Sir, do you want the pheromones? - Chapter 8

After Pei Xingyu finished speaking, Jing Ran stood up abruptly. Before he could say anything, the door of the command ship emitted a notification sound. Meng Ruqian was at the door, saying, “Commander.”

“Hey, Commander, your subordinate is calling for you.” Jing Ran suddenly smiled, moving closer to Pei Xingyu, pressing him against the crystal desk. He reached out to tug at Pei Xingyu’s military uniform collar and said, “What do you think would happen if your subordinate came in and saw me kissing you or… hugging you?”

Pei Xingyu grabbed his wrist, his cold fingers pressing against the pulse point. Jing Ran frowned slightly, looking down at his pale, slender fingers gripping the edge of his black glove, with the coolness of his voice in his ear.

“Jing Ran, do you dare?”

“Do you want to see if I dare?” Jing Ran straightened up, hearing Meng Ruqian’s repeated urging from outside. He called out meaningfully, “Commander Pei.”

Pei Xingyu’s eyes reddened slightly. The breaths of the two of them were clearly audible in the large space. Jing Ran, feeling increasingly annoyed by Pei Xingyu’s gaze, flung his collar aside.

“Who wants to kiss you? Crazy.” He turned and walked away quickly.

When Meng Ruqian entered, he passed by Jing Ran and pointed at him and then at himself, “Wait, did you two have a fight?”

Pei Xingyu moved his wrist, “Is there something?”

Meng Ruqian then remembered the important matter and raised his wrist to project the data onto a virtual screen. He said, “This is the data summarized from the tremors of the Ziwei Ship. I didn’t collect fragments or materials, so I could only estimate it based on the tremor data from the mothership.”

Pei Xingyu looked up, and Meng Ruqian continued, “From the monitoring tower data analysis and video footage I reviewed, it seems to be phase weapon energy cannons causing burns, heating, and cutting. The impact…”

Pei Xingyu looked at the screen data, waiting for him to continue.

Meng Ruqian conservatively estimated, “The electromagnetic wave response from that tremor is roughly equivalent to having one hundred and fifty energy cannons firing simultaneously.”

Pei Xingyu said, “Phase weapons cause different attacks through energy levels, leading to heating, cutting, and vaporization of the hit object, but it’s self-combustion, which doesn’t match the inference.”

Meng Ruqian also didn’t understand, nodding and adding, “I can’t yet determine what it is. I can only roughly estimate it as some kind of weapon. However, weapons require a warship to carry them, so it’s impossible for it to have come from the outside. Even if it could, the kinetic energy of the energy cannon couldn’t support such a distance.”

Even if it could, it wouldn’t bypass three escort ships directly targeting the mothership.

If this is a new type of weapon, the situation of the Ziwei Ship would be very dangerous. The Star Federation is afraid of a rebellion, and supply shortages are exacerbating the situation.

Pei Xingyu said that he could forgo the weapons and equipment provided by the Federation and develop them himself, but the funding for research and development was very limited. It’s no wonder Meng Ruqian complained frequently— the Star Federation was stingy even with a few hundred interstellar coins.

“Have the monitoring data from the Tianqiang, Tianyue, and Xuange escort ships been sent over?” Pei Xingyu asked.

Talking about this made Meng Ruqian even more annoyed. With interstellar pirates lurking in the space in front and a hindrance from the Star Federation behind, it was a tough situation.

“Tianqiang was ambushed by the ‘Greedy Wolf,’ and the monitoring tower is still under construction. Do these pirates think that our Ziwei Ship is completely broke? What should we do? Should I strip down and feed them with milk!”

Pei Xingyu couldn’t help but smile. Meng Ruqian was momentarily stunned, “Hey, Commander Pei, did you just smile?”

“No,” Pei Xingyu said lightly, clearing his throat, “How’s the antique mecha from the 11th Legion coming along?”

Meng Ruqian shook his head, “We can’t crack it. The mecha has at least seven or eight layers of passwords, each layer composed of twelve sets of different data. Even if the designer himself came, no matter how skilled, it would be impossible to unlock it.”

Pei Xingyu paused and said, “The Star Federation said that if we crack the external key of this mecha, they’ll give us ninety million for research and development, and if we open the mecha, we’ll get an additional thirty million.”

Meng Ruqian was silent for half a second, “Got it, I’m a god!”

—

Despite Jing Ran’s high grades, his total score was at the bottom, leading to covert and overt mockery from others saying he had a relationship with Pei Xingyu.

He didn’t care too much, but Zhong Guan was more affected and, afraid to complain directly about Commander Pei, secretly felt indignant for him.

“They’re too arrogant. Their pheromones are not even as strong as yours!”

Jing Ran walked slowly toward the “classroom.” The three-month course was about to begin, and after familiarizing themselves with the warship, everyone would return to their respective positions. As the commander’s adjutant, Jing Ran had to be familiar with everything and attended the class.

“Commander Pei…”

As Pei Xingyu reached the door, a young man came running over and stopped him. The young man looked quite pale, probably still struggling to adapt to the gravity, rolling and crawling awkwardly.

Pei Xingyu glanced at him.

“Commander Pei, this is… our department’s… today…” The young man, already nervous around Pei Xingyu, stammered more under pressure. He swallowed and handed over the data, “Please take a look.”

Pei Xingyu took it, noticing the young man nervously breathing in small gasps. He casually reassured him, “Don’t be nervous, I won’t scold you.”

The young man’s face turned slightly red as he quietly said “Mm,” standing by Pei Xingyu while he reviewed the R&D data. Internally, he reassured himself that Pei Xingyu was so good-looking that he wasn’t scary at all.

Pei Xingyu’s brows slightly furrowed as he scanned the data on his hand, with a hint of coldness in his eyes.

The young man took a deep breath and quietly asked, “Commander, is there… is there any problem? Captain Meng isn’t… isn’t here today. I was instructed to show you this first and confirm it’s okay before proceeding to the next phase of development.”

Pei Xingyu looked up at him, “Are you very afraid of me?”

The young man nodded reflexively, then immediately shook his head. Knowing he couldn’t hide his true feelings from Pei Xingyu, he awkwardly rubbed his ears and said quietly, “Yes… I am a little bit scared.”

Pei Xingyu chuckled lightly and placed his hand on the young man’s shoulder in a seemingly reassuring manner, “Don’t be nervous. Your name is Zhou Shuo, right?”

Zhou Shuo’s eyes widened, “Commander, you… you remember me!”

“Yes, I reviewed your data analysis and research materials last time. I can see you have talent. You might even succeed Captain Meng someday. Study hard and don’t let me down.”

Zhou Shuo, energized, saluted Pei Xingyu, “Yes, Commander Pei!”

“What’s wrong, Jing Ran?”

Jing Ran stopped in his tracks, looking at Pei Xingyu’s hand resting on Zhou Shuo’s shoulder and the faint smile and encouragement on his face—something he had never seen before. It felt like poisonous thorns pricking at his heart.

“Shameless.”

Zhong Guan didn’t catch it clearly, “Huh?”

Jing Ran gritted his teeth, shoved his hands into his military uniform pockets, and forcibly diverted his gaze from Pei Xingyu’s face, “Nothing. Let’s go to class.”

“Hey Jing Ran, your look at Commander Pei just now was really scary,” Zhong Guan followed him into the classroom, shrinking his neck and whispering, “It felt like you wanted to tear him apart.”

Jing Ran glanced at him sideways, “Did I?”

Zhong Guan swallowed, sensing the threatening look, and shook his head wildly, “No, no.”

—

Pei Xingyu took the R&D report back to the command ship. This was a defensive system independently developed by the Ziwei Ship. Compared to the system used by the Star Federation, which Jing Ran described as a spider web—fine for trapping bugs but useless against armed warships—the new system was different. It was more like the “borrow strength to overcome strength” concept in martial arts, commonly known as “Tai Chi” style.

The defense system, centered on the Ziwei Ship’s mothership, emitted signals outward in a radiating arc. It interwove energy while dispersing the received energy and then retrieved it from the radiating net.

It also damaged enemy systems when interfacing with them.

Unfortunately, they had failed six times. Another attempt might gather all the Dragon Balls.

“Commander, the military supplies from the Star Federation have arrived at the interstellar transfer station,” Du Yuan reported.

Pei Xingyu glanced at the number of supplies provided this year, which was significantly more than last year, “Contact the logistics department and have Lin Huaiyuan go personally.”

“Report, Commander. Lin Huaiyuan is still on vacation and hasn’t returned to the team.”

“…” Pei Xingyu thought for a moment, “I’ll go myself.”

“?” Du Yuan, an AI typically self-proclaimed as a janitor, quickly shifted back to its true form—a medical skeleton. Its jawbone clicked with an odd rhythm as it spoke rapidly, “You’re going personally? If the military supplies are lost, that’s one thing, but if interstellar pirates take advantage of your absence and attack the Ziwei Ship, it would be disastrous.”

Pei Xingyu pondered. Although he was surrounded by dangers, he wouldn’t go just for some supplies. However, there was a reason he had to go.

Bu Yu.

“It’s fine, it’s only one jump point. I’ll be back soon.”

—

“Marshal, Pei Xingyu is ignoring you. He’s gone too far!” The Eleventh Legion’s Operations Director, Lian Jinfeng, was sitting opposite the old marshal, almost on the verge of slamming the table.

The old marshal, Fang Zhiheng, said, “What kind of temperament do you think he has? Why are you so angry?”

“I’m indignant on your behalf! A mere fleet commander with Zhou Huaimao above him dares to speak to you like this. It’s outrageous. Does he really think that just because the heavens are high and the waters are deep, he can act arrogantly with his troops?”

Fang Zhiheng looked at him, “What are you trying to say?”

“This mission to find the Star of the Galaxy, I doubt Pei Xingyu will take it seriously. How can such an important matter be neglected? If he drags it out for ten or eight years, it will be a disaster.”

“Continue.”

Seeing the old marshal was listening, Lian Jinfeng took a sip of tea and continued slowly, “Right now, interstellar pirates are watching us closely. Last year, over a dozen asteroids were forcibly occupied. If this continues, the Star Federation will be in trouble sooner or later.”

This was indeed the case. The old marshal sighed and said, “Zhou Huaimao is old and is about to retire. For the Seventeenth Legion, Zheng Tang is too much of a nice guy, always indifferent and silent, not fit to be a minister. The only one left is Pei Xingyu, but with his temperament, even as a commander, he needs to be closely monitored. Making him a minister would be risky.”

Lian Jinfeng looked around to ensure no one was listening and used the intelligent system on his watch to create a completely isolated space. He said, “Pei Xingyu may not be suitable as a minister, but he excels in combat. When a group of interstellar pirates was causing chaos at the space monitoring station, he led seven people in small mechas straight into the pirates’ lair…”

The old marshal suddenly waved his hand to stop him, “It’s not yet time to deal with Pei Xingyu. Let’s wait a little longer.”