FT DR Chapter 103: Battle for Marriage

Chapter 103: Battle for Marriage

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

Wu Chenghe volunteered for the mission not only for Mu but also for the NTU. He had been with Jin Xuan’s special operations team for almost a month now, watching everyone give their all for this operation. Yin Bo spared no effort, Jin Xuan fought to the death in the arena, and here he was, as a consultant, yet to contribute significantly. Although he knew from the beginning that his task was simply to appease Jin Xuan’s mania, as a former soldier, he was willing to contribute to the Federation when the time was right. After all, he was a human being and a citizen of the Federation.

“My suggestive power may not be as strong as the Dean’s, but I’ve got about sixty to seventy percent of his abilities, and I’m already a member of the team. I understand Yin Bo’s way of doing things better than anyone else. If we need someone to infiltrate the X-X Zone deeply, I’m the best candidate,” Wu Chenghe said after some thought.

Jin Xuan responded, “I understand your concerns. We can’t involve Dean Mu. He hasn’t publicly revealed his guide identity yet. Enlisting him abruptly could bring endless trouble to him, and he still has a daughter to raise.” 

Most importantly, Jin Zhe would turn him into minced meat with soy sauce if he found out!

“It’s not just for Mu; it’s also for the mission,” Wu Chenghe said sincerely. “Although my suggestive power and combat abilities may not be on par with the Dean’s, I have better stability. Plus, I’m already here. It’s not wise to seek help from afar.”

Both of them fell into silence, lost in thought. After a while, it was Wu Chenghe who made up his mind first. He walked up to Jin Xuan, placed his hands on his shoulders, and said in a low voice, “Jin Xuan, let’s find a way to get in.”

Jin Xuan’s eyes sharpened. Calling him “Jin Xuan” instead of “Sentinel” indicated that Wu Chenghe didn’t see him just as his sentinel but also as a teammate and superior.

Continuing, Wu Chenghe said, “We are a sentinel-guide pair. Haynes and the others are looking for test subjects, right? We are the most suitable candidates. If we manage to meet Haynes and make him suspect our identities, we can smoothly enter the X-X Research Institute! We’ll be insiders with Yin Bo and Kazumi Koyama, while Chang Gong and Qian Hua provide external support on the ground, along with Yan Shi as backup outside the defense line. Our chances of success will be much higher than sneaking in with Yin Bo and Kazumi Koyama!”

Jin Xuan hesitated. Wu Chenghe knelt down, leaned against his knees, and looked into his eyes earnestly. “They won’t suspect us. You’ve gained the trust of the quartermaster officer, and he has always thought of you as a hot-headed rich second-generation. As for me, I look weak and harmless. At most, they’ll see me as a free guide you’ve kept. You see, our pair is simply the best test subjects in their eyes!”

Jin Xuan looked at Wu Chenghe with a complex expression. After being together for nearly three years, he thought he knew his guide very well. But occasionally, he was deeply shocked by his actions.

The first time was at the Grasshopper Space Station, when Wu Chenghe went alone to the asteroid to find his traces, risking his life to rescue him; the second time was at the Black Pearl Spaceport, when Wu Chenghe single-handedly fought several mercenaries, rescuing hostages without weapons, and saving an important witness for the police; the third time was when Wu Chenghe drove a prehistoric all-terrain vehicle, helping him escape from Hannibal’s pursuit; the fourth time was when Wu Chenghe took the initiative to attack at the last meeting, falling into a trap to save Mu from the capture of the guide team…

What kind of courage was it that made this seemingly gentle and harmless, even somewhat sanctimonious guy always make astonishing decisions in critical moments? He was clearly so weak, always backing off when faced with classmates’ exclusion, brushing off unfair treatment with a smile, and even apologizing foolishly when bumped into by someone on the street.

How could one’s character be so contradictory to this extent? The more brutal the person he encountered, the less afraid he seemed, but when faced with those who could be easily crushed, he always treated them with tolerance.

Is it true that bullies fear the timid? How did his mind develop like this?

“What’s wrong with you?” Wu Chenghe noticed his fluctuating consciousness and couldn’t help but laugh, reaching out to shake him in front of him, saying, “Am I moving you? Do you think I’m great? Want to kneel and worship me?”

Jin Xuan was amused by him, holding him under his armpits and lifting him onto his thighs, saying, “Yes, you’re great, Mr. Gu Wen. I really want to kneel and worship you, but are you sure you have the energy to be worshiped by me?”

Wu Chenghe blushed. Over the past few days, they had changed their plans temporarily, wrangling with the quartermaster back and forth, and they were so exhausted that they had indulged in a session in the room last night… okay, Jin Xuan only once, but he had several times, so indeed he didn’t have the energy to be worshiped by anyone anymore.

“Hehe…” Smiling to smooth over any tense situation, Wu Chenghe jumped down from his knees and said, “I’m talking to you about serious matters, Commander. Please, mind your attitude!”

“You fickle man,” Jin Xuan laughed, “You call me your good husband when you’re begging, but when you get off the bed, I become commander. Don’t be too much!”

“Who called you ‘good husband’!” Wu Chenghe’s face flushed red. He admitted that he had already loosened up quite a bit in bed, but he couldn’t bring himself to say such cheesy terms. He had been teased several times by Jin Xuan for this yesterday.

“But you just called me that now, didn’t you?” Jin Xuan grinned triumphantly. “Haha, I’ve recorded it. Next time if you refuse to call me that, I’ll make it into an audio loop for you to listen to until you’re willing to call me that yourself.”

“You!” Wu Chenghe was exasperated and pounced on him. Jin Xuan, with his thick skin, didn’t feel a thing. He lifted Wu Chenghe’s fists and threw him onto the bed, pressing down on him until Wu Chenghe couldn’t move.

“Don’t force me to suggest things to you.” Wu Chenghe, lying face down on the bed, struggled a bit before giving up, threatening, “I’ll suggest that you’re a bottom. Tonight, you’ll lie down and let me… you know?”

“I’m so scared, but can you even do anything to me? Your front’s not hard without the back getting wet… alright alright, I’m sorry, don’t use mental tendrils on me, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Jin Xuan begged repeatedly, lying on Wu Chenghe’s back, patting his head soothingly. “Alright, I lied to you. There’s no recording at all. When we get married, you can call me your good husband then.”

Wu Chenghe retracted his mental tendrils, and the two of them lay quietly for a while, one on top of the other. Jin Xuan kissed his hair gently and said, “Your plan is feasible, Commander. I’ll adopt it. Later, Chang Gong and Qian Hua will come over, and I’ll discuss the specific details with them. Yin Bo and Kazumi Koyama will send the map of the X-X area. Let’s study the action route carefully. When the time comes, listen to me, don’t be too stubborn, do you understand?”

Wu Chenghe “Hmm’d” and flipped him over from his back, jumping off the bed to straighten his clothes, saying, “I’ll follow your lead on the mission, but don’t treat me like a useless person. I still have some combat power. Also, Kazumi Koyama knows me. Although I’ve had plastic surgery, he can recognize me through consciousness cloud. When my identity is revealed within the group, remember to keep it under wraps. I don’t want to cause trouble for the president.”

“I know,” Jin Xuan nodded. Wu Chenghe’s admission to the NTU was all thanks to Jin Zhe’s manipulation, and if the team members knew he was a guide, it would undermine the president’s authority. However, they were all close friends, so they should understand. Sighing, Jin Xuan tousled Wu Chenghe’s hair, “I’m really useless, I always get you involved in danger. Probably there’s no sentinel more incompetent than me.”

Wu Chenghe smiled, “What’s wrong, you also want to become a military officer who keeps a guide as a pet? If that’s the case, let’s part ways. I can’t serve a chauvinist, and the twins probably don’t want a dad like that.”

Jin Xuan shook his head helplessly. Wu Chenghe patted his shoulder and said, “I’m happy to do things for you, really. It makes me feel valuable. My identity has already been exposed, and in the future, I can only be your full-time doctor. My value can only be realized through you. Now, I can stand on the same battlefield as you through my own efforts, and I feel honored and happy. I’m just like you, I really like it this way.”

He spoke from his heart. Jin Xuan was different from all other sentinels. Although he had a strong possessive desire for him, he still treated him as an equal and was willing to take risks with him, to use his abilities. Such a mate was rare and precious.

“I also really like it this way,” Jin Xuan smiled, lightly kissing his nose. “Alas, I’m really unlucky to meet such a strong guide and still have to ask you to do things. My future as a husband looks bleak.”

Wu Chenghe grinned, “My future as a husband looks just fine!”

The two of them had finalized their discussion, and in the evening, they received Chang Gong and Qian Hua at the port. This time, they came in the guise of Yin Bo’s “brother” and “sister-in-law” and stayed in the same hotel as Wu Chenghe and Jin Xuan, in the adjacent room.

After blocking surveillance, the four of them sat together for a meeting. Jin Xuan explained Yin Bo’s situation and their plan one by one. Chang Gong and Qian Hua were extremely surprised to learn that Wu Chenghe was actually a guide, especially Chang Gong, who stared at him for a while and said, “Heavens, you’re actually an Icarus butterfly guide? I thought such high-end guides could only be seen in records!”

Qian Hua also had a shocked expression, “We’ve been living under the same roof for half a month, and I didn’t sense your consciousness cloud at all. Your concealment skills are too strong!”

Wu Chenghe felt a bit embarrassed and had to call out the little Lightbulb to meet everyone. The petulant thing, who had been fooling around with the lion all night, was a bit tired and reluctantly flew a circle before landing invisibly above Wu Chenghe’s head, not even bothering to say “bye.” Qian Hua’s red wolf and Chang Gong’s vulture showed great interest in it, wanting to pounce and play with it, but Jin Xuan’s Barbary lion became irritable and swatted them down one by one, squatting behind Wu Chenghe, guarding him, with a look on its face that seemed to say, “Whoever dares to come closer will get pregnant.”

“Don’t tease it, or I won’t be able to control it either.” Jin Xuan warned his subordinates and then explained their situation to them, omitting the part about Hannibal. “We were facing exile originally. It was only because I made a military order in front of the big boss that we managed to get this opportunity. I hope you can understand.”

Chang Gong, being older and closest to Jin Xuan, expressed his understanding first, “Don’t worry, we won’t leak this out. The consultant is your guide and also our team member. This time, he volunteered to venture into the lion’s den with you. He’s our good brother, and we won’t do anything against our comrades.”

Qian Hua also nodded, “Yeah, we understand. Yan Shi will understand too. By the way, I finally understand why you were so unstable last time. Was it because you left your guide? Amazing! You managed to leave your guide for over three months for the mission, it’s truly incredible. Gun, I admire your self-control. Just for that, I salute you.” After a pause, she added, “Thanks to the consultant this time. Otherwise, we wouldn’t know how to take down Tartaros. Since you’ve already discussed it with the big boss, we’ll follow the orders from above.”

Upon receiving their assurances, Wu Chenghe was very relieved. “Thank you for your understanding. After the mission, I’ll have Gun prepare a feast for you. He’s really good at cooking!”

Jin Xuan’s expression stiffened for a moment, then returned to normal. “Yes, after the mission, you’re welcome to attend our wedding. I’ll personally cook for you at the wedding banquet.”

“…”, Wu Chenghe was speechless. Through their shared consciousness, he asked, “Is this your way of proposing?”

Jin Xuan replied expressionlessly, “Didn’t you propose to me? I just agreed.” 

As he spoke, he glanced at his left ring finger. Although the sperm whale ring had been taken off before the mission, Wu Chenghe completely understood his meaning. He blushed and awkwardly laughed, echoing, “Yeah, hehe.”

“Ah, are you asking for wedding gifts already? That’s so shameless!” Qian Hua joked, “Oh no, Yin Bo is also getting married. I’ll have to prepare two sets of gifts this month. I’m going to go bankrupt!”

Chang Gong sighed, “What are you fretting about? As a veteran bachelor like me, I don’t even know how much wedding gifts I’ve given out. I don’t even know if I’ll ever earn them back in my lifetime. It’s truly depressing!”

The two of them bantered back and forth, lightening the heavy atmosphere considerably. After everyone had laughed enough, Jin Xuan discussed the plan they had agreed upon with Wu Chenghe with them and finalized the details, ultimately coming up with a complete action plan.

The next morning, Jin Xuan personally went to the department where the quartermaster was located and spent the morning outside with his secretary, finally getting an appointment.

The quartermaster had been intimidated by him these past few days. When he saw Jin Xuan, he chuckled bitterly, “Brother, it’s not that I don’t want to help, but everything’s been decided. Your assistant personally signed the contract. I can’t interfere. Besides, he’s already decided to stay. Why are you so persistent?”

Jin Xuan sighed, “Brother, it’s not like that. He’s still young. He just graduated from university and came to help me. His brother and sister-in-law are my good friends. When they asked me for help, what could I do?”

“Do you think I want him to be involved? I like him so much. Although I started off just wanting to play around, later on, I really wanted to be with him. After all, it’s so hard to find a cute sentinel like him these days.” The quartermaster looked frustrated, “But even though he’s young, he’s over eighteen, legally responsible for his actions. He has the right to dispose of his own body. The contract has been signed, and I can’t let him break it.”

The two of them went back and forth for a while. Jin Xuan gritted his teeth, “Fine, if he wants to stay, let him stay. I can’t make it difficult for you. But, brother, can you be a little flexible and let his brother and sister-in-law meet him? They’ve come all the way from the capital, and they’re worried about their little brother. They won’t see each other for five years, isn’t that too heartless?”

The quartermaster pondered for a moment and said, “I can talk to the higher-ups, but I can’t guarantee anything.”

“Thank you for your understanding. I won’t make things difficult for you, brother. You just need to convey our message. As for the arena, I won’t insist on it anymore. As long as you handle my assistant’s matter well.” Jin Xuan said.

Speaking of the arena, the quartermaster couldn’t help but feel a bit weak. After all, he had taken tens of thousands from Jin Xuan. If he didn’t help at all, it wouldn’t be justified. He gritted his teeth, “Don’t worry, I’ll do my best.”

Jin Xuan returned to the hotel and discussed the new plan with Yin Bo during the evening. Yin Bo was extremely shocked to learn that Wu Chenghe was a guide, and not just any guide but an Icarus butterfly guide. He was so shocked that he almost fell into the bathtub. However, his self-adjustment ability was quite strong, and he quickly accepted the reality, becoming happy instead. 

“Oh my god, this is amazing! It’s like we got exactly what we wished for. I was worried that we wouldn’t be able to complete the mission and would get scolded by the big boss later, but now with the consultant, I don’t have to worry at all… By the way, are you sure the consultant can send mass suggestions like Kazumi Koyama’s senior brother?”

“He’s still young and doesn’t have such strong consciousness abilities, but he’s very stable… Besides, we don’t have time to find another guide. The majority of the NTU forces have already set off from the capital. We must gather as much evidence as possible before their action.” Jin Xuan said, “You and Kazumi Koyama just marked targets. I don’t want you to force him to expose his senior brother for the mission. It’s not good for your relationship.”

“Gun, you’re truly my intimate cotton jacket!” Yin Bo clasped his hands together, tears of gratitude shimmering in his eyes. “Thank you so much!”

“Stop disgusting people and quickly discuss with Kazumi Koyama to try to get Chang Gong and Qian Hua to agree to see you as soon as possible!” Jin Xuan scolded, “And as for me and the consultant, Haynes probably won’t feel at ease letting you meet us. He’ll definitely follow you. When that happens, I’ll deliberately show some flaws with the consultant to arouse his suspicion.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll go act weak now,” Yin Bo said, “Homesickness is the best act!”

Yin Bo’s acting skills were top-notch. That very evening, he discussed the plan with Kazumi Koyama and began to act listless the next day, not eating well, not drinking well, and even started refusing to take the interference agent after a day.

Haynes monitored the status of the “subject” every day. Seeing Yin Bo’s weak appearance, he became extremely worried, running to the laboratory to ask Kazumi Koyama what happened, whether he had been too rough and destroyed the fragile sentinel?

Kazumi Koyama, wearing a sterile suit and cultivating bacteria, stood inside the hood with no expression as he looked at Haynes, a row of black lines hanging down his forehead. “Please, I’m a guide, and he’s a sentinel. His physical strength is dozens of times mine. How could I… If anyone were to be ruined, it would be me!”

Don’t be fooled by Kazumi Koyama being a guide, slender and inconspicuous. He’s usually the chief scientist in the enterprise, and he’s used to yelling at students and subordinates. His imposing manner is awe-inspiring. Having “cooperated” with Haynes for several months, Haynes was very wary of his bad temper. Seeing him get angry, Haynes apologized repeatedly with a smiling face, waiting for his mood to improve before asking him how to remedy the situation and make Yin Bo cooperate obediently in taking injections and having children.

After thinking for a while, Kazumi Koyama said, “He’s still young, suddenly in a strange environment without family or friends, so it’s normal for him to be emotionally unstable. Moreover, this interference agent itself has side effects related to depression. The way he is now, it seems to be a psychological problem.”

Psychological issues are the most frightening. The more Haynes worried, the more he had to stop Yin Bo’s medicine, but that was obviously impossible at this point. Therefore, they could only start from psychological comfort. Haynes asked him what to do.

Kazumi Koyama also wore a worried expression, “I can comfort him, but considering that I’ve only known him for a short time, it would be best if he had some family and friends to give him some comfort at this time… Can you let his boss come to see him? They can just talk through the protective screen. You can have someone watch him, or you can watch him yourself. I’ll make sure he doesn’t say anything out of line.”

This suggestion was not in line with the contract, but Yin Bo’s situation was indeed worrying. After dragging on for a few more days, Haynes had to compromise and agreed to let the quartermaster bring Yin Bo’s “brother” and “sister-in-law” to meet him.

When the news reached Jin Xuan, he and Wu Chenghe were at the hotel looking at the X-X defense map Yin Bo sent back. When they saw the pass issued by the quartermaster, they looked at each other and smiled simultaneously.

The bell of the final battle was about to ring!

 

 

 

 

This Title is available for faster chapter releases through paid Patreon membership. Any proceeds go to keeping the website running. Check it out HERE.