FT DR Chapter 75: Returning to Gabriel

Chapter 75: Returning to Gabriel

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Under the inertia, the two escape pods swiftly slid along the predetermined direction, soon completely deviating from the “Hyaena’s” flight path, disappearing without a trace.

After a brief closure, the atmospheric shield of the outer ring of Gabriel opened again. Two “Thief Gull” mechas leaped out, locked onto the direction of the “Hyaena’s” escape, and dashed away, completely unaware of the escape pods drifting in the opposite direction.

Wu Chenghe lay flat in the escape pod, flying for about half an hour. Suddenly, he saw a small starship parked quietly outside the transparent canopy, with an NTU number on the hull. After drifting a little further, a pair of mechanical tentacles extended from under the starship, connecting to his escape pod and dragging him into the bottom compartment.

With a slight vibration, the escape pod canopy automatically popped open. Wu Chenghe unfastened his seatbelt, stood up, and heard a soft “click” behind him. Jin Xuan’s escape pod was also dragged in by the mechanical tentacles.

“How are you? Are you okay?” Jin Xuan jumped out of the cabin energetically, asking with concern.

“I’m fine.” Wu Chenghe shook his head, trying to climb out of the cabin 

Jin Xuan stretched out his long arm and without saying a word, lifted him out, spinning around in place, “Great, we succeeded! I finally got you out, hahaha…”

“…” Wu Chenghe almost got thrown off by him, grabbing his neck, “Let me go!”

Jin Xuan gently put him down on the ground. Wu Chenghe swayed for a moment before steadying himself. When he saw Jin Xuan’s face covered in black dirt, with many scratches all over his body, his heart softened, and he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

Recalling the thrilling events of the past seven or eight hours, the two looked at each other for a moment, then suddenly smiled at each other and naturally embraced—they were finally safe!

After hugging for a while, Jin Xuan kissed the tip of his nose and said, “Let’s go, wash up in the main cabin, have something to eat, and rest for a while.” He pulled Wu Chenghe along the main passage to the control room, pointing to a cabin door, “There are clothes inside, you can take a shower first, I’ll prepare something for you to eat.”

Wu Chenghe realized that he hadn’t eaten anything for about ten hours. Besides the remnants of a little sugar-salt water, Jin Xuan was his only sustenance. Hearing this, all the tension in his body dissipated. He dragged his heavy steps towards the main cabin, saying, “Bring me a feast, I’m starving!”

“I’ll do my best.” Jin Xuan smiled bitterly, “This ship isn’t mine, they probably didn’t prepare much food.”

“Anything will do.” Wu Chenghe entered the main cabin. It wasn’t large, with four deep-sea hibernation chambers placed in the middle. Two small doors on the side led to the bathroom and the dressing room. Wu Chenghe threw his dirty clothes into the recycling basket in the dressing room and went to the adjacent bathroom to take a shower. The bathroom was very narrow, with one wall mirrored. 

As he washed, he saw himself in the mirror: his slender body covered in bruises, some from Hannibal’s blows, some from rolling around, but more were Jin Xuan’s love bites, especially on his neck, chest, and thighs, which were particularly appalling.

“You crazy dog!” Wu Chenghe frowned and complained, rinsing off the sweat stains on his chest with shower gel. Because the final mark had been established, a tiny cinnabar mole appeared at the center of his clavicle again. But this time, this mark wouldn’t disappear with the passage of time; it would last forever. It signified that he had come of age and formed a pairing with a compatible sentinel, a bond that couldn’t be broken and could only be ended by death.

Feeling a little uneasy and anxious inexplicably, Wu Chenghe lowered his eyes, warning himself not to overthink since he had made a decision. He turned off the shower, went to the dressing room next door, put on a silver jumpsuit, and returned to the control room.

After a dozen minutes, Jin Xuan had already prepared two nutrient plates, along with milk and biscuits, “I can’t cook traditional food here, so just make do with this. I’ll make you a proper meal when we get back to Gabriel.”

Wu Chenghe took a biscuit and nibbled on it, somewhat surprised, “Are we going back to Gabriel?” 

He thought they were going directly back to Planet Dunkirk.

“Of course, things aren’t resolved yet, and I still have official business.” Jin Xuan rubbed his head, “I’ll explain later. Let’s eat first; I’ll go take a shower.”

Wu Chenghe was starving, waving his hand as if to say, “Kneel and offer me food,” then picked up the nutrient plate and began eating voraciously. A few minutes later, Jin Xuan quickly finished his showering, wearing the same NTU jumpsuit as Wu Chenghe, his half-dried long hair scattered over his shoulders, with water droplets still clinging to his face.

Wu Chenghe called him over to eat, but he shook his head, “I’m not hungry. Both of those plates are for you, so you go ahead. Jin Zhe is here, and I need to interrogate with him.”

Wu Chenghe didn’t bother with pleasantries either, finishing his own portion and then picking up the other plate. Jin Xuan tied up his hair, opened the communication system on the console, and connected to his personal terminal, calling for the President.

“Jin Xuan! You unruly wild horse!” Jin Zhe immediately answered his communication request, even before the holographic projection formed. His voice was already raging, “No, you’re just an unruly wild dog! You destroyed my modified ‘Hyaena’ mecha that I’ve treasured for years. Do you know how valuable that thing is? It’s the space edition, the only one in the whole Federation! You bastard!”

Jin Xuan was shocked by his words, taking a step back and covering his ears to absorb the impact. Blue light flashed twice in the air, and Jin Zhe’s burly holographic projection appeared, angrily saying, “And you even blew up the First Army’s Military Committee building! Do you have no shame? Why don’t you just burn yourself to death on Gabriel and don’t come back!”

“What the hell are you doing!” Jin Xuan was also furious. “Aren’t those things meant to be used by people? Why hoard them? You’re the President, why do you still need mechas? I made the most of them for you; you should be thanking me.”

“You little brat!” Jin Zhe pointed at his nose and cursed, “When did you sneak the ‘Hyaena’ out of my private vault? Don’t tell me you’ve infiltrated my special ops team!”

“I cracked your vault password and opened it directly.” Jin Xuan said, “I came out to save people; of course, I had to bring some handy weapons with me. It has nothing to do with the special ops team. They all received your notification, thinking I was acting on orders.”

“You damned hacker! You’ve thrown all of us, the old Jin family, under the bus! I taught you everything myself, was it just for you to turn around and stab me in the back?” Jin Zhe lamented bitterly, “And as for Hannibal, it would have been bad enough if you messed with his son, but why did you have to blow up the Military Committee building? Do you know that it’s taxpayers’ money? You blew it up, and now I have to allocate funds to repair it!”

A flash of anger crossed Jin Xuan’s face, saying, “I had no choice but to do it. Since it’s already blown up, it’s up to you to deal with it.” 

He couldn’t tell Jin Zhe about Hannibal’s filthy intentions towards Wu Chenghe; it was too disgusting. Besides, Jin Zhe had always been wary of Hannibal. Sooner or later, the two of them would turn against each other, not just because of this incident.

Unable to do anything about his mischievous brother, Jin Zhe pounded the table, saying, “What should I do? I wish I could dismember you and hand you over to the Finance Department to deal with the mess you’ve caused! But you’re damn worthless; you still owe the bank over two thousand on your credit card!” 

Jin Xuan’s mouth twitched. Since he left the art circle, his income had plummeted. Relying solely on his salary as a university assistant, his expenses were indeed a bit tight—after all, he still had to purchase various materials and tools for the big project of tricking his brother-in-law/father-in-law, not to mention supporting his wife (traditional ingredients were expensive these days).

However, his bombing of the Military Commission building this time had been meticulously calculated for deterrence. Most of the damage was focused on soft furnishings, and beforehand, everyone had been evacuated under the guise of Hannibal. It shouldn’t cost much when you consider it. 

“Okay, I was too impulsive this time. I won’t do it again.” Jin Xuan showed rare weakness, but there was no choice; heroes couldn’t survive without money. Jin Zhe listened and sneered coldly, “Next time, do you dare think of a next time?”

Jin Xuan frowned, sitting in his chair with his legs crossed on the console. “Alright, things are already like this. Let’s talk about something constructive. Don’t waste time… Where are you flying to?”

“I have half an hour left in flight.” Jin Zhe knew that getting angry at this point would be useless. After cursing him a bit to vent, he calmed down and started considering post-event matters and how to maximize the strategic gains. “I’ve already sent someone to intercept the ‘Hyena’ mecha according to the coordinates you provided. Stay put; I’ll come to meet you shortly, and then we’ll go to Gabriel together.”

“Okay.” Before ejecting from the life pod, Jin Xuan messaged Jin Zhe to send someone to intercept the remnants of the “Hyena,” smashing them to pieces before Hannibal’s people arrived, erasing all evidence. Then he could return to Gabriel with his naive companion, portraying himself as the rescuer—Hannibal mentioned that “terrorists” had kidnapped his son, right? Well, he and his dear brother would “appear in time” together, eliminate the “kidnappers,” and save Wu Chenghe.

As for who caused the disturbance in the Outer Ring, ambushed the Imperial Legion, and battled the “Thief Gull” mecha… heh, who knows? Anyway, the fictitious “terrorists” have been taken care of by His Excellency the President along with the “Hyena.” If Hannibal wants to investigate, he can go investigate Jin Zhe and Hobart. But these two old foxes teamed up and even won several billion votes from the entire federation back then. Who can deceive the two of them?

“You can count on it, Commander. After all, I’m not someone who can’t keep a secret.” 

“Where’s Dean Mu?” With the business settled, Jin Zhe began to inquire about his personal matters. “Where did you leave him?”

“When we broke up yesterday, he was in the Outer Ring. A few hours ago, I intercepted Hannibal’s communication and heard that they had deported him to the Inner Ring.” Jin Xuan said, “They shouldn’t trouble him; after all, he knows nothing. Besides, he’s a special adviser to NTU, approved by the cabinet. Hannibal should give you some face, right?”

This was flattery. Usually, Jin Xuan only spoke so politely when he was feeling very guilty and desperately wanted to please his brother. Jin Zhe, as a senior bro-con for twenty-five years, heard this and felt most of the anger in his heart extinguished. With a cold snort, he said, “Just this once, don’t make it a habit. Next time you go out seeking death, don’t drag normal people into it, especially Dean Mu. Stay as far away from him as possible.”

Rolling his eyes, Jin Xuan replied, “You’re not into him, are you?” 

Speaking of which, he’s a guide, could he already know something twisted? This thought made Jin Xuan shudder, finding it difficult to connect these two people. But upon careful consideration, they seemed somewhat compatible…

“Are you blind?” Jin Zhe cursed him, a mix of disdain and approval in his heart: “Kid, your eyes aren’t completely blind! Seriously, what has he been through these days? Is there anything wrong? Last time in Saint Martin, he looked really frail.”

“He’s alright. He’s very introverted and likes to be strong. Even if he’s uncomfortable, he won’t say it.” Jin Xuan shrugged. “But I can tell he’s not doing well physically. His complexion is poor, he has no appetite, and he prefers lying down to sitting, sitting to standing. He looks tired.”

“Oh…” Jin Zhe’s face showed a complex mix of worry and pity. Apparently, he wasn’t in the mood to continue educating his wild younger brother like an unruly dog. He waved his hand and said, “Alright, I got it. Just wait; we’ll be there soon.”

After the communication ended, Jin Xuan returned to the table. Wu Chenghe had already finished half of his nutrient meal and was holding a cup, drinking milk with a serious expression on his face, a ring of white foam on his upper lip, oblivious to it, looking thoughtful.

Jin Xuan was slain by the contrast, bending down to lick it away, “What are you thinking about?”

“…” Wu Chenghe leaned back, almost spilling half of his milk on himself. He flicked the droplets off his thigh and frowned, “Can you please be a bit more normal in the future?”

“How am I not normal?” Jin Xuan asked curiously. 

Wu Chenghe blushed, not sure what came to mind. He said, “Um, just treat me like you would treat anyone else, is that too much to ask?”

Due to the markings, it was difficult for him to be firm with his sentinel, and as a guide who had just reached adulthood and was experiencing the world for the first time, he felt a bit “lovestruck” and would blush slightly when Jin Xuan teased him.

“Why?” Jin Xuan sat next to him. “Don’t you like me caring about you? Do you want me to be cold and aloof? Sorry, I can’t do that. I’m a normal sentinel, not rabid.”

Wu Chenghe massaged his temples. “After all, we’re both men. It’s weird to be too clingy, and I’m not a girl who wants to be with you all day…”

“Oh, I get it.” Jin Xuan suddenly realized. “You mean not to touch you in public, right? I’ll try my best.”

Wu Chenghe had no energy to retort. In fact, he felt it would be better not to be touched privately either. At most, in bed… well, it’s a bit difficult for a lion sentinel, but let’s take it slow. “The situation is too complicated right now. I don’t want to publicly announce our relationship, so please, be a bit more discreet in the future.”

“Why?” Jin Xuan was surprised. “Why can’t we make our relationship public?” 

In his opinion, after he and Jin Zhe brought Wu Chenghe back to Gabriel this time, they would directly announce their relationship, then let Jin Zhe propose to Hannibal, and after returning to Planet Dunkirk, they would host the engagement ceremony. Wu Chenghe was already eighteen years old and theoretically could get a marriage certificate, but since he was still in school, it would be better to wait until he finished the first four years of theoretical classes and held the wedding during the internship period. Getting married at twenty-two seemed a bit more normal; eighteen was too young.

Wu Chenghe’s expression became serious. He thought for a moment and said, “Because of my identity. No matter how bad my relationship with Hannibal is, he is still my father in name. If one day he betrays the federation and does something unforgivable, my background may affect the prestige of His Excellency, the President, and even make the people doubt him.”

Jin Xuan’s expression changed. “Betray the federation? Do you know something? Has he said anything to you?”

Wu Chenghe fell silent. Hannibal had said to him that day, “Below one man, above ten thousand.” This sentence had two interpretations: one was that he wanted to replace Jin Zhe and become the president, and the other was that he wanted to lead the Voyager Army to split off and establish a new empire, crowning himself.

Regardless of which interpretation it was, Hannibal would inevitably have a falling out with the Jin brothers. As Hannibal’s son, even if he openly declared his stance on Jin Xuan’s side, it would still deal a heavy blow to Jin Zhe’s credibility.

“I don’t know. I don’t have any concrete evidence,” Wu Chenghe shook his head. “It’s just speculation. I feel Hannibal won’t be satisfied with just being the commander of the Voyager Army. His ambitions are too great, and he won’t stop here. Even without me, he will definitely find another guide to prolong his life.” After a pause, he continued, “Think about it. Why would an ambitious man go to great lengths to double his lifespan just to stay alive?”

Jin Xuan frowned, pondering Hannibal’s ambitions. He and Jin Zhe had discussed them many times before. On the surface, Hannibal was a very responsible soldier, leading the Voyager Army for decades and making great contributions to humanity. In the eyes of many, including his old adversary, Defense Secretary Balon, his loyalty to humanity was unquestionable.

But Jin Zhe had worked with Hannibal for many years and knew him very well. From the beginning of his tenure as the Commander of the Voyager Army, Jin Zhe had begun to pay attention to his plans and arrangements for the Voyager Army. Over the years, Jin Zhe had always suspected that he was brewing some unknown conspiracy.

As a highly sensitive politician, Jin Zhe’s speculations had never been wrong.

Jin Xuan took Wu Chenghe’s hand, playing with his soft fingers. After a while, he nodded and said, “I understand. Anyway, we’re not planning to get married yet. Whether our relationship is public or private, it doesn’t matter.”

Wu Chenghe couldn’t resist his gentle tolerance. His saintly halo was about to explode. He stuttered, “Just pay a little attention in public, but in private… forget it, it doesn’t matter.” 

He had completely succumbed. He actually felt a bit wronged in this emotional turmoil… Now he fully understood Mu’s concern for him. Things like “marking” and “submissiveness” were completely incomprehensible by imagination alone. You had to experience it to know how tricky they could be.

Jin Xuan was actually deeply moved as well. His little naive companion had been bullied like this, yet he still cared about his own identity affecting the President’s reputation. What virtue and ability did he have to deserve such a lovely guide?

Even if they had to marry in secret and abstain from sex, it was completely worth it!

“I’ll listen to you.” Jin Xuan was very satisfied with “it doesn’t matter in private,” so he didn’t dwell on other things. Seeing there was still some time before Jin Zhe arrived, he said, “Are you tired? Do you want to rest in the hibernation chamber first? Jin Zhe’s ship will arrive in twenty minutes, and then our ship will join his formation and go to Gabriel together. It will take several tens of minutes on the way, so you can take a nap.”

Wu Chenghe finished his milk and said, “Okay, I’ll take a nap for a while.” 

After more than ten hours of rushing, coupled with the long (for him) lifelong marking, his body was exhausted. He didn’t feel it when he was nervous, but now that he relaxed, he felt sleepy and tired.

Thinking that he would have to face that devil in an hour, Wu Chenghe felt shortness of breath and panic. He considered himself to have a very strong psyche, but he couldn’t accept his biological father almost assaulting him twice. 

Let’s take a nap first. Only by resting well could he possibly deal with such a complicated situation.

On Gabriel, Inner Ring, Military Commission building, This was a dumbbell-shaped building divided into north and south sections, connected by a long narrow skywalk. Due to Jin Xuan’s destruction, the entire southern area had been shut down, under strict martial law awaiting evidence collection and investigation, while the northern section remained operational.

In the top-floor reception room, Mu sat on a wooden chair near the window, his face pale, with slight dark circles under his eyes. Shortly after Jin Xuan left the terminal, he heard about the explosion at the Inner Ring’s Military Commission building. Later, the Imperial Guard claimed that terrorists had infiltrated the Outer Ring’s military zone, and two members of the vanguard found him and brought him here under the pretext of “protection.”

Three people had come to “talk” to him one after another, subtly implying that the “terrorists” were likely related to NTU and urging him to hand over the person who acted as the secondary character (investigating in secret) during this investigation, as well as reveal their action plans. But he hadn’t said anything because he didn’t know anything. That kid Jin Xuan was too cautious; he didn’t give him any unnecessary information.

So he had been locked up for six hours already, and all those people sent to interrogate him had been sent away by his mental suggestions. There weren’t many people in this world who could make him speak.

The door was knocked three times, then three times again, most likely another person coming to “talk.” Mu felt a bit annoyed and said coldly, “Come in.”

A tall, thin man pushed the door open. He was wearing a dark green Voyager Army uniform with a military cap, revealing a pair of deep black eyes under the brim, hidden behind thin glasses, calm and restrained.

His shoulder had a star insignia, indicating the rank of major general, which surprised Mu. His gaze then fell to the man’s chest, where he saw a small blue cross embroidered beneath the winged lion emblem.

A full-time doctor.

 

 

 

 

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