Chapter 159: 150 Years
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
Heinrich didn’t believe Lin Xu would give up so easily.
“Did he say anything else besides the change in the terms?” Heinrich paced back and forth in his office, anxiety eclipsing the numbing grief that had taken him by surprise.
He hoped Lin Xu had signed the divorce papers out of some kind of necessity—not because he truly wanted to end things between them.
If it was the latter… Heinrich had already started considering hijacking the Victoria and storming the Imperial prison, stealing Lin Xu away and locking him up aboard the ship. If no one knew where a dragon’s treasure was hidden, then no one could take it from them.
“He did, he did,” Metz quickly answered. “Dr. Lin said Colonel Arnold would bring Volans to you, and he told me to pass along a message. He said, when all of this is over, the two of you can go watch the comet shower together.”
Metz hesitated. “I was thinking… if Dr. Lin loses the case, he might face a sentence of over a hundred years. Though, considering the interstellar human lifespan, he’d live through it, but… I still think Dr. Lin must have another plan.”
Comet shower?
Heinrich’s brows furrowed even deeper. He vaguely remembered mentioning a comet shower to Lin Xu… —The Long Whale Region’s comet shower.
He remembered now. While the Abyss Fleet was passing through the Kuiper Belt, Lin Xu had mentioned that it was the birthplace of comets in the Solar System. Heinrich had asked if he’d like to go to the Long Whale Region someday to see the comet shower. It was the most magnificent, dazzling display of comets in the entire Einstein Galaxy.
Lin Xu hadn’t answered him then. Heinrich had thought his words had upset him, and Ryan had even pulled him aside to analyze it afterward. But now, Lin Xu had invited him to watch the comet shower. Was it a hint… had he found a way to escape?
Heinrich looked again at the divorce papers displayed on the holoscreen. Lin Xu’s signature held no hesitation at all. Before leaving Endymion, Heinrich had given Lin Xu a promise: that he would always put him first.
Lin Xu had said that if, someday, he asked Heinrich for something, he hoped Heinrich would still honor that promise. Even if that meant handing him divorce papers and asking for his signature—Heinrich Chu should sign his name without a second of doubt. And trust Lin Xu completely. Metz watched Heinrich fall into a cold silence and asked carefully, “Marshal, what are your thoughts?”
Heinrich snapped back to the present and shook his head at Metz without saying much. Quietly, he opened the identity verification panel. Once his identity was confirmed, he signed his name: Heinrich Chu.
The signed divorce agreement was transmitted back to Metz, who would handle the remaining legal procedures. This meant that, under Imperial law, Lin Xu and Heinrich Chu’s marriage was officially over.
If this was what Lin Xu wanted him to do… Heinrich would comply. It was just a piece of paper. Whether it existed or not didn’t make a difference.
After ending the call, Heinrich walked to the office viewport. The universe stretched vast and boundless beyond the glass. In the distance, stars emitted scorching light that illuminated the various starships surrounding the Victoria, only to be reflected back in icy, sharp gleams by the cold metal of human construction.
His gaze drifted past the fleet. Amidst the ocean-like depths of space, silvery starlight gathered like a roaring waterfall, surging forward with thunderous momentum. It raised waves of brilliance, marking the passage of trillions of years.
The so-called mighty Empire was but a speck in this ocean. Only the stars bore witness to everything.
“Ruth,” Heinrich said, still facing the window, hands clasped behind his back. The cold starlight outlined the sharp angles of his face, reflecting the silhouettes of ships in his golden eyes. “Pause the strategic meetings in the war room. I’m going to restructure the entire front.”
He would keep his promise to Lin Xu—but that didn’t mean he’d sit around and wait to die.
“And get me in touch with Legion Commander Alonso and Chief Strategist Guy. Tell them I want to discuss further arming the Dawn Front.”
Only the Empire called Dionysus’s rebels a terrorist force. In the shadows, the army led by Alonso and Guy had its own name.
The Dawn Front.
– –
StarNet’s Slack Forum
Thread: Have You Guys Heard? They Got Divorced…
1st Floor, OP: Just like the title says, I’m shocked. Honestly, I shipped them so hard back then. After everything they went through, I thought their bond was solid. Who knew it would end like this? I don’t think I believe in love anymore.
2F: Yeah, it really is shocking. Just yesterday I saw Marshal Chu publicly supporting Lin Xu’s innocence, and today I woke up to divorce news. Maybe it’s for the best though—better than Marshal Chu getting caught up in his mess.
3F: Agreed. Marshal Chu realized Lin Xu’s true colors and got out just in time.
4F: But what if Lin Xu really is innocent? I mean, Marshal Chu was the one beside him day and night—he’d know better than us internet randos.
5F: You’re still defending a murderer? Based on the current evidence, if he’s not the mastermind, then who is?
6F: Still, divorcing at this point doesn’t exactly look good for Marshal Chu either.
7F: What if Lin Xu’s the one who had a sudden pang of conscience and filed for divorce? Honestly, guilty or not, I do think their love was real. AB romance and all.
8F: Can we not romanticize this mess?
9F: Someone like Lin Xu? No way he initiated the divorce. If he still had Heinrich’s power backing him, he’d probably get sentenced to a hundred years, ninety-nine of them suspended, go chill in prison for a bit, and walk right out.
10F: Good point. With this verdict looming, he’s definitely losing his inheritance. Money’s already gone, and without Heinrich, his power and status are gone too. I don’t think a murderer who can arrange an assassination is dumb enough to voluntarily divorce now.
11F: Probably Marshal Chu found out the truth. He might not have said much, but the silence and divorce speak volumes. He’s basically pointing the finger without saying a word. The trial’s just a matter of how many hundreds of years he’ll get now.
…
“Divorced…” Alfred murmured.
Even though Metz had handled Lin Xu and Heinrich’s divorce as quietly as possible, the media had been watching the case like hawks. As Lin Xu’s former lawyer, Metz hadn’t been spared either.
Even after Lin Xu dismissed him and hired someone new, the press still hounded him. Following Metz’s movements, reporters uncovered the divorce, and StarNet exploded with speculation.
Alfred had read all the reports and ordered someone to verify the details. Today, Neumann came in to deliver the full update. The divorce was real. Firing the lawyer and drawing a clean line between Lin Xu and Heinrich was real, too.
“He’s about to strike back,” Alfred said, eyes following a bird hopping on the tree branch outside. He smiled faintly and leaned back into his armchair. He guessed Lin Xu had initiated the divorce. There was no way Heinrich Chu would’ve chosen to give Lin Xu up right now.
Alfred didn’t know Marshal Chu’s private personality well, but he did know Lin Xu. Lin Xu wouldn’t keep an unstable threat by his side. He could tolerate a lone wolf with a prickly temperament—but even the most dangerous and prideful wolf would eventually be tamed, transformed into a loyal dog lying obediently at his feet.
And after putting in so much effort, Alfred imagined the master might’ve developed a bit of affection for his dog. Lin Xu severed ties with Heinrich to avoid collateral damage when his showdown with Alfred began. He didn’t want Heinrich’s reputation dragged down by any fallout.
“General Neumann, Lin Xu’s trial starts the day after tomorrow. Tighten security and be ready for any surprises,” Alfred said. “Don’t let your guard down. Report everything to me.”
“Your Majesty, there’s one other thing,” Neumann said. “It’s about… Lin Xu and Marshal Chu’s child. According to the Capital Star’s exit records, Marshal Chu’s adjutant, Colonel Arnold, left the Capital Star with Yuanxiao Volans. They appear to be headed toward the Dionysus Region.”
Alfred narrowed his eyes, suddenly intrigued. “If I remember right, that child’s a dragon?”
“Yes…”
“Find a way to bring them here.”
– –
On the day of the trial, Lin Xu was escorted by the Capital Star Police to the Imperial Supreme Court. As before, it was Merk who struggled to push through the throng of reporters and news-bots crowding the courthouse steps.
The two parted ways at the entrance—Merk would take his seat at the prosecution’s witness table, while Lin Xu sat beside a court-appointed defense attorney at the defendant’s bench.
Before the judge struck the gavel, the attorney turned to Lin Xu with a pained expression. “Mr. Lin, I’ll ask one last time. Are you really not going to defend yourself?”
Lin Xu answered flatly, “No.”
“You could at least plead guilty. Then I could try negotiating a plea deal with the prosecution to reduce your sentence.”
“I have the right to remain silent.” The attorney rubbed his forehead in frustration.
He had actually volunteered for this case. Having reviewed the evidence released so far, he believed there were still gaps in the narrative—holes he could exploit. If he could win, the publicity from such a high-profile trial would catapult his career.
But fate had other plans. His client had no intention of winning. Nor of pleading guilty. Completely uncooperative, Lin Xu left him alone to puzzle through an impossible defense and prepare remarks for a judge who likely didn’t want to hear them.
The gavel came down. Lin Xu sat unmoved in his seat, just as he’d promised—not a single word offered in his own defense.
The courtroom, modeled after old Earth customs, was solemn and austere. The prosecution submitted evidence as required, both sides entered arguments, and witnesses were called to the stand.
When Chen Jinshan stepped up to testify, he paused to glance at Lin Xu from afar, then drew a few deep breaths.
“I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,” he said, “with the stars as my witness.”
“Your Honor,” Chen continued, “I spoke with the defendant about my late wife’s intention to amend her will during her pregnancy. This conversation occurred roughly ten days before her death. I’ve seen the second version of the will. I can confirm the defendant was aware of its existence.”
Chen didn’t need to fill in every detail—he only needed to patch the gaps in the existing chain of evidence.
Lin Xu had already told him to relax and say whatever he wanted. He was confident Alfred had arranged something behind the scenes. As long as the evidence wasn’t egregiously fake, the judge would follow the script and hand down the predetermined ruling. And so he did.
In the end, the judge found Lin Xu guilty of two counts of first-degree murder—not only of premeditated murder against Marianna, but also of ordering the hitman to silence his accomplice. In addition, Lin Xu was found guilty of massive financial fraud.
His sentence was to be served on Planet Z9: 150 years, effective immediately, with no possibility of probation or parole.
The route from Capital Star to Z9 passed through several ideal ambush zones, and it happened to be located within the Crescent District—under the jurisdiction of the First Legion, commanded by Capricciosa’s people. A jailbreak would be easy to arrange.
Lin Xu and Heinrich’s divorce had also gone through. From now on, no matter what kind of chaos Lin Xu stirred up, it would no longer implicate Imperial Marshal Heinrich Chu.
Once it was all over, he would go find Heinrich and Yuanxiao, and watch the comet shower together.
The defense attorney, now utterly despondent, had originally planned to argue with Lin Xu, but upon seeing the relaxed smile on Lin Xu’s face—right after being sentenced to 150 years—he immediately took several steps back.
Author’s Note:
Don’t worry, it’s not going to get that angsty. As long as XuXu stays strong, the heart won’t hurt. At worst, he’ll be annoyed by dumbass villains.
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