FT DR Chapter 29: A Plan and Two Allies

Chapter 29: A Plan and Two Allies

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Over the next few days, Wu Chenghe spent his time in a half-conscious state, vaguely aware that he had returned to Gabriel. In the hospital, many doctors consulted on his condition. But his consciousness remained fuzzy, the clarity he had regained after the estrus was now difficult to maintain because of the unstable attacks from that guide, which felt like a restless beast trying to awaken.

It was a week later when Wu Chenghe truly woke up. He opened his eyes and for the first time noticed that his vision was clear, without any haze or double vision, able even to see the patterns on the curtains. His senses finally calmed, the chaos in his mind quieted down. Wu Chenghe took a deep breath, feeling like he had returned to the realm of the living, deeply grateful.

“You’re awake, Mr. Charlie,” Ava, dressed in the uniform of the First Hospital, smiled as she placed a vase of blooming carnations on his bedside table. “It’s from the Commander; he’s been eagerly awaiting your recovery.”

“Oh, thank you,” Wu Chenghe spoke, realizing his throat was sore, almost unable to speak. 

Ava moistened his lips with cotton swabs dipped in water and then fed him a few sips with a small spoon, saying, “You’re too weak to talk. Just rest.”

His thoughts, still trying to expand, made Wu Chenghe feel dizzy. After swallowing the water, he retched twice, panting, “Ava, what about them? How are they?”

Ava knew who he was asking about. Her expression stiffened for a moment, but she quickly broke into a smile. “You mean Mr. Chen Miaomiao? He’s fine. His fractures are healing, and his blood vessels have been repaired. He said you gave him first aid. Mr. Charlie, you’re amazing. Even the orthopedic experts admire your bone-setting skills. Without you, he might have suffered from sequelae.”

“Oh, he’s okay, that’s good,” Wu Chenghe managed a slight smile, asking, “And Jin Xuan?”

Ava fell silent, sitting on the chair by his bedside, gently holding his hand. “Charlie, you’re still very weak. Can you sleep for a while?”

Wu Chenghe’s thoughts were muddled, but he intuited that her expression wasn’t right. He pressed on, asking, “What about him? What happened? Is he injured?”

“Don’t get agitated,” Ava held his hand. “Listen to me, Charlie. They’re still looking for him. The Commander has sent people to the asteroid and initiated a blanket search on the surface. They will surely find him.”

“What?” Wu Chenghe’s mind went blank. He could hardly understand what she was saying, muttering, “Looking for him? Rescue? Going to the surface… No, no, he was with me. He was on the space station. Why search on the surface? Why didn’t he come back with me? Didn’t Ivanov save him?”

“Charlie,” Ava said sorrowfully, “there was an accident. Just after you and Mr. Chen left in the escape pod, the space station was bombarded again. The rescue passage built by the mecha was destroyed, and the squad captain couldn’t rescue Dr. Jin.”

Wu Chenghe felt like his mind was buzzing. It took him a while to catch his breath, but his voice started to tremble, “What are you saying? He wasn’t rescued? He was left on the space station? And then there was bombardment?”

The medical instruments connected to him emitted a sharp beep, indicating that his brainwaves, heart rate, and blood pressure were all beyond normal levels. Ava was startled and immediately administered a sedative. “Don’t worry, Mr. Charlie. Dr. Jin’s body hasn’t been found yet. Maybe he’s still alive. The Commander has ordered a search and rescue mission.”

As she gently pressed his head to find his jugular vein, Wu Chenghe’s mind was in turmoil. He tried to stop her, but he was too weak and was quickly subdued. The cold sedative flowed into his vein, his dark pupils contracted a few times, then dilated, and he became dazed and incoherent, murmuring, “Save him, don’t… I need to save him, let me…”

The medication quickly took effect. He slumped on the hospital bed, gradually closing his eyes, sinking into an uneasy sleep.

“Poor child,” Ava looked at him sadly, tucked him in, and gently stroked his soft short hair. “Sleep well. Everything will be okay.”

Wu Chenghe slept restlessly, his thoughts turbulent and restless. It was as if he was haunted, sometimes feeling like he was lying in bed, sometimes feeling like he had already gotten up, and sometimes finding himself floating in space, wearing a spacesuit, with Jin Xuan working in the nearby experimental cabin.

A melodious whistle drifted into his ears, sometimes distant, sometimes close, it was the song “Sea of Whales.” Wu Chenghe listened, suddenly feeling like crying, choked up, and sang along with it.

“Charlie.” A warm hand covered his forehead. Wu Chenghe slowly opened his eyes, slowly making out the man in front of him. Hannibal sat on the edge of the bed, looking at him with concern, using a soft towel to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

“You’re here,” Wu Chenghe felt weak all over, his mind confused, trembling as he reached out to grab the man’s uniform. “And Jin Xuan? Have they found him?”

Hannibal’s gaze was deep. He sighed lightly, “Listen to me, Charlie. Everyone has tried their best.”

Wu Chenghe couldn’t believe his ears. He felt like he must be hallucinating. “No, he was right behind me. He’s so strong, he wouldn’t… Dad, save him! Tell them to find him. I don’t believe…”

“Hush…” Hannibal gently pressed his shoulder to calm him down. “The search team has been looking for him for a week, from the space station to the surface. Thousands of people have conducted a blanket search, but they haven’t found him. It’s been seven days, and the environment on the asteroid is harsh. Without supplies, no one could survive for so long.”

Wu Chenghe opened his mouth, completely disbelieving this. That persistent punk, that idiot who vowed to protect him, why did he disappear like this? He couldn’t believe it, he couldn’t!

“I reported to the President this morning, and an hour ago, the President issued a statement announcing Jin Xuan’s death,” Hannibal looked at his son’s pale face, the deep, bottomless black eyes, feeling a pang of pain in his heart, but at the same time, an evil emotion spread—Damn it! That person had left a mark on his heart after all! Unforgivable!

Wu Chenghe felt his restless mind swirling like a hurricane, almost engulfing his sanity. He struggled to grab Hannibal’s sleeve, wanting to beg him to tell him it wasn’t true. The medical instrument suddenly emitted a sharp beep, indicating that his vital signs were at a dangerous level.

“Let it out, baby,” Hannibal didn’t call for a doctor; instead, he gently lifted his son’s weak body and embraced him, patting his back gently. “Let it out, everything will be okay.”

Wu Chenghe instinctively resisted this news. He shuddered, pushing Hannibal’s shoulder, trying hard to push him away, but he was held tightly in his arms. Hannibal’s embrace was firm and cold, the pattern of his uniform scratching his skin, the delicate shoulder emblem making him feel cold, everything was different from Jin Xuan.

“No!” Wu Chenghe took a deep breath, forcing back his tears, trembling, grabbing Hannibal’s clothes, the thin veins on the back of his hand turning a faint blue. “I don’t believe it!”

“Hush, it’s all over now.” Hannibal stroked his soft hair, pressing his head against his chest, hearing the voice of his son on the verge of collapse, inexplicably feeling a sense of satisfaction. He imagined his son crying in his arms, imagined his tears wetting his uniform, but when he let go, he was surprised to find that Wu Chenghe hadn’t cried at all.

Wu Chenghe’s eyes were red, tears pooled in his eyelids, shimmering as if there were sparks twinkling, but he held back, not crying, just taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

The beeping gradually subsided until it disappeared completely. Wu Chenghe let go of his hand, slowly lying down, closing his eyes. After a while, hoarsely he asked, “Has the body not been found yet?”

“No, the asteroid terrain is very complex, with many swamps and jungles, and some beasts. It’s been too long, and we can’t be sure if his body still exists,” Hannibal looked at his son’s weak face, astonishment quietly spreading in his heart, gripping his cold hand, he said, “Charlie, please understand me. I can’t risk so many people just for one person’s body, even if he’s your friend, the President’s brother.”

Wu Chenghe’s fingertip nerves twitched nervously, but he controlled himself well, nodding, “Yes, Dad.”

He was too sensible, too rational. Hannibal felt a strange sense of powerlessness, yet also a kind of joy as if discovering a treasure. Holding his son’s hand, a tingling sensation spread from his fingertips, unclear whether it was painful or pleasant.

Wu Chenghe was silent for a while, then opened his eyes, saying, “Thank you for telling me the truth. I’m tired and want to sleep for a while.”

“Okay.” Hannibal kissed his forehead, dimmed the lights, and gently said, “Sleep, I still have some official business to attend to. I’ll come see you later.”

Hannibal left, closing the door, and the whole space quieted down. Wu Chenghe turned over, burying his face in the pillow, the tears in his eyes finally uncontrollably flowing down. The droplets fell on the pillow and were quickly absorbed, leaving only faint traces on the pillowcase. Wu Chenghe remembered the day on the space station, watching Section B being destroyed, everyone perishing in the inferno. He had shed tears for them. But it was different then. At that time, he still had the spirit, still had the courage, because Jin Xuan was by his side. Now that Jin Xuan was gone, he suddenly felt as if all his strength had been drained from him, and he didn’t even want to move his fingers anymore.

He was the only one he could share secrets with, even though it wasn’t voluntary, even though that guy was often annoying…

Wu Chenghe wasn’t a person with rich emotions. After lying down for a while, he gradually calmed down, sat up, wiped his face, and then opened his personal terminal.

The President’s obituary had been issued, very simple—Jin Xuan, a doctoral student at Aston University, died in a terrorist attack during a collaborative project with Gabriel School. He was twenty-four years old. Aston University would hold a memorial service at Dunkirk’s capital cemetery three days later. As the body had not been recovered yet, no funeral would be held. Once found, in accordance with the deceased’s wishes, it would be donated to the Aston University Medical School.

Below was Jin Xuan’s simple resume, too short because he was too young, consisting mainly of academic and artistic achievements. At the end was the President’s signature: Jin Zhe.

Wu Chenghe felt a strong sense of oppression, his heart throbbing painfully. He tried to stabilize his emotions and began to search for related reports of the incident. Although Jin Xuan’s body had not been found, the military had sealed most of the information, but there were still some bits and pieces of information circulating—the attackers were remnants of the Free Revolutionary Army.

A few months ago, Hannibal’s “Quarterback” fleet assisted the Second Army in besieging the Free Revolutionary Army, severely weakening them. A month ago, as the siege was nearing its end, Hannibal recalled the “Quarterback” fleet. Unexpectedly, due to lax vigilance by the Second Army, a small fleet managed to escape the encirclement and quantum leapt near Gabriel Military Harbor.

After the siege, the remnants of the Free Revolutionary Army harbored deep hatred towards Hannibal. Learning that Wu Chenghe was leaving Gabriel for experiments on a small asteroid, they split into three groups: one attacked the space station directly, one intercepted patrol teams, and one engaged the advance guard of the Imperial Guards coming for rescue. When Ivanov’s men broke through the blockade to reach the space station, it was already too late; only three survivors remained.

After rescuing Wu Chenghe and Chen Miaomiao, the attackers launched an assault on the compartment where they were hiding, causing a fire in the lab. Jin Xuan was trapped inside. Ivanov deemed the chances of rescuing him slim, especially with Wu Chenghe’s critical condition at the time. Thus, he decided to send the two wounded back to Gabriel first, then return with reinforcements for the search.

Upon the return of the advance guard to the space station, the remaining attackers had been eliminated by the subsequent arrival of the patrol teams. After the brief confrontation, they formed a temporary search team and scoured the entire space station, finding no trace of Jin Xuan but discovering a damaged escape pod missing. They then landed on the asteroid and conducted a thorough search for possible landing sites for the escape pod, leading to its discovery that same day. However, after seven days, they still hadn’t found Jin Xuan.

The asteroid’s surface conditions were extremely harsh, barely sustainable for humans for even three days. After seven days, the search team unanimously believed Jin Xuan to be dead and applied to abandon the search, a decision reluctantly approved by Hannibal.

As Wu Chenghe closed the holographic screen, he shut his eyes in anguish. It was all because of him. The remnants of the Free Revolutionary Army were targeting him. From the Mayflower to the Grasshopper Space Station, the root of all tragedies was him.

Wu Chenghe lay back on the pillow, covering his eyes with his forearm. He could hardly accept such a reality—so many deaths because of him, Jin Xuan missing because of him… Why did he have such a helpless identity? Why was he Hannibal’s son?

Intense guilt kept him tossing and turning, even though Ava had given him sedatives, which proved ineffective. Throughout the night, Wu Chenghe stared at the ceiling, haunted by the shadows of the deceased, faces he had seldom noticed before now vividly etched in his mind.

Especially Jin Xuan, he could almost see him every time he closed his eyes—his smile, his cunning, his superiority, his playful antics… A faint whistle echoed in his ears, the song “Sea of Sperm Whales” playing repeatedly, as if a fairy was singing in his ears, impossible to chase away.

When dawn broke, Wu Chenghe finally succumbed to a fitful sleep, only to dream of Jin Xuan once more. He dreamed of Jin Xuan standing with his Barbary lion at the edge of a cliff covered in black vines, the fierce wind tossing their hair and manes like flames.

Then they both fell.

“Ah!” Wu Chenghe woke abruptly, leaping out of bed in a cold sweat, his pajamas soaked through.

The dream lingered in his mind as he realized he had never been to that cliff. Yet the environment in the dream was so vivid, as if he had seen it with his own eyes.

No, he couldn’t give up like this! A bold idea suddenly popped into his head—he had to go to the asteroid! It had been seven days, no, now it was eight. The longer it dragged on, the slimmer Jin Xuan’s chances of survival became. Sitting on the bed, Wu Chenghe thought intensely. Suddenly, his mind felt remarkably clear. The confusion and bewilderment of the past few days vanished, replaced by a serene clarity, like the calm depths of the ocean.

His entire brain seemed to have undergone an upgrade, his thoughts unusually lucid. He couldn’t reach the asteroid alone; he needed a starship. But in his current state, Hannibal wouldn’t allow him to join the search team, let alone provide him with a starship on his own.

He had studied starship piloting in school, a compulsory course for senior students, but he had only trained in simulators, never flown for real. So if he was to find a starship, it had to be highly automated, preferably the latest model with bio-androids assisting in navigation. Such high-end equipment, aside from Hannibal, only one person in Gabriel Military Harbor could procure it.

Wu Chenghe threw off the covers and stumbled out of bed. After lying in bed for eight days, he could barely walk, but the target in his mind was crystal clear, so clear that he could forget his physical weakness and push forward with sheer willpower.

After standing on the ground for a moment, feeling steady, he took a deep breath and walked slowly towards Chen Miaomiao’s ward.

The news said that Lena Popova, the general of the Third Army, had arrived at Gabriel Military Harbor two days ago to visit her son. The Third Army was highly mechanized, with spacecraft generations not much different from Hannibal’s main forces. They must have an intelligent ship docked in the outer ring of the Military Harbor.

Chen Miaomiao was a loyal follower of Jin Xuan; he wouldn’t disregard King’s life and death. As long as he could persuade him, there was hope!

Author’s note: 

[Author: Hehe, searching for a spouse from afar is the most loving thing!]

[Doctor Wu: Please don’t laugh so obscenely, have some dignity, okay?]

[Author: Asteroids are so beautiful, want to indulge in some shameful play? Your man can’t wait anymore.]

[Doctor Wu: I don’t have a man, I am a man myself.]

[Author: You’re the uke/shou.]

[Doctor Wu: …（╯°Д°）╯┻━┻]

 

 

 

 

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