FT DR Chapter 131: Storm

Chapter 131: Storm

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

Wu Chenghe followed Mu upstairs. The room assigned to the research group by the hospital was very spacious, and considering that they both had children, there were even children’s beds prepared in the room.

“You sit down first, I’ll go and get Zhuang Zhuang ready for bed,” Mu gestured with his chin towards the sofa and went to the bathroom, carrying his daughter. In no time, he bathed her, changed her clothes, and Zhuang Zhuang, tired from playing, hummed sleepily a few times before falling asleep while hugging her yellow cat. Mu dimmed the night light, closed the bedroom door, and came out.

“Tomorrow, I can take her to the hospital’s daycare center. The twins are also in there, so with them taking care of Zhuang Zhuang, she should adapt quickly,” Wu Chenghe said to Mu. 

Mu nodded, “That’s what I think too. And Tata will also be sent there. Our group plans to stay in the Star Core for a month. The time is tight, and the follow-up observation and data recording will be handed over to the hospital staff. I’ve put your name on the list of consultants. After I leave, you should be more alert. If you feel anything suspicious, notify me immediately.”

“I understand,” Wu Chenghe was reliable when it came to serious matters, nodding solemnly. Then he asked, “You mentioned earlier that the direction of the research group is wrong. Are there any signs?”

“Some of the information from the research group was leaked recently. It’s inevitable since we need to recruit volunteers for the clinical phase and determine staff at various trial sites. The scope of knowledge has expanded, so increased confidentiality is necessary,” Mu frowned. “Fortunately, the core technical secrets are only known to a few of us, and the research-level data will never leak out. But I’m worried that someone might misuse the application results.”

“What do you mean?” Wu Chenghe didn’t quite understand. “How can application results be misused?”

“A few months ago, the experimental group in Zeus City sent us a batch of experimental results. Several volunteers showed clear guide traits after pregnancy, and the experiment was very successful,” Mu said softly. “This batch of results might have been infiltrated during transmission, and I don’t know why it leaked out and was obtained by outsiders. Fortunately, we were prepared early on. The data is coded with key terms and data, making it incomprehensible to outsiders without a reference from the experimental group.”

“That’s not too bad, then,” Wu Chenghe hesitated. “Even if outsiders get the data, they won’t understand what you’re doing.”

Mu shook his head. “It’s not that simple. Where there’s one, there’s bound to be another. Although this leak may not pose an immediate threat, I can’t guarantee the same luck next time. Moreover, they know we’re using codes, and they’ll definitely look for someone who can decipher them next. Overall, I feel like our research group has been targeted. I just don’t know who’s targeting us, whether it’s a radical group within the Federation or the Voyager Army. If it’s the latter, things will be very troublesome. So I want to ask you about the situation on the front line. You and Jin Xuan have been patrolling the Alpha Frontline for a long time and are most familiar with the Voyager Army’s movements.”

Wu Chenghe thought for a moment and said, “The situation isn’t very good.”

Mu’s eyebrows twitched slightly. “What do you mean?”

“The Federation allocated the energy bases and minerals in the Zhifu Chain Nebula to the Independent Brigade and the First Army after the rebellion. Jin Zhe called Minister Balon and Hannibal together to negotiate the division,” Wu Chenghe explained, fairly knowledgeable about the matter. “At the time, the Voyager Army was stronger than the Federal Legion, so Jin Zhe had to make some concessions to make Hannibal loosen his grip on this area. The bases and resources allocated to the Independent Brigade were slightly fewer than those given to the First Army. But in recent years, maybe we’ve just been lucky, the Pioneer Fleet discovered some very rich energy points on the edge of the nebula. Jin Xuan reported for mining last year, and the base is already under construction this year.”

Mu seemed to understand. “So the Voyager Army is eyeing it?”

“Yes, because of the issues with the routes and supplies, the disputes between the two sides have been ongoing since the end of last year,” Wu Chenghe sighed. “Jin Xuan was annoyed by the Beta Frontline. They sent patrol ships to harass our engineering fleet all day long. A few months ago, they even set up checkpoints and blocked our supply ships, causing a shortage of supplies at the frontline base. Jin Xuan got angry that time and personally led the fleet to remove their checkpoints. All the people were sent to the military for trial, and all the ships and equipment were confiscated.”

“Oh, I heard about that incident. It was mentioned within the Navy,” Mu said, as he had regular dealings with the Navy personnel and was indirectly the superior of Yin Bo and Kazumi Koyama. So his information was relatively complete. “Didn’t the military court review this case?”

“Right, they were tried, and the ‘Capture’ Fleet was found to have overstepped its authority. Punishments were handed down from top to bottom,” Wu Chenghe shrugged. “Since then, the atmosphere between the two sides has become even more tense. Whenever the ‘Capture’ ships see our ‘Tianzuo,’ it’s like they’ve seen their enemies, itching to pull out their Gatlings and shoot us all. I don’t know what they have to be angry about; clearly, they were the ones causing trouble first! Jin Xuan did nothing wrong, yet he was judged by the military court to have overreacted, affecting the friendship between both sides. The whole army criticized him! I couldn’t help but laugh at how absurd it was. What does ‘affecting the friendship between both sides’ even mean? Friendship exists between friends, right? Would friends set up checkpoints to block our supply ships?”

Wu Chenghe’s life in the core over the past couple of years had been smooth sailing. His studies had progressed, his husband was considerate, and his children were growing up quickly… The only frustrating aspect was his work, dealing with provocations from the Voyager Army every day. He couldn’t fight back, couldn’t curse, and occasionally even extending a hand led to a whole army-wide rebuke. He and Jin Xuan were like a package deal; whenever Jin Xuan got criticized, Wu Chenghe’s name was sure to follow.

It was exasperating!

Mu rarely saw Wu Chenghe so indignant. Thinking about the injustices he had endured over the past two years, Mu couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He spoke gently, “Alright, don’t get angry over these things. The Voyager Army’s arrogance and aggression have been going on for more than a year or two. I believe the Federation won’t continue to tolerate their arrogance indefinitely.”

“That’s right. Jin Zhe has been suppressing them all along because the Voyager Army’s interests have been continuously encroached upon by the Federal Legion. That’s why the ‘Capture’ Fleet has been acting so recklessly. We’re on the front lines, and we have to bear these pressures; I understand that,” Wu Chenghe said. “But what angers me is how they put the lives of our engineers at risk out of personal spite! You don’t know, when Jin Xuan dismantled their checkpoints and brought the supply ships back to the base, many people had already developed radiation sickness due to inadequate protection, especially the frontline engineers. Nearly half of them tested positive for radiation exposure. I assisted the fleet doctor in treating them. Most of these engineers had only graduated a few years ago. Seeing them suffer from illness, I couldn’t help but wish I could wipe out the ‘Capture’ Fleet! Fortunately, the military court took action against those bastards.”

As a doctor and a parent, facing natural illnesses, doctors could remain calm and composed. But facing injuries caused by human malice, it was simply intolerable. Mu understood his feelings and comforted him by patting his shoulder. Wu Chenghe calmed down a bit and sighed, “You asked me about the situation on the front lines. All I can tell you is that it’s very tense. Jin Xuan used to take me on patrols to the edge of the Beta Frontline, but he hasn’t taken me there for months now, afraid that something might happen… Actually, even if something happens to him, I won’t survive either. It’s just a psychological comfort.”

Mu hadn’t expected the frontline situation to be so tense. He frowned in silence for a while before saying, “You can feel the tightening of Federation policies. Hannibal must feel it even more deeply than you do. He has many connections in Star Cluster City, and it’s very likely that the leaking of our project’s secrets is related to him.”

Wu Chenghe pondered for a moment before saying, “I can’t say for sure about that, but it’s always better to be prepared. Dean, your battlefield is different from mine. There’s no gunpowder, but it’s even more dangerous. You must protect the organization and those hidden guides.”

Mu smiled faintly. “I know.” Seeing that it was getting late, he said, “Alright, you should go back. Let’s discuss this another day. The children should be sleeping by now, and they might get cranky if you stay out too long.”

“No, they’re already asleep. Besides, Jin Xuan should have gone back already. He’ll be looking after them,” Wu Chenghe said as he stood up to bid farewell to Mu. “But you should rest too. You have a pile of technical meetings waiting for you tomorrow. I’ll head back now. See you at the hospital tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Mu escorted him to the door, then stopped him. “You and Chen Miaomiao… I won’t meddle in your personal relationships, but during such sensitive times, you should still be mindful of boundaries. After all, he’s General Popova’s son.”

Wu Chenghe was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. “I know. I haven’t revealed anything about the experiment to him. But Dean, you know about Miaomiao, that child is as innocent as a blank piece of paper. Moreover, General Popova hasn’t shown any obvious anti-Federation intentions so far. Jin Xuan and Jin Zhe both believe that to some extent, she can be trusted.”

“As long as you’re confident,” Mu said, waving his hand. “Go on, I trust you to handle it with discretion.”

Wu Chenghe walked slowly out of the hotel, about to go to his car, when he felt a familiar consciousness fluctuation. Looking up, he saw Jin Xuan.

“You just sent them off?” Wu Chenghe was surprised. Jin Xuan had escorted Yin Bo’s family home, and he had been walking ahead, so why hadn’t he returned home yet?

“I was waiting for you. I just got back home, put my sons to bed, and came out to pick you up. What’s taking you so long?” Jin Xuan beckoned him over, putting his arm around his shoulder and swaying him back and forth. “What were you talking about for so long? You weren’t disclosing classified information, were you?”

“A little,” Wu Chenghe chuckled. “What are you going to do? Sentence me under military law?”

“Do I need military law to sentence you?” Jin Xuan bent down and hoisted him up, as if he were about to toss him into the sky. 

Wu Chenghe had become afraid of being tossed by him years ago. He spoke sternly, “If you dare to throw me, try it!”

Jin Xuan chuckled, lightly shouldering him and heading towards the parking lot. “Dream on. For such a serious crime as leaking military secrets, throwing you is too light a punishment. Wait until we get home, and I’ll deal with you then!”

“Put me down!” Wu Chenghe struggled a bit, but Jin Xuan’s grip around his waist was too tight, and he couldn’t move. Frustrated and embarrassed, he grabbed Jin Xuan’s shirt and threatened, “If you don’t let go, I’ll take off your pants!”

“You can take them off if you want. Saves me the trouble. But if you do, I’ll deal with you on the spot,”

Wu Chenghe was no match for Jin Xuan in terms of physical strength. Unable to really strip him of his pants, he resorted to using mental tendrils to attack Jin Xuan’s consciousness cloud. Jin Xuan immediately organized a mental barrier to block his attack. The two engaged in a fierce battle in the parking lot, even continuing when they got onto the hovercar. Finally, Jin Xuan played his trump card—emitting pheromones—which successfully subdued Wu Chenghe and left him sprawled across the driver’s seat.

What started as a fight turned into kissing, then marking. Although Wu Chenghe struggled, he couldn’t resist the submissive feeling brought on by the marking. He ended up lying on the backseat of the car, letting Jin Xuan have his way, staining the seat over and over again.

By the time they finished, it was already late at night. Wu Chenghe fell asleep on the way home, and Jin Xuan, unable to bear waking him up, gently carried him back to the bedroom, laid him on the bed, and helped him undress, using a cleaning device to remove the sweat stains from his body.

“Go to sleep,” Wu Chenghe murmured, impatiently brushing Jin Xuan’s hand away, but then grabbing onto his sleeve. Jin Xuan set down the cleaning device, lying beside him and letting him hold onto him, wrapping his long arms around his waist and gently patting him as if comforting a child.

The annual Alpha Frontline patrol was about to begin, and tensions between the Voyager Army and the Federal Legion were escalating. Jin Xuan didn’t want to risk taking Wu Chenghe along, but as a full-time doctor on such a high-level patrol, Wu Chenghe couldn’t stay out of it. Moreover, the patrol would last nearly three months, and Jin Xuan couldn’t bear not seeing his guide for such a long time, so he had to take him along.

Hopefully, everything would go smoothly… Jin Xuan sighed softly, running a finger through Wu Chenghe’s hair. It had been nearly six years since they met, and they had never had any peaceful days. Looking back, the first half-year after entering medical school was the most peaceful and enjoyable time. Back then, Wu Chenghe wasn’t an adult yet, and he hadn’t joined the military. The two of them spent their days together studying, reading, and enjoying outdoor activities like a normal couple.

Ah, the wheel of life, mercilessly crushing youth and time. In the blink of an eye, he was already thirty years old, but fortunately, “thirty is the time of standing up,” and his son had finally grown up. Jin Xuan’s mind wandered again, recalling the time when the crisis happened at the Grasshopper Space Station. He had been trapped beneath the cliff on the asteroid and had planned about having children. Since Wu Chenghe gave birth to twins and used a hormone inhibitor, there had been no movements since then.

Could it be that he couldn’t have children anymore? Jin Xuan gently slid his hand into Wu Chenghe’s sleeping pants, feeling his smooth abdomen. Unfortunately, there was no movement at all, flatter than an airport runway.

The effects of the hormone inhibitor should have worn off by now. Hopefully, Wu Chenghe wouldn’t renew it this time. After the patrol was over, they could try again and give the twins a younger brother… or sister would be fine too, like Zhuang Zhuang. The more, the merrier… Lost in his thoughts about whether to have a son or a daughter, Jin Xuan fell into a deep sleep, even dreaming that he was commanding a familiar yet unfamiliar fleet in battle against the “Capture” Fleet.

Familiar because the fleet was still Tianzuo, unfamiliar because all the soldiers on the ships had the same face, the same face as the twins—

“Dad, everything is ready. Requesting permission to set sail!”

“Dad, there’s a malfunction in the Chernobyl power source. Requesting cancellation of warp propulsion and on-site repairs!”

“Dad, we’ve spotted the ‘Capture’ Fleet’s outpost ahead. Requesting permission to annihilate them on the spot!”

Jin Xuan was abruptly awakened by the echoing voice of “Dad,” jolting upright in bed, panting heavily and drenched in cold sweat until his eldest son climbed onto his head and shook him a couple of times before he finally came to his senses.

“Dad, wake up!” Wu Qian hugged his father’s head like a horse and pulled his hair, patting him. “Dad said there’s an emergency, and he went ahead. He asked you to take us to daycare quickly. We can’t be late today because sister Zhuang Zhuang is also going. We can’t be late!”

Jin Xuan felt dizzy and groaned in response. “Okay, okay,” he mumbled. 

Jin Xiao dragged his plush bear into the room. “Dad, can I not eat green mush? I want chocolate cake!” This child was addicted to goddesses and referred to anything with green vegetables as green mush.

“It’s too late to make it now. We can only have it tonight,” Jin Xuan finally managed to pull his eldest son off his neck, only for the youngest one to climb onto his lap. 

Jin Xiao launched a surprise attack on his chest. “Dad, your chest is so big, much bigger than dad’s!”

Geez, he’s only three years old and he’s already concerned about boobs?Jin Xuan felt a little head spinning, deeply feeling that his son might be a little crooked under his wife’s permissive upbringing. As soon as he carried the two little ones to the bathroom, “Both of you go take a bath, older brother takes care of younger brother, younger brother listens to older brother, daddy goes prepare breakfast for you, we have to be at the daycare center in half an hour!”

“Dad has already gone to work, you’re with your second dad!” Wu Qian dragged his younger brother under the showerhead and lathered him up with body wash. 

Jin Xiao pushed his brother aside, his soapy back poking out, struggling to ask Jin Xuan, “Dad, how long is half an hour?” He gestured with his chubby hands, “Is it this long?”

Jin Xuan, shirtless and looking for his T-shirt, felt a pang of sadness at the innocence of a three-year-old who had no concept of time, not even able to distinguish between length and time. He wondered how Wu Chenghe usually managed them. After a moment of thought, he decided to just go with it, “Yes, that’s exactly how long it is. You’re so smart!”

“Oh, then that’s completely enough.” Jin Xiao arrived at this miraculous conclusion, and he proceeded to wash himself contentedly under the shower.

Amidst the chaos, Jin Xuan stood at the bar, preparing nutritional supplements for the twins, thinking about his dream from last night. He couldn’t help but be grateful that he only had two sons instead of a fleet… so maybe having another child could wait for a while.

At Tianzuo Hospital, Wu Chenghe had just finished a heart attack surgery when he suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable in his stomach. It must be because he hadn’t cleaned himself properly after the car incident last night… With a pale face, Doctor Wu handed over the stitching to his assistant, “I’ll be back in a moment. The rest is up to you.”

Mu’s research group was only staying at Tianzuo Hospital for a month. Wu Chenghe had originally planned to spend some time with them and his sons during this period, but unfortunately, the annual patrol of the Tianzuo fleet had begun. As Jin Xuan’s full-time doctor, he had to go along with it.

On the day of departure, Mu personally escorted him onto the ship, giving him some earnest advice, “Take care of your sentinel, keep up with your attack training. You’re already a full-time doctor, so you don’t need to be too focused on medicine. Doing your job well is the most important thing.”

“I understand,” Wu Chenghe solemnly promised. Each person’s life value was different, and their status determined everything. As a full-time doctor, he knew he couldn’t excel in the medical field like Mu, so he could only do his best to protect Jin Xuan and guard the Federation’s frontline. Thinking about the two children left behind at the hospital, and how he could spend a few more days with Mu, he entrusted Mu, “Dean, can you spare some time to teach the twins? I really don’t know how to take care of children, and Jin Xuan spoils them too much. They’ve become such a handful.”

Mu couldn’t help but sweat at this. “What makes you think Zhuang Zhuang is any better than the twins?”

After thinking for a moment, Wu Chenghe said sincerely, “At least she looks somewhat normal.”

Mu pushed him towards the warship, saying, “I think it’s better to be straightforward. The twins are quite natural. You’ll see their advantages in the future.”

Armed with the queen’s teachings and his own hopeful expectations, Wu Chenghe embarked on the journey of the annual patrol. Jin Xuan was extremely sensitive to military matters, especially after months of friction with the Voyager Army. This time, he brought almost a quarter of the Tianzhu fleet on the patrol, equipped with the most advanced weapons and equipment, and provided with the highest level of supplies. Wu Chenghe immediately put on his full-time military doctor badge upon boarding the ship. Although he was supposed to serve only Jin Xuan according to regulations, everyone knew he was quite skilled in surgery. So from time to time, he was asked to exchange experiences and consult on the medical ship. Thus, he was quite busy for more than half a month, and Jin Xuan even had to make an appointment to see him.

Twenty standard days later, the fleet arrived at a supply station. Jin Xuan went to the station for supplies and to inspect the ships, while Wu Chenghe stayed on the ship to organize some documents with the ship’s medical officer. Suddenly, he received an official email from Tianzhu Hospital. It turned out that Mu’s research group had completed the first phase of the experiment. Four pairs of volunteers had reacted well, with two pairs already confirmed to be pregnant, and the other two still under observation.

Along with the official email, there was also a private email from Mu. In the email, Mu told Wu Chenghe that he would be setting sail back to Planet Dunkirk soon. Zhuang Zhuang and Tata got along very well with the twins and had formed a deep friendship. They were crying and refusing to separate, so he had organized a small farewell party, which had finally managed to cheer everyone up. At the same time, he instructed Wu Chenghe to closely follow the progress of the experiment and not to overlook any details, and to keep in close contact with the head of the research group.

Wu Chenghe wrote back to Mu and forwarded both emails to Jin Xuan. Several hours later, when Jin Xuan returned from the supply station, he said, “What a coincidence, I just received an email from Jin Zhe. He has set off from the capital to conduct a secret inspection with an independent regiment and should arrive at Tianzuo in about a week.”

“Jin Zhe has already set off? That timing seems a bit off…” Wu Chenghe was surprised. Jin Zhe usually comes to inspect the independent regiment every year, but in previous years, it would be slightly later than this time. This time, it’s suddenly more than a month earlier… Could it be because of Mu?

Jin Xuan obviously had the same speculation. With a touch of consciousness, he smiled knowingly, “Is he here to pick up Dean?”

Wu Chenghe nodded with a smile, “I think so.”

They guessed right. Jin Zhe did indeed come for Mu, but none of them guessed that a twist of fate was quietly occurring at this moment.

The Federation, the Voyager Army, and even all of humanity will soon face a great test of life and death.

 

 

 

 

 

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