FT DR Chapter 70: Setting Traps and Waiting for You to Fall In

Chapter 70: Setting Traps and Waiting for You to Fall In

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

In the Military Commission, Hannibal hurried into the office, where Yuna was already waiting. Her gaze swept over his slightly disheveled military uniform and the wrinkles beneath his shirt, hesitating. “Commander, the NTU people are waiting. Would you like to change clothes first?”

Hannibal’s complexion was very bad. He grunted and took off his uniform, tossing it to her. As he unbuttoned his shirt, he asked, “What’s going on?”

“The NTU found a connection between the ‘Black Pearl Incident’ and the Voyager Army. They sent two groups of people to investigate, one to General Lancer and one to Gabriel. This operation was specially approved by the President, and the Cabinet has set up a supervisory group to oversee it. So, in a few days, another group of people will come to Gabriel to inspect the progress of the investigation. It is estimated that the leader will be Secretary of State Hobart,” Yuna explained. “The questioning on General Lancer’s side has already ended. I heard he was very angry and planned to explain to the President’s people personally. So, he set off early to Gabriel to wait for the inspection team.”

“What, is he still planning to appeal? That’s really the pot calling the kettle black,” Hannibal sneered, taking off his shirt and catching a faint scent of his son on it, along with the smell of vomit and sweat. He furrowed his brow and balled it up, throwing it on the ground. “Tell him I’m also very angry and to keep his people in line and not cause trouble for the Voyager Army.”

“Yes.” Yuna quickly drafted a reply and projected it for Hannibal to see. 

After scanning it, Hannibal nodded. “Send it like this.” He took off his vest and threw it to her, revealing his muscular upper body. “What about Lilith?”

Yuna fetched new shirts and uniforms for him from the closet, helping him straighten his collar and buttons. “She heard about the investigation and was very worried about you, so she handed over the fleet to her deputy and brought back two small warships.”

“Worried about me? She’s worried about her father. Tell her I won’t see her.” Hannibal’s face was expressionless as he fixed his tie. “Tell her to return immediately. If she stays in Gabriel for more than twenty-four hours, take off her shoulder patches and leave them directly on my desk!” He paused, his expression turning cold. “The Mulan Fleet belongs to the first combat sequence of the Voyager Army. She actually deserted her post. It’s outrageous!”

“Yes, Commander,” Yuna respectfully replied, kneeling down to help him change his shoes and tie them. After hesitating for a moment, she tentatively said, “Forgive me for speaking frankly, Commander, but doing this to Lady Lilith might make her very sad.”

Hannibal put on his uniform jacket, straightened up, and squinted at Yuna. “When will you women unify your words and deeds, huh? On one hand, you want to compete with men on the battlefield. On the other hand, you expect men to understand your so-called ‘sensibility’ and accommodate you everywhere. Don’t you think it’s ridiculous?” He stood up straight. “Tell her, if she really cares so much about her husband, she should hand over the fleet and go home to be a good wife. I regret losing an outstanding fleet captain, but I don’t mind having an extra vase at home.”

Yuna lowered her eyes. “Yes.”

In the reception room, an unremarkable middle-aged man was waiting. When he saw Hannibal come in, he stood up respectfully and saluted. “Commander.”

“Hello.” Hannibal noticed that the man’s rank was only a captain. He nodded faintly and sat down in the chair opposite him. “Please sit. You’ve come a long way; it must have been hard.”

“My responsibility.” This NTU investigator, like all agents, had a face that was easily overlooked—a common appearance, restrained gaze, and a friendly expression, lacking any presence. 

After Hannibal waited for him to sit down, he got straight to the point, saying, “The President has raised doubts about the First Army regarding the Black Pearl case. I regret it, but I will fully cooperate with your investigation. Time is precious; let’s begin.”

“Understood.” The NTU agent opened his personal terminal and presented the evidence collected from various sources to Hannibal. He said, “The majority of the mercenaries involved are former members of the Voyager Army. Although they have retired, various signs indicate that they have maintained contact with individuals within the military. We have reason to suspect that certain terrorist organizations have infiltrated the Voyager Army. Commander, what are your thoughts?”

“The Voyager Army has always been a disciplined force. We stand at the forefront of humanity’s encounter with the unknown universe, bearing the significant responsibility of protecting the Federation. It’s absolutely impossible for us to be infiltrated by terrorist organizations,” Hannibal stated solemnly. “The Voyager Army is vast and diverse, and while it cannot be denied that there may be some shortcomings in management, possibly a few individuals derelict in duty, I don’t think it has reached the level of ‘infiltration’ you’re suggesting.”

“Perhaps I used the term ‘infiltration’ improperly. Please, forgive me,” the agent said gently. “But these mercenaries have contacts within the military, and that much is undeniable.”

Hannibal opened a document containing excerpts from the testimony of the only surviving mercenary. It mentioned that their secondary contact had mentioned the mastermind behind the case, who was related to a high-ranking official in the Second Army.

“The Second Army falls under the direct jurisdiction of General Lancer. I only have supervisory authority, not direct management,” Hannibal said. “Perhaps when General Lancer arrives in Gabriel, he will make his case to the Cabinet’s inspection team.”

“Our people have already contacted him. His attitude was very poor,” the agent said with some frustration. “General Lancer is a veteran General with a strong temper. It’s difficult for you to directly manage him, and I completely understand.”

Hannibal furrowed his brow. General Lancer was not only his senior but also his subordinate and his father-in-law. This relationship had brought him many conveniences, but now it was clearly increasingly restricting his development. Older people tended to be more stubborn, and those with high military achievements were inevitably more arrogant. Genery Lancer combined both traits, which was quite annoying.

“If it were just because of this, we wouldn’t have to specially send a team to Gabriel. We could just investigate General Lancer. However, recently, we have discovered some issues regarding the First Army,” the agent continued. “Our information team traced the hacker involved in the Black Pearl case and made detailed deductions about his activities over the years. We found that among the over four thousand proxy addresses he frequently used, nearly three thousand were within the Second Army, and over seven hundred were within the jurisdiction of the First Army.”

A gleam of light flashed in Hannibal’s eyes. The agent opened a holographic star map and input a set of proxy addresses. After a few seconds, densely packed red dots appeared on the star map, mostly distributed within General Lancer’s jurisdiction, with a small portion within Hannibal’s jurisdiction. “Commander, NTU fully trusts your loyalty, but the facts are before us, and we cannot ignore them. What is your explanation for this?”

Hannibal remained expressionless as he thoughtfully looked at the star map. After a moment, he said, “Incredible. I never knew there were so many network nodes in my jurisdiction being used by unknown hackers for such a long time. This is my dereliction of duty. I will have my personal guard thoroughly investigate these nodes and provide the investigation team with a reliable conclusion as soon as possible.”

“Understood.” The NTU agent seemed relieved. “Thank you very much for your cooperation, Commander. I never expected you to be so modest and open-minded. Personally, I greatly admire you. Compared to my unfortunate colleague, I am truly fortunate.”

His admiration seemed genuine. Hannibal knew that when he mentioned being “fortunate,” he was contrasting his colleague’s experience with General Lancer’s treatment. A faint cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. His father-in-law, born into an aristocratic family, never regarded low-ranking officers highly, even his “most valued son-in-law,” who was now the Commander of the Voyager Army. Yet, he continued to set traps without mercy—while the First Corps had not touched the Black Pearl case, so many network nodes within his jurisdiction had been infiltrated. What did this indicate?

This indicated that someone had planted their influence under his command!

There weren’t many who could do this. Lilith, Popova… They were either his wife or his protegee, nurtured by his own hands. It was impossible for them to secretly extend their influence. The only possibility was General Lancer!

His good father-in-law, never realizing that he was no longer the lower-ranking officer who obediently followed orders twenty years ago, and was easily manipulated by others as a pawn!

Hannibal lowered his eyelids, a hint of sinister light flashing in his eyes. He believed that the Black Pearl incident must be related to Lancer. At this time, if the old guy was smart enough, he should have stayed in his jurisdiction to destroy the evidence. Yet, he actually ran to Gabriel to wait for the inspection team to file a complaint. It’s simply courting death!

Does he think the current president is still the same as before, that he wouldn’t dare to touch him just because he holds military power? Jin Zhe has never been a simpleton!

Maybe it’s time to join forces with the Federation and put on a good show…

Port Outer Ring One, Gabriel. Two warships from the Mulan Fleet slowly docked. The hatch opened, and Colonel Lilith hurriedly walked down the gangway, asking her secretary, “Has the Commander replied?”

“He has.” The secretary was somewhat nervous, keeping pace with her and whispering, “It was Commander Yuna who replied. The Commander is currently under investigation by the NTU. He’s requesting that you leave Gabriel within twenty-four hours and return to combat duty. Otherwise…”

“Otherwise what?” Lilith stopped in her tracks, a hint of sternness in her eyes. 

The secretary paused for a moment, saying, “Otherwise, he asks you to leave your epaulets on his desk.”

Lilith’s face changed dramatically, her chest heaving violently. After a while, she said, “Does he not intend to see me?”

“…I’m afraid so, ma’am.”

Lilith fell silent and continued towards the exit. “When will my father arrive at the port?”

“Soon, it shouldn’t exceed twenty-four hours.” The secretary was well aware of the Commander’s temperament. When he said twenty-four hours, he meant it absolutely, not even a minute more, not even for his own wife.

“I’ll wait at the port.” Lilith dared not disobey Hannibal’s orders. At home, she was his wife, she could act coquettish and petulant towards him, but once in the military, she was only his subordinate. She absolutely couldn’t step out of line. Actually, she knew that defying her father’s orders and flying back to Gabriel this time would surely provoke Hannibal’s wrath. But she came anyway. There was no other way. She knew better than anyone how arrogant her father was and how ruthless her husband could be.

He gave her twenty-four hours, which was already a great tolerance. If it were any other officer, they would probably have been sacked on the spot.

Lilith sighed inwardly. She used to be a naive and ambitious girl, attending the best military academy, leading the best fleet, marrying the strongest man… She thought her life would be as she envisioned, commanding on the battlefield and standing side by side with her beloved. However, reality taught her the deepest lesson. Although her current life seemed glamorous, only she knew how painful it was to be caught between her father and her husband.

And she still couldn’t figure out why Hannibal married her. Was it because he loved her more than his life, or just for the sake of alliance, to gain her father’s support?

Eighteen years ago, she would definitely have chosen the former without hesitation. But now, she was starting to feel confused.

“Ma’am.” The secretary’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “There’s a gentleman claiming to be an NTU agent. He wants to see you.”

“NTU?” Lilith was surprised. Her return to Gabriel was confidential, not even Hannibal knew until she left. How did the NTU get information about her?

“Yes, he has a pass issued by the NTU.” The secretary said, “He said he’s waiting for you in the executive lounge of Terminal One at the port.”

Lilith felt a great deal of awe towards the elusive President’s Direct Spy organization. After a moment of contemplation, she said, “I’ll go now. Keep in touch with my father’s people and inform me as soon as they arrive at the port.”

“Yes!”

In the executive lounge of Terminal One at the port, Lilith knocked on the door. Inside, a cold male voice said, “Please, come in.”

Sitting on the sofa near the window of the lounge was a slender middle-aged man with black hair, black eyes, dressed in a black suit with a black shirt, accentuating his fair skin and refined features. Due to Wu Chenghe’s influence, Lilith had never had a good impression of Chinese people. She subconsciously frowned and said, “Hello. Are you the one who notified my secretary?”

“Hello, Mrs. Simpson.” The man stood up and shook her hand. “I’m NTU special advisor Mu, commissioned by the Black Pearl Task Force to ask you a few simple questions.”

“Just call me Colonel Lilith.” Despite taking Hannibal’s surname after marriage, Lilith still preferred to use her own name.

“Alright, Colonel.” Mu said lightly, “Please, have a seat.”

The two sat by the window. Lilith scrutinized the man opposite her. He was neither a sentinel nor a guide, very thin, almost frail, with a very pale complexion. He didn’t seem like an NTU agent. But there was an extremely powerful aura about him, making people feel cold when near him. Even Lilith’s caracal, for some reason, seemed very wary of him, cowering behind her and trembling since she walked in.

Recalling his self-introduction as a “special advisor,” Lilith asked with confusion, “Aren’t you from the military?”

“Yes, I’m just temporarily employed by the NTU,” Mu glanced at Lilith’s caracal behind her. Sensing the woman’s consciousness clouded with worry, unease, and a hint of fear, he paused and said, “Do you happen to know if Commander Hannibal is involved with the mercenary group in the Black Pearl incident?”

Lilith’s elegant eyebrows raised slightly. “No, I don’t know, but I believe in my husband. He’s incredibly loyal to the Federation.”

Mu nodded indifferently. “You’re his wife, of course, you would think so. But we value evidence more. We found that a member of the mercenary group had previously served in the Commander’s guard, and several hundred proxy addresses used by hackers working with the mercenaries originated from his jurisdiction.”

Lilith said, “The mercenaries are all former soldiers who left the army years ago. No one can guarantee their loyalty. And the Voyager Army has over a billion people, with countless network nodes. What significance do a few hundred proxy addresses have? Does the Commander need to monitor if anyone in his jurisdiction is using proxy addresses all the time?”

“Hmm, you have a point,” Mu felt somewhat uncomfortable. He changed his posture and said, “I have a personal question that may be offensive, I hope you don’t mind.”

Lilith’s expression turned cold. “What question?”

“From what I know, Commander Hannibal was fully eligible to apply for the graduation ball at the guide school and get a full-time guide. Why did he give up the opportunity and marry you?”

This question made Lilith’s face slightly unpleasant. She instinctively raised her chin and said, “What do you mean by that? Do you think I’m not worthy of the Commander, or do you think he’s using my father’s influence?”

Mu shook his head. “No, you misunderstand me. I didn’t mean that.” After a moment of thought, he said, “The Commander’s loyalty to love is admirable. You know, giving up a guide means giving up half of one’s lifespan.”

Eighteen years ago, Lilith might have taken this statement as an admiring compliment. But at this moment, she only felt apprehensive and uneasy. Being a sentinel herself, she knew how valuable guides were to them. With age approaching and death nearing, she began to doubt if she truly had such great charm to make Hannibal willingly give up decades of his life. Or perhaps, she did have charm, but it came from her father.

“What exactly do you want to ask?” Lilith’s tone involuntarily carried a hint of hostility. 

Mu seemed hesitant, hesitating for a while before saying, “This is confidential, but I think you knowing might be helpful to our investigation. Since it might help us understand Commander Hannibal’s innocence. Would you mind?”

.

Lilith was still immersed in immense shock. After years of marriage, she believed she understood her husband emotionally. Hannibal could not possibly betray their marriage. But the temptation of a guide was too great. As a sentinel nearing fifty, who could willingly accept having only a dozen years of life left?

“Are you okay, Colonel?” Mu asked with concern, seeing her pale face. Lilith shook her head, took a deep breath, and said, “Do you have any other questions?”

“If you feel uncomfortable, we can terminate the conversation,” Mu said gently. “We will continue to investigate this matter. If you have any information that can prove the Commander’s innocence, please inform me promptly. We respect the Commander very much and don’t want him to be wronged.”

“Alright.” Lilith stood up. “Goodbye, Mr. Advisor.”

“Goodbye.” Mu personally escorted Lilith out. 

When he returned, Jin Xuan entered from another door. “She’s starting to suspect.”

“Yes,” Mu said. “No one understands Hannibal’s habits better than she does. Since it’s related to her family’s happiness, she will definitely investigate herself… Let’s hope she can lead us to Wu Chenghe. I’ve already planted the stuff on her. Have you tracked the signal?”

“I have,” Jin Xuan opened his personal terminal, displaying a map of the entire military center of the Outer Ring, with a bright blue dot moving on it.

“Didn’t expect it to be so easy. She has poor vigilance.” 

“No, she’s a very formidable sentinel. It’s just that your words disturbed her, making her distracted.” Jin Xuan said. “Anyway, it’s much easier to tamper with her than with Hannibal. I’ve been tracking Hannibal for four or five days, and I haven’t found an opportunity yet.” He looked worried. “I wonder what happened to Wu Chenghe…”

“He’ll be fine.” Mu patted Jin Xuan’s shoulder. “Hannibal has been under our surveillance all the time, except for this morning when he disappeared for less than an hour. The investigation team was looking for him, and he’s not in the mood to do anything. And I trust Wu Chenghe. He has a certain ability to protect himself. This kid is more capable than we think.” After arriving at Gabriel, they couldn’t find Wu Chenghe’s whereabouts, so they had to focus on Hannibal.

“I know.” Jin Xuan nodded. “Hannibal only gave Lilith twenty-four hours. I believe she’ll soon help us find Wu Chenghe.” Besides tracking Lilith, he had another more brutal plan—if Hannibal disappeared again, he would go and blow up the Military Commission building! Of course, he didn’t dare to tell anyone about this plan, including Mu.

“She didn’t return to the Mulan Fleet!” After looking at the monitoring map for a while, Jin Xuan suddenly said, “She entered the garrison station of the Sentinel Legion!”

“Oh?” Mu’s eyes lit up.

“She must know many of Hannibal’s secrets.” Jin Xuan whispered, “I have to follow her.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“No, you stay here.” Jin Xuan immediately opposed. “The Sentinel Legion is Hannibal’s most elite personal guard. I can only sneak in alone.” He joked, saying he wouldn’t even take Mu with him. Jin Zhe, that old bastard, seemed to have taken the wrong medicine and wrote him a long email scolding him during his hibernation, saying that he wanted to die but not to drag others down, especially not to drag Mu, a scientist who made significant contributions to the Federation, down. If he found out that anything happened to the Dean because of him, he wouldn’t be welcomed back to Planet Dunkirk. The President would immediately sever ties with him!

Even if Jin Zhe didn’t instruct him, he wouldn’t take Mu. Ever since Dean left Planet Dunkirk, he had been ill. Although he seemed to have improved a bit after waking up from deep-sea hibernation, he still looked frail. If anything happened in the Sentinel Legion, Wu Chenghe would be the first to be blamed.

Oh, the old man was too troublesome! Jin Xuan scratched his head with impatience, scratching for a while and then settled Mu in the lounge of the terminal, sneaking into Hannibal’s Sentinel Legion alone.

 

 

 

 

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