Chapter 67

Chapter 67

As their anger piled up, torn between whether to explode the Crown Prince's head or tear apart these brainless so-called CP fans first, a shift finally appeared in the tone of the comment section.

[Post 179: I'm dying of laughter here, the passion in this thread is palpable, and the slap in the face came just like that, haha!]

[Post 180: Hahaha, isn’t it hilarious looking at this thread now? I can't help but wonder how many paid posters the crown prince had to employ to sway the narrative like this, with not a single voice of dissent.]

[Post 181: SOS, save me, this thread is a keeper, I could laugh for a year!]

[Post 182: Here's a link to the official denial, sisters who were delirious earlier, time to wake up. [Link].]

……

[Post 392: Not to say anything else, but I can't agree that the crown prince is the most compatible match for Major Lin. Aren’t there numerous sentinels from prestigious families more outstanding than the crown prince, not constrained by the royal lineage?]

[Post 393: Well, I beg to differ. I ship Colonel Lin with Lord Harvey, giggles. Isn't that more genuine than the crown prince? Brothers-in-arms who've been through life and death together, even if you just ship their friendship and not romance, it’s still sweeter than the crown prince, right? In terms of background, looks, and abilities, which aspect doesn't Lord Harvey outshine the crown prince?]

[Post 394: Let’s have a rational discussion. Is there really anyone in the whole star system who is worthy of Colonel Lin? This is the first guide soon to be a legion commander, and he’s still so young, young enough to be a child to many here. Give him enough time, and the Fourth Legion might just return to its textbook glory.]

[Post 395: @393, The crown prince is the future heir to the throne, while Harvey Albert could only become the head of the Harvey family because his father and brother died, leaving him the position by default. The crown prince currently has de facto command of the First Legion, while the Harvey family has retreated from the military, and their head can only follow in Colonel Lin's footsteps. How does that compare? In looks?]

[Post 396: I think... General Cheng is currently the only sentinel who's a match for Colonel Lin. They've known each other for a long time. If you look closely, the sweetness in their relationship far exceeds that of the crown prince (softly spoken).]

[Post 397: @395, that's hilarious. Let the crown prince ascend the throne first, then talk. No matter how incompetent Lord Harvey is, he’s still the legitimate head of the Harvey family, without any fluff. You don't think the royal status truly supersedes the major families, do you? Even without an army, they are more than capable of trouncing the crown prince’s ineffective First Legion. The Fourth Legion has already reclaimed an S-class planet, how many victories has the First Legion won?]

[Post 398: @395, and your so-called noble crown prince has been personally refuted by Colonel Lin, so stop shamelessly clinging on. To put it nicely, he's a sycophant; to put it harshly, he's harassing the guide, acting as if he's so deeply in love. At least Harvey is a friend to Colonel Lin, visible to everyone. Who’s like the crown prince, whose affections are all fabricated?]

……

[Post 654: Ah, why has this turned into a fight? Isn’t it over once you laugh off rumors and associations? What does Albert Harvey have to do with it?]

[Post 655: Sounds like someone’s hired paid posters, right? Does anyone really think the crown prince is a match for our Lin? One is born with a silver spoon, the other has fought his way up from nothing.]

[Post 666: The crown prince’s fans sure are bold, thinking Colonel Lin fights on the front lines to be worthy of him? Do the bugs slain by Colonel Lin know about this?]

[Post 667: At a time like this, all you need is a video of our Lin from three years ago. Note, it’s from three years ago when he competed against military academy students, so no one accuses us of bullying. [Link] [Link]]

[Post 668: Turns out this 'sweetness' was made of crap, oh save me, I was wrong, I should have only focused on loving our Lin, shouldn’t have bothered shipping any CPs.]

[Post 669: Actually... wasn’t the original CP paired with Lin General Cheng? I still remember so clearly the way General Cheng looked at Lin during the competition. Here’s a sneaky video link. [Link]]

[Post 670: I’m still curious, what’s the crown prince’s endgame? Trying to manipulate public opinion to ensnare Colonel Lin? Just one word from Colonel Lin could change the wind’s direction, just like now. So what’s the point?]

[Post 671: Let me tell you, the crown prince is brainless. Ever since I saw CP fans attributing Colonel Lin’s military merits to romance, I knew, I wouldn’t believe such discourse wasn’t guided by the crown prince’s paid posters.]

[Post 672]: I can't tolerate such remarks that make light of Colonel Lin's sacrifices! Just think about it – attributing the fruits of his life-threatening efforts to someone else makes me sick!

[Post 673]: Colonel Lin is so handsome, haha! On the battlefield, he slays enemies; off it, he slaps faces. I want to marry him!!!

[Post 674]: If you only love Colonel Lin, you'll never get hurt! (Outspoken)

……

The speed of the thread was incredibly fast.

As the three of them read on, their expressions gradually improved.

In the court of public opinion, Lin Fu was invincible.

As someone of noble birth who broke away from the nobility and stood against the royal family, his status among the people was bound to soar.

Humans naturally admire strength, and Lin Fu was undeniably powerful.

The image of prosperity that the Crown Prince had crafted online was like a thin sheet of paper; should Lin Fu choose to, he could easily puncture it.

However, the three of them hadn't completely let down their guard.

As some in the comment section had mentioned, the Crown Prince had his reasons for his actions. Though he hadn't been officially declared the heir by the Emperor, the noble families were well aware of the Emperor's choice.

The Emperor wouldn't pick a fool to succeed him.

And the Crown Prince needed to present proof before his succession to convince the Emperor that he was indeed capable of bearing the weight of the crown.

Lin Fu, or rather the Fourth Legion, was the challenge chosen by Simon Constantine.

*

The delegation from the parliament who came to fetch Lin Fu returned empty-handed.

They waited for a full two hours at the hotel entrance but saw no sign of him.

Passersby gave them curious looks, many recognizing their faces from the interstellar web and parliamentary sessions.

This was probably the most embarrassing moment of their lives; they never dreamed that Lin Fu would dare to stand up the parliament.

The hotel manager, drenched in sweat and all smiles, came to the lobby personally to keep them company, incessantly urging his staff to contact Colonel Lin.

There was no response on the other end.

By then, Lin Fu was already on his way to the palace.

As he strode behind the palace steward, Pedder Lat suddenly called out to him in a low voice.

Lin Fu slowed his pace, half-bowing his head to listen.

The leading butler noticed this interaction, his eyes and brows lowered discreetly as he observed their expressions.

After about a dozen steps, Lin Fu’s expression suddenly fell, and he even let out a cold laugh.

He stopped in his tracks, swiftly swiping and tapping on his holographic computer before publishing a post.

The steward was taken aback and cautiously asked, "Colonel, is there a problem?"

Lin Fu looked at him coldly, the curve of his lips mocking, "Shouldn't the palace be the clearest about what's happening? Or is it that the royal family, like us, is too busy fighting on the front lines, unaware of the stirrings on the star-web?"

"If indeed unaware, then perhaps it's time the royal family's star-web monitoring officer is replaced. I might help find a more competent replacement."

His tone was indifferent, leaving the steward speechless, his face cycling through shades of green and white, unable to think of any response.

Whatever he said would be wrong.

Lin Fu didn’t wait to see the steward's reaction; he finished his piece and swiftly turned away, his movements brisk, his hair trailing behind him in the breeze, not giving the palace a moment to react.

Seeing he couldn’t stop him, the steward hurriedly bowed his head to access his holographic computer. Before he could find out what had happened, an incoming communication arrived: "Steward More, it's terrible! Colonel Lin Fu just posted a refutation on the star-web, and even the Fourth Legion’s official channels have stepped in."

The steward's vision went dark.

The very thing they feared the most had still occurred, and they never imagined that Colonel Lin would be so dismissive of the royal face, acting impulsively upon discovery and severing all their exits on the star-web!

He rushed to see the Emperor, sweat pouring down like a waterfall, kneeling before him to report the online developments: "Lin Fu is extremely angry. Just now, he didn’t wait for me to explain, blocking any chance of it, and left abruptly. Now, the matter has already blown up on the star-web."

In just that short span of time, the winds on the entire star-web had shifted dramatically.

These netizens refused to spare the Crown Prince any face. One second they thought he was perfectly matched with Lin Fu, the next they wished to cast him into the mire, deeming him unworthy of even carrying Lin Fu’s shoes.

It was as if the people who had declared them a perfect match a second ago were not themselves.

They had grossly underestimated Lin Fu’s stature in the eyes of the common folk.

The Emperor listened to the report with a heavy gaze.

The movements of the Fourth Army and Lin Fu had always been under surveillance.

According to Simon Constant's original plan, Lin Fu was supposed to fade from the public eye over these three years, busy at the front lines, an excellent but not particularly eye-catching, standard new recruit.

Such a Lin Fu, even if he had shone on the field three years ago, would not be able to inspire so many people to speak up for him after three years.

Indeed, the royal family could have smoothly leveraged Lin Fu's popularity to close the distance with the common people, winning much favor.

And in the Emperor's plan, it was even more foolproof—Lin Fu was supposed to die en route to the Fourth Army, and the grief-stricken Crown Prince, distraught over Lin Fu’s demise, would mourn for him.

The public would grieve over the loss of a unique genius, and their sorrow and sympathy would then transfer to Simon Constant, who they would trust because he was such a deeply compassionate person.

Then, all Simon Constant would need is some military achievements and a bit of outstanding governance to smoothly ascend to the throne, winning the overwhelming support of the masses, and using it to suppress the parliament's reputation and gradually usurp their power for his own.

This plan should have been perfect, the royal family should have reclaimed their former glory through it.

Every mistake and deviation occurred because of Lin Fu.

He didn't die in that attack; instead, it even resulted in their loss of a warship.

From here on, everything diverged from their expectations.

Upon entering the Fourth Army, he didn't become a standard exemplary recruit; instead, he amassed military achievements in just three short years, now even possessing the capital to be promoted to a commanding military rank.

Even more, he reclaimed an S-class planet.

The Fourth Army, which should have been chaotic with no one heeding orders, was united in their effort to elevate him to the position of army commander.

The Emperor told himself to remain calm.

He had prepared himself for today's situation ever since the Fourth Army suddenly changed its nature and started posting so-called battle videos on the star-web. Anger solved nothing.

However, thoughts and emotions cannot always be aligned.

He knew he needed to stay calm, yet anger swelled in his chest, burning fiercer and fiercer. And then, with a loud “bang!”

With a vicious swipe, the Emperor cleared the desk, scattering its contents across the floor. "Go! Summon Simon back and have him clean up the mess he's made!"

His face twitched with malice. "Tell him, if he fails to resolve this matter, I might reconsider my choice for my successor to the throne!"

The steward bowed his head, trembling with fear. "Yes, Your Highness. I will see to it at once!"

……

The parliamentary official who had been waiting for a long time finally got through to Lin Fu's communication line.

The voice on the other end was cool and detached, showing no remorse for keeping them waiting for two hours. "Sorry, something came up and I couldn't answer. Everyone return, we will make our way to the parliament ourselves."

Before they could ask any further, the communication was abruptly cut off.

Inside the hover car, Ped Lat and his elite guards maintained a facade of calm, though excitement was barely concealed in their eyes.

They thought to themselves, the Colonel's acting is truly impeccable.

Their own acting wasn't too shabby either, heh.