...Holy crap, this is going to turn me into a terrible student in no time!
Who can understand the loneliness of not having something in your hand? The pen writes some unrelated words on the paper. After finishing writing, Chaoge realizes that she has nothing to do but recite English song lyrics. She decisively crosses them out.
"It seems that Sikong has some questions, so let me explain this part further." Holding a pointer and explaining the mecha parts on the floating electronic screen, the teacher had just asked if anyone had any questions when she noticed a girl raise her hand. She simply adjusted her glasses and began to explain patiently.
Sikong? Chaoge couldn't help but turn her head to look. The girl who raised her hand seemed to know that she would look over, and smiled at her the moment her gaze fell on her.
At first glance, Chaoge mistook the gentle smile for Qinghe's. Then, she looked away with a self-deprecating smile. Not everyone can have the same kind of cheat code as her and Qin Muge, especially that general's cheat code that allows him to change his appearance so easily. She wouldn't say anything more.
The court ball had only been going on for a few days when the brief peace of the Red Cloud Galaxy was shattered. While the Emperor Star remained calm as usual, a huge uproar had already broken out in some countries of the Red Cloud Galaxy!
Future high-tech wars could destroy a planet inhabited by humans in an instant; the fighting would be swift, and the end would be equally swift. The inhabitants of the Red Cloud Galaxy probably never dreamed that, having just ended a major internal war, they would be invaded by an alien galaxy!
The technological development of the Red Cloud Galaxy surpasses that of other galaxies within a three million light-year radius. While not every nation in the galaxy is powerful enough to rival the Crystalless Empire, it is not so weak that it is being dominated by other galaxies.
However, the closest planet to the P4 Nebula in the Red Cloud Galaxy, which is essentially on the outer edge of the Red Cloud Galaxy, collapsed completely within twelve hours! The frontline troops and intelligence systems deployed by various countries were also completely paralyzed the moment the Mica Star was attacked.
And this includes the planet Celestial.
The intergalactic conference, which was just around the corner, had to be convened ahead of schedule. The leaders of other countries near the Mica Star were caught in a mix of joy and sorrow. On the one hand, they were worried that they would become the next target of invasion, and on the other hand, they thought that they might be able to find out the plans of the Emperor on the Emperor Star.
Where did this invasion originate? Was the target merely that planet or the entire galaxy? What was the level of the opposing military? Everything was unknown. From that day on, the military departments of all the countries in the Red Cloud Galaxy opened all channels of communication. Although the news was not made public domestically to appease public sentiment, all defenses were placed on wartime alert.
Qin Muge tapped the table absently with her right hand, which was gloved in black. In front of her, a mountain of documents piled up like snowflakes. The smart screen kept flashing blue lights, indicating that someone had requested a video call. Even after the light went out, she didn't bother to tap the noble head to agree.
His long black hair was unusually swept back, and his red eyes, half-hidden beneath his black bangs, shone with a captivating light. A faint smile played on his lips as he pondered the situation before him.
The moment Ling Tianchu entered, Qin Muge's hand, which had been tapping on the table, paused. Even though her military boots made almost no sound on the thick carpet, she noticed immediately. "General," Ling Tianchu said, bowing before even approaching.
Qin Muge nodded, stood up, picked up the white military cap from the table, and walked towards him. "Let's go." Her military boots accentuated the graceful curve of her calves. After putting on her cap, she suddenly turned and asked, "Not ready yet?"
The wall, adorned with intricate and magnificent patterns, opened without warning, revealing Min Kaiyang's figure behind it. He raised his hand to grasp the interlocking bricks beside him, a white ribbon tied around his wrist. His eyes, as if just thawing from ice, flickered slightly, focusing on Qin Muge before nodding and walking out.
Ling Tianchu remained calm and unfazed by anything Qin Muge did that was beyond his comprehension, not even blinking.
Qin Muge calmly strode towards the venue of the intergalactic conference.
Mica Star is a planet that has been completely destroyed, yet no information can be circulated about it. Even if one could observe the location of the planet, all one could see was that it was shrouded in a gray mist, exuding a dark and deathly aura.
Political leaders from various countries gathered on Tianzi Star, hoping to hear what choice this superpower of the Red Cloud Galaxy would make.
As soon as Qin Muge appeared at the venue, she was met with attention from all directions. She simply sat down in a chair, and without her even needing to introduce the situation, Ling Tianchu took over explaining the purpose of reconvening the intergalactic conference to the representatives from various countries.
It turns out that the Crystalless Empire had already realized that the resource development process in the P4 Nebula would not be so simple, and therefore withstood pressure from all sides to halt its development efforts. According to the latest intelligence network from Tianzi Star, a tremendous power is hidden within the P4 Nebula, which is very likely a civilization completely different from the nations of the Red Cloud Galaxy.
As soon as Ling Tianchu finished speaking, a small commotion broke out throughout the room. Soon, someone took the lead and proposed establishing a galactic alliance to jointly resist the alien invaders from the Red Cloud Galaxy.
Qin Muge glanced indifferently in that direction; it was the military representative of the country closest to Yunmu Star. Sweeping across him with her emotionless red eyes, the man instinctively shrank back, his impassioned demeanor vanishing completely.
Ling Tianchu was well aware of these countries' intentions. They simply wanted to cling to the Empire and hoped that the Empire would use its armed forces to confront this powerful outsider, so that they could reduce their losses and gain a better understanding of the military strength of both the Empire and the outsider.
The powerful impression that the Crystalless Empire had left on various countries had deeply penetrated their hearts. The annihilation of only one peripheral nation wouldn't truly deal them a significant blow. Furthermore, the Crystalless Empire's overwhelming strength displayed during the intergalactic war had astonished them, leading to a level of trust in the Empire's power that even surpassed that of the Empire's own people.
What was clearly a meeting between leaders of various countries in the Red Cloud Galaxy was instead turned into a meeting between low-ranking officials and their superiors by Qin Muge's extraordinary strength. Moreover, this leader was not approachable at all, putting on airs throughout the entire meeting.
Qin Muge sang a cup of fruit tea beside him. The fragrant fruit aroma seeped out from the rising steam, spreading silently in the air and slowly calming people's tense nerves.
As world leaders expressed their views on the aggressors, a smile suddenly appeared on Qin Muge's lips, her red eyes gleaming beneath the brim of her white military cap. As her gaze swept across the room, a sudden sense of oppression filled the air, causing everyone to instinctively fall silent.
"An alliance?" He repeated the intentions revealed by most people, and the question with a rising tone at the end was intimidating, making people want to take back the proposal for some reason.
His gaze swept over the people in the room, and the slight curve of Qin Muge's lips carried a hint of danger. He merely repeated the two words they had mentioned, yet it created the feeling that he was exposing their shady intentions in front of everyone.
The venue was unusually quiet.
A short while later, just when they thought they had imagined it, Qin Muge said again, "Okay."
Her straightforwardness thwarted their plans to waste more words. Just as they were about to take the opportunity to discuss the various rules of the Allied Forces, Qin Muge finally ended her taciturn state and set the rules: "Each country shall contribute 60 percent of the military equipment, and Tianzi Star shall contribute 30 percent, together forming the Star Alliance Legion."
"Thirty percent?" Someone subconsciously stared at the power of the Emperor Star and asked a question.
Qin Muge didn't even glance at that person this time, only tapping the table with his index finger. Ling Tianchu pushed up his glasses and said, "Even if all the military forces of the Red Cloud Star System were combined, they couldn't match the three legions of the Empire. I think the general's suggestion is very fair."
World leaders: ...Of course you think it's fair, since you're from the same country!
Qin Muge naturally took in all their reactions, but he didn't say another word.
Meanwhile, Chaoge had finished her classes and was heading to the cafeteria for lunch when she found one of the classroom doors completely blocked. She naturally turned and took another route. Unexpectedly, she had only taken a few steps out of the classroom when someone called out to her, "Yan Chaoge!"
Judging from his emotional state, Chaoge decided not to turn around to see who was so agitated. She heard quickened footsteps approaching from behind and finally stopping beside her. Turning around, she saw, oh dear, Yan Xi, who looked like he owed someone eight million!
"How dare your AI terminal reject Dad's connection request?" Before even arriving, the trouble started. Chaoge, as if boneless, slowly shuffled around, demonstrating that talking to this guy was truly a struggle.
Is it really that strange for someone to refuse to call their dad because their phone is broken? Chaoge was a little confused by their thought process, even though she had no intention of revealing that her AI was broken.
"Uh, I guess so." Chaoge's gaze was constantly shifting between the sky and the ground, her reply quite distinctive, as if afraid Yanxi wouldn't understand the perfunctory tone in her words.
Yan Xi was furious, but even Yan Zihe couldn't figure out what the relationship was between Yan Chaoge and Qin Muge. So she had no choice but to swallow her pride and try to maintain a calm attitude to meet this guy, and also to find out what methods she used to get close to the most powerful person in the empire.
Yan Xi's eyes still held a hint of disdain, but it was mixed with emotions like contempt and jealousy, making Chao Ge reluctant to look directly at her. "You're so smug now? In my opinion, it's just a slightly special treatment at a ball. With your standards, that's all you can see, isn't it?"
Chaoge was impatient to argue with her in public. She felt that as a legitimate member of the Yan family, she couldn't do something so degrading. So she took a step to the side, intending to walk past her, and calmly said, "Hmm, what's it to you?"
Yan Xi was very angry, but her anger was of no use, as Chao Ge didn't care about her expression at all.
"Yan Chaoge." A cool male voice continued to sound behind them. Hmm, this voice sounds somewhat familiar? Chaoge turned her head and saw the general in white military uniform, who was as dazzling as the sun—Min Kaiyang.
Ever since she learned that he was Qin Muge's AI, Chaoge felt that every time she saw him, it was no different from seeing Qin Muge. Although Chaoge felt that given how inseparable he was from someone else, everyone would subconsciously associate him with General Qin when they saw him.
Yan Xi seemed to have some interest in Min Kaiyang. Whenever Min Kaiyang appeared in her sight, she seemed to be able to put away all the thorns around her and show her most docile side. She could even completely dispel the disgust in her eyes for Chaoge.
Chaoge felt a little amused. It was quite a nice feeling to see the guy who always caused trouble in her life fall for a system.
Min Kaiyang showed no reaction to their drastically different expressions, maintaining a completely businesslike demeanor. What might have seemed like a cold demeanor to others appeared utterly indifferent to Chaoge. Even when their eyes met, she could almost see the inorganic, data-like quality flashing within them, though Chaoge knew it was just her imagination.
"Something's up, come over here." After saying that, he walked away in another direction, clearly not wanting anyone else to hear what they were talking about.
He simply nodded to Yan Xi when she called him "General Min," indicating that he had heard her, and then turned and left without showing any particular relationship with her.
It's likely that even with Qin Muge's personal guards, his expression wouldn't be the slightest bit warmer. He seems to treat everyone the same way; you could never tell from his reactions who would actually be on good terms with someone like him.
Chao Ge had a rough idea of why he had come, but instead of going to the teachers' lounge, she found it completely empty. Chao Ge idly pondered the trope of a male teacher and a female student, amusing herself.
He loosened his gold cuff, and a white ribbon immediately floated down from behind. Such a delicate adornment on such a handsome and dashing man seemed rather incongruous. He easily removed the ribbon and handed it back to her, his expression suggesting Little Red Riding Hood was alright.
Chaoge took the items with a hint of urgency, her eyes shining like the stars in the sky. [Little Red Riding Hood, Little Red Riding Hood!]
【Um... I'm back.】 Little Red Riding Hood's reaction was slightly different from what Chaoge had imagined. How should I put it? It sounded a bit like—guilty?
Wait, wait, wait, this isn't right. It wasn't Little Red Riding Hood who deliberately crashed, so why is she suddenly feeling guilty? Chaoge had a premonition that she was about to get into some big trouble.
This guy, who's such a jerk and a disgrace to his family, was so self-righteous when he issued the missions, letting things go into hibernation or crashing at will. If he's starting to feel guilty now, what a huge problem that must be!
【Don't panic! Wait, let me calm down before you honestly confess what you did to wrong me!】Chaoge really wanted to clutch her chest to show her injury, but if she really made such an idiotic gesture while the general was standing there, she would definitely look extremely stupid.
I always feel like I can't handle what Little Red Riding Hood is going to say, and that can't be just my imagination.
General Qin, all you did was fix my AI! Why did you cause such a mess?! Is it because you're a great general that you encounter so many troubles?! Is your domineering aura so overwhelming that it affects me?! QAQ
While inwardly criticizing the Great General, Chaoge was completely unaware that someone was indeed behaving exactly as she suspected. At the meeting convened by the Emperor, his domineering presence was so overwhelming that it left other nations' dignitaries feeling utterly exasperated. The establishment of the Allied Forces seemed to be decided instantly, but the organization of the Allied Army appeared to require considerable further discussion.
Well, if a certain general still doesn't budge, it seems we can already foresee who will eventually back down.
☆ Chapter 33: The Thirty-Third Evaluation of General Qin
After delivering the items to Chaoge, Min Kaiyang didn't stay in the same spot as usual, showing no sign of leaving. Judging from Chaoge's expression, she was already communicating with the AI. He just looked at her indifferently, and being stared at by that cold gaze gave Chaoge a chill down her spine.
"Yan Chaoge." He pronounced her name in perfect, standard pronunciation. Chaoge felt a little awkward being called out like that, and she blinked unconsciously. Her long, straight eyelashes reflected in her eyes, obscuring the bright brown part of her eyes.
"What?" Before Chaoge could react, she blurted out the question.
Min Kaiyang's eyes, which were clearly like the warm golden sun, revealed not a trace of warmth. They were like frozen flames; one could only imagine their temperature, but they were icy to the touch. He focused his gaze on Chaoge with those eyes, causing Chaoge to feel a constant urge to retreat.
He scanned Chaoge from top to bottom and asked a question that Chaoge hadn't expected: "Do you want to go back?"
Holy crap, does everyone on the street know I'm a time traveler these days?
Chaoge thinks this planet is terrifying, and her mom wants to go back to Earth qaq
Hesitation flashed in Chaoge's eyes, but before she could even speak, a voice suddenly burst out, exploding in the room: "Didn't we agree that I would explain? You don't need to worry about this."
Hey, that voice sounds familiar, huh? If the situation allowed, Chaoge wanted to make a rather unseemly ear-picking gesture to express her surprise.
"Little Red Riding Hood, I've raised you with so much care for so long, and just because he fixed you up, you're going to be kidnapped? Madam, I'm a little sad, I feel like I'm going to cry." Chaoge complained to Little Red Riding Hood in her heart, feeling a little depressed.
Hearing Little Red Riding Hood's voice, one can't help but feel that it has some kind of inexplicable relationship with General Qin's AI. Especially when Min Kaiyang asked her if she wanted to go back, Chaoge couldn't help but wonder if she came here because of Min Kaiyang.
Perhaps it was because Chaoge's gaze was too obvious, and the questions within it could be judged with just one glance, Min Kaiyang's inorganic gaze swept over the wristband that Chaoge had re-tied on her wrist, and when it met Chaoge's surprised and uncertain gaze, he simply nodded lightly: "Ah, I did it."
Holy crap, he actually admitted it! He actually admitted it! What a shameless AI!
Receiving such an answer out of the blue left Chaoge feeling devastated. She felt like she had stepped into some massive conspiracy, and the best course of action was to turn around and leave now, pretending that none of this had happened. Well, Little Red Riding Hood hadn't contracted any virus, and Min Kaiyang had never contacted her.
But... it felt like a little cat's paw was scratching at Chaoge's heart, making her feel uneasy and anxious. She had to use a lot of strength to control herself from blurting out "why" and getting an answer that she didn't know was true or false, which would only make her sink deeper into trouble.
Even though it was at this crucial moment concerning the ins and outs of her presence here, Chaoge's mind drifted uncontrollably to a far greater place. She wondered if Qin Muge knew about this.
Do you know that it was your AI that brought me here? Your access system is so advanced that it can know almost anything that happens in every corner of this vast empire. Do you even know that I'm here now?
Can I believe that your AI did all this behind your back?
Chaoge mentally went through these questions and then came to a surprising conclusion: she wanted to trust Qin Muge. Because Qin Muge understood her better than anyone else, he would know even more clearly that her unwavering trust would never be given a second chance after being deceived once.
Although she didn't seek confirmation from General Qin, Chaoge felt strangely calmed down after reaching this conclusion, and even had extra thoughts to ponder what Min Kaiyang was planning.
Qin Muge, who was holding a galactic meeting, rested his chin on his hands, his gaze casually sweeping over the expressions of the attendees before settling on the blue screen on the table in front of him, which was flashing various messages from time to time. A few seconds later, a cold laugh escaped his lips: "Heh."
A half-smile played on his lips, sending a chill down the spines of everyone in the meeting. Many instinctively replayed the words in their minds, wondering if they had said something inappropriate. But after their reflection, they couldn't recall what had happened without their awareness. Instead, the eerie atmosphere caused a profound silence to fall over the room.
The guards, each with a distinct personality, all displayed excellent military qualities at this moment. They sat ramrod straight, exuding an aura that was so powerful that those sitting close to them spoke in a much softer voice than usual.
Ling Tianchu's eyes were rather calm, and his aura was more restrained than that of the younger captains, exuding an unyielding and steadfast presence.
Her dark blue eyes took in the entire meeting, yet revealed not a trace of emotion. Qin Muge was the same, but her slight displeasure immediately sent chills down the spines of the personal guard captains she had personally brought with her, putting them on high alert.
Even they themselves didn't realize that their sitting postures had subconsciously shifted to the most suitable stance for defensive attacks. Among them, the only one who didn't change was Ling Tianchu. He frowned slightly, then quickly relaxed. In his memory, Qin Muge rarely showed his emotions except on the battlefield.
A tense atmosphere filled the air, adding to the already controversial nature of the meeting. Despite the contributions from various nations within the Galaxy Alliance, Tianzixing showed no intention of backing down. The constant wrangling between the nations only resulted in further damage to their own interests, ultimately circling back to Qin Muge's initial proposal.
The current issue is who will serve as the commander of the Allied Legion. Originally, it was obvious who should sit in this position, but the person who is most qualified for this position has been slow to express their opinion. This has left those who were ready to support her proposal feeling stuck in mid-air, unable to go up or down, and feeling quite frustrated.
Later, it is said that many diplomats and generals who represented their countries at this intergalactic conference changed careers after returning home, either focusing on national defense or becoming ministers of the interior. In short, they would never do such brain-draining work dealing with the planet again! Having such a leader who is stubborn and refuses to give others a way out is truly infuriating!
"I propose General Min Kaiyang for the position of commander of the Galaxy Alliance Army Corps." Qin Muge suddenly blurted out, and the expressions of everyone present immediately changed.