IMAO Chapter 36

The aroma of grilled meat permeated the air, its golden, glistening surface tantalizing their appetites.

Ye Nanfeng’s interest was piqued as his gaze swept over Jiang Yuan and Ji Rong’s faces. “How about we spar after dinner, Xiao Xuedi?” he suggested eagerly.

Jiang Yuan glanced at Ye Nanfeng, nodding in agreement. Though an Omega, Ye Nanfeng was far from weak. Despite his small stature, his appetite was…

Jiang Yuan’s eyes darted to Ye Nanfeng’s mountain of dishes. This senior could really eat, despite his unimposing height.

Ye Nanfeng appeared only about twenty, not at all like someone six years older than Jiang Yuan and Ji Rong. At 175 cm, he was shorter than both of them. However, his hands bore thick calluses on the joints and trigger finger, betraying his expertise.

The callus on his trigger finger suggested frequent gun use.

It might be from training, but Jiang Yuan suspected it wasn’t just from practice. After all, gun training could be done in Star Wars simulations now, which perfectly mimicked reality. There was no need for physical shooting ranges. If Ye Nanfeng had trained in simulations, he wouldn’t have developed such thick calluses. Clearly, he must often use real firearms.

Ye Nanfeng’s body was devoid of excess fat. Although his skin was fair, his muscles were taut, evidencing an intense daily training regimen.

Jiang Yuan found himself studying Ye Nanfeng intently.

After dinner, as they searched for a fighting gym, Jiang Yuan seized the opportunity to question Ji Yang. “Ji Yang, which unit is your cousin in?”

Ji Yang sighed almost imperceptibly before answering in a hushed tone, “Blade Edge. The one you’re thinking of. He’s only here because he’s on Earth for a debrief. We rarely see him otherwise.”

Jiang Yuan paused, then asked with a peculiar expression, “His family allowed him to join Blade Edge?”

Ji Yang whispered, “Once my cousin decides something, no one can change his mind.

“Honestly, I’ve always thought he never outgrew his chuunibyou phase!”

Ji Yang stuck out his tongue playfully, but when he looked up again, Jiang Yuan caught a glimmer of concern in his eyes.

Ye Nanfeng, who was in the front, turned around and asked, “Hey, Ji Yang, do you actually know where we’re going? We should’ve arrived by now.”

Ji Yang hurried forward to chat with Ye Nanfeng. “Almost there.”

As the cousins chatted ahead, Jiang Yuan fell into contemplative silence. He never expected that Ye Nanfeng would turn out to be a member of the Blade.

Five years had passed since the war between the Federation and the Rick Empire, but the interstellar was not completely peaceful. Conflicts persisted across nations and star systems. The Federation dispatched peacekeeping forces annually, tasked with both maintaining order and locating Federation citizens abroad during outbreaks of violence.

The Blade Edge Corps was one such peacekeeping unit. While other military divisions rarely faced mortal peril in these times of nominal peace, joining Blade Edge meant dancing with death. The development of weapons of mass destruction in the interstellar age had only increased fatality rates.

Jiang Yuan deeply admired Ye Nanfeng’s courage. He doubted he could ever join Blade Edge himself. If he were to see combat, it would likely be during a full-scale war between the Federation and another power.

Ji Rong, having overheard Jiang Yuan and Ji Yang’s exchange, noticed Jiang Yuan’s dazed expression. He slowed his pace to walk alongside him and casually inquired, “Jiang Yuan, which division are you considering after graduation?”

Jiang Yuan shook his head. “I’m not sure. What about you?”

Ji Rong lowered his voice. “I haven’t decided yet.”

Jiang Yuan glanced at Ji Rong, patting his shoulder. “We’ve just started school. No need to rush these decisions. We can consider it closer to graduation.”

Ji Rong nodded in agreement.

“Hey, you two, hurry up!” Ye Nanfeng called impatiently from ahead, gesturing at a fighting gym’s entrance. “We’re here. How long are you going to dawdle?

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid I’ll thrash you?”

Jiang Yuan pulled Ji Rong along as they quickened their pace to catch up, quipping, “We’ll see who thrashes whom.”

Entering the gym, they were greeted by the sight of burly men and women, many sporting shaved heads and tattoos. The chaotic atmosphere was palpable, with spectators crowding the stands to watch an ongoing match.

Their striking appearances immediately drew attention. Some people even came over to strike up a conversation.

Jiang Yuan ignored them, keeping his gaze straight ahead. After recently cutting his hair short, he now appeared much more aloof and intimidating, which deterred anyone from approaching him too closely. Ji Rong gave off a similar vibe.

Ji Yang noticed a few people leaning in closer and instinctively moved to tease Ye Nanfeng, but quickly backed away.

“Well, aren’t you a pretty thing,” a tall man reeking of Alpha pheromones reached for Ye Nanfeng’s chin. “You and this—”

Before he could finish, Ye Nanfeng seized his wrist. A piercing scream followed as the man’s wrist was dislocated in one fluid motion.

Jiang Yuan didn’t catch a clear view of what happened, but he saw that the man’s wrist had been effectively incapacitated by Ye Nanfeng.

Jiang Yuan glanced down at his own hands and quietly murmured to Ji Yang, “Your cousin’s quite fierce.”

Ji Yang replied, “Not just fierce—he’s downright terrifying! Think you can handle him?”

Jiang Yuan shrugged. “It’s fifty-fifty.”

Ji Yang patted his shoulder. “Good luck!”

After this incident, the others steered clear, allowing them to enter a match area undisturbed.

“Go, Jiang Yuan!” Ji Yang cheered.

Ye Nanfeng glanced at him. “You’re acting like he’s your cousin, not me.”

Ji Yang replied awkwardly, “Well, that’s because you’ve always bullied me.”

Ye Nanfeng chuckled. “Fair enough, but I doubt your friends can beat me.”

Ji Yang stuck out his tongue. “We’ll see about that!”

Both contestants took their positions. Jiang Yuan flexed his joints and stretched his neck, realizing it had been a while since he’d fought anyone besides Ji Rong.

“You first, Jiang Yuan. I am your senior, after all,” Ye Nanfeng said with a smile.

Jiang Yuan hesitated briefly before nodding. “Alright, I won’t hold back then.”

Jiang Yuan’s fist shot toward Ye Nanfeng’s abdomen with astonishing speed. Ye Nanfeng calmly blocked the attack with a wide sweep, while Jiang Yuan simultaneously aimed a kick at his ankle.

Ye Nanfeng swiftly stepped back, evading the joint strike. He countered with a lightning-fast punch. Jiang Yuan could not dodge, so he could only block with his arm but stumbled back two steps from the impact.

Ye Nanfeng shook out his hand, grinning. “In the military, no one wanted to spar with me. This is quite refreshing.”

Ye Nanfeng then launched his own assault, feinting with his fists before aiming a kick at Jiang Yuan’s head. Jiang Yuan ducked, sweeping Ye Nanfeng’s legs. As Ye Nanfeng fell, he quickly rolled away from Jiang Yuan’s follow-up attack.

Seizing the opportunity, Ye Nanfeng sprang to his feet and remarked, “You’re pretty impressive.”

They exchanged a few more blows without a clear victor. As Ye Nanfeng dodged a punch and aimed a kick at Jiang Yuan’s head, Jiang Yuan blocked with one arm. Suddenly—

An odd ringtone interrupted them. Jiang Yuan knew it wasn’t his.

“Damn, my communicator,” Ye Nanfeng lowered his foot and answered. His brow furrowed as he listened. “Mm-hmm… I see… Is it that serious? … Alright… No, it’s fine… You’re not interrupting. I’m not at home.”

After hanging up, Ye Nanfeng picked up his clothes and slapped Jiang Yuan on the shoulder. “We can’t continue today. I have an urgent matter to attend to. Let’s pick this up next time.”

Jiang Yuan nodded, slightly disappointed but not overly concerned.

“Cousin, are you leaving again?” Ji Yang called anxiously. “You just got back a few days ago!”

Ye Nanfeng ruffled Ji Yang’s hair. “Don’t worry. I always come back, don’t I? I won’t die.”

With that, Ye Nanfeng dashed off. Jiang Yuan and Ji Rong didn’t press for more information, assuming Ye Nanfeng was off on a mission. As for which country was embroiled in conflict again, they would find out on tonight’s news broadcast, so there was no need to ask.

…

Inside the hotel.

Song Yirui took a drag from his cigarette, half-closing his eyes as he looked at Qiu Jingming sitting across from him, quietly sobbing. He felt both frustrated and stifled.

“Ding ding ding—”

The communicator on the table lit up with an incoming call. Taking a deep breath, Song Yirui answered, his voice heavy as he said, “Dad…”

“Come back quickly. I’ve found a few apartments for you. I’ll send you the details shortly so you can choose which one you want.”

Hearing his father’s deep voice, Song Yirui fell silent for a moment before responding, “Dad, I don’t want to move. I…”

Song Wen, hearing his son’s voice, suddenly erupted in anger. “You don’t want to move? Then why are you getting involved in all this nonsense? You’ve embarrassed me enough already!

“Moving out is non-negotiable.”

“Dad, about that day…” Song Yirui tried to explain.

Song Wen cut him off. “No explanations. I only care about results. You said you’d take responsibility for Jingming, so do it.

“Jingming’s pregnant. Bring him back to register the marriage immediately. We’ll skip the wedding ceremony. It’s not exactly something to celebrate.”

“Click.”

Song Wen hung up abruptly, and Song Yirui immediately received information about the apartments his father had viewed.

As he looked through the listings, his hands clenched into fists. All the apartments were located in District 13, which was five hours away from their current home in District 2. His father clearly didn’t want him to come home often and was utterly disappointed in him.

He tossed aside his communicator and slumped onto the sofa, staring at the ceiling. The lights seemed particularly harsh today. “Stop crying…” he said wearily.

He glanced at Qiu Jingming. In the past, seeing Qiu Jingming cry made his heart ache; now, it only filled him with annoyance.

If it were Jiang Yuan…

Oh, he realized he hadn’t seen Jiang Yuan cry since they grew up. Jiang Yuan would definitely never cry.

Hearing Song Yirui’s first kind words since their return, Qiu Jingming looked up with red-rimmed eyes. “Rui-gege, do you believe me now? I really didn’t… take any pills…”

Song Yirui sighed silently and nodded, acknowledging Qiu Jingming’s words.

In truth, it didn’t matter whether he believed him or not. His desire for the truth was merely a way to shield himself, hoping that Jiang Yuan would dislike him a little less. But regardless of whether Qiu Jingming had taken the pills or not, he was guilty of something. The classmates had been right; he had issues. Qiu Jingming may have deliberately seduced him, but he couldn’t resist the temptation…

“Go take a shower and get some sleep. We’ll head back tomorrow… to get married,” Song Yirui said softly.

Qiu Jingming pondered for a moment, then returned to his previous gentle demeanor, tucking a stray hair behind his ear. He asked softly, “If we’re going back tomorrow, should I go now? Do you want to… come with me?”

Song Yirui shook his head and pulled out his communicator to buy tickets for the ship to Red. “I’ll buy the tickets. You go first.”

Qiu Jingming nodded and left.

Watching Jingming enter the bathroom, Song Yirui sighed, his feelings clearly conflicted, a sense of resigned acceptance settling over him.

…

A few days later, just as class ended, Instructor He Chuan suddenly called out to Jiang Yuan and Ji Rong. “Jiang Yuan, Ji Rong, come with me for a moment.”

Jiang Yuan and Ji Rong set down their water bottles and hurried after him. He Chuan didn’t say much along the way, leading them directly to the principal’s office.

Jiang Yuan and Ji Rong exchanged glances, their eyes communicating:

“Why is the ‘Demon He’ taking us to the principal’s office?”

“No idea. We haven’t offended him recently, have we?”

“Not since you last fought him. I certainly haven’t!”

“Well, let’s see what happens…”

As they approached the principal’s office, they could distinctly hear raised voices coming from inside—

“That child must transfer departments! He must go to the Manufacturing Department. I’m telling you, you have to listen to me on this!”

“Lao Xu… This just isn’t possible. The student is clearly enrolled in the Mecha Department. How can I, as the principal, arbitrarily transfer someone?”

“What do you mean it’s not possible? What Mecha Department? It’s a waste of time! I’m telling you, Jiang Yuan must transfer! The Mecha Department isn’t suitable for him at all! Just look at this design! Look at these test results! Having him in the Mecha Department is a complete waste of his talent!”

Jiang Yuan at the door: …

Ji Rong: ???

He Chuan: !!!

He Chuan glanced at Jiang Yuan, his face filled with suspicion. It seemed there was no one else named Jiang Yuan in the Mecha Department. He then heard the principal clear his throat, “Well… we should at least discuss this with the student… He did, after all, test into the Mecha Department… right?”

“What’s there to discuss? Process the transfer first, I’ll talk to him later!”

Hearing this, He Chuan panicked. He abruptly pushed open the door and burst in, exclaiming, “No!”

As He Chuan recognized the speaker, he froze, his heart skipping a beat: Pro… Professor Xu?

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