Picking Up An Alpha On Garbage Star - Chapter 68

For these nobles who had never endured hardship, this breakfast was a severe wake-up call. When someone suggested dining outside, it was rejected by Ye Xiuzhe.

 

“What do you all think this place is? This is a military stronghold. It’s not somewhere you can just walk into casually,” Ye Xiuzhe said while finishing his own breakfast. Whether they ate or not was irrelevant to him; he was full and satisfied.

 

“I will wait outside the cafeteria for twenty minutes,” Ye Xiuzhe announced, then walked out with large strides. Twenty minutes was more than enough for them to eat.

 

If they didn’t eat, they would be hungry. They had no choice but to get breakfast, but they didn’t take much because it looked unappetizing. When they sat down to eat, they experienced just how terrible the robot-prepared instant breakfast was.

 

The meal was a struggle, but at least they weren’t hungry anymore. They would never forget how rough and mediocre the breakfast at this cafeteria was.

 

After the consolation team finished their breakfast, Ye Xiuzhe took them to the large conference room. He had just received instructions from the command to bring them over to “rest.”

 

As the conference room was used for meetings involving military secrets, once inside, all signals except those of a few individuals like Pei An, Xie Yu, and Gu Fan were temporarily blocked. In other words, the consolation team members would have no access to their smart brains once they entered the room.

 

The chairs in the conference room were wooden with leather cushions, not very comfortable, making the pampered nobles feel suffocated once again.

 

“Colonel Ye, when will Commander Xie and the others come to meet us?” After being scrutinized by numerous soldiers in the cafeteria, Austin had become slightly subdued and his previous high-handedness had lessened, though he was still not particularly pleasant.

 

Ye Xiuzhe replied, “The commander is very busy every day, so I’m not sure.”

 

When there were military affairs, he was busy with those, and when there weren’t, he had to work as Pei An’s secretary, chef, and technician. He genuinely didn’t have extra time to spare for them.

 

Austin said, “Can you please help by speaking to Commander Xie on our behalf and ask him to come over sooner?” As he spoke, Austin took a ring off his thumb and tried to hand it to Ye Xiuzhe.

 

Ye Xiuzhe stepped back two paces and said sternly, “Your Highness, as an officer, I do not accept bribes. I request that Your Highness maintain your dignity.”

 

Austin’s face turned ashen, looking extremely displeased.

 

“Just wait here patiently. Someone will come soon. I have military duties to attend to, so I won’t trouble you any further,” Ye Xiuzhe said, quickly making his exit.

 

If he stayed any longer, there was a risk that Austin might falsely accuse him of accepting bribes, which would be problematic.

 

The consolation team was left waiting again and had grown numb to the experience.

 

Austin looked down on Pei An, only regarding Xie Yu as someone who barely had the qualifications to meet him. He believed that only Xie Yu, as the heir to the Third Group Army, had the right to face him directly.

 

Gu Fan: “???” Does he think I’m not my father’s son?

 

But Austin would not meet Xie Yu for a while. Xie Yu was busy helping Pei An sort documents related to the reconstruction of the Komo System.

 

After leaving the consolation team in the conference room for two hours, Pei An called the meeting to order.

 

Originally, Pei An had expected Austin to actively request a meeting with the officers. However, thinking that if the consolation team had been treated too poorly and Austin didn’t ask, their preparations would have been wasted, Pei An decided to improvise.

 

Pei An pretended not to know the consolation team was in the large conference room. He called several hundred people to the room and, upon entering, found the consolation team already seated. He then made an excuse, saying he had been so busy that he forgot about them and then invited the consolation team to join the meeting.

 

The conference room had enough seats, and adding a few dozen more was easy.

 

Under Pei An’s guidance, Austin and the others inexplicably ended up sitting in the front rows of the conference room, right in front of the podium where Pei An and Xie Yu were. The other three sides of the room were filled with Independent Military personnel.

 

They were surrounded on all sides.

 

Pei An didn’t provide much introduction and only said something that made the consolation team extremely irritated: “It just so happens that the consolation team from the Central Star has arrived at the operations center. If you have any issues, feel free to raise them. I believe the people from the Central Star will certainly address them.”

 

With just a few words, Pei An had effectively put the consolation team on the hot seat.

 

Pei An glanced at the displeased faces and turned to the first page of the report: “Let’s start with the most urgent issue. The Armaments Department will report first.”

 

The Armaments Department was responsible for managing all military supplies, from income to expenditure. Every bullet was recorded by them, so now they were about to discuss the costs.

 

“Our post-war military supply replenishment is in a dire situation. We can’t agree on prices with several arms dealers. They are taking advantage of our urgent need and have significantly raised their prices, from fifty billion to eighty billion. They’re asking for exorbitant amounts. Secretary, should we continue negotiating with these arms dealers?” the head of the Armaments Department asked.

 

“The arms dealers are profiteering from national calamity,” Pei An said, his gaze shifting to Austin. “Your Highness, what do you think we should do?”

 

Austin’s face darkened. Weren’t they here as observers? Why was he being asked for his opinion?

 

“I will report this to my father and ask him to handle it fairly,” Austin replied.

 

Pei An said, “However, we are currently in urgent need of replenishing our military supplies. If we can’t fight against the rebels, it will be a serious problem. Your Highness, do you have any quicker solutions?”

 

Austin’s chest heaved with anger. This Pei character was clearly up to no good!

 

“After the meeting, I will contact the Central Star and have the government intervene to suppress the prices of military supplies.” Austin’s teeth were chattering in frustration. This was infuriating.

 

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Pei An nodded toward the head of the Armaments Department. “After the meeting, please discuss this matter with His Highness personally.”

 

The head of the Armaments Department replied, “Understood.”

 

In reality, the price hike from the arms dealers was not the biggest problem. The main issue was that they had to purchase military supplies from these dealers to cover up the fact that they had multiple armories. Once the war against the rebels began, Pei An had never intended to rely on arms dealers to win the war.

 

To put it bluntly, who are arms dealers? They are people who manipulate national power. The Lyte Empire didn’t just fail to restrain them but allowed them to grow, which was a disgrace in itself.

 

Moreover, arms dealers not only sold arms to them but also to the rebels. Regardless of how intense the fighting was, their only goal was to profit. No one could trust such opportunistic scum who thrived on national calamity.

 

“Finance, please report on our budget,” Pei An called out.

 

The head of the Finance Department began reading from a falsified list, which was a joke. Military secrets were not something that could be casually disclosed.

 

The list was carelessly prepared, merely stating the costs of missiles, fighter jets, and other purchases. In total, the expenses exceeded sixty billion, leaving many in the consolation team stunned.

 

Some in the group truly knew nothing about such matters; their daily lives revolved around arranging flowers, drinking tea, and attending operas. They had no idea about these figures, while those who did understood the terrifying scale of the numbers.

 

Even the clearest-headed person, Kauff-Mondrei, did not expect the Independent Military to be in such dire financial straits. No wonder the young master’s clothes seemed so worn out.

 

Pei An, who was too lazy to buy new clothes and just wore whatever was available, was different.

 

Kauff-Mondrei was firmly convinced that if he told Pei An how wonderful the Mondrei family was and how great life would be if he returned to them, Pei An would surely be tempted.

 

What he didn’t know was that last year, in the Moran System, someone had tried to persuade Pei An to return to the Mondrei family, only to be beaten severely. At that time, Pei An didn’t have the courage he had now and was more inclined to handle things personally.

 

Nowadays, Pei An would probably call Xie Yu to help him out.

 

After the finance report was completed, Pei An turned to Austin again, asking for money.

 

Austin gritted his teeth and agreed.

 

Following Pei An’s lead, others quickly learned the ropes. They started to directly approach Austin for various requests without waiting for Pei An to make the move.

 

The meeting lasted a full three hours, driving the already mentally exhausted Austin to the brink of collapse. He now had PTSD from hearing the title “Your Highness.”

 

It was a feeling of utter despair.

 

After tormenting the consolation team for three hours, the meeting finally concluded, primarily because Pei An didn’t want to delay everyone’s meal.

 

The consolation team was to be settled, and Xie Yu instructed Ye Xiuzhe to take them there. Seeing Ye Xiuzhe now made the consolation team very anxious, especially his smiling face.

 

Moreover, Xie Yu, during the three-hour meeting, had spent most of his time fiddling with his smart brain! He was blatantly using his smart brain while sitting at the podium!

 

Yes, Xie Yu was so bored during the staged meeting that he kept fiddling with his smart brain, though he wasn’t using it for entertainment but for work. He even briefly searched for recipes online.

 

The consolation team went back to the cafeteria, and perhaps due to their numbness, they actually managed to endure the cafeteria’s lunch. They ate mechanically and were eager to sleep.

 

If they didn’t get some rest, they might collapse from exhaustion!

 

Ye Xiuzhe leisurely led them to their accommodations. The operations center had no residential area; even Pei An and Xie Yu’s residences were outside the center. However, as the highest-ranking officials, they had the freedom to come and go. Austin and his group did not have this privilege.

 

Not being able to stay outside meant no hotels. The accommodations at the operations center were makeshift, and conditions were not very good.

 

“This bed is so small and hard. How can anyone sleep on this?”

 

“There’s no bathtub, only a shower?”

 

“The quilt isn’t silk. I might be allergic to it!”

 

There were many complaints, but Ye Xiuzhe ignored them all.

 

What was routine for soldiers was unbearable for these visitors, who claimed to represent the Empire.

 

The pretense of the visit was false; representing the Empire was real.

 

However, in a decayed Empire like this, whoever wanted to represent it could do so. Sooner or later, they would turn this Empire upside down.

 

“The military is always like this. Please make do with it and rest well,” Ye Xiuzhe said with a gentle smile, which only made him seem even more infuriating.

 

They hadn’t slept for thirty hours. If they didn’t get some rest soon, they would collapse, so they had to endure the harsh conditions and quickly go to sleep.

 

Except for Kauff-Mondrei.

 

Kauff-Mondrei left his room and caught up with Ye Xiuzhe. “Colonel Ye, I need to speak with you.”

 

Ye Xiuzhe, who had intentionally slowed his pace, stopped. “What is it?”

 

Kauff-Mondrei hurried over. “I would like to meet Secretary Pei privately. Can you make arrangements for that? Oh, and I am willing to donate two hundred million to the Independent Military as military funds.”

 

Ye Xiuzhe did not accept bribes, but a donation to the Independent Military was not considered a bribe.

 

Indeed, there were people willing to give them money.

 

The Secretary is not deceiving me.

 

Ye Xiuzhe smiled warmly. “I believe Secretary Pei would be happy to meet you given your generosity. Please follow me.”

 

Kauff’s mood brightened with the opportunity to meet Pei An. He could already envision Pei An returning to the Mondrei family, and as the one who facilitated his return, Kauff would be valued in the future.

 

Ye Xiuzhe had sent a message to Pei An in advance, saying he would bring someone from the Mondrei family. Pei An had specifically mentioned that he would not meet with any members of the consolation team except those from the Mondrei family.

 

After all, the Mondrei family was the easiest to exploit.

 

Pei An met with Kauff-Mondrei in his office and, in appreciation of his donation, had a secretary make coffee for him.

 

It was good to have some coffee, to avoid the risk of falling and injuring himself due to extreme fatigue on the way back.

 

In the office, only Pei An and Kauff-Mondrei were left, and Kauff eagerly introduced himself to Pei An.

 

“Secretary, I am Kauff-Mondrei from the Mondrei family.”

 

Pei An casually spun a pen between his fingers. “Hmm.”

 

Seeing that Pei An did not seem familiar with the Mondrei family, Kauff enthusiastically explained, “The Mondrei family is one of the great families of the Lyte Empire. The head of the family is a noble duke with supreme power and endless wealth.”

 

He knew that if not for the immense power, how could the Light Goddess ship have ended up with only a few hundred survivors?

 

“That doesn’t seem to concern me,” Pei An said slowly.

 

“Why would it not concern you? You are the long-lost young master of the Mondrei family!” Kauff said earnestly. “Young master, it is truly wonderful to see you again. I am here on your father’s orders, who is the head of the Mondrei family, to bring you back to the family.”

 

Pei An remained unmoved.

 

Kauff-Mondrei began to panic. “Doesn’t the young master want to return to the Mondrei family?”

 

So many people wanted to join the Mondrei family!

 

Pei An: “Why should I return to the Mondrei family? What’s in it for me?”

 

Kauff: “Naturally, honor and power!”

 

Pei An snorted. “Honor and power? Those belong to the head of the Mondrei family, not to me.”

 

Kauff began to sweat. What was wrong with the young master? Shouldn’t he be thrilled to return to the Mondrei family after learning his true identity?

 

“Young master, you are the only child of the family head. The Mondrei family will be yours in the future!” Kauff persuaded.

 

Pei An: “You said it’s in the future. Right now, I don’t have anything. Why would I return if I gain nothing?”

 

Kauff gritted his teeth and used the funds provided by Clovis again. “Who said so? This time, your father has given me a living allowance to bring to you. I will transfer it to you now.”

 

Pei An thought for less than three seconds and agreed. “Alright, transfer it to me.”

 

Kauff was overjoyed. “Let’s add each other as friends first.”

 

“Why add friends for a transfer?” Pei An pulled out a payment code from the drawer of his desk. “Here, scan this.”

 

Kauff: “…” He was exhausted.

 

Clovis had sent Kauff ten billion in funds. After spending two billion just to meet Pei An, Kauff had only eight billion left, and he decided to transfer three billion to Pei An.

 

After transferring the three billion, Kauff’s heart was bleeding. He had hoped to keep more of the money, but five billion had evaporated in no time.

 

“Alright, you can leave now,” Pei An waved him off.

 

Kauff was shocked. “Why?!”

 

Pei An looked at Kauff in confusion. “Why what? Your family head didn’t raise me. Now that I’ve grown up, you want to claim me back? Why didn’t you do that earlier?”

 

When they used their own son as a test subject, didn’t they think he was their biological child? Now that they couldn’t have children, they only want to find ‘Pei An’? But ‘Pei An’ had been dead for over ten years and couldn’t be reclaimed.

 

Clovis had slept with countless omegas and betas after Pei Ru-yu’s death, but none could conceive Clovis’s child. This meant Clovis would never have an heir. In the end, he deserved it.

 

“If you don’t leave, I’ll call the guards to drag you out,” Pei An threatened.

 

Kauff had not completed Clovis’s mission and could not leave. “Wait! The family head is still willing to compensate you for your upbringing.”

 

Pei An raised an eyebrow. “Oh? How much can he compensate?”

 

Kauff gritted his teeth. “Five billion!” It was all he had left!

 

Pei An pulled out the payment code again. “Fine, scan this.”

 

Kauff felt that Pei An’s cold demeanor seemed a bit familiar.

 

After scanning the payment code and spending all ten billion, Kauff asked, “So, what now?”

 

Pei An replied, “What he owes me, I will claim from him when I have time.”

 

Kauff sighed with relief. Finally, no matter how unwelcoming the young master was toward the family head, he was willing to return home. Thus, his mission was considered accomplished.

 

But he relaxed too soon, as the day Pei An set foot on the Central Star would be the day Clovis met his end.

 

Thinking he had resolved the Pei An issue, Kauff went back to his quarters to sleep. Perhaps feeling satisfied with completing his task, he slept quite soundly, though he struggled with the hard bed.

 

Pei An was in a great mood, having obtained ten billion from Clovis, which greatly eased the Independent Military’s financial pressure.

 

“He only donated one billion when he publicly declared me his son. Now, to get me to return to the Mondrei family, he gave ten billion,” Pei An scoffed. “He’s as disgusting as ever.”

 

Xie Yu locked the office door, walked up to Pei An, and lifted him onto the desk. He lifted Pei An’s chin and kissed him.

 

Pei An wrapped his arms around Xie Yu’s waist, kissing him passionately.

 

“How about we leave the consolation team for tonight and go out for dinner?” Xie Yu asked softly, lowering his forehead to Pei An’s.

 

The grand meeting room had been a facade. Despite the Independent Military’s struggles, it wasn’t as dire as it seemed to Austin and others. Pei An and Xie Yu were not actually living in the office and had free time. If not for the consolation team, they could have even taken a break.

 

Pei An gently nuzzled Xie Yu’s nose. “Are you sure your cooking is good? If it’s not as good as yours, I won’t go.”

 

Xie Yu smiled indulgently. “Don’t worry, it’s great.”

 

“In that case, let’s have a light date tonight,” Pei An chuckled softly.

 

As for the consolation team that had been tortured by them, they would deal with them tomorrow.

 

Pei An and Xie Yu left work at five, changed into casual clothes, and Pei An put on the sweatshirt Xie Yu had given him. The sweatshirt made Pei An look like a college student, very youthful.

 

Xie Yu drove them to a newly opened barbecue restaurant. It was the first day of business, and there were congratulatory flower baskets at the entrance.

 

One of the baskets was from Xie Yu.

 

“The restaurant’s owner is the lover of a lieutenant colonel. She came with her child to the Galley Star System with her husband. Not wanting to stay in the Independent Home every day, she decided to open a barbecue restaurant after discussing it with her husband,” Xie Yu explained.

 

Pei An understood. “So that’s how it is.”

 

As their first customers, they were warmly welcomed by the owner, who recognized them as the leaders of the Independent Military due to her husband being a military officer and always paying attention to the front lines.

 

“Shh.” Pei An stopped the owner before she could shout. “We’re just here for a date after work. Please keep it low-key.”

 

The owner nodded repeatedly. “Alright! No problem!”

 

However, Pei An overlooked one issue: Xie Yu would send flower baskets, and so would others. Since Xie Yu came to dine here, others would too.

 

So, the Independent Military officers discovered the Secretary and Commander in the barbecue restaurant, their presence combining to create an atmosphere that could shatter the sky.

 

Everyone: “.”

 

Pei An smiled. “Xie Yu, you didn’t tell me that a date could turn into a gathering.”

 

He really wanted to use the skewer of meat he was holding as a teaching stick.

 

Xie Yu cleared his throat and turned to his curious subordinates. “Don’t you all have your own partners? Why are you here watching me and my partner eat?”

 

Everyone: “…”

 

Those with partners had brought them along, and those without could only group together for warmth.

 

“You weren’t like this before!” 

 

Indeed, alphas were all big boors!

 

Pei An mouthed to Xie Yu: I’ll deal with you when we get home.

 

But what was there to deal with? They had gone out under the pretense of a date, only to end up mingling with their comrades, eating meat and drinking beverages.

 

The military couldn’t drink alcohol, so they settled for carbonated drinks or sparkling water to mimic beer.

 

With so many people, the lively atmosphere was hard to disperse, and it continued until the stars filled the sky.