Chapter 70 Wager

Chapter 70 The Wager

The starship bound for Wuying Star cruised smoothly through the stellar expanse. Lin Juangui gazed at the swirling nebula outside the window, his expression thoughtful.

Liang Shanyue suddenly initiated a video call. Lin Juangui adjusted his posture, a faint smile gracing his lips as he accepted.

"Brother Liang, long time no see."

Liang Shanyue leaned closer to the screen, scrutinizing him for a moment before remarking, "You look like you haven't been resting well lately. Didn't you say Mu Zhang had turned over a new leaf? Why so exhausted? Since you graduated, you've rarely visited Yungang Star, except to see your grandmother. When will you have time to come for a proper visit?"

Lin Juangui's eyes curved into a smile. "That might not be possible for a while. My father is gravely ill, and I'm rushing home to see him for what might be the last time."

Liang Shanyue looked surprised. He knew Lin Juangui's relationship with his parents was strained; they had only made a brief appearance at his wedding before leaving, and Lin Juangui hadn't mentioned them on his own in years.

"Is that so? Well, if you need any help, just let me know. Yungang Star has excellent medical resources."

After all, they were his biological parents—the bond of blood was unbreakable. Liang Shanyue understood that sentiment.

Just as Lin Juangui uttered "thank you," a piercing alarm shattered the starship's tranquility, and blinding red lights flashed frantically.

"Warning! High-energy signature locked! Evade immediately!"

The starship had already entered Wuying Star's outer orbital layer and was preparing for deceleration and landing. Lin Juangui had no time to react. All he felt was a force capable of tearing apart stars slamming into the ship's side. The sturdy alloy hull twisted and ripped like fragile paper. Violent energy, carrying deadly metal shards and severed cables, swept through like a hellish hurricane!

Blinding red light consumed his vision. Excruciating pain tore through Lin Juangui. The intense impact flung him like a ragdoll, slamming him hard against the twisted hull.

His consciousness rapidly slipped into the abyss amidst the agony and shock. Lin Juangui could faintly hear Liang Shanyue hoarsely screaming his name, but he no longer had the strength to respond. He only felt as if his body were being ripped apart.

The deep, bone-shattering pain and burning sensation left him immobile. Warm liquid splattered across his face, dyeing his vision crimson. He completely lost consciousness.

Mu Zhang simultaneously received the emergency alert about Lin Juangui's attack. When he arrived at Wuying Star's outer orbit at top speed, he was met with a horrifying scene of metal debris floating in space.

The starship carrying Lin Juangui was half-destroyed. Dangerous electrical arcs flashed at the twisted metal fractures, and leaking gases formed clouds of white ice crystals. Small rescue shuttles darted through the wreckage like fireflies, searching for survivors.

Mu Zhang's heart sank to freezing depths. A cold fear gripped him. When rescue personnel carefully lifted a nearly unrecognizable body from the twisted metal ruins, Mu Zhang felt his blood run cold.

It was Lin Juangui.

His condition could only be described as tragic. Tattered clothing clung to charred flesh. His arm was completely missing from the shoulder down, the remaining part a bloody mess with white bone fragments piercing through the skin. His left chest down to his waist was utterly ravaged.

Blood covered most of his face. Only the faint, almost imperceptible rise and fall of his chest proved he still clung to a thread of life.

Outside the emergency room, Mu Zhang paced like a trapped beast on the verge of collapse. His leather shoes echoed dully on the cold floor. Suddenly, he punched the wall, his eyes bloodshot.

"Have you caught Tu Yuan yet?"

Ge Miao, who had been following closely, quickly replied, "We're still pursuing him. Tu Yuan's attack was swift and precise. He retreated through a wormhole immediately after the assault. It was clearly premeditated."

"Keep him alive. I want to end him myself."

Mu Zhang rarely regretted things, but now he wished he hadn't shown mercy to Tu Yuan back then. It had given Tu Yuan the perfect opportunity for revenge.

Time ticked by slowly until the emergency room door finally opened.

The lead surgeon removed blood-stained gloves, his expression grim enough to drip water.

"We've done all we can. Mr. Lin's injuries are too severe. Over 65% of his body tissue is destroyed, especially on the left side—bones, muscles, organs, all suffered catastrophic damage. The blast also caused severe cranial trauma and internal bleeding."

The doctor struggled to hand over a document glowing with a cold electronic light: "This is... a critical condition notice. Mr. Lin's self-healing ability has completely collapsed. Conventional medical methods are futile unless we contact the military..."

Mu Zhang took a deep breath, suppressing a painful sob, knowing exactly what the doctor had left unsaid. He immediately called Mu Yuanqing.

Mu Yuanqing, relieved to finally hear from Mu Zhang, asked urgently, "How is Mr. Lin?!"

"He's badly injured, Mu Yuanqing. I'm begging you to help me... I'm begging..."

Mu Zhang braced himself against the corridor wall with one hand, barely able to stand. The tall Alpha completely broke down at that moment. He lowered his head, large tears falling to the floor, his eyes filled with a desperate madness. "The military can have whatever they want! I'll agree to anything! As long as he survives, anything..."

Only the military had the authority to perform human body modifications in the entire Federation. They could replace destroyed bones and support structures with high-strength alloy steel, cover them with the latest biocompatible artificial skin and bionic muscle tissue, and rebuild damaged internal organ systems.

Many frontline soldiers had undergone this high-risk surgery in recent years. Though they could no longer fight on the battlefield, surviving to continue commanding was still valuable.

"Mu Zhang..."

Mu Yuanqing wanted to advise Mu Zhang not to lose his rationality. The body modification surgery was fraught with difficulties—rejection reactions during the procedure alone could be fatal. Many originally strong Alphas couldn't endure the pain. Could Lin Juangui withstand it?

But this was Mu Zhang's last hope; otherwise, he wouldn't be pleading so desperately with Mu Yuanqing.

"I promise. Have someone send Mr. Lin's body data to me. I'll seek approval from Di Yanhe and contact the hospital to dispatch a sterile pod for Mr. Lin."

"...Okay, thank you."

The doctor's head bobbed up and down rapidly, and he hurried back into the emergency room.

Inside, Lin Juangui was covered in tubes. The weakly fluctuating lines on the monitor seemed ready to flatline at any moment. His beautiful face was now lifeless, pale as fragile porcelain.

Fortunately, Lin Juangui's gland hadn't been harmed by the bomb at all. As long as the gland remained, there was hope for his survival.

The incident had occurred without warning, catching everyone off guard. Mu Zhang had urgently ordered a news blackout. Only a handful of people knew about Lin Juangui's injuries.

The starnet reported the terrorist attack near Wuying Star, but such events were commonplace and quickly buried in the flood of news.

The military's sterile pod was quickly dispatched. Lin Juangui was secretly transferred to the military-affiliated hospital on Federal Central Star.

The long surgery began. Mu Zhang stood guard outside like a stone statue. He hadn't had a drop of water for forty hours, his eyes sunken, his chin covered with dark stubble. He exuded an aura of someone pushed to the brink.

During the days and nights waiting for the surgery results, Mu Zhang's rage and pain turned into a blazing fire directed at Tu Yuan, who was found not long after fleeing in a dirty, chaotic black market. He was dragged before Mu Zhang like a dead dog.

In a dark, damp interrogation room, Tu Yuan was tied to a metal chair, covered in wounds and reeking of blood.

He hung his head low, messy hair obscuring his eyes. Only his heavy breathing proved he was still alive.

Mu Zhang toyed with a sharp dagger, its blade gleaming lethally in the dim light. He watched the near-maniacal, mocking smile on Tu Yuan's face, his voice cold as eternal ice. "Do you know why I didn't kill you outright? That would be too merciful."

The sight of this son of an old friend, deeply mired in hatred, weighed heavily on Mu Zhang's heart. But for Lin Juangui's blood debt and Tu Hao's dying wish, he had to bring this to an end.

Blade was once the sharpest and loneliest organization among the stars. They operated in gray areas, surviving with difficulty in the cracks. Though renowned, they faced immense pressure, and Tu Hao had worried himself gray over it.

When Tu Hao was critically ill and Blade disbanded, some members followed Mu Zhang to Tianguang. Mu Zhang went to visit Tu Hao on his deathbed.

In the intensive care unit, Tu Hao asked if Mu Zhang had done what he promised.

Mu Zhang held Tu Hao's hand and nodded. "It's all arranged. Those who wanted to leave took a sum of money to live the life they desired. Those willing to follow me came to Tianguang. Don't worry, they won't be worse off with me."

"Good, good..."

Tu Hao reminisced with Mu Zhang about many past events. Mu Zhang listened patiently until Tu Hao slowly lost strength, his voice fading until he closed his eyes for the last time.

At that time, Tu Yuan stood outside the ward, watching helplessly as Tu Hao pass away. He didn't know what Mu Zhang and Tu Hao had discussed, but he believed Mu Zhang had deliberately come to provoke Tu Hao after establishing Tianguang; otherwise, how could Tu Hao have died so suddenly?

This misunderstanding persisted for years, until Mu Zhang showed Tu Yuan the surveillance footage from the intensive care unit back then.

All materials related to Blade had been secretly classified by Mu Zhang as protection for the former members who had become ordinary civilians—unfortunately, Tu Yuan never understood this.

"The dissolution of Blade was no accident due to exposure and siege. The list of those killed in action was prepared long ago, and severe injuries or disappearances were planned exits. Your father used his death to solidify Blade's downfall and cut off all investigation trails. He gave every Blade member a chance to start anew, yet you never grasped this."

Mu Zhang's words made Tu Yuan shake violently. He tried to stand but was shackled tightly to the chair, only able to let out a roar like a trapped beast: "Impossible! You're lying! You're just trying to deflect blame—"

"Deflect blame?! The Ge Miao you've seen is the son of Tu Hao's former adjutant. The third squad leader Lao Qiang you fought, the logistics officer 'Iron Abacus'—they were all on that casualty list!"

The holographic screen finished playing the surveillance footage, followed by current photos of the individuals Mu Zhang had mentioned.

"This is the life they chose—with children, living openly. This is the stability Tu Hao bought with his life. His greatest wish was for you to live like an ordinary person!"

A dead silence fell in the interrogation room, broken only by Tu Yuan's ragged breathing and the sound of shattering beliefs.

The muscles on Tu Yuan's face twitched violently, profound agony swirling madly in his eyes. After a long while, he began to laugh bizarrely.

At first, the laughter was sob-choked, then grew louder, filled with endless sarcasm and venom.

"What a magnificent sacrifice! What a clean escape! He thought of everyone, but never—never once considered my feelings! And you! Mu Zhang!"

Tu Yuan laughed until tears streamed down, mixing with the blood on his face, making him appear truly monstrous.

He abruptly stopped laughing, his bloodshot eyes like poisoned daggers, locked onto Mu Zhang's face. There was no trace of relief, only purer, more intense hatred than before.

"Even if what you say is true, the root of it all is you! If you hadn't come to Blade back then, if you hadn't replaced me as his most valued successor, he wouldn't have come under fire from all sides, and there wouldn't have been that insane siege later! If he hadn't felt backed into a corner, how could he have come up with this damned plan to sacrifice himself for all of you!"

Tu Yuan leaned forward agitatedly, his shackles clattering loudly: "You made me lose my father! You are the source of all this! Lin Juangui's death is divine retribution against you! You deserve it, deserve it! Hahahahahaha!"

Mu Zhang watched quietly as Tu Yuan became hysterical. He turned away as if discarding a rotten burden, his eyes filled with quiet ferocity after switching off the holographic screen: "I will make you regret ever being born into this world."

Tu Yuan raised his head, showing no fear. Instead, he grinned, revealing an extremely malicious smile. The pain and hatred burning fiercely in Mu Zhang's eyes were now his greatest pleasure.

"Mu Zhang, I have no regrets, haha..." Tu Yuan coughed blood, his laughter raspy and ugly. "I've wanted to see you humiliated for so long. Your Omega would rather risk death to leave you—otherwise, how do you think I got his precise coordinates and launched the attack?"

The dagger in Mu Zhang's hand clattered on the ground. The killing intent on his face froze instantly, as if struck by an invisible thunderbolt. His mind went blank; the long-standing question finally had an answer.

The accident report of the starship Lin Juangui was on stated that aside from Lin Juangui's cabin being completely destroyed, everyone else on board escaped with only minor injuries.

Tu Yuan reveled in Mu Zhang's instantly shattered expression, laughing wildly: "He wanted to use my hand to escape you for good! Ahahahaha! You're such a failure, Mu Zhang! How could someone prefer death over being with you, huh?"

"Shut up!!" Mu Zhang's fist slammed hard into Tu Yuan's face. The sound of shattering bone was clearly audible, blood sprayed everywhere!

Countless emotions collided violently in Mu Zhang's chest. He choked Tu Yuan fiercely, but released him abruptly just as the other was about to suffocate.

He couldn't kill him.

Not now, at least.

Mu Zhang stumbled out of the interrogation room, overwhelmed by helplessness. He was at a loss.

He ordered Gu Mi to investigate—he couldn't just believe everything Tu Yuan said. But Tu Yuan's venomous laughter and devastating accusations didn't sound like empty threats. Everything would have to wait until Lin Juangui woke up.

Mu Zhang bowed his head, shedding silent tears. A man nearing forty was finally heartbroken by a faint hope of truth.

Had he held on too tightly?

Why did Lin Juangui always want to leave him?

-

A sky lantern floated silently into the darkness, approaching from afar.

Lin Juangui couldn't open his eyes, had no sensation in his body, couldn't speak.

He seemed to float in weightlessness, aimless, not knowing where he was headed.

"Is this also part of your plan?"

Synthesized electronic waves of sound surged from all around, precise as interlocking metal gears yet utterly devoid of warmth.

Lin Juangui seemed pleased, as if a cunning plan had succeeded. "System, you finally showed up."

Previously, messages were always relayed through [Lin Juangui], so Lin Juangui couldn't say many unpleasant things outright.

Now that the system had appeared, Lin Juangui decided to vent first: "How amusing—your world system has rebirth, transmigration, all sorts of elements jumbled together. The main plot, storyline, romance are all a mess. What role can I possibly play? I couldn't even get rid of Mu Zhang or Mu Yuanqing, and Huo Zeshen looks exactly like my lover! I'd call this sick humor!"

"Not so. You've long seen the pattern, otherwise you wouldn't have gambled with your life."

Since the system had stated Lin Juangui wouldn't restart, it would ensure his survival—it wouldn't let death come easily to him. Otherwise, all of Lin Juangui's efforts would be in vain, and it would just create more work for the system.

Lin Juangui chuckled lightly, "So, did I win the bet?"

The system's silence gave him the answer.

Since that was the case, Lin Juangui saw no reason to hold back. He methodically pieced together the known clues.

This was the beginning of the cycle, but Lin Juangui still had doubts. "The Cicada shared its power with the youth, binding their destinies together from then on. But I don't understand how Fan Meiyi got involved—is it because of her ability to manipulate souls?"

The system didn't hold back this time: "She refined her own soul, almost became the ideal assistant for the youth's transformation, replacing the mirror's role. But after everything went awry, she also went down a dark path."

After Cuigu was sealed, Fan Meiyi bore the souls of those unable to reincarnate. Their resentment constantly screamed in her mind.

Unable to reincarnate herself, Fan Meiyi could only tear her soul into many fragments, following the Cicada and the youth into new worlds, trying to influence their lives.

But the youth seemed to have a defense mechanism against Fan Meiyi. Whenever she appeared before him, he found ways to make her suffer immensely, leading to her untimely deaths.

Fan Meiyi could only turn her attention to the Cicada.

The Cicada, reborn as a human, gained a new name: those around him called him Lin Juangui.

Fan Meiyi always watched from the shadows, doing her utmost to keep Lin Juangui and Huo Zeshen apart.

Originally, they were all just ordinary people in each world, experiencing life's joys and sorrows, partings and reunions.

The world is vast—meetings are rare, and fate is even harder to forge.

Until Fan Meiyi discovered the existence of the Favored Ones. She realized she could use this to seek revenge.

Fan Meiyi couldn't bear to see Lin Juangui live too well. Even as an ordinary person, it was unacceptable—he had to feel profound pain for her to be satisfied.

Lin Juangui suddenly understood, "So Mu Zhang and I have met in different worlds too. That dream was real."

Even reborn, the Cicada possessed striking looks. Fan Meiyi expended energy to accurately locate the Favored Ones in each world, ensuring they entangled with Lin Juangui, deeply or lightly.

In every life, Lin Juangui was tormented unbearably by the Favored Ones, while Huo Zeshen, whose plotline was stolen by them, never once met Lin Juangui.

Just seeing Lin Juangui suffer seemed to bring Fan Meiyi some satisfaction; she poured her hatred recklessly onto him, feeling nothing but sheer delight.

But then, in one lifetime, Lin Juangui counter-killed the Child of Destiny. He imprisoned him and, within a few years, even managed to meet Huo Zeshen, who had entered politics.

They formed a powerful alliance, not only draining the Child of Destiny of all his assets but also irreversibly altering the storyline.

Fan Meiyi was furious. She didn’t dare show herself before Huo Zeshen, so she used public opinion to hound Lin Juangui to his death.

For the sake of Huo Zeshen’s political career, Lin Juangui took his own life.

That world came to a definitive end with the deaths of the Child of Destiny and Lin Juangui. From that lifetime onward, the Child of Destiny’s influence over Lin Juangui steadily diminished, and Lin Juangui and Huo Zeshen began to meet at progressively earlier points in their lives.

Knowing her soul energy was fading, Fan Meiyi decided to gamble everything. Rather than wait for these two to secretly connect, she would forge a connection with Lin Juangui first and bend him to her will.

But her power grew weaker; sometimes she didn’t even live to the age of thirty.

For ten lifetimes, Lin Juangui addressed Fan Meiyi as "Mom." At first, Fan Meiyi basked in taking every advantage, but gradually she developed a faint, almost real affection for him. Her resentment was softened by Lin Juangui’s small, tender acts of protection. She seemed to be losing herself in the flow of time.

In her final lifetime, Fan Meiyi used every last ounce of her strength to prolong her life by a decade. She died at the most critical stage of Lin Juangui’s life, leaving a significant impact on him.

What Fan Meiyi didn’t know was that a Child of Destiny whom Lin Juangui had counter-killed in one world woke up in his original realm, and a new "Lin Juangui" came into being.

"I once wondered if he might be a fragment of my soul. I’ve also experienced being bullied and hurt, so I know his trauma is hard to heal. But he can speak to the system, existing invisibly in this world until I arrived."

From the clues the system provided, the only possibility was that this "Lin Juangui" was born from the Child of Destiny’s obsession.

As a cannon fodder character, this "Lin Juangui" suffered untold abuse. The Child of Destiny’s actions flouted the conventional virtues of a protagonist—hypocritical, applying double standards, and showing a blatant disregard for human life. Though he completed the primary mission, the ending was nauseating.

Due to Lin Juangui’s uniqueness, this "Lin Juangui" was detected by the system and offered help. As a bug, he failed repeatedly despite multiple restarts. The world’s magnetic field grew increasingly chaotic, to the point where there wasn’t even an ending.

The only solution was to bring in the real Lin Juangui, who had actually counter-killed a Child of Destiny.

"So, was Huai Jun also reborn due to the magnetic field influence?"

"Yes."

Lin Juangui finally felt a profound sense of relief.

Most of his questions were answered now; he felt as if a great weight had been lifted, and everything became clear.

But the next thing the system said sent him crashing down. "You’re clever and capable, but not needing to be reborn doesn’t mean you won’t die. The plot hasn’t reached its conclusion. This chance to talk was bought by that 'Lin Juangui' using 80% favorability points accumulated through immense effort. Because you answered Huai Jun’s name correctly, the system will reward you. I hope you learn to cherish yourself from now on. Farewell."

Before Lin Juangui could curse back, he lost consciousness.

Damn system—just wait till he found a chance to get revenge.

But the system didn’t even say what the reward was?!

As unreliable as ever.

Time passed, and over half a year slipped away in Mu Zhang’s daily agony.

In the sterile room, the constant temperature and precise life-support equipment hummed softly. The person on the bed was partly encased in a silver-gray exoskeletal frame, the bionic muscles, covered in artificial skin, displaying a flawless yet lifeless pallor.

Sitting by the bed was an Alpha who looked exceptionally haggard, with deep-set eyes, unkempt stubble, and expensive clothes gone wrinkled.

He gazed intently at the Omega on the bed, whispering tenderly, "Please wake up. I’m willing to let go. How can you leave me if you stay lying here?"

Lin Juangui had nearly died several times on the operating table, but his gland continuously supplied energy, saving his life.

The subsequent modification surgeries were successful. Though Lin Juangui would need time to adjust after waking up, tests showed the exoskeleton and bionic muscles had integrated perfectly with his nerves. He could still live like an ordinary person, though bearing children was unlikely.

Lost in grief, Mu Zhang didn’t notice the faint flutter of eyelashes on the bed.

Once more.

Then, at last, those long-closed eyes slowly, painfully opened.

The first thing he saw was a cold, tech-white ceiling with soft lighting that made Lin Juangui dizzy.

He turned his head slightly, looking with complete unfamiliarity and confusion at the gaunt man beside the bed.

Mu Zhang looked as if he’d witnessed a miracle, his eyes filled with indescribable emotion—nervousness, hope, and a deep, lingering pain.

His body trembled slightly with excitement, his throat tight as if countless words were fighting to burst out.

Lin Juangui tilted his head, his handsome brow furrowing slightly as if struggling to recognize him or ponder a very difficult question.

Finally, he parted his lips and, in a voice dry and hoarse from disuse, softly asked Mu Zhang, "Who... are you?"

Mu Zhang froze instantly. His Adam’s apple bobbed several times as he fought to process the reality.

The corner of his eye twitched, and he offered a strange, joyful smile. Gratefully, he took Lin Juangui’s cold hand and said—

"I’m your partner, Mu Zhang."