Chapter 02
Lin Lin looked at him with concern: “Professor Ming, are you alright? Let me help you sit down first.”
“I am a bit agitated, my apologies. However, I may need to verify this news once more.”
As Ming Shiyu turned, he discovered the butler robot rolling toward him. It was only waist-high, and perched on its square head was the communication key he needed. Although Ming Shiyu already had the answer in his heart after reading the documents from the military, his vision still went black upon receiving the confirmation.
Lin Lin, feeling guilty, had been watching his expression closely. Seeing this, he stepped forward in one swift motion and supported Ming Shiyuâs shoulders.
The small robotâs movement to extend its hands was a beat too slow. It could only resentfully watch as Lin Lin took its master away, carefully helping him sit down on the sofa.
Ming Shiyu thanked him and couldn’t help but offer a self-deprecating smile: “Colonel Lin… you must feel terrible as well, yet you still went out of your way to comfort me.”
The news he had received stated that Lin Lin had rushed back from the scene of the incident, dusty and exhausted, just to protect him.
“What does this even count as?”
Lin Linâs expression nearly cracked, and he spoke with difficulty: “I…”
Ming Shiyu waved his hand, his tone still faint: “Don’t be nervous. I am not complaining about Meisen. After all, our affection for each other isn’t particularly deep. He was a model husband, and he did everything else very well.”
Lin Lin broke into a cold sweat for Meisen upon hearing this. Even the well-trained Secretary-General couldn’t help but grumble to himself: You sound incredibly resentful, Mr. Tulip!
Ming Shiyu caught his breath and continued: “Of course, I don’t mean to make things difficult for you either. I just want to ask, which military genius decided to arrange for you to protect me at a time like this?”
“Do they want to see me and Meisenâs lover weeping in each other’s arms?”
Lin Lin felt as though cold sweat were about to drip down his back. The Secretary-General didn’t even dare to breathe heavily: What a poisonous tongue; the ‘Tulip of the Empire’ lives up to his reputation.
Before the inarticulate soldier Lin Lin could explain anything, Ming Shiyu had his attention entirely diverted by the small robot, Xiao Guan.
The small household robotâs electronic screen flickered, looking very cute: “Master, would you like me to help you cancel the trip to the Interstellar Prison? The security police team has already set off according to the original plan.”
Ming Shiyu nodded, telling Xiao Guan to help him receive Lin Linâs team. He had just been devastated by the news of his husband of two years’ sudden death and did not want to spend any more energy dealing with people from the military.
Moreover… this man was the object of the scandalous rumors his husband had been heating up with lately.
He was eager to leave this awkward reception room and did not notice that when the small robot appeared, Lin Lin had started staring blankly at its flickering indicator light.
The Secretary-General had just proactively offered to handle the original inspection procedure for the Interstellar Prison on Professor Ming’s behalf and took his leave immediately.
The robot Xiao Guan watched longingly as Ming Shiyuâs thin silhouette disappeared onto the second floor. It turned to Lin Lin and revealed a polite, mechanical smile on its electronic screen:
“Mr. Soldier, a friendly reminder: please be gentle with valuables… oh no, I mean, handle them with care. Do not cause unnecessary trouble for the owner.”
Lin Linâs mouth twitched: …That pure, sarcastic, passive-aggressive flavor.
Meisen, you brat!
He snatched up the household robot, carried it outside, threw it into a small grove of trees, and gritted his teeth as he questioned it:
“So, you had the equipment for manifesting your mental power into a robot all ready to go, and you still lied to me to act as your wife’s bodyguard?”
Xiao Guanâor rather, Meisen, who was attached to the robotâsaid with a smile, “It’s a double insurance policy. I haven’t even brought up the fact that you announced the tragic news to my wife so bluntly without any preamble.”
Lin Lin: Aren’t you bringing it up right now?
He made up his mind to detour whenever he saw a politician from now on. These bastards would drain you of every drop of utility and then still act like they were the ones who suffered. Having just been slighted by his elegant wife, he was now being put through the wringer by Meisen.
“Iâm not saying this to be mean, brother, but before I met Professor Ming, I could understand you using me as a coverâafter all, I am a flower of the military, so you weren’t losing out. But anyone who has seen Professor Mingâs face would never believe you’d cheat after marrying the Tulip of the Empire.”
Lin Lin asked: “Professor Ming looks devastated. You like him so much; didn’t you tell him it was just a faked death?”
Meisen said unhappily, “Don’t keep reminding me that he is heartbroken; it cuts deep. His status is sensitive, so it’s best he doesn’t know. If we happen to lose this fight, at least it won’t implicate him.”
Lin Lin teased him: “Thatâs devoted enough; protecting your wife even if you lose. And if you win, once you reveal yourself…”
The small robot bobbed its head smugly and answered: “Hmph, the handsome and wealthy Duke Valentine will just have to win his wife back.”
Lin Lin asked casually: “But… are you sure you don’t want to give Professor Ming a hint? Your scandalous rumors and ‘lover’ are right in his face, and now Council Chairman Meisen is dead on paper. Are you really not afraid your wife will run off?”
The smile on the robotâs screen suddenly vanished.
Lin Lin: …It seems he is afraid.
The Secretary-General had just relayed the news that Ming Shiyu was canceling the inspection of the Interstellar Prison, and from the Warden down to the guards, all their communicators exploded with noise.
In a certain high-end cellâclean and bright, fully equipped with a study and bathroom, filled with game consoles and fashion magazines, and decorated to showcase the ownerâs extraordinary tasteâit looked like nothing more than a hotel suite in the central district of the Capital Planet, missing only a key to the door.
In fact, the owner of this cell did have a key.
The Empire allowed prisoners of special status to go out to handle major events that threatened social stability. For example, letting a space pirate leader occasionally return to preside over the big picture so that the vicious thugs under his command wouldn’t be left leaderless and create even more outrageous chaos.
Chapter 2: Offense
In truth, even if they hadn’t given him a key, they couldn’t keep him trapped. Unless someone like Ming Shiyu, an X-rank mental power expert, was stationed there 24/7 to lay down a mental restraint, the Interstellar Prison’s security level simply could not hold the leader of the largest pirate fleet in the universe.
The only reason he stayed there was that he felt like it.
The man living in the luxury single cell was currently standing in front of a mirror, humming a tune as he groomed himself like a peacock spreading its tail.
He wanted to ensure that even while in prison, he could fascinate the young, naive boy who only knew how to look at faces and didn’t know how to appreciate the “inner beauty” of a space pirate.
The pirate leader was wearing an eyepatch over one eye and was about to switch it to cover the other. He believed his left eye was more charming today, and the black patch suited his dark eyes perfectly.
Clearly, this was a prisoner with two perfectly healthy eyes, but he was keen on paying homage to the imagery of ancient piratesâthe predecessors of space pirates. It seemed he was a pirate very satisfied with his professional image.
Today was the monthly inspection day for the Interstellar Prison.
The man calculated the time; in a few hours, the true master of this prison would arrive.
However, if his abilities weren’t restricted by a powerful mental net, he would have heard the whispering of the guards outside his cell and known that the person wouldn’t be coming here today under any circumstances.
But when he looked down at the communicator provided for him, he finally found out.
The group chat among the high-ranking members of his pirate fleet was filled with “Hahahahahaha” and “Boss, did you know your arch-rival, that lover, is dead?” Besides that, there was no useful information. When, where, and how he diedânone of it was mentioned.
The search function of the prisonâs communicator was limited, and since his subordinates lacked the initiative to report to him, he would have to wait for authoritative media reports to know the details.
“Tsk. The news will probably say it was a pirate attack. We pirates are just here to balance the books for you corrupt officials, right?”
However, he narrowed his eyes. Why did this frame-up feel so uncomfortably familiar?
Well, wasted all that effort early this morning.
The man ruffled his carefully styled hair with his hand and tossed the eyepatch onto the floor.
The pirate leaderâs one-sided, self-imagined date had been ruinedâif a high-level inspection by an envoy could even be considered a date.
However, his mood seemed hundreds of times better than before; he was practically trembling with excitement.
Ming Shiyu, who had become famous two years ago for his sudden search for a marriage partner. A mental power expert with ultra-high aptitude, combined with the Ming familyâs immense wealth, was enough to make the men of the Capital Planet swarm like jackals smelling meat.
Not to mention that he was a rare beauty; marrying him was truly a prestigious and wonderful thing.
The pirate leader was no exception. In this vast galaxy, who could compare to Ming Shiyu?
He opened the private album on his communicator, caressing a blurry, stolen photograph of a certain someone looking back over his shoulder. He licked the corner of his mouth dangerously and smiled, “Did your husband just die? I really want to see what you look like now.”
You must look absolutely beautiful.
Within a few days, the investigators were already drafting the accident report.
Although the victim was high-ranking and the situation complex, the investigation into this high-official’s attack was very simple and clear.
No one knew why, but before boarding, Meisen had changed his vehicle to a companion ship at the last minute, leaving the main shipâwhich was as comfortable and safe as a Great Wall of steelâto Colonel Lin Lin, who was traveling with him.
As fate would have it, a small group of unknown space pirates, looking to make a quick buck, didn’t know the gravity of the situation and accidentally fired a shot that blew the companion ship Meisen was on into smithereens.
The clerk grumbled and complained, “Thereâs nothing to investigate here. Itâs a cheap win for the field team. Iâm the one who has to write reports for the Royal Family, the Council, and other star systemsâhow am I supposed to make this sound more interesting?”
The boarding video clearly showed the Council Chairman boarding that small starship. Since even the starship was shattered and the small pirate group was wiped out on the spot, they could directly announce that the former Council Chairman had died gloriously.
The memorial service was held in an orderly fashion, and the funeral was conducted in a very low-key manner.
