After returning to the capital star, Ye Xian was taken to the same interrogation room where Chu Yunsheng was.
However, since the evidence was not yet conclusive, Ye Xian could only be classified as a suspect, so his communication freedom was not restricted, although he was under a certain level of surveillance.
But even so, given Ye Xian’s status, he still had a lot of room to maneuver.
The Presidential Palace and the Marshal’s office both made it clear that they wanted to distance themselves from him, and the main Ye family was in turmoil, with a group of patriotic clansmen clashing with those demanding the abolition of ancestral precepts.
Ye Xian had already given up seeking help from these three parties.
He stayed in the interrogation room for an entire day, contacting many old subordinates.
The conversations were not explicit, just reminiscing about old times, so even if they were being monitored, there would be no incriminating evidence. However, those who were supposed to receive his hints did receive them.
Ye Xian was selfish but very good at disguising it, so over time, he managed to win over many people, preparing them to speak up for him at the inquiry. But this alone was not enough. Ye Xian needed another major event to divert the public’s attention.
From a certain perspective, the issue was that the public pressure on the government and the military was too great. Coupled with the onset of war, the entire Federation was on edge, which was why his matter was being treated so seriously.
Ye Xian pondered the idea of using a diversionary tactic and, after much thought, suddenly thought of Ye Qing.
“Ye Qing?”
The secretary who received the communication looked shocked.
Under surveillance, Ye Xian sighed deeply, “It’s my fault for not disciplining this child properly… Back then, he met Chu Yunsheng once outside and cried and begged to marry him. I couldn’t refuse him, so I agreed, but I never expected Chu Yunsheng to treat him this way!”
The secretary was all too familiar with Ye Xian’s skill at changing his expression. Since Ye Xian had not yet fallen, and the secretary still relied on his salary to support his family, he cooperated fully and sighed, “General, this illness is not your fault… But what do you mean by this…”
The secretary was puzzled, “I remember Chu Yunsheng was quite protective of the young master.”
Ye Xian gritted his teeth and said angrily, “Protective? He was using my son, making him wholeheartedly become his experimental subject!”
After shouting in anger, Ye Xian took a deep breath and calmed his tone, “That child is a beta, and he once used simulated pheromone drugs. His health has never been good; even a bit of wind would make him sick. How could he possibly have the ability to control a mecha and defeat so many excellent alpha mecha warriors now?”
“He has never been in contact with mechas, nor has he trained from a young age like Wenshu, enduring so much hardship… Tell me, other than being used as an experimental subject for that pheromone stripping agent, is there any other way he could have achieved all this?”
Ye Xian lowered his voice, seemingly worried, “The method for making the pheromone stripping drug has been made public, but only the final product is available, and the research process is missing. Where can those research processes be found? Only from the experimental subjects… I am genuinely worried about him…”
“That child has always been used.”
Hearing this, the secretary, who had been somewhat puzzled, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
He looked at Ye Xian’s face, which had become haggard and weary over the past two days, yet still appeared honest and upright, and felt a deep sense of unease.
In a communication where the conversation could be monitored at any time, Ye Xian’s intention was all too clear by revealing such a matter. He was essentially telling the Federation’s research institutes that Ye Qing was the successful living experiment of h617. Rather than sending him to the battlefield as an uncertain pawn, it would be better to send him to the research institute for thorough study.
As the first human in the Federation, or even the entire interstellar space, to be successfully modified by h617, Ye Qing would undoubtedly attract a great deal of public attention and focus.
As for Ye Xian selling out his son—
He had always presented himself as a concerned and caring father, hadn’t he?
Even though he had followed Ye Xian for many years and knew what kind of superior Ye Xian was, the secretary still felt an overwhelming sense of disgust and revulsion. Even a dog would develop some feelings after more than twenty years, let alone the fact that Ye Xian owed Ye Qing. But now, at such a critical moment, he still did not forget to exploit and frame the child he had long abandoned.
The secretary was well aware of what fate would await Ye Qing if this matter truly escalated. Individual power was always insignificant in the face of the state machinery.
The secretary had watched Ye Qing grow up and could not bear to see the child, whose life had already been nearly ruined, suffer any further. So, he tried to steady his voice and said, “I am also very worried about these matters, General, but as long as the young master is an exceptionally skilled mecha warrior and gunner, as long as he demonstrates extraordinary value on the battlefield, then even if there are madmen in the research institute, they would not dare to do anything harmful to the young master.”
“Moreover, the Federation respects the rights of every citizen…”
Ye Xian still maintained the expression of a weary and concerned father, but his tone suddenly turned cold, “Is that so? Is that what you believe? Perhaps.”
The secretary’s expression froze, and he immediately fell silent.
It must be said that although Ye Xian often came up with foolish ideas, this conversation just so happened to be overheard by the Federation’s high-ranking officials.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Just as the Federation was hesitating about whether to send someone to recall and protect Ye Qing, a triumphant report arrived from the front lines—Ye Qing, upon arriving near the battlefield of Falcon Star, was conscripted to fight in a sudden skirmish.
This small-scale battle resulted in a complete and overwhelming victory. Ye Qing’s performance was exceptionally brilliant; he single-handedly took down an Imperial squad, not only securing victory but also seizing an important stronghold in the process.
Countless beta warriors were inspired and invigorated by this, their morale soaring.
With the arrival of this news, the decision to “recall and protect Ye Qing” was completely shelved.
At this time, what the Federation needed most were heroes and high morale.
When Chu Yunsheng arrived at the fifth stronghold near Falcon Star, the celebration of the small-scale battle victory had already ended simply and quickly.
During wartime, alcohol was prohibited, so the area around the bonfire and tents was littered with various beverage bottles.
The night was deep, with stars and the moon shining together.
Heavy mechas were lined up in formation, patrolling the perimeter of the camp.
From the center of the camp came a cacophony of off-key singing and scolding shouts. Many mechanics, sweating profusely and with flushed faces, were repairing mechas damaged in the battle, while the mecha warriors nearby trained and chatted, holding beverage bottles.
In the distance, a small fleet signaled and landed, causing the camp to fall silent immediately.
“Which unit is that?”
“Coming over at this time… are they reinforcements?”
The soldiers exchanged glances, speculating and discussing among themselves.
The sentry verified the signal, and the guards outside approached, quickly opening the base gates to welcome the small fleet inside.
Chu Yunsheng followed the fleet’s commander off the warship and exchanged a few brief pleasantries with the base’s person in charge before immediately getting to the point.
“Second Lieutenant Su?”
The base commander, a major, immediately understood Chu Yunsheng’s question and laughed heartily, “You must be Chu Yunsheng, right? Lieutenant General Wang Qu mentioned you. We at the fifth stronghold warmly welcome you! Alright, go ahead, Second Lieutenant Su was just over there. You young people should get together.”
Ye Qing had changed his surname upon enlisting, reverting to the name Su Qing, so the officers and soldiers here referred to him as Second Lieutenant Su.
“Thank you, sir.”
Chu Yunsheng nodded apologetically and quickly walked into the camp amidst the teasing laughter of the two majors.
Many resting mecha warriors in the camp cautiously eyed him, their gazes falling upon him.
Chu Yunsheng glanced around briefly but did not see any familiar faces. He then casually stopped a mecha warrior and politely asked, “Hello, could you tell me where Second Lieutenant Su is?”
The tall and burly mecha warrior was taken aback, “The lieutenant colonel is looking for Second Lieutenant Su?”
“I’m looking for him.”
Chu Yunsheng replied succinctly.
Before they could even get to the introductions, as they were strangers to each other, the mecha warrior blurted out, “Who are you, and why are you looking for Second Lieutenant Su?”
Chu Yunsheng replied, “I am his partner. Where did he go?”
The warrior was momentarily stunned and instinctively answered, “I think he went to the small grove for a break…”
“Thank you.”
Chu Yunsheng politely thanked him and walked briskly and confidently towards the small grove on the outskirts of the camp.
In such a rudimentary frontline base, the camp’s facilities were comparable to those of ancient Earth, without even a mobile toilet. During military campaigns, such conditions couldn’t be prioritized, so many soldiers resolved their needs in the nearby small grove.
As Chu Yunsheng’s figure receded and gradually disappeared into the shadows of the night forest, several soldiers nearby leaped forward and grabbed the mecha warrior.
“Quick, quick, what did that handsome guy say to you?”
“Is he part of the reinforcements? Or did he come to deliver supplies? Are there any meat or vegetables in the supplies…”
The mecha warrior snapped back to reality, instantly feeling as if a hundred sparrows were chirping in his ears, nearly driving him mad.
Unable to bear it any longer, he shouted, “I don’t know if there’s meat or vegetables! He said he’s Second Lieutenant Su’s partner!”
His loud voice instantly echoed through the center of the camp.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and, after a moment of exchanging bewildered glances, someone incredulously muttered in a dreamlike tone, “Even the Demon King Su has someone who loves him…”
The soldiers’ faces were filled with incredulous expressions.
As the newly appointed squad leader, Ye Qing was difficult for the soldiers of this squad to accept.
Due to years of enduring the bloodshed of the front lines, the soldiers from the outer rim star systems inherently looked down on the young soldiers from the capital star. Especially since Ye Qing was a beta, even though he had achieved excellent results in military exercise mecha battles, it was hard for him to win their respect.
But whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, on Ye Qing’s first day at the fifth stronghold in the outer rim star system, he encountered the Imperial army. It was a completely unprepared skirmish.
The Imperial army had superior numbers compared to the squad at the Federation’s fifth stronghold. The squad at the fifth stronghold had already endured a grueling battle and lacked the strength for further combat. Everyone believed that this battle was a sure defeat.
However, Ye Qing, piloting a deep blue mecha, drew his gun and cannon and charged straight towards the enemy forces.
The members of the fifth stronghold squad could hardly believe their eyes, thinking that Ye Qing, this reckless newcomer, was heading to his death.
But as the first cannon shot rang out, Ye Qing’s clear and calm voice simultaneously appeared on the communication channel: “Enemy mecha count is forty-eight, left flank is weak. Long-range units, focus your attack here. Close combat units, follow me. Let’s take down their commander.”
The voice was young and immature, but at such a critical moment, its absolute firmness and commanding tone made all the squad members instinctively follow his orders.
To take the enemy commander’s head amidst thousands of troops.
This was something akin to a fairy tale in interstellar warfare.
Yet, it happened right before the eyes of all the soldiers in the fifth stronghold squad.
It was both an opportunity and a danger; Ye Qing risked his life to achieve instant fame.
As the red mecha bearing the Imperial insignia wobbled and fell, its cockpit completely caved in and blood flowing out, the deep blue mecha was also riddled with holes, unable to even maintain its basic light shield.
But even so, the deep blue mecha stubbornly led the squad, clearing out all the remaining enemies.
The steel behemoths lay dead in the wilderness, and the crimson blood soaked the withered yellow grass.
Ye Qing jumped out of the mecha cockpit, removing his helmet as he calmly and indifferently said, “Hello everyone, I am Su Qing. Second Lieutenant, and your squad leader.”
Amidst the lingering bloodshed, Ye Qing’s handsome face and his starkly contrasting tough and formidable combat style left an indelible impression on all the members of the fifth stronghold squad.
Moreover, during the three to four days it took to return to the stronghold, Ye Qing fully leveraged the residual momentum from the battle. He demonstrated an excellent training style that, in the chaos of mecha combat, pushed the soldiers and mechanics to their limits without breaking them, improving the squad’s training methods along the way. This rigorous training left the soldiers and mechanics utterly exhausted, wishing they could be reborn on the spot.
Thus, Ye Qing was quietly given the nickname “Demon King Su.”
In the imaginations of all the members of the fifth stronghold squad, Ye Qing was the kind of madman who only had combat on his mind and wouldn’t be distracted by anything else.
But to their utter surprise, the Demon King Su was actually married, and his partner was a very assertive-looking alpha.
The group of bumpkins from the outer rim star systems, who never went online, were all dying of curiosity. They gathered together, as if their hearts were being scratched by cat claws, and sneakily stared in the direction of the small grove.
In the small grove, Chu Yunsheng had already spotted Ye Qing, who had just finished fastening his belt and was tidying up his clothes.
Chu Yunsheng looked at that figure, his lips slowly curling into a smile. As Ye Qing turned around, Chu Yunsheng took a black velvet ring box out of his pocket.
Ye Qing was stunned, his eyes slowly widening in disbelief.
“Wedding rings.”
Chu Yunsheng lowered his eyes and opened the ring box, revealing two identical platinum rings inside. “Even though we’ve been together for a long time, I feel I still need to say this— I love you. Happy wedding.”
Ye Qing snapped back to reality and, in a swift motion, rushed into Chu Yunsheng’s arms.
Chu Yunsheng firmly caught him, swiftly slipping one ring onto Ye Qing’s finger while handing the other ring to Ye Qing.
Ye Qing took it, his eyes slightly reddening, his expression a bit complex. Slowly, he put the ring on Chu Yunsheng’s finger and, somewhat embarrassed but straightforward, said, “Chu-ge, put me down. You scared me, and now I need to go again…”
Chu Yunsheng didn’t let go but instead asked, “Where’s your mecha?”
“Just outside the grove. There aren’t enough mechanics, so I’m repairing it myself.”
Ye Qing answered, still puzzled, and then saw Chu Yunsheng, with remarkable strength, lift him like a child and head towards the mostly repaired deep blue mecha.
The two entered the mecha, and Ye Qing was pressed down onto the seat. As the door of the mecha cockpit slowly closed, Chu Yunsheng’s voice faintly sounded, “Hold it for a while; I’ve heard it feels better that way.”
Ye Qing was stunned: “…”
Chu-ge’s pace is as fast as ever.
No sound or movement could be heard from the tightly sealed mecha cockpit.
The moonlight, like a white ribbon, softly enveloped the towering metal figure.
After about three or four hours, the metal figure trembled slightly and slowly moved, walking to the entrance of a tent at the edge of the camp.
Chu Yunsheng jumped down first, then lowered the hoisting rope and caught Ye Qing as he leaped down.
Ye Qing clung to Chu Yunsheng’s back, not getting off. His face, still flushed, had eyes slightly lowered as he hoarsely said, “Carry me, Chu-ge. The place you bit really hurts…”
“Alright.”
Chu Yunsheng carried him into the tent, navigating in the dark to place Ye Qing on the camp bed. He then raised his hand to hold the back of Ye Qing’s neck and leaned down to kiss him.
The lingering waves of passion were still present.
Ye Qing proactively opened his mouth to receive, his loosely worn military uniform slowly slipping open, revealing a body marked with deep and shallow bite marks, from which tiny beads of blood seeped, spreading a decadent hue across his lean and muscular frame.
The sweet and soft lips and tongue entwined like melted sugar threads, once sucked into the mouth, were hard to let go.
Chu Yunsheng slowly leaned down, and Ye Qing’s breathing quickened, “Chu-ge…”
“Mhm.”
An intimate and gentle comfort.
Ye Qing and Chu Yunsheng squeezed together on a narrow camp bed, kissing deeply and lingeringly, their noses touching.
As they pulled apart, Ye Qing whispered, “Chu-ge, I didn’t expect you to come… The battlefield is not a good place, but I missed you a lot.”
Ye Qing’s voice was soft. He reached out to embrace Chu Yunsheng, slowly closed his eyes, and buried his face in Chu Yunsheng’s neck, his slightly arched back beginning to tremble slightly.
“I’ve killed many people, Chu-ge.”
Chu Yunsheng didn’t speak; he just quietly combed through Ye Qing’s disheveled black hair with his fingers.
In this world, there were no gods of war born strong. War could destroy beliefs, erode humanity, and no one gets accustomed to the smell and feel of blood.
Ah, to be young.
Why doesn’t the author change Ye Qing’s surname to Su?