Chapter 28 The Counselor’s Twenty-Seventh Day [ThirteenJudge Court, commencing…

Chapter 28: The Counselor’s 27th Day on Duty

“The Thirteen Trials, officially commencing…”

Twenty-four hours left until the Thirteen Trials.

Cheng Jingnian entered the office as usual, carrying a bag of breakfast. Mou Lin sat in his chair, eyes vacant.

“Ugh—sorry, but get that away from me!” The moment breakfast was placed on Mou Lin’s desk, the dark-haired counselor sprang up, letting out a dry heave.

Cheng Jingnian was stunned; even his usually steady hand quivered for a moment. “What’s wrong? Not feeling well? If you’re sick, let’s get you to the hospital now. If there’s not enough time, I’ll help you take care of things.”

Mou Lin covered his mouth, face pale, shaking his head repeatedly. “It’s fine… I’m just nervous… I feel like throwing up…”

“Not prepared?” Cheng Jingnian tensed up as well.

Mou Lin collapsed back into his chair, shaking his head weakly. “No, I’ve done pretty much everything I can, but I feel like there’s something I missed… It’s so painful, anxiety-inducing, and torturous… I finished reviewing the script at six this morning. There’s nothing left to do now, which makes me even more anxious.”

“Then take a break.” Cheng Jingnian tried his usual tactic, reaching out again.

Mou Lin pushed his hand away. “Last night—no, early this morning—I slept restlessly. I was so anxious I couldn’t take it anymore and was up by six. Now I can’t sleep…”

“Can’t keep anything down either?” Cheng Jingnian’s expression was complicated. Clearly, as an overachiever, he found it hard to understand how someone could work themselves into such a state a full 24 hours in advance.

Mou Lin dejectedly pulled out a cup of sweetened milk, indicating that this was all he could manage.

Cheng Jingnian sighed.

“I’m going out for breakfast. Should I bring you some snacks?”

Mou Lin ducked under the desk, disappeared for half a minute, then emerged holding a pack of teddy bear cookies, signaling that he could eat those.

Cheng Jingnian was impressed.

…

Nineteen hours left until the Thirteen Trials.

A special notification chimed from Mou Lin’s terminal. His heart raced, and he bolted upright, completely ignoring the identical chime that echoed from another terminal in the office.

“W-we can preload and debug the environment now!” He clutched his terminal, unsure whether his fingers or the metal casing felt colder.

“Go back to the dorm and use the immersion gear,” Cheng Jingnian said, turning off his own terminal screen. “Nothing urgent lately. I can hold down the fort.”

Terminals in the interstellar era were equivalent to smartphones—they could access the standard version of the StarNet, but for full immersion, a specialized helmet-style login device was required.

Mou Lin nodded, almost tripped over the desk as he stood up, and stumbled again at the doorway.

Is he really going to be okay?

Cheng Jingnian watched his staggering figure, for the first time in his life worrying about an adult’s ability to walk straight.

…

Eighteen hours left until the Thirteen Trials.

After fully debugging all scenes and loading settings, Mou Lin was drenched in sweat even though he was using a virtual body on the StarNet.

Some of it was from running back to the dorm under the scorching sun, but most was cold sweat from nerves.

Following the instructions sent by the coordinator, he adjusted the final parameter and pressed the “Initialize All” button.

Darkness spread from under his feet until it consumed his entire field of vision.

Overhead, cold white spotlights from the dome shone down—not moonlight or starlight, but like a blanket of frost covering everything, directly illuminating Mou Lin.

“Ahem… cough.” He tentatively made a few sounds, hearing hollow echoes.

The reverb is too high. Turn it down a bit.

As Mou Lin walked, he dragged the slider control. With each step, the lights followed, moving and expanding, illuminating twelve black upright coffins around a crimson round table.

He curled his fingers and rapped his knuckles on the coffin panels, hearing the same hollow sound.

At nine tomorrow, all participants except him would remain inside these black coffins throughout the proceedings—unseen, voices distorted, barely distinguishable by gender, with all information kept completely confidential.

It was said that in the earliest days of the Thirteen Trials, due to wartime resource shortages, participants had to hide in floor-length metal lockers to achieve anonymity while discussing—or, in more urgent cases, even sit inside standardized mechs.

As time passed and the Federation’s War of Independence was won, people began seeking ceremony and solemnity. The containers evolved into wooden coffins, imbued with deeper meaning: the coffins symbolized participants summoned back from the Styx, expected to discuss with absolute rationality, holding pre-established positions free from personal bias or interests.

This tradition of the First Military Academy hadn’t been convened in a long time. In recent years, it only appeared in literary works as a niche but intriguing setting—often used for themes like self-interrogation or self-judgment, or by historical fiction fans writing about “forbidden love” during the Federation’s War of Independence.

Now, with the Thirteen Trials reconvened, it had become a hot topic among Frost Star residents. Once the live broadcast started at nine tomorrow morning, likely the entire Federation would tune in—maybe even Empire citizens bypassing firewalls to watch.

After all, live broadcasts were the ultimate bait for interstellar folks. Every interstellar citizen aimed to be that NPC in a full-network live broadcast who’d replay clips, scrutinize details, and eventually set the whole network abuzz.

Mou Lin walked to the opposite end of the round table and stopped. Using his hands to frame a viewfinder, he peered through the makeshift lens.

Crimson table, black coffins, and the snow-white floor illuminated by the lights—only these three colors filled his vision, like a trailer for a Gothic horror film.

Terrifying indeed, that a few people’s words could decide someone’s fate, all while becoming entertainment for countless others.

Mou Lin smiled self-deprecatingly, saved all settings, clicked “Log Off,” and exited.

…

Twelve hours left until the Thirteen Trials.

All participants confirmed receipt of information, their attendance assured, with ample time reserved.

…

Nine hours left until the Thirteen Trials.

Mou Lin tossed and turned in his dorm bed, unable to sleep. The once-comfortable hard bed felt unbearably awkward tonight. Whether lying on his side or back, previously unnoticed bones ached from every awkward angle.

Furious, he sat up, pummeled his pillow, and immediately bought a new mattress on the StarNet.

Already stressed, and now even the bedding was against him!

Mou Lin sat on the bed fuming, his naturally curly hair tangled into a steel-wool mess from all the tossing and turning.

A message popped up at the top of his terminal:

“Cheng Jingnian: .”

Mou Lin replied instantly:

“Mou Lin: .”

“Cheng Jingnian: Can’t sleep?”

“Mou Lin: Ugh, so annoying. Just realized my bed’s super hard.”

“Cheng Jingnian: I have a spare blanket. Want me to bring it over for you to cushion it?”

“Mou Lin: No need, I’m just venting.”

Cheng Jingnian didn’t reply. After a while, he sent a contact for a psychological counselor.

Mou Lin clicked open and saw a border collie with blue-tipped black fur sticking out its tongue and laughing in the profile picture.

Is this the so-called “animal profile picture to put clients at ease”? This counselor is quite professional.

He then clicked into the detailed profile. The gender field read “female variable star border collie,” which left him completely baffled.

“Mou Lin: ???”

“Mou Lin: You know, where I’m from, there’s a saying: Talking to plants is called having a childlike heart, but if the plants talk back to you, it’s time to worry about psychosis or mushroom poisoning. The same goes for dogs.”

Cheng Jingnian closed the argument in just six words:

“Cheng Jingnian: It has a university degree.”

Mou Lin was speechless and decided to just go to sleep. At least in his dreams, there wouldn’t be any college-educated dogs working as psychological counselors.

……

Three hours left until the Thirteen Trials.

After a nightmare about flunking the gaokao because of a border collie, Mou Lin woke up in a cold sweat. After a quick wash, he angrily ripped open a pack of puppy biscuits for breakfast.

He took one last sip of water and put on the login headset.

“[Thirteen Trials] has begun.”

“[Instructor] 1 person logged in, total: 1.”

“[Instructor] All logged in. Current login progress: 1/13.”

……

Two hours left until the Thirteen Trials.

Zhao Yao silently recited the mantra Teacher Cheng had taught him yesterday. His finger hovered over Cong Xieying’s contact interface, unable to press down.

After much hesitation, he resolutely clicked the uninstall button on the spyware.

He had already made one mistake; he couldn’t make another.

“[Injured Party] 1 person logged in, total: 4.”

……

Cheng Jingnian stepped out of the shower, drying his silver hair with a towel.

His partner was already lying on the sofa wearing the login headset, his consciousness already in the trial venue built on the Star Network. The headset obscured his entire face, but his body subconsciously gave away his feelings.

Cheng Jingnian shook his head, pried open Mou Lin’s tightly clenched, pale hands, and stuffed a sofa cushion into his palms.

After doing all this, Cheng Jingnian looked up and noticed a pack of heart-shaped dog biscuits his partner had left for him on the coffee table.

The Drill Instructor popped them into his mouth and found they were strawberry-flavored.

He laughed to himself, found his own login headset, returned to his room, sat at the desk, and put it on.

“[Injured Party] 4 people logged in, total: 4.”

“[Injured Party] All logged in. Current login progress: 7/13.”

……

“How did you get picked? So jealous—” Liu Hesheng, chin in hand, drawled.

Teruonaisi was still yawning: “Mmm, so sleepy…”

Liu Hesheng pushed a can of coffee into her friend’s hand, intrigued: “Which side are you planning to take? Reduce the sentence or uphold the original verdict?”

Teruonaisi chugged the coffee: “Dunno. We’re both betas. Those extreme Alpha and Omega rights issues, in the end, have nothing to do with us. Whoever makes sense, I’ll listen.”

“Playing both sides?”

“No, a neutral vote.” The empty coffee can made a perfect arc through the air into the trash. “I just want to get the military school advisor’s contact info.”

The online librarian said: “I have questions I want to ask them.”

“[Neutral Party] 5 people logged in, total: 5.”

“[Neutral Party] All logged in. Current login progress: 12/13.”

……

The staff’s phone was about to ring off the hook. The omega, who had changed into androgynous formalwear today, was still leisurely reminding her eldest son to watch his father’s whereabouts. Father had stayed out all night for social engagements and was very tired. Dad had personally made hangover soup, which was in the pot in the kitchen. He should heat it up for Father and not forget to emphasize that Dad made it “personally.”

“Mrs. Cong? Mrs. Cong! Are you listening? You must log into the trial scene now!”

“Got it, stop rushing me! I know what I’m doing.” The omega rolled her eyes and swayed her way up the stairs, step by step. “And don’t call me Mrs. Cong. I have my own career, my own name. I’m not like those other omegas who only rely on alphas. My husband and I are both alphas!”

“Yes, yes, yes!” The staff member was sweating anxiously. How did the Star Network pick such an annoying person? And you never even told me your name! She humbly urged again: “Please hurry, everyone else is waiting…”

“Isn’t it normal for alphas to wait for omegas? For proper omegas like us, it’s customary to be 15 minutes late for dates~”

The staff member on the other end of the terminal, also an omega, swallowed the impolite phrase “Are you an idiot? This isn’t a date,” deeply feeling her heat period was about to be thrown off by anger.

“[Opposition] 3 people logged in, total: 3.”

“[Opposition] All logged in. Current login progress: 13/13.”

“All personnel successfully connected. Activating live stream cameras…”

“5, 4, 3, 2, 1—”

“Thirteen Trials, officially begins.”

-----------------------

Author’s Note: Tomorrow, featured on the platform, chapter update delayed until 11:15 PM [Please]

I really have been that NPC everyone was talking about, carefully studied the screen recording of netizens being kissed by their roommate. Thanks to Baby Kang and Baby Zhilin for the mines [kiss][kiss]