CH 37

Dark Blood (1)

Major Liu Rita, who belonged to the First Legion of Silver Big Dipper, had served as the adjutant and secretary of Major General Xie Yuduo for three years. 

In the past three years, she had assisted this incomprehensible major general rigorously, sternly, rationally and calmly. She had seen the major general yell at military meetings, had seen the major general fought with Marshal Chen through interstellar communication all night, and even seen the major general got drunk into a puddle of mud—and just now, she witnessed him spit out on the top-secret document that was just printed out and stamped with the emperor’s imperial seal.

Heavens.

The heart that collapsed at that moment, Liu Rita didn’t want to recall the second time.

To this day, Rita believed that she had developed a good mentality and that she could stay still even if the world collapsed in front of her eyes.

However, she never expected—

Today, the female adjutant was forced to refresh the upper limit of her endurance.

“Rita, this is……”

In the office, Xie Yuduo smiled bitterly, “His Royal Highness’, the former Crown Prince Ryann Kaios, privately appointed lifelong spouse, His Little Excellency Jiang, Jiang Jianming.”

Rita, the female adjutant, turned into a dull stone statue, with her glasses slipping down the bridge of her nose.

Heavens.

Rita thought numbly: If I am guilty, the Imperial Law will punish me.

Instead of plainly joining Silver Big Dipper with excellent merits, she chose to stay with such a chief officer, living under the shadow of sudden death from a heart attack every day.

Xie Yuduo: “Due to some practical reasons, this matter has not been made public on the surface, but back then…in the eyes of us insiders, he has always been His Royal Highness the Crown Princess of the Empire.”

Jiang Jianming smiled helplessly, “That was back then, but not anymore.”

Xie Yuduo let out a long sigh, pressed his forehead with a headache, and wailed,”So…… Can you say it now? My goodness, grandpa and grandma ,Little Excellency, you , this, why did you join Silver Big Dipper?”

The major general hammered the table with grief, “Who recruited, who recorded the files, which bastard bastard did it—”

This time, Jiang Jianming didn’t deliberately hide anything anymore.

He told the whole story of how he met with Marshal Chen on the night of his graduation day at the military academy, how he got the special transfer order chip, and how he went around to the Star City of Albourne to fly to the distant interstellar. His secrets all came to light.

Including how he met Garcia in Beta Alien, and how he jumped to Alpha Alien to become an officer in the adaptation period and so on. He explained everything to him clearly.

On the way, Rita, the female adjutant who regained her sanity, made him a cup of hot tea.

Jiang Jianming thanked her politely, and the mist that rose from the hot tea blurred his stretched eyebrows.

“Well, that’s about how it happened. “

“You…” Rita couldn’t help whispering, “You really did not have it easy.”

Xie Yuduo had fallen silent.

Until Jiang Jianming finished speaking, held the teacup and drank slowly, he still didn’t speak.

The young major general clasped his fingers, buried his forehead in his palms, closed his eyes tightly, and there was a flash of struggle in his expression.

“I…sigh…”

Xie Yuduo shook his head, and said in a hoarse voice, “His Highness’s affair….that has been concealed, we are really ashamed.”

Jiang Jianming put down his teacup and said calmly, “Major General, please raise your head. In the past three years, I have never wanted to blame you or anyone else.”

“Imperial secrets are not something that ordinary people can access. I understand……It’s just that I can’t simply accept it, that’s why I came here.”

Jiang Jianming stood up with a solemn expression, “Major General Xie, please allow me to have access to His Royal Highness Ryann’s remains, the mecha L- Crown of the Golden Dawn.”

“That’s exactly why you came here.”

Xie Yuduo looked at him firmly, but shook his head again, “I’m sorry, Little Excellency, I really want to nod……but I have a responsibility.”

Jiang Jianming’s expression did not fluctuate at all. “No, you misunderstood. I came to see the Major General today, not to force you to do favoritism for me.”

Yes, last night he had thought carefully about the three rewards he “wanted to win”.

Obviously, what could be used as the core breakthrough was Major General Xie Yuduo who was in charge of the First Fortress. The key point was how to get Xie Yuduo to allow him access to Ryann’s mecha, and to agree to his promotion in the army.

Getting in touch with the mecha meant that he would get in touch with the core secrets, and if Xie Yuduo sticks to his responsibilities, he would not agree. Moreover, the promotion meant that he would be in danger, and if Xie Yuduo really cared for him, he would also not agree.

Seemingly contradictory, seemingly unsolvable.

But Jiang Jianming believed that there would be no absolutely unsolvable problems in the world.

The reason why it seemed unsolvable was because the real key point had not yet been grasped.

“Major General, I’m here to help you.”

Inside the office, Jiang Jianming’s eyes suddenly became cold, and he said word by word, “May I ask, after the Crown of Golden Dawn was recovered, have the Silver Big Dipper Fortress and the Imperial Army opened its cockpit and information base?”

Xie Yuduo was stunned for a moment, he touched his chin then answered, “…No, when we recovered Golden Dawn, it had already fallen into dormancy.”

Jiang Jianming: “I can open it, because the Little Highness’s mecha intelligence is with me.”

His words were like thunder out of thin air!

“—what!?” 

Xie Yuduo suddenly stood up from his seat.

Even the female adjutant Rita turned her head in astonishment. 

Jiang Jianming pressed his right hand firmly on his wrist device, and said in a calm and deep voice, “If the Major General can take me to see the mecha of His Royal Highness Ryann secretly, and tell me some inside information about that year…….”

“In exchange, I am willing to help the Empire restart the Crown of Golden Dawn with the help of the mecha intelligence Seth Henry.”

The peaceful atmosphere in the office was swept away.

The meaning of Jiang Jianming’s words was so shocking that the major general and his adjutant were speechless for a while!

There were only two Super S-class mechas in the Empire today.

One of them was the special mecha of the current empress—”L-Iron Rose”, which was now parked in the White Jade Palace in Star City, the Capital of Aslan.

And “L-Crown of the Golden Dawn”, that was the mecha left by the founding emperor, uses most of the old imperial technology that had been lost, but after several upgrades, it was no doubt the number one mecha in the Empire in terms of performance.

More than seventy years ago, the Great Emperor Kaios drove it to overthrow the tyranny of the old empire, rescued mankind from killing each other and from the vortex of internal oppression.

He also drove it to launch the holy battle against the distant interstellar, annihilating the alien creatures, and dispelling the shadow of alien invasion for the new empire.

It was the light of dawn that drove out the darkness, the crown of iron blood and glory, and the supreme hope in the hearts of hundreds of millions of soldiers and civilians. It already had a meaning beyond performance itself.

Not to mention, at present, the Crown of Golden Dawn may also have the key to unlock the mystery of the Crystal Nest and the mystery of the Crown Prince’s sacrifice.

And now, someone suddenly says, he can help the Empire reactivate that dormant mecha..…

How significant is that!?

Xie Yuduo gritted his teeth, “What you said……”

Jiang Jianming: “It’s absolutely true.”

Xie Yuduo raised his head and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and squeezed his fingers even tighter.

Rita was short of breath, and then whispered, “Major General!”

Xie Yuduo opened his eyes, and suddenly raised his finger to the door, “Please go back, His Little Excellency Jiang.”

Rita was surprised, “Major General!? You……”

Jiang Jianming remained motionless, waiting for Xie Yuduo’s next words.

He clearly knew it was for this sake, thus Xie Yuduo had no reason to refuse, regardless of the interests of the overall situation, and regardless of private interests.

Therefore Xie Yuduo could only smile bitterly, showing an expression of admitting defeat.

He then stood up, “Not now, there are too many people outside. At exactly 00:00, I will stop the surveillance in the fortress for three minutes. Please wait for me at the elevator on the first floor. Remember to avoid leaking information…..”

“I’ll take you to the underground Stele of Heroes.”

****

That night.

Night in Silver Big Dipper Fortress was always very quiet, and night time was also a precious period, as it’s the time where most officers and soldiers replenished their exhausted energy and physical strength through sleep.

Robots and intelligence undertook about 70% of night patrol duties, and only the green safety indicator lights were on in the corridors of the quiet dormitory area.

When the digits on the electronic clock jumped to 00:00, suddenly, a dormitory door opened.

Jiang Jianming calmly held his coat and military boots, and slipped out quietly.

During the day, not only Tang Zhen, but Li Youfang also returned to the dormitory.

Jiang Jianming ignored the series of anxious “what happened” from the two, and ate and drank water as usual, and took tranquilizers as usual.

When night came, he didn’t sleep, he merely closed his eyes and had his headset on, laid down on the bed with all his clothes and pretended to be asleep, and asked Seth Henry to remind him at twelve o’clock.

As soon as midnight arrived, he lifted the quilt and went out barefoot, alarming no one.

Time was of essence. Jiang Jianming quickly put on his coat and walked towards the elevator. By the time he reached the last corner, he was already dressed neatly.

In the distance, a slender figure stood in front of the black elevator that seemed to be woven from steel.

Xie Yuduo was already waiting there.

Jiang Jianming walked over, and the figure in front of the elevator turned into two people.

He smiled, bowed his head and said, “Thank you, Major General.”

He knew that if he really followed the procedure, Xie Yuduo should never have sneaked into the underground with him in the middle of the night like this.

He should have reported it to the Empire immediately and asked His Majesty the Emperor and high-ranking officials to decide.

But in this way, the fact that he hid a bunch of His Royal Highness’s relics privately back then would also be uncovered, and he might end up in prison for the rest of his life.

“Please don’t, I still want to be a person.”

Xie Yuduo had a self-deprecating smile, and glanced at the condensed chip on his wrist.

“I’ve been in this ghostly place of the Far Star for a long time. Really, sometimes I feel that I am not a human being anymore, but have been infected by crystal particles into a living human-shaped crystal bone, tsk.”

The door of the elevator closed and then slowly descended.

After seven or eight seconds, after a “ding” prompt, it stopped.

The door opened, and Xie Yuduo made a “please” gesture.

Jiang Jianming walked out first.

The first thing that caught his eye was the snow-white forest in the darkness.

If one looked closely, it was not really a forest. The underground space was very large, and the soles of the feet were covered with black thin bricks. One white pointed monument after another stood there. They vary in height, but they were all more than ten meters high, and one needed to look up to be able to see the top.

These white monuments were made of unknown materials, and they emit a soft shimmer in the dark without lights. They were tilted and arranged closely, with their tips pointing to the top, while its body released a sense of desolation and solemnity.

Jiang Jianming watched quietly for a long time.

Here was the underground of Silver Big Dipper First Fortress, the human cemetery in the cosmic sea of stars, the Stele of Heroes.

Xie Yuduo put his hands on his shoulders and smiled, “Shocked, when I entered the Stele of Heroes for the first time, I didn’t move for three minutes.”

“Come on, this way.”

In the open space, the footsteps of two people were extremely clear.

They walked through the snow-white pointed steles, each of which was densely engraved with small characters. It was the names, identities and epitaphs of the dead.

Xie Yuduo: “However, you really do trust me, are you not afraid that I’ll take the intelligence away on the spot.”

Jiang Jianming laughed.

His eyes sparkled, and he merely said slowly, “Actually……”

“The Little Highness handed over the control of Seth to me, and now I am the only master of Seth. This intelligence is very troublesome. If this is taken away from me, it will enter automatic dormancy.”

“Ah, that’s really advanced, really……”

Xie Yuduo suddenly realized something and stared wide–eyed, “…Huh??” 

Jiang Jianming: “If you hand over Seth to the Imperial Army, it will end up like its fuselage, exactly, be dormant forever.”

“…….”

Xie Yuduo said dryly, “Little Excellency Jiang, your wrist seems to be higher than before.”

Jiang Jianming shook his head, countless white pointed monuments were reflected in his eyes like thistles and thorns, he then frankly said with a smile, “You know, I have to fight for that something myself……..because if I don’t go fight for it, nobody’s going to give it to me.”

“Major General, let me go to the battlefield.”

Xie Yuduo held his forehead, and said in distress, “Don’t, don’t, you don’t do this, we can resolve this through discussion……I will send you soldiers! Assign adjutants! And even ask those three short-sighted idiots to bring you tea and water every day.”

“But about going to the battlefield—Little Excellency, if I nod now, I’m afraid the Crown Prince will surely come to my room tonight and punish me with sleep paralysis.”

Jiang Jianming suddenly asked, “Isn’t His Highness Garcia, Ryann?”

He asked very abruptly, and the content of the question was very shocking. But Xie Yuduo seemed to have expected this sentence a long time ago, therefore he didn’t react violently.

The major general didn’t even turn his head, but only sighed first, and then gave a forced chuckle. 

He had a kind of incongruous magnetic voice, which was especially moving when he laughed.

“Little Excellency, are you sure you want to listen to my answer?”

Xie Yuduo said faintly, “There is an abyss ahead, and it’s too deep, if you go into it, you won’t be able to turn back.”

Jiang Jianming: “I didn’t leave any way out for myself.”

“All right. “

Xie Yuduo let out a long breath and nodded his head. 

Then he went on, “Well, it’s humiliating to say, but I also don’t know very well. The commander-in-chief may know 70% to 80%, and the only ones who really know everything inside may only be the leader of the Black Shark Base and…..His Majesty the Emperor.”

“However, His Highness Garcia once confessed to me that when he woke up in Black Shark Base three years ago, he was like a newborn baby without any memory.”

“I personally believe that His Highness Garcia is the former Crown Prince, His Highness Ryann Kaois himself.”

Even though he had already made this judgment in his heart, when Xie Yuduo said this sentence, Jiang Jianming still closed his eyes and gently curled his fingers tightly.

That’s why, he had said the decision that had been planned since last night. The key point he found to break the game, the best way to make Xie Yuduo nod his head, to satisfy both of the parties involved.

Jiang Jianming: “In this case, please let me act as a subordinate officer of the current Highness—His Highness Garcia.”

His clear and bright voice echoed on the underground Stele of Heroes, that countless snow-white pointed monuments seemed to have become witnesses in the dark. 

“…….”

Xie Yuduo turned his head and looked at Jiang Jianming in astonishment.

A few seconds later, the major general merely laughed, but then shook his head.

“Don’t worry, Little Excellency, I haven’t finished my words yet.”

Xie Yuduo: “I do guess that His Royal Highness Garcia is the Crown Prince, but His Highness Garcia…is very against this guess.”

“Oppose to it?”

Jiang Jianming frowned and asked, “What oppose? Oppose that he himself is Ryann?”

After saying this, he suddenly remembered that when he met Garcia for the first time, he made him annoyed by mentioning Ryann.

And on the second time, Garcia told him bluntly that he was not Ryann.

“That’s right, how should I put it, His Highness seems unable to accept his blank memory, being given a strange title, and bearing unfamiliar achievements and honors.”

“If the current Highness Garcia knows that the former Crown Prince’s wife regards him as the Crown Prince and approaches him…it may not be very good.”

“To sum it up, if His Little Excellency persists, it’s not impossible,” Xie Yuduo shrugged, “but from my personal point of view, I don’t recommend you to play with fire.”

****

At the same time, in the dormitory area for officers in adaptation period.

In the room of the third team, Tang Zhen was fast asleep.

However, suddenly, he felt his bedside being patted twice.

“Huh…?”

Tang Zhen opened his eyes in a daze.

The night was quiet, but there was a figure standing quietly beside his bed. The person was very tall, and he could even vaguely see its curly hair scattered on its shoulders. In the darkness, a pair of cold emerald eyes glowed, like a ferocious beast hunting for food at night.

“What the fuck!!!!”

Poor Young Master Tang screamed in fright on the spot, and bounced off the bed with a pale face! 

As a result, his head hit the wall with a “bang”, and Tang Zhen burst into tears of pain. 

When he realized it, he had already rolled and crawled to the corner of the wall, waving his hands frantically:

“Don’t, don’t, don’t, Little Highness, don’t look for me, Jiang Jianming and I are really just good brothers and nothing else—”

“?”

Garcia frowned suspiciously.

He couldn’t understand what the young man was howling about.

He only had one question…..Garcia indicated Jiang Jianming’s empty bed with a glance, and opened his lips, “The person here, where did he go?”

Just now, because Tang Zhen screamed too miserably, Li Youfang had also woken up with a start. He dazedly switched on the induction light and said angrily, “Tang Zhen, are you fucking sick, it’s in the middle of the night!?”

As soon as the lights were turned on, the figure of His Royal Highness was completely illuminated.

“What the fuck!!!!”

Li Youfang also screamed out.

His teeth clattered, and he looked like he wanted to point at Garcia but didn’t dare to, and could only say dizzily, “High high high, Your Royal Highness………is is is it really His Royal Highness Prince Ryann!?”

“…….”

Garcia’s frown deepened, and he only said coldly, “No.”

He stopped looking at the two trembling young men who wished they could just hug each other, and turned his gloomy eyes back to Jiang Jianming’s bed.

Why?

Garcia gnashed his teeth irritably–he just didn’t come to see this disabled human being all night, because the disabled human being was too presumptuous, and dared to do something without any explanation.

But that didn’t mean that he was disgusted, it didn’t mean that he didn’t want to take care of Jiang Jianming’s affairs anymore……it was not the case at all.

Yet why, it’s just that he didn’t keep an eye on him for one night.

However his disabled human was gone again.