CH 103.1

Yuan Xiu: Chu Yan’s bestfriend.

Yuan Lie: Yuan Xiu’s father, a Lieutenant General.

Xiang Kun: Chu Yan’s mortal enemy. Xiang Hui’s younger brother. Mecha manufacturing student.

Xiang Hui: A colonel. The Xiang family’s current heir. Xiang Kun’s older brother.

Xiang Jing: Xiang Kun’s paternal female cousin.

He Hongjun: one of the four Marshal from the Federation.

Ning Tianxing: Ning Kongran’s father, Ning Tianya’s older brother.

Long Baorou: the ex-President’s daughter.

An Tyn: An Leen’s twin brother. The Fifth Imperial Prince, now the Emperor.

An Xei: The former Emperor’s younger brother. A Prince and a scholar.

After the live broadcast hastily ended, Chu Huai and An Tyn agreed to hold a short press conference to calm the people who were scared by the black hole.

At the press conference, they repeatedly emphasized the fact that the Zerg Queen had been caught and that the straggler Zergs were no longer a threat. They intentionally avoided the part related to the mastermind. The official statement was that An Xei was rescued by his companion using an artificial black hole. There are no Zergs and no casualties, and the Federation and Empire will hurry to pursue the fugitives, so the citizens could rest assured.

At that moment, Chu Rong quickly arrived by An Xei’s side, unleashing his power to surround him. Subsequently, An Xei retaliated with a burst of power, resulting in a clash that disrupted the live broadcast briefly. However, the public did not witness An Xei’s eerie side, so they were quickly reassured by the explanations provided by Chu Huai and An Tyn.

“Take Ning Tianxing and the others for a thorough inspection, especially focusing on whether there’s anything strange inside their bodies!” Chu Rong ordered in a deep voice as he strode purposefully towards the meeting room, his expression as dark as a trench. 

He was certain that there was absolutely no possibility of a black hole teleportation device on An Xei’s person. So, the only possibility for An Xei’s escape today was that he had a black hole teleportation device implanted inside his body! And this device was hidden very deeply, so deep that it had completely evaded detection in previous inspections!

Fan Xiangnan hurriedly responded and asked with a worried frown, “Should we send people to reinforce security at the Chu family’s house?” He was standing not far from Chu Rong at the time and had also heard the threatening words spoken by An Xei.

Chu Rong paused, his demeanor growing even colder. He said, “Inform the old butler that starting today, the highest level of protection at the house must be active 24/7. Also, conduct another sweep of all the buildings, and deploy a team to patrol regularly.”

“Yes!”

As the meeting room was now within sight, Fan Xiangnan stopped in his tracks, while Chu Rong pushed open the door and strode in. He looked at Yuan Lie and He Hongjun, who were discussing something with serious expressions, and said, “Enhance the alert on all planets. Conduct another population census and planetary sweep. Notify the high-ranking officials of the Federation and members of all major families to gather at the Presidential Palace. I want to check if they have any mental locks in their minds! Also, deploy several more military units. Starting today, thoroughly inspect all the garbage planets in the Federation!”

Yuan Lie and He Hongjun hadn’t seen him this visibly irritable in a long time, realizing that his mood must be really bad right now. Without asking further questions, they got up, each attending to their tasks before dispersing. 

Qiao Zhiya, who was still at home, and the members of the major families soon received a notice to go to the Presidential Palace for inspection. Qiao Zhiya was a bit worried. He asked Gu Yan’an to take a coat and asked, “Are you sure you also want to participate?” 

He knew that there were more things for human females to be cautious about during pregnancy, especially regarding spiritual abilities. Checking for mental locks requires allowing someone else’s spiritual energy to enter one’s own spiritual sea, which carries certain risks.

Chu Yan furrowed his brow, packing the meal that hadn’t been eaten yet into a portion and placing it in thermos boxes. Shaking his head, he said, “Everyone has to undergo the check. Our family can’t make special arrangements. Let’s see how Dage and Erge arrange it; they have a sense of propriety.” 

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine. The Federation has policies to protect pregnant women.” Gu Yan’an finished putting on her coat and scarf, gently patting her stomach to reassure them, although her eyes also held a hint of concern.

Immediately after the trial, all governmental officials and extended family members of the major families were summoned, and the situation seemed less optimistic than expected.

After packing up, they hurriedly made their way to the Presidential Palace under the protection of Lin Zhen’s team. In the car, with the persuasion of Qiao Zhiya and Chu Yan, Gu Yan’an managed to eat a bit. However, her mood was still not good, so she ate very little.

On the way, they could see soldiers conducting emergency patrols in densely populated areas. Qiao Zhiya felt a bit uneasy seeing this and worried that Gu Yan’an might be anxious. However, he didn’t dare to show it, so he sat quietly, fidgeting with the thermos box, his expression tense.

The hover cars, each bearing the emblem of a major family, gradually arrived at the Presidential Palace. Their group arrived relatively late. When they entered the hall, it was already filled with people, and members from the Xiang and Wei families had almost all arrived.

The Presidential Palace had elevated its security to the highest level, and everyone entering underwent a thorough search of their belongings. Perhaps to prevent any potential hidden threats among them, people from all families were separated and placed under protection by soldiers according to their family units. This measure ensured that even if someone posed a threat, it wouldn’t lead to widespread turmoil.

As a pregnant woman, Gu Yan’an was escorted to a quieter second-floor lounge upon arrival, along with other pregnant women from different families. Chu Yan and Qiao Zhiya were worried and wanted to follow, but Gu Yan’an persuaded them to stay downstairs.

——They are counted as family members of the President. In this case, it was better not to do anything special, just go to the prescribed area and wait for the check.

The two returned to the lobby again. Qiao Zhiya couldn’t help but dial a communication to Chu Rong, but the call was transferred to Fan Xiangnan.

“Sir is in a meeting and can only come out later,” Fan Xiangnan explained with a whisper. The situation was not convenient to chat with. 

Qiao Zhiya understood, and told him a summary of his current situation. He mentioned that Gu Yan’an was separated and stayed alone in the lounge. 

Upon hearing this, Fan Xiangnan seemed to check something and then replied, “Don’t worry, the President and the Chief have already made arrangements. Zhuang Yu will come over to the lounge later to accompany the pregnant women, and Tan Shengwei’s squad has already rushed over to provide separate protection for them.”

Qiao Zhiya was relieved, and Chu Yan, who was listening to their conversation, also felt relieved. They sat comfortably in their seats waiting for the inspection to begin.

Compared to the bustling areas of other families with larger populations, the scene with just the two of them stood out conspicuously empty. Occasionally, people glanced at them with sympathetic and pitying looks, but the two of them paid no attention, engrossed in their own conversation.

In the sparsely populated area of the Yuan family, Yuan Xiu noticed Chu Rong and Qiao Zhiya as soon as he entered. He stepped forward to join them, eager to join in the conversation, but someone beat him to it—someone whose identity was quite surprising.

“Xiang Kun?”

He exclaimed in surprise, staring at the young man who had naturally sat down next to Chu Yan. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets — Chu Yan actually didn’t reject Xiang Kun’s approach! After glancing at Xiang Kun, he actually tacitly allowed him to sit beside him! There were no angry glares! No rolling up of sleeves in preparation for confrontation! No direct confrontation at all!

Actually, Xiang Kun sat beside him so peacefully, and spoke a few words in harmony with Xiang Kun!

Dear God! 

He raised his hand and covered his head, feeling that he probably ate something weird. He must be having some real vivid hallucinations right now. 

Even in the most bizarre dreams he had ever had, Chu Yan had never been this close to Xiang Kun. What was happening today? Had the Zergs eaten Chu Yan’s brain? Or had Yuan Xiu missed some crucial plot points of this “enemies to friends” drama?

When Xiang Kun stood up and walked towards their direction, Chu Yan noticed him. It was inevitable, given that the Chu and Xiang family areas were directly opposite each other. Plus, Xiang Kun wasn’t short and didn’t have a forgettable face. On the contrary, his appearance was quite deceptive and striking.

But he quickly looked away, pretending not to notice anything.

Since the war until now, he and Xiang Kun had never directly spoken or contacted each other. He wasn’t sure how to interact with the current Xiang Kun. He felt their relationship was neither that of enemies nor friends, making things awkward between them.

“The weapons I gave you last time were taken secretly from my home. In total, you owe me about 1 million.” 

Xiang Kun didn’t know the twists and turns in his heart. After sitting next to him, he opened his mouth and called debts. His face turned “ugly”.

Chu Yan, who had been talking to Qiao Zhiya with his head slightly tilted, paused upon hearing this, unable to maintain his calm demeanor. He turned his head, furrowing his brow as he glanced at the attire of Xiang Kun, who now looked like a professional Mecha Manufacturer in his work clothes. He grumbled, “You still want to collect money from me? Wasn’t that supposed to be your gift to me?”

He was so touched at the time too!

“When did I ever say that it was a gift for you? Even close friends keep accounts clear. Are we even friends?” Xiang Kun frowned as he retorted, his expression filled with unreasonable stubbornness and rogue-like demeanor, completely contrasting with the gentle aura he had gradually cultivated over the past year.

Chu Yan froze, and suddenly became angry. He shouted, “No! No money!”

“Your eldest brother is the president, and your second brother is a marshal. Are you really telling me you don’t have money?” Xiang Kun didn’t back down, pulling his hand out of his pocket and extending it towards Chu Yan with a debtor’s annoying expression on his face. He frowned and said, “Don’t try to dodge the issue, pay up!”

Chu Yan hit his palms with anger, raised his leg, and like a gangster uncle, lightly stomped Xiang Kun’s foot. He then turned his head, pretending not to hear anything, so he wouldn’t have to give anything. 

Xiang Kun was angry, and stretched his leg to step on him.

He stomped hard, making Chu Yan’s expression twist in pain. He turned to look at Xiang Kun, unable to believe it, and accused him, “I only used a fraction of my strength when I hit you, but you almost crushed me! Do we have some sort of grudge between us?!”

“Since when did we not!” Xiang Kun retracted his feet and glared harshly at Chu Yan. 

“…Fuck you!” Chu Yan exploded, the first time since a long while. 

Xiang Kun thought he was scolding himself and wanted to step on him again.

Chu Yan reached out and held his leg, glaring at him, “Don’t overdo it.”

“Who’s overdoing it here? Huh, want to fight? Don’t forget, your eldest brother is the president now. If you fight, you’ll be tarnishing his reputation! Tarnishing the Federation’s reputation!” Xiang Kun refused to back down, deliberately bringing his face closer, adopting a rogue-like demeanor as if to say, “Hit me, and watch how I’ll report you later.”

Qiao Zhiya watched in disbelief as the two grown-up, mature individuals suddenly regressed to childish bickering, almost on the verge of a fight. His gaze shifted back and forth between the two faces, and then, silently, he reached out and gently pushed Chu Yan forward.

Caught off guard by the sudden “attack” from behind, Chu Yan stumbled forward, lunging straight at Xiang Kun. The two of them then ended up embracing each other, face-to-face, horizontally. Both were wide-eyed and surprised.

“Boom!”

On the other side, Yuan Xiu, who had been sneakily eavesdropping, was shocked, his mouth gaping open, nearly falling off his chair. Then, Mrs. Yuan, who had long been displeased with his unruly behavior, smacked the back of his head, dragging him back and firmly pressing him back into his seat.

“Now you are good friends.”

Qiao Zhiya watched with satisfaction as the two of them stood there awkwardly embracing each other. He gently reached out and pulled Chu Yan up, then encouraged Chu Yan to help Xiang Kun to his feet. Then, he took out a box of snacks and said, “Stop fighting, let’s have some snacks together. Let’s all get along.”

Chu Yan awkwardly pulled Xiang Kun up, holding the snacks. His gaze inexplicably swept over Xiang Kun’s work clothes, feeling uncomfortable for a moment. He cleared his throat and extended his wrist, wearing the communicator. “How much did you say earlier? I’ll transfer it to you… You’re grown-up now, still picking fights with people. Your temper is really…”

“Slap!” 

Xiang Kun suddenly slapped away Chu Yan’s extended hand and threw the snacks into his arms. Standing up abruptly, he declared, “I don’t want it! Who needs your stinky money?” With that, he strode away with long strides.

Chu Yan glanced at his hand that had been slapped away and then at Xiang Kun’s retreating figure. The anger that had just subsided rushed back, and he felt the impulse to chase after him and beat him up like he used to. However, for some reason, his legs wouldn’t move. In the end, he angrily tore open the box of snacks and took a big bite, muttering, “What kind of person is he? Thinks he’s above everyone after a little success! With such a bad temper, no wonder he has no friends at school!”

“He had no friends at school?” Qiao Zhiya asked curiously.

Chu Yan rolled his eyes, completely losing his appetite due to anger. He spat out some crumbs of the snack while venting, “Before, he was surrounded by a bunch of sycophants from the Xiang family. Now, I don’t know what’s gotten into him, he went everywhere by himself now. Those friends of his are not real!” 

Qiao Zhiya silently estimated the distance between their school’s mecha manufacturing department to the mecha piloting department. With a gaze that seemed to say, “You poor thing.” he looked at Chu Yan, who was seething with anger. Then, he kindly handed him a bottle of water and signaled for a cleaning robot to come and sweep away the crumbs of the snack.

‘The two departments were in different buildings, and were quite far away from each other. But still, he could pay attention to Xiang Kun’s friendship situation. Xiao Yan and Xiang Kun really have a good relationship, ah.’ 

Feeling quite content, Chu Yan’s lips curled upwards slightly. He glanced towards Xiang Kun, who had already returned to the Xiang family’s area and sat back next to Xiang Jing. His expression had reverted to the emotionless demeanor that had been common over the past year. Furrowing his brow, Qiao Zhiya was about to divert his attention back to Chu Yan and suggest he go and check on Xiang Kun again, when he noticed Xiang Hui sitting alone in the corner with his head bowed.

In memory, Xiang Hui always maintained the facade of the perfect heir of a Great Family, carrying himself with poise and ensuring he appeared flawless in the eyes of others, never making mistakes. However, today, he seemed peculiar. In this gathering of federal elites and members of various major families, he not only refrained from engaging with others but also sat alone in the corner, head bowed, appearing as though he had no desire to interact with anyone.

Quite odd. 

“What happened?”

Chu Yan went on a long tirade about Xiang Kun’s faults but received no response. He turned his head to find Qiao Zhiya seemingly lost in thought, following his gaze in confusion. Just then, he caught Xiang Kun’s gaze, prompting him to glare back with fury.

Xiang Kun saw this. After a momentary hesitation, he averted his gaze. 

‘How dare you provoke me with your eyes?’

Chu Yan grinded his teeth, and wanted to roll up his sleeve. 

Qiao Zhiya was evoked by Chu Yan’s words, glanced at Xiang Hui again, shook his head and said nothing, but left a little attention there.