Chapter 305: Identity

Chapter 305 Identity

Ye Wang felt something was off about Jiang Qi.

After the post-inspection day, there were a few days of rest. Ye Wang, unusually, didn’t go to the military headquarters and stayed at home, feeling that Jiang Qi was being suspiciously obedient.

Although Jiang Qi had pretended to be obedient for the past month leading up to the revisit, even after it was over, his behavior remained alarmingly docile—to the point where it gave Ye Wang goosebumps.

He still addressed Ye Wang as "Sir" and had even started attempting to cook dinner in the evenings. It didn’t seem like anyone was forcing him; rather, he appeared to be enjoying it.

The only problem was that the results of his cooking were downright disastrous. Eventually, Ye Wang couldn’t bear to watch any longer and took over cooking, reassigning Jiang Qi to the task of chopping vegetables.

So when Ye Wang turned on the flame, he heard the rhythmic *thock-thock-thock* of a knife against the cutting board beside him.

The Commander cast a sidelong glance. Jiang Qi’s grip on the knife was as steady as when he held a gun, slicing scallions as if they were strips of meat. Ye Wang felt a chill run down his spine. "My Lady, maybe you should just go watch TV in the living room?"

Jiang Qi didn’t pause his chopping, only tilting his head in confusion. "What?"

"...Never mind. Keep chopping. Just keep chopping."

During dinner, Ye Wang opened the fridge and realized they were out of both beer and milk, so he decided to restock that evening. Jiang Qi looked up at him and, unexpectedly, asked, "Can I come with you?"

Ye Wang found it even more unnerving. "...Of course."

They took the aircraft together to the nearest supermarket.

Aisle after aisle of goods stretched before them. Jiang Qi maintained a two-step distance behind Ye Wang, observing but not picking anything up.

That distance was perfect for an ambush or assassination—close enough to expose all of the Commander’s vulnerabilities. Ye Wang’s hackles rose, so he handed over his black card. "Here, go shop for yourself. Buy whatever you want. No need to follow me."

Under normal circumstances, Jiang Qi would have politely declined, saying, "No need, Sir."

But this time, Jiang Qi studied the card for an uncomfortably long beat—and actually took it.

Half an hour later, they met at the checkout counter. Ye Wang had only grabbed a couple of packs of beer and milk, while Jiang Qi had picked out quite a few things.

There were strange, newly cultivated fruits, drinks with unfamiliar brands, and even a few expensive steaks charged to Ye Wang’s card.

Ye Wang picked up one of the steaks. "You like this?"

At home, Jiang Qi mostly ate vegetables, so Ye Wang had assumed he was strictly a greens guy.

Jiang Qi replied, "...I saw steak advertisements back in the Lower District, but after joining the military, I never got to try it."

Ye Wang placed the steak back in the cart. "Then give it a try."

The steak came with cooking instructions. Once home, Jiang Qi read them meticulously, approaching the task with battlefield intensity. He took half of the steak into the kitchen and began frying it in a small pan.

Unsurprisingly, it ended up burnt.

Ye Wang was lounging on the living room sofa, watching TV, when he spotted the white smoke wafting from the kitchen. Staring at the charred remains in the pan, his eye twitched. "My Lady, with all due respect, you truly have no talent for cooking. Maybe you should stop trying. That cow gave its life for nothing if this is what you’re doing to it."

"Is that so?" Jiang Qi scrutinized the instructions. "But this is what it says."

—At this moment, all traces of the *Imperial Star’s* icy edge had faded from him. He looked just like an ordinary student struggling with homework.

Ye Wang thought to himself that, if they were in the Federation, Jiang Qi would indeed have only graduated not long ago. But the person before him had already spent countless years within the confines of a laboratory.

"Forget it." Jiang Qi dumped the ashes from the pan. "Maybe I'm really not suited for this."

Ye Wang sighed softly.

Though the commander was also a kitchen disaster, he was still much better than Jiang Qi. After scanning the steak instructions for two minutes, he salvaged the remaining steak from Jiang Qi's hands.

When the meat was cooked to medium-well, filling the room with a charred aroma, Ye Wang plated it: "Here."

Jiang Qi took a bite.

Ye Wang: "How is it?"

Jiang Qi checked the steak's label: "Didn't taste any different from home's."

Ye Wang's mouth twitched: "Because the ones at home are the same quality."

"...Oh," Jiang Qi replied slowly. "Really?"

Later, Ye Wang even noticed Jiang Qi had started going out to visit the park.

Before, whenever he went out, it was to visit his siblings in the lower district. But now, he would sit on the park's grassy lawn, gazing absently at the blue sky and white clouds.

All polluting industries had been relocated to the lower district, and with the filtration systems working tirelessly day and night, the upper district's sky was a clear, lofty blue—nearly pristine—in stark contrast to the gray gloom of the lower district. The park's grass was also a carefully cultivated variety, soft to the touch and vibrantly green.

Many people in the park were flying kites with their children, while Jiang Qi lay alone on the quiet grass, his gaze empty as he watched the sky, a smile on his lips as colorful kites reflected in his pupils.

At dusk, he would walk by the lake, feeding pigeons and koi.

Vendors by the lake sold bread and fish food. Using Ye Wang's card, Jiang Qi would buy up half a vendor's stock at once, as if trying to stuff every fish in the lake. The pigeons in the square became so tame that they would nuzzle his fingers with their fluffy heads as soon as they saw him.

Jiang Qi gave a quiet laugh and broke off a large piece of bread for them.

But more often, he would simply circle the lake, walking aimlessly to pass the time like a peaceful old man who had let go of all worldly troubles, his heart filled only with peace.

By all appearances, Jiang Qi seemed to be improving.

It was as if he had completely emerged from the war's blood and fire, letting go of past hatred and beginning to embrace and enjoy life as the Empire had hoped. The cold laboratory, the painful past, the trauma and stress—all seemed to fade from him like shadows under the midday sun.

Yet Ye Wang couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

Even if Jiang Qi had truly moved on, he shouldn’t be like this.

An ominous feeling settled in the commander’s heart. Ye Wang poked 66: "What’s going on with the plot from here?"

66 snapped: "You think I know?"

It wriggled to turn over on Ye Wang’s shoulder. "Seriously, by the original plot, your 'wife' should still be undergoing secondary observation in Cell 7026 for failing evaluations. He was never supposed to be released! You’re the one who changed the plot, and now you’re asking *me* what happens next?"

66 grew angrier as it spoke, finally jabbing Ye Wang’s head with its horn. "So only God knows what’ll happen now."

"He’s a mission target, not my wife," Ye Wang corrected coldly. "Then what happens after?"

When he first arrived in the Empire, Ye Wang hadn’t cared much about Pei Gu’s fate—he just wanted to wrap up the clues and leave. But now...

Ye Wang felt strangely hesitant.

66: "After? After half a year, Jiang Qi completes his 'rehabilitation' and gets released again, continuing to be your 'wife.' Then, on some moonless windy night—*crack*—"

66 made a strange noise. "He snaps your neck, and you’re done for."

66 shrugged: "But this doesn't require acting skills. You just need to lie there and let him twist your neck. You don’t seem to care how Pei Gu kicks the bucket anyway, so I didn’t bother telling you."

Ye Wang indeed didn’t care how Pei Gu died—whether his neck snapped or he was stabbed through the heart. Even if Jiang Qi wanted to chop Pei Gu into steak cuts, Ye Wang wouldn’t object.

What he really cared about was something else: "After I die—ah, no, after Pei Gu dies, what happens to Jiang Qi?"

66: "I don’t know."

It said matter-of-factly: "My job’s just your role-play segment. Once you’re dead, my storyline ends. How would I know what happens next? The main character’s not my problem."

Ye Wang: "..."

He rubbed his temples, his expression growing solemn.

The story didn’t spell it out, but the outcome could be imagined.

Pei Gu was a high-ranking imperial official, a major general in the military. Killing Pei Gu meant Jiang Qi was past the point of no return.

What happened afterward? After killing Pei Gu, what came next?

Ye Wang paused: "Six months later, when Jiang Qi is released, what happens to his brother and sister?"

66: "Hmm, that’s on record."

"The sister died from total organ failure caused by a genetic disorder. The brother had no income and couldn’t afford funeral or cremation costs. Blind as he was, digging a grave wasn’t an option, so he had to keep his sister in a freezer. Jiang Qi would probably see her when he got out."

Ye Wang took a deep breath.

Radiation-induced genetic diseases not only caused systemic organ failure but also led to skin lesions and shedding. What Jiang Qi saw must’ve been a horror show.

He said softly: "Got it."

*

About a week later, Ye Wang kept tabs on Jiang Qi’s movements, but Jiang Qi’s side was quiet. Instead, Bu Nian sent him a message.

Colonel Bu Nian: "Major General, request your presence. The video analysis is complete. Our experts have found something."

Almost simultaneously, a single-line order popped up on Ye Wang’s device: "Major General Ye Wang, please comply fully with Colonel Bu Nian’s directives."

That night, Ye Wang once again wound up in the back alleys of the Lower District.

Bu Nian led him to an underground wine cellar, slid him a glass of azure cocktail, and then projected the video onto a screen.

In the center of the screen, he highlighted the label on the medicine box: "Major General, take a look here."

On the label was a line of complex, encrypted text.

"Our experts deciphered it. The serial number on the medicine box doesn’t belong to any known genetic drug—it seems to be a brand-new strain. The empire’s classification for it is marked here—"

He pointed with a laser pen: "Three stars. The Humanoid Weapon Project was also rated three stars back then. Without a doubt, this is another research project with the potential to turn the tide of war. We reported this discovery to our superiors, and their directive is to have us steal a vial."

"I’ve also received orders to cooperate with your operation," Ye Wang raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a plan?"

"Thanks to the high-definition pupil image you obtained, our experts replicated the iris. Plus, we already have someone working in the warehouse. Stealing it’s the easy part." Bu Nian tapped the screen. "The only problem is how to transport the drug out."

Ye Wang: "The warehouse has the strictest anti-theft system. If a theft occurs, all ports in the empire will be locked down within two hours, with private vessels subjected to rigorous inspections. Even without considering evading checks, transporting the goods from the research institute to the port would take over four hours. There’s absolutely no way we’d make the window."

Bu Nian: "Exactly. So we don’t need to go through the port immediately."

He lightly flicked the projector controls, and the video disappeared, replaced by a slowly unfolding holographic map of the Lower District.

This area was in a state of chaos and disorder, with countless illegally constructed buildings stacked together, forming a hidden zone impervious to sunlight and satellite surveillance. A maze of cramped, tangled alleyways snaked between the buildings like the delicate veins of a leaf.

Bu Nian: "The upper districts have almost never paid attention to the lower districts. They don't know squat about this place, but we aren’t. We've been stuck here forever—we control more surveillance cameras here than even the Empire’s higher-ups. So, we don’t need to go through the ports immediately. We can use this vast, chaotic slum to hide temporarily."

"But," Bu Nian’s tone shifted, "the medication's effectiveness is only a little over a month. During that time, the ports will likely remain under strict lockdown. So..."

He looked at Ye Wang.

Ye Wang: "So, we'll need to use my credentials."

As a major general, Ye Wang had the authority to clear an unregistered ship for departure.

But what would the cost be?

Given the Empire’s investigative methods, they would eventually trace it back to Pei Gu.

Both Bu Nian and Ye Wang knew this well.

"Fine, I’ll cooperate. I also have a small request—let’s handle it together." Ye Wang picked up the cocktail, the harsh burn of liquor searing his throat. "I've got three people with me. Help me take them away—get them to the Federation. Patch them up—whatever they need, and wait for my return."

"As for this identity tied to Pei Gu..."

Ye Wang chuckled, "We've done what we needed to do. It's served its purpose."