The rapid release of a new video confirmed it, so naturally, they wouldn't speak ill of Lin Fu and risk falling out of favor with their idol.

But they were also curious about what charm Lin Fu possessed that made their idol like him and even proactively share his videos.

It's known that Qi Ming Xi is a rather aloof person, usually leaving his account to be managed by the studio, rarely posting anything personal.

The online digging intensified, with the craze surrounding "The Fourth Army" reaching unprecedented levels.

……

The officers responsible for monitoring the situation watched helplessly as things escalated beyond their control, with the fervor increasing instantaneously and spiraling out of their grasp, forcing them to seek guidance from Putian Xiang Ri overnight.

At that moment, Lin Fu, stationed on planet S177, had already completed his clean-up operations. He led his people to the military base established by The Fourth Army and began to refurbish and prepare for deployment.

He was dressed in a light garment, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a sheen of sweat on his forehead.

Straightening his back and wiping the sweat from his forehead, he asked, "What's the matter? Just tell me."

The superior-subordinate relationship between the two was newly established, and they were still getting familiar with each other's work style, undergoing a period of adjustment.

Hearing this, Putian Xiang Ri quickly summarized the recent developments on the star network and then posed a question, "Do we need to contact Qi Ming Xi to explain the situation?"

"Qi Ming Xi?" Lin Fu murmured the unfamiliar name.

Catching his expression, Putian Xiang Ri's heart skipped a beat and explained, "He's Major General Cheng's cousin."

Lin Fu's expression remained indifferent: "What does he have to do with Cheng Jiu? Don't worry about who he is. As long as he's beneficial to our objectives, it doesn't matter if we accelerate the process a bit."

Putian Xiang Ri nodded in agreement.

Lin Fu crouched down, his eyebrows stretching long in the shadows, his eyes hidden within, appearing unfathomable and somewhat indifferent: "This is where my video ends. Do not upload it to the star network anymore. The day after tomorrow, I'll set off for planet S197. Other videos will be sent back then. Be selective and edit carefully."

Putian Xiang Ri expressed his concerns: "The recovery mission on planet S177 ended less than a week ago. Departing so soon for another planet may pose some risks. Moreover... the mental state of the soldiers, they are not like you, unable to maintain stability all the time. High-intensity combat will accelerate the pace of their mental breakdown."

Lin Fu stated, "I will handle matters on the battlefield and won't gamble with their lives in jest."

The call ended.

Lin Fu knocked open the shell in his hand and stepped on its edge, flipping it over.

Just doing this seemingly effortless task, the sweat beads reappeared densely on his freshly wiped forehead.

He discarded the hammer, stood up, and walked a few steps, supporting his forehead.

Several guides who arrived with the fleet the day before jogged over. Lin Fu's eyes seemed to glow, his face slightly flushed.

"Report, Major Lin, we have completed mental soothing and thorough checks for all soldiers. Their mental state is quite healthy!"

The leading guide stepped forward, flipping open the screen in his hand for Lin Fu to review.

A guide noticed the sweat on his forehead, eyes widening slightly, and asked softly, "Major, are you tired? If you are, please rest first. We can report tomorrow; it won't affect the schedule."

The guide reporting to Lin Fu heard this and regained some sense from his excited state, noticing Lin Fu's unusual condition.

Lin Fu shook his head: "Let's finish it now. I can rest assured only after everything is confirmed."

The guide had no choice but to suppress his doubts and continue the report.

His speech was noticeably faster than before, trying to cover the necessary details, the rest Lin Fu could understand at a glance from the data.

After the report, Lin Fu received the data and verified it: "Alright, you've worked hard these past few days. Thank you."

The leading guide looked at him and whispered, "Major, your psychic energy is depleted. We've checked all the soldiers over these days; their psychic energy is too healthy, which is very abnormal. Is it because of you?"

A person serving as the commander on the battlefield, the vanguard, and also the duty of mental soothing, how much must be sacrificed to balance so much, and still perform exceptionally well?

The guide, half a notch shorter than Lin Fu, looked up at him with admiration, his voice carefully lowered: "Don't worry, only I have noticed; I won't tell anyone. But you need to rest well if you're to lead us in reclaiming the next planet and exterminating those insectoids, right?"

Lin Fu smiled, his lips curving lightly as he whispered his thanks: "I will."

The guides on the battlefield proved much more resilient than he had anticipated.

Such steadfast guides could have been more abundant.

With this in mind, Cheng Su's naively stubborn insistence became somewhat understandable.

After all, people need a touch of naivety to charge fearlessly towards their goals, heedless of obstacles.

*

The Imperial Capital Star.

This was probably the most frequently Cheng Jiu had visited the Imperial Capital Star in his lifetime.

Clutching his military cap in hand, he strode briskly out of the council's grand doors, his hair tips lifting in the breeze, arching momentarily before settling at his brow line.

The handover ceremony of the Ninth Legion was complete, and as of today, Cheng Jiu officially assumed command.

Jing Cun followed behind, asking in a hushed tone, "The personal guard is ready at the port. Should the Major return to the front lines immediately? The longer you stay on the Imperial Capital Star in these tumultuous times, the greater the risk."

Cheng Jiu's eyes were heavy, shrouded in a dense cloud of gloom, utterly devoid of light.

Once his cap was on, it concealed all emotion in his eyes. His voice might have carried a hint of mirth, yet however one listened, it sent chills down the spine.

"Have you found out where the group that disappeared from the council went?"

Jing Cun was slightly startled by Cheng Jiu's question and responded softly after a brief pause, "There's a lead, but we can't be completely sure yet. We're still verifying."

The clack of military boots on the paved tiles echoed like drumbeats in the heart, uncontrollably heightening tension and anxiety.

"What kind of lead is it?"

Having served Cheng Jiu for so long, Jing Cun rarely heard him speak in such a tone.

His smile was like a hidden blade, a skill Cheng Jiu seemed born with, one that no one could penetrate unless he allowed it.

Jing Cun swallowed hard, standing rigid as he whispered, "Based on traces found and star field signal frequencies collected from numerous planets, we speculate that a faction of the council went to the Fourth Army's frontline star domain two years ago."

Cheng Jiu opened the door of the hovercar and settled into the back seat.

Standing before the car door, Jing Cun's view was obstructed, catching only a glimpse of Cheng Jiu's hands resting on his knees, clad in pristine white gloves, left over right, the index finger curled, tapping lightly after a moment's pause.

The glove's fabric clung to the contours of his fingers, hinting at the presence of a ring-like object on his left ring finger, creating a subtle protrusion.

His voice floated airily as he inquired, “When exactly?”

A layer of sweat broke out on Jing Cun's back: “When the Fourth Army came to the Imperial Capital Star to pick up the new recruits.”

He heard a crisp "snap" sound.

It was unclear what Cheng Jiu had crushed, but his voice remained light, devoid of any trace of mirth, “Head to the port, instruct them to prepare for departure to Moro Star.”

Jing Cun responded promptly, “Yes!”

Moro Star was a first-class planet, located in a stable star domain with abundant resources across its numerous habitable, high-quality planets.

It was owned by one of the top-tier families, the Qi family.

It was also the maternal home of Cheng Jiu, where his mother grew up.

The journey from the Imperial Capital Star to Moro Star would take a week.

During this time, Jing Cun replaced Cheng Jiu's old light computer with a new one, destroyed the data on the old device, and learned why his superior had suddenly erupted in such a fury.

Specifically, he was an innocent party who had borne the brunt of displaced anger.

Mr. Qi Mingxi, his superior’s cousin, had sent a video of his superior's beloved to him, praising her profusely and inquiring about his thoughts.

Cheng Jiu had been incredibly busy lately, as the Ninth Army needed time to address internal upheavals, leaving no room for potential threats.

At the same time, he had to guard against developments on the Imperial Capital Star and prepare to return for a smooth transition of the legion's leadership and the funeral arrangements for the former commander.

As Cheng Jiu's chief aide, Jing Cun was swamped with no less intensity, hardly having a moment to spare for Lin Fu's situation amidst the chaos.

Unfortunately, Lin Fu had run into trouble, and the situation was far from quiet.

Cheng Jiu hadn't learned about these developments firsthand, nor had Lin Fu informed him. Instead, he had found out from a person with no direct connection to the matter.

It was a mix of embarrassment and rage.

Further fueling the fire were the council and the royal family's reckless actions, who, upon discovering the situation online, joined forces with the crown prince to create a false perception among the public that the two were a perfect match.

Nowadays, whenever one logs onto the Star Web, the name "Lin Fu" is almost invariably linked with that of the Crown Prince.

It would be a marvel if Cheng Jiu could restrain himself from anger.

Upon their arrival at Moro Star, they took a private port passage, where the Qi family had arranged for someone to pick them up.

Cheng Jiu caught sight of a man with fiery red hair and sunglasses, leaning against a hovering car with his arms crossed, looking in their direction. His lips were curled in a smirk, his face seemingly etched with derision.

With an expressionless face, Cheng Jiu strode towards him.

His pace quickened with each step.

The man straightened up, removed his sunglasses, and revealed a face so exquisitely crafted it resembled a work of art. His voice lifted, "Cousin, it's been a long time, hasn't it?"