FT DR Chapter 44: Why Are You So Amazing, Mr. President?

Chapter 44: Why Are You So Amazing, Mr. President?

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Jin Xuan’s mini UFO was as cool as he was, with its shell covered in eye-catching graffiti. According to him, it was a depiction of “The Beauties of the Wild” from the Beast School, but Wu Chenghe didn’t get it at all.

The mini UFO circled around the Twin City’s outer ring for half a loop, stopping at the entrance of a floating restaurant. This restaurant was a gigantic airship converted into an eatery, floating above the Twin City and slowly moving clockwise, completing a full circle around the city every twelve hours. Sitting by the window in the restaurant offered a panoramic view of Aston University, with vast skies and fluffy white clouds.

Their seats were pre-booked, and to Jin Xuan’s relief, the waiter didn’t criticize his attire but respectfully led them to their table. Jin Xuan pulled out a chair for Wu Chenghe, waited for him to sit, and then took his seat opposite him, saying, “This is a branch of ‘Chen’s Sign of Good Fortune’ Chinese Restaurant. The ambiance is interesting, and the food is good. On clear days, you can see the entire Twin City from here. I booked this spot a month in advance, and today happened to be our turn.”

Although “Chen’s Sign of Good Fortune” was the Federation’s top underworld syndicate, they also operated many legitimate businesses, including casinos, amusement parks, restaurants, and more. Wu Chenghe glanced at the exquisite holographic menu on the table and was momentarily shocked by the countless decimal points in the prices—was this a restaurant or a robbery? Chen Miaomiao’s family was truly shameless!

Luckily, today Jin Xuan treated him, so he didn’t have to pay. Before the dishes arrived, the waiter served them drinks. Jin Xuan poured wine into their glasses and said, “Here, consider it a belated welcoming drink. This is a low-alcohol fruit wine, but you should still drink moderately to avoid punishment.”

Punishment had become a part of his dark history. Wu Chenghe smiled helplessly and clinked his glass with Jin Xuan’s. “Thank you.”

The dishes arrived one by one, beautifully presented. After tasting a few bites, Wu Chenghe said, “Not as delicious as the ones you make.” That was an honest compliment.

Jin Xuan raised an eyebrow smugly. “Needless to say? I wonder how much karma you’ve accumulated in your past life!”

Wu Chenghe rolled his eyes. “Probably committed a lot of sins.”

Jin Xuan chuckled. “Can I take that as a form of pampering?”

“No! You can take it as me cursing myself!” Wu Chenghe replied.

Jin Xuan laughed and stopped bantering with him, asking, “Are you still comfortable at school? I heard the Defense Secretary Balon’s two wastrel sons often bother you?”

He was well-informed. Did he have spies…? Wu Chenghe shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s fine, just some childish tricks, but they can be annoying.”

“Yeah, you better keep your distance from them,” Jin Xuan said in a low voice. “Although those two brothers aren’t very bright, their mother, Lady Balon, is quite formidable. She’s the current headmistress of the Guide School.”

Upon hearing the words “Guide School,” Wu Chenghe’s heart skipped a beat. “She’s a Guide? Then why isn’t she staying by the Defense Secretary’s side?”

“No, she’s just an ordinary person. The headmasters of Guide School have always been ordinary people,” Jin Xuan explained. “Only ordinary people can manage the Guides without mercy.”

Wu Chenghe pondered for a moment, admitting the logic. If it were a Sentinel, they might be tempted by the Guides, and if it were a Guide, they might develop sympathy for their own kind. So, ordinary people were safer.

“So, it’s right to keep your distance from them. If you happen to provoke Lady Balon, it could bring you trouble,” Jin Xuan warned.

“I’ll be careful,” Wu Chenghe nodded solemnly. In fact, before coming here, he had met Ava once. Ava had asked him to visit Monica at Guide School, but he had refused, citing unfamiliarity with the terrain. He instinctively rejected the idea of going there.

Jin Xuan didn’t want to dwell on such topics during their first date, so he quickly moved on, cracking jokes to lighten the mood. Wu Chenghe understood and didn’t pursue further.

After lunch, as the waiter cleared the dishes and replaced them with desserts and fruits, Wu Chenghe encountered a banana split for the first time in this world. He found it fascinating and ate most of it by himself until Jin Xuan, worried that he might overeat, took the remaining half and placed it on his side.

“Why are you so fond of sweets?” Jin Xuan sighed as he ate the half of the banana split that Wu Chenghe had left. “I wish I could turn into a banana split.”

His voice was low, but the tables were close, and the people nearby heard him. They smiled kindly and teasingly at Wu Chenghe, with one girl even winking mischievously at him.

Although Wu Chenghe had a thick skin, he was particularly shy in such situations. He blushed instantly and scolded, “Be more discreet in public!”

Jin Xuan didn’t care and exchanged glances with the girl, even raising his eyebrows triumphantly. Seeing Wu Chenghe getting embarrassed, he adjusted his expression and continued eating the banana split.

Footsteps approached, and a waiter led another couple to the table behind them. Wu Chenghe, with his back to them, noticed Jin Xuan’s sudden change in expression, followed by a helpless smile.

“Oh, there you are,” a deep, magnetic male voice exclaimed somewhat exaggeratedly. “I thought you wouldn’t come home after military training. Is there something urgent, or are you just having dinner with a little friend?”

A burly man walked over and pulled out the chair next to Wu Chenghe, sitting down without invitation. Wu Chenghe was startled and looked up, only to be horrified to find that the man was none other than the President!

“Hello, Mr. Wu,” Jin Zhe said, looking just like he did in the holographic projections, but with an imposing presence now that he was in person.

“Are you following me?” Jin Xuan rolled his eyes at his brother, pulling out another chair. “Please sit, Hobart. If you’re accompanying your boss on the weekend, won’t the First Lady mind?”

“She has eight cats to keep her company. She doesn’t care if I’m absent,” Mr. Hobart said with a smile as he sat down. “I’m sorry for interrupting your date, but this was your brother’s idea. I’m just following orders.”

“Are you trying to pin the blame on me?” Jin Xuan accused his brother mercilessly. “The duty of the Secretary of State is to uphold the authority of the President, understand?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. This is your family matter, and I have no obligation to meddle in it,” Hobart said, glancing at the dessert in front of Jin Xuan. His eyes lit up, and he grabbed a spoon, saying, “Oh, fantastic! Banana split. Give me a bit.”

“Get lost!” Jin Xuan shielded his dessert with his hands. “This is mine!”

“You’ve already eaten most of it. Eating too much will give you a stomach ache. Let me have some,” Hobart continued to reach for the spoon. 

Jin Zhe also joined in, “Hmm, I haven’t had dessert in ages. I’ll have a spoonful too.”

Wu Chenghe watched dumbfoundedly as the three most influential people in the Federation started fighting over his leftover banana split! Could this world get any more chaotic? He stuttered, “Uh, I’ll order another one. This, uh, this one is already eaten by me.”

Hobart and Jin Zhe exchanged incredulous glances, then looked at Jin Xuan. “You also eat leftovers?!” they exclaimed simultaneously.

Jin Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly, pretending not to hear them, and continued eating the banana split.

“Would you like to combine your tables?” the waiter asked respectfully, seeing that they were done with the commotion. 

Hobart looked at Jin Zhe and said, “Up to you.”

“They’ve finished eating. Wouldn’t bringing more food be disadvantageous?” Jin Zhe stood up. “I won’t engage in this losing business. Let’s go, Hobart.”

Wu Chenghe hurriedly stood up to see them off. Jin Zhe placed a friendly hand on his shoulder and said, “Don’t be polite. Jin Xuan rarely treats guests. Enjoy the meal. Next time, I’ll treat you. You saved his life on the asteroid, and I haven’t thanked you yet. I’ll have my secretary arrange a time for us.”

“You’re too kind, really,” Wu Chenghe hurriedly declined. 

Jin Zhe patted his shoulder and said, “No, this is not just politeness. In my heart, you’ve done him a great favor, even greater than what I, his brother, have done.” He glanced meaningfully at Jin Xuan: You know what I mean.

Jin Xuan lowered his eyelids and wiped his forehead with his finger, but he didn’t refute it, tacitly agreeing to his words.

“You two continue. Hobart and I have something to discuss,” Jin Zhe gave Wu Chenghe a warm smile and left. 

Feeling the pressure lift off him, Wu Chenghe’s shoulders slumped. 

Jin Xuan gave him an apologetic smile. “I didn’t expect them to come.”

“It’s okay.” Wu Chenghe guessed he had been followed, which meant that the President already knew about their situation.

Thinking about it was quite complicated…

After lunch, Jin Xuan took Wu Chenghe to the municipal library and then to the suburban zoo to see the pandas. As dusk approached, he finally drove him back to the school. Wu Chenghe had spent the whole day playing, his face flushed, looking especially adorable under the setting sun. Jin Xuan watched him enter the dormitory building reluctantly before driving home with lingering reluctance.

After Jin Zhe became president, the two brothers moved from their ancestral home to the presidential mansion, a standalone villa located in the heart of Planet Dunkirk’s military and political center. The mansion had three floors, front and back gardens, and was under tight security round the clock.

Entering the mansion, Jin Xuan changed his shoes at the entrance and found his brother already home, sitting on the sofa in the living room, drinking wine.

“I thought you’d stay out overnight,” Jin Zhe poured him a glass of red wine. “Aren’t you accompanying your little boyfriend?”

Jin Xuan took the glass and said, “You’re overthinking it. He’s underage.”

“Mn, you had quite a bit of integrity back then.”

“I always did.” Jin Xuan sat across from his brother and said, “Hobart told you, didn’t he?”

“Even a blind man could see it.” Jin Zhe said, “I noticed your eyes were off when we were on the asteroid. You’ve never looked at anyone so tenderly, not even your dear brother.”

“I don’t have a brotherly love complex.” Jin Xuan rolled his eyes. “And besides, you’re just a scoundrel.”

“Haha, when did you start sounding like Lady Balon?” Jin Zhe chuckled, “She hates me because years ago I rejected all the guides from the guide school, embarrassing their institution. What’s got into you?”

“I can’t be bothered to tell you.” Jin Xuan said, “Well, since you’ve all figured it out, I might as well confess. Yes, the person I mentioned at the farewell performance on Valentine’s Day was him. I stayed in Gabriel for him, and now I’m teaching for him.”

The smile faded from Jin Zhe’s lips, and he fell silent for a moment before saying, “He’s Hannibal’s son.”

“But he’s not Hannibal.”

“You know what I mean, don’t argue with me.” Jin Zhe frowned. “The boy seems innocent enough, noble-hearted, and he has some feelings for you too, but his father is Hannibal, and that’s fatal.”

“He’s just Hannibal’s foster son, and he’s only been with Hannibal for a little over six months out of seventeen years.” Jin Xuan argued. “They’re completely different.”

“As long as he carries his surname, he’s tied to Hannibal.” Jin Zhe said solemnly. “I know Hannibal’s ambitions very well. I’ve known him for over twenty years and I know what he’s up to. When that day comes, how will you and that boy get along? How will you face each other’s families? Where will you place your brother, the president?”

“Brother.” Jin Xuan put down his glass and said, “Believe me, when that day comes and Hannibal becomes the enemy of the Federation and all humanity, Wu Chenghe won’t stand with him. I know him, he’s more trustworthy than me when it comes to national righteousness.”

Jin Zhe looked at him in astonishment, then said after a while, “Your evaluation of him truly surprises me. Maybe I should reevaluate the possibilities between you two.”

“You should’ve done that long ago.” Jin Xuan said, “But whether you do it or not doesn’t matter. I won’t give him up even if it costs me my last breath. I love him, and he’s the only one in my life.”

“Hey hey.” Jin Zhe was shocked by his extreme declaration, sitting up and saying, “I’m your brother after all, raised you for twenty-four years, and you defend an outsider like this in front of me, isn’t that a slap in the face? Do we still have any genuine feelings left?”

“Save your face for your congressmen, it’ll fetch a good price there rather than with me.” Jin Xuan sneered.

“Well, you’ve truly hurt me. I was planning to give that boy a Silver Star Medal, thanking him for pulling you back from the wrong path, but now it seems unnecessary. You’ve already given yourself to him, I can’t afford to spend more.” Jin Zhe shook his head helplessly. “Forget it, children are debts, and brothers are the same. Love whoever you want.”

“Thank you.” Jin Xuan’s lips curled into a genuine smile. Regardless, his brother was his only family, and his approval meant the world to him.

“I still don’t have high hopes for your future together, but I respect your decision.” Jin Zhe sighed. “I was thinking of finding you a guide, after all… we’re all imperfect creations of God, needing a strong patch.”

Jin Xuan fell silent. He couldn’t confess Wu Chenghe’s guide status to Jin Zhe, but considering Jin Zhe’s individualism and his age, over fifty now, without a guide, various health issues would start showing up within ten years… it felt bitter.

“Never mind, with you like this, you won’t even qualify for matchmaking in this lifetime. Maybe I’m overthinking.” Jin Zhe finished his drink in one go. “Life and death are fated, let it be. Finding the person you love, no matter what, is a blessing.”

His tone was somewhat sour, perhaps due to the alcohol. Jin Xuan felt his brother was acting strangely today, his emotions unstable. “Let me help you upstairs to sleep, you have many meetings tomorrow.”

“Um, I’ll sit a while longer, you go to bed, don’t mind me.”

Jin Xuan paused, then stood up. “Alright, don’t stay up too late, after all, you’re already an old man.”

“Get lost! Don’t get in my face, I’m still young!” Jin Zhe laughed and scolded. Just as Jin Xuan stepped onto the stairs, he suddenly said, “That boy is very peculiar.”

“Hmm?” Jin Xuan halted. 

Jin Zhe seemed to hesitate for a moment before saying, “I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.”

“Of course you have, you’ve talked to him.”

“No, no, I’m not talking about his appearance, it’s a feeling, a strange feeling…” Jin Zhe frowned, closed his eyes tightly, as if trying hard to think of something, murmuring, “I don’t know, when I approached him, I felt a strange aura around him, very familiar, but I’m sure I haven’t met him before… Besides the Hannibal family, does he have any other relatives?”

“No, he doesn’t, his mother and grandfather have passed away, and his mother’s ex-husband too.” Jin Xuan couldn’t help but worry. Wu Chenghe was a guide, and guides always carried a strange aura, imperceptible to ordinary people, even ordinary sentinels would find it hard to notice, but some highly sensitive and experienced super sentinels might perceive it.

Without a doubt, Jin Zhe was one of those people.

“It’s probably because I drank too much, it’s nothing, you go to bed.” Jin Zhe waved his hand, signaling him to leave. Jin Xuan had many questions in his mind, but he was eager for Jin Zhe to drop the subject, so he left in a hurry—what if his little guide turned out to be universally loved, causing Jin Zhe to act like a proud peacock? That would be awkward. Would he end up hitting him or not?

With thoughts swirling in his mind, Jin Xuan couldn’t sleep well all night. He woke up early, went for a run, and when he returned home, he found Jin Zhe had already gone to work, with the basement door slightly ajar.

The Presidential Residence had three floors above ground and two below. The lowest floor was a shelter, resistant to radiation, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Even in the event of losing contact with the outside world, its self-sustaining system could support a living person for about half a year. The basement floor was the president’s private office, filled with various collections Jin Zhe had accumulated since childhood, along with his handicrafts.

Jin Xuan didn’t know why his brother had gone to the basement in the middle of the night, but he was curious, so he pushed the door open and walked in. It hadn’t been used for years, emitting a faint musty smell, but the ventilation was on, indicating Jin Zhe had just left. Jin Xuan sat on the chair in front of the work desk and found several old books, stacks of yellowed documents, and several insect specimens on the desk.

Hobart had mentioned that Jin Zhe had gone through a phase of collecting and studying various mimicry creatures, even searching for quantum beasts as guides for mimicry creatures. But this hobby had been shelved since his birth. Over the years, Jin Xuan rarely saw him touch these things again.

Why did he suddenly think of digging into these things again after meeting Wu Chenghe yesterday?

Recalling his last words last night, Jin Xuan felt something was fishy. He suddenly had a thought—could Jin Zhe’s single status not be voluntary, but rather forced? Had he also once met a guide he was crazy about, but for various reasons lost them, never being able to be with them, so he had to choose to remain single for life?

It was possible! Sentinels were usually extremely loyal, once they developed possessiveness towards a guide, it was hard for them to move on. A poem from ancient China perfectly illustrated this trait—”Once the seas turn to mulberry fields, only then will I cease to love you.” Sentinels were such pitiful beings!

Thinking that his twisted brother wasn’t just a flirtatious old rogue who liked to harass innocent people at guide schools, but a lovesick romantic who waited alone for half his life, Jin Xuan felt a fire ignite within him—The Jin family was all suffering from a psychological disorder, he wasn’t alone!

But it wouldn’t be easy to figure this out. Jin Zhe was too cunning, too smooth. He wouldn’t easily reveal the secrets in his heart. Dealing with such a big boss required a prolonged battle, starting with the details, to possibly find some clues.

Jin Xuan temporarily put this matter aside and roughly sorted through the materials on the desk. He picked out the information related to Morpho butterflies and their guides, scanning them with his personal terminal—Wu Chenghe was about to come of age, he had to research and find ways to take care of his little guide during this period.

The coming-of-age period for guides was generally around eighteen years old. It wasn’t always exactly on their eighteenth birthday; it could be a few months earlier or later. So, the year between seventeen and a half to eighteen and a half was a dangerous period.

Guides about to come of age might experience various symptoms similar to illness, such as excessive sleepiness, prolonged low-grade fever, recurrent diarrhea, and so on. Some severe cases might even be bedridden for months, requiring specialized medical treatment.

From the information Jin Zhe had collected, mimicry quantum beasts were born from guides known as latent guides. Their reactions during the coming-of-age period tended to be more pronounced. Especially since it was a Morpho butterfly, during the month when the caterpillar entered the third stage, or the chrysalis stage, their bodies would become very weak, sluggish, with reduced resistance. Some girls might even experience irregular menstruation, leading to shock due to continuous blood loss.

Men didn’t have periods, so there was no need to worry about that. But Wu Chenghe was inherently frail. If he neglected to take care of himself during his coming-of-age period, he might develop health problems.

Jin Xuan couldn’t help but think of their first meeting, his little guide curled up in the refrigerator, barely breathing, like a deer about to freeze to death, how miserable, how pitiful.

This time, he couldn’t let him suffer like that again! Jin Xuan clenched his fists quietly, swearing to take care of his little boyfriend properly.

It was totally like being the model husband serving his wife during her confinement period!

 

 

 

 

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