“—So you agreed to his proposal!?”
It was several days later when Lin Ge learned about the cause and effect of that night.
The young girl glared at Jiang Jianming with a look reserved for lunatics, laughing in extreme anger. “Has your illness waterlogged your brain? Do you really believe that little bastard can bring you medicine!?”
“How many years has it been since the Black Wave radiation descended upon us? Hundreds of years! We’ve never heard of any medicine that could cure crystal disorder. He said he’s researching it, but would you dare to eat whatever crap he develops? What if they’re using you as a guinea pig for their experiments!?”
“And you even said he was His Highness the Prince from the palace… Oh, a prince who stayed with lowly people like us for ten days or half a month, and now he cares about you and wants to cure your illness? Why don’t you just say he fell in love with you!”
“…Don’t get so excited.”
Jiang Jianming sat at the corner of the bed, wrapped in a blanket, and said languidly, “No matter what happens, it can’t be worse than how things are now. I won’t lose out.”
By this time, Ryann had already left. Their shabby little house had returned to its usual state. As Jiang Jianming recalled that child, he felt as if he had been like a gust of wind or a blazing fire, coming and going with such abruptness and brilliance.
In fact, he didn’t really believe he would actually receive the so-called medicine. Lin Ge’s various points about its impracticality were one thing, but more importantly—
He knew himself to be a person with rather poor luck.
If such a fortunate thing were to happen, it would most likely not fall upon him.
Lin Ge was still fuming, spittle flying. “And also, how dare you instigate that guy to commit—” She glanced at the broken window and lowered her voice, “rebellion!”
She clenched her hands into claws, as if telling a ghost story. “If he really does it, who knows on which dark and windy night the imperial soldiers will come to arrest you, pin a charge of treason on you, and snap!”
“…Or use you to threaten that little bastard, make him surrender, and then snap snap for both of you!”
Jiang Jianming praised her. “Lin Ge, you’ve really learned a lot these past two years.”
To be able to imagine the dangers behind such political struggles, and even use phrases like “dark and windy night” to describe the evening.
Lin Ge: “?”
Jiang Jianming stopped teasing the young girl. He coughed twice and stared at the chipped bowl in front of him. It was filled with clear water, reflecting his face.
…He actually regretted it a little.
Before parting, Ryann had asked him. “How long can you wait for me?”
Jiang Jianming thought seriously. Helga had been ill for eight years before she finally burned out and ended her life with a gun. He had already been sick for five years, and due to his harsh and wandering childhood, his physical foundation wasn’t good. He probably couldn’t compare to his mother.
“…I’ll try my best for one more year.”
Ryann nodded happily, and solemnly promised to bring him even better apples when they met again.
Hearing this, Jiang Jianming thought to himself, he really is just a child, with such pure words and actions. He speaks of destroying humanity so easily, yet shows affection and wants someone to live. As for overthrowing the empire, such an earth-shattering matter seemed to have become merely incidental.
That night, when he was delirious with pain, he had lured this child onto an unknown path for his own secret ambitions. It really wasn’t right.
But a promise had been made.
Jiang Jianming thought to himself, in any case, he would endure for one more year.
****
Gray Owl Laboratory.
This was Odin II’s first time entering this mysterious research base.
The emperor, wearing his high crown, followed silently behind the laboratory’s highest-ranking official, his face gloomy. It wasn’t until they reached the end and he saw with his own eyes the scene behind the alloy glass that Andrew Odin’s brows slowly relaxed.
“Very good.”
The emperor’s lips curled into a sneer, cruel pleasure surging in his heart, replacing his previous wariness and anxiety.
“We can see that the laboratory’s work is being carried out very seriously. Tell me, what rewards do you desire?”
…Through the transparent glass, one could see a multi-functional test bench equipped with countless precision instruments. Two giant radiation lamps were continuously irradiating the center, with injection needles, mechanical claws, and surgical blades of various sizes and thicknesses suspended nearby, a dizzying sight.
In the center of the test bench, a deformed body was tightly clamped by iron rings.
It had lost all human semblance, with small cyst-like lumps constantly bulging between flesh and blood, bursting and splattering large amounts of foul-smelling blood. The blood that fell to the ground crystallized within seconds, as if ice had formed out of thin air.
No one would have thought that this horrifying mass of flesh and blood had been a handsome young man just a few days ago.
Just as the Gray Owl Laboratory could never have imagined that the little monster who had threatened to take all of humanity to hell hadn’t died, but had returned openly and righteously.
The returned His Highness Kaios still had his arrogant eyes. He smiled and said that if they could develop an effective crystal particle tranquilizer within a year, he would cooperate with the experiments.
When the news reached the emperor, Odin II flew into a rage—previously, when the little monster’s starship had self-ignited and lost contact, it was said that the emperor had gone mad on the spot, smashing hundreds of precious jewels and artifacts in one night.
Now that the person had returned, the emperor went mad again, this time smashing two hundred.
The future of the empire, even humanity, hung on the whim of this artificial child, to be toyed with at will… It was a shame, an absolute disgrace!
Andrew immediately ordered an investigation, but the positioning devices and built-in monitoring systems on that small starship had been destroyed halfway through the crash, leaving no leads to follow.
Even the little monster’s return showed a strong awareness of counter-surveillance. He seemed to have appeared out of thin air in some urban area, with no way to trace his journey, and it was unknown who might have taught him such skills.
These past two days, the emperor had tossed and turned, unable to sleep. It wasn’t until today, when he came to the laboratory and witnessed Kaios’ miserable state with his own eyes, that his heart finally settled somewhat.
Perhaps this fellow was just afraid now that death was approaching… Who isn’t afraid of death?
In any case, now that the person was under the empire’s control, wasn’t it up to him how to torture them from here on?
“Your Majesty, the Gray Owl Laboratory holds unwavering loyalty to the empire.”
Vladimir bowed his head deeply. “We need no rewards, we only ask to dedicate ourselves to science day and night, to continue the experiments, in service of our beloved emperor and empire.”
Andrew snorted through his nose, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He gestured with his chin towards the inhuman experimental subject inside, “…The experiments can certainly continue, but once the tranquilizer is made, kill it immediately. I want to see this monster draw its last breath with my own eyes.”
Vladimir raised his face, cautiously looking at the emperor with his cloudy blue eyes. “Your Majesty, if I may boldly report to my beloved emperor…”
“The tranquilizer we are currently developing only has a suppressive effect on crystal disorder, it cannot completely cure it, and the subsequent efficacy also needs to be observed. Kaios is the only experimental subject humanity possesses. I beg for Your Majesty’s mercy on his behalf.”
“What?” Andrew’s expression immediately turned extremely violent, his red eyebrows twitching, “Keeping such a monster, can the Gray Owl Laboratory really control him!?”
“If this little bastard threatens the stability of the empire, what crime would the Gray Owl Laboratory be guilty of!? Even if I flayed you all alive and tore out your tendons, it wouldn’t make up for the monumental mistake you’re committing right now—”
“Your Majesty, please calm your anger!” Vladimir suddenly knelt down, but a trace of bitterness flashed across his lowered face.
…After Odin I’s death, he was almost the only person in the world who knew the truth about the crystal particle race colonization.
The elderly chief executive clearly knew that what humanity faced now was not just a matter of a few crystal disorder waves, nor would everything be fine once a suppressant was developed.
To say something treasonous, from the perspective of racial survival, the importance of Kaios outweighed a hundred Odin IIs.
Unfortunately, the gap between Andrew and his father was too great. Odin I had understood this in his heart and had instructed the Gray Owl Laboratory before his death not to reveal the truth to Odin II.
This was out of concern that Odin II couldn’t bear the pressure and might give up entirely, ruining all of humanity along with him.
So now, Vladimir had bitter truths he couldn’t speak, and could only try his best to argue. “In fact, I was about to report to you… Having heard that Your Majesty was coming, Kaios made a request to the empire before accepting this experiment.”
“Oh, what is it?”
“He hopes to receive a certain star city as his fief. If Your Majesty grants this favor, he is willing to leave Yongle Garden and no longer interfere in government affairs with his royal identity.”
“Wishful thinking! Which place does he want, Albourne? Purple Silk? Or Eden, Watson…”
“…It’s the Blue Mother Star.”
Andrew’s eyes widened. “What?”
Vladimir repeated. “He hopes to receive the Blue Mother Star, Your Majesty. You know, although this planet is humanity’s mother world, it has already declined too much, whether in terms of resources or…”
“Hmph! Who doesn’t know that the Blue Mother Star has long been hollowed out?”
Andrew abruptly interrupted, his eyes flashing with a sinister light. “But I’m very curious, what right does that little bastard have to ask for such a garbage star city?”
…It must be said that people can always be forced to show some quick wit.
At this moment, looking at the emperor’s suspicious and wary expression, Vladimir suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
“Oh, Your Majesty. That’s actually because… he fell in love with a lover.”
The chief executive narrowed his eyes, softening his tone. “It’s a disabled human suffering from crystal disorder.”
—This was, of course, complete nonsense.
Vladimir thought helplessly to himself, that little monster had grown up under his watch, arrogant and rebellious to the extreme, with a hatred for humans. How could he possibly fall in love with anyone?
Even if he did fall in love, how could it possibly be with a disabled human, a lowly weakling?
But this kind of trite and melodramatic plot was actually the best option to dispel the emperor’s suspicions at this moment.
Sure enough, Andrew first reacted for two seconds, then burst into uproarious laughter:
“Hahahahaha, ah hahahahaha!!”
“What did you say? The little bastard fell in love with a disabled human, a disabled human!?”
The emperor seemed to have heard the most ridiculous joke in the world, laughing until tears came out, “And it’s a disabled human who can only live on the Blue Mother Star, don’t tell me this disabled human is a commoner?”
The atmosphere relaxed considerably due to the emperor’s laughter. Vladimir quickly followed suit, softening his voice as if gently persuading. “Not just a commoner, but a lowborn living in the wild zone… Hehe, think about it, since ancient times, powerful heroes have always felt protective towards fragile, pitiful beauties.”
“Moreover, Kaios is just a child, at most a teenager, at the age when it’s easiest to get carried away by passion.”
“Now, for the sake of his lover, he’s willing to cooperate with experiments, even stay away from the Yongle Garden. This is a good thing, Your Majesty. Besides the Gray Owl Laboratory, blessed by the empire’s glorious grace, where else in the world can develop medicine to combat crystal disorder?”
“This way, at least while that little lover is alive, Kaios will be our backup experimental subject for life!”
The more Vladimir spoke, the more voluble he became, and Andrew’s expression changed accordingly, becoming increasingly relaxed—the emperor’s short-sightedness and arrogance led him completely down the garden path.
“Haha, this is excellent!”
Finally, the emperor nodded with a sneer. The little monster who had once threatened him had become a ridiculous lovesick fool, which gave Andrew an unusual sense of satisfaction.
Come to think of it, the Blue Mother Star was a place that should have been abandoned long ago. When the time comes, they could send the little bastard there, and then after a year or two, they could…
“Very well, I agree. If the tranquilizer is truly successfully developed, we’ll give him the Blue Mother Star. Let our Prince Kaios go and be a slave to love!”
