The five-star general truly lives up to his title. In just a few minutes, Huo Lingqi and his subordinates acted swiftly and decisively, taking control of the planet’s administrative bureau and military, forcefully interrogating Yue Ming, Hong Li, and several soldiers present at the scene. With one powerful move, they left the administrative bureau and military on this planet completely bewildered!
Twenty minutes later, in the Administrative Bureau, Yue Ming’s office.
Huo Lingqi stood by the window, communicating via a terminal.
On the two rows of sofas behind him sat Xu Yin, Lu Yuan, and the other four individuals, all comfortably enjoying a cup of tea. A nervous administrative staff member had just placed the cups in front of them and cautiously retreated, looking visibly terrified.
Lu Yuan took a sip of tea, still somewhat dazed.
…He had thought that after getting out of the mecha, he would probably have to spend some time in jail. He never imagined that, at this moment, he would be sitting comfortably on a sofa in Yue Ming’s office, enjoying good tea, while Yue Ming and Hong Li were crying and shouting in the interrogation room nearby.
…It was simply too delightful!
Huo Lingqi was still on the terminal. Lu Yuan nudged Xu Yin with his elbow and made a teasing face, signaling with his eyes: “See? Isn’t your idol handsome?”
Xu Yin glanced at Huo Lingqi’s tall and straight back.
After getting out of the mecha, the man had changed into a military uniform.
The military uniform of Anluo Xing Guo was indeed quite impressive—pure black, tailored to fit perfectly, and it highlighted the man’s elegant and seductive figure.
Xu Yin narrowed his eyes and smiled.
Yes, he was quite handsome.
Meanwhile, on the other end of Huo Lingqi’s communication, the person finally received Huo Lingqi’s call after more than three months. He let out a sigh of relief, asked if everything was well, and then learned about Huo Lingqi’s actions on this exile planet.
After listening for a while, he couldn’t help but laugh and said, “You took over the administrative bureau there directly? You… you’re still so… straightforward and forceful. We’ve actually almost finished things on our side.”
Huo Lingqi’s voice was low and calm: “Since it’s nearly done, then whatever I do here shouldn’t affect you.”
The other person was momentarily speechless, clearing his throat before responding, “That’s true… you’re free to do as you like, but until we fully resolve things on our side, those people won’t just sit by. They’ll probably intervene… they’ll send people over.”
“Let them come,” Huo Lingqi responded decisively, leaving the other person speechless once again.
The person then chuckled and said, “Fine, it’s not like their tricks will be difficult for you. Anyway, we’re about to make a move here. You stay there and investigate the mutated beasts. You can also look after those kids. By the way, their parents…”
The person continued speaking.
Huo Lingqi listened, turned to glance at Xu Yin and the others, and responded in a low voice, “I understand.”
After hanging up the phone, there was a knock at the door.
Huo Lingqi said lightly, “Come in.”
Two people were standing outside the door: one was a subordinate of Huo Lingqi, the one who had been sent to interrogate Yue Ming earlier, and the other was Yue Ming’s former assistant. At this moment, the assistant was visibly nervous. Upon seeing Xu Yin and the others lounging comfortably on the sofa, sipping tea, his expression twisted for a moment.
Huo Lingqi first looked at his subordinate: “Did you get anything?”
“No, that guy really doesn’t seem to know anything. After questioning him for a long time and getting nothing, we gave up. He even took a piss, which stank,” the subordinate said with a disgusted expression.
Yue Ming’s assistant turned red upon hearing this, seemingly embarrassed, but still gritted his teeth and said, “General Huo, we truly don’t know anything about the space tunnel. It must have been someone else secretly doing it! How about you release Captain Yue first? If you let Captain Yue go, we will fully cooperate with your investigation into the space tunnel!”
…It wasn’t that they were particularly loyal to Yue Ming; it was just that Huo Lingqi was the kind of man who was known as an iron-blooded general! Now that he had taken over the administrative bureau, how could they still expect to have a good life?
They were all people who had gotten used to a lazy, carefree life, and privately, they had done their fair share of shady things. If Huo Lingqi were to interrogate each of them one by one like he did with Yue Ming, would they still have a life left?
So at this moment, all of them were eager for Yue Ming to be released as soon as possible, whether or not he had peed, and for the administrative bureau to be handed back to them quickly!
As soon as the assistant said this, Huo Lingqi’s subordinate scoffed.
The assistant trembled with anger, about to speak again, when Lu Yuan suddenly interjected, his eyes glinting as he said, “General Huo, I want to report that Yue Ming took bribes from prisoners and treated them differently! The person who was also dragged into the interrogation room with him, Hong Li, had secretly given Yue Ming something he got from the underground market. I saw it with my own eyes! That’s why Yue Ming always turned a blind eye to Hong Li harassing women!”
The assistant was stunned by Lu Yuan’s sudden accusation. Although Lu Yuan was accusing Yue Ming, he empathized with him, and was immediately drawn into the situation, his face turning red. He pointed at Lu Yuan and, with wide eyes, shouted, “What nonsense are you talking about?! Spreading rumors like this will land you in jail!”
Lu Yuan sneered, about to speak again, when Yan Shu, sitting across from him, suddenly raised his hand and pointed at the assistant, saying, “Well… I saw him with Hong Li harassing girls. When I went to stop them, he almost had me thrown into prison!”
Assistant: “???”
He had just set himself on fire, and was caught off guard???
He gasped, swayed, and, now both shocked and angry, shouted, “What are you all talking about?! I… I’ll have someone lock you up immediately!!”
Huo Lingqi coldly spoke, “Xiao Jiu, take him to the interrogation room as well.”
The subordinate, called Xiao Jiu, responded with a half-smile, “Sure.”
Assistant: “?!”
In the next moment, Xiao Jiu grabbed him by the neck and dragged him down the corridor, saying lazily, “Let’s go, go keep your superior company.”
The assistant screamed in fear, “Wait, no! Wuwuwu!”
His mouth was immediately covered, and Xiao Jiu lazily said, “Be quiet, you’re too noisy. Always screaming, are you a chicken?”
This whole sequence of events stunned the group of people who had been secretly observing the situation outside.
…This… is this really happening?! This is so simple and brutal, isn’t it?!
Is there no law here? Is no one going to step in and control the 9th Legion and Huo Lingqi?
Meanwhile, Huo Lingqi stood in his office and coldly said, “Anyone who has seen other administrative officers or soldiers engaging in dereliction of duty can speak up. We can handle everything today.”
These words spread down the corridor, and the group of people’s faces changed dramatically: “?!”
Lu Yuan became excited: “Does that mean there really is something?”
Yan Shu: “I’ve got something too.”
“Well, I’ve got something…”
“I do too…”
The people outside in the corridor were completely terrified, scrambling to flee in panic, afraid of being caught up in it. One person was so frantic that they tripped and tumbled down the stairs, letting out a pitiful “Aah!”
…
Inside the office, after everyone said “I have something,” there was a brief moment of silence.
Then, they all exchanged looks and simultaneously burst into laughter, which slowly turned into belly laughs!
The administrators on this planet weren’t exactly paragons of virtue, but did they really have so much evidence? They were just trying to scare the people outside who had been secretly observing for who knows how long!
Lu Yuan was absolutely thrilled. He had always heard that Huo Lingqi was a tough and somewhat eccentric person, but he never expected that the rumors were absolutely true!
He laughed and pointed at Yan Shu: “Your timing was perfect, I thought he was going to have a heart attack!”
Yan Shu also laughed sheepishly: “You’re the quickest to react.”
“You both were quick, I honestly thought Yue Ming was really going to be released, I was startled for a moment,” the girl said, patting her chest.
If Yue Ming were released, could they still expect good days ahead?
“Don’t worry, General Huo is here,” Lu Yuan said.
Immediately, everyone turned their attention to Huo Lingqi.
Huo Lingqi spoke, “I already know about what you’ve done.”
As soon as he said this, everyone fell silent again.
Huo Lingqi glanced at Xu Yin.
Xu Yin lowered his eyes, took a sip of tea, showing no discernible emotion.
Huo Lingqi paused for a moment before continuing, “The planetary official just said that you built mechas yourselves, as if you were trying to leave here?”
The group became a bit embarrassed.
This time, when Huo Lingqi looked at Xu Yin, Xu Yin lifted his eyes and gave a subtle, half-smile.
That smile brushed lightly over Huo Lingqi’s face, causing him to unconsciously tense up. His ears turned red again, but to maintain his serious and composed appearance, he quickly looked away, pressing his lips together before speaking again, “If you trust me, you can stay for now.”
The others were momentarily stunned.
“My forces will be arriving soon. After they do, there will be many things that need to be handled,” Huo Lingqi said slowly. “If you’re willing, you can temporarily join my army.”
The meaning of this was clear…
The group looked at each other, suddenly feeling waves of emotion and straightening their postures without realizing it.
Lu Yuan asked, “Wouldn’t it cause you trouble, General?”
They were prisoners. What would it mean to bring prisoners into the army? What consequences would that bring? Was Huo Lingqi not afraid?
Huo Lingqi’s answer was very simple.
He said lightly, “No.”
That night, for the administrative officers and soldiers on this planet, it was a complete upheaval.
For Lu Yuan and the others, however, it was a life-saving turn of events.
It was already very late, and they didn’t stay at Huo Lingqi’s place for long.
After leaving the administrative bureau, Lu Yuan stopped.
He turned around, looked at the building one last time, and heard Yan Shu ask uncertainty, “What do you think General Huo meant?”
Lu Yuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
He looked at Yan Shu and the others: “Don’t you get it? The main star system must be making a move!”
Immediately, everyone clenched their fists.
Lu Yuan was still young and didn’t know much, but he had an idea that the current Xingyun Councils’ increasingly crazy actions had caught everyone by surprise.
This year’s Xingyun Council was very interesting. They had initially come in as peace envoys.
Regarding the war with the evolutionary beasts, they always emphasized that peace was the top priority and that war was never a good solution.
In the year since they took office, General Xu, their parents, and many other pro-war figures had either died or retreated.
But did the war stop? No, because the war was initiated by the evolutionary beasts, a species that had invasion engraved into its very soul.
This ironic reality was nothing more than a factional struggle carried out under the guise of peace.
However, these people were absolutely the most insane and least rational group in history.
But now, Huo Lingqi’s statement has sent a message.
The main star system was definitely making a move.
“So, do we…,” Yan Shu said quietly, “Do we still have a chance to go home?”
“As long as this batch of Xingyun Council is removed from power,” Lu Yuan replied coldly, “We will definitely be able to go home.”
Before that, they would follow Huo Lingqi, doing the necessary tasks one by one.
Xu Yin was the last to leave.
When Lu Yuan and the others said their goodbyes, Huo Lingqi called him over, saying he wanted to visit Xu Yin’s mother.
So, about ten minutes after Lu Yuan and the others left, Xu Yin and Huo Lingqi set off as well.
It was already very late, and there were few people on the exile planet, so the road was eerily quiet.
Huo Lingqi stayed by Xu Yin’s side, and for the entire journey, neither of them spoke much.
As they walked, Huo Lingqi suddenly spoke, “I’ve known General Xu for a long time, but I’ve never met you.”
Xu Yin smiled, “So, you’ve never heard any rumors about me?”
Huo Lingqi looked puzzled.
To give his Lao gong a preemptive warning, Xu Yin casually added, “For example, I once chased after a guy from our academy for a long time, pestering him relentlessly.”
Huo Lingqi visibly froze.
Xu Yin chuckled lightly, “Well… but that was in the past. At least now, I don’t have any feelings for that guy. Compared to him…”
Xu Yin paused for a moment, his eyes curving with a smile, “I think General, you’re much more charming.”
Huo Lingqi froze again, but this time, his ears quickly turned red.
He remained silent for a moment before asking seriously, “…What’s that guy’s name?”
“Ah, he’s the son of Chairman Ming, Ming Yi,” Xu Yin said with a smiling expression.
Huo Lingqi narrowed his eyes, probably trying to recall what Ming Yi looked like.
Whether he succeeded in remembering or not, he said solemnly, “You’re still young, you should focus on your studies first. As for love, you can put that aside for now.”
“Does the general think that way?” Xu Yin said, feigning surprise, then apologizing with a smile. “Sorry, after seeing you, I…”
Huo Lingqi: “?!”
He froze, tensing his body, and stopped immediately, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “What?”
“Well…” Xu Yin tilted his head. “Sorry, after hearing what you just said, I didn’t know how to respond. Maybe it’s better if I don’t say anything.”
Huo Lingqi: “??!!”
He opened his mouth, staring at Xu Yin as he smiled brightly at him and continued walking ahead, looking a bit at a loss.
018 suddenly popped up with a bubble: “You’re teasing your Lao gong again!”
Xu Yin smiled slightly.
