Chapter 149 Forbidden Fruit

Chapter 149: The Forbidden Fruit

"Oh? May I ask what you know?"

Blaikalo was a pure researcher who disliked beating around the bush. He asked directly, "Where is the person?"

Ji Anzhi looked up at the other man and said with a smile, "As you said, he is my adopted son, my child. I won't hand him over so easily."

Blaikalo slowly drew his energy gun, aiming it at Ji Anzhi and sneered, "What? Do you think I won't dare to touch you?"

Receiving a tip-off from Xiaoxue, Ji Anzhi smiled calmly, showing no sign of panic. Qi Yanshen remained equally composed, not even reaching for his gun.

"Is that so? Since you didn't choose to eliminate me with long-range firepower, that proves you need me. If I'm not mistaken, you need my intellect. As for my current physical state, a single touch could end me. Wouldn't that make it difficult to explain to your superiors?"

The black-haired alpha who had arrived later couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this. "As expected of someone who managed to outwit everyone in Suo'ar and even played the First Military Academy like a fiddle. You truly have a knack for reading people."

Ji Anzhi responded with a faint smile. "You flatter me."

The black-haired alpha clicked his tongue in annoyance. How shameless.

Blaikalo frowned. Indeed, he still disliked people whose minds were as intricate as sieves.

"You should know that your adopted son isn't human."

"I know."

"Hand him over. You'd better cooperate, or I can't guarantee what will happen to you."

Ji Anzhi stared at Blaikalo for a moment before seemingly relenting. He instructed Qi Yanshen to bring Ji Anjue over.

As Qi Yanshen turned to enter, Blaikalo instinctively tried to follow but was stopped by Ji Anzhi's simple remark.

"I've completely modified this starship. Are you sure you want to enter?"

Blaikalo halted. He had reviewed the spy reports and was aware of the other's talent and capabilities. He also knew that beneath the gentle and amiable exterior lay a ruthlessness bordering on madness.

During his time in Suo'ar, this man had not hesitated to sacrifice others for his own goals.

Blaikalo approached Ji Anzhi, who remained unmoved.

Placing a hand gently on Ji Anzhi's fragile neck, Blaikalo threatened, "I despise people like you. It seems you need to learn what it means to know your place."

With that, Blaikalo suddenly retrieved a collar from his Space Bracelet. The collar automatically wrapped around Ji Anzhi's neck.

Without a doubt, this collar could end Ji Anzhi's life in an instant.

Ji Anzhi shifted uncomfortably and smiled. "Your side certainly thinks highly of me."

"Hmph."

Blaikalo let out an ambiguous chuckle and fell silent.

Ji Anzhi soothed Xiaoxue, who had suddenly extended her claws in his arms. The next moment, his pupils contracted sharply but quickly returned to normal as he continued to stroke Xiaoxue's fur repeatedly.

He had initially intended to be gentle and avoid unnecessary bloodshed, but now it seemed unnecessary...

When Qi Yanshen returned carrying Ji Anjue's body, he immediately noticed something off about Ji Anzhi's demeanor.

Was he... angry?

His gaze fell on the metallic collar around Ji Anzhi's neck, and Qi Yanshen shot a sharp, murderous glare at the two alphas.

Ji Anzhi, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere, said, "You can have him, but you must not harm him."

"Fine."

After all, the initiative was in their hands. Once they had him, they could decide what to do next.

Ji Anzhi gestured for Qi Yanshen to hand Ji Anjue over. Blaikalo took the curled-up form of Ji Anjue. Although his breathing and heart rate were within normal ranges, they were clearly weakening.

Blaikalo understood. Their weapon had indeed taken effect.

It was a pity that time had been tight back then, and they had only spent two hurried days on that planet. Apart from collecting some psychic energy fluctuations and a plant, they had gained nothing else.

It seemed their speculation from back then was correct. On that planet, there existed beings with psychic energy stronger than omegas.

Blaikalo looked at Ji Anjue not as a person but as a breathtaking work of art.

Upon sensing Blaikalo's thoughts, Xiaoxue's killing intent surged.

Kill him!

'Xiaoxue, stay calm. Let's wait until we reach their headquarters. Once An Jue wakes up, none of them will escape... no one will get away.'

Xiaoxue, whose eyes were covered by Father Ji, gradually calmed down under his soothing words.

Father Ji was right.

They had to wait for that scoundrel Ji Anjue to wake up. Then, all those who had turned her home into a wasteland would pay with their lives!

But... 'I have no home left... Daddy, my home is gone...'

Xiaoxue's voice carried hatred, anger, and a mix of confusion and sorrow.

Feeling the wetness in his palm, Ji Anzhi remained silent, continuing to stroke Xiaoxue's fur.

Xiaoxue did not block Qi Yanshen, so he could also hear the tearful voice. This made Qi Yanshen unable to resist glancing at Xiaoxue in Ji Anzhi's arms.

No home left?

Could it be that Xiaoxue and Ji Anjue had also been persecuted by the alpha Conservative Party?

Before Qi Yanshen could speculate further, the black-haired alpha behind Blaikalo spoke. "Our boss would like to meet both of you. Please."

Ji Anzhi showed no change in expression. "It would be my honor."

The black-haired alpha ordered his subordinates to bring the fleet over. Soon, five starships arrived, and Ji Anzhi and Qi Yanshen boarded.

As soon as they stepped onto the starship, Ji Anzhi asked, "Do you need to implant chips in us?"

Blaikalo, who had planned to render Ji Anzhi and Qi Yanshen unconscious and implant control chips in their brains, paused.

Having his intentions exposed, Blaikalo showed no annoyance and admitted straightforwardly, "Yes."

Ji Anzhi smiled, his expression amiable.

"Sorry, I don't like chips."

Blaikalo raised an eyebrow. "That's not up to you."

No reply came. Ji Anzhi took out a transparent glass vial. To the naked eye, it appeared completely empty, like a stoppered empty tube.

"I believe I still have the upper hand."

Blaikalo was about to shoot back a sarcastic remark when the black-haired alpha behind him grabbed his shoulder and shook his head slightly.

Blaikalo hadn't pored over Ji Anzhi's profile, but he had. One item that left a deep impression on him was that during his time at First Military Academy, Ji Anzhi had taken numerous elective courses, including those in the Pharmacy Department and Biology Department. It was entirely possible this kid possessed extraordinary talent in these fields as well.

Moreover, this kid was no pushover.

A flawless madman.

A madman willing to gamble with his own life—how could such a person harbor any mercy for his enemies?

The equally crazy but life-cherishing black-haired alpha smiled. "Don't be like that. Name's Brian. If you don't like the chip, forget it. We already have that thing on your neck. Your little boyfriend just needs to wear a matching one."

"Fine."

So Qi Yanshen also put on a collar, and the two were given a room together.

After Ji Anzhi and Qi Yanshen left, Blaikalo, holding Ji Anjue, confronted Brian.

"The chip is the safest control method."

Brian lit a cigarette, exhaled a plume of smoke, and drawled, "Do you really think that was an empty vial?"

"So what if it wasn't? We have solutions for every virus in existence."

Brian scoffed. "Xiao Luo, I told you before, that kid is a genius pushed to the point of madness. Do you really think he has no talent in virology?"

The boss must have sensed something was off too, which is why he didn't order using all means necessary to bring him back.

A genius like that was worth trying to win over.

Even if they couldn't win him over, once they had all his current work back at headquarters, they could just kill him.

Blaikalo clicked his tongue in annoyance. A genius more talented than himself—just hearing it was irritating.

"Rest for a day. We return to the temporary outpost tomorrow. Remember to secure the site, especially their starship."

"I already sent people to—"

Before he could finish, the starship suddenly jolted violently. Dozens of seconds later, it returned to normal.

Brian, who had been smoking, singed his finger with the cigarette butt. He asked, annoyed, "What happened? Can't you pilot a starship?"

A subordinate beside him communicated with the command center. Half a minute later, he reported nervously, "Sir, the enemy starship suddenly exploded. The blast was massive, causing a chain reaction... All the starships previously left behind were destroyed. The two starships sent for recovery were also caught in the blast. Only a few survivors remain."

Brian grew even more irritable. However, one thing was now certain: the threat made to Blaikalo earlier wasn't an empty bluff.

If Blaikalo had actually gone inside then, both of them would be dead.

He didn't want to die.

"Tch. Tell the survivors to kill themselves as atonement. Can't even handle a simple task properly."

"Yes, sir."

By the time the subordinate left, Blaikalo had already carried Ji Anjue away. He really was eager to dissect and examine him.

...

Arriving at their assigned room, Ji Anzhi and Qi Yanshen looked at each other in silence.

The *Star Eagle* was gone. It was to be expected. Before leaving, Ji Anzhi had personally administered euthanasia to all the small animals in the ecological room...

Qi Yanshen wanted to comfort Ji Anzhi, but this was enemy territory. To think there was no surveillance or listening devices?

Not even a ghost would believe that.

"Yan Shen."

Ji Anzhi suddenly called his name, which struck Qi Yanshen as odd.

"What..."

Before he could finish, Ji Anzhi suddenly grabbed Qi Yanshen's collar, forcing him to lower his head, and then kissed him.

Qi Yanshen, not understanding the situation, froze on the spot.

Especially when Ji Anzhi's tongue licked his lips, it felt surreal. His hand even crept silently toward the gun at his waist.

An illusion? Or had someone disguised themselves as Ji Anzhi?

At the thought of this possibility, Qi Yanshen's eyes turned icy cold.

He wouldn't hesitate to shoot the person before him in the next moment.

'Tch, deadpan, open your mouth. Hurry up.'

It was Xiaoxue's voice. Qi Yanshen obediently opened his mouth, and Ji Anzhi's tongue swept in.

He was being fed something...

Only after confirming Qi Yanshen had swallowed did Ji Anzhi release him, saying, "That's today's kiss. The promised daily kiss—I won't forget."

Qi Yanshen nodded, finally not blushing this time.

This scene was witnessed by Brian in the command center, who was extremely displeased.

Having just destroyed over twenty of their starships and hundreds of mechas, the culprit could act as if nothing happened, making out with his little boyfriend, and even a damn French kiss at that!

Was it any wonder he was someone even the Federation couldn't handle? This mental fortitude was probably unmatched across the entire star system.

"Tch..."

...

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"Something has happened on Ji Anzhi's side."

Lin Dusheng had just finished dispatching a despicable alpha. Wearing a black filtering mask, his hand stilled while wiping the nauseating alpha blood from his hands upon hearing this. "Speak."

The temporarily assigned adjutant replied, "A black hole suddenly appeared in the Bug Swarm ruins area. The *Star Eagle* and all starships and mechas within that range have lost contact. According to the intel received, that black hole was created by the alpha old guard faction. It has now disappeared. All undercover agents have been captured."

Hearing this, Lin Dusheng's expression remained unchanged, but his green tea scent pheromones instantly went berserk, flooding the space around him.

Wiping the blood from his hands with deliberate slowness, Lin Dusheng flicked the handkerchief away. It landed covering the face of the alpha lying dead on the ground, whose eyes were still wide open.

"It seems those scum have grown bolder."

With that, Lin Dusheng walked out, leaving the small base. Levin was waiting outside for him.

Seeing Xiaoxiao come out, Levin said, "We still haven't pinpointed the HQ's location."

Lin Dusheng replied indifferently, "It's in the Drift Star Region, that much we know. Seal off the entire Drift Star Region by the end of the day, then put out a galaxy-wide announcement. If I don't see our people return within five days, we'll use the 'Forbidden Fruit' on the Drift Star Region."

"Forbidden Fruit," the Federation's ultimate weapon, currently the most powerful area-of-effect destruction weapon in the galaxy.

It was also the only weapon stable enough to be deployed independently with space jumps, capable of carrying out superluminal strikes.

Levin cautioned, "Xiaoxiao, this isn't good."

True, the Federation was the galaxy's top power, but they still needed to consider public opinion. Once the announcement was made, the Federation's reputation was sure to take a nosedive.

"Then what should we do? Just swallow the insult when they step on our faces?"

Levin embraced Xiaoxiao and said, "Leave it to the public relations department to handle. First, seal off the entire Drift Star Region. None of them will escape."

Lin Dusheng's clenched fist relaxed slightly as he suppressed his pheromones.

Finally calming down.

Levin thought to himself, quietly sighing in relief.

"Don't worry, that kid Ji Anzhi isn't someone easy to bully."

According to Ji Anzhi's records from Sol, he had indirectly caused the deaths of over a hundred and seventy people, left two hundred and forty-six disabled, and directly killed nine.

With such a bloody track record before even reaching adulthood, it was hard to say who would suffer...

This information had only been fully investigated recently. Ji Anzhi had covered his tracks so well that they had almost overlooked it.

After calming down, Lin Dusheng thought for a moment and said, "Have the Rose Legion and the Sia Legion seal off the Drift Star Region. The Judgment Sword will be responsible for clearing out the other strongholds."

"The Foreign Ministry shall issue a statement, saying we've discovered remnants of the former Empire. We'll also release videos of the victims, stating that this is the Federation's private matter and duty. We'll warn other nations not to interfere—we'll leave once we're done. At the same time, we'll provide compensation funds. If they interfere, don't blame the Federation for treating them as accomplices."

Levin saw no issue with that.

Thus, two hours later, the Drift Star Region was completely sealed off—entry only, no exit.

Half an hour after the full lockdown of the Drift Star Region, the Sco Federation's official account on the Star Network issued an announcement.

The announcement roughly stated that the Federation had discovered remnants of the former Empire and was determined to eradicate them at all costs. A sixty-minute video was also released, showcasing the atrocities committed by those alphas—acts that could only be described as heinous.

The public, initially skeptical due to the Federation's hardline stance on sealing off the star region, quickly shifted from doubt to outrage, supporting the Federation's actions. Even in the eyes of alphas, such behavior was intolerable.

Subsequently, the Federation issued another announcement listing the countries where the former Empire remnants' strongholds were located. The Federation had already transferred compensation funds to them. Acceptance of the funds would be considered consent for Federal Legions to enter and clear out the former Empire remnants.

Under public pressure, most countries accepted, either willingly or reluctantly.

Those unwilling to accept were forced to do so under the Federation's threats.

Once consent was given, the Judgment Sword acted swiftly, entering foreign territories to carry out cleanup operations.

When the Judgment Sword launched its first operation, the Federation issued its third announcement of the day.

The third announcement consisted of only a few short sentences:

"Three of our personnel have been abducted by the former Empire remnant forces. One is a descendant of the Sco Federation's Legion Commander and the top-ranked third-year student at First Military Academy. Another is the designated successor of the Sco Federation's Marshal and a relative of the top-ranked third-year student at First Military Academy. The third is the designated successor of the Sco Federation's First Military Academy Principal and the top-ranked third-year student at First Military Academy.

It has been confirmed that the headquarters of the former Empire remnant forces is located in the Drift Star Region. After deliberation, the Sco Federation hereby notifies—

If the three are not safely returned within five days, the Sco Federation will deploy an absolute containment weapon on the Drift Star Region."

"Forbidden Fruit"