Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Survivors, of course, there were.

But what kind of survivors?

They didn't know, and so they also didn't know how much Lin Fu truly knew.

This question was well asked; they found out what they wanted to know.

But they had also completely played into Lin Fu's hands, leaving themselves immobilized.

Even though Lin Fu brazenly piloted the council's warship, swaggering into the imperial star, they could not raise a single objection.

The room lapsed into silence, unanswered.

Lin Fu seemed completely oblivious to this anomaly.

He breezed past this episode with a mysterious smile in his eyes: "Shall we move on to the next question?"

The legislator scheduled for the third question swallowed hard, his voice dry: "We can..."

"The third question concerns whether it's true that Colonel Lin was poisoned by the Lin family, resulting in the destruction of his psychic powers. How did you pilot a mech under these circumstances, and how did you come to possess advanced abilities?"

Lin Fu blinked, "Psychic power of a certain level can autonomously expel mental toxins. The data from before my birth predicted my level to be S+. You should find detailed notes on that in the records."

A pair of incredulous eyes in the conference room fixated on Lin Fu's face, the questioner somewhat losing his composure as he pressed, "Are you implying that you are now at the S+ level!?"

Lin Fu shook his head, "Expelling the psychic toxins obviously came at a cost. I barely meet the data standards for an S-level."

Someone finally breathed a subtle sigh of relief.

But it wasn't entirely reassuring.

An S-level Guide and an S-level Sentinel are two entirely different concepts.

While numerous S-level Sentinels can be found in the top five military academies, all the guide academies combined might not produce more than fifty S-level Guides.

S-level implies a qualitative leap in the compatibility between Guides and Sentinels, significantly enhancing universality, providing more thorough mental grooming for the Sentinels, and resulting in superior offspring.

They are a resource frenziedly coveted by countless nobles, mostly joining the ranks of top-tier families once identified.

Examples like Gong Yuan are few and far between.

However, Lin Fu was clearly not a resource to be vied for; he was one of the plunderers, a competitor to them.

……

The meeting briefly stalled.

Due to a halt called by the Speaker.

Lin Fu remained unmoved, from his expression to his actions, even his breathing rhythm consistent, making it difficult to discern whether he had anticipated this or simply masked his emotions beneath all physiological activity.

The Speaker stood up.

Leaning on the table and looking at Lin Fu, his face as withered as an orange peel, he mustered a smile, "Would Colonel Lin be willing to accompany the council for data verification? Once the data's authenticity is confirmed, the council will approve the Fourth Army's application."

Lin Fu rose, a tall and elegant figure, nodding, "Of course, it couldn't be better."

It would save him a lot of time.

Pedra Lat and his entourage awaited outside the council chamber. Seeing Lin Fu emerge, they immediately stepped forward to follow.

Glancing at the council members assessing them surreptitiously, Pedra Lat leaned towards Lin Fu, whispering, "Colonel, the royal family has issued a clarification statement on the Star Net, explaining to all citizens that there are no ties between you and the Crown Prince."

"...They've even apologized to you. It was the Crown Prince who broadcasted it live within the First Legion, with over 30 billion viewers witnessing the apology."

Lin Fu spoke with a hint of pleasure, "That's good. However, whether I accept the apology or not is something I need to consider."

The best way to quash an unwelcome scandal is to have the other party involved clarify the situation and apologize in the most pitiful manner, sinking low into the mire, establishing a new perception among all who knew of the scandal — the persecutor doesn't deserve any connection with the other party.

*

Inside the First Legion, Crown Prince Simon Constans looked utterly disheveled.

He had just concluded the most humiliating live broadcast of his life.

The comment section was inundated with insults, drowning out all paid commenters, and scarcely a voice spoke in his defense.

He sat in his chair, leaning forward with his knees propped up and face covered, all expressions cloaked in shadow.

The steward who came to see him didn't dare make a sound.

No matter how furious the Emperor was, the Crown Prince was still the Crown Prince.

As long as the Emperor himself doesn't give up, the future heir to the Empire is still Simon Constans.

After maintaining his position for a long while, he rose, gripping the edge of the table, and asked through gritted teeth, "Did Lin Fu attend the council hearing?"

The steward cautiously replied, "Your Highness, yes... It is said that the council is ready to approve the Fourth Army's application."

Simon Constans clenched his teeth even tighter, a few breathless chuckles escaping his throat, "Very well... Very well, why have those old fools suddenly changed their tune, so easily letting him pass the review?"

The steward bowed his head, wanting to step back but not daring to, replied softly, "I don't know... This time, the council has kept it very confidential, those attending the hearing were carefully selected, as if, deliberately avoiding anyone from the royal family."

Simon Constans nodded, then suddenly burst into a rage, seizing something from the table and hurling it fiercely at his feet.

Amid the crisp sounds of collision, solid objects bounced through the air, striking someone's forehead and carving out a crimson gash.

The person wiped away the blood, bowing even lower.

Simon then asked, "Wasn't it said that the bastard from the Harvey family fled back from the Fourth Army's defensive line? Have you still not found him after all this time?"

"There was some news in the Mekal Star Region, but we lost him again. We're truly intensifying the search."

Simon nodded, "Then go find this bastard. Remember, before Lin Fu meets them. Secure the imperial capital's ports and the Harvey estate, and have someone search the Artemis Military Academy. Understood?"

The subordinate trembled, "Yes!"

A group of people hurriedly withdrew.

Leaving Simon alone by the table, laughing maniacally like a madman.

Lin Fu, ah, very good, worthy of being Lin Fu.

*

The council's test results were in complete agreement with Lin Fu's statement.

The values had just barely overflowed, reaching the category of an S-class star.

But like stunted growth, it fell short of the average line for a standard S-class by a considerable margin.

He was a crippled S-class.

But with an "S" suffix, whether crippled or not didn't matter anymore.

They left the council smoothly.

After going through the royal protocols, Lin Fu would be promoted to a general at the latest in half a month.

It would also be much easier to take over the command authority of the Fourth Legion.

After leaving the council, Pedra Lat quickly reported that the council had behaved properly without any mischief, and before they reached the hotel, the official notification had already been issued, announcing Lin Fu's successful review.

Lin Fu, supporting his chin, smiled satisfactorily, casually opening Putian Xiangri's communication channel, prepared to have him arrange some matters, but his expression suddenly changed.

First, a sudden flush of red.

He immediately realized and lowered his head to hide his discomfort.

Intense pain exploded, like a volcanic eruption. This time, it didn't come from his mind but from his heart, bursting forth vigorously as if years of accumulated pain had all converged on this moment, intent on repaying him in one breath for the years of pain he hadn't felt.

The pain caused the veins on his forehead to throb, his complexion losing all color in mere seconds.

Clenching his fists, he forcibly suppressed the agony.

He slowly removed his hat, covering his face, leaned against the car seat, and murmured, “I’m going to snooze for a bit. Call me when we arrive.”

“Understood, Colonel.”

No one noticed his peculiarity.

The system inside Lin Fu's mind was furiously spitting fire, conducting checks while cursing: “Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn!!”

Lin Fu's consciousness was blurry; squinting, sweat seeped into his eyes via the corners, causing a stinging pain.

He faintly heard the system cursing: “Been using this for years and you tell me now it's incompatible? Are you insane? Get lost!”

“If you can still hear me, Host, don’t sleep. Hang in there for a bit, I’ll fix this right away!”

It was the first time Lin Fu had heard the system so irate, swearing up a storm. Just by the sound of it, he could visualize it frantically pacing in circles inside his mind, steam practically billowing from its head.

Lin Fu found himself unexpectedly idle and upon reflection, found the situation somewhat amusing.

Compared to this, the issues between the parliament and the royal family seemed trivial.

……

Lin Fu had no idea how he managed to return to his room without anyone noticing his predicament.

He was numb, and in a daze, he felt an illusion that the numbness from the extreme pain wasn’t much different from his previous lack of sensation.

Closing the door to his room, he activated the shielding devices one by one.

He hunched over, slowly bending down, and collapsed onto the carpet.

Unconscious.

His soul seemed to sever from his body, drifting halfway out of his form, observing himself lying on the ground like a corpse.

No, to be precise, his body had already been blown to bits in the artillery fire.

The one lying there now belonged to this era, another Lin Fu.

He heard a slightly distorted voice exclaim: “Damn his grandfather! Why is it coming out now?!”

That voice bellowed at someone, "Hurry it up! If my host becomes an idiot, I swear I'll never let you off the hook!"

It was the system... The voice sounded different from the one in his mind.

It was more like a real person's voice, warm and emotive, soft yet substantial, a timbre that neither machines nor artificial intelligence could ever replicate.

He didn't have time to ponder further.

His soul felt torn, a pain so intense he thought his heart might break. He had never suffered this much in his life, even though his soul could no longer fully merge with his body. His body convulsed uncontrollably, and beads of cold sweat rolled off his forehead.

The system spoke in a relieved tone, "Thank goodness, that scared me to death."

Thus, Lin Fu knew he had come back to life again.

He had lived thrice.

He strained to open his eyes.

His heavy eyelids managed to part just a sliver, allowing a ray of light to seep through.

It was still daylight.

The agony that felt like an eternity might have lasted only a few hours, or even minutes.

Lying on the not-so-cold carpet, he heard the computer chime a notification, his fingertips fumbling to activate it.

A familiar masculine voice laced with soft laughter said, "Colonel, congratulations on your imminent promotion to Major General."

"Such great news surely calls for a celebration. But seeing as you’re all alone, there might be no one to celebrate with you. So, how about I fill in? Fair prices, satisfaction guaranteed."

"Just call me 'big brother'."

Lin Fu strained to curl his lips, producing a silent laugh.