Chapter 95: Duke Chu Wants to See You
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
“The second floor got flooded, it’s uninhabitable.” Lin Xu stuffed a quilt into Heinrich’s arms, then pushed the leather sofa half a meter forward from the window, clearing a space to lay down a mattress. The back of the elevated sofa conveniently blocked the view from outside the window.
Holding the quilt, Heinrich asked, “Will we call a construction team to fix it later?”
“No, I’ll handle it myself,” Lin Xu had already ordered hardwood flooring, new bricks, and paint on StarNet. In the interstellar era, hardwood flooring costs ten times more than conventional flooring materials. “They’re not familiar with the operation.”
“I’ll help you.”
Lin Xu placed the pillow on the mattress and glanced at Heinrich, “Marshal Chu doesn’t have work to do?”
“The Emperor gave the Abyss Fleet a month off for rest.” Heinrich said, “…I still have some follow-up tasks, but not too busy, so I can stay in the Crescent District.”
Lin Xu told Heinrich to turn off the main light in the living room. The room plunged into darkness for a moment, but soon, Lin Xu turned on a nearby table lamp. The soft light smoothed out his sharp, pale features. His eyebrows and lashes appeared intensely black, but his eyes seemed like distant floating mist. He reached out and pulled Heinrich to sit beside him.
Snowy silently leapt from the darkness into the light, claiming Lin Xu’s arm before Heinrich could. Lin Xu casually scratched Snowy’s ear, but then felt something off. Looking down, he realized he was touching Blackie’s hind leg. The light was too dim, making Blackie almost blend into the shadows, making it hard to notice its presence without careful observation.
One great advantage of making a floor bed in the living room was the ease for Blackie and Snowy to jump onto Lin Xu’s bed at any time. Blackie rolled in Lin Xu’s arms, demanding attention too.
The blue squirrel family was placed in another room by Lin Xu to free them from the fear of being dominated by the two rabbit-cats. Blackie and Snowy nestled in Lin Xu’s arms, softly whimpering, showing no remorse for previously kidnapping the blue squirrels.
When Lin Xu turned to scratch Blackie’s back, Snowy propped its front body up with its hind legs, extending a cat paw towards Heinrich’s chest, then added another paw.
Snowy’s eyes, like translucent blue glass beads, widened with wonder at the touch.
Heinrich frowned and looked down at it. Snowy, feeling a sharp gaze, looked up innocently and defiantly moved its paws again.
“Ahem.” Lin Xu cleared his throat, breaking the strange atmosphere. He then moved Snowy from Heinrich, placing it with Blackie beside the pillow.
He changed the topic from the mischievous rabbit-cats, “Do you have enough vacation time to visit Thales?”
“If we travel continuously, the round trip will take only a week, but the Imperial ships can only hover outside the Thales Divine Barrier and can’t enter.”
“I know, but I want to try.” Lin Xu said.
The surviving humans of ancient Earth were divided into three groups after the apocalypse. The fate of the base and the ark fleet was set, but he still didn’t know the story of the mermaids on Thales, who shared his genetic origin.
“Alright, pick a time, and I’ll arrange a private trip.” Heinrich suddenly remembered something unfinished. He stood up, walked to the coat rack holding his military uniform, and fumbled in the pockets in the dark.
Listening to the rustling, Lin Xu felt Heinrich seemed to grab a handful of something from his pocket. Just as he was puzzled, Heinrich returned to the light, handed Lin Xu a small velvet blue box, and held a bunch of colorful crystals. When he sat back beside Lin Xu, a few small gemstones slipped through his fingers, shining as they fell.
Since disembarking from the Victoria, Heinrich had kept these crystals in his military uniform pocket, even while facing the Emperor during the award ceremony? Lin Xu took the small box, picked a green crystal from Heinrich’s hand, crushed it, and kissed Heinrich, transferring half the energy to him.
The kiss hadn’t ended when Heinrich slightly moved his lips away but kept them close to Lin Xu’s cheek, whispering, “Look inside the box.”
Lin Xu looked down, blinked, and opened the small box. His lashes brushed Heinrich’s cheekbone, making his gaze flicker. Inside was a brooch, with a gray crystal that exuded a seductive fragrance, cut into a square and set among platinum laurel leaves. The crystal was clear and shiny, its facets reflecting the warm light brilliantly.
“At first, I thought you liked beautiful gems, so I had this designed.” Heinrich said, “Now… you can wear it as a brooch, as a reserve food supply.”
“Is it a reserve, or are you tempting me to crush it and swallow it anytime?” Who could resist having a sweet little cake made into a decoration hanging on their chest? Heinrich met Lin Xu’s direct gaze and suddenly didn’t know who wanted to devour whom.
…
Heinrich was silent for a while. Lin Xu, sensing something was off, noticed the vetiver scent growing stronger after being washed by the water. Realizing this, he hesitated, then bit Heinrich’s shoulder, muffled, “…Heinrich, you have great stamina.”
–
The next morning, Lin Xu was woken up by a message. He found his terminal in the chaos and checked the message, then lazily lay back on the pillow. Heinrich had already gotten up, leaving Lin Xu plenty of space to stretch out.
But the aroma drifting from the kitchen prevented him from falling back asleep. Dragging his sore legs, he got up. Standing straight, he felt his thighs still trembling from exertion.
After washing up and regaining his strength, Lin Xu found Heinrich surrounded by Blackie and Snowy, trying to add cat food and change their water bowls. On the dining table by the window, breakfast was steaming. The two plates contained the same items: fried eggs and mushroom ham sandwiches, with a glass of juice on the side.
Lin Xu glanced at the kitchen. Heinrich, walking over, cleared his throat and said, “I’ll clean the kitchen later.”
The takeaway egg container with eight compartments had only one egg left, and the cutting board was a mess with unevenly sliced bread. Despite the chaotic scene, Lin Xu tasted the simple sandwich and found it quite good. The rain had cleared on the Cacamorra Plains, with gentle sunlight revealing the original blue-green colors of the distant mountains.
Heinrich said, “I have to go to the capital later to report the Abyss Fleet’s battle situation to the council.”
“To ask the council for money?” Lin Xu guessed.
“Yes.”
The Emperor and the military had allowed the Abyss Fleet to stay at the airfield for repairs but hadn’t allocated any funds to Heinrich. This made the routine process of reporting the battle situation to the council include the unusual task of requesting funds.
Lin Xu couldn’t imagine how Heinrich’s stern and imposing face would look while asking for money. Marshal Chu probably wouldn’t play the pity card, nor boast about his achievements. Marshal Chu’s public image was always invincible and indestructible, whether commanding the grand interstellar fleet or leading well-trained soldiers.
The Abyss Fleet under his command seemed to embody all strength and glory, and the idea of the Abyss Fleet being battle-damaged and needing money never crossed the public’s mind. So how would he wrest money from the council? Unfortunately, Lin Xu couldn’t witness the Imperial council’s argument scene in person.
“I also have to go to the Ancient Earth Natural Science Museum later.”
“Work?”
“Yes, Curator Zhao sent a message urging me to return.” Lin Xu finished the fried egg and sandwich, slowly sipping the juice. “I also have a meeting with the Perseus Group to check the mining plan details for G398 after work, then I’ll head to the capital.”
“I’ll wait for you at the capital once I’m done.”
Lin Xu nodded. After finishing breakfast in the rare sunlight of the Cacamorra Plains, Heinrich indeed took the plates to clean up the kitchen mess. Lin Xu fed the blue squirrel family, then changed the cat litter for Blackie and Snowy.
If the entire house was equipped with smart home devices, no human would have to worry about housework. Lin Xu had experienced the convenience of technology while living in the dorms at Capital Star University but had never gotten used to that lifestyle.
Find a place with no one, build a cabin, raise dogs, cats, and go fishing. If even the daily chores were handed over to machines, such a life would be more dead than stagnant water.
While scooping cat litter, someone knocked on the door. Lin Xu wiped his hands clean and walked over, “Who is it?”
“Mr. Lin, it’s me, Arnold.”
Lin Xu opened the door, and Arnold greeted him with a smile, holding a freshly ironed new military uniform. “Good morning, Mr. Lin, I’m here to pick up the Marshal.”
“He’s inside.”
Lin Xu stepped aside. From this angle, Arnold could see Heinrich, bare-chested, washing dishes in the kitchen. “Ah, ah…”
Heinrich still had bite and scratch marks on his shoulders, making Arnold feel he had come at the wrong time. Fortunately, Lin Xu was still in loose casual clothes, so Arnold wasn’t so embarrassed that he had to leave immediately.
“What is it?” Heinrich placed the clean plates on the drying rack, drying his hands with a towel as he walked out.
Lin Xu said flatly, “Colonel Arnold is here.”
—
Seeing the person continuously approaching, Arnold’s expression remained as familiar as ever: the cold and silent Marshal Chu. However, the stark contrast of the scene was too much for Arnold, leaving him momentarily at a loss. Heinrich, unaware of his adjutant’s feelings of collapse, personally took the uniform and then closed the door, leaving Arnold outside.
Heinrich put on the formal military uniform and took a few medals off his dress uniform, pinning them on his chest. Lin Xu also took out an old suit from the wardrobe, packed his briefcase, and went to the garage at the back of the house to get the car.
Lin Xu had a car that could only travel on land, styled similarly to an old Earth sedan. In the Empire, only extreme retro enthusiasts would choose such a vehicle that couldn’t enter aerial lanes. When he drove out, Arnold was indeed stunned by the antique-like ground vehicle. After Lin Xu drove along the main road of the Cacamorra Plains and left, Heinrich locked the house, boarded the aircraft Arnold had arrived in, and headed towards the space elevator shaft.
The aircraft broke through the morning breeze, like a soaring eagle, catching up with the ground car mid-air. Heinrich looked out the porthole as the ground car drove from the road surrounded by green grass waves into the city buildings. The aircraft continued to ascend, eventually disappearing into the clouds.
During the six months the expedition team was away, the Marion Empire’s enthusiasm for ancient Earth history only increased. The Ancient Earth Natural Science Museum, once sparsely visited, quickly secured funding and design plans, expanding by more than half in six months.
When Lin Xu arrived at the museum, cranes were still at work in the distance. Curator Zhao told him that the new section would display artifacts brought back from the expedition. Curator Zhao first warmly inquired about Lin Xu’s well-being and then asked if he had any unique insights from the expedition to ancient Earth and whether he planned to write new articles or give public lectures at the museum.
Lin Xu declined the lectures and said he would consider writing new articles, which Curator Zhao found normal but somewhat disappointing. He then inquired about Ryan’s situation. Recently, the museum had been short-staffed; after posting job announcements, resumes had come in like snowflakes, but ancient Earth studies had always been a niche, and some students were of questionable quality, so few suitable candidates had been hired. Therefore, Curator Zhao was eager for Lin Xu to return to work, and Ryan should also come back to continue his internship.
Lin Xu said he had assigned Ryan a separate task and that he wouldn’t return soon. Using the excuse of needing to organize his office, Lin Xu escaped Curator Zhao’s long-winded chatter. Passing through the artifact management area, he encountered many unfamiliar faces. The new museum staff, upon seeing the nameplate on Lin Xu’s chest, greeted him excitedly and wanted to chat with the renowned Dr. Lin Xu in their field.
Whether it was the deep wooden structure of the Ancient Earth Natural Science Museum or unnecessary social interactions, Lin Xu once again wore a detached expression. He nodded, avoided eye contact, returned the ancient book “Phaedo” to the temperature and humidity-controlled box, then shut himself in his office, leaving the busy crowd with a thin, indifferent silhouette.
Some whispered that Dr. Lin Xu was indeed as rumored—eccentric and unapproachable. A colleague interjected, noting that the rumors didn’t mention how good-looking Dr. Lin Xu was…
The heavy wooden door blocked out all the buzzing noise. Lin Xu placed the briefcase on his desk, opened another password-locked stable box in the room, and stored the three notebooks he had brought from the snow mountain base inside, using the modifier given by Ika to encrypt the password five times.
Next, Lin Xu left the office to get a broom, mop, and cloth from the tool room and personally cleaned his office. One of the new employees, watching Lin Xu’s figure, was shocked and whispered to a colleague, “I always thought those cleaning tools were mistakenly placed in museum exhibits.”
The colleague replied, “Did you ever consider that cleaning tools are meant for cleaning?”
An intelligent housekeeping robot, having detected the keyword “cleaning” in their conversation, rolled over and asked, “Is there anything I can help you with?” The two exchanged glances, “No, nothing. You can go back to charging.”
Inside the office, Lin Xu quickly finished cleaning, manually moved his heavy desk, and rearranged it so his seat faced the door, with the floor-to-ceiling window to his right. No longer working with his back to the window, losing his view and being susceptible to long-range attacks, Lin Xu could now easily monitor the door and the outside situation with a glance.
He took a deep breath, sat down, and began checking his work emails. The inbox was nearly full, mostly from scholars related to ancient Earth seeking his help with ancient text translations or detailed discussions on his past papers. Before ancient Earth was rediscovered, some of Lin Xu’s papers were considered wildly imaginative at best and absurd at worst. However, recent discoveries continuously proved his correctness.
Some people sent their resumes, hoping to intern under him, while others invited him to academic conferences and salons. Lin Xu systematically declined the social invitations and internship requests. When he started reading the sincere academic exchange emails, the office door was knocked on. Lin Xu pressed his temples, slightly irritated, and got up to open the door.
The knocker was a new intern, trembling as if about to faint. “Lina, what do you need from me?” he glanced at the intern’s nameplate. Lina, called by her name, shook and stammered, “Dr. Lin Xu, there is a visitor for you.”
“For me? Do you know who it is?”
“I don’t know, but they seem important. The curator is personally entertaining them in the reception room, and they specifically asked for you.”
“Understood, you can go back to work now.” Lina, not being troubled, realized that Dr. Lin Xu was not as unapproachable as rumored, sighed in relief, and ran back to her workstation. Who was so eager to see him? Important guests entertained by the curator… they didn’t contact Lin Xu directly, which at least meant they were unfamiliar with him and probably hadn’t met.
On the way to the reception room, many thoughts arose in Lin Xu’s mind, only to be dismissed one by one. Upon arrival, Curator Zhao quickly approached and introduced, “Xiao Lin, this is Duke Chu and Senator Chu. They have come specifically to see you.” He tugged Lin Xu’s arm, hoping Lin Xu would be courteous due to their noble status and greet them proactively. But Duke Chu spoke first, directing his command at Curator Zhao, “Curator Zhao, thank you for your hospitality. I would like to speak with Dr. Lin Xu alone now.”
This Title is available for faster chapter releases through paid Patreon membership. Any proceeds go to keeping the website running. Check it out HERE.
