CH 4

Graduation (4)

Jiang Jianming frowned slightly. “You didn’t go to West Galaxy Street with Beiman’er… You’ve been waiting here for me?”

Tang Zhen twisted his waist nonchalantly. “Hey, I’m afraid the military will send a helicopter to directly pick you up. If I can’t even see the farewell face of my five-year roommate, wouldn’t it be too frustrating?”

The two walked back in the direction of the dormitory building. Their shadows passed through the winding path in the Kaios Military Academy. The wind blew the leaves, and the street lamps along the way were steadily glowing softly.

Tang Zhen held the back of his head with both hands, and said lazily, “Let me guess, is our little immortal going to Silver Big Dipper? Just right, I also want to go to the expedition army, maybe we can upgrade from roommates to teammates. “

Jiang Jianming said in a low voice, “Don’t joke around.” 

Tang Zhen said, “Who is joking with you?”

Plop. A drop of ice cold rain fell on Jiang Jianming’s neck, telling him to close his eyes.

The sky had been cloudy for a while, and then it really started to rain. The induction lights on both sides of the trail flickered, and the light blue film screen rose with a “hum”, isolating the two newly graduated military cadets from the falling raindrops.

Jiang Jianming’s profile was reflected even more beautifully by the thin blue light. “I’m a disabled human being, what kind of battlefield would I go to… In fact, you guessed it right, someone wanted to pull me over, and I just refused.”

Tang Zhen’s face darkened and frowned. He changed his posture, looked at him up and down with his arms folded and spat, “I think you are pretending to be me! You are not…” He lowered his voice and continued to stare at Jiang Jianming. “Three years ago, His Highness the Crown Prince…….wasn’t he killed in the Far Star battlefield, don’t you want to join Silver Big Dipper? How could you not want to!”

The continuous rain smeared the scene a little hazy, and the outline of the dormitory building could already be seen in the distance. There’s no one at this point and it was very quiet. Jiang Jianming raised his legs and walked forward, and threw a sentence to Tang Zhen behind him. “Young Master Tang, sacrificial burial is already a thing of the ancient blue star era. You should sober up.”

Heavy downpour always comes in a hurry. When the two of them returned to their dormitory, it was already completely dark outside the window. The strong wind blew the raindrops against the plants, trees and buildings, making a loud pattering sound.

Jiang Jianming fumbled and tried to turn on the light, when he suddenly heard Tang Zhen say behind him. “…I say, Little Jiang, although you are an orphan, your adoptive father was a military officer that sacrificed his life in the battle, who was awarded the title of martyr. The subsidies distributed from the Empire should be at the highest amount. There should be three thousand points per month, right?”

Jiang Jianming was silent for a moment and only uttered an “Umm”.

“The military academy’s bursary is 5,000 yuan per semester. If added up, even if it’s not to the point of being rich, it will help you not to live shabbily either.”

Tang Zhen showed an angry expression after a pause and his voice rose suddenly. He took two steps forward and pushed Jiang Jianming, his eyes seemed to be burning. “—but I have never seen a student who can live as poor as you! You can’t even afford a bottle of juice with crystalline particle tranquilizers, where is your monthly subsidy?”

Jiang Jianming stepped back and knocked his lower back on the windowsill. Instantly, the pattering rain roared into his ears, and he whispered in discomfort, “Tang Zhen, don’t do this.”

Tang Zhen didn’t want to give up, he took two steps closer. “Since three years ago, you have insisted on following me every semester to study combat classes at the First College. Which times did you not lift me from the training ground when I fainted and send me to the infirmary? Now you tell me that you can’t go to the battlefield?”

Jiang Ming sighed softly. He raised his eyelids and said helplessly. “Tang Shao, why are you angry?”

“You still ask me why I’m angry?” Tang Zhen was so angry that he could only laugh. He reached out and grabbed Jiang Jianming’s combat bag at the head of the bed. He lifted it up, tore it apart, and threw it on the ground!

Jiang Ming’s expression changed slightly. “Tang Zhen!”

The contents inside rolled out and rolled to Jiang Jianming’s feet.

In an instant, a flash of lightning burst from the clouds, stabbing a vast expanse of snow-white between heaven and earth. The cold white light penetrated through the windows of the dormitory building, clearly reflecting the tight faces of the two youths, their confrontational eyes, and the silver iron handgun lying quietly on the floor. The muzzle of the gun glowed with a cold light, flashing a beautiful and dangerous color.

There are also boxes of military high-purity crystal particle tranquilizers, full of twelve injection needles, packed tightly in the box.

Several paper notebooks, which were quite rare in this era, written in beautiful handwriting on the cover were: “Investigation of Alien Creatures”, “Basic Structure of Silver Big Dipper Fortress”, “Far Star 3D Atlas..”

“Jiang Jianming, do you think I’m stupid?” Tang Zhen trembled with anger, picked up a notebook and threw it on the bed. “You have to hide such a big thing, did you fucking take me as a friend!? “

Rumble. A thunder was heard that seemed to have come from far, far away.

Jiang Jianming lowered his eyelashes, stared at the things at his feet with a pale face, and stopped talking. His expression was still calm, but for some reason, the whole person seemed very lonely and sad.

He said in a very light, frothy voice, “Tang Zhen, you are really stupid.”

“So what if you know, do you want to be comrade-in-arms? Do you want to protect me on the distant star battlefield?” Jiang Jianming bent down and picked up the silver-gray handgun with his eyes down. When the pale palm squeezed the handle of the gun, the coolness of the metal penetrated into the skin, making the nerves tremble.

Holding his knees, he slowly straightened up, but suddenly his wrist turned, and the muzzle fell silently in front of Tang Zhen’s forehead. Jiang Jianming looked cold and said solemnly. “The battlefield is not a joke. In that kind of place, with a disabled human dragging an oil bottle, you will die.”

*******

Long, long ago, Tang Zhen knew that his pale and thin roommate was not simple at all.

When he was beaten by this disabled human in the tactical simulation confrontation class and never won a single time, he felt that this person was not easy.

In the dormitory, when he watched this guy bring back stacks of paper books one after another that he couldn’t even read the names from the Aslan National Library, and read them with gusto, he felt that this man was not simple.

But Young Master Tang quickly realized that he was still too naive.

The day he witnessed an even more “this person was not easy” was during that afternoon. 

He and Jiang Jianming took different elective courses. After class, he heard that his roommate had an accident.

This guy actually escaped from the military logistics mobilization class from the Sixth College, and secretly ran to the Second College to attend a lecture given by a distinguished professor, the theme was the research results of mecha mind manipulation technology.

As a result, he never expected that the old professor who was lecturing would release crystal bone during the demonstration – in fact, according to the imperial law, releasing crystal bone in public places without undergoing standardized investigations will be put to prison for half a year.

But the old man also felt wronged. In the field of mecha driving in this era, crystal bone manipulation had generally replaced manual manipulation. The topic of the lecture was the most cutting-edge content of mecha driving. Few of the new human top students can understand it. Who would have thought that a disabled human would listen to the lecture?

The result was tragic. A certain classmate Jiang, who sneaked in quietly and dared to sit on the front seat, was said to have vomited blood on the spot and fell into a coma. He was rushed to the infirmary to be sedated.

But classmate Jiang was very kind. After waking up, he politely thanked the little nurse, sat on the hospital bed and asked, “Is the lecture over? … Is there still time to go back now and continue listening?”

However, that afternoon, when Tang Zhen rushed back to the dormitory, he found that there were more people inside. The moment he opened the door, Young Master Tang thought he was dreaming.

He had seen this slender figure sitting on his roommate’s bed countless times on TV and big screen projections, and like every imperial man, he felt astonishment and admiration due to his god-like demeanor every time.

–This was the young prince of the Empire, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Ryann Kaios.

This was a virtual image, but a live person.

His Royal Highness Ryann was wearing a double-breasted gold-buttoned dress intertwined with crimson and dark black, which was indeed the one often seen on TV and projections to the public. The blond hair that fell like a waterfall on his shoulders was shining brightly, but that handsome face was full of anxiety. If he was allowed to use a disrespectful word to describe it, then the current expression on His Royal Highness’s face may be closer to being troubled.

He held the face of the black-haired military cadet with both hands in a posture that he wished he could wrap Jiang Jianming on the bed into his arms, and kept saying something in a low voice.

And his good roommate was leaning on the head of the bed, his fingers hooked on His Royal Highness’s pale blond curly hair, and he fondled and played with them.

“Okay, got it…. I must be careful next time, um… Next time. Is Your Highness not busy today? Government affairs… ah? Of course I’m listening!”

Jiang Jianming’s lips were pale, but his expression was very loose, even a little lazy. He nodded, and his words were very gentle but also very perfunctory to comfort the other person, obviously he didn’t put the man’s words into mind. “Okay, I’ll be careful next time… So you ran out of the White Jade Palace again while in a serious business? You haven’t even changed your clothes, you really…”

The corners of the noble prince’s eyes were red—naturally he was angry. Even when he took a deep breath, he trembled with anger. The words he uttered between his teeth were like thin blades of ice. “Who do you think forced me to do this?”

Jiang Jianming honestly admitted his mistake, but there was still a smile on the corner of his mouth. “It’s me, it’s me, I’m sorry, but it’s really nothing…”

Suddenly, His Royal Highness Ryann sensed a breath of a person at the door, and his emerald green eyes turned cold, his eyes sharp and threatening.

Tang Zhen was stunned for a long time, his legs softened, and he immediately knelt there…

Later, he learned that if there were no accidents, his roommate would be the future Crown Princess, and even the future Queen.

Unexpectedly, an accident really did happen.

The day three years ago was very similar to today. It also rained heavily and even snowed in the evening.

He didn’t know how Jiang Jianming saw an opening from the shifting of the patrolling military police. He actually braved a thunderstorm to break into the White Jade Palace. When he came back, he was soaked all over, and his face was as pale as a dead person.

Raindrops kept falling from his black hair. He was silent to Tang Zhen for almost half an hour before he said hoarsely. “His Highness is dead.”

After he finished saying this, he grabbed Tang Zhen and said, “Don’t call a doctor”, and then he fainted.

On the second day of this heavy rain, the military cadet who had lost his loved one had a high fever and was in a coma, muttering His Highness’s name, struggling to and fro, and crying endlessly… the person who was usually quiet and gentle, was now vulnerable at the moment.

——There’s no such thing. This was the “plan made to deal with the situation” made up by Young Master Tang who stayed at his roommate’s bed in a panic all night, combined with the popular sadomasochistic novels.

In fact, the rain stopped early the next morning, and Jiang Jianming also woke up very early, and when he woke up, there was no sign of sadness or despair on his face. He opened the window and closed his eyes and felt the wind for a while, and then under Tang Zhen’s stunned eyes, he started to pack up quickly.

First, classmate Jiang took out a snow-white half-folding machine from the cabinet, and pressed it twice somewhere, and the machine quickly shrank even smaller, turning into a delicate white crystal bracelet.

Tang Zhen followed one step and opened his mouth in astonishment. He recognized that it was the new miniature folding mecha “S-Snow Dove” that made a big splash half a year ago, and it was said that it had only been tried out only  in the military.

Immediately afterwards, Jiang took out a silver-gray pistol from under the bed and placed it next to the folding mecha.

Tang Zhen staggered to the ground as he also recognized it. This was the “Wings of Venus”, a handgun designed by Master Perot of the Glorious Dominion for the Imperial Family, which belongs to the new crystal weapons.

Before it was over, classmate Jiang took out a cassette disguised as a book from the bookshelf and opened it. Inside was a high-purity crystal particle tranquilizer, and an emblem of the Golden Sun Wheel was engraved on the syringe.

——Tang Zhen was dizzy. He remembered that the shortest prison term was eight years for hiding military items…

Finally, his good roommate put these things together, picked them up and shoved them into Young Master Tang’s arms. “Keep it for me for a few days, thank you.”

Tang Zhen widened his eyes and heard Jiang Jianming say, “His Highness had an accident, and I, the royal betrothed wife from a civilian background, will soon be approached by the military. It won’t hurt if I am to be ridiculed by others, but these things…..if discovered, they will be confiscated.”

Tang Zhen’s head was confused, and he roared wildly in his heart. 

Isn’t this nonsense, even if you are really the fiancée of the Crown Prince, it is still impossible to get something of this specification!!

Jiang Jianming. “I went to the White Jade Palace yesterday and I shouldn’t have been found. Since no one came to the door all night, it means that the upper levels don’t know that I already know it. It’s too late to hide things now.”

Tang Zhen collapsed even more, and cried in his heart “Are we going to die?” 

In the past, obtaining these things can be excused because they were given by His Highness to you. But now that His Highness is dead, you shouldn’t play tricks with the Imperial Military. If found hidden, the nature of the sentence will be completely different!!

But he swallowed his saliva, and said tremblingly. “I….Where do I put it!?”

Jiang Jianming said unkindly, “In your house.” 

Tang Zhen: “Ha!?”

When Jiang Jianming spoke, he did not stop cleaning up. He quickly tore off the labels of the chips the size of fingernails and put them in the chip box, while saying, “The Tang family is a noble family in the Imperial Capital. It’s impossible for the military to search your house. They wouldn’t, so it’s safe there.”

The torn labels were full of “records of the x-th military joint large-scale tactical exercise”, “Exploration video of Silver Big Dipper crystal nest in a certain month of a certain year” and so on. At first glance, this was not some information that an ordinary person could access.

Tang Zhen felt chills behind his back, his legs were numb, and his tone changed when he pointed to the chip box. “You, you… these things are already considered top-secret in the Imperial Military, ah!?”

“Forget about what kind of mecha guns, but how could His Highness show you this!?”

Jiang Jianming said seriously. “His Royal Highness used to like to bring important battles to me to make a review, but he was always busy, so he copied them into chips and threw them here. Some of them had not been seen yet……Hide them for now, or they’ll be confiscated”

“What are you going to do—”

“Donate to the Aslan National Library anonymously first. I’ll say I made a mistake after a few days and then come back.”

Jiang Jianming groaned and closed the chip box, and raised his eyebrows indifferently, “The time for the administrator to check the contents of the donated books and information chips is on the 25th to the 29th of every month, just in time.”

“There are a lot of other things, but I can manage it myself—- just take those three for me. Be quick, there is not much time.”

Later, the upper echelons of the empire and the military came and went several times. Those people turned the dormitory upside down, and even followed Jiang Jianming for a few days, but found nothing.

At this time, the young master of the Tang family had truly realized that his roommate was indeed an extraordinary person.

This seemingly weak and sloppy disabled human being dared to hide the sky and cross the sea, and steal the stars to exchange the sun.

In the depths of his seemingly indifferent eyes, there was a boldness that could not be burnt out.

Even a huge empire that unifies all mankind and controls the entire galaxy with its glory and majesty… It was impossible to think that a hand as small as his, could take even one thing left by his lover.

********

It was pouring rain outside the window, and darkness shrouded the two figures again.

The silence lasted only for a few seconds, and a lazy sneer rang out in the small dormitory.

“You, won’t you really tell the truth?” 

Tang Zhen slowly raised his face, and a frantic smile formed on the corner of his mouth, “You dared to put a military mecha into my arms back then, what else is there to be dawdling about now?”

In the darkness, the young man’s eyes were bright, and with a snap, he raised his palm and firmly grasped the muzzle of the gun in front of his forehead. “Don’t fucking underestimate me–you bastard who is afraid of death, go to some distant star or where ever you want to go.”

Jiang Jianming stared at him for a while, then slowly put down the gun.

He said lightly, “Young Master, you have scattered all my things, please pick them up.”

Tang Zhen really squatted down and started picking up things, and asked, “Why did you refuse the invitation?”

“…It was the Commander-in-Chief Chen Hanke, and he asked me to do clerical work in the rear.” Jiang Jianming shook his head, “The old marshal has always loved me, and if I really leave with him, I will only be properly protected for the rest of my life…”

Tang Zhen was stunned. “You…”

“The distant interstellar situation is complicated and difficult to describe. If I really want to go find His Royal Highness Ryann, I have to… go to the front in person.”

Jiang Jianming touched the chip box on his chest and said in a low voice, “The military draft is only limited to new human beings, but I just got the special order of Silver Big Dipper. I can enter the Far Star space through the local military department, make another detour then infiltrate the army. “

Tang Zhen was speechless and thought he was mentally prepared. At the moment, he only stared at him with big big wide eyes. “I’m going to kneel down for you, you, you, you—you dare to deceive the order from Old Marshal Chen!?”

Jiang Jianming was expressionless, and said with a straight face. “I didn’t lie, he gave it on his own initiative.”

“Besides, I also told him that I’m sorry.”