Chapter 74 Local Tyrant

Chapter 74: The Local Despot

What Mu Zhang hadn't told Lin Juangui was that he had injected himself with numerous inhibitors during the time he waited for Lin Juangui to awaken in the hospital.

The suppressants calmed Mu Zhang's emotions. He knew how severe their side effects could be, but he was beyond caring.

Emotional instability could trigger an early rut or heat. Mu Zhang endured daily torment, hoping to see Lin Juangui open his eyes the next second, only to be met with disappointment each time.

Lin Juangui couldn't be left unattended. Mu Zhang didn't trust others to care for him and insisted on personally overseeing his recovery to feel at ease.

An Alpha's rut was unpredictable. Mu Zhang had grown accustomed to restraining his pheromones. He knew Lin Juangui disliked the tar-like scent, so he tried his best to control it.

Doctors and nurses frequently visited Lin Juangui's room, urging Mu Zhang to take better care of himself. Only by looking after his own health could he continue to care for Lin Juangui after he woke up, right?

Mu Zhang only half-listened to these words but still refused to leave.

His Omega was unconscious—how could he let another Omega help him through his rut? A few more suppressants would have to suffice. Mu Zhang was resolute; he wouldn't leave, no matter what.

Fortunately, Lin Juangui woke up; otherwise, Mu Zhang might have truly worked himself to death.

These struggles were something Mu Zhang wouldn't share with Lin Juangui. In the past, he would have rushed to seek credit, eager to show Lin Juangui his sacrifices. But now, he felt it unnecessary to emphasize how much he had given. As long as Lin Juangui lived happily and smoothly every day, that was enough.

However, unbeknownst to Mu Zhang, a small incident had caused Lin Juangui's thoughts to drift far away.

Ever since that familiar voice had entered Lin Juangui's world, he had been earnestly contemplating how to meet the captain of that tactical team.

Although the person was fully covered, his eyes were exactly like Huo Zeshen's, and so was his voice. Just from a back view, Lin Juangui could tell it was someone he knew.

Lin Juangui's longing for Huo Zeshen was almost unbearable. Could Huo Zeshen also have come to live in this unfamiliar world, just like him?

If he hadn't died, could Huo Zeshen be alive and well too?

The intense emotions in the eyes of the soldier who resembled Huo Zeshen didn't seem feigned. Was it because of a mission that he didn't speak much with Lin Juangui?

Lin Juangui had resolved to think less and preserve his mental strength, but whenever Huo Zeshen appeared, he couldn't stop his mind from wandering.

But what was the use of thinking so much? After all, he was already married to a stranger...

Lin Juangui's eyes shifted, and suddenly he had an idea: if he could divorce Mu Zhang, wouldn't he be free to find Huo Zeshen and be with him? But wouldn't that be unfair to Mu Zhang...?

Huo Zeshen's appearance completely overturned Lin Juangui's previous go-with-the-flow attitude. His days of idleness ended almost as soon as they began.

Lin Juangui was a natural workaholic; even amnesia didn't hinder his ability to control the overall situation.

The recent internal faction struggles within Sword Group were entirely orchestrated by Lin Juangui. When Lin Juangui discovered he indirectly held considerable shares in Sword Group, he wondered what his past self's purpose had been in doing so.

"Sword Group is the ultimate villain in this book. You made their family fight internally to distract Liang Xiancheng and give the second male lead room to grow."

"Who is the second male lead?" Lin Juangui felt like he had entered a Russian nesting doll, with new plot twists every time.

"Huo Zeshen. I think I forgot to tell you about his storyline. Lately, I've been overwhelmed by you and Mu Zhang's interactions and haven't been in the mood."

Lin Juangui fell silent. Sitting in the chairman's office of Runlin Group, he stared blankly at a spot, seemingly lost in thought.

Then [Lin Juangui] began narrating the story from his perspective.

Once he understood the full plot, Lin Juangui finally knew why his past self had been so eager to leave Mu Zhang.

Mu Zhang had accompanied Lin Juangui for so long, ceding many interests to the military just so Lin Juangui could survive. It could be said he had saved Lin Juangui's life. Yet even under such circumstances, after meeting Huo Zeshen, Lin Juangui's first thought was how to divorce Mu Zhang and be with Huo Zeshen.

In the past, when Lin Juangui helped Huo Zeshen, it indeed seemed to outsiders that his help was largely self-serving. But only Lin Juangui himself knew that, beyond the practical motives, he genuinely wished for Huo Zeshen to grow up smoothly.

Originally, Lin Juangui had been somewhat impatient, eager to see Huo Zeshen soon. But now it seemed Huo Zeshen needed more time to grow, so it wasn't appropriate for him to act rashly.

Dividing Sword Group internally wasn't about helping Liang Yu; it was about making Liang Yu understand that wanting something meant inevitably giving up something else.

It was impossible for him to please Liang Xiancheng while using external resources to consolidate his position within the group. How could all the good things in the world be taken by Liang Yu alone?

Liang Yu's stance had to be clear; otherwise, Lin Juangui wouldn't easily help him.

Lately, Liang Yu had been as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, squeezed between several forces with no room to breathe.

On one side were the tasks assigned by Liang Xiancheng—closely monitoring the military and Mu Zhang's every move. On the other side, his similarly aged nephews were causing chaos within the group, fighting for power and expecting him to clean up their mess. Liang Yu simply wanted to kill them all.

Lin Juangui wouldn't play the savior at this time; he was waiting for Liang Yu to come begging.

Liang Yu had been quite arrogant in front of him before. Lin Juangui wondered what mental state Liang Yu would be in the next time they met.

Lin Juangui had a unique charm when scheming against others. When Mu Zhang came home that day and saw Lin Juangui staring at his light brain with a mischievous smile, he went over and asked what good thing had happened.

"Recently, I've been reading many of my past work logs. Liang Yu from Sword Group came to see me before, asking if I remembered our cooperation. Do you know what collaboration we had?"

Lin Juangui rested his chin on his hand and smiled faintly at Mu Zhang.

Mu Zhang sat down beside him, held Lin Juangui's hand, and calmly analyzed the situation: "It's nothing more than helping him secure his position within Sword Group for mutual benefit. You didn't give me more details, but recently there have indeed been many issues within their group. Liang Yu has been moving too fast, impatient. Old Man Liang is quite dissatisfied with him and is supporting other younger family members to compete with him for power and projects within the group. Those kids are eager to show off in front of the elders."

"How boring."

Lin Juangui disliked hearing about internal family faction struggles the most, yet he always profited from them, so he had to pay close attention.

Mu Zhang leaned close to Lin Juangui's ear and whispered, "Did your work logs mention anything about me?"

After Lin Juangui's accident, his light brain had disappeared. Activating it required him to be conscious and input his iris and fingerprint. Mu Zhang couldn't tamper with it and naturally didn't know what Lin Juangui might have written in his past work logs.

What Mu Zhang feared most was Lin Juangui's past evaluation of him—it determined whether the things he had hidden would be discovered by Lin Juangui and how Lin Juangui would feel about him...

Lin Juangui seemed unaware of Mu Zhang's unease, answering very calmly: "Yes, mostly about accompanying you to banquets, which Omega partners to befriend to help you, etc. Weren't you recently on the Federal Central Star? Is there any event I should attend with you?"

Mu Zhang felt relieved but also a twinge of pain in his chest.

He knew that initially, to prove his value, Lin Juangui had used himself as a tool.

Most of the time, Lin Juangui was exhausted. After all, he was an Omega, and after running around with Mu Zhang, he always needed a long time to rest. But Mu Zhang found him overly sensitive and exploited Lin Juangui's value without restraint.

A flash of guilt crossed Mu Zhang's face, puzzling Lin Juangui. Mu Zhang said, "Those social engagements have decreased recently. In the future, just do what you want. Happiness is the most important, understand?"

If it weren't for Lin Juangui's social skills at events, which helped establish Mu Zhang's positive image and soften his sharp, stern side, Mu Zhang would still be easily criticized by unscrupulous media today, and his arms might not have reached every corner of the federation.

Lin Juangui's role was too significant; his presence undoubtedly elevated Mu Zhang's career. But as Mu Jie had said, Mu Zhang couldn't remain a wandering space pirate forever. If he wanted to access more resources in the future, he needed to seize power completely.

It wasn't too late to return to the federation. Mu Zhang could invest heavily—helping the military establish factories against Sword Group was just the first step. Eventually, a war between them was inevitable; it would depend on who held more trump cards.

"Hmm, I'll back you up."

Mu Zhang wished Lin Juangui could be more willful. Sometimes he felt Lin Juangui was too sensible, which made him prone to keeping emotions bottled up.

But then again, Mu Zhang was the one who started it all; he had no right to judge Lin Juangui.

Lin Juangui had gathered some intelligence from Mu Zhang and, resting his chin on his hand, pondered many things. In the end, it was a phone call from Liang Shanyue that cut his train of thought short.

When Lin Juangui had his accident, Liang Shanyue was still on a video call with him. The scene left a significant psychological scar on Liang Shanyue, who sought therapy for a long time. It wasn’t until he learned that Lin Juangui was out of danger that he felt somewhat relieved.

After hearing of Lin Juangui’s recovery, Liang Shanyue didn’t visit Cygnus Star. Although the explosion had nothing to do with him, the images would involuntarily flood his mind whenever Lin Juangui was mentioned, almost becoming a recurring nightmare.

This time, Liang Shanyue arranged to meet Lin Juangui with two goals: to confront his inner demons and lay his ghosts to rest, and to sound out Lin Juangui’s current standing.

Rumors suggested that Lin Juangui was involved in the internal strife at Sword Group, yet he hadn’t been seen in public for a long time, with very few news reports about him. Those in the know understood that Lin Juangui had been hospitalized after the incident. How could he possibly be pulling strings from a hospital bed?

Both Mu Zhang and [Lin Juangui] had mentioned Liang Shanyue before, so when they met, Lin Juangui greeted him warmly. He explained what had happened to him recently and mentioned that Mu Zhang had spoken of Liang Shanyue.

Liang Shanyue looked noticeably haggard because of Lin Juangui’s ordeal, but when he saw Lin Juangui completely whole before him, his eyes welled up with tears. He gripped Lin Juangui’s hand tightly and said, “You have no idea how difficult this period has been for me…”

Mu Zhang had ordered everyone who knew about the incident to keep it absolutely secret. Not a single detail was to leak, or he would track down the source and make them pay.

Liang Shanyue was shaken to the core by Lin Juangui’s condition and had to see a psychologist to cope. Sometimes he even hallucinated, as if he were the one under attack.

Logically, Liang Shanyue had experienced many things over the years, but hearing about something and witnessing it firsthand were entirely different. It took him immense effort to get back on his feet and manage affairs at Yungang Star.

After sharing everything he had been through, Liang Shanyue took a deep breath and leaned on Lin Juangui’s shoulder, as if completely exhausted, finally feeling a sense of relief.

Lin Juangui apologized to Liang Shanyue, saying, “I hope my current state makes you feel better. I’ve fully recovered and can live normally now. You don’t need to be troubled by the past anymore. Aren’t I right here, in one piece?”

Liang Shanyue nodded vigorously, offering a relieved smile. “Yes, it’s all in the past. But you probably don’t hate Mu Zhang as much as before, right? After all, you’ve forgotten…”

Liang Shanyue seemed to imply something, but Lin Juangui remained unfazed. “Mu Zhang has done a lot for me. He accompanied me through rehab and told me many things about the past. Do you think I should forgive him?”

The ball was back in Liang Shanyue’s court. Lin Juangui had indeed forgotten everything, and Liang Shanyue could have taken the opportunity to further drive a wedge between Mu Zhang and Lin Juangui. But doing so would risk losing Lin Juangui’s trust.

So, after calming down, Liang Shanyue shook his head and said, “I believe you’ll remember everything eventually. Maybe Mu Zhang has truly become a changed man after all you’ve been through, but that doesn’t erase the harm he caused you.”

Liang Shanyue disliked Mu Zhang, and Lin Juangui could sense his instinctive frown whenever Mu Zhang was mentioned.

Lin Juangui patted Liang Shanyue’s back. Though younger, he appeared remarkably composed.

Liang Shanyue drank half a cup of tea and ate two pastries, finally regaining his composure. “How are things going with taking over your previous responsibilities?”

Lin Juangui offered a tight smile. “Not bad. I have a habit of keeping detailed work records, though I don’t fully understand why some decisions were made. But since they were already made, it’s better not to overturn them arbitrarily. In the end, it’s all about gaining an advantage.”

Liang Shanyue lowered his head and sighed, muttering, “Yes, it’s all about benefits.”

If there weren’t benefits to be gained, who would bother doing these things? But Liang Shanyue hadn’t forgotten the purpose of his visit. “Juangui, I heard you’ve been getting involved in Sword Group’s internal affairs lately?”

“What?” Lin Juangui’s surprise seemed genuine. “Where did you hear that? I do have some project funding dealings with Sword Group’s subsidiaries, but I don't have the sway to interfere in their internal matters. Is there some misunderstanding?”

Lin Juangui’s frankness made it difficult for Liang Shanyue to press further. “I’ve never involved myself in family affairs. My relatives love fighting for power, and I’d rather stay far away from them. I just wanted to advise you not to get involved—it’s a snake pit.”

“I see,” Lin Juangui said, as if suddenly understanding. “The Liang family has always been like this, hasn’t it? One faction rises, another lies low, back and forth in an endless cycle.”

If the Liang patriarch truly disapproved of this, he would have put a stop to it long ago instead of letting it play out like this.

It’s like he’s playing a game of imperial succession, treating himself as an emperor.

To outsiders, Lin Juangui’s actions might seem like an attempt to profit from the situation without fundamentally harming the Liang family. He hadn't expected them to be so sensitive, even sending Liang Shanyue to gather information.

Liang Shanyue realized he wouldn’t learn anything more from Lin Juangui. The Liang family had always been this way, and it wouldn’t change just because Lin Juangui or someone else got involved.

This time, to meet Lin Juangui, Liang Shanyue had traveled all the way from Yungang Star to the Federal Central Star. After seeing him off, Lin Juangui ran into Liang Yu, who had just stepped out of a car.

Liang Yu watched Liang Shanyue’s ship depart, then turned to Lin Juangui. “Xiao Yue’s mental state has been terrible these past six months. You know why, don’t you?”

Lin Juangui smiled faintly and turned to leave, seemingly uninterested in further conversation. “You know his habits better than I do. Was it my accident that scared him, or is he panicking because his ex-husband escaped his cage? I don’t need to spell it out, do I?”

Liang Yu, contrary to his usual disdain for Lin Juangui, followed him like a clingy shadow. “I’m starting to suspect that your amnesia is an act orchestrated by you and Mu Zhang. What’s the purpose? To gain sympathy? To exploit the trust of ordinary citizens?”

Lin Juangui said nothing. After a few steps, his bodyguard opened the car door for him, blocking Liang Yu.

Liang Yu frowned, clearly displeased. Lin Juangui glanced back at him. “You can't use other people's suffering to answer your doubts. Or would you prefer if I became stupid and foolish after losing my memory? That would be too mean-spirited.”

“Even if I overthought it, isn’t it too much for you to help other Liangs after making deals with me?”

Lin Juangui got into the car, tilting his head slightly to look at Liang Yu, a rare smile on his face. “I'm not following you, Mr. Liang. But judging by your current state, aren’t you being too impatient? Liang Shanyue just told me about the internal power struggles in your group. I admit I’ve collaborated with some of your younger family members on projects, but what they do with my reputation is beyond my control, isn’t it?”

Liang Yu’s jaw tightened as if holding back anger, but Lin Juangui shifted further into the car and tapped the seat beside him. “Alright, let’s not play riddles this time. You know I’ve lost my memory. Plain speaking is what I prefer now. Come on?”

Lin Juangui was adept at giving a slap followed by a sweet treat. Liang Yu knew how skilled Lin Juangui was at training dogs, but at such a critical moment, the patriarch was unhappy with him for bringing Ultimate into the public eye and damaging the group’s flagship mech, which would require lengthy repairs before returning to battle.

With Liang Xiancheng’s tacit approval, the younger family members took pleasure in making life hard for Liang Yu. After all, Grandfather Liang wouldn’t scold them, and they enjoyed tormenting Liang Yu, who had become arrogant after gaining Grandfather Liang’s favor.

Liang Yu had indeed let success get to his head. Grandfather Liang was still alive, and he thought he had secured his position, but a snap of his fingers could leave him breathless.

Ultimately, the power wasn’t fully in Liang Yu’s hands, or he wouldn’t be so passive now.

Liang Yu knew this was an opportunity Lin Juangui was offering him. If he acted coy, he would seem ungrateful.

The alpha stepped into the car, and Lin Juangui smiled cheerfully. “Many people will see you getting into my car today, Mr. Liang. You won’t regret it, will you?”

Liang Yu’s facial muscles twitched, but he took a deep breath and said, “Are you giving me a choice to regret?”

Lin Juangui shook his head. “The old me probably wouldn’t have given you that chance, but who knows? Maybe I’m more reasonable now?”

Liang Yu took another deep breath. He couldn’t understand why Lin Juangui insisted on treating his past and present selves as two different people, but the amnesia seemed genuine, easing some of his doubts.

The two indeed discussed projects and group matters, marking the first time Liang Yu and Lin Juangui sat down for a calm conversation. They were unusually open with each other, and by the time Liang Yu got out of the car, his expression had softened significantly.

That evening, Mu Zhang returned home earlier than Lin Juangui. By the time Lin Juangui arrived, three dishes and a soup were already on the table. Mu Zhang had just taken off his apron and greeted Lin Juangui with a gentle smile. “Did you have fun today?”

“I talked so much my mouth is dry.”

Mu Zhang smiled and handed Lin Juangui a glass of juice from the table. “Here, quench your thirst first.”

Lin Juangui thanked Mu Zhang. As they sat down to eat, Mu Zhang served Lin Juangui food. Neither brought up the day’s events, focusing instead on the meal.

When Lin Juangui was almost finished, Mu Zhang said, “After this busy period, I might have to check in with the Ministry of Political Affairs.”

“The Ministry of Political Affairs?” Lin Juangui remembered that Mu Zhang’s grandfather was a respected old general. Could he really have the influence to place Mu Zhang in the Ministry of Political Affairs?

Mu Zhang nodded, seeming unsure how to explain it to Lin Juangui but trying to keep the mood light. “Yes, I’ve reached an age where I can’t keep risking my life and the lives of my people. So… if I passed them to you, would you be willing to take charge?”