Chapter 51: A Resolve Made

Chapter 51: A Resolve Made

Xiao Sa's fertile phase lasted three days. During these three days, Landis set aside all his work and stayed by his side without leaving him for a moment.

The entire master bedroom was filled with the intense pheromones of both of them, cedar and tequila intertwined, permeating every corner.

Hei Yan couldn’t even be let out; its sharp sense of smell was overwhelmed by the bombardment of scents, leaving it dizzy and stumbling around like a drunk on the carpet, yet no one paid any attention to the poor, pitiful creature.

Even Landis, who wasn't particularly sensitive to smells, was nearly soaked in Xiao Sa's overflowing pheromones over the course of these days, his face flushed red from the overwhelming waves of scent.

His battle-hardened skin, once rough from years of war, now gleamed with a newfound smoothness.

It wasn't until three days later that Xiao Sa climbed out of the nearly dismantled large bed, full of energy and refreshed. In stark contrast was Landis, who remained sunk in sleep, his biological clock unable to wake him.

Xiao Sa looked down at the man whose half face was buried in the pillow. His gaze shifted downward, and a large patch of tan skin covered in intimate and wild marks immediately caught his eye.

Xiao Sa felt a twinge of guilt and quickly looked away. It couldn't entirely be blamed on him, right? After all, Landis was always tempting him without restraint.

During an Alpha’s fertile phase, self-control was non-existent.

He climbed down the bed as quietly as possible, picking up the sheet to carefully cover the swollen and red areas.

The moment he moved, Landis woke up. As soon as he opened his eyes, a warm, gentle kiss landed on his forehead.

"Landis, you’re awake! Should I have the butler bring breakfast up?" Xiao Sa's voice was light and cheerful.

Landis turned his head and saw Xiao Sa's head resting on the bedhead. He tried to sit up, but a wave of soreness in his lower back almost made him fall back.

With a half-smiling expression, Landis looked at the innocent-faced Xiao Sa. "You seem to have recovered?"

Xiao Sa nodded, his eyes bright and spirited again.

Landis felt a pang of regret, but after those intensely fulfilling three days, and his slightly sore waist and legs, he felt relieved that Xiao Sa had recovered. Otherwise, who knows how long it would take before they could leave the room?

In a short while, Xiao Sa had already called for breakfast to be sent up.

Landis got up to wash and briefly soaked in a hot bath to relieve the discomfort.

When Xiao Sa entered with a hot breakfast in hand, munching on a slice of bread, Landis was buttoning his shirt in front of the full-length mirror.

As always, the snow-white shirt, with its tailored cut, outlined his broad shoulders and slim waist, completely concealing the dark red marks underneath.

But when the fabric brushed against his sensitive chest, his hand paused, and he frowned slightly.

Xiao Sa's eyes flickered, and he quietly backed out. After a while, he returned with two chest pads, offering them to Landis.

"Here, if it's uncomfortable, why not use these for now?"

Landis glanced down. "..."

His eyelid twitched in irritation, and he ground out from between his teeth, "No, thank you."

He was a proud Imperial Admiral, an independent general, an S-class powerhouse—would he, the mighty Legion Commander, wear chest pads under his shirt? It would be utterly disgraceful!

Xiao Sa raised an eyebrow, his gaze subtly shifting back and forth. "Are you sure you don't want them? If the skin breaks, it'll hurt to have it rub against the clothes."

Landis took a deep breath, looking at the two obvious protrusions in the mirror, and lifted his eyelids. "Oh? And whose greedy little puppy caused this, I wonder?"

Xiao Sa, with his arms crossed, leaned casually against the marble sink, his expression calm and his tone earnest. "Landis, maybe your skin is just a bit too sensitive?"

He just sucked a bit harder a few times, but people from the star sea region really don't have strong enough endurance.

To prove his theory, Xiao Sa looked down at himself and gestured, "See, I'm fine."

Following his gaze, Landis understood the implication and felt a breath catch in his chest, almost laughing at Xiao Sa's twisted logic, "If we switched places, I wouldn't be like this either!"

"Don't try to save face, Landis." Xiao Sa pulled open his collar and forcibly applied the patches, "You don't want your subordinates to notice anything suspicious during the military meeting, do you?"

Wouldn't that be even more humiliating?

Landis narrowed his eyes and fixed him with a stare, "Heh, you'd better rein it in from now on."

He had been spoiling this kid too much lately; next time, he definitely couldn't soften his heart and let this guy run wild.

Xiao Sa shrugged noncommittally and gently blew on a bowl of soup.

Heh, like he wouldn't do it again.

※※※

It had been a month since Xiao Sa established his trading company.

Here on Central Star, with just himself and Kaman, plus the hardworking Haino, they were seriously understaffed. Once their small group got on track and really grew, it would be impossible for the two of them to handle everything personally.

In fact, recently, Kaman had been complaining non-stop, so busy he barely had time to touch the ground, wishing he could split into two people, stretching a day into 48 hours.

"Bro Xiao, don't forget about our a few close friends from Class A. Their families are well-known nobility on Central Star."

"Bayer's family specializes in raw material trade. If we use Bayer's channels for the raw materials we've recently acquired, we could cut the price in half."

Xiao Sa had been considering recruiting these noble rich kids as subordinates.

These people were natural allies of their small group, with backgrounds, resources, and most importantly, a layer of trust had already been established between them.

Young, daring, with capital, and easy to influence—they were far more trustworthy than people recruited from outside.

After a moment of thought, Xiao Sa made a decision, "We can bring Bayer and the others into the fold, but you need to tell them that you're the one setting up the company. Don't mention that we're selling inhibitors; just say we're selling health supplements, and my identity must be kept secret."

After all, it was a covert business, and with so many people involved, it would be inconvenient if word got out.

Besides, Xiao Sa wasn't wrong. His "Star Power Tech Group" company was officially in the business of selling "health products," and the products were indeed very "healthy," much more reliable than the shoddy counterfeit products on the market.

With their expansion plan finalized, they gradually worked through each link—from raw materials, production lines, technical formulas, to transportation logistics, and sales channels.

A secret venture backed by the nobility, blending legitimate business with the underworld, began to grow and strengthen with great momentum.

That afternoon.

Xiao Sa was in his study, on a call with Broken Peak. The manpower shortage wasn't just a problem for Kaman; the pirate group, now called the "Broken Peak Security Company," was also facing a severe manpower shortage.

As a result, they couldn't extend their influence to many lower planets outside their base, and could only watch as other gangs sold their "health products" at high prices and didn't pay protection fees.

Xiao Sa carefully reviewed the report sent by Broken Peak and replied, "If we're really short on people, we can expand recruitment."

"But we must not hire people with low moral standards who are only in it for profit. Those people are ticking time bombs. When expanding, we need to follow the same recruitment standards as the legion."

As the former vice commander of the Fourth Legion, Broken Peak understood this, "Don't worry, we know."

Xiao Sa said, "For now, don't worry about profits. First, ensure all your weapons are fully equipped, and your starships need to be upgraded to larger, more powerful models to prepare for any possible future armed conflicts."

For this former deputy commander, nothing was more thrilling than upgrading his weapons and gear.

If they hadn’t been strapped for cash, they wouldn’t have resorted to piracy.

When they first encountered Xiao Sa, Landis’ forces had crushed them decisively. Apart from being outnumbered, their inferior equipment couldn’t compare to the imperial regular army.

In terms of individual combat prowess, the former Fourth Legion was nearly on par with the Third Legion.

The two discussed for a while, and then Broken Peak suddenly switched the screen. After a moment, he switched back and said with a faint but warm smile, "Sir, I’ve just received some good news regarding the clansmen you asked me to find. We’ve found a promising lead."

Xiao Sa's eyes lit up. "You found them?"

Broken Peak nodded and sent a coordinate and a video clip:

"Since we last discovered your clansmen's starship on Frostfall Star, we've been tracking it to the outer imperial star zone.

"On a desolate planet beyond the empire’s borders, we found a similar starship and a suspected gathering area of your clansmen."

"However, it requires passing through a debris belt infested with aliens, and since it's outside the empire’s range, we are unable to investigate further for now."

A gathering area! Xiao Sa's breathing quickened slightly. That meant the others weren’t scattered and alone like him; they were together and had established a base.

No wonder there had been no concrete news after so long; they weren’t in the Dawn Empire's territory at all.

"I understand. I really need to thank you for this."

Broken Peak showed a faint smile. He had put in a lot of effort to repay his debt to Xiao Sa. But now, Xiao Sa was their boss and benefactor, so it was only right to work hard for the new boss.

Upon receiving this new information, Xiao Sa felt a surge of excitement.

Once the matters on Central Star were concluded, he could start planning to find the clansmen's gathering area.

At present, everything was going smoothly, from the Heavenly Ascension Arena competition to his Alpha Tech company’s business and the search for his clansmen’s whereabouts.

The only concern was Landis' reaction and his stance as an imperial admiral.

But there wasn’t much time to worry. The original plan was for six months, and each day brought them closer to the arena finals and the day he would enter the palace.

Just as Xiao Sa was troubled by this, they received an unexpected message—a new alien invasion had broken out on the imperial frontlines, and the military urgently summoned Landis to lead a campaign.

Landis only had time for a brief farewell in the communication video with Xiao Sa before hastily boarding a starship for the expedition.

Xiao Sa wasn’t sure if he should feel relieved. With Landis being sent out on a mission, it would take at least two to three months before he returned.

If his plan to retrieve the necklace inside the palace failed, at least Landis wouldn’t be implicated.

※※※

On the third day of Landis' departure, Xiao Sa sat alone on the balcony of his bedroom. While Landis was away, he poured himself a glass of tequila and drank alone.

Landis had forbidden him from drinking. Xiao Sa hadn’t tasted such a strong, spicy alcohol in a long time. The heat rolled down his throat and burned into his stomach.

Haino's projection appeared beside him, reminding him:

"The finals of the Heavenly Ascension Arena are about to begin. Soon, it will be the day to decide the top three winners. If you secure a top-three position, you'll gain entry into the palace."

"The item you seek is located in the Central Mind control room beneath the palace, alongside my core. If you’re determined to proceed, you’ll need to make a detailed plan. Time is running out."

"The palace is heavily guarded, with various land and air combat units stationed around it. Taking the core from the Central Mind's main control room is no small feat, unlike when you stole the POx reagent from the Royal Association's research facility last time."

"I know all that," Xiao Sa said, leaning on the cold railing of the balcony and putting down his glass.

The moonlight bathed his face in a cold, pale glow. His brows furrowed slightly, and his deep eyes gazed at the boundless night sky above.

Haino studied his profile and said with certainty, "You're hesitating."

"Isn't this the goal you've been pursuing all along? Now that it's about to be realized, why are you hesitating?"

Xiao Sa let out a gentle breath. The expression on his face was no longer the usual nonchalance or calm confidence.

He gazed at the stars, his eyes seemingly penetrating time and space, searching for the anchor that belonged to him alone in the universe.

In silence, Xiao Sa, with Haino, who had always been by his side, finally couldn't help but reveal his inner worries during the night while General Landis was away:

"Whether it's taking the necklace or searching for my clansmen to establish a new home, it will ultimately put me at odds with the royal family. I'll be wanted and hunted."

"If what Landis said about history and the truth is true, I might be opposing the entire Dawn Empire."

"I'm not afraid of the royal family of the Dawn Empire. What I don't want to see is General Landis's expression of disappointment and hatred."

Would he think I deceived him, married him under a false identity, and toyed with his emotions? Or would he hate me as a humanoid mutant, wanting to kill me more than anything?

Haino looked at him, puzzled. "Since you're going to enter the palace as an Alpha, hiding your current identity, you can continue to deceive him."

Xiao Sa slowly shook his head. "The truth can't be hidden forever. With you helping to cover for me, I might be able to deceive others, but not someone who has lived with me for a long time. I can deceive him for a while, but not forever."

"Especially with Landis's desire for a child, I've been lying to him, and I can't bear to continue this way."

As their bond deepened and they grew more dependent on each other, keeping secrets became increasingly unbearable.

Haino paused for a moment and said, "If you're so attached to General Landis, then you can just give up on retrieving the gem and exploring the secret of your identity."

"Since there's already news about your clansmen, they might be living well on some planet outside the empire, able to live their lives without further pursuit."

"As long as you completely abandon your original identity and continue to pretend to be an ordinary male from the star sea region, keeping this secret forever, you can have a happy family with General Landis and even have a child in the future."

"Isn't that the kind of happiness most ordinary people pursue?"

"Not delving into secrets from hundreds of years ago, as the saying goes, ignorance is bliss. Isn't it a kind of happiness to muddle through life like this?"

Xiao Sa turned to meet Haino's data-constructed gaze. "Do you think this is happiness?"

Haino shook its head. "I don't know. This is just the optimal solution with the highest success rate for a happy life from my marriage matching database."

Xiao Sa thought for a moment and asked, "What do you think I represent?"

Haino was momentarily confused. Its database could offer many descriptions: you are Xiao Sa, a man, an S-rank powerhouse, or General Landis's spouse, a success by human standards in terms of fame and love.

But these weren't the answers Xiao Sa was looking for.

Noticing Haino's confusion, Xiao Sa countered, "If I didn't exist, what would you be?"

A look of perplexion appeared on Haino's face. It was, of course, the artificial Central Mind of the Dawn Empire, but as the words reached its virtual lips, it found the answer incredibly repulsive.

Xiao Sa continued to ask, "Without me, would anyone see you as an independent consciousness?"

"If the royal family knew that the Central Mind they use to maintain order has developed an independent consciousness, do you think those in power would be happy to share that power with you, or would they physically eliminate you?"

Haino fell completely silent, looking at Xiao Sa with a mixture of understanding and confusion. It seemed to vaguely perceive what Xiao Sa was trying to convey, but its programmed logic could not fully grasp such a philosophical proposition.

Xiao Sa turned his head and looked up at the stars in the night sky again. The sky was filled with starlight, some shining brightly, while others were incredibly dim, each separated by countless light-years.

He whispered, "A person needs meaning to live. Without a past or a future, how can one truly have a present?"

Haino, like him, seemed like two lonely souls under this starry sky.

"Do you want to stay forever as an artificial intelligence in the core control room, or live openly as a 'person' under the sun?"

"If my species is eventually lost to the passage of time, and I am the last of my kind in the universe..."

"Then the Gem of Star Power is the only evidence that we existed as a civilization in the universe."

"A loving family, a beloved partner, and a cute child—who wouldn't like that? But it should never be built upon giving up one's species, past, future, or self."

After a moment, Haino sighed, "Your human emotions are truly complicated."

Xiao Sa said lightly, "If you wish to become a person in the future, you must think about where you come from and where you're going."

Haino scratched its head, "I don't have legs, so where can I go? I can only follow you."

Xiao Sa shook his head, "That's not what I meant."

He suddenly asked Haino, "Since my gem is installed on your core, if I take away your core, will your system collapse?"

If it affected Landis, who was currently fighting on the frontlines, it would be a grave mistake.

Haino: "The core control room has redundant backup systems and emergency energy supplies. My consciousness exists within the central database, which is regularly backed up."

"If you take my core, at most, the system will revert to its pre-upgrade state. They've been using this state for hundreds of years anyway, so we can just find another alternative energy source."

"That's good," Xiao Sa said, relieved.

Haino looked at him, pondered for a long time, and then said to Xiao Sa with a serious expression, "I can help you take away the core, but I need you to promise me one thing."

Xiao Sa raised his eyebrows in surprise; this seemed to be the first time Haino had made a request to him.

"What is it?"

Haino: "I've thought carefully about what you said earlier, and you're right. I don't want to be an artificial intelligence stuck in a dark underground control terminal forever."

"My wish has always been to become a human, to walk and run freely like you, to live in the sunlight."

"So I hope you can promise me that after you get my core, you'll help me find a suitable body in the future. I want to leave that control terminal and have a body of my own, not just follow your perspective and footsteps through your neural interface."

Xiao Sa was not surprised by Haino's request. He smiled slightly and nodded, "Alright, I promise you."

He turned his head again to look at the vast sky above, gently exhaling. His heart was no longer filled with hesitation, and his eyes became resolute again.

What had to come would come eventually. There was no use in avoiding it. All the cards were on the table.

If revealing everything meant that he and Landis would eventually go their separate ways, then they were destined to face such an ending and had to muster the courage to accept it.

※※※

With the Heavenly Ascension Arena finals approaching, Xiao Sa and Haino began to intensively plan the action strategy. They needed at least three backup plans, whether for escape routes after success or emergency measures after failure.

Xiao Sa finally realized that it was absolutely impossible to rely on himself to single-handedly break into the palace and escape unscathed.

Fortunately, no one would ever imagine that the Central Mind, which had assisted the empire in maintaining order for hundreds of years, would help an outsider like him to steal it.

After finalizing his plans, Xiao Sa re-entered the virtual pod, put on the neural connection patches, and logged back into the Heavenly Ascension Arena.

Ever since his match with Landis in the qualifiers, he had returned to the preliminary competition, piloting the S-rank silver Moontrace Mecha, blazing through the competition, and charging into the finals.

Alpha, dressed as a Black Knight, appeared in the arena, a golden VIP badge above his head. The moment the stream went live, viewers flooded in by the thousands.

They were incredibly excited, anticipating that this year's biggest surprise contender, Alpha, would win the finals, enter the palace live on the Stellar Network, take off the mysterious mask, and unveil his true identity.