Go Back to Your Big Cat Form! Chapter 2: I Need to See Zhou Yunchen

Chapter 2: I Need to See Zhou Yunchen

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

The advertising screen displayed a series of military propaganda posters. Besides General Zhou Yunchen, several other high-ranking military officers appeared on the electronic display.

KG Spaceport was the closest to the station of Zhou Yunchen’s Silver Halberd Fleet. The public was most familiar with this Federation war hero who had cut through threats of alien beasts without hesitation, and they respected him above all. Some passersby lingered in front of the screen, removing their hats in salute to General Zhou.

In the promotional images, the decorated alpha stood tall, his features sharp and commanding, rarely smiling yet radiating a mature handsomeness. His fitted dark blue uniform hugged his muscular frame, his hand resting on the sidearm at his hip, the taut straps outlining perfect muscle lines.

Even Lu Yao couldn’t deny Zhou Yunchen’s striking appearance. He remembered their first meeting, when Zhou Yunchen had removed his cap. As the shadow of the brim lifted from his prominent brow, those amber eyes seemed to flow with light, like the last golden glimmer captured beyond an event horizon.

Compared to other Generals in the propaganda posters, Zhou Yunchen was far too young. Yet his commanding presence and the universally recognized feats of the Federation left no doubt that he had earned the rank of the youngest General in history.

The military sought public influence, and each Federation fleet sought funding and talent. That meant they all needed a symbol. And Zhou Yunchen was the perfect military icon the public expected.

If only his marriage with Lu Yao were a little more harmonious. Most people thought so, including Zheng Qian, who sat across from Lu Yao, nervously sending a message up the chain to the General’s aide: the General’s husband had arrived.

Zheng Qian held his breath, cold sweat forming on his brow. In his memory, Chief Engineer Lu had never visited the Silver Halberd Fleet before.

As the rapid transit ship ascended to the upper atmosphere of the spaceport, the world below blurred into colored patches. Lu Yao lowered his eyelids, sweeping away the last lingering memories of Zhou Yunchen from his mind.

The distant horizon curved into a pale blue arc, meeting the black edge of space. Faint starlight shimmered. Engines roared to life, and the rapid transit ship leaped into the cosmos, enveloped in brilliant blue light.

As the spaceport’s glow receded, the starry sky grew colder. At the edge of the galaxy, far from stellar clusters, the universe was silent and dark. Even the humans aboard softened their breathing.

Lu Yao leaned back in his seat and fell asleep. Zheng Qian and Fei Ye moved lightly, careful not to disturb him.

 

Silver Halberd Fleet – The Ares

Zhao Minghe raced through the corridors, his footsteps frantic and chaotic, entirely stripped of the composure befitting an General’s aide. After verifying his identity, he shoved open the alloy door at the end of the hallway. “General! Urgent message!”

Inside was a modest, tidy office. The gray-black tones felt steady and cold. Zhao Minghe stepped in, but all he saw was a sleek desk reflecting the panorama of stars beyond the window. No one responded. The silence seemed to scold Zhao Minghe for overstepping.

“General, it’s truly urgent!” he said, turning to close the door and block any potential prying eyes. The room was left with only him—and an adult snow leopard that emerged slowly from behind the desk.

The large cat’s padded feet barely made a sound on the metal floor. His massive frame, eyes pale gray, swept Zhao Minghe with a chilling stare before lifting his head. Each time, Zhao Minghe’s spine went cold under that predator’s gaze. He quickly looked away, avoiding eye contact, and projected the message from Zheng Qian aboard the rapid transit ship into the air at a height suitable for the snow leopard to read.

“General… Mr. Lu will be arriving at the Silver Halberd Fleet very soon.”

At the mention of the name, the snow leopard’s ears twitched. He blinked, then began reading the “urgent message” word by word. The message was brief, easily read in seconds. Then—scratch!—a sharp sound made Zhao Minghe’s scalp tingle. The snow leopard’s front paw had unintentionally carved four deep gouges into the metal floor. A low growl rumbled in the snow leopard’s throat, and the human instinctive fear of a large predator nearly made Zhao Minghe step back.

The leopard’s eyes stayed glued to the holographic screen. Zhao Minghe took a few deep breaths and asked, “General, what should I do next? Are you going to meet him?”

The thick tail whipped against the floor like a lash, and the snow leopard paced twice before releasing the projection keyboard and typing a reply, “Not yet.” He paused, then typed again calmly: “Arrange everything personally. Report to me at all times.”

“Understood!”

 

Lu Yao was awakened from his sleep by flickering sparks of light. He opened his eyes and, through the mist of condensation on the viewport, saw a pale blue force field had already formed outside. Objects floating in space collided with it, sending silent sparks before being pushed aside or shattered by the energy.

Blinking to clear the remaining mist from his vision, he realized these weren’t natural small celestial bodies—they were remnants of man-made debris left over from past space battles. The rapid transit ship had entered the combat zone. After passing through piles of discarded metal and fiber, they would soon reach the Silver Halberd Fleet.

“Chief Engineer Lu, the Silver Halberd Fleet is in that direction,” Zheng Qian said, pointing to a different viewport.

On this side of space, logistic drones were clearing the battlefield. When Lu Yao looked toward the other side, he saw the majestic Silver Halberd Fleet.

Over a thousand starships hovered silently in space, their faint glow nearly piercing the dense blackness. The narrow viewport couldn’t contain the full fleet, yet Lu Yao could clearly see Zhou Yunchen’s flagship, the Ares. Its massive engines glowed with a deep blue light.

The rapid transit ship approached the Ares from an angle, the light cutting straight through the vacuum to fall on Lu Yao, its pattern shifting as the ship moved. From several astronomical units away, many would mistake it for a cold, commanding star in the night sky.

They boarded the massive Ares through a shuttle from its starboard hatch. Once the airlock stabilized, the Ares doors closed behind them. Lu Yao descended the shuttle ladder and stepped onto the flagship’s deck for the first time. Standard gravity and temperature were maintained inside the ship, so Lu Yao felt no discomfort.

“Chief Engineer Lu, the fleet had originally planned to assign incoming research staff to different ships. Each location has mecha in need of repairs. Engineer Fang’s original quarters were on Deck 3 of the Ares, near the mecha hangar. But since you’re here in person, I can request another room for you,” Zheng Qian said as he led the way. He added, “The General resides in Zone H. There are empty rooms there as well, farther from the hangar, but with better conditions.”

“Let’s stick to the original arrangement,” Lu Yao replied, catching the subtle suggestion in Zheng Qian’s words. He only needed to meet Zhou Yunchen to sign the agreement; there was no need to stay in a designated area every day.

“Understood,” Zheng Qian said, retracting his wandering thoughts and quickly guiding Lu Yao and Fei Ye to their assigned rooms. Fei Ye’s room was across from Lu Yao’s. Both were single-occupancy, simple military-style quarters, with a desk by the bed.

“Chief Engineer Lu, if you need anything during your stay, don’t hesitate to let me know.”

Lu Yao set his suitcase against the wall and looked at Zheng Qian’s young face. “I do have a need right now.”

“What do you need? The Silver Halberd Fleet is well-stocked; you should be able to find whatever you want.”

“I want to see General Zhou.”

The fleet was still in combat readiness. Communications for Supreme Commander Zhou Yunchen were under strict military control, leaving Lu Yao unable to contact him directly.

Zheng Qian froze. Clearly, the fleet’s supplies did not include a “stand-in Zhou Yunchen,” and as an ordinary sergeant, he had no authority to summon the General.

“Understood, Chief Engineer Lu… I’ll relay your request. You’ll need to schedule a meeting with the General’s aide.” Scheduling was standard procedure, but Zheng Qian felt it seemed disrespectful to Lu Yao as the General’s spouse. He quickly added, “But you shouldn’t need to worry. I’ve already informed Aide Zhao of your arrival. You should be able to meet the General soon.”

The mecha designed by Lu Yao’s team were always the Federation’s most advanced, in perpetual demand across all fleets. The Silver Halberd Fleet’s mecha pilots were all equipped with his designs, leading soldiers to whisper that General Zhou must have influenced the allocation at home. Everyone hoped for a harmonious household.

“Do you want to rest for a while?” Fei Ye asked. Lu Yao thought for a moment. “Not for now. I need to meet the team leader for this maintenance task. Captain Fei Ye, you don’t need to follow me—the fleet is secure.”

He declined Zheng Qian’s escort and followed the guidance of the ship AI, “Wonderland,” to find the team. The young sergeant was too eager; Lu Yao wasn’t used to such enthusiasm.

When he entered the Ares mecha repair hangar alone, several technicians at work noticed the base Chief Engineer. Their eyes widened. Team leader Shen Zishen turned at their alert and spotted his superior. He jogged over. “Chief Engineer Lu, you’re here.”

Shen Zishen, having worked under Lu Yao for nearly ten years, knew his leader disliked small talk. He skipped the pleasantries and reported directly. “As of now, all thirty-seven members of this task are present: twelve on the Ares, three en route…” 

Lu Yao listened, pondered briefly, and gave a light acknowledgment. Shen Zishen exhaled; he recognized that Lu Yao had no objections. When focused on work, Lu Yao never wore a stern expression, but his intense gaze was like an ice lake—one misstep and it felt as though the surface would crack, plunging the offender into frigid water.

Shen Zishen handed over maintenance logs for the Ares mecha. “Chief Engineer Lu, mealtime is approaching. Would you like to eat with us? I’ve come up with some new ideas about the fleet’s mecha usage and wanted to discuss them with you.” Lu Yao nodded. “Let’s go.”

The technicians shared a self-service mess hall with the Ares crew. In the remote Decatoli War Zone, far from civilized planets, the menu was limited. Shen Zishen recommended the mashed potatoes and roasted meat prepared by the robotic chefs, but Lu Yao only took a tube of nutrient paste. The aroma of food didn’t tempt him, and even the paste was unflavored.

The long table seated all technicians. Lu Yao and Shen Zishen sat at the head. His presence turned casual chatter into hushed whispers. A soldier familiar with the technicians tried to greet a friend during the break, only to be silenced with a hand over his mouth.

As Shen Zishen explained weak points he had noted in different mecha models, a sharply uniformed soldier, a colonel by rank, approached the table. Other crew members had already recognized Lu Yao and craned their necks to watch. Now, the appearance of General Zhou’s aide, Zhao Minghe, drew every eye.

“Major General Lu,” Zhao Minghe said, stopping in front of Lu Yao and standing at attention, raising his hand to the brim of his hat in a precise military salute.

 

Author’s Note:

 

General: I wish I could whisper in someone’s ear too.

 

 

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