Chapter 102: Marshal Chu’s Wreath
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
November 7, 2204.
Some in leadership—including Alfred—wanted to change the binary genders to six. I didn’t know if that was a good idea, but the ABO population was definitely growing. Others strongly opposed the change. The specifics were still under discussion.
I had to admit, alphas were frighteningly strong physically.
June 6, 2207.
We finally escaped the Zerg Hole!
June 9, 2207.
The physicists on the ship calculated—with help from the Spiritual Monarch—that while we stayed in the Zerg Hole, nearly two thousand years had passed on Earth. Some in the fleet had hoped to find a habitable planet, settle down, then return to Earth to aid those left behind. Now, that hope was gone.
…That nuclear war had destroyed everything. And with a two-thousand-year time gap, what could possibly remain on Earth? Everyone knew humans left on Earth couldn’t survive.
…If not for the Spiritual Monarch, we wouldn’t have survived either. The human race would have been wiped out in the universe.
July 17, 2207.
We encountered alien monsters! Fortunately, there were still some weapons on the ship, and we barely escaped.
July 18, 2207.
They called those creatures Zerg, which reminded me of Earth’s science fiction novels. The higher-ups forbade any images from leaking to prevent panic, but I caught a glimpse—they looked a bit like the giant Zerg from Earth.
At least now we knew humans weren’t alone in the universe. We still didn’t know what other alien life looked like or whether there were humanoid species.
September 9, 2207.
More Zerg attacked. Only technicians who operated heavy space weapons could join the fight. I couldn’t participate and had to stay on the ship maintaining order.
The Spiritual Monarch said these Zerg had followed us out of the Zerg Hole.
They were terrifying creatures—not only able to roam space but also to pass through the Zerg Hole in their own flesh!
September 11, 2207.
On the third day of battle, the Dawn Goddess ship was ripped apart by the claw of a pincer-shaped Zerg. Everyone on board died.
September 12, 2207.
The Polaris crew all perished.
The Polar Bear crew all perished.
September 13, 2207.
The Isaac crew all perished.
People were terrified.
September 20, 2207.
The Spiritual Monarch guided the fleet’s scientists to create meta-particle cannons and controlled gamma-ray weapons—enough to blast those damn Zerg brains to mush and pierce their shells!
September 21, 2207.
That evening, a soldier named John Wordsworth piloted a shuttle loaded with high-energy explosives directly into the Zerg queen, sacrificing himself.
We won.
Salute to him.
December 6, 2207.
Another wave of Zerg came. The engineering department worked overtime to build more weapons.
January 14, 2209.
The bill to change gender names failed. I always felt Alfred and his people might cause trouble out of anger.
January 31, 2209.
Martial law was declared.
It seemed someone was mobilizing troops.
February 2, 2209.
Yesterday, I hid someone in my room. He said he saw Alfred planning a military coup to directly abolish the Fleet Council. Alfred wanted to kill him to silence him.
February 5, 2209.
The kid who snuck in, Mason, was picked up by someone. If I’d waited any longer, I might have handed him over myself. Only now did I realize there were hidden dissenters within the Ark Fleet.
July 16, 2209.
Mason sneaked into my room again. He said their numbers were small but they wanted to strike before Alfred, to seize the initiative. He came to ask for my help to grant them access permissions. I knew I wouldn’t sleep tonight.
July 19, 2209.
I hadn’t decided whether to agree with Mason yet, but today when I passed the weapons development department, I saw they were designing weapons aimed at trapping the Spiritual Monarch! Alfred was mad—he absolutely couldn’t succeed.
August 9, 2209.
The time was set for tomorrow.
The records in the Red-Covered Book ended here. Lin Xu stared silently at the blank pages that followed. He could roughly guess what happened next. In that operation, neither Alfred’s faction nor Mason’s group emerged victorious. The Ark Fleet split, eventually forming the Marion Empire and the human Exiled Alliance Fleet. Regardless of whether Alfred’s capture plan went through, the Spiritual Monarch ultimately left the Ark Fleet.
But the book’s owner did not escape with the Exiled Alliance Fleet. He was left behind, branded a traitor, and exiled to Planet G398 to face execution by cosmic cold and radiation.
The Exiled Alliance Fleet had always been seen as a formidable rival by the Imperial forces. Many who rebelled from the Ark Fleet suffered terribly in internal conflicts. No one knew how many met the same fate as the Red-Covered Book’s owner.
“I’ve finished reading,” Lin Xu said, placing the copy on the low table between the two sofas. He looked at Chen Jinshan across from him. “Who killed Marianna?”
The river of time flowed on. Five centuries ago, the Imperial government passed laws banning commercial hibernation. The leaders of the Ark Fleet had long since passed away, leaving only informed descendants who did everything to conceal these secrets.
Chen Jinshan glanced at Lin Xu’s calm expression after setting down the book. His voice held a hint of hesitation.
“Xiao Xu, I’m telling you all this not to set up the reveal of a few names. You wanted to know why those people assassinated Marianna—I’ve let you see the truth.
“And now, you need to let go.”
“Let go of what?” Lin Xu’s tone dropped, like thunder crashing over jagged rocks, stopping hearts.
“You can’t forget your hatred, but you can give up revenge.”
“Why?” Lin Xu couldn’t understand how those words could come from Chen Jinshan’s mouth.
Chen Jinshan sighed. “Xiao Xu, even if I told you the names, would you really raise your gun to their heads and pull the trigger?”
“Maybe I would.”
“…Killing them, and then their heirs taking their place, would be all in vain.”
“What about you? Will you flee Crescent District again?”
After Marianna’s funeral, Chen Jinshan applied to transfer from the Capital Star city defense forces to the Third Legion stationed at the Michael Frontline, swapping his pure white uniform for deep brown.
“No, I… I’ll stay here a few more days. No rush to leave,” Chen Jinshan evaded the question.
Seeing Lin Xu’s face grow colder, he tried to change the subject. “By the way, could you have Heinrich release Tang Yang? The alpha who followed you, got caught, and then got punched twice by you. He’s my friend. I worried you might be in danger in Capital Star and had him watch over you quietly. But now it seems unnecessary.”
Chen Jinshan tried to soften the atmosphere between them, but failed. Their rare meeting ended on a sour note. Lin Xu gazed silently at Chen Jinshan for a long time. Chen Jinshan felt there was something in Lin Xu’s eyes he couldn’t quite put into words—like probing tendrils searching for traces of struggle and regret on his face.
Even if Chen Jinshan urged him to let go, Lin Xu wouldn’t believe he would stop here. But just as Chen Jinshan had said, handing those people a bullet wasn’t enough.
Chen Jinshan looked away. When Lin Xu stood to leave, Chen Jinshan walked beside him, escorting him out. Lin Xu wanted to find Heinrich first but didn’t see him in the adjacent lounge.
The AI announced, “Mr. Heinrich Chu is in the back garden.”
Chen Jinshan led Lin Xu to the building’s steel-reinforced glass facade and pointed out the spot the AI mentioned. “The back garden is over there.”
Following his finger, Lin Xu saw an endless sea of flowers swaying gently in the Capital Star breeze—scarlet, pale purple, pure white… Rather than a back garden, it looked more like a vast flower field.
“I remember you liked red Chinese roses,” Chen Jinshan said. “The back garden originally had lavender and violets, but once Marianna heard you liked red Chinese roses, she went all over trying to order some seedlings. After seeing the roses and other Chinese roses from the flower shop, she thought all colors were beautiful and expanded the garden to plant a variety of flowers.
“She had planned to bring you here when they bloomed, but sadly… that never happened.”
The floral sea glowed warmly. Standing tall amidst the blazing red Chinese roses was a solitary black silhouette, back to the building, doing who knows what. Chen Jinshan looked at Heinrich’s back and asked Lin Xu, “You and Marshal Chu…”
He recalled how tense Lin Xu and Heinrich had been at their first meeting—like two swordsmen about to clash, and Lin Xu seemed ready to leap off the hospital bed and kick Heinrich out.
Chen Jinshan worried, “You’re not with Marshal Chu just to use his resources to avenge Marianna, are you?”
Lin Xu denied it. “No.”
Though he had initially thought of using Heinrich’s power, if it was only that, Lin Xu had thousands of ways without risking himself.
“That’s good,” Chen Jinshan breathed a sigh of relief. “Marianna and I both wanted you to live a peaceful and happy life.”
He didn’t believe the whispers that Lin Xu was the reincarnation of the Spiritual Monarch, nor did he want him to get caught up in this conflict. Lin Xu said nothing further. Chen Jinshan then asked, “So when can I meet your child? What’s their name?”
Lin Xu looked puzzled. “What child?”
“I heard you and Heinrich have… a secret child.”
“No,” Lin Xu firmly denied. “Where did you hear that?”
“But you…” Chen Jinshan was about to say Lin Xu’s figure looked fuller and less thin, maybe from better nutrition during pregnancy, but Lin Xu cut him off. Chen Jinshan could only chalk it up to love making one radiant. “The noble circles in Capital Star quietly say you and Heinrich have a secret child.”
—
After parting ways with Chen Jinshan, Lin Xu followed the AI’s guidance and walked alone into the back garden, heading toward the red Chinese rose bushes.
He thought for a moment. Besides himself, Heinrich, and Zhou Pingbo on the Victoria, only one doctor knew about his pregnancy—and that doctor was vacationing light years away from Capital Star, unable to contact Imperial nobility. He suspected the rumor leaked during the basic checkup at the Silver Fortress. But Lin Xu and Heinrich’s genes were too different to conceive children. No secret child existed.
Stepping into the interwoven flower fields, Capital Star’s weather control adjusted sunlight, temperature, and humidity perfectly. The gentle breeze felt like spring’s own hand, making Lin Xu briefly think of Marianna’s pale skirt and smile.
Lost in memories, Lin Xu accidentally bumped into Heinrich standing on a flowerbed ridge. Heinrich turned and grabbed him. Lin Xu realized Marshal Chu had been facing away from the building, picking Chinese roses to weave a wreath.
The bright red roses broke off along with their stems. Heinrich carefully removed the thorns, softened the stalks, and wove seven or eight roses together into a radiant wreath, exuding a delicate, charming fragrance.
Before Lin Xu could steady himself, Heinrich placed the wreath on his head. The vivid red flowers contrasted with Lin Xu’s black hair and pale skin, making his misty eyes lift with breathtaking beauty. He still remembered Lin Xu’s love for red Chinese roses. This time, Heinrich’s gift wouldn’t be refused.
Heinrich’s thin lips pressed into a slight smile. Silently, he lifted his hand to adjust the wreath’s angle, then smoothed Lin Xu’s long hair. His knuckles, cool to the touch, brushed Lin Xu’s temple and earlobe.
Lin Xu usually disliked the sun, but the light in the flower field was gentle, as if suffused with floral fragrance, warmly wrapping him and scattering soft scents. Heinrich lowered his head slightly, his golden eyes sincerely studying the decorated Lin Xu. For a moment, the breeze seemed to hush. Lin Xu almost thought time had stopped in Heinrich’s gaze. Or maybe, petals floated away on the wind to the horizon, and time flowed backward in the daylight. Everything hadn’t happened yet.
Their first meeting wasn’t in the hospital room but in this vibrant field of red Chinese roses, with Marianna still by their side—half scolding Marshal Chu for picking flowers, half happily praising how well the roses suited Xiao Xu.
Everything was fleeting. Everything would pass. And what passed would become tender memories.
Author’s Note:
The poem is from Pushkin.
If life deceives you,
Don’t be sad, don’t be upset!
In gloomy days you must stay calm:
Believe, joyful days will come!
The heart always looks forward to the future;
But now it is often filled with sorrow.
Everything is fleeting, everything will pass;
And what has passed will become a dear memory.
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