FT DR Chapter 112: The Unconventional President

Chapter 112: The Unconventional President

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

The Presidential Security Service arrived as scheduled, and on the second day of his marriage, Kazumi Koyama was summoned to the Presidential Residence.

The Presidential Residence was just as modest and simple as reported in the news, surrounded by neatly arranged flowers and trees, giving it a serene and elegant atmosphere. Kazumi Koyama was escorted into a round reception room, where he was served with Chinese red tea and asked to wait, as the security personnel promptly left.

The room was extremely quiet, but Kazumi Koyama’s heart was boiling like water on a stove, unable to calm down. He couldn’t figure out why the President had summoned him. Was it to settle his past affiliation with Lancer General, or was it about the Free Guide organization? Anxious, he placed his hands nervously on his knees, his fingers trembling.

After waiting for what seemed like a quarter of an hour, the door suddenly creaked open, followed by the sound of steady footsteps.

“Sorry for the wait, I had to attend to a few other matters.” President Jin Zhe appeared taller and more robust in person than he did in holographic news. Standing nearly two meters tall, even in a charcoal gray suit and a delicate blue diamond cufflink, he couldn’t conceal his formidable military aura.

This President was different from the previous ones. Kazumi Koyama had often heard Sienna and others talk about him. It was said that within thirty years, he had risen from the ranks of the Voyager Army to the NTU, then to Congress, the Cabinet, and finally ascended to the top position of the Federation. He was known as the “Military-Political Dual Cultivator,” possessing the smoothness of a politician in dealing with people, yet filled with the ferocity of a Federation soldier.

At this moment, although he wore an elegant and gentle smile, Kazumi Koyama faintly felt the sharpness hidden beneath that smile.

“Congratulations first.” Jin Zhe reached out to shake his hand, his grip firm and resolute. “Happy newlywed.”

“Thank you, Mr. President.” Kazumi Koyama expressed his gratitude respectfully, masking his inner anxiety with traditional Japanese courtesy.

“Please, have a seat and relax.” Could his worries escape Jin Zhe’s eyes? With a slight smile, the President sat down on the single sofa beside him, not discussing official business but chatting with him in a friendly manner, “Sorry for calling you in on the second day of your marriage, probably messed up your honeymoon preparations… Heard from Jin Xuan that you’ve booked tickets to Zeus City three days from now?”

“Yes, that’s my hometown.” Under his infectious demeanor, Kazumi Koyama relaxed and replied, “I want to visit my family with my spouse; we have some relatives there who want to host us. Then we plan to stay in the mountains for a few days. My family has a farm in the mountains, and I lived there with my parents when I was young.” As a family with guide children, they had to live in remote mountain villages to avoid attracting attention.

“Ah, I’m quite familiar with Zeus City; I have a good friend whose hometown is Zeus City.” Jin Zhe wore a casual expression, saying, “Secretary of State Hobart, his family still lives there, mostly.”

“Yes, the Hobart family is a well-known French family in our area.” Kazumi Koyama nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, Zeus City is also one of the three origins of the Federation Navy.” Jin Zhe was well-versed in military history, “Four hundred years ago, the Federation Navy built three major Military Harbors: Lanya Bay, Soros, and Zeus City.”

Kazumi Koyama wasn’t familiar with military-political history, but he had been taken to visit the local military museum by the school when he was young. He nodded, “Yes, Zeus City is indeed an old military city.”

“Exactly, later on, when the Navy was reorganized, it split off to form the Voyager Army, and the first fleet was from Zeus City.” Jin Zhe continued, “Speaking of which, Zeus City is the cradle of the Voyager Army, with many military families and intricate relationships… No wonder the people there are particularly supportive of the Voyager Army.” Jin Zhe’s phoenix-like eyes cast a chilly glance at Kazumi Koyama. “Speaking of which, Mr. Kazumi is also quite emotionally rich. As far as I know, you don’t have any close relatives who are members of the Voyager Army, but you seem to have special trust in the Second Army, especially Lancer?”

The fierce map cannon struck unexpectedly. Sweat broke out on Kazumi Koyama’s back, and his expression froze instantly. He had never expected that President Jin Zhe would take such a roundabout route. Despite his gentle demeanor, the blade hidden beneath his smile was razor-sharp, striking right at the heart.

“I’m sorry.” Kazumi Koyama could barely bear such a soul-searching inquiry. He forcibly suppressed his inner fear and anguish, speaking with a heavy heart, “Regarding the embryo interference agent incident, I am deeply sorry. It was my moment of confusion, listening to the instigation of Lancer’s subordinates, almost causing irreparable damage to the Federation… Mr. President, I am deeply, deeply remorseful for this matter. If I need to bear legal responsibility, I will not defend myself or shift blame.”

“Don’t be so nervous; it’s just a chat. Didn’t it come up?” Jin Zhe smiled again, his demeanor eerily mild, and poured him more tea, saying, “The military has already investigated you. If it weren’t for your timely surrender in the Battle of Tartaros, we wouldn’t have obtained all the evidence so smoothly and taken over Lancer’s secret base. Credit and fault offset each other. The military absolutely believes in your repentance, and there will be no further investigation into your mistakes.”

Kazumi Koyama’s face was nearly dripping with sweat. He took out a handkerchief to wipe it off and said, “Thank you for the military’s trust in me. I… won’t be so reckless in the future. I’m sorry, Mr. President. I, as a person, have achieved some small successes in my profession, so in recent years, I’ve been a bit stubborn and unable to listen to others’ advice. This incident has taught me a very big lesson, and I will definitely take it to heart in the future.”

Regarding his initial act of madness and cruelty, Kazumi Koyama indeed regretted it to the point of bleeding. But as a proud genius and a reserved scientist, even for his own sentinel, he couldn’t express such straightforward repentance. When facing military investigators initially, he only stated the facts. But the President seemed to possess an aura of a judge from hell, making him feel deeply guilty. He had to say these words to somewhat relieve the pressure on his heart… This was the power of the President!

“Young people, one learns from mistakes.” Jin Xuan comforted him like a head teacher examining a student, “Don’t dwell too much on the past. We Chinese have an old saying, ‘To know one’s errors and mend one’s ways is the greatest virtue.'”

The more he said this, the more guilty Kazumi Koyama felt. He nodded heavily. Jin Zhe picked up his teacup and drank, subtly observing his expression. After a while, he said, “I called you here this time to talk about the Voyager Army. From what I know, not long after the Black Pearl case, you reached an agreement with Lancer. Considering the time you spent with the Second Army, nearly half a year, based on your observations, what do you think about the internal atmosphere of the Voyager Army?”

Subconsciously feeling a sense of “redeeming one’s faults by good deeds,” Kazumi Koyama thought seriously and replied, “They are completely different from other military forces in the Federation. Although the NTU is disciplined and strong in combat, there’s relatively more democracy and moderation among comrades and between superiors and subordinates. The Voyager Army, on the other hand, is different. They value ironclad discipline more, with strict hierarchical relationships. Subordinates execute superior orders without questioning the consequences, without demanding morality and justice… They exude a terrifying bandit-like atmosphere, resorting to any means and disregarding everything.”

Jin Zhe’s expression darkened, nodding slowly. “You’re right. In fact, the early Federation’s perception of the Voyager Army was different. They face the dangers of the unknown universe on the front lines, hence they must be more decisive and forceful. I served in the Voyager Army before and have some understanding of their style of conduct. However, it’s been nearly twenty years since I left, and I’m not quite sure what they have become now. As President, it’s difficult for me to understand the truth about certain things.” He paused, then continued in a solemn tone, “It seems that they have magnified their ‘facing the enemy’ mentality to the extreme and have started using it against their own people.”

Kazumi Koyama felt a pang of regret. He never imagined that Lancer would imprison and exploit him without hesitation. When he joined Lancer, he had prepared himself; at worst, his identity would be exposed, and he would be sent to Tungusic. But… he was too naive and too ignorant of the Voyager Army.

Jin Zhe continued with narrowed eyes, “For more than three hundred years, the Voyager Army has long ceased to be the force representing peace for all mankind as it was at its inception. It has become a fighting machine representing the interests of a part of the population. The Navy’s traditions have been thrown aside, replaced by the military philosophy of supreme command—powerful, fierce, invincible, with collective interests always above human morality.”

Kazumi Koyama dared not draw such a big conclusion and could only remain silent. Jin Zhe contemplated for a while and suddenly asked, “They are already so powerful, controlling sixty to seventy percent of the Federation’s forces. Why would they target you, a scientist? What do they want from you? Just some kind of potion?”

“Guides, they want more guides.” Kazumi Koyama blurted out, “The sentinel proportion of the Voyager Army is higher than that of other military forces in the Federation, so their turnover is faster, and talent loss is more severe. It takes many years to cultivate an outstanding officer. Generally, sentinels become colonels around the age of thirty-five. Without guides, they have to retire from frontline units after the age of fifty-five, or else their temperament changes drastically, which would be disastrous for the fleet.”

Lancer General persuaded him to cooperate with Haynes’s research, he had disclosed some data to him. Kazumi Koyama was very familiar with the “guide shortage” in the Voyager Army. He continued, “There are about thirteen thousand officers above the rank of colonel in the Voyager Army, and nearly five thousand in the Second Army alone. However, there are only over six hundred with guides. This means that over four thousand people can only live until the age of seventy, with effective service time not exceeding thirty years. This ‘depreciation rate’ is too high. Even someone as skilled at cultivating confidants as Lancer cannot bear it.”

Jin Zhe’s gaze was profound as he agreed, “You’re right. They want to influence the birth rate to secretly ‘produce’ guides for themselves. Normally, guides can withstand lifelong marking by the age of eighteen. Within twenty years, they can internally resolve the lifespan issue of a large number of officers. Within a hundred years, the combat power of the Second Army alone can surpass the total of the other two Voyager Army forces.”

“Yes,” Kazumi Koyama said, “Lancer had grand ambitions. He even dreamt of forming a guide army specifically to conduct mental attacks on sentinels. In this way, although he would only control one-fifth of the Federation’s military strength, he could single-handedly oppose the other four-fifths.”

Jin Zhe’s eyes narrowed, a hint of a cold smile playing at the corners of his mouth. The thoughts of the strong always coincided. What he could think of, both Lancer and Hannibal had considered. But as the President, he was constrained by many sides, while as the Commander of the Voyager Army, Lancer and Hannibal were like emperors on high mountains, doing as they pleased. “Hmm, so Lancer’s target was not only the other two army groups, but also the legions of the Federal Navy,” he paused and added softly, “The ambitions of the Voyager Army have been fed too much. Being attached to the Federation can no longer satisfy their demands… and not just him, Commander Hannibal is the same.”

Kazumi Koyama was taken aback. Lancer’s treason was a fact, but Commander Hannibal was still one of the loyal leaders of the Federation. Just last month, his “Quadrant” fleet was assisting the Federal Navy in besieging Lancer’s rebellion in the Chifeng Chain Nebula.

However, the rebellion had been quashed, and he seemed to still be entrenched in the territory of the Second Army. Kazumi Koyama suddenly remembered some battle reports Yin Bo had mentioned, the conflicts between the Navy and the First Army, and the negotiations between Hannibal and Defense Secretary Balon. So was the President agonizing over how to distribute the spoils of war? He began to doubt Commander Hannibal’s loyalty?

Kazumi Koyama didn’t dare to speak rashly. Jin Zhe’s expression was gloomy as he said, “You’re already a member of the NTU, a colonel in the Federation. I trust you, so I can be frank with you. Commander Hannibal has submitted a sector defense map, requesting me to withdraw the First Fleet of the Navy to the defense perimeter of Star Cluster City and hand over full control of the sectors under the original Second Army’s jurisdiction to him. In the future, he will conduct strict reorganization of the remaining forces of the Second Army, integrating them with his own loyal fleet, the ‘Quadrant,’ to establish a new Second Army.”

Kazumi Koyama was greatly surprised. He had never expected Commander Hannibal’s request to be so harsh, wanting to fully occupy the power left by Lancer, not even willing to share a spoonful of soup with the Federal Navy!

“He also recommended three new candidates for General to me,” Jin Zhe continued. “I dare not say they are all his people, but… even if they are not, as the Commander of the Voyager Army, in ten years, at most twenty years, he can firmly control these people.”

Kazumi Koyama thought for a moment and had to admit that what Jin Zhe said was true. Even if Jin Zhe placed his confidants there, they might not be able to resist Hannibal’s temptation over time. After all, within the Federation, a General was just a General. If the Voyager Army went independent, they could be kings.

Independence… Kazumi Koyama was instantly drenched in a cold sweat by this terrifying word. Jin Zhe seemed to have read his mind and said, “The Voyager Army has been wanting independence for a long time, not just today or yesterday. The Commander-in-Chief is powerful, and even I dare not directly order him to withdraw from the Chifeng Chain Nebula. I can only negotiate terms with him. I’m not just fearing shadows; following this trend, there will be a war between the Federation and the Voyager Army within twenty years.”

Kazumi Koyama was terrified to hear this. Jin Zhe ignored his fear and instead asked him, “Do you think we can win?”

He used the term “we,” reminding him of his identity as a Colonel in the NTU. Kazumi Koyama gritted his teeth and said, “Anyone attempting to undermine the unity of the Federation will surely not succeed!”

Jin Zhe smiled coldly. “If this were said by cadets at the military academy, I might let it pass. But you’re a scientist, a Colonel in the Federation, you’ve been to Tartaros and know how formidable the Voyager Army is. Do you believe what you’re saying?”

Kazumi Koyama was speechless. Jin Zhe continued, “Of course, I’m not saying what you said is wrong. Upholding the unity of mankind is my lifelong pursuit and responsibility as President. But some things cannot be achieved by mere words; strategy is required. Why don’t you tell me, if such a day really comes, what do we have to defeat the Voyager Army?”

Kazumi Koyama fell into contemplation. He wasn’t proficient in military and political matters, but like Mu, he had been influenced by Teacher Sienna for a long time and knew how terrifying the power of guides could be, especially those with strong aggressive abilities. He himself was the best example, as well as Wu Chenghe, who at a young age was already a formidable weapon, single-handedly taking down half a squad in the X-X district.

There were quite a few guides in the Federation, with over two thousand military and political mates, and another six thousand in guide schools. But these people had been pampered and their potential wasted. Turning this around wouldn’t happen overnight, especially considering societal opinions and traditional pressures. The President’s reforms had been ongoing for over half a year now, with minimal results.

This was the drawback of democracy, far less effective than dictatorship in execution, needing to consider opinions from multiple sides. On the other hand, the over two thousand members of the Free Guide Organization were all highly covert and aggressive guides. But… he didn’t have the authority to disclose their list to the President. He couldn’t make such a significant decision, gambling the freedom of over two thousand people on the President alone.

Jin Zhe had been watching his expression closely, and seeing his changing countenance, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. “Afraid? My words have scared you? Well, there’s no need to be so pessimistic. War is multifaceted; besides military strength, comprehensive power must also be considered. After all, the Federation controls the vast majority of humanity’s resources—technology, education, personnel reserves… and the Free Guide Organization.”

“!” Kazumi Koyama’s eyebrows jumped. 

Jin Zhe continued, “Surprised? The Free Guide Organization has been around for over a hundred years. It’s said they protect thousands of free guides. Although I don’t know the details of this organization, I have no doubt about their existence.”

At this point in the conversation, Kazumi Koyama’s mind was clear. He understood why Jin Zhe had invited him, why he had sparked his guilt from the beginning, why he was discussing the situation between the Federation and the Voyager Army with him… It wasn’t because he was a Colonel in the Federation, but because he was one of the responsible persons in the Free Guide Organization.

Jin Zhe had spoken so much with him not because he truly wanted to consult him on anything, but to guide him to speak out about the importance of guides in war, to make him understand the importance of the Free Guide Organization to the Federation: Before embryo interference technology matured, over two thousand free guides were a huge asset to anyone. In case there were more examples like him, guides defecting to the Voyager Army, it would undoubtedly deal a huge blow to the Federation.

If, as the President feared, there would be a war between the Federation and the Voyager Army within twenty years, the situation would be even worse. The Voyager Army would surely try every means to control the Free Guide Organization. If Sienna continued to insist on neutrality and secrecy, it could bring disaster to the organization—Hannibal, with his strength and decisiveness, would never leave anything he couldn’t control to the Federation!

The fact that the President had summoned him on the second day of his marriage was because he realized that this issue was urgent. The development of the Free Guide Organization to this day has become an important counterbalance in defending the unity of mankind. Whoever seized it first would gain the advantage.

As for why the President knew he was one of the responsible persons in the Free Guide Organization, it was no longer important. The President’s brother had already marked Mu’s student. What else could the President not know?

The reason the President didn’t exert official pressure on the organization was simply because he didn’t want to completely expose the organization during this sensitive period. Currently, the Voyager Army still belongs to the Federation. Once all the free guides were sent to the Tungusic base, legally half of them would have to be allocated to the Voyager Army, a “loss” the President couldn’t afford to bear.

Kazumi Koyama fully understood Jin Zhe’s intentions, and his mood calmed down. He said, “Yes, the Free Guide Organization truly exists, Your Excellency the President. I was once one of its responsible persons. I apologize for concealing this from the military. On the one hand, it’s because I cannot betray the organization; on the other hand, since I joined Lancer, I’ve cut off contact with the organization. At that time, I accepted their support as a scientist and never intended to reveal the organization’s secrets to them.”

“I believe you,” Jin Zhe said. “I believe you are a righteous person when it comes to right and wrong.”

Kazumi Koyama felt ashamed and paused before continuing, “Your words just now were sincere. I’m not someone who clings to outdated views. My thoughts align with yours, Your Excellency the President. I hope to do my best to improve the living space for guides. I accepted Lancer’s support to ensure the success of the research and increase the number of guides, aiming to end the objectification and privatization of guides from the root. But the foundation of all this is still the unity of humanity. I absolutely do not want my research to be used to divide the Federation!”

Jin Zhe was slightly moved and nodded. “I believe you.”

“I understand your concerns. The status of the Free Guide Organization is currently very delicate. You cannot make it a publicly legal entity, nor can you ignore it as you did before, allowing the Voyager Army an opportunity.” Kazumi Koyama spoke sincerely. “If you think it necessary, I’m willing to facilitate secret contact between you and Teacher Sienna to discuss countermeasures together.”

Jin Zhe fell silent for a moment before saying, “Aren’t you afraid of being labeled a ‘traitor’?”

Kazumi Koyama replied earnestly, “I don’t think so. I trust my own judgment, Your Excellency the President. I trust and admire you. I believe you will give the organization a better future.”

Jin Zhe laughed heartily. “Young man, you’re too easily excited. Lancer must have targeted you precisely because of this, bypassing Sienna and Mu to reach out to you.”

Kazumi Koyama blushed and couldn’t respond. Jin Zhe put away his smile and said solemnly, “But you’re not wrong this time. Trust me.”

Kazumi Koyama nodded silently. In just over an hour, he had gained a clear understanding of the President, who was legendary for his “military and political dual cultivation.” There was no denying that Jin Zhe was cunning, assertive, and even somewhat ambiguous, willing to reach a private agreement with a secret organization to restrain the Voyager Army. But even such a person, who resorted to all means, was extraordinarily upright and trustworthy.

Deep down, he always put the Federation and humanity first. Everything he did was not for his own selfish desires, but for the unity of the Federation.

Such a person was worth following, even if it meant facing danger with him.

 

 

 

 

 

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