Picking Up An Alpha On Garbage Star - Chapter 57

In the middle of the night, someone knocked on the door. Pei An got up, draped in a coat, and opened the door to find Lin Bieyan standing outside with a tense expression, accompanied by a despondent Antonio.

 

“President Pei, many of those soldiers have gone mad, with pheromones flying everywhere. We didn’t dare to act without authorization, so we came to disturb you,” Lin Bieyan said softly, “Sorry.”

 

Pei An glanced at Antonio. In less than a day, the soldiers who hadn’t used “sedatives” couldn’t hold on any longer. Antonio must be regretting it now.

 

“Let’s go and see what’s happening.” Pei An put on his coat, grabbed his intelligent brain, and stepped out.

 

“There are a total of 238 soldiers in quarantine. Originally, each should have had a separate room for isolation, but the base didn’t have enough rooms, so we added temporary partitions to separate each room,” Lin Bieyan explained while leading the way.

 

Lin Bieyan’s attention to detail was evident. These individuals addicted to drugs were not ordinary people but soldiers, most of whom were alphas. This meant that when they went berserk, it wasn’t just a clash of mental forces but also of pheromones.

 

Pheromones are one of the primitive fighting methods of the alpha gender. Under the crushing influence of drug addiction, they couldn’t control their pheromones. Countless pheromones clashed and collided, turning the place into a giant brawl of wild beasts.

 

Pei An’s strong mental perception filled him with infinite compassion for these struggling soldiers. Despite their hands and feet being tied and their mouths gagged to prevent self-harm, their painful whimpers were relentless. Hearing these sounds along the way made him almost feel like flaying Nakashima Dahui alive.

 

Humans should not be tormented like this.

 

Especially not soldiers.

 

“President Pei, the base’s purification system is running at full capacity, and we’ve sprayed blocking mist through the air ducts, but the effect is minimal,” Lin Bieyan said, frowning as she injected herself with a suppressant. Too many pheromones gathered together affected even her self-control.

 

Her biological instincts roared at her to beat these foolish challengers into submission. However, Pei An remained unaffected, standing firm despite the chaotic pheromone assault.

 

Lin Bieyan thought Pei An was like a solid rock.

 

“Mr. Pei, is there really no way to alleviate their pain?” Antonio looked at his subordinates with pity, pleading, “Whatever it takes to ease their suffering, I’m willing to do it.”

 

Pei An was noncommittal. Antonio wasn’t a bad person, but drug rehabilitation couldn’t be easy.

 

“Medication can help,” Pei An said honestly, without hiding the truth.

 

“Then why not give them the medication?” Antonio asked. Wouldn’t it relieve their pain?

 

Pei An turned his head, looking at Antonio with cold indifference.

 

Antonio had many questions, wanting to know what it would take to get medication for them, but Pei An’s heavy gaze silenced him.

 

“Because they are soldiers,” Pei An replied, his eyes returning to the soldiers biting their gags and struggling.

 

If these addicts were civilians, Pei An would have had no hesitation in procuring detoxification drugs. However, they were soldiers, including officers with the rank of captain.

 

Soldiers must maintain their combat capabilities and cannot afford to use large amounts of medication in a short period. Furthermore, the fact that none of them realized they weren’t experiencing mental power issues but drug addiction was concerning. Long-term use of sedatives without noticing something was wrong was even more troubling.

 

Antonio’s leadership skills were questionable, as were his soldiers’. As the mobile operations of the Eight Great Army Corps approached, taking such troops to the battlefield would be sending them to their deaths.

 

It was better to let them learn a hard lesson now.

 

Yes, it was cruel, but joining the military meant facing countless cruelties for a lifetime.

 

Through the transparent glass, Pei An calmly observed the soldiers, who hurt themselves and others due to intense pain.

 

Regardless of the reasons, these people could no longer stay in the military. If the military department investigated thoroughly, their experiences would be permanently recorded. If the department was lenient, they might get an early retirement.

 

“Colonel Lin, inform everyone not to administer any medication without my orders,” Pei An commanded sternly.

 

Unlike Antonio, Lin Bieyan had no objections to Pei An’s orders.

 

She simply replied, “Yes.”

 

Antonio had expected Pei An to help but was shocked by his unwavering calm in the face of such suffering.

 

Just then, Lin Bieyan received a message from Lika: “President Pei, Lika has captured Nakashima Dahui and is on the way to the base.”

 

Unable to bear the situation, Antonio seized this excuse to leave hurriedly: “I’ll go to the spaceport to meet Colonel Lika.”

 

He intended to ask Nakashima Dahui why he did this.

 

Lika had swiftly captured Nakashima Dahui from the 134th Corps and was returning to the base, knowing they could extract crucial information from him.

 

“Luckily, Pei An is generous and provided enough energy oil for the jump,” Lika commented, still floating in space.

 

Their sale of beauty had indeed paid off!

 

After Antonio left, Pei An prepared for a massive mental force storm.

 

Even the most frenzied mental forces would be subdued under immense pressure, temporarily dormant. Pei An seized this moment of dormancy to forcefully integrate his mental force into the minds of over 200 soldiers, spreading it instantly.

 

Lin Bieyan watched Pei An in astonishment.

 

Pei An conveyed his message through mental force.

 

**”You are the finest soldiers.”**

 

**”You will overcome this small difficulty, won’t you?”**

 

Over 200 people quieted down at the same time, as if the previous screams and despair had never happened.

 

They were the best soldiers, and the best soldiers wouldn’t be easily defeated. Instead, they would conquer all difficulties.

 

Immediately, the confused crowd quieted down. They no longer exposed their suffering for everyone to see but gritted their teeth and swallowed it.

 

When Pei An withdrew his mental force, he staggered slightly. Lin Bieyan reached out to support him, but he waved her off: “I’m fine, just a bit tired.”

 

Simultaneously applying mental suggestions to over 200 soldiers with strong mental powers wasn’t easy. He had never attempted such a large-scale effort before. After this attempt, Pei An found that using mental power as a weapon in combat was more enjoyable.

 

Even though Pei An said he was fine, Lin Bieyan couldn’t help but worry: “Shall I take you back to rest? Lika and I can handle Nakashima Dahui.”

 

Pei An smiled: “Alright.” He often did mentally exhausting tasks, and if he didn’t rest properly, Lika would certainly complain to Xie Yu.

 

Knowing that both of them couldn’t relax, they still hoped each other could live easily and joyfully.

 

Lin Bieyan escorted Pei An back and glanced back before closing the quarantine gate.

 

The longer she spent with Pei An, the more attractive qualities she discovered in him.

 

No wonder so many talented young people followed Pei An, who, despite his youth, had already secured the top position. He was truly exceptional.

 

With Pei An’s mental suggestion, the first ordeal soon passed, and the exhausted individuals fell asleep, filled with fatigue.

 

After they closed their eyes, some quietly brought water and food, while others carried blankets and pillows, entering each quarantine room. They placed the water and food properly, made beds on the floor, untied the restrained individuals, and tucked them all into the blankets.

 

“Claude, you’re really generous,” someone muttered softly. “There’s only so much instant-heating food, and you brought it all out.”

 

Claude scratched his thick blond hair: “It’s nothing.” It was just a few boxes of instant-heating food; they could always buy more next time they had a chance to go to the surface.

 

After doing all this, everyone quietly withdrew. Their entry and exit transformed the quarantine rooms.

 

These people would sleep in warm but not soft beds, then wake up to drink water and eat. Then they would wait quietly. The next time the withdrawal symptoms hit, they would need to be tied up again.

 

It was a torturous process.

 

But someone made it a little less unbearable.

 

…

 

When Lika brought Nakashima Dahui back to the base, Antonio was the first to rush over.

 

Antonio grabbed Nakashima Dahui by the collar, his eyes bloodshot: “Nakashima Dahui! Why did you harm my subordinates?”

 

It was Nakashima Dahui who deceived him, telling him not to go to the hospital and to use sedatives instead. If not for Nakashima Dahui, his hundreds of men wouldn’t have to endure this torment.

 

Nakashima Dahui had always looked down on Antonio. Even as a prisoner, he still despised Antonio.

 

“Antonio, if you weren’t so weak, incompetent, and indecisive, how could you have been swayed by my few words?” Nakashima Dahui sneered. “Don’t blame everything on me. You’re the one responsible for today’s mess, playing the victim.”

 

Antonio’s eyes reddened further, and he punched Nakashima Dahui hard, landing squarely on his left cheek.

 

Nakashima Dahui’s face swelled from Antonio’s punch, but he didn’t get angry. Instead, the mockery on his face grew stronger.

 

“Look at you, flying into a rage out of humiliation.”

 

Antonio wanted to punch Daiki Nakashima again.

 

“Major Antonio.” Lika stepped out, wearing knee-high military boots. “He’s my prisoner.”

 

“What are you doing? When I told you to catch him, you hesitated. Now that I’ve brought him in, you suddenly got brave, huh?”

 

Lika was never one to be messed with, and seeing Antonio act like this made her want to roll her eyes even more. “This is the base of the 258th Legion. Don’t cause any trouble here.”

 

Antonio’s hand withdrew, and he stepped back under the mocking gaze of Daiki Nakashima.

 

Lika didn’t particularly like Antonio, but she liked Daiki Nakashima even less. Seeing Nakashima with that smug look, she kicked him directly.

 

Antonio’s knee was struck by Lika’s sudden kick, causing him to kneel immediately.

 

“Anyone who didn’t know better might think you went back home,” Lika said, patting her long boots with satisfaction.

 

Daiki Nakashima was kicked to the ground by Lika, and he turned his fierce gaze towards her.

 

Lika clicked her tongue and kicked him again. “What are you staring at, huh?”

 

This shameless traitor still had the nerve to look at her?

 

Antonio: “…” So, I’m not allowed to fight, but the 258th Legion members can?

 

Sure enough, they were soldiers from the Third Corps, with the same bandit-like demeanor.

 

Daiki Nakashima was nearly flipped over by Lika’s kick. He ground his teeth. “Colonel Lika, no matter how arrogant you are today, you’ll still die one day.”

 

Lika didn’t like hearing that. It’s true that everyone dies, but it shouldn’t come from Nakashima’s mouth.

 

“Don’t worry. No matter what, I’ll outlive you,” Lika said, grabbing Nakashima by the collar and dragging him to a heavily armed hovercar, shoving him inside.

 

As soon as Nakashima was inside the hovercar, soldiers cuffed his hands and feet with high-voltage restraints. If he dared to move, he’d be electrocuted.

 

“Colonel Lika, you’re going to interrogate Daiki Nakashima, right? Can I request to be present?” Antonio blocked Lika before she got in the car.

 

Lika pushed Antonio aside with one hand. “This is the 258th Legion’s territory. It’s best for someone from the Eighth Corps to stay out.”

 

With that, Lika got into the hovercar and ordered to drive away, leaving Antonio standing there awkwardly with just a trail of exhaust fumes.

 

Antonio stood there, feeling extremely awkward.

 

Lin Bieyan met with Lika in the interrogation room to hand over Daiki Nakashima.

 

“This Daiki Nakashima is a fanatical believer with a strong will. He’s not easy to deal with,” Lika said, having already figured out some of Nakashima’s character on the way.

 

Lin Bieyan wiped a syringe with an alcohol swab. “No matter how tough he is, I’ll make him talk today.”

 

Undoubtedly, having Pei An directly use his mental powers to influence Daiki Nakashima would be the most efficient and quick method. However, Pei An was already exhausted from mentally influencing over two hundred people. He couldn’t be overworked any further, as he had countless tasks ahead of him. It wasn’t worth wasting precious time on someone like Daiki Nakashima.

 

Besides, if they couldn’t handle this, it would be a disgrace to their commander and the 258th Legion.

 

As part of Xie Yu’s trusted forces, they couldn’t allow such a thing to happen.

 

“Fine, you handle the interrogation. I’m going to catch up on some sleep.” Lika knew that both Lin Bieyan and Zhuge Yue were the type to appear friendly on the surface but be extremely calculating underneath. She was well aware of Lin Bieyan’s interrogation methods, and her presence wasn’t needed here.

 

Lin Bieyan instructed, “Tomorrow, after you wake up, prepare breakfast for General Pei and deliver it to his room.”

 

Lika gave an “OK” sign. Since she was used to supervising Pei An’s meals on the Changyuan, this was second nature to her.

 

Pei An returned to his room, using Xie Yu’s old pillow and blanket, and quickly fell asleep.

 

The next day, he woke up to the sunlight from the stars, washed up, changed, and opened the door, only to bump into Lika holding a tray.

 

“Good morning, General Pei!” Lika flashed a big smile and handed the tray to Pei An. “Have breakfast first. Don’t rush into work.”

 

Pei An reluctantly took the breakfast back into his room, sat at the table, and invited Lika in to sit for a while.

 

Lika declined repeatedly, joking that she wouldn’t dare be alone in Xie Yu’s room with his boyfriend, even with the door open. That would surely get her into trouble.

 

A smart alpha wouldn’t do something so foolish.

 

“I won’t sit. I’m going to check on the interrogation.” Lika was still keen on extracting useful information from Daiki Nakashima.

 

Pei An nodded and didn’t insist. He focused on his breakfast, thinking about visiting the interrogation room himself afterward.

 

Daiki Nakashima didn’t hold a high position in the military, only a captain, even lower than Antonio’s rank. Therefore, Nakashima couldn’t be the mastermind behind the fake sedative incident but rather a follower of someone else’s orders.

 

In any case, managing to get a batch of problematic sedatives into the military involved more communication than with fuel oil. Nakashima, a mere pawn, represented an unknown faction.

 

If Nakashima represented an internal faction within the Lite Empire, the consequences wouldn’t be too severe—political maneuvering without going too far.

 

The real concern was if the mastermind behind this incident wasn’t from within the Lite Empire.

 

Pei An pondered this, speeding up his meal. He quickly finished breakfast and sent a message to Lika, stating his intention to visit the interrogation room.

 

“Mop the floor! Quickly!”

 

“Spray some air freshener!”

 

“Get all this stuff put away!”

 

Lika directed the team to thoroughly clean the blood-stained interrogation room. Jokingly, she thought, what would happen if Pei An saw the real state of their interrogation room?

 

Lin Bieyan remained calm, “I’ve already had someone give Daiki Nakashima a hemostatic agent. The necessary areas are covered up, so General Pei shouldn’t notice anything.”

 

After all, they were under the banner of the regular army. Doing such things was disgraceful if word got out.

 

Fortunately, Pei An hadn’t arrived at the interrogation room yet; otherwise, they could discuss it with him.

 

Who would speak nicely to bandits and thieves?

 

After the cleanup, Pei An entered the interrogation room, catching a faint scent of blood. He looked around and saw that it was spotless, almost as if the room had been completely refurbished. Lin Bieyan and her team’s cleaning speed was impressive.

 

“General Pei,” Lin Bieyan greeted, holding several sheets of paper. “The interrogation of Daiki Nakashima isn’t going very smoothly.”

 

Pei An didn’t take the papers. They contained logical deductions based on Daiki Nakashima’s confessions, meaning it was only conjecture, not necessarily the truth. Daiki Nakashima was indeed difficult to deal with.

 

“What has he confessed?” Pei An asked as he walked.

 

Lin Bieyan replied, “Daiki Nakashima claims he doesn’t know who his superior is. Whenever there’s a task, his superior contacts him; he can’t reach out to them and has never even met them. This time, the task to induce Antonio to use the sedatives was conveyed unilaterally by his superior.”

 

“Daiki Nakashima knows more than that. He’s not surprised by Antonio’s current situation,” Pei An stated confidently. Daiki Nakashima clearly knew much more and was fully aware he would end up in this position.

 

“I will continue the interrogation until he reveals everything,” Lin Bieyan assured.

 

Pei An considered, “That might take too long. Let me handle it.”

 

A person might withstand physical torment but not necessarily mental anguish. This was why many alphas found themselves in agony during susceptibility periods, often needing isolation.

 

If Daiki Nakashima were merely a beta, it wouldn’t be so challenging, but he happened to be an alpha.

 

Lin Bieyan understood, “General Pei, this way.” Fortunately, she had administered the hemostatic agent to Daiki Nakashima earlier. Otherwise, Pei An would see a blood-soaked Daiki Nakashima.

 

The soldiers saluted as the door to Daiki Nakashima’s cell opened, and Pei An and Lin Bieyan entered.

 

Daiki Nakashima was bound with high-strength iron chains and a ten-digit combination lock.

 

Upon seeing Lin Bieyan again, Daiki Nakashima actually smiled, “What’s this, Colonel Lin? Are you planning to seduce me?”

 

Lin Bieyan stood half a step behind Pei An, making it clear to any observer what this implied. Daiki Nakashima’s deliberate misinterpretation was an attempt to provoke Lin Bieyan.

 

“Using a seduction tactic on an ugly bastard like you would be an insult to the beauty involved,” Pei An calmly remarked.

 

Lin Bieyan almost choked. Daiki Nakashima’s face darkened at Pei An’s retort.

 

“This lovely gentleman, if your mouth were used for kissing instead of talking, it would be much better,” Daiki Nakashima said, flippantly.

 

Pei An touched his lips and smiled lightly, “Unfortunately, the only one who can kiss me is Xie Yu.”

 

Lin Bieyan: “…” Was this a display of affection?

 

It did feel strange…

 

After all, Daiki Nakashima had been lurking in the army for many years; he couldn’t possibly be unaware of who Xie Yu was. As soon as Pei An mentioned it, Nakashima couldn’t hold back.

 

“So, you’re Xie Yu’s lover,” he sneered, his words as unpleasant as possible.

 

Pei An didn’t mind. He flexed his wrist and slowly approached, saying, “Keep cursing all you want. I hope you’ll still be able to curse in a moment.”

 

With that, he placed a hand on Daiki Nakashima’s head, and his mental power poured in like a torrential downpour.

 

Daiki Nakashima didn’t even have a chance to scream before Pei An’s mental power invaded his brain.

 

Unlike when he infiltrated the Longgang base alone and needed to leave himself an escape route, now Pei An was in the 258th Legion’s base, surrounded by loyal soldiers of both his and Xie Yu’s, numbering in the tens of thousands. Even a mosquito couldn’t escape after biting him here.

 

So Pei An freely unleashed his mental power.

 

He directly extracted Daiki Nakashima’s memories.

 

Under Pei An’s influence, Daiki Nakashima could no longer be defiant. He slumped, unable to utter any more insulting words.

 

Within Nakashima’s vast sea of memories, Pei An found what he was looking for.

 

…

 

The universe was a place of boundless darkness interspersed with flickering lights. Where the light could not reach, shadows thrived.

 

Daiki Nakashima encountered the rebels while traveling with his parents. The rebels used missiles to blow up their small civilian spacecraft. Nakashima’s parents, in their dying moments, fastened an oxygen mask to his face.

 

Nakashima watched his parents and the other passengers close their eyes, then he was rescued by passing space pirates and taken back to their hideout.

 

The space pirates told Nakashima they didn’t keep idlers. To get nutrient fluids and survive, he had to prove his worth. Thus, as a child, Nakashima started learning things no child his age would normally learn, competing with other children in tests every few days, and facing annual exams. Those who failed were taken away by the pirates.

 

Nakashima never knew where the failed children went. He only knew he didn’t want to die, so he pushed himself harder each day, frantically studying, watching child after child being taken away.

 

Three years later, Nakashima was sent to another place, hidden deep within the boundless universe, a place impossible to find without a guide. There, he saw a familiar face.

 

This familiar person had boarded his family’s ship three years prior, shooting all the still-living passengers, sparing only a few young children.

 

Nakashima had been one of those spared.

 

There was never any luck involved; his survival was intentional on the other side’s part.

 

They let them live, rescued them, and trained them. Nakashima, not being foolish, realized that everything he had gone through was part of their plan.

 

Despite this, he chose to join them, becoming a henchman for the murderer of his parents.

 

Nakashima’s performance was impressive. He diligently learned every assigned course and killed his companions without hesitation. At sixteen, during his first mission, he emotionlessly gutted a pregnant omega.

 

This was Daiki Nakashima’s life philosophy: if he couldn’t be happy, neither could anyone else.

 

His psyche was twisted and perverse. 

 

Later, Daiki Nakashima infiltrated the military academy. After studying there for four years, he joined the Eighth Corps as planned, beginning his over-decade-long mission of infiltration. He lay coiled like a dormant viper, ready to strike at any moment.

 

During these years, Nakashima completed numerous tasks. He held a significant position within the former rebels, now space pirates, and enjoyed considerable wealth. His latest mission was to induce Antonio to use a drug disguised as a sedative.

 

Undoubtedly, Nakashima completed his task well. With Antonio being such an easy target, this mission was effortlessly accomplished. Nakashima was very pleased with his work and often imagined the hysterical states of the officers addicted to the drugs.

 

Nakashima found immense satisfaction in this.

 

He had long found joy in building his happiness on the suffering of others.

 

A thoroughly twisted perspective.

 

Pei An extracted Nakashima’s memories and discovered he had lied. His relationship with his handler was not as simple as he had claimed. In fact, they appeared more like close friends than superior and subordinate, which allowed Nakashima to remain undetected in the army.

 

Releasing Nakashima, Pei An wiped his hands with disinfectant alcohol.

 

“Prepare to arrest someone at the Wandering Tavern on Verna Star in the Sam System,” Pei An said, tossing the towel into a basin.

 

Lin Beyan snapped to attention, “Yes, sir!”

 

The Sam System was not far from the 258th Legion’s base. Lin Beyan notified the nearest team to make the arrest.

 

With the detailed information provided by Pei An, the arrest would go smoothly. Nakashima had outlived his usefulness and could be left to his fate in the interrogation room.

 

“Send a message to Xie Yu to mobilize a reliable team for a thorough search of the Bagana System. According to Nakashima’s memories, it’s a major hideout for the space pirates, housing hundreds of thousands of them,” Pei An said gravely.

 

Lin Beyan’s heart skipped a beat. Hundreds of thousands of space pirates? The Eighth Corps of the Lyte Empire numbered less than two million per army. How had the pirates gathered so many?

 

And this was just one hideout. Who knew how many more existed in the Lyte Empire’s territory?

 

Pei An speculated that while the rebels had been severely hit years ago, it was only on the surface. In reality, they had gone underground, using space pirates as a cover while secretly plotting a grand scheme.

 

“And the source of the sedatives, once found, inform Xie Yu immediately to have them sealed off. Catch as many as we can. Antonio will stay here for now, and all involved must keep quiet about the incident.”

 

Pei An methodically issued his orders while contemplating any overlooked details.

 

Fortunately, the trusted troops left by Xie Yu were highly reliable and never botched their tasks. Even with the sudden influx of work, Pei An’s routine remained unaffected, allowing him more sleep from the next day onward.

 

The over two hundred people undergoing detox were still in forced rehabilitation. Except for the first day when Pei An checked on them and gave them mental suggestions, he hadn’t visited again.

 

However, they received water and food daily and could bathe in batches. These isolated soldiers understood they were receiving special treatment.

 

Essentially, although the Eight Corps were under the unified leadership of the Lyte Empire, each was actually commanded by its own general. They rarely interacted unless their leaders were friendly. The Eighth Corps, having no special relationships with others, could avoid unnecessary troubles but also lacked close ties.

 

Now, the Eighth Corps soldiers were on the Third Corps’ territory, receiving their care, which they had to remember as a favor. Helping was a courtesy, not helping was the norm.

 

“Thank you, brother,” a soldier said as food was delivered.

 

The deliverer glanced at him indifferently, “Don’t thank me. Thank General Pei. If it weren’t for him, you’d be lucky to get a few tubes of nutrient solution, let alone this good food.”

 

This person was from the Moran System, Pei An’s loyalist.

 

“Then please thank General Pei for me. I’ll never forget this life-saving favor,” the soldier said earnestly.

 

“Better thank him yourself when you get the chance,” the deliverer replied, knowing Pei An was too busy to be disturbed.  

The detox program was progressing well, and the targets had been apprehended. Pei An received another message related to Xie Yu, who had personally led a team to the Bagana System to destroy the space pirates’ hideout.

 

Xie Yu’s team achieved a stunning victory in their first battle. The news was all over the Star Network, with every news outlet praising Xie Yu lavishly.

 

Receiving these various reports praising Xie Yu made Pei An so happy that he ate an extra half bowl of rice for lunch. Xie Yu never failed to impress him. Although he was always humble in front of Pei An, he was incredibly bold and ostentatious to others. This battle unveiled the precarious state of the Wright Empire, exposing the empire’s many crises.

 

The battle was indeed a resounding success, but it also trampled the reputation of the royal family and the parliament. The military never sugarcoated reality, whereas the royal family and parliament did the opposite, using the media to portray a façade of peace to the citizens of the Wright Empire. Little did they know, beneath this façade, war had never ceased.

 

Pei An had a premonition that the illusion of peace would soon collapse. A conflict with the space pirates was inevitable, and Xie Yu’s actions had triggered it. The space pirates would undoubtedly retaliate.

 

It seemed like recent military preparations would need to be intensified.

 

A knock on the door interrupted Pei An’s thoughts.

 

Pei An tidied up his somewhat cluttered desk, “Come in.”

 

Lin Beyan entered, “General Pei, Major General Gu Fan from the First Corps wishes to see you.”

 

“The First Corps? Gu Fan?”

 

“Is Gu Fan the child of Commander Gu Yuanyang?” Pei An asked as he got up and walked out.

 

Lin Beyan shook her head, “Yes and no.”

 

Pei An was puzzled, “What do you mean?”

 

“Major General Gu Fan is Commander Gu Yuanyang’s adopted son, not his biological child. Commander Gu Yuanyang is still single.”

 

Pei An laughed, “So Commander Gu Yuanyang is still a golden bachelor.”

 

Indeed, he was. Gu Yuanyang, as the commander of the First Corps, wielded great power. Marrying him would make one a significant figure in the Wright Empire.

 

Pei An met Gu Fan. Like Xie Yu and others, Gu Fan was a standard alpha—sharp and brimming with vigor. However, his silver hair and amber eyes gave him a somewhat holy aura, reducing the militaristic sternness.

 

“Major General Gu Fan, nice to meet you. I’m Pei An.” Pei An extended his hand with a smile.

 

Gu Fan looked at Pei An’s outstretched hand, then shook it lightly after a moment, only barely gripping it. He joked, “If Xie Yu knew I was shaking hands with you, he’d want to rush over and hit me from across half the empire.”

 

Pei An raised an eyebrow. Gu Fan seemed to have a good relationship with Xie Yu.

 

“Major General Gu Fan, are you passing through while leading a mission to clear out space pirates?” Pei An invited Gu Fan to sit.

 

Gu Fan replied, “Yes, that’s part of it. The other reason is that my father asked me to check on you.”

 

Pei An’s fingers twitched involuntarily. Was Gu Yuanyang having Gu Fan check on the son of an old friend?

 

First giving him a key, and now sending Gu Fan to visit him, it seemed Gu Yuanyang had a close relationship with Pei Ruyu.

 

“Commander Gu is very thoughtful,” Pei An’s expression softened. Knowing someone still cared about Pei Ruyu lifted his spirits.

 

Gu Fan looked at Pei An, finding it hard to imagine how this child, who had lost his father’s protection, had grown into such an outstanding individual. His father had searched for people over the past decade, but with the Light Goddess gone without a trace, how could they find anyone from it?

 

It would be great if his father could personally visit Pei An.

 

“My father really liked the things you had Xie Yu bring back for him. He said having such an item was like reuniting with Uncle Pei. He also invited you to visit our home whenever you get the chance,” Gu Fan added.

 

Given Pei An’s current status, he wouldn’t be setting foot on Central Star anytime soon.

 

“As long as Commander Gu finds comfort, that’s good,” Pei An understood the sentiment of reminiscing through objects.

 

But he had no idea that the cat-head hair clip Pei Ruyu wore before he died was made by Gu Yuanyang himself.

 

Back when Pei Ruyu was in college, he often fed a stray long-haired cat on campus. This cat didn’t stay a stray for long, as Gu Yuanyang took it home and cared for it meticulously.

 

During the shedding season, Gu Yuanyang collected the cat’s fur and learned how to make crafts online. He fashioned the fur into a cat-head clip and gave it to Pei Ruyu, who was then engaged to Clovis from the Mondri family.

 

This goofy and adorable cat-head clip was the first gift Gu Yuanyang ever gave away, and it remained the only gift he had given to Pei An.

 

The long-haired cat reached the end of its life years ago and was buried in Gu Yuanyang’s garden. The owner of the cat-head clip also ended his life by suicide over a decade ago. Only this old cat-head clip remained.

 

Pei An and Gu Fan went from initial formality to becoming increasingly familiar with each other as they chatted. Pei An even invited Gu Fan to have lunch at the base.

 

Of course, the base only had a large cafeteria, not a refined and elegant small restaurant.

 

“General Pei, today’s lunch includes braised pork, minced meat with eggplant, fish-flavored shredded pork, and mushroom chicken stew. What would you like?” Lika appeared right on time during lunch.

 

Looking at the greasy lineup of meat dishes, Pei An felt no appetite. He chose the fish-flavored shredded pork, a dish he usually avoided, and added two vegetable dishes.

 

Unlike Lika, who only had eyes for meat dishes, Pei An still ate his vegetables.

 

“General Pei, don’t you dislike fish-flavored shredded pork?” Lika was shocked to see the dish on Pei An’s tray.

 

Pei An didn’t think much of it, “Sometimes it’s good to change things up.”

 

Though he wasn’t a fan of dishes with sugar and vinegar, he wasn’t a picky eater.

 

Well, except for snack packs.

 

Lika scratched her newly grown short hair, “Then I’ll try the fish-flavored shredded pork too!”

 

Gu Fan gave a second glance at the pungent fish-flavored shredded pork on Pei An’s tray.

 

—

 

Author’s Note:

 

I thought I was done, but I wasn’t. You probably won’t see me in the comments for a long time QAQ

 

Also, happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Happy Teacher’s Day!