FT DR Chapter 67: I Had Special Dad-Jamming Skills

Chapter 67: I Had Special Dad-Jamming Skills

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

In the higher-dimensional space, the black-and-chestnut eagle and the Barbary lion confronted each other fiercely, the battle on the brink of eruption.

In the three-dimensional world, Jin Xuan suddenly retracted his aura and, through conscious empathy, suppressed his quantum beast, dragging it behind him.

In the blink of an eye, Hannibal suddenly realized something. His ice-green eyes contracted sharply, narrowing slightly. With his mental power, he summoned the black-and-chestnut eagle, which spiraled above the hall before landing on his shoulder. Its golden-ringed eyes still burned with jealousy, glaring hatefully at the Barbary lion.

Indeed, he was Jin Zhe’s brother, quite remarkable! Hannibal took a deep breath, nearly crushing the teacup in his hand. It had been a long time since he had exposed his emotions like this. As the commander of the Voyager Army, he was adept at concealing his true intentions. Even his black-and-chestnut eagle, the most straightforward and belligerent raptor in the world, now had a considerable amount of cunning under his training. He hadn’t expected that a brief remark from this kid would provoke such a revealing response.

Was it intentional on his part? Or was it just youthful impulsiveness?

Hannibal scrutinized the young man before him. Jin Xuan had a handsome appearance, with features as refined as his brother’s, exuding righteousness. Yet, there was an additional charm between his brows, with his long, well-defined eyebrows and deep, inscrutable black eyes, possessing a natural Eastern restraint and depth.

Even with his extensive experience in reading people, he found it somewhat difficult to discern the deeper meaning within.

“I didn’t mean to offend,” Jin Xuan suddenly stepped back, the hostility gradually dissipating from his body, his voice softening. “I thought he had already told you about the engagement.”

Hannibal’s expression turned as calm as water as he handed the teacup to the attendant, wiping the water droplets off the back of his hand. “No, he didn’t,” he said after a pause. “But whether he did or not makes no difference. I will never allow it.”

Jin Xuan’s gaze deepened, neither refuting nor showing any signs of anger. Instead, he simply turned the ring on his middle finger and said, “Commander, he respects you greatly and hopes for your blessing. I love him, so naturally, I must respect his opinion. But that doesn’t mean I will hand over the decision-making power to you.”

Hannibal gave a slight sneer, refraining from responding. Some privileges weren’t simply granted by words; it depended on who had the stronger fist.

After a moment of contemplation, Jin Xuan, with a hint of hesitation in his eyes, seemed to reluctantly suppress his pride and said softly, “Okay, I admit my attitude just now wasn’t great. Please, forgive me. I was just too worried. He values your opinion greatly, and I feared he might change his mind.”

Upon hearing the word “love,” Hannibal couldn’t help but tense his jaw slightly. But knowing that Wu Chenghe cared about his opinion brought him a slight sense of joy.

Jin Xuan noticed his expression and continued, “I know my past actions made you uncomfortable. But that’s all in the past. I’ve withdrawn from the art world, no longer opposing the Voyager Army’s activities. After the incident at the Grasshopper Space Station, I made it clear that I support the Voyager Army and federal unity. Commander, I urge you to set aside your prejudices and reconsider me and Wu Chenghe.”

His sudden change in attitude caught Hannibal off guard. Although he didn’t understand Jin Xuan’s personality well, King’s reputation was widely known for his arrogance. Now, to see him bowing his head for Wu Chenghe and admitting to his past “mistakes” was truly surprising.

Was he really afraid that Wu Chenghe would give up on this relationship because of his opposition?

Hannibal felt uncertain. Despite Wu Chenghe’s obedient appearance, he was actually quite stubborn, as evidenced by their conversation last time. For the sake of his ideals, he could say such heartless words, indicating that he wasn’t just a simple-minded person but had thought deeply about many things, although he refused to show it.

Intuition told Hannibal that Jin Xuan was setting him up, but the thought of “Charlie caring about me” seemed to possess a magical power. Once it entered his mind, it took root, making him feel as relieved as if he had drunk ice-cold water on a hot June day, not wanting to overturn it.

After all, he was just a child, Hannibal hesitated. I am his father, his only relative. He trusts me, depends on me. With a little time, he will waver and give up this relationship… and then he will belong to me completely.

“Commander?” Without waiting for his response, Jin Xuan’s eyes became somewhat panicked, although he tried to hide it. 

Hannibal noticed because his quantum beast had already exposed his inner anxiety—the Barbary lion behind him was restless, occasionally glancing at the black-and-chestnut eagle, a mix of anger and fear in its eyes.

“I didn’t care about those things,” Hannibal said coldly, a smile playing on his lips. “We are a democratic federation, and everyone has the right to express their opinions. Your opposition to the Voyager Army, to me, is your prerogative. Even your brother doesn’t care. So why should I stop you? Charlie is still a child, ignorant and naive. I will remind him properly and make him consider carefully.”

Jin Xuan’s expression showed some disappointment, his brow furrowing slightly with stubbornness and a hint of willingness to compromise. After hesitating for a while, he clenched his fists and said, “Fine, I know it will take some time for you to let go of your prejudice against me. But please, don’t… don’t use any drastic methods to hurt him now. He’s ill and emotionally unstable. Once he’s provoked, he might have a breakdown. The Black Pearl incident caused him great psychological trauma. The academy has been hiding this from his parents, only providing Dean Mu as an excuse for extra classes and counseling.”

So, he had psychological trauma. Thinking back to his son’s unusual aggressiveness and cruelty last night, Hannibal couldn’t help but furrow his brow. It seemed that his psychological issues weren’t solely due to adolescence. It was no wonder, being kidnapped by six mercenaries and almost losing a leg, would be a terrifying experience for any eighteen-year-old. Damn the academy for daring to hide it from him!

Thinking of this, Hannibal felt both angry and sympathetic. His son was so fragile, so delicate, like fine porcelain. A slight misstep and he could shatter into pieces.

No, I am his father. I must protect him… Hannibal suddenly regretted his roughness last night. Wu Chenghe had been unconscious all night; had he hit him too hard? Fortunately, he hadn’t done anything else excessive.

“I will take care of him. You don’t need to worry,” Hannibal said single-mindedly, his thoughts already returning to Wu Chenghe’s cabin. He had no more interest in dealing with this annoying young man. Checking the time, he gestured for the attendant to escort him out.

Jin Xuan looked unwillingly at the entrance at the other end of the corridor, where Wu Chenghe was, maintaining a cold demeanor on the surface but with pleading eyes. “Can I see him? Just a few words to bid farewell.”

“No need. He’s too tired, sleeping all the time, unable to hear anything,” Hannibal said coldly. “Sorry, I have to go to the school to handle his paperwork. I won’t keep you.”

“You won’t achieve anything like this,” Jin Xuan’s expression, which had been tense all along, cracked completely. His youthful face couldn’t help but show a sense of powerless impatience. “Do you think taking him away will separate us? He respects your opinion, but he’s already an adult with his own judgment. He loves me!”

“Oh, is that so? Then why are you still worried?” Hannibal sneered, recalling the young man’s arrogant demeanor when he first entered, and now looking at his intimidating yet cowardly appearance, he suddenly felt extremely satisfied: he was just a brat after all. What if he was the president’s brother? What if he was a heartthrob? If he was really so confident about this relationship, why resort to such harsh words?

Childish! He had been worried that his true intentions might be exposed, but it turned out to be just empty threats. Hannibal suddenly felt that he had made too much of a fuss earlier. He thought their relationship was already deep, even preparing for the worst, ready to keep his son away for a year or two, just to completely break them apart.

It seemed completely unnecessary. No wonder Kikujiro was always following Wu Chenghe around, and they rarely went on dates together (actually, because as an idol, Jin Xuan had extensive experience in rejecting fans). It seemed Wu Chenghe was still too naive, hadn’t even realized it. Otherwise, how could Jin Xuan, a Barbary lion sentinel, resist not touching the guide he loved all day?

“Please leave, don’t make the president worry,” Hannibal waved his hand, gesturing for Yuna to escort him out. “Goodbye.”

Jin Xuan unwillingly stared into his eyes, murmuring softly, “I won’t give up.”

“Oh? Suit yourself.” Hannibal didn’t take his threat seriously at all, and left the central hall without a care, heading towards the main cabin. 

Watching his retreating figure, Jin Xuan’s expression gradually calmed down, returning to his previous indifferent and composed demeanor. Without waiting for Yuna to urge him, he got on the hovercar and said, “Let’s go.”

The main cabin of the “Quadrant” flagship served as Hannibal’s living quarters, with nearly a hundred square meters divided into a guest area, work area, and rest area, separated by a semi-transparent light wall. The rest area occupied about half of the cabin’s space, with a multi-purpose sleeping pod in the middle. Wu Chenghe lay in the pod, completely unaware, as if he were lying in bed.

Hannibal approached the sleeping pod, half-kneeling beside him. His large hand brushed over his forehead, his brow furrowing involuntarily. Wu Chenghe’s forehead was burning, covered in fine sweat, his face pale with a hint of blue, yet his cheekbones were unnaturally flushed.

Hannibal brushed aside his hair, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, his hand gradually sliding to his lips. The rough thumb gently massaged them. Wu Chenghe was feverish, his hot breath from his nostrils slightly scalding. Hannibal’s hand slipped under the blanket, slipping under the hem of his shirt to touch his chest. He found his body was also burning hot, his heart beating lightly and rapidly, as if it were about to burst through his thin skin, alarming.

This was a sign that adolescence was coming to an end, a difficult stage for any guide.

“It’s okay, it’ll be over soon. We’ll return to Gabriel, and I’ll take care of you,” Hannibal said softly, holding his left hand and gently stroking it. Wu Chenghe’s hand was very long and soft, his fingers slender, his nails round and smooth, his palm soft, without a hint of calluses. It was the typical hand of a surgeon, nimble, slender, sensitive, with fingerprints that seemed unusually faint.

Hannibal wiped the fine sweat from his palm, brought his hand to his lips, and lightly kissed his cold fingertips, murmuring, “Don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you. I’ll cherish you as before… No, even better than before. You are mine, you were always a part of me, and you can only belong to me forever.” 

With that, he took out a silver metal ring from his uniform pocket and put it on his son’s wrist, clasping it tightly, then tucking it into the sleeve of his shirt. It was a network blocker, made to look like a simple and elegant men’s bracelet. With it on, Wu Chenghe couldn’t contact anyone.

“Mm…” After about half an hour, Wu Chenghe’s throat suddenly emitted a weak murmur, his thumb twitching nervously, slowly opening his eyes.

Where was this? Wu Chenghe had a moment of dizziness. Above his head was a light silver metal roof, the corners lit with soft lights, completely different from the dormitory. He struggled to move his eyes, and a familiar black shadow passed through his field of vision, landing on the clothes rack… the black-and-chestnut eagle!

“Hiss—” Wu Chenghe suddenly sat up, but felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck, involuntarily falling back into the pod, groaning in pain.

“Don’t move.” Hannibal supported his neck and straightened him out, saying softly, “You have a fever. I just gave you a shot to reduce it.”

“Da…d?” Wu Chenghe felt dizzy and confused, vaguely remembering that he was still in the dormitory before, about to send Hannibal away, then how did he end up in a different place? “Where is this?”

“The ‘Quadrant’ flagship.” Hannibal rubbed the Baihui acupoint on his head, saying softly, “You suddenly fainted in the dormitory. I had someone bring you back to the fleet. The ship’s doctor said your health is very poor, with hormonal imbalance. You need to rest and recuperate for a while.”

Fainted? Wu Chenghe frowned. Although he had been weak recently, he hadn’t fainted. At most, he had just fallen asleep… and fainting wouldn’t cause his neck to ache. He tried to move his neck, finding the muscles and vertebrae were in excruciating pain. He wasn’t a rookie; he quickly understood that he must have been struck with great force, leading to prolonged shock.

There was no one else in the dormitory at that time except for the two of them. A shadow of suspicion crossed Wu Chenghe’s mind. He rubbed his sore muscles and suddenly noticed a delicate bracelet on his wrist. “What’s this?”

“An early birthday gift for you. Do you like it?” Hannibal smiled. “It’s a smart chip bracelet that can monitor your vital signs in real time.” He lightly pressed on it with his finger, and a long holographic screen appeared beside it. “See, your body temperature is over 38.1 degrees, you’re a bit low on potassium, and a little low on calcium. If there’s anything wrong with your body, it will remind you to pay attention to your health.”

Indeed, it could also block my terminal network at any time. As the boyfriend of an official hacker, Wu Chenghe had seen many strange gadgets from Jin Xuan, even Sean, the mercenary, used it on him at Black Pearl Spaceport. But after all, his father was still his father. The style he chose was much nicer than the mercenary’s, and it had many auxiliary functions. Wu Chenghe blinked discreetly and said, “Hmm, it’s quite practical. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Hannibal patted his head. “Feeling better? You’ve been unconscious for a long time. Do you want me to help you take a bath and then eat something?”

“No, no need. I’m very tired and don’t want to take a bath.” Wu Chenghe closed his eyes wearily. “I have a severe headache. I want to sleep for a while.”

“…Okay.” Hannibal wanted to feed him something before he slept, but seeing that he was really weak, he didn’t insist. “You sleep. I’ll go out and handle some official business. I’ll wait for you to wake up later and then we can eat together, okay?”

Wu Chenghe nodded slightly, and Hannibal touched his head before leaving.

The cabin fell silent, and Wu Chenghe lay for a while, quietly counting his heartbeat, counting for a full ten minutes before getting up. He opened his personal terminal to search the network, as he expected, there was no signal, all blocked by the bracelet. He tried to open the bracelet, but the clasp had a password, and he wasn’t Jin Xuan, so he couldn’t crack it.

If he had learned a thing or two from that guy earlier, he wouldn’t be in this situation now, Wu Chenghe regretted. He paced around the cabin, the guest area only had a simple sofa set; the work area was a holographic system that couldn’t be opened without DNA verification; the bathroom had an entertainment device connected to the network, but only for watching leisure programs and listening to music.

After pacing in circles, he still hadn’t figured out what time it was now. Wu Chenghe felt a bit anxious. He went to the door and groped around; the access panel prompted him to enter a passcode, which he didn’t have.

If he was just a little confused when he woke up, now Wu Chenghe could almost be certain that he was being detained.

But why? Wu Chenghe wondered. Was it just to make him drop out of school and bring him back to Gabriel? He vaguely felt that things weren’t that simple. If it was just to teach his disobedient son a lesson, Hannibal wouldn’t need to mobilize the “Quadrant” fleet. As far as he knew, they were the elite forces of the first corps of the Voyager Army, who had once encircled and suppressed remnants of “the Free Revolutionary Army.”

Wu Chenghe returned to the meeting area, sat on the sofa, and pondered. What reason could make Hannibal deploy the Quadrant back to the Dunkirk Federation? Could it be—a terrifying speculation suddenly popped into his mind, nearly making him jump—could it be that Hannibal had known all along that he was a guide? Did he want to bring him back to Gabriel before adulthood?

No, that doesn’t make sense. If Hannibal had known he was a guide all along, why not just hand him over to Mrs. Balon? Just send him to guide school, and there would be no more worries about upbringing or conflicts with Lilith, causing dissatisfaction among the Lancer family.

It doesn’t add up… Wu Chenghe ran his hand through his hair, feeling it damp with sweat. Large beads of sweat were trickling down his temples. He grabbed the glass of water on the coffee table and drank it all in one go, but the dryness in his mouth didn’t ease at all.

His heart was pounding like a drum, as if a tremendous force wanted to burst out of his body. Wu Chenghe got up and paced around the cabin, scratching his ears. He felt that his cocoon was getting warm, and there was a small nucleus inside, restless and ready to emerge.

The day of breaking the cocoon was getting closer and closer.

“Beep—” The cabin door suddenly opened, startling Wu Chenghe as he turned to see Yuna. 

Yuna respectfully nodded at him. “Mr. Charlie, I saw that you opened the access panel. Is there anything you need?”

“Where’s the Commander?” Wu Chenghe asked.

“He’s out on some official business. He won’t be back until tonight.”

“What time is it now?”

“… Around noon,” Yuna hesitated.

Wu Chenghe felt a sinking feeling. They were even hiding the exact time from him. 

Mu once told him that for sentinels, guides were actually very dangerous because they could control a sentinel’s mind, driving them insane. However, young guides who had just come of age were generally weak, and a sentinel with a little training could easily overpower them with physical strength. But Icarus butterfly guides were exceptions. Their consciousness was naturally powerful because the quantum beast was a mimetic butterfly, and hypnosis was almost instinctive to them. Therefore, even young guides who had just come of age, as long as their willpower was firm, could confront strong sentinels.

To subdue Icarus butterfly guides, some people would confine them around the time of adulthood, day and night, disrupting their circadian rhythms deliberately, causing them intense anxiety. In such circumstances, their consciousness would greatly weaken, and their hypnotic abilities would decline. Some guides with poor physical abilities couldn’t even hide their quantum beast.

How could Hannibal know such secretive techniques? Wu Chenghe found it hard to believe, but there were too many coincidences. Recalling his early days in Gabriel, Hannibal had prepared him a separate residence, bought an oversized refrigerator for him, told him the password to the First Hospital’s database, and even allowed him to use the small dispensary at will… At the time, he had been puzzled, feeling that things shouldn’t have been so coincidental, but because nothing unusual had happened, he had ignored it.

Now, thinking back, he broke out in a cold sweat. Hannibal definitely knew he was a guide! But why did he keep it secret for him and help him hide?

“Mr. Charlie?” Yuna noticed his pale face, drops of sweat dripping down from his chin, and couldn’t help but feel worried. “Are you feeling unwell? Do you need…” She wanted to ask if he needed to call the ship’s doctor, but remembering Hannibal’s expression, she swallowed the second half of her sentence and changed it to, “Do you need something to eat?”

Wu Chenghe nodded faintly. He had to eat, replenish his protein and electrolytes. “Give me some nutrients, milk, and sugar. I also want some fruit. Where’s the kitchen? I’ll pick it myself.” 

He wanted to see if his freedom of movement was really restricted.

“I’ll bring you some,” Yuna refused his request as expected.

Wu Chenghe nodded faintly again. When Yuna was about to leave, he stopped her. “Wait.”

“Do you have any other orders?”

“Has anyone come to see me?” He had agreed with Jin Xuan to communicate every night before bed. He had disappeared last night, so Jin Xuan would definitely come looking for him.

Yuna hesitated slightly. Wu Chenghe asked directly, “Has Jin Xuan come to see me?”

“Yes, he has,” Yuna said. “The Commander saw him and asked him to leave.”

Wu Chenghe nodded. This news relieved him. If Jin Xuan knew, it meant the President knew, and then there was Dean Mu. They would probably know soon enough.

Whatever Hannibal’s considerations were, hiding him when he knew he was a guide, he had to ensure he had enough physical strength and consciousness. That was the foundation of a guide’s existence. He needed to eat, estimate the time to control his circadian rhythm, and maintain a clear mind.

So little Light Bulb, please hold on for two more days.

【Yooooooo…】

 

 

 

 

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