Chapter 102

Chapter 102

Ling Pei had arranged to meet him near the main star port.

Several star cruisers roared overhead, past the port, and a flood of people poured out of the open gates. His slender figure stood out conspicuously in the crowd as Yi Ye wore a hoodie and loose trousers.

But upon closer approach, one could hear this youth muttering like an old man.

Ling Pei was indeed odd; a general who could’ve taken a private transport chose to squeeze into a passenger ship instead and made him wait here. It’s not like he had nothing to do; why couldn’t they have met at a restaurant?

The recent passenger traffic at the main star had reached a terrifying level, with the port as crowded as the Spring Festival travel rush. Even breathing room had to be fiercely fought for, and he was nearly crushed flat.

"Why hasn’t he arrived yet..."

All of a sudden, someone tapped his shoulder.

He struggled to turn and faced a black mask.

Ling Pei, wearing a black baseball cap and mask, was tall with broad shoulders. The sharply tailored long coat made his figure look even more impressive. Even after a long journey, he exuded a fierce aura, as if he’d just come off the battlefield.

"General..."

A gloved finger pressed to his lips as Ling Pei whispered, "Let’s talk somewhere else."

Then, taking Yi Ye’s hand, he led him away from the crowd.

Only when they reached a corner without surveillance cameras or bystanders did Ling Pei let go of his hand.

"General, why are you sneaking around like a thief?"

He removed his hat and mask, revealing his full face: "I was supposed to return in the afternoon, and it’s inconvenient to be seen by others."

"..."

Yi Ye silently covered his eyes.

Ling Pei: "?"

"Isn’t it inconvenient for me to see you too? Are you going to kill me to shut me up next?"

He didn’t want to have a gun shoved in his face again.

Ling Pei, speechless, pulled his hand down and got straight to the point: "Tell me, are you involved with the Tenth Seat’s matter?"

Yi Ye paused, his expression natural: "No."

"Really?"

"Didn’t the Tenth Seat die in a fire?" he asked innocently, his expression unreadable.

Ling Pei frowned slightly.

The official cause of the Tenth Seat’s death was reported as perishing in a fire, but at the Round Table of the Senate, it was impossible to keep the true cause—a chest pierced by a sharp sword—secret. He knew Yi Ye was also at the banquet that day, and couldn’t help but suspect, but seeing his reaction, he wasn’t sure anymore.

He didn’t press further. If it was true, Yi Ye should act clueless; if not, even better.

"You came back early just to ask me this?"

"..."

"Is this really what it was about?"

As if he had stumbled upon some groundbreaking secret, he stared at Lin Pei with curiosity.

Lin Pei replied coldly, "Yi Ye, I was once your superior. If you're involved in a murder case, I have the right to know every detail."

"If I were involved, would you throw me into the Imperial prison?"

"I have my own methods."

He dropped the subject. Noticing Yi Ye's messy look, Lin Pei frowned and straightened his hood and clothes, saying, "I'll be swamped the next few days and won't have time to look for you. Coming back early was the best chance to see you."

"It's because of the trial, isn't it?"

His casual tone made Lin Pei's gaze turn sharp, sharply fixed on him.

Signaling him to relax, Yi Ye explained, "It's been all over the main planet lately, you can find posts on forums saying that the Twelve Seats committed treason and will soon be secretly tried and executed. It's not that I deliberately wanted to know."

"But General, did the Twelve Seats really commit treason?"

"This doesn't concern you, stop asking."

"Is he still alive, or is he dead?"

Lin Pei shut his eyes, "Yi Ye, enough."

"But I heard he wasn't a traitor—"

"Yi Ye!"

"I met him."

Lin Pei suddenly looked at him.

The young man let go of his hand, leaning lazily against the wall, his hood hung low, covering his bangs. He looked up at Lin Pei, his smile held a touch of helplessness, "General, I think I might actually have some connection with the Twelve Seats."

The Duchess of Wenz wouldn't reveal the old man's identity, so he had to find out on his own. Fortunately, the bakery owner knew the old man well and provided him with a lot of information.

The old man had lived in this area for at least thirty years, had no relatives, and always bought bread for one person, occasionally accompanied by a mechanical corgi.

He was eccentric, had a thing for chocolate beans, and was passionate about making machinery. He made his own mechanical arm and leg.

It was said that more than twenty years ago, he was kidnapped, and the kidnappers cut off his hands and feet, subjecting him to inhumane physical and mental torture. But later, the old man pulled through and, with the help of the police, successfully returned to the main planet.

Then he locked himself in a mechanical laboratory for a month and eventually created a nearly perfect arm and hand.

Undoubtedly, such talent is rare on the main planet.

And his name, the bakery owner once heard a man with the Imperial Court emblem call him:

Dr. Anderson.

The name of the last seat of the Senate is "Ake Anderson."

Who'd have guessed that the last seat of the Round Table, the Empire's renowned mecha designer, would live in a shabby little bungalow, begging bread from his neighbors? Any passerby would think you're nuts, as none of the Twelve Seats of the Senate live in anything less than a luxurious villa. Who would live in a shabby bungalow?

But it just so happens to be the case,

And this maverick old man even deliberately made the chip into a puzzle, step by step guiding him to this point. Yi Ye didn't want to get involved in the internal disputes of the Senate, but having come this far, he at least wanted to clarify the things he needed to ask.

"Is Dr. Anderson still alive?"

Ling Pei’s gaze was heavy, fixed on him without a response.

He waved his hand: "Then let me rephrase: will he show up at the trial?"

"Yi Ye, the trial’s outcome is a foregone conclusion. His presence won’t change a thing. The case was a joint investigation by the imperial judge and the Central Army Corps. The evidence against Anderson is ironclad. The trial’s just a formality."

"So he confessed to treason?"

"...He never denied it."

Yi Ye crossed his arms, lost in thought.

Then he said something enigmatic to Ling Pei: "General, silence isn’t admission. Isn’t calling it ‘default’ a stretch?"

"No one cares if he’s silently resisting or just staying quiet." Ling Pei’s words were exceptionally cold and ruthless, "As one of the Twelve Seats, he should’ve known his every word and action would be under a microscope. If he’s truly innocent, he should’ve come forward with proof."

"You can’t expect an innocent person to prove their own innocence."

"But can you prove he’s innocent?"

Silence fell.

It was a circular argument.

"The coronation’s in three days. That’s what you should be focusing on. Without power, stay out of Senate affairs. Many deaths are better left unexamined."

He glanced at the time: "Time’s up. I’ve got to go."

Ling Pei put his mask and hat back on, turned, and walked away.

But after a few steps, he was suddenly called back.

"He gave me something!"

Ling Pei frowned, turning to face the youth’s intense stare. In the dim light, he opened his hand, revealing a puzzle piece.

The puzzle Dr. Anderson first gave was a chaotic mix of colors, like an ink splash—formless, the subject unclear, but the colors were vibrant and dazzling.

Like all the most beautiful colors blended together.

"He gave three of these puzzles to homeless folks, one to the Royal Library, and another to the bakery owner he visited often."

"I’m sure this meant something to him, but would a traitor who sold blueprints to the Federation for profit give his treasures to homeless folks?"

He didn’t know why Dr. Anderson gave him the puzzle, but standing here, he couldn’t pretend to be indifferent, holding it like he knew nothing.

He didn’t like this Yi Ye.

The crowd surged around them, and above the sprawling imperial capital, countless stars flickered.

They looked at each other without words, Ling Pei stood silently for a long time, as if finally conceding, returning to him.

"So he gave this to you."

His murmur carried a distant sigh.

Before Yi Ye could inquire, he reached into the inner pocket of his coat near his chest, took out a neatly folded handkerchief, opened it with his fingertips, and placed its contents into Yi Ye’s hand.

"He chose you. It surprised me, but it also didn’t."

If he were in Dr. Anderson's desperate situation, perhaps he would have made the same move.

This youth before him always evoked a sense of hope.

Yi Ye stared at the puzzle piece in disbelief, at a loss for words. A mix of complex emotions culminated in a silent laugh: "Dr. Anderson... hasn’t been watching me all this time, has he? So he knew you’d give this to me?"

Ling Pei shook his head: "He gave it to me a year ago."

This puzzle game began when Anderson sent this piece to the Vanguard Legion’s command room in a letter.

In the letter, Anderson foresaw his impending death, but being old and unable to combat the omnipresent enemies, he embedded his life’s greatest mecha designs into this puzzle piece and entrusted it to the only person he trusted in the empire—Ling Pei.

The letter also said:

"General, I’ve created nine puzzle pieces in total. Each will be gifted or hidden by me, but one day, their contents will surely resurface. At least, that’s my fervent hope. If someone brings you a puzzle piece and you deem them worthy, entrust it to them. Let them make their own choices—don’t dissuade or assist them. Tell them this:"

"You can abandon these pieces and walk away, or persist, but the path after collecting them will be far harder than you imagine. Many will wish for your death, countless eyes will watch you through the blood mist. You may live or die, and your ending may not surpass mine. But whatever you choose, the fact that you’ve come this far proves you possess a noble soul."

"Anderson left this in some year, some month, with his final breath."

Yi Ye was speechless. No words could match the weight of the puzzle piece in his hand. His fingers tightened slowly, his pale hand trembling faintly.

"He knew he would die?"

"The wise always foresee their death a step ahead."

Ling Pei solemnly said: "My earlier dissuasion no longer holds, Yi Ye. The choice is yours."

"...When is the trial?"

"Three days from now," Ling Pei took a deep breath, "on the same day as the Emperor’s coronation. Do you understand what that means?"

"If I attend the trial at the Imperial Court, I’ll lose my A-level cadet status, anger the Emperor, and possibly even face arrest."

"Yes."

"..."

Truthfully, he didn’t need to get involved at all. His mission in this world was Bai Chuan. As for some old man or the last seat, it was irrelevant. He had no evidence; attending would only mean wasting time on a trial without a suspect, and it might bring trouble to Bai Chuan.

He could speak eloquently, but when it came to making a real choice, he couldn’t simply shed his burdens.

Yi Ye suppressed his impulse, lowering his eyes. "I’ll think about it... I’ll think about it."

*

After parting with Ling Pei, he returned home.

Bai Chuan was out, leaving the house silent except for Little Orange.

The house next door remained empty—perhaps forever.

Yi Ye took out all the puzzle pieces, absentmindedly toying with them as Little Orange nuzzled his ankle. After what felt like an eternity of hesitation, he picked up the dog. "Whatever’s inside, I’ll have plenty of time to regret it later."

After scanning the chip, the screen unsurprisingly displayed: "Little Orange's appetite 9/7"

But just as he reached out, the screen suddenly flickered, and a mechanical voice sounded:

"Hidden chip triggered, scanning completed."

"Little Orange's appetite is 9 out of 10"

"..."

Yi Ye grabbed Little Orange, staring into its big eyes: "So you’ve got one hidden in your belly!"

Little Orange wagged its tail happily.

Yi Ye wiped his face and set the dog back on the ground, looking at the screen with a mix of amusement and exasperation.

A new folder appeared, named "A Record of a Single Breath," but upon opening it, instead of the thousands of design drawings Yi Ye had expected, there was only a roughly made video and a compressed file.

The screen showed his blurred reflection. Yi Ye took two deep breaths, reached out, and clicked on the video.

…………

Three days later.

The Emperor's ceremony took place in front of the palace hall, with numerous nobles and high society figures arriving, the sound of camera flashes filled the air.

On the stage, Bai Chuan and Kaiser wore their military academy uniforms, alongside other Imperial Honor Military Academy students who had participated in the simulated battle.

"Where's Yi Ye?"

Kaiser searched for a long time but couldn't see Yi Ye, so he asked Bai Chuan.

"He said he had something to take care of and would be late," Bai Chuan replied, then paused and looked up. "He's here."

Yi Ye stood in the distance, dressed in his uniform, with a casual smile as he waved at them.

With General Mo Xi nearby, Kaiser held back his urge to run down, clenched his fists, and gazed intently at Yi Ye, hoping that figure would hurry over, step onto the stage, and stand by his side.

After today, Yi Ye would shine as a dazzling star above the empire, with a future of limitless potential. Perhaps he would become as illustrious as Kaiser, or even surpass him in the future.

Come on up, hurry...

It had been too long since he had seen Yi Ye.

At that moment, he was desperately longing to embrace this black-haired youth.

However, Yi Ye's steps halted.

He smiled and shook his head slightly at them, then began to retreat, moving away from the crowd, and then turned around, vanishing into the crowd like a brilliant firework fading into the night sky.