Chapter 95 Face-to-Face Talk

Chapter 95: The Interview

It was another half minute before the two of them remembered Ji Anjue.

You have to be discreet in front of a child. Ji Anzhi let go, and Qi Yanshen silently withdrew his hand as well.

Ji Anzhi stored the flowers in his space bracelet and started walking first, saying, "Let's go. It's getting late."

Qi Yanshen followed on his heels behind Ji Anzhi. He was over the moon, even if his face didn't show it.

Ji Anjue grumbled internally: 'He's so happy he looks like a moron. Is this what you humans call "a man in love has negative intelligence"?'

Ji Anzhi calmly denied it in his mind: 'It's not about intelligence. And a kid like you shouldn't pick up bad language.'

Ji Anjue almost couldn't hold back. Did he really think he was a child?

The next class he had signed up for was a theory class for the Starship Combat Department, which was exactly why they had brought Ji Anjue along.

Ji Anzhi was very clear about his own assessment of himself. When it came to scientific research and theory, he was indeed exceptionally talented. But in terms of combat prowess, being able to defend himself was sufficient; the rest could be left to Ji Anjue.

Ji Anjue knew this too. He didn't resent it; on the contrary, he was quite pleased.

Ji Anzhi was willing to take him to learn starship combat, which represented trust in him. Moreover, having more skills was never a burden. Even if he could only learn the theory, it was better than trying to teach himself from a haphazard collection of videos online.

Last week, Ji Anzhi had taken Ji Anjue there three times, each time receiving curious and astonished stares from everyone.

This time was no different.

As soon as they entered, they were met with the stares of everyone in the class.

Ji Anzhi was used to it; Ji Anjue felt like needles were pricking his back.

Holding Ji Anjue, Ji Anzhi sat down in a corner. The stares only wandered away and faded once the teacher came in.

Giving Ji Anjue's little shoulder a pat, Ji Anzhi encouraged, "Do your best. I believe in you."

Ji Anjue didn't want to pay Ji Anzhi any mind. What did he mean by 'believe in you'? Wasn't it just because he himself lacked the ability to pilot a starship and had to rely on him?

Ji Anjue rolled his eyes imperceptibly but put on a very obedient front.

"Today, we'll discuss how to control a starship's acceleration. During flight, besides shifting gears to control speed, a starship can also accelerate under specific operations. First, let's watch a video analysis."

"First, this operation requires a person with S-class mental strength to establish a mental link, while others cooperate to control the operations..."

Ji Anzhi could understand the theory, but his hands-on skills would be a disaster, so he stopped wanting to listen.

However, he couldn't fall asleep. After all, he had chosen this class voluntarily and would need to come again. Sleeping in class was an easy way to get marked down.

Thus, in the corner, Ji Anzhi's eyelids grew heavy, fighting to stay open.

Ji Anjue noticed and asked in his mind: 'Very sleepy?'

Ji Anzhi gave a mental hum of agreement.

Considering that only half of the inhibitory agent components in Ji Anzhi's body had been expelled, with the other half still inside, it was normal to feel drowsy. Ji Anjue quietly suggested, "How about you rest for a while? I'll use my mental strength to prop you up so you won't be discovered."

Just what Ji Anzhi wanted to hear. He agreed immediately.

So, after Ji Anzhi settled into a pose like he was reading his book, he felt a supportive force, preventing his body from falling. He tested letting his muscles go slack, confirmed that the force could hold him, and then peacefully fell asleep.

From an outsider's perspective, Ji Anzhi kept his head down and his eyes lowered, occasionally moving his pen to take notes. While not exactly diligent, it couldn't be considered a fault either.

It wasn't until near the end of class that Ji Anjue woke Ji Anzhi up.

The two returned to the dormitory and continued using their mental strength, working to purge the rest of the inhibitor from his system.

Time passed day by day.

Every day for class, Ji Anzhi would bring Ji Anjue along. Ji Anjue wasn't a real child; he was even smarter than many adults.

Coupled with Ji Anjue's mind-reading ability, he could soak up all this knowledge in a year, tops.

For example, in starship combat, by the second month of attending lectures, Ji Anjue had thoroughly mastered what was taught in class. In Star War practice, he had no problem single-handedly challenging anyone ranked 50th or below on the Star War battleship leaderboard.

During this period, Qi Yanshen sent flowers once a week—roses, bellflowers, lilies... he sent them all, adding up to well over a million star coins.

After learning the prices, Ji Anzhi, for a fleeting moment, didn't want to pay him back.

He was short on money everywhere; he couldn't stand the galling display from a rich second-gen heir.

Time came to the end of the following month. Ji Anzhi took Ji Anjue for a physical examination.

Qi Yanshen really wanted to go along, but unlike Ji Anzhi, he couldn't enter and leave the military academy at will. A trace of frustration showed on his face.

Watching Ji Anzhi and Ji Anjue board the spacecraft, Qi Yanshen considered whether he could persuade his father to pull some strings and obtain free access privileges to the military academy.

But it was just a thought. Once he voiced it, his mother would definitely make him understand the price of using connections.

...

Ji Anzhi and his companion headed to Scott Star. They first went to the adoption registration office for the physical examination. Both parties needed to be examined.

For Ji Anjue, the main checks were for any trauma caused by intentional abuse, along with a mental health assessment to rule out risks of emotional neglect or grooming.

For Ji Anzhi, the focus was on assessing his understanding of children and his current psychological state, confirming that he could manage his own emotions and wouldn't vent them on the child.

After the examination, both Ji Anzhi and Ji Anjue were physically and mentally exhausted.

They understood it was for the safety of both parties, but it was really annoying.

After the check-up, Ji Anzhi took Ji Anjue to a scenic area for some sightseeing.

It was a primitive scenic area, incredibly vast, with mountains and water, fresh air, and pleasant scenery.

Most importantly, there were very few surveillance cameras.

Nowadays, many places had surveillance, but in primitive scenic areas, due to their enormous size, the number of cameras required would be massive. Moreover, you couldn't guarantee full coverage without blind spots. Therefore, cameras were only deployed to patrol the outer perimeter of the scenic area.

In other words, there were no cameras inside the scenic area itself.

As long as they avoided being spotted by the patrol cameras, the two would have a perfect alibi.

Inside the scenic area, Ji Anzhi found a small cave, hidden by the surrounding tall trees. Even satellite searches wouldn't discover the two of them there.

Inside the cave, Ji Anzhi quickly changed clothes, opting for female attire again.

This time, however, Ji Anzhi changed into a pure white long dress with a subtle silver pattern of moonblaze flowers. He draped a beige shawl over it and put on lace gloves to prevent leaving fingerprints.

He took out a realistic face mask. Actually, Ji Anzhi would have preferred to use a holographic simulation mask, but he feared the Federation might deploy jammers, causing the simulation to glitch out. After much consideration, he ultimately decided to use the realistic mask.

After donning the mask, Ji Anzhi pinned up his long hair, tucking it all into a hairnet to make sure no genetic evidence was left behind. Then he put on the hat, decorated with a few fake Moonfire flowers so the whole outfit wouldn't look too plain.

Turning to Ji Anjue, he saw the other was once again in that tall, adult form, with a psychic stimulant in his mouth and several empty vials scattered on the ground.

Ji Anjue’s clothes were also white. Originally, he had wanted to wear gold, but Ji Anzhi didn't approve, so he found a white outfit with subtle golden patterns.

The shirt, suit pants, and trench coat were all white.

After changing, Ji Anjue put on a mask, and the two tidied up the scene before leaving the cave.

Encountering surveillance cameras in the scenic area and finding no way to slip past them, Ji Anjue interfered with two of the cameras, replaying earlier footage to allow them to slip past undetected.

As agreed, they arrived at the café on the second floor of Moonlight Mall.

Upon entering the café, Ji Anjue sent a mental message to Ji Anzhi using a thread of psychic energy: ‘It’s all Federation people.’

This was within Ji Anzhi’s expectations. He had left specific time and location details; if the Federation hadn’t cleared the area and placed informants, he would have worried about the Federation’s future.

Ji Anjue walked ahead, with Ji Anzhi trailing two steps behind, instructing him: ‘Find the person with the strongest psychic energy.’

Ji Anjue paused for a second before heading toward the very center of the café, where two people were already seated, one of whom was an acquaintance.

Ji Anjue quietly reminded Ji Anzhi that the omega was Levin, and this was his true appearance.

At the same time, Levin’s psychic energy shielded both himself and Lin Dusheng, making it impossible for Ji Anjue to read their minds without detection.

Lin Dusheng sat beside Levin. The moment Ji Anjue and Ji Anzhi entered, he knew the people they were waiting for had arrived.

A man and a woman, with the man seemingly taking the lead.

The two sat down, and Ji Anjue greeted them as prompted by Ji Anzhi: “I’m here to pick up the card.”

Lin Dusheng’s smile grew even brighter. Although he wasn’t wearing a mask and was showing his true face, he had never appeared in public, and even photos of him were strictly controlled, impossible to share.

Yet the newcomers had instantly identified him, knowing to come to him for the card—this was no ordinary feat.

With a gentle smile, Lin Dusheng took out a box containing the Star Card and handed it over.

“This is the Star Card you left behind. It contains all the earnings that rightfully belong to you, minus Federation taxes, totaling ninety trillion star credits.”

Upon hearing the total amount, Ji Anzhi almost lost control. He had expected the sum to be high, but not this exaggerated—trillions of star credits, just a bit more and it would cross into quadrillions…

Ji Anjue had already started listing names in Ji Anzhi’s mind, rattling off a string of them in just a few seconds.

Ji Anzhi promptly reminded him to focus on the matter at hand.

Only then did Ji Anjue snap back to reality. Instead of taking the box with his hands, he used psychic energy to levitate it toward himself, opened it, and confirmed that the Star Card hadn’t been swapped.

Lin Dusheng and Levin saw this, and their expressions faltered, filled with disbelief.

At the same time, they became even more certain of one thing: the psychic level of the person before them was definitely above Levin’s.

The others present were even more astonished. They had heard rumors that when psychic energy reached a certain high level, one could use it to manipulate objects from a distance.

They had always dismissed it as a legend, but now, witnessing it firsthand, some of the more sensitive and alert ones even placed their hands on their waists in that instant, ready to draw their energy guns for combat at any moment.

Noticing this, Levin gestured for everyone not to act rashly.

Lin Dusheng cautiously said, “Hello, we would like to collaborate with you. Is that possible?”

Ji Anzhi signaled Ji Anjue to ask about the nature of the collaboration.

Ji Anjue wore a casual, lazy smile and asked as if by chance, “What kind of collaboration?”

After a pause, Ji Anjue added, “I don’t do deals at a loss.”

Having witnessed Ji Anjue’s capabilities, the Federation naturally wouldn’t choose to offend him.

With formidable research skills, powerful psychic energy, and the fact that, for now, he might still be a beta—such talent was something the Federation would eagerly court, not antagonize.

Lin Dusheng smiled and said, “May I ask if you’re interested in the Military Academy Research Institute?”

Ji Anjue countered, “The Military Academy Research Institute?”

Lin Dusheng nodded.

Ji Anzhi had Ji Anjue ask about the difference between the Federal Research Institute and the Military Academy Research Institute. He had always been somewhat puzzled; from the information he had gathered earlier, the distinction between the two seemed quite significant.

Lin Dusheng replied, “The Federal Research Institute is the Federal Research Institute, and the Military Academy Research Institute is the Military Academy Research Institute. If we’re talking about the difference between the two, it’s probably that the Military Academy’s research institute is somewhat better.”

Ji Anjue and Ji Anzhi were confused. Shouldn’t the Federal Research Institute be better than the Military Academy Research Institute?

Ji Anjue asked, “Hmm? How so?”

Lin Dusheng and Levin both raised their eyebrows. It seemed the other party’s understanding of the Federation wasn’t as deep as they had assumed, but this was good news for them.

Sharing this information wasn’t a problem.

Lin Dusheng explained, “To put it simply, without the Military Academy, the Federation would cease to exist.”

These two simple sentences were like a sudden revelation to Ji Anzhi and Ji Anjue, instantly clarifying everything.

Ji Anzhi gained a deeper understanding of the Federation and the First Military Academy. He had originally thought the two were collaborators or that the First Military Academy was the most powerful department within the Federation.

But now he was being told that the Federation’s very existence depended on the First Military Academy.

The First Military Academy could exist without the Federation,

but the Federation could not exist without the First Military Academy.

Having sorted out the relationship, Ji Anzhi had Ji Anjue decline.

“Not interested.”

Although he had been prepared for this, Lin Dusheng still felt a bit regretful. Nonetheless, he maintained his smile and asked for the reason—was there some inconvenience?

Ji Anjue replied, “I don’t like being constrained by others. Besides, I’m not very fond of places where many people know me.”

Lin Dusheng wasn’t foolish; the other party clearly had no intention of joining the research institute, and even the reason given was rather perfunctory.

In reality, this reason wasn’t entirely perfunctory—both Ji Anjue and Ji Anzhi genuinely felt this way.

Neither of them was willing to be trapped. Otherwise, Ji Anzhi wouldn’t have meticulously planned for six years just to leave his family and wander the stars. Under Ji Anzhi’s influence, Ji Anjue also refused to be bound by others.

Levin, who had remained silent until now, spoke up: “Then we can also become partners. If you have any research results, we can collaborate. You provide the technology, and the Federation will handle everything else, including patent applications and profit issues. Payment will still be handled in this manner.”

Regarding the collaboration Levin mentioned, both of them were strongly tempted.

But Ji Anzhi quickly calmed down. The Military Academy’s influence might indeed be significant, but in a nation, it was impossible for everyone to be completely united.

Where there are people, there will always be conflict.

Especially conflict related to interests.

The principal and Levin might think that way, but who can guarantee there won't be opposing voices? Who can guarantee those who oppose won't take action against me?

Moreover, even if the Federation truly stands united as one, who knows if forces outside the Federation might take a dislike to me and send assassins? In that case, I would inevitably have to accept the Federation's protection.

It would be protection, but also surveillance.

This is also why Ji Anzhi is so fixated on concealing his identity, even at the risk of his life to evade tracking.

When Ji Anjue found out what Ji Anzhi was thinking, he just said, "Sorry, we don't want to get involved with the Federation. The Energy Tank came about by chance. We thought your Federation had somehow managed to develop a Mech Energy Tank with 5,000 units of storage capacity, and since we were short on money at the time, we decided to sell it. Who knew your highest achievement was only a 4,800-unit one?"

These words were a verbal dagger to the heart.

They left everyone in the café speechless, and a heavy silence fell over the place.

Ji Anzhi was at a loss for words.

Next time, I can't let Ji Anjue go off-script.

It's asking for a beating.