FT DR Chapter 89: Brother’s Collapse

Chapter 89: Brother’s Collapse

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

The starship docked at the Military Harbor near Planet Dunkirk’s atmosphere. Four operatives stepped out of the cabin and saluted a brigadier general waiting below the gangway. “Commander! All suspects have been brought back, and the evidence is complete.”

“Good work.” The brigadier’s stern face faintly showed a hint of joy. After returning the salute, he patted the arm of the leading brown-haired man. “Well done. The commander is very satisfied with your operation this time.” His gaze swept past them. “Where is your captain?”

The four exchanged glances, and the brown-haired man said, “Jin Xuan got injured, his consciousness is a bit unstable, had a reaction during landing, currently receiving treatment…” 

Before he could finish, a tall and thin figure descended the gangway in quick strides, stood at attention, and saluted. “Commander, I’m fine, Commander.”

“…Jin Xuan?” The brigadier looked surprised at the haggard young man before him. “What happened to you? Are you severely injured? Why wasn’t it mentioned in the report?”

In the span of three months, Jin Xuan seemed to have lost at least twenty pounds. His once plump cheeks were now as sharp as a knife, with sunken eye sockets and bloodshot eyes, indicating a recent episode of mania.

“Just a minor injury.” Jin Xuan lifted his right arm. “Fracture, it’s already healed.”

The brigadier still couldn’t hide his surprise. “Only external injuries? Your consciousness seems chaotic. Flight medic, does he have cognitive trauma?”

A petite female agent stepped forward. “Reporting, Commander, we were under mental attack while tracking the suspects. The captain was the closest and got more severely injured. I administered restorative drugs to him.” She hesitated, glanced at Jin Xuan, “But his drug resistance is strong, and his emotional fluctuations have been significant lately, so the treatment…”

“I’m fine.” Jin Xuan frowned, interrupting her, giving her a look that said, Mind your own business. He addressed the brigadier, “Commander, the mission handover is complete. I request short-term rest.”

“Of course.” The brigadier looked at him with concern, noticing the manic glint in his eyes. “Are you sure you don’t need a check-up at the military hospital? Your mania seems a bit out of control.”

“I’m fine, Commander, just need to adjust to the time difference.” Jin Xuan saluted. “I’ll head home now.” 

After receiving the affirmative reply, the brigadier’s stern face softened slightly, and he turned back, gesturing with two fingers to his forehead as a farewell to the four companions. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye, Commander!” The four operatives saluted him back, watching him walk towards the exit.

The brigadier ordered the transfer of the suspects onto the ship, sealed the evidence box, and called the brown-haired male agent aside. “Baima, is Major Jin’s injury severe?” 

Although Jin Xuan never sought privileges and was even more meticulous and serious than ordinary people in his work, no one dared to treat him as an ordinary person, after all, he was the president’s brother.

Baima Doji, a Tibetan warrior, was the team’s “Chang Gong,” specializing in long-range attacks and was known for his meticulousness and steadiness. He whispered, “Over a month ago, we were ambushed by mercenaries while chasing a hacker. He got shot in the right arm, but it wasn’t serious at the time, and the external injury healed quickly, so we didn’t report it. About a week later, we started noticing some abnormal emotions in him. The mania episodes became more frequent. During a street fight, he almost lost control and almost exposed himself. I took him out of the assault team, and he remained calm afterward, and there haven’t been any issues since then.” He paused and added, “But the flight medic said he increased the dosage of his balancing agent, which is dangerous.”

The brigadier frowned deeply, nodded after a while, and said, “Alright, I understand.” 

Looks like he had to inform the president.

Jin Xuan hurried towards the exit with his small suitcase. He hadn’t seen Wu Chenghe in three months because of the mission. They were engaged in a chase with the civilians and hackers, constantly hiding their whereabouts to evade mercenaries’ harassment. Therefore, for the latter half of the mission, they didn’t even dare to send messages. He felt like he was going crazy. Making that decision was simply torturing himself. He overestimated his self-control; he couldn’t possibly stay away from his guide for so long, so far.

Used to mental pacification, the balancing agents were no longer enough for him. Every time he fought the feverishness in his body, he felt like he was burning alive. Especially after the first month, he almost constantly fantasized that Wu Chenghe was right beside him, within reach.

He used overdoses of balancing agents to suppress his hallucinations, staying awake for days on end, keeping his brain in a highly excited state, blocking his longing for his guide. The sensation was suffocating, too desperate; he never wanted to experience it again in his life!

Fortunately, his goal had finally been achieved. The mercenary group was wiped out in one fell swoop, the hacker was captured alive, and the organizer’s identity was exposed. He had avenged his guide, and now, all he had to do was wait for the military’s trial.

“Wu Chenghe…” Jin Xuan couldn’t help but silently repeat Wu Chenghe’s name, eager to remove the terminal’s block and dial that familiar ID…

“Jin Xuan!” Before the connection was made, he was interrupted. It was Hobart, with the president’s bodyguards standing at the exit, smiling and waving at him.

“Hobart.” Jin Xuan had to close the communication and fist-bumped him. “Why are you here? You didn’t come just to pick me up, did you?”

Hobart looked at his haggard face with a hint of regret flashing in his eyes. He chuckled and said, “You guessed right, I really came to pick you up. Come on, the shuttle is already preheated, let’s head back to the presidential palace.”

“Wait,” Jin Xuan said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I need to make a quick stop at the school, I have some things to archive.”

Hobart hesitated for a moment and said, “I’m afraid that’s not possible. I must take you to see Jin Zhe. It’s the president’s highest command. He requests that you go to the palace to see him as soon as you return.”

“What’s wrong?” Jin Xuan felt a bit puzzled, licked his dry lips, and suddenly felt his heart pounding, as if it were a harbinger of some ominous sign. “Is something wrong with Jin Zhe? Is he dying?”

“Well, you’ll find out when you see him,” Hobart said. “Trust me, Jin Xuan, you need to see him first. Everything else must wait until after this, it’s very important.”

“…Alright,” Jin Xuan hesitated for a moment, then followed him onto the shuttle. He opened the terminal, intending to call Wu Chenghe, but noticed Hobart, changed his mind again and sent him a message: “I’m back.” 

There was no response. Jin Xuan found it strange and sent another message, still no response.

“Hobart,” Jin Xuan suddenly had a feeling of unease, turning to the Secretary of State. “Did something happen while I was away?”

“Well, quite a lot,” Hobart said. “Grain taxes have been reduced, entertainment taxes have increased, and the Ministry of Transportation has revised the new curvature propulsion standards…”

Jin Xuan massaged his temples. “I’m not Jin Zhe, you don’t have to report these matters to me, right?”

Hobart smiled and said, “Alright, here’s some good news: Dean Mu had a daughter, she’s beautiful and of Chinese descent.”

“Oh!” Jin Xuan was surprised at first, then raised an eyebrow and smiled. “That’s really good news. Jin Zhe must be ecstatic, right?”

“Hmm,” Hobart responded, then suddenly opened his personal terminal. “Sorry, I need to handle an email. You can take a nap, we’ll be there soon, and there’s probably a lot for Jin Zhe to discuss with you when we get back to the palace.”

“Alright.” Jin Xuan, not being much of a talker, leaned against the window and closed his eyes to rest.

The shuttle quickly landed at the presidential palace. Hobart watched as Jin Xuan disembarked, saying, “I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll leave you to see him on your own.”

“Goodbye.” Jin Xuan jumped off the gangway, waved back at him, his long hair flying in the wind, still handsome despite his weariness. Hobart closed the hatch, his smile collapsing into a weary expression as he sank heavily into his seat, covering his forehead. “Heavens, it’s so cruel…”

Jin Xuan hurried to the door with his luggage, scanned his iris to enter, and called out, “Brother?”

No one answered. He went to the living room, no one was there. He went to the dining room, still no one. Just as he was about to go upstairs to the study, he suddenly heard Jin Zhe’s voice coming from downstairs. “Back already?”

“Brother?” Jin Xuan leaned on the banister and looked down, seeing the door to the basement open and lights on inside. “Are you in the storage room?”

“Come down.” Jin Zhe’s voice sounded normal, without any difference. “I’m in the safe room.”

Why on earth would he be in the safe room? Jin Xuan was puzzled, so he dropped his suitcase in the living room and went down to the basement’s safe room. This was the safest place in all of Planet Dunkirk, specifically designed to protect the president, like a giant luxurious safe, impenetrable even from strong radiation.

“What are you doing here? Is there a terror alert?” Jin Xuan walked into the safe room, surprised to find no Secret Service agents, only Jin Zhe sitting on the sofa with a metal box on the coffee table.

“Come over here.” Jin Zhe gestured to the seat opposite him. “Sit down and tell me about the situation at the Spaceport.”

“…Alright.” Jin Xuan couldn’t defy Jin Zhe’s command in official matters, although he was burning inside to see Wu Chenghe. He reluctantly sat down. 

Jin Zhe remotely closed the door with a soft click, sealing the safe room. No one and no electromagnetic signal could penetrate it anymore. He tossed Jin Xuan a can of beer and said, “Have a drink. Why do you look so down?”

“Uh, too busy.” Jin Xuan leaned back tiredly on the sofa, feeling the scruff on his chin. He put the beer can on his forehead to cool down and said, “The mercenaries have been protecting that hacker. We’ve had five encounters, caught nothing alive three times. The last time, we cornered him, and he poisoned himself. When I got him out, he was almost dead, only his brain hadn’t completely died yet. The flight surgeon did a rapid cooling, and he’s been transported back to NTU headquarters. I think they should be able to extract what’s in his brain.”

Jin Zhe nodded. Jin Xuan continued, “The mercenaries caught two live witnesses, one of whom requested to become a witness in exchange for immunity. I received his testimony today, and he’s just been brought back.”

“Who is it?”

“Admiral Darwin.” Jin Xuan said. “According to the witness, the evidence needs further screening, but I don’t think I can absolve myself from this.”

Admiral Darwin used to be one of General Lancer’s right-hand men in his early years, but ten years ago, he was subjected to scrutiny due to a military accident, demoted, and retained. Since then, he has never dared to step out of line again… 

Jin Zhe’s expression was complex. “Was it him who did the Black Pearl?” 

A serving military officer planning a terrorist activity was unprecedented in federal history. Even though suspicions about the Second Army’s loyalty had long existed, Jin Zhe was still extremely surprised.

“I can only say the suspicion is strong,” Jin Xuan said. “I believe the NTU Commander-in-Chief will have him detained within twenty-four hours.”

Jin Zhe nodded. “Do you think there are deeper issues with this case?”

Jin Xuan frowned, thought for a moment with the beer can pressed against his forehead, took a couple of swigs, and said, “Darwin was his former subordinate. Although they’ve been low-key these years and seem to have no connection on the surface, it doesn’t rule out the possibility of secret contacts. Such a big case, even the military accident ten years ago, could have been arranged in advance.”

“Do you have any evidence?” Jin Zhe asked.

“They’ll keep investigating,” Jin Xuan said after finishing the beer and tossing the can onto the coffee table. “My task is done. The mercenaries are wiped out, the hacker is captured, and the mastermind behind the scenes is exposed. The rest is up to the NTU. I plan to take a few days off and then apply to leave the task force and return to teaching at the school.”

“Not planning to stay at NTU?” Jin Zhe asked calmly. Jin Xuan shook his head. He asked again, “Not planning to stay at the Information Center?” Jin Xuan continued shaking his head.

Jin Zhe nodded. “Well, you want to protect Wu Chenghe. I understand your decision. A sentinel should stay by his guide’s side.”

For the first half of the sentence, Jin Xuan remained expressionless, but his expression changed suddenly at the latter half, and he sat up abruptly, looking at Jin Zhe with astonishment. “What did you say?”

“Good news, bad news,” Jin Zhe said solemnly. “The good news is that you’re going to be a father. The bad news is that your guide and children are currently at the Tungusic Base.”

Jin Xuan froze like an ice sculpture for a moment, then suddenly jumped up and rushed to the door! Jin Zhe’s pupils contracted, his burly figure sprung up in an instant, grabbing his arm firmly. “Stop!”

Jin Xuan’s slender body couldn’t help but tremble slightly. He stopped in his tracks, turned to look at Jin Zhe, his eyes showing the fierce fierceness unique to Barbary lions. “Let go of me!”

“Sit back down,” Jin Zhe said in a low but stern voice. 

Jin Xuan’s eyes gradually filled with a faint red mist. His jaw clenched, teeth grinding out a terrifying sound. “It’s you! It’s you who exposed his identity. You knew it a long time ago… you concealed the information and deceived me into coming here! Jin Zhe, you bastard!”

Without warning, he threw a left hook at Jin Zhe’s face. Despite Jin Zhe’s quick reaction, he was still grazed by the aftershock, leaving a bruise on his cheek immediately.

“Fucking calm down!” Jin Zhe hadn’t taken a beating in ten years. Although he knew there would be a fight today, he was still shocked and angry. With one hand twisting his shoulder, he raised his knee and struck him fiercely in the stomach. “Lie down!”

“Pff—” Jin Xuan had just drunk most of the beer, most of which was now sprayed out. He covered his stomach with his elbow to block Jin Zhe’s successive strikes, then, like an angry beast, he grabbed Jin Zhe’s waist with all his strength and threw him viciously onto the metal floor. “I’ll kill you!”

“Fucker!” Jin Zhe felt his spine crack with a crisp sound, sighed inwardly “getting old”, and clamped his legs around Jin Xuan’s back, skillfully flipping him over and locking him firmly.

The two brothers engaged in a silent struggle in the completely sealed safe room. Jin Xuan’s mania erupted, and his attack power was unusually terrifying. His Barbary lion also had its eyes turned red, roaring with grief and indignation upon learning the tragic news about his guide, his mane almost fully erect.

“Roar!” Jin Zhe’s lion paw pressed low, fiercely confronting Jin Xuan’s quantum beast, emitting a warning roar, using his psychic power to suppress his brother’s mania. Although Jin Zhe had retired for many years, he was still a “God of War” by origin, and his combat skills were still close to perfection. Faced with his younger brother, who was strong and out of control, he could still manage to hold his own.

After tossing and turning for half an hour, Jin Xuan completely lost his sanity, attacking Jin Zhe like a madman. Due to his blurred vision, he destroyed everything he could grab, smashing the sofa and coffee table into pieces, even flattening the metal box that had been on the coffee table.

“Damn it! This lunatic, did I give him too little medication?” Jin Zhe was beaten into a sorry state, his shirt hanging off him like rags, bruises covering him, and his face swollen like a pig’s head. He had put a sedative in Jin Xuan’s beer beforehand, but he had vomited it all out. After all the commotion, this guy was still as energetic as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

Fortunately, as time passed, the sedative finally began to take effect. Several minutes later, Jin Xuan’s movements slowed down, and his breathing became heavy. Jin Zhe took the opportunity to pounce on him, throwing him down with a scissor leg sweep, quickly opening the metal box and taking out the intact syringe inside, stabbing it into Jin Xuan’s jugular vein.

The powerful balancing agent took effect extremely quickly. In a matter of seconds, Jin Xuan emitted a hoarse, muted moan from his throat, finally unable to control himself and slumped weakly on the ground, lying there like a deflated balloon.

Jin Zhe gasped for breath, refusing to admit he was old. After fighting with his crazy brother for a long time, his old waist was almost breaking. But Jin Xuan was also not lightly wounded, his face swollen, his chin crooked, his right arm’s fracture not fully healed yet and now broken again, with a large swelling on his upper arm.

“Stay calm and listen to me,” Jin Zhe said, exhausted, kneeling beside him, brushing aside his messy hair and feeling his sweaty face, saying, “He’s fine now, and the children are fine too, but they must stay at the guide school, it’s the law. Before, his identity wasn’t public, so I could pretend not to know anything, but now that it’s public, I have to uphold federal law.”

Jin Xuan’s teeth clattered, and the red mist in his eyes gradually dissipated. His body twitched slightly due to the high dose of the balancing agent, trembling as he asked, “Who… who did this?” 

Just now, he had acted out of temporary rage, but upon coming to his senses, he knew Jin Zhe wouldn’t expose Wu Chenghe.

“The guide school. They initiated a capture during the final meeting, and Wu Chenghe was caught,” Jin Zhe hesitated for a moment, not mentioning Mu’s situation, and said, “Concealing it from you was my idea. You were at the Tianque Spaceport at the time, with four NTU agents. I couldn’t risk the lives of federal soldiers.”

After trembling for a while, Jin Xuan slowly got up, but fell down again because of his weak limbs, and could only lie back on the ground. His shirt had been torn to pieces, revealing his chest covered in scars, some from their recent fight, some from previous missions, mixed in with the exquisite thorn and rose tattoo, giving a tragic and beautiful feeling. 

Jin Xuan sighed, unable to bear it, and turned his head away, saying, “Open the door.”

Jin Zhe frowned, “Did you understand what I said?”

“Open the door,” Jin Xuan gritted his teeth, “I’ll turn myself in, let them exile us, I’ll take him away!”

Jin Zhe was helpless against his temper. After he calmed down for a moment, he said, “He’s three months pregnant now, where do you want to take him? Do you want him dead?”

“…I’ll take care of him, protect him,” Jin Xuan said, “He’s my guide, I want to be with him every minute, every second!”

“What makes you think you can protect him? What makes you think you can take care of him?” Jin Zhe asked, “Do you think exile is a vacation? Is it a trip? You’ll be sent to the most remote planets, with no protection, no support, doing jobs that ordinary people, even ordinary sentinels, can’t do!”

“Open the door,” Jin Xuan insisted stubbornly, “We’ve already made our final mark. If this is the price, then I’m willing to pay it, and so is he!”

Jin Zhe pressed his temper and said, “Did you not hear a word I said? Turning yourself in? Are you threatening me? Is this how you solve problems?”

Jin Xuan dropped his arms and struggled to sit up, his injured right hand suddenly grabbing Jin Zhe’s collar, “Jin Zhe, you don’t understand. This isn’t a problem for me, it’s just a choice. We’re a sentinel and guide pair, we’re not like your political issues! Do you know how I’ve spent the past three months? Do you know how much pain he’s endured alone in Tungusic? Yes, maybe you see him fine, calm, but you don’t understand what he’s going through!”

Jin Zhe looked into his eyes and said, “Calm down, Jin Xuan, listen to me. I promise you’ll see each other within three months.”

Jin Xuan shook his head, then shook it again, “No, I want to see him now. Brother, I know my choice to turn myself in seems stupid and foolish to you, uneconomical even, but I must be with him in the shortest time possible! His identity is exposed, and he’s carrying my children. This is the most vulnerable and needy moment for him. If I’m not with him now, even if I succeed in the future, with a thriving career and a house full of children, I won’t be able to make up for this moment of regret.”

“Jin Xuan,” Jin Zhe had long known that Jin Xuan’s values ​​were different from his, but he had never had such a headache before, “Is the momentary important or the lifelong important? I’ve said it, the guide school will take care of him, you just have to endure these three months, and then I…”

“Brother,” Jin Xuan interrupted him, “Life is long, but how many moments stay in our memories? Every important juncture, we weigh the pros and cons, but is that really the best choice? If I wait another three months as you said, leave him at the guide school, even if everything goes well in the future, as you wish, it’s all happiness, but I’ve missed the moment when he needed me the most, missed the birth of our first child… Careers can be rebuilt, money can be earned again. Some moments, once missed, are gone forever, never to be regained.”

Jin Zhe opened his mouth, wanting to say something to argue with him, but a surge of bitterness rose in his heart. Yes, he had always been rational and calm, always able to make the most advantageous and practical choices, but he had missed the moment when his loved ones needed him the most, missed the birth of his daughter…

He and Jin Xuan were inherently different. Suddenly, Jin Zhe felt a hint of envy for his younger brother. Only at his age, with his character, could he make the most foolish but wisest choice. Unfortunately, he couldn’t allow it.

 

 

 

 

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