FT DR Chapter 93: Mentorship Disclosure

Chapter 93: Mentorship Disclosure

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

Different from the teacher training teams that follow the traditions of the guide schools, the ten-person study group formed by Wu Chenghe and others was not fixed to any specific school, nor restricted to any particular discipline. Instead, they traveled to all the universities on Planet Dunkirk to gain a macro understanding of their teaching methods.

Among the three guides, Wu Chenghe could be said to understand Jin Zhe’s entire plan the best, and he was also the most psychologically mature. Therefore, he undertook most of the analysis and summarization work. Every afternoon, the study group sat together for a meeting, with Wu Chenghe summarizing everyone’s viewpoints and organizing the conclusions to be sent to the schools.

Because he was still in the recovery period, he had to report to the presidential palace every other day to undergo an examination by Jin Zhe’s exclusive doctor. Many people harbor ambiguous suspicions about his relationship with Jin Zhe, after all, one is a sentinel and the other is a guide. However, Jin Zhe’s status is too revered for anyone to dare to ask him directly, and Wu Chenghe is particularly composed, always responding with a naive smile no matter who asks. Thus, in the end, everyone can only speculate, as no one can confirm anything.

As for Jin Xuan, no one suspects him, because his presence is too weak. Since being seconded to the NTU, he has become one of the Federal Navy’s top agents, with his private life elevated to a level one federal secret. In theory, not even Jin Zhe should directly inquire about his whereabouts.

In reality, he was only recuperating at the presidential palace, preparing for the upcoming trip to Tianque Spaceport in a few months.

In midsummer, the investigation and study conducted by Wu Chenghe and others are nearing completion. They begin to meet with researchers from the Ministry of Education in Tungusic, integrating the results and discussing details, intending to formulate a new guide education system before autumn arrives. Meanwhile, Jin Xuan was officially transferred to the NTU, becoming a major and special agent of the Federal Navy’s Mobile Forces, and secretly appointed by the NTU Supreme Commander as the head of the new Black Pearl Task Force.

After months of trial, the Federal Military Court made its final verdict on the Black Pearl case. The involved hackers were sentenced to death (although one was technically already dead, with only part of their brain still functioning), three surviving mercenaries (including the one rescued by Wu Chenghe at the scene) had two turned into tainted witnesses, and one was executed. As for the implicated mainframe, Admiral Darwin, he was dismissed from office and also sentenced to death.

However, what no one knew was that Admiral Darwin was not immediately executed but was instead sent to a secret prison specially established by the NTU. The purpose was to have him thoroughly investigate the Second Army and expose the crimes committed by General Lancer.

On the surface, the sensational trial of the Black Pearl case has ended, but in reality, the secret investigation within the military has just begun.

In August, on one of the hottest days, Wu Chenghe finally received permission to visit Twin City with campus police. He wanted to see his teacher, Mu, who he had been eagerly anticipating seeing since they parted at the final meeting. It had been over half a year since then. During this time, Wu Chenghe had stayed in touch with Mu, speaking at least once a week, but because his personal terminal was monitored by the school, their communication was limited to academics and daily life, unable to delve deeper.

The UFO landed at the Aston Medical College teacher’s dormitory, with two campus police officers waiting downstairs. Wu Chenghe took the elevator alone and soon stood at the door of Mu’s dormitory.

Longing to reunite with him, Wu Chenghe felt somewhat nervous when the moment finally arrived. He stood at the door for almost half a minute before activating the door access.

The door quickly opened, and Mu, dressed in all black, stood inside, smiling at Wu Chenghe. Over the past half year, he had recovered well. Though still fragile, he had gained some weight on his cheeks, looking young and energetic.

“Dean,” Wu Chenghe’s eyes stung with tears, he called out with a choked voice. 

Mu’s eyes softened, and he immediately reached out and hugged him, holding him silently for a long time before saying hoarsely, “Why do you look even thinner than in the video?”

“I’m recovering, just suffering from the summer heat,” Wu Chenghe replied, hugging him back. After a while, they separated and looked each other up and down. 

Mu smiled, “Well, you’ve grown up, like a man now, no longer the silly and naive boy you were before. That’s good, that’s good.”

“You haven’t changed at all,” Wu Chenghe smiled back, “Still as handsome… well, maybe a bit more gentle now.”

“Gentle? I’ve always been gentle to the point of death.” Mu chuckled and gestured for him to come in. Wu Chenghe walked through the hallway into the living room and immediately heard the lively sounds of a child playing by the French windows. Following the sound, he was surprised to see a chubby baby sitting on the floor mat, playing with a set of gun models.

Although he had seen her several times on video, Wu Chenghe still found it incredibly unbelievable to see the real little girl. Strong and robust, she looked bigger than ordinary children, not even nine months old yet, already over eighty centimeters tall, weighing over twelve kilograms. Her little arms were as chubby as lotus roots, her face rosy, and her cheeks almost drooping down.

She inherited Mu’s delicate features, with slender eyebrows, long eyes, a narrow and straight nose bridge, and pale lips. But at the same time, she possessed a kind of handsomeness that Mu didn’t have. Her eyebrows arched upwards, her eyes slightly tilted at the corners, giving her a spirited and commanding presence. Although she was just under a year old, she already exuded a natural air of dominance.

As Wu Chenghe gazed at her delicate face like a flower petal, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity. He hadn’t noticed it in the videos before, but it was particularly obvious now that he was facing her in person.

Who does she resemble? With those eyes and that demeanor… Wu Chenghe was still pondering when the little girl noticed him. She turned her head, stared at him for a while, her big eyes shining like light bulbs, then giggled and unsteadily stood up, wobbling towards him with a twist of her chubby bottom.

“Oh, she can already walk?” Wu Chenghe was extremely surprised and worried that she might fall, so he hurried over to catch her. 

At that moment, Mu brought the tea over and immediately shouted, “Don’t go over! Don’t help her! She’s learning to walk, and anyone who stops her from moving forward will get spit on by her!”

Wu Chenghe was speechless. Mu’s warning came too late, and he moved too fast, already holding the chubby hand of the little girl. Strangely, she didn’t spit on him but instead grabbed his fingers and took a few more steps forward, then affectionately threw herself into his arms.

“It seems like she really likes me, huh?” Wu Chenghe was both surprised and delighted. Although he knew that his appearance was somewhat favored by underage girls, he didn’t expect to reach a point where even infants would adore him. He happily picked up the little girl, bounced her in his arms, and said, “You have good taste, little darling.”

The little girl was delighted by his bounce, let out a hearty laugh, and then struggled to hug his neck, planting a wet kiss on his face at lightning speed.

“Why is she so nice to you? This is not fair!” Mu exclaimed, wide-eyed with surprise, poking his daughter’s forehead with his finger. “Hey, Zhuang Zhuang, why don’t you spit on him? How did you spit on the childcare teacher yesterday?”

“… Isn’t it inappropriate to teach a girl to do that, Dean? Do you want her to grow up to be a shrew?” Wu Chenghe frowned, wiped off the spit that Zhuang Zhuang left on his face, and gave Mu a reproachful look. Seeing him wipe off the spit, Zhuang Zhuang became unhappy, wrinkling her little eyebrows and speaking a long string of alien words, then pounced on him again and kissed him fiercely.

This territorial habit is quite similar to Jin Xuan’s… Wu Chenghe silently complained. This time, he dared not wipe off the spit and smiled at Mu, saying, “This child loves me so much. How about I adopt her as my goddaughter?”

“Get out! It’s not appropriate, at most, she’s a little sister!” Mu scolded with a smile. “This child is a sucker for handsome faces, especially male ones. She doesn’t even bother spitting on ugly ones. Ah, I don’t know who she takes after. I’m such a universally benevolent person.”

“Really?” Wu Chenghe couldn’t help but laugh. Holding Zhuang Zhuang, he lifted her above his head and asked, “Is that true? Are you a sucker for handsome faces? Am I handsome?”

Zhuang Zhuang loved being lifted up high. Once again, she burst into laughter, waved her chubby hands, and babbled for a while before loudly saying, “Ba-za-hei!”

Wu Chenghe burst into laughter, asking Mu, “What is she saying?”

Mu helplessly smiled and said, “She’s saying you’re right… Damn it, the childcare teacher at the nursery is Tibetan, so Zhuang Zhuang learned ‘ba-za-hei’ from her. Whatever you say, she just responds with ‘ba-za-hei.'”

Wu Chenghe almost choked with laughter. After putting Zhuang Zhuang down on the floor mat, he sat down next to her and played with her. “Is Zhuang Zhuang beautiful?”

Zhuang Zhuang gave a proud smile, turned her head, indicating that she didn’t want to answer such a silly question. Wu Chenghe, suppressing his laughter, gently touched her soft hair and said, “Well, I think Zhuang Zhuang is the most beautiful.”

Zhuang Zhuang gave him a mischievous glance, raised her eyebrows, and then, with the all-purpose phrase, “Ba-za-hei!” You’re right!

Wu Chenghe burst into laughter again, and Mu couldn’t help but smile and walked away quietly.

Children are the ultimate mood boosters. Wu Chenghe had been somewhat melancholic before he came, but after playing with Zhuang Zhuang for a while, he suddenly felt much better. By the time he put the little girl to sleep and carried her into the nursery, he no longer felt sad at all.

“Come, sit down. Zhuang Zhuang is quite a handful. Even the teachers at the nursery can’t handle her.” Mu tidied up the toys on the floor mat and invited Wu Chenghe to sit on the sofa. 

Wu Chenghe sat down opposite him and said, “Being a bit naughty is good, it proves she’s healthy and outgoing.”

“She’s too healthy and outgoing, like she’s been injected with chicken blood. She’s always full of energy,” Mu chuckled, shaking his head. Although he sounded like he was scolding, there was a proud smile on his face, typical of a father.

“All sentinels are like this, right?” Wu Chenghe said, “Has Zhuang Zhuang’s quantum beast not manifested yet?”

“She’s still too young. It’ll probably appear after she turns one. But I have a bad feeling. With her being so lively, she’s probably some fierce type. I just hope she looks good and isn’t something like a rhinoceros or a wild boar,” Mu said, sipping his tea with worry. 

Wu Chenghe finally understood where his daughter inherited her preference for appearances from.

After sighing for a while, Mu said, “What about you? Isn’t it time for your two to be born?”

“Oh, they’ve already been born, but they’re not even a month old yet,” Wu Chenghe said. Speaking of this, he felt a bit melancholic. Wu Chenggong and Jin Shengli were born two weeks ago after staying in the artificial womb for ten months due to their weak constitution. However, because Wu Chenghe was busy with the education system reform on Planet Dunkirk, he didn’t witness the historic moment of his two sons being born.

“Oh, how are they? Are they healthy?” Mu asked with concern.

“They’re alright, a bit weaker than Zhuang Zhuang. Twins are like that, they’re fragile when they’re young,” Wu Chenghe said. “The elder one is slightly better. He’s now 3.5 kilograms, quite lively, just eating and playing all day. The younger one is a bit weaker, only three kilograms. I don’t know if it’s because of congenital weakness or his personality, but he’s very quiet, doesn’t respond to anything, just rolls his eyes. It’s like they’re ‘Headless and Unhappy,’ I don’t understand why there’s such a big difference between them!”

Mu also laughed and said, “Children change a lot. It’s hard to say what their personalities will be like in the future. Right now, the most important thing is to keep them healthy.”

“Hopefully. I can’t handle one being a foodie and the other being emo,” Wu Chenghe chuckled. “The school values them a lot, and they have someone dedicated to taking care of them, so I’m reassured.”

Mu nodded. For Wu Chenghe, leaving the children in the guide school was indeed the best choice. It was safe and worry-free. Mrs. Balon, in particular, was unparalleled in terms of safety. No other school in the Federation could compare to Tungusic in this regard.

“What about you? Do you want to go back to see them before the mission?” Mu asked. Wu Chenghe’s transfer order had been issued two days ago. Starting next week, he would be joining the special operations team at the NTU to follow up on the Black Pearl case.

This was also the result of Mu and Sienna’s operation. With Jin Zhe’s tacit approval, the St. Martin Research Center used real drug samples as bargaining chips to compromise with the NTU, allowing them to transfer Wu Chenghe from the guide school to participate in the Black Pearl task force as a representative of St. Martin. In fact, for the NTU, this was a win-win choice. They needed St. Martin’s technical support and the information they provided.

Jin Zhe’s arrangement can be said to have taken into account the needs of all parties. Even Mrs. Balon, upon hearing that this involved guide interference with embryos, immediately approved Wu Chenghe’s transfer order without hesitation.

With everything in place, Wu Chenghe was about to depart for the Tianque Spaceport with Jin Xuan.

“I don’t think I’ll go back,” Wu Chenghe’s smile faded. Talking about his two sons made him feel conflicted. As their biological father, he longed to be with his children, watching them grow up bit by bit. But he bore the mission entrusted to him by the president and the future of their entire family. He had to be rational, calm, and make the best choice.

The painful process of growing up is probably like this.

“I’ll try to complete the mission before their first birthday and come back,” Wu Chenghe said solemnly. “This is my promise to the President, and it’s also what I should do as a father for them.”

Mu nodded. “The temporary separation now is for a better future reunion. The fact that you think this way shows that you’ve grown up. I’m relieved.”

Wu Chenghe smiled. “I’ve always been mature. Why do you always see me as an eternal child?”

“Because I’m your elder,” Mu looked at him with a meaningful look, saying softly, “No matter how old you grow, how mature you become, in my eyes, you’ll always be a child.”

Wu Chenghe looked at the face so similar to his own, his heart suddenly stirred, hesitating, “Dean, I’ve always wanted to ask you, do we have any blood relationship? Why are we both Icarus butterfly guides and look so alike?”

Mu’s eyes deepened as he looked at him for a while, then shook his head. “It’s just a coincidence, I’m an orphan. I was abandoned half an hour after I was born due to congenital heart and lung deformities. I don’t know much about my own background.”

“Have you never gone back to find out over the years?” Wu Chenghe asked. “Your relatives, they might still be alive.”

Mu smiled without answering his question, and instead asked, “And what about you? Do you have any impression of your maternal relatives? I heard that two years ago, you were attacked on the way to Gabriel and lost your memory. Have you ever thought about going back to Tianque Spaceport this time to look for your memories?”

Wu Chenghe’s maternal relatives’ region happened to be within the territory of the Second Army, not too far from the Tianque Spaceport. Mu’s words aroused Wu Chenghe’s long-standing suspicions— the collapse of the Wu family, once a wealthy mining family in the area, within two or three years seemed suspicious to him. Wu Chenghe couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was something fishy about it.

Could the downfall of the Wu family be related to his identity as a guide? Was Hannibal involved in it?

“I’ll prioritize the bigger picture,” Wu Chenghe pondered and said, “If I have the energy outside of work, I’d like to go back and take a look. Speaking of which, I still have some assets over there, managed by a trust institution. I wonder if they’ve been depleted over the past few years.”

“Be careful with everything,” Mu’s expression became complex. He looked at Wu Chenghe, hesitated for a moment, then said, “Tianque Spaceport is under General Lancer’s jurisdiction, and he harbors hostility towards you. He has always regarded you as the enemy who ruined his daughter’s happiness. Moreover, that area is also within Hannibal’s sphere of influence. Although he supported you in the guide school incident, I guess that was the result of the president’s operation. If you happen to… come into contact with some of their secrets, you may face joint retaliation from them.”

Wu Chenghe nodded solemnly, “I’ll be careful. The NTU’s work comes first, and this time, when Jin Xuan and I go to Tianque Spaceport with the special operations team, it’s absolutely confidential. Apart from the NTU Supreme Commander, only the president and you know about it. I don’t think Lancer and Hannibal would expect me to appear in the Second Army’s territory.”

Mu nodded, then shook his head shortly after, “I don’t know much about General Lancer, but Hannibal… he’s too terrifying, meticulous, and ruthless. If you unfortunately encounter him, you must be extremely careful, and be cautious too. Avoid direct conflicts with them at all costs.”

Wu Chenghe agreed to each point. He suddenly felt curious, “Dean, you seem to know a lot about Hannibal. Have you met him before?”

Mu paused for a moment and denied, “No, it was my first time meeting him at the dinner at the hotel. I just… had a hunch.” He chuckled self-deprecatingly, “I’m a suspicious guide.”

Wu Chenghe felt like he was hiding something, but since Mu didn’t want to say anything, he didn’t press further. He changed the topic and asked, “Dean, what’s your view on the aggressive education for guides?”

“Well, I’ve read the paper you sent, and it’s valuable,” Mu said. “My thoughts align with the president’s. The first step in liberating guides is to make them independent individuals. Strengthening aggressive education can help them recognize their true value, rather than seeing themselves as mere appendages of sentinels, second-class citizens.”

“I quoted many of your viewpoints in my paper, Dean,” Wu Chenghe felt a bit embarrassed. “I think these viewpoints are very useful for educational reform, but I was afraid that attributing them to you might cause trouble for the organization, so… I guess it could be considered plagiarism.”

“No, you did the right thing, and I support you,” Mu said, rare kindness in his tone as he patted Wu Chenghe’s head. “The organization has established a relatively complete system of aggressive and defensive teaching over the past hundred years to protect guides. I’ve been wanting to find an opportunity to systematically teach it to you, but due to limited communication lines, I was afraid that the guide school might monitor our communication. Today, I’m giving it to you.” With that, he took out a button-sized terminal from the drawer of the bookshelf and handed it to Wu Chenghe.

It was a portable terminal popular over a hundred years ago. At that time, human brains couldn’t perfectly connect with terminals, so many people used these as communication aids, similar in function to smartphones a thousand years ago. Wu Chenghe pressed a button, and a blue light flashed, projecting a three-dimensional holographic chart in mid-air, detailing the aggressive and defensive teaching system in a fishbone diagram, very detailed and complete.

“This is a teaching material passed down by the organization in the early days. I made some modifications. Take it with you, but don’t directly import it into your personal terminal. Look through it more, then reconstruct it in your own language in your personal terminal. Consider it your own research results.” Mu said, “Wait for the right time, submit it to the reform group. I think they’ll value it.”

Wu Chenghe carefully placed the button into his shirt pocket and said, “Thank you, Dean. I won’t let you down.”

Mu smiled, “No, I should thank you. I’ve been hoping that this teaching system could be popularized across the entire Federation, and now I finally have the opportunity.”

After hesitating for a moment, Wu Chenghe asked, “Dean, is it possible for the Free Guide Organization to publicly cooperate with the Federal Government and share resources? St. Martin has been working on guide medicine, and the Federation is also conducting similar research. If we could collaborate in education and medicine, perhaps the situation for guides could improve more quickly.”

“I know, I’ve thought about this idea too,” Mu said, “But it’s not possible for now. Teacher Sienna doesn’t fully trust the president’s capabilities, and the president still hasn’t fully grasped military power. If the organization were to go public, exposing the identities of thousands of free guides, and if there were conflicts between the military and the cabinet, and the president couldn’t suppress the military, everyone’s situation would be very dangerous.”

After a moment of silence, Mu continued, “I have faith in the president, but I can’t risk the freedom of thousands of organization members for it. We must continue to observe and wait.”

Wu Chenghe understood Mu and Sienna’s decision. The Free Guide Organization had been protecting thousands of guides for over a hundred years. Without a cautious action plan, it wouldn’t have developed into its current scale.

“I’ll keep the organization’s secrets,” Wu Chenghe said. “I look forward to the day when we don’t have to keep secrets anymore.”

 

 

 

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