Chapter 96

Simon Constance's shock was beyond Lin Sicheng's concern. Delighted, he pondered on the spot for a moment, his expression growing increasingly joyful. After a while, he excitedly grabbed Simon's shoulders, "Go, capture Lin Fu and bring him here!"

Simon was stunned, then responded with a bitter expression, "Teacher, he's now the commander of the Fourth Legion. How can I possibly capture him? And now he has Cheng Jiu from the Ninth Legion protecting him, making it even harder to apprehend him."

How could he possibly capture Lin Fu?

If Lin Sicheng was correct, even severely injured, Lin Fu possessed the strength of an S-grade. Any rash action would only result in his own injury.

Simon Constance never engaged in actions that would place himself in jeopardy.

Especially when there were no benefits for him.

He looked at Lin Sicheng with evident discomfort, "Teacher, a legion commander is surrounded by countless protectors. Even if he himself is gravely injured, it's impossible for anyone to bypass those layers of defense to reach him, let alone bring him back to you?"

Wasn't Lin Sicheng known for his brilliance?

Simon Constance was well aware that self-interest was the prime motivator. Upon hearing this, he scoffed coldly and then said, "Tomorrow, I'll have Samuel discuss this with you."

Simon bowed his head, "Very well, Teacher. I'll do my best to persuade the Emperor to lend us his support." A greedy smirk flickered in his eyes.

This time, a substantial bargain must be struck.

……

Two elderly men were seated in the Council Chamber.

One was the Speaker of the Council, and the other, the patriarch of the Cassol family.

Leaning forward, Cassol looked at the Speaker with a worried expression, "Patriarch, the royal family has been mobilizing resources recently, making no small moves. It seems they can no longer sit idly by. Shouldn't we also..."

The Speaker was the former patriarch of the Cassol family, and even after all these years, he had not changed his address.

"Ignore it, just watch them. In the end, this matter hasn't fallen upon us," the Speaker said hoarsely after a long silence.

Cassol fretted, "But if the royal family succeeds, I fear we might be completely ousted from the central circle."

The Speaker's eyes were cloudy, his face marked by the years, "Do you think our intervention would bear sweet fruit? I'm old, Cassol. I don't wish to see the empire in turmoil when I die, so I don't have the courage to continue trading with the Zerg."

With a long sigh, he concluded, "Just watch quietly, let them fight. Once a victor emerges and a result is clear, it won't be too late for us to make a move."

Cassol was silent for a few seconds before nodding, "Understood."

*

On the eve of the Royal Military Academy's opening, a great storm descended.

Thunder rumbled across the sky, accompanied by lightning that seemed intent on tearing the heavens asunder, as if to obliterate the world and reforge a new, unblemished one.

Lin Fu encountered Lin Rui.

A heavy rain poured down as Lin Rui ran breathlessly towards him, her bangs dampened and sticking to her face.

She stood a meter away, staring at Lin Fu as she extended her hand, offering something. It was a bracelet, seemingly handcrafted by her own efforts.

Lin Fu was just about to leave, standing at the doorway with his aide holding an umbrella behind him.

He scrutinized the object Lin Rui was handing over, and she, in turn, stubbornly stared back at him, silent. After a stalemate of about half a minute, Lin Fu reached out to accept it, holding it in his hand, "Thank you. Is there anything else? It's getting late; you should prepare to pack up and return to the military academy in the morning."

Lin Rui cast her eyes downward, fixating on her toes, "This is a recorder, it contains evidence I have for you. From now on, stay far away from the Lin family, don't come back... Also, tomorrow when I go to school, could you... could you take me there, brother?"

Fearing an immediate rejection from Lin Fu, she hastily added, "Just to the gate is fine."

Even staying in the car would do; having his aide drive, accompanying her to the school gates would suffice.

She heard Lin Fu sigh softly, then a neatly folded handkerchief appeared before her eyes, "Wipe your face."

Lin Rui pursed her lips, feeling the sting in her nose but holding back. She took the handkerchief and wiped the rain off her face.

Lin Fu asked her in a low voice, "I'm going to the starport now to pick up my aunt. Do you want to come along?"

"I'll go," Lin Rui muffled through the handkerchief over her nose.

The aide opened the car door for Lin Fu to get in, then after stowing the umbrella, took the driver's seat, with Lin Rui following suit.

The two sat in silence on the way, and upon reaching the starport, Lin Sizhen's fleet was already docking.

It wasn't Lin Rui's first encounter with Lin Sizhen, but their relationship seemed to have a slight, yet significant difference from before, making her incredibly nervous. She clutched the now-dirty handkerchief in her hand, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the starport exit.

After a long stare, the fleet still hadn't completed its docking.

Lin Fu, accustomed to such delays, naturally initiated a video call with Cheng Jiu: "At the starport to pick up my aunt."

Something was said on the other end of the encrypted call, inaudible to outsiders, but Lin Fu suddenly chuckled softly, his eyes and brows softening in a manner that clearly showed he was pleased by the conversation.

Lin Rui stole a few glances before averting her gaze.

It seemed, she wasn't so nervous anymore.

As the fleet completed its docking, a grand and imposing procession soon became visible at the exit.

At the forefront of the team was a woman clad in black, wrapped in a trench coat. Her hair was cut short, her brows and eyes sharp, her movements brisk. Upon approaching Lin Ban, she scrutinized his pale complexion with furrowed brows, her tone tinged with concern: "Didn’t they say you were all right? Is this what they call 'all right' after several months?"

Lin Ban offered a sheepish smile in supplication.

The natural intimacy between the two filled Lin Rui with envy. The next moment, Lin Ban turned his head towards her, introducing, "Auntie, this is Lin Rui. She came with me today to pick you up."

Lin Sizhen wasn’t one to specifically target a young girl. Since Lin Ban took the initiative to introduce her, Lin Sizhen also turned her head and nodded in greeting: "Hello."

Lin Rui, her fingers pinched tightly together in nervousness, greeted: "Auntie." Her voice wavered at the end, trembling slightly.

Lin Sizhen responded with a simple: "Hmm."

Lin Rui looked at her in surprise and delight, not expecting that she would actually respond.

She followed them onto the car in a daze, almost believing that she, a formidable sentinel, was delirious with fever from just a few raindrops, hallucinating the entire experience.

After going home and sleeping it off, she woke up early the next day to join Lin Ban and Lin Sizhen in the car, being escorted by the two to school.

She remained groggy throughout the journey.

On the return trip, Lin Sizhen asked him, "How did you suddenly get along so well with Lin Rui?"

Lin Ban chuckled, "It’s rare to find a girl who grew up in the Lin family and still remains untainted."

After laughing for a while, he began to discuss serious matters: "This is the 'evidence' Lin Rui got hold of, probably a recording of Luo Qirui."

He extracted the object from the necklace, scanned the file data and began to transmit it: "I’m quite curious, what exactly did the Lin family poison me for, and why didn’t they just kill me outright, waiting until I turned eighteen instead. Tsk."