Chapter 14 Valentine’s Day

Chapter 14 Valentine’s Day

“Why are you interested in this? Are you close to Tao Juan?”

The man glanced at Zhu Shinian without directly answering his question.

“...When Tao Juan defected, you must have been only sixteen or seventeen.”

“Sir, this is my office,” Zhu Shinian said, not responding directly to his question. “The longest time I spent in the federal capital, Augustus, was a six-month mission.”

“I guarantee that no one else will ever know what we’ve discussed here.”

The federation and the empire had been at odds for a long time. To be able to operate undercover in the federal capital, Augustus, for half a year without being discovered required top-notch counter-surveillance skills. At the very least, it was impossible for anyone to successfully install listening devices in his office.

A colonel loyal to the empire with a brilliant military record had no reason to bug his own office.

“He was my teacher. I believe he didn’t do what they say he did.”

“Does it matter whether he did it or not?” the man retorted. “He’s already on the opposite side of the empire now, isn’t he?”

Chen Yueming had sent Zhu Shinian an introduction to the man. His name was He An, the former medic of the Arctic Wolf Squad. After Tao Juan defected, He An participated in the final determination of Tao Juan’s defection. Twice, because he disagreed with the investigation team’s conclusions, he took the matter to military court but ultimately changed nothing.

Afterward, he was reassigned to the Eighth Theater, where he languished in obscurity for many years.

His recall this time was due to Gu Zhen overriding all objections. Gu Zhen had long been dissatisfied with the factionalism and seniority-based culture in the military. Calling He An back was a declaration of his trust in talent and merit over connections.

“Yes. But the truth is also important,” Zhu Shinian said.

In the end, it all came down to the same thing—everyone is born from amniotic fluid and ends up in coffins.

So the process matters, and the truth matters. At least, for Zhu Shinian, that was true.

For a long time, Tao Juan was the person Zhu Shinian admired most.

Zhu Shinian was the first person from District 26 to be admitted to a higher education institution in the capital. Not because all the students before him were stupid or incapable of reading or lacked the physical fitness for military academy.

It was simply because schools in the capital and other regions did not accept students from District 26.

It was Tao Juan, who came from a similarly modest background, who helped them secure admission slots at various universities in the capital.

Back then, there were no rebels yet. Districts 27 to 30 still belonged to the empire. Tao Juan grew up in District 30 and only learned as an adult that he was the illegitimate son of the First District Council Speaker.

The council speaker, in his middle age, discovered that his wife had cuckolded him—none of his three children were his. Only then did he remember Tao Juan and his mother, bringing them to the city. Unfortunately, Tao Juan’s mother had already contracted the same terminal illness as Zhu Shinian’s grandmother and passed away after only a few days of a better life.

Compared to those good-for-nothing half-siblings, Tao Juan was hardworking and capable. With his father’s support, he quickly gained a foothold and fought for the opportunity for ordinary people from Districts 20 to 30 to take exams.

Despite the vast disparity in educational resources—where the poor could barely compete with the nobles who monopolized knowledge—it was still a chance. For those with talent or enough effort, entering the capital’s schools wasn’t impossibly hard.

However, staying in the capital for work required not only diplomas and skills but also work permits and passes that residents of the capital took for granted but were nearly impossible for someone from District 26 to obtain. Except for graduates of the Capital First Military Academy, who could directly enter the military, students from other schools had to return to their hometowns, earning salaries far below those of their classmates.

And the Capital First Military Academy... for omegas and the vast majority of betas, attending a military academy was almost out of the question.

Residents of the capital felt that Tao Juan had brought uncivilized pariahs into the city. And those who couldn’t obtain work permits or passes, with nowhere to go but their hometowns, didn’t appreciate his efforts either.

Only Zhu Shinian privately asked him about it. Tao Juan smiled and said, “Everything is hard at the start. Once we open a crack, things will get better. Look, you’ve made it to the capital, haven’t you?”

“You’re such a child,” He An said after a moment of silence, gave a bitter smile.

A child, so naive, He An thought.

“As someone from District 30, it’s only natural for him to hold a grudge against the empire. He had a motive to defect, and in the end, he did defect. Everything makes sense. Even if I told you he was framed, what would that change? Who do you expect to clear his name? Who would bother? It doesn’t matter anymore. He doesn’t need it now.”

“You’re just over twenty and already a colonel. You have talent, and someone up there must appreciate you. Your future will be bright—a hundred times brighter than Tao Juan’s. Stay out of this mess.”

He An stood up, grabbed his military jacket from the back of the chair, and put it on. He gave Zhu Shinian a faint smile. “Thanks for the hospitality, Colonel Zhu. I’ll head to check in now. Oh, and your pheromone levels seem a bit off. Just finished your rut?”

Zhu Shinian’s rut had actually ended a few days ago, but recalling the somewhat absurd reason for his abnormal pheromones, he simply nodded without explaining.

“Yeah, not long ago. Let me walk you out, sir.”

“No need,” He An shook his head. “Better to keep your distance from someone like me. Today Gu Zhen is willing to use me; tomorrow, once I’m of no use, he or someone else might kick me back to the Eighth Theater. You should protect your own reputation and avoid associating with people like me. Someone from District 26 making it this far... it really hasn’t been easy.”

“You and Jiang Huaiyan... are you close?” At the door, He An suddenly seemed to think of something and asked casually. “His stance over the years has been quite similar to Tao Juan’s back then. But I find it pretty unbelievable that the Jiang family could produce someone like him. I’ve wondered if he might have a mother from District 26, just like Tao Juan.”

Zhu Shinian was taken aback. “Then he...”

“Can’t find out,” He An laughed self-deprecatingly. “I’m just an ordinary colonel, past forty, how could I look into the background of a young master from the Jiang family? Maybe the empire just needs a dove faction right now, so they pushed him forward. Or maybe he’s just going through the motions. But compared to other high-ups in the capital, he does treat people like you a bit more like human beings.”

He An insisted that Zhu Shinian not see him off. Zhu Shinian didn’t insist and only walked him to his office door.

When he returned to his computer to reply to emails, Zhu Shinian received a rejection notice from the Arctic Wolf Squad.

“Colonel Zhu Shinian, we regret to inform you that you have not been selected for the Arctic Wolf Squad due to not meeting the screening criteria.”

Zhu Shinian didn’t feel disappointed; it was expected. At least meeting He An today hadn’t been a waste.

Now he could be certain: his teacher had been framed.

Heaven’s way is cyclical, and retribution is inevitable. As long as the truth exists, it will eventually come to light.

A new message popped in. Zhu Shinian opened it—it was from Gu Zhen, saying he had a meeting that evening and wouldn’t be home to cook dinner. He’d ordered food for Zhu Shinian and told him to eat on time.

Zhu Shinian replied with an “okay,” and told him not to work too hard and to come home early.

The screen showed the other person was typing, but it never came. Zhu Shinian waited a moment, then headed to the training ground for his regular training.

Given his current rank, daily training wasn’t required. But Zhu Shinian held himself to a high standard and wanted to set an example, so he trained with the regular soldiers every single day.

After finishing training and showering, it had gotten dark. The training ground was empty.

Zhu Shinian got into the car assigned to him by the military, throwing his jacket onto the passenger seat. As he started the engine, he turned on the car radio.

After some static crackle, the evening news came on.

“—Tonight’s top story: Confirmation of a marriage alliance between the Gu and Jiang families.”

The female announcer’s voice was as steady and professional as always. Zhu Shinian’s hands on the wheel trembled without him meaning to.

“According to multiple reports, Major General Gu Zhen and Jiang Huaiyan, heir of the Jiang family, had dinner in the central district together and were photographed leaving the restaurant together. Subsequently, Chairman Jiang officially confirmed the previously rumored engagement and thanked the public for their concern.”

“...Experts said this alliance will further consolidate cooperation between military and commercial resources, to jointly contribute to the development and prosperity of the empire. Specific details will be announced in due course.”

Zhu Shinian instinctively reached to turn off the radio, but the traffic light turned green.

In the capital’s rush hour, the driver behind—probably eager to get home to their family—had no patience and honked immediately, urging him to move.

Zhu Shinian pressed the accelerator, merging back into traffic.

The radio switched to a listener mail segment. The host read letters in a professional, calm tone—some about news commentary, some requests for songs, and some sharing bits from their lives.

"Qiao Yu, Qiao Yu, today is the Valentine's Day of the World Guidance Church. Happy Valentine's Day to you." The female host's voice carried a smile as she read this message. "Thank you for the wishes, listener. Happy Valentine's Day to you too."

"Dear listeners tuning in, do you have a loved one to share dinner with today? The 'Heartbeat Acceleration' event hosted by our radio station is currently underway. You can sign up by sending an email."

"Did this listener only wish Qiao Yu a happy Valentine's Day?" the male host teased. "Well then, I'll have to wish myself a happy Valentine's Day. Of course, I also wish all the listeners out there a happy Valentine's Day, may your wishes come true, and may lovers finally be united."

"So today is the Valentine's Day of the World Guidance Church? I don't believe in the World Guidance Church, and Valentine's Day isn't a day off, so I completely forgot," the female host laughed. "No wonder Mr. Jiang and Mr. Gu, who are always so swamped with work, chose to have dinner together today."

The neon lights of the city lit up one by one, reflecting on Zhu Shinian's windshield like an unreal rainbow.

Author's note:

Happy New Year, everyone!