Chapter 61: Collaborating with the General

Chapter 61: Collaborating with the General

He mused, "Oh? The general left with the fifth prince? And his observer pass was from the military department as well?"

On the pure white table, a photo of Cang Cheng and Hilmeth sharing a ride was prominently displayed.

In the photo, they were sitting close together, almost shoulder to shoulder.

Hilmeth had his head slightly lowered, while Cang Cheng looked up. The light golden sunlight pierced through the gap between them, casting a soft glow that created a surprisingly romantic ambiance.

He wondered aloud, "How did they meet?"

The subordinate replied, "We're looking into it. According to preliminary inquiries, the general and the fifth prince only met a couple of days ago during the summit. Their villas were arranged next to each other."

He mused again, "Hmm? The general is staying in D District? What a coincidence."

He didn’t buy into coincidences.

The subordinate remained silent.

He continued, "Hmm... Let’s gauge Cang Cheng’s true intentions! Spread word of his close relationship with the general to the general’s admirers.

The planet where Cang Cheng governs is... Luo Ri Star, right? Send some space pirates there."

"Yes, sir."

*

The next day

Main planet military department temporary base

The original military base of the main planet was located near the northern border, quite far from the summit venue. For the safety of the summit participants, during the meeting, the military department set up a temporary base 20 kilometers away from the summit.

The base used starships as temporary quarters. From a distance, the massive metal structures glinted coldly, their imposing presence keeping everyone at bay.

"Please proceed with iris verification..."

"Identity confirmed: Hilmeth Lazel

Visitor identity confirmed: Cang Cheng"

"Access granted."

"Good morning, General."

After passing through layers of security checks at the entrance, Cang Cheng followed Hilmeth into the temporary base.

The interior had an overall grayish tone, exuding the serious and upright atmosphere of the military department. Soldiers carrying weapons walked in and out with stern faces, maintaining strict discipline and never smiling.

When the soldiers saw Hilmeth, they automatically stood at attention and saluted.

However, upon noticing Cang Cheng following Hilmeth, everyone’s jaws dropped in shock.

Huh?

Am I dreaming?

The general actually brought someone to visit the temporary base?

And he’s incredibly good-looking...

Could he be the General's...??

Hold on, we can't just speculate about our superior.

But... it's hard not to wonder...

Hilmeth suddenly glanced over, his sky-blue eyes as cold as polar ice.

The other person immediately dared not think anything else.

Hilmeth: "Run 5 laps around the field."

"Yes, General!"

The soldier saluted and obediently went to endure the punishment.

5 laps... Hopefully, it can be completed in two hours!

He would never dare to think randomly again.

"Excuse us."

Hilmeth apologized to Cang Cheng.

Cang Cheng smiled casually.

"From their reactions, it seems you've never brought anyone to the base before?"

"No."

Hilmeth answered quickly. After using his iris to open the door, he turned to Cang Cheng and said, "You are the first."

Cang Cheng was slightly stunned. "My honor."

Hilmeth led Cang Cheng into the advanced training room, equipped with all the A-grade weapons used by the military.

The training room was spacious, about 300 square meters. The floor was made of a special material capable of withstanding the bombardment of S-grade weapons.

"These are the weapons currently used by the military.

All personnel are equipped with light swords and electromagnetic daggers. They selectively carry tracking bullets, blinding bombs, and smoke bombs, while different firearms are selected based on individual physical capabilities."

Hilmeth introduced the military weapons one by one, patiently answering any questions Cang Cheng had during the process.

In the past three months, Cang Cheng had crammed knowledge about the firearms of the Canglan Star Region. Although not an expert, his knowledge was on par with that of an average soldier.

This surprised Hilmeth a little.

After all, the previous Cang Cheng knew nothing about firearms. The first time they met, Cang Cheng couldn’t even hold a gun correctly.

"Now, let me select the most suitable weapon for you. What are your physical and mental stats?"

After the explanation, Hilmeth asked naturally.

Cang Cheng looked up, his black eyes meeting Hilmeth's gaze for a moment before looking away.

"Physical strength: D, Mental energy: A."

No one questioned why the supposedly incompetent Fifth Prince, Cang Cheng, was actually an A-grade Awakened.

The two understood each other without words.

"Then this might be suitable for you."

Hilmeth drew two specially crafted burst guns.

"The official name is the F9311 Type 5 Burst Dual Guns, but internally we call them the high-tech version of the 'Rain of Pear Blossoms.'

Their operational feature is that a single bullet, after being processed through the chamber, can split into 6 bullets, each of which can have its trajectory controlled by Mental energy.

Upon impact, the bullets can cause small area explosion damage.

Would you like to give it a try?"

Hilmeth handed the dual guns to Cang Cheng.

Cang Cheng had seen this weapon's information in the database and had been quite interested in it. He didn’t expect that Hilmeth would hand him the very weapon he was curious about.

This was exactly what he wanted.

"Yes, I'd like to try."

Cang Cheng took the weapons and held them in his hands.

He smoothly took a shooting stance, arms extended, and focused his mind.

Mental energy entered the chamber through the sensor at the tail, and the energy ring on the gun body lit up.

Cang Cheng then pulled the triggers of both guns, and the bullets were fired. After traveling two-thirds of the range, each bullet split into six, resulting in twelve bullets.

Cang Cheng, using his Mental energy, simultaneously controlled the attack direction of the twelve bullets with ease.

Every single bullet hit the bullseye, making it a flawless shot.

Hilmeth had originally planned to teach Cang Cheng how to use the dual guns.

However, seeing Cang Cheng handle the guns with such precision, Hilmeth realized how much he had grown.

Now, without needing his guidance, Cang Cheng had learned how to operate the relatively difficult-to-handle dual guns, calmly and skillfully.

In areas where he hadn’t intervened, Cang Cheng had learned quite a bit of knowledge.

Hilmeth felt both proud and a little nostalgic.

He gazed intently at Cang Cheng.

The young man standing before him seemed different from when they first met. Cang Cheng had grown more composed, his expressions more difficult to read, but… to Hilmeth, Cang Cheng was still as captivating as ever.

Cang Cheng spun the dual guns twice, paused for a moment, and then raised them again.

Two more shots were fired, and the bullets split once more.

This time, however, Cang Cheng used his Mental energy to add a little embellishment to the bullets.

As a result, after a faint clicking sound, the silver bullets were encased in a frosty glow, and the air around him grew noticeably colder.

The 12 bullets that split off hit the bullseye once more, and at the same moment, the bullseye was frozen.

A transparent layer of ice encased the entire electronic target, and under the lights, the frost glistened with a crystal-clear shine.

The low temperature caused a short circuit in the target's circuitry, and its power indicator blinked twice before going dark.

This was the Ice Freezing Rune.

When Cang Cheng fired, he used his mental energy to temporarily imbue the bullets with a freezing effect, resulting in the instant disabling of 12 electronic targets.

Cang Cheng turned around and smiled at Hilmeth, his bright black eyes gleaming.

"What do you think, General?"

The frozen target emitted cold air, lowering the room's temperature.

"Impressive," Hilmeth replied.

His calm expression hid his astonishment, but beneath it was clear admiration for Cang Cheng.

Freezing bullets had been developed before, but their lethality was significantly reduced to achieve rapid cooling.

These special bullets were only suitable for specific situations, and given the limited capacity for carrying armaments, they had been phased out.

However, Cang Cheng's method, using Rune modifications, managed to combine lethality with special effects.

"I have more weapons enhanced with Runes like this, as well as a batch of upgraded weapons.

I believe their effects are superior to the ones you currently have."

Cang Cheng set down the dual guns and walked up to Hilmeth, gazing at him quietly.

"During the meeting yesterday, I heard that you and the weapon research institute have fallen out. Why not use this chance to replace them with a new supplier?

What do you say, General?"

The corners of his eyes lifted in a smile that seemed innocent, yet an aura of dominance emanated from him, unconcealed.

Cang Cheng, as usual, stood a bit too close to Hilmeth, beyond the safe social distance.

Hilmeth could smell the faint scent of orange blossoms, see the fine fuzz on Cang Cheng's fair cheeks, and notice that his bright black eyes reflected only him.

For a moment, he lost focus.

He tried to calm himself. "The military department needs to go through layers of approval to change suppliers; it's not up to me alone."

Cang Cheng smiled brightly and poked Hilmeth's chest with his finger.

"Then I'll pull some strings and get a special favor. Will the General grant it?"

Cang Cheng's finger had no strength behind it, and to Hilmeth, it was neither painful nor irritating.

However, the spot where Cang Cheng had touched him felt warm beneath his shirt.

Hilmeth's gaze locked onto Cang Cheng, the intensity in his eyes burning with unspoken emotion.

After a moment, he replied, his voice slightly hoarse, "Granted."

Cang Cheng retracted his hand and stepped back, chuckling. "Then I appreciate the General's cooperation."

Xilimus and Cangcheng are people of strong execution. After confirming their intention to cooperate, they signed a preliminary cooperation agreement.

Cangcheng would provide weapons to Xilimus, while Xilimus would offer feedback on the weapon usage data to help Cangcheng refine the weapon documentation.

Everyone who received new weapons had to sign a confidentiality agreement.

Later, when mass production began, the military would have the right to purchase weapons with priority and could designate the monopoly of a specific weapon's supply.

Of course, monopolization would come at an additional cost.

The two discussed in the training room for over three hours, finalizing every detail.

In the end, Cangcheng chose Ad as the agent for the weapons produced on Sunset Star. His role would be similar to Simon’s, primarily selling Sunset Star’s weapons across the Azure Star Region.

Ad supplied raw materials for weapons to Sunset Star and had signed a 50-year indenture, making him trustworthy. He was also someone the Weapon Manufacturing Bureau was actively trying to win over.

Having resolved a major issue, Cangcheng and Xilimus left the temporary base in high spirits.

—

Was there actually a smile on the general’s face?

They couldn’t have been mistaken!

A passing soldier rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again.

Damn, the general was really smiling.

This world had become surreal.

After Xilimus walked away, the soldiers in the small group started brainstorming wildly.

Anonymous Dolphin: "The boss and that pretty one were at the training ground for 4 hours and 42 minutes. The boss is awesome!"

Anonymous Penguin: "The boss must be happy."

Anonymous Hamster: "Not really, I saw the pretty one walking normally. Is the boss not up to it?"

Anonymous Dolphin: "Do you think the treatment pod is just for show? The boss has been single for so long, he finally has someone. He's even started acting more human lately. We need to help maintain the boss’s relationship, or we’ll be the ones suffering."

Anonymous Tiger: "Speaking of which, who is this pretty one? Where did the boss meet her? He sure kept her hidden well!

[Censored back view image]

Look at how protective the boss is of him, so sweet!"

Anonymous Lion: "It’s hard to imagine the day the boss would finally get it together."

Qin Yan: "?? When did the boss start seeing the Fifth Prince? Refusing to move to the villa during the summit just to stay next to the Fifth Prince!

I never thought the boss was like this."

Everyone was in anonymous mode except Qin Yan, who boldly used his real name, standing out like a sore thumb.

As soon as his message appeared, the previously active chat suddenly froze, with no new messages appearing.

What the heck! What did General Qin say?

The pretty one is the Fifth Prince?

The general has taken a liking to the fifth prince? And even moved next to him for convenience?

The relationship between the general and the fifth prince is confirmed.

Cang Cheng didn’t realize that he and Hilmeth had spent over four hours at the military training ground, and that inappropriate versions of their time together had been spread.

After returning to his room, he contacted Ming Bai, asking him to send a batch of weapons through Ade.

Ming Bai opened the video communication, with the camera pointing at the floating screen, which displayed a blazing flame.

Ming Bai reported, "The operation against Duke Sylvie is proceeding smoothly.

All the targets are on vacation, with virtually no defense.

We launched the attack from three light-years away using spatial folding technology.

Although the attack slightly missed the bullseye, the mission was successfully completed. No one will link the large-scale weapon misfire incident to us or Duke Sylvie.

We are now helping Duke Sylvie take over the armed forces..."

Halfway through his report, a person with half their face covered in insulating metal appeared next to him.

Cang Ye, curious, blinked at the screen and, upon realizing that the person on the other side was Cang Cheng, pressed his entire face to the screen, virtually touching Cang Cheng.

"I’m so bored here, bro! Can I come over?"

Clingy like a dog, Cang Ye would come back even if pushed away, impossible to shoo.

With no other choice, Ming Bai handed Cang Ye a Cang Cheng look-alike cotton doll, which Cang Ye happily hugged and nuzzled.

"What’s this? Oh, brother! Let me rub it!"

Ming Bai sighed, feeling like he was babysitting.

Shaking off the thought, Ming Bai asked, "By the way, sir. May I ask who the cooperation partner is for the batch of weapons you requested?"

"General Hilmeth."

Cang Cheng casually mentioned the name, "He’s staying next to me during the summit, and he’s helped me out a few times. I think he’s a good guy, so I decided to work with him."

Cang Cheng believed his attitude and expression were perfectly normal.

However, to those familiar with him, his current overly calm demeanor seemed somewhat unusual.

After all, Cang Cheng was mostly seen with a smile, rarely expressionless.

At the other end of the video, upon hearing this name that was well-known across the galaxy, and observing Cang Cheng’s current expression, Ming Bai felt a moment of unease.

Hmm… Sir seems to know the general pretty well.

But how did sir and the general, who usually have nothing to do with each other, come to know each other?

Ming Bai suddenly recalled that a few months ago, his AI chip once identified someone near sir as General Hilmeth.

Could it be that the AI was right all along?

"Is that exotic really Admiral Xi Li Mo Si?

How could I have been so blind for so long?

Ming Bai responded in a daze, “My lord, I’ll go arrange the weapon shipment. They should arrive the day after tomorrow.”

Cang Cheng said, “The data on the Cang Stone weapons will be provided by the admiral's high-level Awakened subordinates. That should be enough for your final adjustments, shouldn’t it?”

Ming Bai nodded. “It's enough.”

Ming Bai’s expression was somewhat complicated.

[Did you agree to work with him willingly, my lord?]

[Did he force you into anything?]

[Did you give too much away?]

……

Ming Bai typed it all out and then deleted it.

All those jumbled thoughts boiled down to one simple sentence.

Ming Bai hesitated before speaking. “Please stay safe, my lord.”"