FT DR Chapter 50: The Commander Dad Is Not Happy

Chapter 50: The Commander Dad Is Not Happy

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai (dad is not happy? GOOD)

The dinner was exquisite French cuisine. Although the chefs at the Imperial Hotel couldn’t quite match Chen’s skills, they still reached a star-level standard. Especially the main course, lamb saddle, was simply exquisite. Mu’s table manners were elegant and refined. If Wu Chenghe didn’t know he was just an orphan, he would have suspected him of being some medieval nobleman.

Hannibal clearly appreciated Mu’s modesty and elegance. He occasionally exchanged a few words with him, with a respectful and polite attitude. Mu, on the other hand, behaved unusually. He kept a faint smile on his face like an iceberg, amiably responding to his questions, praising Wu Chenghe’s talent and diligence, and even raising his glass to toast when the main course was served.

Mu’s behavior left Wu Chenghe astonished. He almost suspected that the person sitting across from him was not the dean himself but a lookalike stunt double—could the Queen herself have multiple personalities?

Despite the festive atmosphere between the host and the guest, the mood around the table should have been quite harmonious and warm. However, for some reason, Wu Chenghe felt a surge of unease permeating the surroundings. Perhaps due to his recently heightened awareness, he felt an unusual emotion enveloping Mu. Contrary to his expression, it felt cold and sharp, like a knife wrapped in velvet, despite his efforts to conceal it, the aura of danger was still palpable.

Quantum beasts are always more sensitive than their masters. Marlow’s caracal evidently sensed this unease, pacing anxiously throughout the dinner. Hannibal’s black-and-chestnut eagle tried to comfort it, occasionally brushing its tense back with its wings. However, Wu Chenghe clearly saw that even the black-and-chestnut eagle itself was nervous, its pupils contracted, the feathers on its neck nervously trembling, as if it were about to explode at any moment.

As for the little Light Bulb on his ear, it remained silent as ever, trying hard to minimize its presence—wherever Mu was, it was the most obedient.

“Don’t eat too many sweets. It’s getting late, be careful of indigestion.” Hannibal suddenly patted his head, and Wu Chenghe abruptly came to his senses, only to realize he had finished one serving of blueberry mousse cake and was about to start another. He glanced over and saw Marlow’s plate was empty; evidently, this guy had swapped plates while he was distracted.

“It’s okay to eat. He’s so skinny anyway, and the medical school doesn’t require physical tests.” Marlow provocatively encouraged.

“Marlow!” Hannibal gave his son a stern look, and Marlow immediately shut up.

Mu looked at the interaction between the father and son with cold eyes, faintly smiling, and said, “I never thought the Commander would be so fond of children, especially Mr. Wu. I heard he’s your adopted son, just adopted this year, right? Otherwise, one would think he was raised since childhood.”

Hannibal’s expression stiffened for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and said, “Yes, Charlie’s mother was an old acquaintance of mine. Due to some family issues, she entrusted him to me on her deathbed. I treat him the same as Marlow.” He then shifted the topic, “Actually, I didn’t like children when I was young, found them annoying. It’s just that Marlow has grown up with me, I’ve gotten used to it, and they’re both very well-behaved… Speaking of which, Dean, don’t you plan to get married? With your outstanding expertise, I’m sure many women admire you.”

“No time,” Mu replied simply, “And I’m too selfish. It’s probably hard for me to give affection to others from a medical standpoint.”

“Hmm, admirable,” Hannibal raised his glass, “To endless endeavors.”

“For the sake of our careers,” Mu echoed, clinking glasses with him and downing his drink in one gulp, “Actually, compared to Your Excellency’s great career, my work is really nothing to speak of. It’s truly humbling.” He smiled, but his eyes carried a hint of intriguing mockery, so faint that if Wu Chenghe’s intuition weren’t strong enough and if he weren’t so familiar with him, he might not have been able to discern it.

Wu Chenghe increasingly felt that Mu’s attitude tonight was somewhat unusual. He stared into his eyes, trying to gauge his true emotions, but he couldn’t quite grasp them—Mu was like a chameleon, concealing himself, almost as if it had become instinctual.

However, what could be confirmed was that Mu had an excellent tolerance for alcohol. Even Hannibal would likely be impressed. He drank half a bottle of red wine throughout the evening, and his complexion didn’t change at all.

After dinner, the four of them sat down for some tea. It was already late at night, and Mu stood up to take his leave. “Thank you for the hospitality. It’s getting late, so I won’t disturb the Commander’s rest.”

“You’ve taken up quite a bit of the Dean’s time. Let the security detail escort you. It’s not safe to drive after drinking,” Hannibal instructed Yuna to arrange transportation for him. Then, he asked Marlow, “Are you going back to school? Or staying overnight and heading back tomorrow morning?”

“We have training early tomorrow morning, so I need to get back,” Marlow replied. “Roll call is at four in the morning, and there aren’t many hours left.”

“Ah, then Charlie can stay. He can sleep with me tonight, and I’ll have Yuna drive you back in the morning,” Hannibal casually draped his arm around Wu Chenghe’s shoulder, and his black-and-chestnut eagle did a spin in the air above, emitting a pleasant chirp.

Mu’s brow twitched slightly. He rubbed his temples and suddenly said, “No need to trouble the security detail. Since Wu Chenghe hasn’t been drinking, why don’t you drive me back? We can go together, saving the trouble of catching the commuter train early tomorrow morning.”

“Sure.” Wu Chenghe was afraid of oversleeping and being late tomorrow. Now that disciplinary actions were strict at the medical school, even though the Queen had been exceptionally kind tonight, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t turn hostile tomorrow morning. So, he picked up his coat and said to Hannibal, “I’ll drive the Dean back. Yuna mentioned you have an appointment with the head of the Armaments Group tomorrow morning.”

There was a momentary displeasure on Hannibal’s face, but he quickly controlled it, patting Wu Chenghe’s head affectionately. “Alright then, since it’s almost winter break, we’ll talk more when we get home… Remember to attend your classes well after returning to school and listen to the Dean.”

“I understand.”

The three of them went downstairs, and Marlow drove off alone with the evil egg tarts. Wu Chenghe asked Mu, “Where’s your car, Dean?”

Mu stood still in the parking lot for a moment, furrowing his brow. “No idea.” In the dim light, Wu Chenghe was surprised to see that his eyes seemed a bit unfocused, with a faint blush on his cheekbones, and he seemed a bit unsteady on his feet.

So, was he drunk? Wu Chenghe cautiously supported his arm and asked tentatively, “Dean, are you okay? Are you drunk?”

Mu took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. “It’s not about the alcohol. I just… can’t drink tea.”

Wu Chenghe was speechless. No wonder he always drank coffee. There were actually people in this world who got drunk on tea. Unable to do much else, he draped Mu’s arm over his shoulder and helped him search for his car in the parking lot. After searching for a long time, Mu suddenly realized, “Oh!” activated his personal terminal with his left hand, and muttered, “Forgot I can remote control it. Damn, thought I could handle just this little bit, turns out I’m getting old…” 

A small black flying saucer made a “beep beep” sound and floated over. Wu Chenghe sighed, helped the slightly intoxicated Queen into the car, and sat in the driver’s seat, activating the autopilot.

The flying saucer took off, accelerated, and broke the sound barrier with a soft “whoosh,” heading towards Twin City. The car gradually quieted down, with only the regular “beep beep” sound of the autopilot. Mu leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes as if dozing off, his right hand supporting his forehead, his thumb gently massaging his temples, his slender fingers as flawless as white jade carvings.

Wu Chenghe looked at his hand. These hands were legendary in the medical world. When Aston University hired him as dean of the medical school, they even bought a sky-high insurance policy for him, worth eighty million federal credits, a record that remained unbroken to this day.

“What are you looking at?” Mu didn’t open his eyes, but seemed to see everything around him. His voice was a bit slurred, as if he were drunk, “Do you envy these hands?”

“Um, yes,” Wu Chenghe admitted somewhat embarrassedly, “I’ve heard about that sky-high insurance policy.”

Mu made a dismissive sound. “Hmph,” he took a bottle of water from the mini fridge, drank half of it in one gulp, fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, “You’ll surpass me.”

His tone was extremely confident, tinged with a hint of anticipation, as if he didn’t feel regretful at all for someone to surpass him. Wu Chenghe’s heart skipped a beat. No student would be happier than to hear such praise from their teacher. He was about to express his determination and thank him for the encouragement when Mu changed the subject, “What I said earlier was just drunken talk, including the praises in front of your father tonight, all jokes to lighten the mood at the dinner table. Don’t take it to heart. Actually, with your qualifications, you’re only fit to buy me lunch.”

Wu Chenghe was speechless. Even when drunk, Mu didn’t forget his classic three-part teaching style. He cracked a smile and said, “Um, I’ll do my best anyway.” 

This was the rhythm the Queen should have. Suddenly changing the tone and still making people feel a bit scared.

“Idiot,” Mu chuckled, teasingly scolding him, but his gaze softened as he looked at Wu Chenghe. After a moment, he gently ruffled his hair with his hand, then turned his face away, closed his eyes, and continued to feign sleep.

Although he had been smiling all night, Wu Chenghe could feel that this smile, at this moment, was genuine. It came from the heart, without any pretense, completely different from the resistance and coldness he displayed towards Hannibal. Moreover, he looked exceptionally handsome when he smiled, with his eyes curved, corners of his mouth upturned, faint smile lines on his cheeks forming a graceful arc—mature yet innocent, like the warm breeze of early spring, capable of melting even the hardest ice.

He exuded a charming and intoxicating aura, full of masculine charm, completely different from the rugged demeanor of Hannibal and Jin Zhe. Warm and healing, it brought joy to both body and soul.

“Don’t look at me like that, focus on driving,” Mu felt Wu Chenghe’s gaze and frowned, “Don’t harbor any inappropriate fantasies about your teacher, kid. I’m probably even older than your father.”

“What?” It took Wu Chenghe a while to realize he was being teased. His face flushed red, and he stuttered, “Y-You, what are you saying! I-I didn’t mean to…”

Mu laughed, soundlessly, but his body trembled slightly. He suppressed it after a while, still with his eyes closed, and asked, “Your mother passed away last year? How does it feel to be adopted?”

“Yeah, she did,” Wu Chenghe didn’t know why Mu suddenly brought up his family situation, so he thought for a moment and replied, “Actually, earlier this year, I experienced a terrifying kidnapping and lost my memory, so I don’t remember much about my past.”

“Oh, I see. It was mentioned in your medical examination report,” Mu said, then asked, “Is your adoptive father good to you?”

“He’s pretty good,” Wu Chenghe said, “Although the Commander is my adoptive father, he’s actually my biological father—many people know about this—he treats me even better than Marlow sometimes, maybe because he pities me for not having other relatives. He’s a very caring person.”

A cold smile played at the corner of Mu’s mouth as he said, “Yeah, I can tell. The Commander is indeed a good father, very caring… remarkably caring.”

His tone was somewhat strange, and Wu Chenghe turned to look at him, but he saw Mu shielding his eyes, seemingly uncomfortable with the light. He dimmed the brightness of the ceiling and said, “You should rest for a while, Dean. It’ll be more than half an hour before we arrive.”

“No, I’m not tired. I just feel a bit hyped up from the tea,” Mu said. After a moment, he asked, “Do you have any plans for the winter break?”

“Go home, my dad wants me back at Gabriel,” Wu Chenghe said, “And I also want to visit my good buddy, who’s a year below me and will be taking the medical college entrance exam next year.” Speaking of Chen Miaomiao, he really missed him. Although his roommate was a good friend, Chen was his brother in arms.

Mu pondered for a moment and said, “I have a project that needs interns. I was thinking of recommending you, but since you have other plans, I’ll find someone else to try out.”

“Huh?” Wu Chenghe perked up. “I can stay during the winter break. It’s okay if I don’t go back. Let me go, Dean. I’ll definitely be more diligent than anyone else.”

“Just eager to take on any project without even knowing what it’s about, aren’t you afraid I’ll recommend you to do some janitorial work elsewhere?” Mu taunted. “Impatient and clueless, without a bit of common sense. How did you even survive this long?”

“If you recommend me, even janitorial work would surely be a good job,” Wu Chenghe flattered. After tonight’s dinner, he felt much closer to Mu. Perhaps it was because he had seen many sides of him that he hadn’t shown to others, and he felt a strange sense of closeness.

“You believe in me so readily,” Mu muttered. Then, his tone became serious. “Have you heard of the Saint Martin Research Center?”

“Of course!” Wu Chenghe was pleasantly surprised. Saint Martin Hospital was the top-ranked hospital in the Federation, even larger and more powerful than Aston Medical University’s affiliated hospital. Its affiliated research institute was called the Saint Martin Research Center, with ten top medical scientists permanently stationed there, along with hundreds of super doctors from other hospitals on secondment. Together, they formed a loose research organization, regularly discussing research projects and conducting theoretical studies on some of the world’s rare medical cases.

Mu, as the Federation’s top neurosurgeon and one of the visiting scientists, primarily focused on the pathological research of mutated brains.

“My teacher has a research project on the study of the guide brain’s extra dimensional structure. They need an intern to handle environmental pollution and dispose of medical waste,” Mu said. “Someone like you, good at cleaning, with some superficial knowledge, is the most suitable. And you’re foolish enough not to leak secrets, so I want to recommend you.”

“I’m willing!” Wu Chenghe was ecstatic. “I won’t go home for the winter break. I’ll report as soon as I finish my final exams. Thank you for this opportunity, Dean!”

“It’s just a janitor’s job, and you’re so happy about it, it’s simply foolish,” Mu scolded, then paused, his tone becoming stern. “When you go this time, you’ll be directly under Director Sienna’s research group. Doctor Sienna is my teacher, and she’s also the one who raised me, just like my mother. After you go, you must respect her as you respect me, and take care of her. Understand?”

Back then, Mu was abandoned by his parents due to genetic defects, but Doctor Sienna saved him. Growing up, Doctor Sienna helped him apply for social assistance and undergo heart and lung transplantation. Later, Mu was admitted to Aston University and reached his current position. His talent played a part, but Doctor Sienna’s help and guidance were even more critical. If it weren’t for this kind-hearted woman, he would probably not be alive today.

“I’ll listen to her and study hard,” Wu Chenghe replied with great respect for this legendary Arab woman.

“There’s nothing much to study. The most important thing is to serve her well. Understand?” Mu grabbed his hair and said sternly, “Don’t think of yourself as a student. You’re just a maid and a servant. By the way, I heard you often have various desserts. It would be best if you could learn to make some. Treat her to some when you’re there.”

“…I understand,” Wu Chenghe was indifferent to his threats. Being able to enter the Saint Martin Research Center, even as a janitor, was the greatest honor. Oh, he had to learn from Jin Xuan how to make some desserts when he got back.

Hannibal was busy with official business and returned to Gabriel Military Harbor after finishing his work in the capital. When Wu Chenghe was about to leave, he went to see him off and told him about his internship at the Saint Martin Research Center. Hannibal was somewhat surprised but didn’t oppose it. He just hugged him with some reluctance and said, “Well, when spring break comes, I’ll come back to the capital and visit you. You’re staying here alone, so take care of yourself.”

Wu Chenghe hugged him back. After all, he was the only one in this world who was related to him by blood. He said, “Don’t worry, after you go back, take care of yourself too. Don’t overwork yourself. If you have time, take Mrs. Lilith on a vacation.”

Hannibal smiled and ruffled his hair. “A kid trying to meddle in adult affairs!”

“I’m not a kid anymore,” Wu Chenghe pushed his hand away. “Women need to be pampered. Yuna said you haven’t been home for a long time, and you even forgot to buy an anniversary gift. Mrs. Lilith is a bit upset.”

“We’ve been married for so long, what’s there to commemorate? She doesn’t care about those things,” Hannibal’s deep gaze looked at him, and he lowered his head to kiss his forehead. “Let me spoil you first. After all, you’re cuter than any woman.”

“Hey hey!” Wu Chenghe found it both funny and exasperating. “That’s too much, Dad.”

Hannibal pinched his chin and said, “You know I’m your dad, yet you still talk nonsense. Is my woman something you should be concerned about? Kid, focus on your studies.”

Wu Chenghe turned his head and rubbed his chin, inhaling, “That hurt!”

Hannibal rubbed his fingers together, squinting as if reminiscing, and said, “Not as soft as before. Come here, let me see if you’re starting to grow a beard.”

“Do I have one?” Wu Chenghe carefully felt his face and said, “Maybe, I’m already eighteen.” Boys his age usually matured well, but because he had a guide physique, his body matured later, and he still had a baby face.

“Hmm, already eighteen,” Hannibal frowned, a barely noticeable impatience flickering in his eyes. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, “Are you feeling well lately? Any discomfort? The weather is getting cold, be careful not to catch a cold and get a fever.”

“I’m fine, I’ll be more careful in the future,” Wu Chenghe replied, “You take care of yourself too.”

“Okay, I’ll try to make time to visit you soon,” Hannibal smiled, but there was a hint of depth in his smile. He hugged his son again and then boarded the starship heading to Gabriel Military Harbor.

After a period of review, Aston University entered a tense final exam season. All students were studying day and night, wishing they could squeeze out their brain juice. The medical school was no exception. Under Mu’s demanding management, everyone was fully focused, aiming for good grades and credits to carry them through the winter.

Wu Chenghe’s grades were usually above average, but in the last month or so, with Mu’s guidance, he had made rapid progress. When the grades were announced, he had received A+ in four main courses and A- or above in other courses. The only exception was a B in Folklore Appreciation. Fortunately, with his overall credit, he still ranked among the top students in the class, giving the Voyager Army commissioned students some face.

On the second day of signing the grade sheet, Mu asked him to pack his bags and took him to the Saint Martin Research Center. Located in York City, west of Twin City, the journey from Aston Medical College took about two hours. York City was an old metropolitan city near Dunkirk, bustling with activity.

The shuttle landed on the top floor of a towering building. Mu led Wu Chenghe off the shuttle, where an Arab woman wearing a black headscarf was already waiting at the entrance. When she saw Mu, her dark eyes showed a loving expression, and she opened her arms to embrace him. “Oh, my child, welcome back.”

By the standards of this era, she was probably over a hundred years old, with wrinkles marking the passage of time on her face. Strands of white hair peeked out from her headscarf, a testament to her years of hardship and toil helping the impoverished natives in remote areas.

“Sienna, my teacher,” Mu embraced her gently and then introduced Wu Chenghe to her. “This is the child, Wu Chenghe.”

“Oh, such a lovely young man, just like you when you were a child,” Sienna held Wu Chenghe’s hand and examined him. For some reason, there was a barely perceptible moisture in the corners of her eyes.

 

 

 

 

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