Chapter 34: Justification

Chapter 34: Justification

Rong Mi, of course, did not hear Lu Yi's voice.

The youth was still petting the Silver Wolves with reckless abandon. Lu Yi had no choice but to weaken the mental bond with the wolf on his own initiative. He placed a hand against his forehead, finally breaking free from the haze of unconsciousness under the constant "disturbance" from the youth.

His vision gradually cleared. Lu Yi's head throbbed fiercely, and he struggled to sit up in bed, leaning on the sickbed for support.

The medical robot in the room detected his movement and immediately beeped softly. Its wheels spun as it rolled out of the room, notifying the medical officer responsible for Lu Yi's care.

"Admiral Lu Yi," the medical officer entered and, upon seeing Lu Yi sitting up, immediately spoke anxiously, "After your mental domain became disordered, the energy waves caused damage to your organs... It would be best for you to stay in bed and rest now. Do you have any urgent matters that need attending to? If not, please lie down first. I'll inform your personal mental domain therapist."

When Rong Mi brought Lu Yi to the medical facility, he had left Lu Yi's therapist's identity in the registry and instructed the medical officer to notify him immediately if Lu Yi regained consciousness.

"No need," Lu Yi croaked.

Rong Mi needed rest too, and Lu Yi didn't want to disturb him at this moment.

Lu Yi continued, "Run a full physical checkup for me. If there are no serious issues, I'll leave the hospital right away."

He had plenty of matters to attend to and didn't appreciate the atmosphere in the infirmary.

The medic: "..."

"I'll proceed with your examination then." Lu Yi was the commander of the First Legion; if he truly wanted to leave, there was nothing the medic could do to stop him.

Lu Yi acknowledged the medic, rolling up the sleeve of his medical gown, about to attach the diagnostic patch. Suddenly, another image intruded upon his mind.

It was from the perspective of a wolf.

Lu Yi: "..."

Allowing the young man to stroke the wolf hadn't brought much tranquility... It had only made things more complicated.

After sensing the intense emotional turmoil of the Silver Wolf, he'd become unable to block their unfiltered mental connection.

Simultaneously with the vision, there came the tactile sensation, resonating with the emotions of the Silver Wolf.

Lu Yi felt the warmth of the young man's palm.

Rong Mi held the wolf in his hand, his training top already discarded, revealing his bare upper body.

The young man's physique was slender, suggesting he hadn't undergone rigorous physical training. Yet, beneath his skin lay a thin layer of muscle that rippled with each movement.

Standing before the shower stall inside the rest pod, Rong Mi cradled the wolf with one arm while extending the other to retrieve the shower control panel mounted on the side of the stall. His gaze wandered to the foldable bathtub at the back.

"Would Ayin like a bath?" The youth looked from the bathtub to the wolf, asking eagerly, "I'll wrap your paws with waterproof cloth so the wounds won't get wet."

"Your fur got all dirty from the fight outside. A nice clean-up before sleep will make you feel much more comfortable," he suggested warmly.

Lu Yi: "..."

Lu Yi sensed an eager anticipation from the wolf's spiritual bond.

Wolves were indeed cleanliness enthusiasts, but this uncontrollable excitement... was clearly not just about the prospect of bathing.

Lu Yi knew that Ayin already had a fondness for Rong Mi and, influenced by his subconscious, would grow to enjoy being close to the young man even more.

However, it was out of the question for Lu Yi to allow the wolf to bathe with Rong Mi.

The young man's skin is fair.

The admiral closed his eyes, endeavoring to erase the unintended vision from his mind. He issued a command to the wolves.

Lu Yi: "Leave."

Wolf: "..."

The wolf twitched its ears, and its tail, ever so slightly lifted, instantly fell back down.

Wolf: "....Oooh."

Lu Yi's words were always heeded.

Thus, despite its reluctance, Ayin swiftly leaped out of the young man's arm while Rong Mi was engrossed in studying the shower panel, landing on three uninjured legs with one paw suspended, tail hanging low, and ears drooping, jogging unhappily out of the bathroom door.

The flagship of the Third Legion was significantly larger than a squad's spacecraft in the First Legion, equipped with more comprehensive functions. The shower control panel had buttons that Rong Mi didn't recognize. Focused on his curious exploration, he was startled when the weight in his hand suddenly lessened, but relief washed over him when he saw that Ayin hadn't touched his wound.

"Young man poked his head out of the bathroom, questioning, "....Why did you run off all of a sudden?" He continued, "...Is Ayin afraid of water? Didn't want a bath?"

The Silver Wolves remained silent, sitting with its back to Rong Mi in the corridor outside the shower. Its fluffy tail tip twitched restlessly.

Rong Mi asked, "Ayin?"

"The shower's fine if you don't like it." The young man didn't push when the wolf didn't react and retreated back into the stall. "It'll be quick!"

Lu Yi lowered his gaze and softly replied, "Alright."

"…Admiral?" The medic conducting the examination turned at the sound of his voice.

Lu Yi shook his head, indicating that he was fine.

He had immersed himself in the perspective of the wolf and forgotten that Rong Mi wasn't talking to him.

Rong Mi didn't take long to wash.

Water was a scarce resource on starships, so after a swift rinse, he emerged from the shower wrapped in a towel, looking around before spotting the disposable cleansing wipes in the well-equipped hygiene area. He reached out to fetch the wolf.

If Ayin couldn't bathe, then so be it, but after a fight and contact with the Ice Butterfly, a wipe-down was necessary.

Thus, Rong Mi embraced the silver bundle and sat on the bed, casually flipping the wolf onto its back to wipe it clean on his lap.

"Come on—left front paw—left hind paw—right hind paw—" As Rong Mi wiped, the wolf cooperatively extended its paws, its adorableness prompting Rong Mi to rub its head again.

He finished his cleaning duties and yawned afterwards.

"A bit drowsy." The young man mumbled, drew the curtain of his rest pod, climbed into bed, and patted the side of it. "Come on, Ayin."

"Retire to bed!"

The wolf didn't approach immediately. It hobbled on a wounded foreleg, still surveying the room to ensure its safety before leaping onto Rong Mi's bed and sitting at her feet.

Subsequently, upon witnessing the young man yawn and slip under the covers, she gradually reclined but did not close her eyes to rest.

The wolf pricked its ears, attentively sensing any movements around them. With a sense of unease in this unfamiliar starship, it kept a vigilant watch over Rong Mi.

In the universe, there were no distinct markers for day or night. Back on the flagship, when Rong Mi didn't have any missions and wasn't disturbed, she could sleep for an entire day without interruption.

Yet, perhaps due to the lack of news from the medical pod concerning Lu Yi, Rong Mi stirred from her slumber after less than six hours of sleep.

In the dimly lit cabin, the soft glow of the night lamp on the floor cast a faint, ethereal radiance upon the Silver Wolves.

Ayin was highly vigilant and immediately noticed the change in Rong Mi's breathing pattern. He sat up to look at Rong Mi.

Rong Mi, taken aback for a moment, met the icy blue eyes of the wolf. Realizing that Ayin was not asleep, he inwardly clicked his tongue softly.

Rong Mi: ...Such a well-behaved and thoughtful wolf. Lu Yi is really getting all the benefits!

He crouched down and sat in front of Ayin's makeshift den, gently stroking the wolf's paw that had undergone surgery after the injury. "Not sleeping? You should rest to recover your wounds. It's relatively safe on this starship. I actually sleep lightly and can hear any unusual movements outside the cabin."

The wolf let out a soft howl, nudging Rong Mi's palm with its head.

It seemed to have a purpose, taking two steps towards the cabin door with one leg suspended, then stopping and looking back, inviting Rong Mi to follow.

"There's still some time before we need to go to the infirmary to change the dressing," Rong Mi said, unsure of where the wolf wanted to go as he opened the cabin door. "Are you hungry? I'll get two packs of nutrient fluid..."

Concerned about the wolf's injured leg, Rong Mi wanted to carry it and take it along, letting the wolf guide him with its paw.

But Ayin had a clear destination, and it was quite close to Rong Mi's cabin.

It turned right and halted in front of Rong Mi's neighboring resting pod.

Then, the wolf raised its hind legs and lifted its left paw high, aiming at the authentication lock on the side of the pod door.

Rong Mi: "...."

Rong Mi: ... The scenario he had imagined earlier was actually happening!

The adorable sight of the wolf using its paw to unlock the door was too cute!

With a soft beeping sound, the pod door's lock authenticated. Rong Mi snapped back to reality, realizing that the wolf had effortlessly unlocked someone else's pod with its paw print.

Lu Yi had mentioned that since Ayin was his battle pet, it had emergency access to almost all compartments on the First Legion's main ship. However, they were currently in a joint fleet consisting of the Third Legion and supporting legions. As most of the First Squad's ships and mechas were damaged during the battle against the Yadian, Rong Mi and the First Legion soldiers were traveling on a support ship from the Third Legion.

It was highly unlikely that Ayin still had such "privileges" on this vessel.

So, the pod it had unlocked... could only belong to Lu Yi.

Rong Mi: .... Lu Yi is awake and has already left the infirmary?!

He followed Ayin and pushed the cabin door open.

Sure enough, Rong Mi heard Lu Yi's voice resonating from within the rest cabin.

"The remains of Ya Die are being transported back to the capital star," the Admiral's voice still grated with hoarseness. "There's nothing that can't be transported."

Rong Mi peered inside.

There he saw Lu Yi, clad in a military overcoat, leaning against a single-seat sofa by the bed, his face still extremely pale, not much better than when he was still in a coma.

One hand supported his forehead, while the other rested on the armrest of the sofa with an IV tube inserted into the back of his hand, and a vital sign monitor around his wrist. Beside the sofa sat a lightweight multifunctional medical device, capable of providing oxygen and performing emergency procedures.

In addition, a medical robot was tucked away on one side of the sofa, its mechanical arm raised high to serve as an IV stand.

Rong Mi thought to himself, This scene screams of a rebellious patient who has escaped from the hospital.

Nonetheless, this cabin was slightly larger than his own rest cabin, having accommodated several medical instruments.

Observing that Lu Yi seemed to be engaged in a military meeting, Rong Mi took a step back, not wanting to disturb his work.

The Silver Wolf turned its head and gave a soft cry.

Lu Yi, hearing the sound, lifted his gaze to the door of the cabin, then gestured for Rong Mi to come in. He momentarily covered the microphone of his communicator, indicating for Rong Mi to sit on the sofa opposite him, and said softly, "Wait a moment."

"I believe it's safer to conduct the autopsy and research on the Adian body within the warzone," a male voice spoke from the screen.

Lu Yi's attention returned to the screen, his brows slightly furrowed.

"The conditions in the warzone are poor, lacking high-level research facilities. Conducting research on Adian abilities there would make it difficult to make progress."

"But have you considered the safety aspect?!" The person on the screen immediately countered. "Capital Star isn't a warzone. Apart from trained warriors, there are countless ordinary citizens who have never seen a single insectoid in their lives."

"What if an advanced Ice Butterfly is drawn to this Adian corpse's energy, storms into the safe zone to attack Capital Star... or if other Ice Butterflies open a wormhole to assault Capital Star? Billions of lives are at stake here!"

"We should shield the Adian corpse's energy and assign a dedicated security team. The last Adian specimen was dissected and studied in the First Legion's former warzone base. After energy shielding, no insectoids took notice. However, due to equipment limitations, we couldn't find the core that allows Adians to break through energy barriers, nor did it contribute to the invention of an inhibitor for Adian evolution."

"The victory against the Adians didn't come easily. We shouldn't waste the fruits of this battle."

"The research facility is located on Satellite Three, the outermost ring of Capital Star, with several layers of security defenses between it and the inner residential and central function zones. Capital Star has the military headquarters, the most advanced defense systems, and a wormhole defense network..." Lu Yi paused, suppressing a light cough.

A fine sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead, and Rong Mi, standing close, could tell that he was not in good condition.

The young man turned to glance at the medical robot beside him. Indeed, on the robot's screen, there were flashing medical alerts suggesting that the patient should immediately lie down to rest.

Lu Yi ignored those warnings. Steadying his breath, he continued, "Being overly cautious about the safety of the Capital Star and completely isolating the warzone from the safe zone, establishing the most advanced research facilities within the safe zone yet being too fearful to even accept the corpse of an Adel — this slows down our research on the Zerg's evolution, energy transmission, and group communication. This is not how we will defeat the Zerg."

"Do you think you're sitting in an impregnable fortress, with various legions guarding the warzone, so you can rest easy?"

"Lu Yi," someone immediately called out from the screen, "Mind your words. As the executive officer of the Capital Star, I naturally have to consider the overall safety of the Capital Star region! It seems you've been accustomed to having your way in the warzone for too long, assuming that your decisions are always right and expecting everyone to follow your orders!"

"My perspective does not include the assumptions you've conjured up," Lu Yi said calmly. He had no intention of engaging in a prolonged argument with the person on the other end. Instead, he asked coolly, "What do the Supreme Commander and the Chief Councillor think?"

There was a moment of silence on the screen.

"I believe we should adopt Admiral Lu Yi's decision," came the refined voice of the Chief Councillor of the Human Federation, Chen Wanghan, after a while. "Until the research facility closer to the warzone is fully operational, the Zerg research institute near the Capital Star is the most suitable unit to study Adel's corpse."

"The Capital Star is situated deep within the safe zone, making it very difficult for the Zerg to breach the large expanse of secure territory to launch an attack."

"As for Adel's spatial wormhole... as Admiral Lu Yi mentioned, first, we have our own spatial defense system and the Capital Star Region Guard."

"Second, my Snowy Owl and I will be vigilant for any spatial disturbances around the Capital Star Region."

"Wang Sen, you can rest assured on that matter," she assured him.

"Let's proceed directly to the decision vote," a crisp female voice proposed. Commander Zhang Lingyu, from the Military, cast her vote in favor of transporting Adet's remains to the Capital Star without further ado.

As the tally of approvals rose, Director Wang Sen, the leader of the opposition, let out a frustrated huff.

"The majority has agreed to transport Adet's body," Zhang Lingyu announced after a moment. "Lu Yi, is your First Squad capable of taking on this assignment?"

"We accept," Lu Yi replied coldly. "Once our fleet and mechas are repaired, the First Squad will depart from civilian routes and return with Adet's remains to the Capital Star."

"Excellent." The Commander nodded. "Stay behind after the meeting for a private discussion on the flight path."

"The meeting can end now," Chief Administrator Chen Wanghan interjected with a smile. "We'll leave the time for you two."

Wang Sen grumbled, turning his lips downward before exiting the conference room. The other attendees on the screen followed suit, leaving the virtual meeting.

Zhang Lingyu adjusted the access permissions and focused her attention back on Lu Yi.

"The Third Legion needs to handle the aftermath near Barren Star, manage the Ice Butterfly Wormhole, and relocate residents affected by the space station's disturbance," she sighed softly. "And to divert fleets from the warzone... I am personally uneasy about it. I'm imposing a heavy burden on you."

"Duty calls."

Lu Yi responded briefly.

Somewhat more relaxed than before, he leaned back into the sofa, coughing a few times before his hoarse voice resounded, "The repairs for the starship and the squad's mechas will take approximately three days. The journey to the Capital Star will be around ten days. I require the highest level of secure transportation clearance to directly interface with the confidential research labs of the Academy of Sciences."

"Certainly. I'll inform the Confidential Laboratory to be prepared within ten days," Zhang Lingyu assured. "After we return to the Capital Star and complete the handover, you can take your leave immediately..."

Her tone softened as she inquired with concern, "Did the healer from the Rong family come back with you? Since he's from the Rong family, the investigation team can accept your guarantee, have him retake the mental power assessment to update the database with his new level and energy patterns."

"How curious it is what kind of extraordinary encounter this child must have had... You managed to convince him this time, but what if someone else suddenly changes their mind and refuses to treat you again?"

Lu Yi replied, "Alright."

Nodding, he looked up at Rong Mi. Rong Mi wore an innocent expression, meeting Lu Yi's gaze.

Refuse treatment? And there's even a 'again'? Rong Mi blinked in confusion.

Surely this doesn't refer to him? He always keeps his promises; how could he back out now?

"Also, the head of the Equipment Department has asked me several times if we could recruit him directly into their department. That Ice Butterfly Hypnosis Wave left quite an impression on them, and they're eager to compete with the Legions for him," Zhang Lingyu said with interest. "Of course, with Rong Mi's piloting skills and mental strength, all the major Legions would be vying for him. I doubt the First Legion can truly keep him."

"You don't have to put too much pressure on yourself. A cross-Legion therapist is not impossible."

Lu Yi: "…"

As Lu Yi listened to Zhang Lingyu's enthusiasm, he simply turned the screen to face Rong Mi directly.

"The person is right here," he said calmly. "Set aside my bonus for now; don't forget about his rewards and merits."

"If other Legion Commanders approach you for information about Rong Mi, please tell them that he has agreed to join the First Legion. After passing the military assessment next month, he'll proceed with the enlistment process. Advise the other Commanders not to dwell too much on it."

There was no need for vain hopes; Rong Mi wouldn't leave.

"Why are you so confident?" Zhang Lingyu was genuinely curious.

Rong Mi turned to look at Lu Yi, raising his eyebrows slightly, clearly awaiting Lu Yi's response as well.

The general glanced at Ayin, who was crouching between him and Rong Mi, then returned his gaze to Rong Mi.

"Among the major legions, the First Legion has the most battle pets," Lu Yi stated in his usual aloof tone, presenting an absurd reason that left the commander astounded.

Zhang Lingyu stood there, dazed for a moment, as if seeing Lu Yi anew. She didn't anticipate the even more explosive statement that the general would make next.

Lu Yi continued, "And, I am the only one who keeps a wolf."