FT DR Chapter 36: The Correct Approach to Challenging Your Father-in-law

Chapter 36: The Correct Approach to Challenging Your Father-in-law

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

The second day back home happened to be Friday. Hannibal had arranged for Wu Chenghe to take leave, allowing him to postpone his classes until Monday. So Wu Chenghe had three days to rest and catch up on his studies.

Hannibal went to work at the military headquarters early in the morning, while Wu Chenghe slept until noon. He opened his personal terminal and found a bunch of missed calls from Chen Miaomiao in the call log. He quickly called him back.

“Senior, have you forgotten about me?!” Chen Miaomiao exclaimed as soon as the call connected. “Have you explained the starship matter to your dad? Why hasn’t he talked to my mom yet?”

“Uh…” Wu Chenghe was startled by his loud voice and then remembered that he had forgotten to explain the starship borrowing to Hannibal yesterday. Feeling guilty, he said, “Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot to tell him. He was really angry yesterday, and I was too scared to say anything.”

“I knew you’d be scared of your dad!” Chen Miaomiao exclaimed, trembling. “I’m being driven crazy here. My mom insists on taking me back to Seiling and is now telling my grandma to pack my bags. Senior, please, go talk to your dad and convince him. I don’t want to go back to Seiling. If I do, I’ll be in big trouble. My mom is like a dictator, treating me like one of her soldiers! You know, I’m just a delicate little flower, sob sob sob…”

His fear of her mom was endless, making going back home feel like being sentenced to death. Wu Chenghe hurriedly said, “Calm down first, don’t worry, let me think about what to say…” Hannibal’s expression was so grim yesterday, and he even threatened to make him “cry for mercy” if he caused trouble again. Would he agree if he spoke up now?

“Senior, please save me. It’s all because of you that I’m in this mess. Now my mom won’t listen to anyone unless the commander himself speaks!” Chen Miaomiao threatened through tears, “If you don’t go talk to your dad for me, I’ll end our friendship. I’ll tell everyone how ungrateful you are… Oh, I almost forgot, King’s favorite person is you. I know your secret, and now I’m threatening you. If you don’t help, I’ll immediately post your secret on Colonel Yuan’s network. I’m not joking, I’m very cruel!”

Wu Chenghe rubbed his forehead. “Calm down, I’ll go find my dad now.”

“Hurry up!”

Wu Chenghe stared blankly for a moment, then got up, washed, dressed, and reluctantly called Hannibal.

“What’s wrong?” Hannibal answered immediately, a bit nervous. “Are you feeling unwell? I was going to have Yuna take you to the hospital since you were sleeping so heavily this morning, but I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Uh, no, I’m fine,” Wu Chenghe hurriedly said. “I’m sorry to disturb you at work, but I need your help with something.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“It’s about Chen Miaomiao. His mom wants to take him back to Seiling, but he doesn’t want to go. Can you help him talk to the General and plead for him to stay?” Wu Chenghe asked cautiously. “Going to the asteroid was my idea, and I pressured him into lending me the starship. It’s entirely my fault that he’s in this situation, and I feel really bad about it.”

Hannibal had an expression of speechlessness. “You called for this? Do you know I had a meeting room full of officers waiting for me, and I had to come out to take your call? Charlie, can you focus on yourself first and stop worrying about others’ problems, okay?”

Wu Chenghe rarely called Hannibal, especially during office hours. After some hesitation, he whispered, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were busy. It’s just that Chen Miaomiao…”

“Charlie,” Hannibal impatiently interrupted him, “This is General Popova’s family matter. I don’t want to interfere in her parenting, and besides, this matter is his fault to begin with. He knew you were taking a risk and still violated military regulations to help you get the starship. This isn’t just mischief; it’s a crime, do you understand? I’m the Commander, I must have my principles!”

Wu Chenghe fell silent. After a pause, seeing Hannibal about to end the communication, he hurriedly said, “Dad, we both know we were wrong. I’m begging you, just this once, let him stay on Gabriel? I… I don’t have many friends, just Chen Miaomiao. If he’s taken back to Seiling because of me, I’ll feel deeply troubled. I swear, I swear I’ll never run away behind your back again, really!”

The last sentence struck Hannibal’s heart like lightning, instantly overwhelming his reason — “I swear I’ll never run away behind your back again” — Hannibal subconsciously took it as some profound promise, even though he knew very well that his son’s words didn’t mean what he thought. 

I hope he knows what he’s saying… The commander looked at his son’s persistent yet pitiful expression, and cracks appeared in his stern facade. He took a deep breath and said lightly, “Alright, I’ll think about it.”

[Let him off this once, it’s worth it. There aren’t many principles in this world, his plea is a principle in itself.]

Although he didn’t immediately agree, Hannibal’s expression and tone showed complete compromise. Wu Chenghe clasped his hands together gratefully and said, “Thank you! Sorry for bothering you, go ahead and get busy, I won’t disturb you anymore.”

After ending the communication, Wu Chenghe sighed and rubbed his chest. Pretending to be a grandson was hard, pretending to be a son was even harder. When would he be able to be an adult again? Goddamnit!

In the afternoon, Yuna visited the apartment, bringing delicious snacks for Wu Chenghe and taking him to the First Hospital for a check-up. That evening, Hannibal didn’t come to the apartment but called to remind him to rest well and study diligently. Wu Chenghe agreed to everything, wanting to ask when Hannibal would help Chen Miaomiao plead his case but hesitated to ask. He waited anxiously all night and received a joyful call from Chen Miaomiao the next morning.

“Senior! You’re my lifesaver!” After a night’s effort, the little boy resurrected with full HP. “My mom agreed to let me stay on Gabriel. My dad secretly told me that the Commander talked to her yesterday and advised her to treat me better in the future, not to always resort to punishment. Senior, you’re truly a divine savior!”

Wu Chenghe’s ears were ringing from his chatter. He said, “Thank goodness. As long as you don’t have to leave, I was worried he wouldn’t agree yesterday. He just said he’d consider it.”

“Your dad cares about you so much, sob sob sob, it’s really enviable. If it were my mom, she’d definitely smack me first thing,” Chen Miaomiao feigned crying for a bit and then said, “What are you doing now? Do you want to go to the public square together?”

“I need to study. I’ve fallen behind on several subjects over the past ten days,” Wu Chenghe said, then asked, “Why are you going to the public square?”

“Huh, don’t you know?” Chen Miaomiao asked in surprise, “At ten o’clock this morning, King is holding a press conference and fan appreciation event in the public square. Didn’t he inform you?”

“What? No, he didn’t. I’m not media, nor am I his fan,” Wu Chenghe checked his emails but found no messages from Jin Xuan, nor any missed calls. Curiously, he asked, “He’s holding a press conference? What’s it about?”

“Could it be that he’s planning to announce your relationship?” Chen Miaomiao gossiped, “Speaking of which, are you two officially dating now? Have you agreed to be in a relationship with him?”

“…You’re asking too many questions!” Wu Chenghe sweat-dropped. “We have a pure friendship!” 

Even though they held hands, hugged, and kissed, it was still a pure friendship, darn it!

“In that case, I don’t know. Anyway, I’m going to watch the event in the square. If you’re worried about being exposed, you can watch the live broadcast at home. The campus network will be streaming it,” Chen Miaomiao said.

Wu Chenghe felt that this might be another major event, and for safety reasons, it was better not to walk into it himself and risk getting struck by lightning. He said, “Okay, I’ll just stay at home and watch the live broadcast. You take care of yourself. Make sure you don’t get trampled again.”

“Don’t worry, my mom sent two guards to accompany me,” Chen Miaomiao said proudly. “They’re as tough as she is!”

“…Good luck.” Wu Chenghe ended the communication, filled with curiosity about the great General Popova. He promised himself to seize any opportunity to see her in person.

After reviewing his lessons for a while, Wu Chenghe opened the campus network exactly at ten o’clock. The live broadcast had already begun, and Gabriel’s public square was packed with people, surpassing even the turnout for the memorial service for Jin Xuan. However, this time there were no wreaths or paper-made white roses; instead, every fan held red sword lilies symbolizing peace and health.

Underneath the memorial wall in the north of the square, where Jin Xuan’s life-size statue used to stand, a simple platform had been set up temporarily. On the platform was an exquisite speech table, and below sat various media outlets waiting for interviews.

“Please quiet down, everyone.” A chubby manager walked onto the platform and said, “Today, at the request of the renowned performance artist King, I’m organizing this press conference and fan appreciation event on his behalf. Thank you all for coming. Now, let’s welcome today’s protagonist, Mr. King, to the stage.”

Excited screams erupted from the fans. A few girls were so overwhelmed that they went into shock and had to be carried away by emergency personnel stationed at the side of the stage for rescue, showing how adept the organizers were at handling such situations.

Jin Xuan walked onto the platform wearing a tattered black field uniform, still the same attire from the asteroid. However, as an emo, he had tidied up his appearance slightly — his hair was neatly tied back, his face washed, and he had reinserted the four miniature anti-dictatorship bullets into his ears.

“Thank you all for attending this gathering.” He always maintained his aloof male god style in front of everyone. His slender facial features looked even more austere without makeup, exuding a strong three-dimensional effect even without any effort. “I want to thank my fans for their continuous support and love, and thank you for praying for me in Gabriel Square a few days ago. Today, I can stand here because, in some way, God heard your call.”

He rarely spoke so sentimentally, and tears were already flowing down the faces of the fans below. A chubby fan waved a red sword lily and said, “King, I’m willing to die for you!” 

The person next to him immediately slapped him and said, “Get out of here, don’t interrupt King’s speech!”

After calming everyone down, Jin Xuan continued, “The reason I can stand here today is also thanks to the great Commander Hannibal. I want to thank him for not holding grudges, for sending thousands of people to the asteroid for rescue when the guards failed to save me and confirmed my demise.”

The whole place fell silent, followed by whispers. Jin Xuan had always been a critic of Hannibal, often mocking the president, congress, and supreme court in his activities, but the reason for mocking them was precisely because they allowed Hannibal’s military dictatorship. So, fundamentally, his entire artistic career was about opposing Hannibal.

Now, suddenly, he publicly thanked his old adversary. What kind of rhythm was this?

“I also want to thank my intern, Mr. Wu Chenghe, for his bravery and selflessness. He ventured to the asteroid to assist in the rescue despite being seriously injured, which allowed me to return safely.” It was the first time Jin Xuan mentioned Wu Chenghe’s name in public. It gave him a kind of thrilling sensation, akin to having an affair in broad daylight. His hands trembled slightly as he gripped the lectern. His lips involuntarily curled up, softening his usually stern features. “He is also the son of Commander Hannibal. I never thought that at the most perilous moment in my life, it would be the commander and his family who saved me. Here, I sincerely thank them!”

He took a step back and bowed slightly. The media and fans below were completely dumbfounded. They never expected that he would create such a big scene just to thank Hannibal and his family. For a moment, everyone looked at each other, unsure whether they should join in the gratitude or caution him against being blinded by momentary kindness and forgetting his ideals of fighting for freedom and democracy.

“In the eight days and nights trapped on the asteroid, I had a lot of time to think.” Jin Xuan continued his speech, his expression unusually serious. “All along, I advocated for the unity of the Federation, calling for the government to strengthen centralization and shrink the control over the Voyager Army. For nearly three hundred years, our Voyager Army has been rampant throughout the galaxy, showing no respect for other lower life forms, and ruthlessly exploiting the mineral resources of the galaxy… I always believed that this was because the government indulged the Voyager Army, fearing the consequences of opposing Commander Hannibal.”

He paused for a moment, then suddenly took a turn. “Upon reflection, I realized my ideas were too extreme. The Voyager Army is part of the Federation. Their actions represent the Federation, represent all mankind. If we want to change the strategic thinking of the Voyager Army, we must change the thinking of all mankind. Rome wasn’t built in a day. We, especially you young people here, you descendants of the Voyager Army, are the key to changing the future! Through this joint research at Gabriel Basic School, through the terrorist attack, and through Commander Hannibal’s selfless rescue of me, I have come to realize this point more clearly — the Federation and the Voyager Army are never separate entities, but rather an organic unity. We are of the same blood, living in the same country, and should possess the same dreams and values. Only by strengthening communication and unifying our thoughts among us young people can we gradually transform the Voyager Army into a peaceful and restrained force that brings hope to the entire galaxy!” 

Jin Xuan’s impassioned speech stirred the fans’ blood, and they whispered to each other:

“King is right! We are the descendants of the Voyager Army, and we are their future!”

“Changing the Voyager Army’s strategy isn’t a small matter. Protests and speeches won’t work. They won’t pay attention. We should express our views through practical actions!”

“Yes, we don’t have any power in our hands. Instead of begging them to change, we should replace them ourselves.”

“Hahaha, let the old guys all die! Let’s go!”

After the spontaneous “sublimation” of the idol’s words by the mischievous fans, the discussion had veered off course. However, the essence of it remained unchanged — they began to realize that what they had previously opposed was what they were about to become. This feeling of defeating the enemy from within was simply fantastic! Even those children who had never planned to join the military began to consider changing their ideals and applying to military academies.

Jin Xuan extended his senses to the entire audience, listening to all the discussions of the fans. A subtle smile of satisfaction appeared on his lips. When the discussions subsided, he continued, “During my time at Gabriel Basic School, I have gained a simple understanding of the education system of the Voyager Army. I am pleasantly surprised by the liberal and democratic academic environment here and the professionalism of the teaching and research staff, which has greatly benefited me. Next, I will be returning to the capital of Dunkirk to prepare for my graduation defense. I sincerely hope that those of you here will have the opportunity to enter the education system of the Federation like me. I also hope that you will bring the educational ideals of the Voyager Army to the Federation and bring the Federation’s ideology back to the Voyager Army, promoting mutual influence and inclusiveness.

“Human migration to this place has been over eight hundred years. The achievements we have today are inseparable from long-term unified development. Throughout Earth’s history, humans have never been as powerful as they are now. Over the past eight hundred years, we have had no civil wars, standing united against external threats, and developing rapidly. I hope that in the next eight hundred years, one thousand years, we can continue to develop like this! Any attempt to divide the Federation and the Voyager Army is a crime against all mankind!” 

He pounded the table with his fist, then removed the four bullets from his ears. “Many people know that these four bullets were made to resemble the ones used by the last dictator of mankind, Adolf Hitler, when he committed suicide. Today, I am taking them out for auction. The proceeds will be used to support the descendants of the Voyager Army who are willing to return to the Federation for higher education. Later, my manager and the president of the fan club will establish a dedicated fund to collect donations from all sectors of society, which will be used for this public welfare activity.”

The power of idols is infinite. Inspired by King’s patriotic spirit, the atmosphere on the scene was extremely enthusiastic. Although the Voyager Army was mainly composed of military personnel, there were also businessmen, especially those who had been in the energy business for years, such as mine owners and gas producers. The funds they possessed were astonishing, and their descendants, as genuine second-generation wealthy, were also very generous. So several wealthy second-generation individuals crowded to the front and requested to donate on the spot. 

“King, I support you! You are the conscience of the Federation, the conscience of humanity. I’m willing to donate one hundred thousand Federation credits, and I will add another one hundred thousand every year to support those military descendants who are willing to study in the Federation.”

“I want to donate too! I’ll donate one hundred and twenty thousand. I plan to apply to Aston University for the joint entrance exam this year. King, I want to follow in your footsteps and pursue a doctorate. Waaah…”

The atmosphere at the scene was explosive, with passionate discussions and pledges of support for the idol’s patriotic sentiments. Through the internet, millions of fans watching the live broadcast were also infected by their idol’s concern for the country and the people. They left messages on various forums and fan interaction groups, some expressing support for the idol, some requesting donations, and others swearing to follow King’s footsteps and study in the Federation.

When the event ended, within just half an hour, the hastily established “Aid Fund” had raised nearly ten million Federation credits in donations, almost equal to the total amount raised by the Federation’s official charity organization in a month.

Secretary of State Hobart was fortunate enough to watch the “brat’s'” speech through the live broadcast and was deeply moved. He immediately contacted his best friend, “Jin Zhe, how did you screen the sperm back then to produce such a weirdo? Jin Xuan can really talk nonsense. I think your title of the Federation’s number one bullshitter is about to change hands!”

Jin Zhe was still unaware of what had happened on the other end and asked in surprise, “What did he do again? Didn’t he retire from the art world? Did he give another speech to defame me? Or Hannibal?”

“No, he did a huge, huge favor. I’m so touched.” Hobart made a wiping-tears expression. “Jin Zhe, after twenty-four years of raising that little piglet, he finally didn’t just dig up the white cabbage in his own backyard. This morning, he dug up a big area of the neighbor’s, hahaha!”

Jin Zhe replied, “…Clearly, I’m the one who raised him. It’s none of your business!”

“Hey, why didn’t you say it was none of my business when you asked me and my spouse to help you watch the kid?”

“…End of friendship. Goodbye!”

In the Commander-in-Chief’s office at the military headquarters, Hannibal also received an email from his secretary Yuna shortly after the event ended. After reading the email in its entirety and then watching the video clip attached, his expression became increasingly grim.

“Kou—” His black-and-chestnut eagle emitted a fierce cry and flew out through the window, angrily spiraling in the air.

Author’s Note: King has finally found the right way to challenge his father-in-law. Keep trying to dig up those cabbages, little pig!

[Jin Xuan: Can we use a more dignified metaphor?]

[Author: Sorry, my bad. I’m not very clever with metaphors.]

[Jin Xuan: You’re trying to write like others, but your level… Go to hell!]

[Author: Would you be willing to cover for me, little pig?]

[Jin Xuan: Can I request a different author?]

[Author: Haha, no way!]

 

 

 

 

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