Chapter 92 Worry

Chapter 92: Worry

Even after getting the gist of what was going on, Ji Anjue still felt uneasy.

This time, the bathroom trip could serve as a reminder, but he couldn't use that same excuse next time.

As a precaution, Ji Anjue placed his own psychic threads into Ji Anzhi's mind. This way, Levin wouldn't be able to induce Ji Anzhi again.

Returning to their seats, Levin switched tactics with his question: "Classmate Ji, after your secondary psychic development, you didn't seek psychic comfort from an omega within the school. Instead, you applied to leave campus to find comfort from a blood relative. May I ask which blood relative has been helping you?"

Outwardly, Ji Anzhi stayed calm. Given how powerful the academy was, it was impossible to hide his family background.

So, Ji Anzhi offered a faint smile, tinged with a hint of bitterness: "...No one. My blood relatives don't love me. I didn't go to them."

Levin went straight to the point: "So, you haven't sought psychic comfort from anyone?"

Ji Anzhi nodded slightly: "I mostly toughed it out on my own. When it got too bad, I'd buy and take a Psychic Soother."

Hearing this, not only Levin but even Lin Dusheng sat up straight, his expression turning grave: "So you've been using Psychic Soothers all along?"

Seeing Ji Anzhi nod, Lin Dusheng grabbed Ji Anzhi's hand to check his wrists for any signs of self-harm.

Confirming there were no self-inflicted injuries, Lin Dusheng let out a relieved sigh, then scolded: "Even if your blood relatives were unwilling to help, you shouldn't have turned to Psychic Soothers. Do you have any idea how painful that is? Plus, it's incredibly dangerous. If your psyche collapses, you could wind up a vegetable. Do you understand?"

Of course Ji Anzhi knew. That's why he hadn't used Psychic Soothers.

But he obviously couldn't tell them that. So, Ji Anzhi lowered his head, his long hair falling to obscure his expression.

His words carried a touch of despondent helplessness: "I had no other choice..."

Levin pressed, frowning: "Then why didn't you seek help from the omegas in the Medical Department? They wouldn't refuse."

Ji Anzhi was silent for a beat before murmuring: "I just... didn't want to."

This was the first time Lin Dusheng had been so frustrated by a student. He hadn't personally approved Ji Anzhi's free exit application back then, only hearing Xiao Nan mention it in passing without paying much attention.

Who would have known!

This student hadn't sought comfort from blood relatives or omegas but had been taking Psychic Soothers!

Thank god nothing happened. If it had, he would have been hunted down by those old-timers in the Star Chart Department.

Knowing Ji Anzhi's family situation, Lin Dusheng guessed Ji Anzhi might have psychological trauma in this area, making him averse to psychic comfort from omegas unless absolutely necessary.

Such cases were common, all caused by lousy parents.

Concerned for Ji Anzhi's well-being, Lin Dusheng laid down the law: "From now on, you must seek psychic comfort from an omega every week. The choice is yours, but you are not to use Psychic Soothers again. Understood?"

Ji Anzhi nodded obediently.

If he refused, the principal would probably prepare to provide the comfort himself, which would drastically increase his own risk level.

A case like Ji Anzhi's was truly unique, and Levin and Lin Dusheng weren't looking to get to the bottom of it.

Exchanging a glance, they gave up on further questioning.

Levin said with concern: "Classmate Ji, given your condition, you can't afford to be stubborn. Do not use Psychic Soothers; they are not good for you."

Ji Anzhi nodded. Levin continued: "Since you don't know the reason either and are unwilling to cooperate with the examination, may I perform another psychic check on you today?"

Ji Anzhi agreed; this was fine, as Ji Anjue could handle it.

Levin proceeded to examine Ji Anzhi's psyche again.

The psychic sea remained vast, and the psychic threads were still sluggish, appearing half-dead.

Levin tentatively touched a psychic thread. The coiled-up thread showed no reaction; it even seemed annoyed at being disturbed, emitting an impatient emotion.

Levin thought to himself that it must be due to the characteristics of a beta's psyche. He was probably overthinking it.

The defining feature of a beta's psyche was stability.

Extreme stability.

Levin withdrew his psychic threads and said: "No issues were found. Classmate Ji, if you ever feel something is wrong in the future, you can go to Doctor Shenmu for a check-up. He won't refuse."

"Thank you," Ji Anzhi replied politely.

Having finished his dessert and seeing the matter concluded, Ji Anjue cautiously tugged at Ji Anzhi's sleeve, testing like a small animal: "Can we go now?"

Ji Anzhi picked up Ji Anjue, looking apologetically at Levin and Lin Dusheng. Lin Dusheng waved his hand: "Children can't sit still for long. If you want to leave, go ahead. It's fine."

A few seconds after speaking, Lin Dusheng remembered something and added: "I won't revoke your free exit permission. It's good to go out and relax. Just remember to be careful about your safety."

Ji Anzhi quickly thanked the principal, also subtly expressing his apology, then left the dessert shop with Ji Anjue.

After Ji Anzhi and Ji Anjue left, Levin's psychic energy automatically erected a barrier, preventing any sound from escaping.

Even though only the two of them remained in the dessert shop.

"Same as the last check-up?"

In response to Lin Dusheng's question, Levin nodded.

Lin Dusheng picked up a spoon, tentatively scooped a small piece to taste—it was indeed delicious.

Eating, he asked: "What do you think about his level of suspicion?"

Levin didn't speak immediately, thinking for a few seconds before replying objectively: "The suspicion is low, but it cannot be completely ruled out."

"His psychic threads were the same as last time, all coiled up. When my psychic threads touched them, aside from a somewhat impatient emotion, there was no other reaction."

Lin Dusheng was puzzled: "Do beta psychic threads coil up like that?"

"I don't know. I haven't had much contact with beta psyches before. But a few days ago, I reviewed historical records and found this condition appeared in a few low-level alphas and omegas. They all shared one characteristic—a desire for death."

Those last four words made Lin Dusheng look at Levin: "Really?"

Levin found the photo of the record and sent it to Lin Dusheng.

"That's what the record states."

After reading it, Lin Dusheng saw it was exactly as Levin described. So, did Ji Anzhi also desire death?

Levin, sensing Lin Dusheng's thought, interjected: "Not necessarily. That child is inherently special."

Lin Dusheng thought about it and agreed. With so many people in the entire star system, one more oddity wasn't surprising.

Lin Dusheng finished the last bite of his dessert, put down the spoon, stood up, and said: "Since no issues were found, let's head back. We still need to have the Intelligence Department seal the investigation records. There's plenty to do."

Levin acknowledged and followed Lin Dusheng out.

...

After Ji Anzhi left, he first took Ji Anjue to the official store to buy some things, then headed to the starship.

Along the way, they inevitably encountered others, so the news that he'd be solo parenting tomorrow would spread throughout the entire school.

Upon boarding the starship, Ji Anzhi immediately asked Ji Anjue if everything went smoothly.

Ji Anjue patted his chest and assured him, "I wasn't discovered. I didn't sense much suspicion from them. Relax."

Knowing Ji Anjue's abilities, Ji Anzhi felt relieved.

However, it was a pity that the other party's mental strength was too strong; Ji Anjue couldn't read their mind without getting caught.

"After today, they probably won't come sniffing around for me again anytime soon. We should be safe during this period."

After saying that, Ji Anjue excitedly asked, "Can I use the Holographic Pod today?"

Ji Anzhi nodded helplessly. He wasn't about to give the kid a hard time.

With permission granted, Ji Anjue immediately ran toward the Holographic Pod. Before lying down, he didn't forget to remind Ji Anzhi to look after himself.

After that, he quickly entered the StarNet world.

The whole process took less than ten seconds; Ji Anzhi could only shake his head and smile at the speed.

While Ji Anjue logged into StarNet, Ji Anzhi continued working on the starship. The recent events had set off alarm bells for him.

The military academy was already investigating him.

He had to finish modifying the starship quickly, at least before the end of this semester. The interior decor could wait.

Opening the blueprint and taking out the parts he had purchased and made in Mechanical City, Ji Anzhi continued modifying the starship.

Now the main thing left was the power system. He wanted to upgrade and speed it up further, and also see if he could install a space jump device.

Leaving aside the latter, the former alone was tough enough on its own.

The power system left by the military wasn't top-tier within the army, but it could beat 90% of civilian ships, which put Ji Anzhi in a tough spot.

To upgrade it, he would inevitably mean messing with classified military tech. If discovered making private modifications, he would likely be hauled in for questioning.

So, Ji Anzhi planned to attend more courses in the Star War Design department recently, to try and cook up an entirely new starship power system. That would be much safer.

As he thought this, Ji Anzhi rerouted the wiring beneath the modified deck panel.

Since he wasn't using some of the original systems, the wiring needed tweaking.

By the time he finished all the modifications, it was already 9 p.m. Ji Anzhi only noticed the time when Ji Anjue came to find him, saying it was late.

Returning to the dormitory, Ji Anzhi noticed the light on the second floor was still on and wondered if he'd forgotten to turn it off.

Going upstairs, he found it wasn't a forgotten light—Qi Yanshen was in the living room.

Seeing Ji Anzhi finally return, Qi Yanshen asked, calm but with an undercurrent of tension, "Is everything okay? You're back late."

Ji Anzhi laughed it off and explained that nothing was wrong; he had just been working on the starship and lost track of time.

Knowing how much Ji Anzhi liked that starship, Qi Yanshen was put at ease hearing that.

Then, changing the subject, Qi Yanshen asked, "Did you meet with Teacher Feng today?"

Levin had invited Ji Anzhi in Qi Yanshen's presence, so he knew about it. No surprise there.

Ji Anzhi said frankly.

Qi Yanshen asked if the other party had given him a hard time. After confirming that Ji Anzhi truly hadn't been troubled, Qi Yanshen took out a clasp and handed it to him.

Ji Anzhi didn't take the clasp and instead asked what it was.

"It's a shield. It's a way higher grade than the standard issue. For single-person protection, it can withstand explosions of at least 4,000 units of energy."

An explosion of 4,000 units of energy?

That kind of protection made Ji Anzhi take a closer look at the clasp.

The main body of the clasp was a translucent gemstone, glowing and smooth as jade, carved with intricate patterns. It was wrapped in silver-white metal relief in an ornate Rococo style.

He had always thought it was just for show.

He remembered seeing similar clasps on the Pheromone Isolation Rings of Jian Fuxu and Lu Yan at the beginning of the semester.

Later, when Jian Fuxu was taking apart the Energy Tank and it exploded, those clasps had vanished for a time, only to reappear later on the three of them.

Ji Anzhi didn't take it and declined, saying, "I'm safe at the military academy. I don't need something this fancy."

Qi Yanshen didn't budge and insisted, "Take it. Safety first."

Ji Anzhi also stood firm. As much as he wanted it, there's no such thing as a free lunch—benefits always required something in return.

His relationship with Qi Yanshen was utilitarian at its core, so it was better not to accept certain favors.

Seeing that Ji Anzhi truly didn't want to accept it, Qi Yanshen changed tactics and crouched down to Ji Anjue's level.

Ji Anzhi was caught off guard by this move.

Left with no other choice, Ji Anzhi couldn't possibly let Ji Anjue actually throw it away, so he thanked him quietly.

Seeing Ji Anzhi finally willing to accept it, Qi Yanshen relaxed and explained that this type of protective shield was just a bit less common than the ones in official stores, nothing too special. Safety was still the most important thing.

While Qi Yanshen explained, Ji Anjue blurted out from the side: "Don't listen to him. See the gemstone on this clasp? It's a crystal from inside a King Insect's brain, and not all King Insects have this kind of crystal—only the special ones do."

Ji Anjue's words made Ji Anzhi understand the true value of this clasp. It could be said to be priceless.

It couldn't be bought with money; one needed influence.

While Qi Yanshen was still explaining, Ji Anzhi thought that when he left the Federation, he could leave behind the schematics for the Energy Tank to pay him back.

"Yeah, got it. It's getting late; time to rest."

It was indeed late, almost 11 p.m. However, before Ji Anzhi went upstairs, Qi Yanshen produced a medical kit and handed it to him.

Inside were five vials of medicine.

"...Thank you."

Ji Anzhi led Ji Anjue upstairs. As soon as he closed the door, Ji Anjue said, "You're touched, huh?"

Ji Anzhi turned his head away, avoiding Ji Anjue's gaze.

Perhaps he was touched, after all, who doesn't appreciate such blatant partiality?

Ji Anzhi changed the subject: "I don't have any major classes tomorrow, nor have I selected any electives, so I plan to practice controlling my psychic threads and expel the inhibiting agents from my body as soon as possible."

Ji Anjue was successfully sidetracked, nodding emphatically.

"It's time to prioritize controlling your psychic threads. The inhibiting agents in your body are ultimately a problem—the sooner they're expelled, the better."

Thinking that Ji Anzhi wouldn't be attending classes again tomorrow, Ji Anjue simply tossed the bedding onto the floor.

"Thump—"

Ji Anzhi, who had been about to wash up, turned around to see the little dumpling buried under the quilt by the bed.

The next second, the bedding levitated, lifting Xiao Xue, who had been awakened by the commotion, into the air as well. A piercing meow nearly shattered their eardrums.

"Meeeoow————"

Ji Anjue immediately set Xiao Xue down on the floor and used his psychic energy to silence her—it would automatically release in two hours.

Ji Anzhi couldn't help but turn his head to stifle a laugh. Feeling Ji Anjue's deadly glare, he quickly cleared his throat and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

Ji Anjue glanced at the bedding, then at Xiao Xue, feeling a surge of irritation. He manipulated his psychic threads to roughly throw the bedding back onto the floor.

By the time Ji Anzhi came out, he saw all the bedding from the bed scattered on the floor, with Xiao Xue suspended in mid-air, furious and trying to claw at Ji Anjue. Muzzled, she bared her teeth but couldn't make a sound.

Ji Anjue sat atop the pile of bedding, looking smugly at Xiao Xue, even mischievously controlling a water orb to drift closer to her.

Xiao Xue was so frightened that her fur stood on end, more intense than if her tail had been stepped on.

Even without sound, Ji Anzhi could sense the fury in her.

Ji Anzhi: "…………"

Life in the future was destined to be utter chaos…