She felt like a player who had just entered a dungeon, and before she had even started clearing the mobs, she was notified by a system announcement that she had directly encountered the final boss.
Little Red Riding Hood must be playing a trick on her.
Chaoge pondered the different reactions of this ridiculous system since encountering Little Red Riding Hood. From its initial aggressive issuance of missions to the later unlimited [Strategy Guide], it remained silent for a long time, but now it suddenly sends out the ultimate mission.
She wasn't stupid, and of course she didn't think Little Red Riding Hood was stupid, but Little Red Riding Hood wasn't stupid; she was just intelligent.
How to use the human brain to understand the operating mode of intelligent systems?
Hehe, to put it bluntly, the people of this planet Tianzi are all under the rule of this system. What kind of trouble does she, a human who transmigrated here with this thing and whose AI is only similar to the first generation core AI of Tianzi, want to cause?
It's impossible in the short term.
[Is this ultimate mission mandatory? Is it time-limited?] These thoughts of Chaoge passed in an instant, and it was only a few seconds later when she actually asked Little Red Riding Hood.
[Once you raise General Qin Muge's favorability to 100, this ultimate quest will be forcibly unlocked and will last indefinitely. However, I have a suggestion: instead of trying to win over many people step by step to reach this goal, you should just choose this one. This will reduce the difficulty and allow my level to progress to a point where it won't frequently stall.] Little Red Riding Hood thought her suggestion was very reasonable.
To Chaoge, this sounded somewhat like a trap. Of course, she knew how ridiculous Little Red Riding Hood [strategy guide] was. But the very first task was to raise the favorability of ten random people. If she kept raising it, the final task would be the top task on this planet. She wasn't surprised at all.
She never imagined that she would cross paths with this influential figure so early in life, and in such an unusual way. However, she hadn't forgotten what she'd said just two days earlier: "How could I possibly fall in love with myself?"
That's so narcissistic!
General Qin, who accompanied her back to the dormitory, naturally had no idea what had happened in Chaoge's world in such a short time. His expression was calm and indifferent, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
But once they returned to the dormitory, everything immediately changed. The door closed behind Chaoge. Qin Muge, who had been walking alongside her on the way back, slowly followed behind her as they went up the stairs, now standing behind Chaoge.
Suddenly, someone grabbed Chaoge, who was about to walk inside, and pulled her away. Chaoge was caught off guard and her mind was full of the ultimate strategy for Little Red Riding Hood. This sudden action startled her quite a bit. Her vision blurred for a moment, and when she came to her senses, she was already being pressed against the door by someone.
Noticing something amiss in the situation, she finally snapped out of her reverie and met Qin Muge's smiling eyes.
"You don't seem like you're up to anything good," Chaoge retorted, returning Qin Muge's earlier words to her.
But Qin Muge remained unhurried. Apart from pressing Chaoge's right shoulder firmly against the door with one hand, he didn't seem to make any other moves for a while. Just that alone was enough to give Chaoge a sense of oppression.
Not knowing what the other party intended to do, Chaoge didn't intend to maintain this strange posture any longer. She quickly reached out to brush Qin Muge's hand away, but before she could touch him with her other hand, Qin Muge pressed down on Chaoge's left hand and pinched a bone on her shoulder, causing a sharp pain to rush through her.
Chaoge gasped, her hand, which had been about to push her away, landed instead on the forearm that was pressing on her shoulder. Before she could question what she was planning to do, Qin Muge, as if she had finally had enough of looking at her, leaned closer and asked with a smile, "You haven't forgotten about the reward I mentioned so quickly, have you?"
"You haven't forgotten? Are you planning to rob me?" Chaoge's understanding of this was originally limited to money, but now she sensed something was wrong. However, she preferred not to think too much and tried her best to keep the topic simple and vulgar.
Qin Muge instantly saw through her thoughts. Seeing that her gaze was evasive and she was avoiding his gaze, he patiently moved closer, a pleasant smile curving his lips: "I don't think I'm beautiful enough to arouse evil thoughts in people right now, do I? Look at me when you speak."
With a single sentence that was both narcissistic and semi-commanding, Chaoge could only helplessly shift her gaze back. The distance between the two was just right for them to look directly at each other.
Seeing that she was still fixated on the matter, Chaoge decided to give up entirely and said, "Fine, come on, as long as I have it."
Qin Muge was always very efficient. Upon hearing this, he didn't hold back and leaned in to kiss Chaoge's lips, returning all the previous lewd behavior.
For the first second, Chaoge didn't even realize what was going on with the enlarged face in front of her until a warm, moist touch came onto her lips.
Three seconds later, she finally realized what was going on and quickly reached out to push Qin Muge away, turning her head repeatedly to the side in an attempt to avoid him.
At this moment, Qin Muge, who hadn't been holding down her other hand, suddenly found it useful. He hooked her chin and turned her face back, kissing the corner of her lips. His voice was full of laughter, yet it couldn't hide his wickedness and teasing: "Why are you hiding?"
As if only now remembering that he had the ability to speak, Chaoge said stubbornly, "If you're going to take liberties with me, at least use your real body! I want a beautiful woman!" He had the picky look that even if he was to be forcibly kissed, he would only accept a top-tier beauty.
This really amused Qin Muge, who readily nodded and said, "Okay."
Chaoge was finally dumbfounded. Her earlier statement was merely a quick wit; she knew calling a halt would be pointless, so she hastily came up with an excuse, and afterwards even gave herself a mental pat on the back for her cleverness. Since Qin Muge wasn't showing her true face, it meant there were some inconveniences for her at the Yuandu Military Academy.
Of course, she also forgot that if it's inconvenient in crowded places, how could it be inconvenient in sparsely populated places? Especially since it's right in front of her.
This shows that the phrase "thinking on your feet" has different effects on different people.
Qin Muge released his grip on her chin, casually wiped his face, and a mist of light dissipated from his palm, making it look as if he had removed a disguise mask. It was impossible to tell what kind of high-tech method had been used to achieve this.
With the smile on her face now, she looked exactly the same as when they first met.
With black hair and red eyes, the smile at the corner of his lips subtly revealed an undeniable arrogance, and the deep red in his eyes was like wine, captivating anyone who looked into them, as if they were about to drown in it.
With this action, the memory materials around her changed. Her hair tie returned to its original state, her long hair cascading down her back, with a few strands occasionally falling to her chest. Her clothes also changed; after a flash of white light, she was now wearing a snow-white military uniform, with rows of gleaming gold buttons, impeccably clean military trousers without a single wrinkle, and even her shoes had transformed into white military boots.
The black gloves she had been wearing had been restored to their original form: deep blue, almost black, with a tiny mecha-like emblem painted on the side of her little finger, and the emblem of the Emperor's Star—golden thorny vines entwined around a ball of eerie blue light—engraved on the back of her hand. At this close range, they appeared even more lifelike, as if they might break free from the gloves' confinement at any moment, truly emerge from within, and float in mid-air.
Without a doubt, she is the supreme leader of Tianzi Star, possessing the prestige of the entire planet's people, the highest general of the Crystalless Empire, and the last bloodline of the royal family—Qin Muge.
The chosen ones of heaven are just like that.
Chaoge had imagined countless ways to see her true face, including seeing it on a broadcast from the AI, or in a video of a classic battle during class, but she never expected it to be like this.
Nothing but shock and awe.
While she was still in a daze, Qin Muge simply smiled as usual, her red lips slightly parted, looking into Chaoge's eyes, her tone as melodious as a song: "Are you satisfied with what you see?"
☆ Chapter 14: The Fourteenth Evaluation of General Qin
Noticing that Chaoge was still in a daze, Qin Muge didn't mind continuing what he had been doing, and even politely reminded her, "Then, I'll continue."
Whether it was her original appearance that made her even more imposing, or whether she was more comfortable with her original appearance, she took the opportunity to kiss him again, and kissed him even more deeply.
When Chaoge met her eyes at such close range, she was immediately drawn into that deep red world. She felt dizzy for a moment, and the back of her head was pressed against the hard door. She could no longer find a place to hide. The force coming from her jaw and shoulder made it clear that it was impossible to escape.
General Qin continued in her usual style, completely disregarding whether the other party cooperated or not, and continued the activity in a very self-amusing manner.
Having little experience in this area, Chaoge was thoroughly teased, especially since the other person looked just as stunningly beautiful as she had at first glance. Considering their current unsure of what their actions were, she felt a surge of heat rising to her face.
While General Qin was enjoying this post-meal entertainment, the military personnel were anything but relaxed; the atmosphere at that moment could hardly be described as tense.
The usual meeting table, where the leader was seated, was now empty, with only a few dozen people in various military uniforms sitting in their respective seats.
Ling Tianchu remained composed, his sharp, wolf-like eyes beneath his glasses reflecting the experience his age should have. As the head of the Ling family, currently the most prominent family in the military, he was undoubtedly the rightful heir.
But he wasn't the first to break the silence. A voice, tinged with arrogance, pleasant yet befitting its owner, rang out: "What, still no news?"
All eyes turned to her, and there stood the speaker, Yan Zihe, the head of the Yan family, one of the three giants of the military, who was also the cousin of Yan Ziyu whom Chaoge had met at school.
"The search team reported no news." In the silence, it was Ling Tianchu who took over the conversation.
Immediately, Yan Zihe let out a soft snort, whether out of disdain for the search team or simply in response to that remark, it was unclear. As the only force within the military that hadn't clung tightly to General Qin Muge, she naturally possessed her own strengths.
"The search unit? If I remember correctly, the search unit has always been very efficient. How could they fail on such an important matter, General Ling?" It has become a habit for each faction to seize any opportunity to find fault with their opponent. Yan Zihe may not actually want to express doubt about the search unit on this issue, but it is a very serious problem.
That's right. Back when they encountered problems during the development of the P4 Nebula planetary mine, Qin Muge personally piloted a mecha and took Min Kaiyang to explore that place. Although this action was opposed by many military personnel at the meeting, the decision was eventually approved.
But it was precisely this operation that caused Qin Muge to disappear along with her mecha.
Everyone who was with them also disappeared without a trace.
If it were only a problem with the advance troops, the military might not be in such a state of turmoil. But these missing persons are quite extraordinary; they are the kind of people who can shake the earth with a single shout from the heavens, and whose mere gesture can determine the outcome of a war. This news is currently being suppressed through concerted efforts on all sides; if it were to be revealed, the entire country would descend into chaos.
Indeed, General Qin, who had just led the people of Tianzi Star to victory in the intergalactic war, held a god-like status in people's hearts.
What does it mean for a country's leader to go missing? Especially a leader who is unique and irreplaceable on this planet.
The military was able to operate normally entirely thanks to the joint efforts of the three major powers. But behind this incident, how many people were pulling strings? Was this disappearance deliberate or accidental? Those present probably had their own guesses.
The people who most want Qin Muge to fall are none other than the old military forces led by the Yan family. They were the ones who had absolute power in the military before Qin Muge became powerful. But since Qin Muge, the representative of the royal descendant, intervened in the military, their voice has been stripped away to the point where it is today.
But is this something they can achieve with their current strength? The military's most advanced technology and core AI are all in this person's hands; no one is foolish enough to think they are outside the planet's surveillance system.
Especially with Qin Muge's personal guard led by the Ling family, the strength of this army is evident to all in the Empire. They can almost sweep through armies, displaying overwhelming power in the interstellar war. With their advanced technology, mechs, and AI, they won victory for Tianzi Star. Frankly speaking, even if all the other armies in the military were combined, Yan Zihe believed they might not have a chance of winning in a head-on confrontation with such an army.
That's why, although they covet Qin Muge's position, they might not dare to touch it.
Among the advance team sent to the P4 Nebula planetary mine were some of Yan family confidants. When they all disappeared without a trace, she thought it was Qin Muge's doing. Before the military meeting, she even planned to use this to argue with Qin Muge.
It wasn't until news of Qin Muge's disappearance reached them that they realized things weren't so simple. To put it another way, Qin Muge's disappearance was like a windfall for the Yan family and their allies—a pie in the sky, yes, but one you couldn't bite into.
If they show any unusual behavior, the first to come after them will definitely be the Royal Guard.
It's understandable that you have to pay a bloody price to get to the top, but if that price includes your own blood, then you have to think about it.
Yan Zihe was incredibly annoyed. On one hand, she wished Qin Muge would just die, but on the other hand, she was certain that with Qin Muge's abilities, there was no reason for him to be defeated in such a small place. Her years of political rivalry told her that this guy was probably plotting something at this moment.
Ling Tianchu and her family might even have helped cover up the news, which explains their lukewarm mockery earlier.
This also highlights the unusual nature of the P4 Nebula planetary mine. The development plan had to be halted, and the entire military's focus shifted to Qin Muge's disappearance.
"Before the intergalactic war, the first country to observe that the P4 nebula contained planetary minerals was not Tianzixing. Recently, the R&D department has found nothing by studying the data transmitted back by the advance team three thousand light-years ago when they entered the P4 nebula. So, can we speculate that the problem is not with the nebula cluster, but with the planetary minerals?" It was Yan Chen who first broke the pointless debate.
His words were also targeted, and once the issue was brought to a real level, today's meeting could be considered to have truly begun.
"If even the military's arms research and development department can only use words like speculation, then I think the others present probably can't even make a speculation, right?" Not everyone would be attracted to this question, and the representative figure was still Yan Zihe.
"Since there are neither facts nor speculations, my suggestion is that you should stop talking now?" The person who retorted looked lazy and sleepy. Her dark purple military uniform suited her well, but because of her personality, she was not well-liked in the military. This person was none other than Yang Yuheng, whom Qin Muge had wanted to send to Yuandu Military Academy to check on Chaoge last time.
Upon hearing her pointed remark, Yan Zihe remained silent for a second, then decisively pretended not to hear it.
"Is there no news from General Min either? Or is the search team only targeting General Qin this time?" Holding a military cap, her dark red clothes did not bring out her calm personality; instead, it made people wonder if the color on her clothes would immediately turn fiery red because of her quick temper.
The girl who spoke wasn't very old, but her face, which bore a resemblance to Ling Tianchu, revealed their blood relation. She was Ling Tianxuan, another member of the Ling family who had joined the personal guard.
"The same," Ling Tianchu replied to her question.
Yan Chen's original intention was to connect General Qin's disappearance with the planetary mines in the P4 Nebula, hoping that this special phenomenon would attract everyone's attention. However, it was clear that everyone present had different thoughts. The Yan family was obviously looking for more excitement, and the personal guards were only concerned about General Qin's whereabouts and were not interested in anything else, which put him in a difficult position.
Ling Tianchu's eyes, behind his glasses, took in everything. He didn't actively try to steer the conversation, but he also wouldn't gloss over matters within his purview. Based on the intelligence he already possessed, many countries near Tianzi Star had suffered minor setbacks in the intergalactic war and clearly didn't have the resources to suddenly target the general.
Moreover, these countries have not yet made any moves, and it is unclear whether they genuinely lack this intelligence or are simply observing the situation.
In any case, the longer the situation drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for the empire.
With the situation still unclear, Yan Zihe couldn't figure out what Qin Muge was up to. At this moment, she glanced at the many generals around her and made a summary: "As long as General Qin doesn't return, everyone in the empire will live in fear. Shouldn't we discuss whether to send more people to search?"
"Then let's decide by voting." Someone immediately chimed in as soon as Yan Zihe finished speaking.
Ultimately, the decision to send additional personnel for a full search received unanimous support from those present at the military meeting.
☆ Chapter 15: The Fifteenth Evaluation of General Qin
Meanwhile, because Chaoge's thinking is often rather unconventional, even after being confronted by General Qin, the issue that still matters to her is: the person who kissed me is a beauty! A beauty! A super beauty!
[I think the day when you complete the final mission is not far away.] Even Little Red Riding Hood could see that Chaoge was unreliable. She began to think that Chaoge was perfect for completing this final mission in one go, saving time and effort and exactly what she wanted.
Little Red Riding Hood's words suddenly reminded Chaoge of the most serious principle: even if her counterpart in another timeline was a super beauty, she couldn't fall in love with her!
Deep inside her were two adorable little voices, one of them shouting, "No, don't stop! Let me drown in the beauty's kiss!"
The other little figure, with an air of noble aloofness, crossed its arms and looked at its own reflection, who was gazing at it with eyes full of infatuation. It then reached out and slapped the infatuated little figure across the face repeatedly: "Wake up! Do you want to be with yourself?"