Chapter 39

Chapter 39

"You mean General Lin Pei?"

Yi Ye nodded: "Moving us here is probably to keep us from seeing him."

"Tsk, it's gotta be Lieutenant Joseph's doing. Our best shot at seeing General Lin Pei is probably when the warship returns. But why's he keeping tabs on us?"

"Probably 'cause he can't stand us," Yi Ye said as he grabbed the record book and started working. Kaiser followed him, hearing him say, "Joseph not liking me is normal, but his attitude toward you probably has to do with your father. Joseph's a General Lin Pei supporter, and you're General Moses' son. How do you think he sees you?"

Kaiser got it, of course. He leaned against the shelf, eyeing the youth's sharp features: "But he can't keep me from seeing General Lin Pei forever."

"Not forever - we're only here for 15 days."

"...Shit," Kaiser muttered, annoyed.

"You that eager to see him? You a fanboy or something?"

"I just want to see how strong he is."

Kaiser's hunger for strength was real and intense. Ever since he was 12, he'd been hearing stories about this Lin Pei guy.

At 20, he took out two thousand Zerg with just five hundred ships. At 24, he became an official commander. At 29, he was appointed commander of the Vanguard Legion. For the past decade, he's made the Vanguard Legion every empire soldier's dream posting.

Everyone - buddies, teachers, even the help - kept pairing up "Lin Pei" and "Moses," calling them the empire's unbeatable war gods - the ultimate spear and shield. Over time, Kaiser got it in his head: if he could just top Lin Pei, he'd be a stronger Alpha than his old man and take over the Audria family.

"I gotta see General Lin Pei today."

"That desperate, huh?"

Kaiser: "Yes."

Yi Ye shot a look at the supervisor by the armory entrance, thought for a second, then snapped the record book shut: "Alright, Young Master, I'll bail you out this once - call it payback for that terminal favor."

Kaiser narrowed his eyes: "How are you going to help?"

"We'll figure something out."

He tapped the shelf corner with the record book, nodding at some glass marbles inside, "Look, what have I found?"

...

A few minutes later.

The supervisor was in contact with Lieutenant Joseph.

"Don't sweat it, Lieutenant, I've got my eyes on 'em. They won't get anywhere near General Lin Pei. No way they'll screw this up - they're just a couple of military academy brats. What could they possibly pull in the armory? Yes, yes! I guarantee the task will be completed!"

The supervisor gave a lazy salute, then pocketed his terminal after the call ended. Suddenly, he heard a series of rapid "click-clack" sounds.

"What's that noise?"

He looked deep into the warehouse and noticed the two students were missing. Frowning, he kicked his subordinate beside him, "Go in and find them."

"Ah..." The subordinate hesitated for a few seconds, then slowly walked in.

The armory was sealed tight, getting darker the deeper you went. The old overhead lights threw a creepy red glow, setting the scene like some Zerg horror flick.

The sound of glass marbles rang out again.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

It seemed to echo right by the ear, otherworldly yet spine-chilling.

The soldier swallowed dryly, his clenched fists slick with sweat. He crept closer, spotting a scrap of black fabric sticking out from behind a box. His hand immediately tightened around the nightstick at his waist. He lunged forward, about to shout, when suddenly someone covered his mouth—

…………

The subordinate hadn’t come back, so the supervisor sent in the others one by one to look for him, but none returned. He paced back and forth, getting more and more worked up. What the hell’s going on? This armory isn’t some black hole—how’s everyone vanishing into thin air?

"These useless idiots, they're all begging for a court-martial!" The supervisor rolled up his sleeves and marched in.

He stormed deeper into the warehouse, his nightstick cutting through the air like a whip. He reached the spot where his subordinates had disappeared and also noticed the fabric sticking out from behind a box. He thought to himself: I knew I'd find you, just wait till I beat you to death!

"On your feet, all of you! You think I won’t—" The supervisor slammed his nightstick heavily on the ground, roaring, but his voice abruptly cut off.

"..." He stood there, dumbfounded, "What are you all doing!!"

Yi Ye and the previously missing soldiers were sitting in a circle, their expressions dead serious.

Yi Ye: "Oh, we're making a blood oath."

"...What did you say?"

Yi Ye patted his pants and stood up, speaking earnestly, "I really clicked with these guys. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance—we’ve gotta become blood brothers."

A soldier chimed in: "Yes, Captain, Comrade Yi Ye is right. It's really rare to meet a comrade you vibe with!"

The supervisor's face twisted into a knot, "Have you lost your minds? What the hell are you doing? Blood oaths, my ass—if you die, you’ll all rot together!"

Subordinate: "Wah—"

"Cut the crap! Get the hell out of here, damn it, making blood oaths, why don't you just swear him as your father!" The supervisor was so angry his chest heaved violently, completely unaware that something was missing. Only when he noticed the red cloth on a nearby box did his eyes widen in shock.

"Wait, where's that redhead!"

Yi Ye innocently shrugged, "Don't know, maybe he took a leak."

"You think I’m an idiot?"

This was bad. He had confidently claimed he could keep an eye on them, but now one had slipped away.

"You guys, keep him in your sights—don’t let him slip away! I’m going after him!" With that, the supervisor hurriedly ran out.

In the vast, quiet armory, the group looked at each other.

Yi Ye propped his chin on his hand, "What’s the hold-up? Your boss is gone—let’s keep this party going."

"Heh heh heh." The group quickly hid their hands under their seats, each holding a deck of cards and a handful of marbles.

"Let’s keep this game going! I’m winning back every last marble this time!"

...

Meanwhile, Kaiser quickly left the armory.

Word about General Lin Pei’s return had spread like wildfire, with everyone buzzing about it.

Kaiser tugged his hat low and leaned against the wall, catching two soldiers talking about how General Lin Pei had found Zerg tracks near the Dream Domain—and it had something to do with the Zerg Queen.

For centuries, the Empire and the Zerg have been locked in an unending conflict. The military has long sought ways to annihilate the Zerg, but the most effective method is to find the Zerg Queen. With the death of the Zerg Queen, the Zerg would inevitably collapse and face extinction.

Yet, any information about the Zerg Queen has been completely concealed, leaving no trace. No matter how hard the Empire strives, not even the faintest clue has been uncovered.

If General Lin Pei has truly uncovered a lead on the Zerg Queen this time, it will undoubtedly become a turning point in the conflict between the Empire and the Zerg.

Kaiser was deep in thought.

What could the clue about the Zerg Queen be?

*

Yi Ye had spent nearly two hours playing poker with the soldiers in the armory, and Kaiser still hadn't returned. There was still a lot of work to be done in the armory, so he waved his hand to end the game, tucked the cards and marbles into his pocket, and dismissed the soldiers.

The soldiers left the armory reluctantly, glancing back every few steps.

Alone in the vast armory, he worked, recording the quantities of each type of weapon and ammunition in the logbook. By the time he finished recording a third of the items, darkness had already fallen. Yi Ye checked the time and realized Kaiser still hadn't returned.

"Why is it taking so long?"

Kaiser was competitive but not impulsive. Even if he encountered General Lin Pei, he wouldn't pick a fight with him in public. Yi Ye had a bad feeling and pulled out his terminal to message Kaiser, asking where he was, but there was no reply.

Could something have happened?

He quickly gathered his things and rushed out of the armory. On the way, he bumped into the senior officer who had led their night patrol earlier. Yi Ye quickly stopped him and asked about Kaiser's whereabouts.

"Kaiser... Oh, you mean that tall red-haired guy who was with you, right?" The man had indeed seen Kaiser and clicked his tongue in admiration. "He's quite the character. I heard he's at the training base now, sparring with General Lin Pei's subordinates."

Yi Ye asked, "He actually went to pick a fight?"

"Yeah, and he got his ass handed to him."

Yi Ye was stunned. He thanked the man and rushed to the training base.

The training ground was packed, and Yi Ye had to elbow his way through the crowd. He finally reached the front, but the towering soldiers blocked his view. He had to stand on his tiptoes to see what was happening inside.

The dull thud of fists meeting echoed repeatedly, and Yi Ye frowned.

The atmosphere inside the training ground was extremely intense. Each punch carried a howling force, heavy enough to make anyone's heart race. But Kaiser was clearly outmatched. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, his cheekbone was bruised, and the knuckles on his hands were torn and bleeding. Though still on his feet, his body trembled slightly, and his breathing grew ragged. He was clearly reaching his breaking point.

Yi Ye couldn't help but take the situation seriously and turned his attention to Kaiser's opponent.

It was impossible to determine his age. With the average lifespan in the galaxy being two hundred years, one couldn't judge a person's true age by appearance alone. But this man's skills were extremely refined, typical of a berserker. Although he had deliberately held back his strength when facing Kaiser, one could still easily sense his immense combat power.

He was strong.

The strongest person Yi Ye had ever seen.

And yet, such a person was merely a subordinate of General Lin Pei.

"Again!" Kaiser staggered to his feet, spat out a mouthful of blood, and growled.

The man opposite him remained calm, his hands behind his back: "For a student of the Imperial Honor Military Academy to reach this level, you're impressive. But I won't continue with you."

"Why not?"

"I've been on the battlefield for thirty years. You can't win against me. I regret the disrespect shown by my team members toward Comrade Elman, but you should also reflect on yourself. Challenging General Lin Pei in public not only violates the Vanguard Legion's military orders but also shows disrespect to the General. The punches I gave you are just a small lesson. When you return, your instructor will issue further disciplinary action."

Kaiser sneered: "Your comrades mocked a veteran behind his back, and you think a half-hearted apology can make it go away? I don't believe General Lin Pei didn't hear those words, but he chose to turn a blind eye. So this is the First Commander of the Vanguard Legion, incapable of even the simplest form of justice!"

"I'm warning you for the last time, shut your mouth and get back to where you belong!" The man's voice grew heavy, and his fists slowly tightened.

Kaiser remained unmoved: "Let General Lin Pei come out!"

The man closed his eyes and took a deep breath: "You're really stubborn."

As soon as he finished speaking, the man was about to attack again when a voice suddenly interrupted his action.

"Stop, Raymond."

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried enough authority to silence everyone.

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. A tall man in a silver uniform walked out, with black hair and black eyes, his striking, chiseled features as sharp as if sculpted by a master.

"It's General Lin Pei!" "The General is here!"

Respectful murmurs rippled through the crowd, and the crowd erupted into chatter.

But when that face appeared completely in front of Yi Ye, his expression was different from the others'.

He was stunned, even a little dazed, as if he couldn't bear to face it.

That face... it was...

Jiang Duming?