TCFGBH Chapter 99

Night fell, and the Central Military Academy was shrouded in darkness.

The young man sat at his desk, propping his chin with one hand. The creamy-white softness of his cheek was slightly puffed up under the pressure, and his typically striking, vibrant features now carried a touch of youthful softness.

What on earth was going on?

Huo Ruihe, the second gong in the novel, was supposed to be gentle and kind—like a harmless, naive rabbit. Early in the story, he has almost no interactions with the protagonist gong. It wasn’t until later, when Ludwig ascended the throne as emperor, that Huo Ruihe became a loyal and indispensable lieutenant.

Why were the two of them now associating with each other?

Oh! And there was also Edwin.

Xia Yan pondered for a while but couldn’t figure it out. Left with no other choice, he reluctantly let it go.

With his intelligent brain confiscated, he couldn’t access the Internet, and he didn’t have any games, movies, or books to pass the time. Sitting idly was unbearably boring.

He yawned, just about ready to sleep, when the door to his room suddenly clicked open.

The crisp, tailored uniform hugged the man’s powerful frame. His golden hair was slightly messy, and a faint glint of icy silver peeked from the tightly clenched hand.

“The intelligent brain you wanted.”

Before Xia Yan could look closer, the other man tossed it over. Reflexively, he caught it.

—It was a dull, unremarkable, basic-model intelligent brain.

The man’s touch had warmed the previously cool metal, radiating heat that nearly made Xia Yan fling it away. He swallowed his startled gasp and lowered his voice. “Where did you get this intelligent brain?”

Having a spare intelligent brain among students might be common at a regular school. But at the military academy, strict controls ensured that anything deemed unauthorized was confiscated upon entry and returned only during holidays.

The academy’s rules were clear: one person, one intelligent brain. No second accounts are allowed.

Ludwig replied, “I disassembled it and smuggled the parts in. Then, I used the repair department’s equipment to reassemble it.”

Xia Yan: “?”

He said it so nonchalantly, but bypassing the countless watchful eyes of the academy must have taken considerable effort and planning. And now, he casually confessed as if it were nothing. Wasn’t he worried about being reported?

Xia Yan’s mind was filled with question marks. He had many doubts, but they all stuck in his throat and were swallowed back down.

Questioning someone like this… didn’t align with the original owner’s personality.

The young man blinked and decided not to dwell on it. Right now, raising the protagonist shou’s affection rating was the priority. He needed to get his hands on the design blueprint before the duel with Huo Ruihe.

Without hesitation, Xia Yan lowered his head and quickly used his mental strength to bind the intelligent brain and set up the program.

The translucent virtual screen emitted a faint, cold light, casting an eerie glow on the young man’s face from below. Despite the seemingly harsh angle, he remained flawless and perfect.

Like a child of destiny, he possessed a look and lineage that countless people could only dream of.

Ludwig, who was half a head taller than the young man, lowered his gaze, quietly watching the black swirl of his hair.

The dorm room lights were bright, and the night was deep and pitch-black outside the window. Occasionally, a playful breeze slipped inside, carrying with it a trace of the young man’s unique scent, lingering around Ludwig’s nose.

Time seemed to slow down at that moment.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Ludwig heard the frantic pounding of his own heartbeat. His brain felt hazy, like it was lacking oxygen. An unspoken desire urged him to touch the young man.

His fingers twitched, and just then, the young man unconsciously curved his lips, his delicate brows and eyes taking on a touch of amusement.

?

He smiled?

Because of the intelligent brain I gave him, he smiled?

In an instant, Ludwig felt a light and satisfying contentment, as if he were floating in the air. Emotions he couldn’t articulate, like fireworks, exploded inside him with a crackling sound.

“You—”

“You did well.” Xia Yan maintained the original owner’s persona, arrogantly lifting his chin and casually offering some compliments. After assuring him of some future promotions, he was eager to log into the holographic world.

Ludwig: “Wait…”

“Hmm?”

“I’m going in with you.” The words slipped out impulsively.

The man’s scorching gaze enveloped him, but Xia Yan, his mind preoccupied with the task, didn’t notice. Frowning slightly, he feigned impatience and said, “I’m going on a date. What are you going to do?”

?

???

“What… what did you say?” It felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. Ludwig’s body stiffened, his brain stopped functioning, and the last bit of rationality forced him to stiffly ask, “A date?”

His disbelief caused a flicker of dissatisfaction to flash across Xia Yan’s face.

He snorted softly, “Is it strange that I have a boyfriend?”

“…”

Xia Yan continued with a few more remarks, deliberately painting himself in a bad light and acting superior as though being pursued by someone like Ian Hyde was the person’s greatest stroke of luck.
But the man remained silent, not speaking a word. Only when Xia Yan felt he had said enough and was about to enter the holographic world did he suddenly hear Ludwig call his name.

“Xia Yan.”

“Huh?”

The young man shot him a glance.

Ludwig: “Do you love him?”

“Hah?” Xia Yan raised an eyebrow, a cold smirk playing at his lips, arrogance flickering in his eyes. “Love? I only love those who bring me benefits.”

“…”

“Whoever can benefit me, that’s the person I love most.”

Under the pale fluorescent light, the young man didn’t hide his cruelty at all, unabashedly showing his true nature. He had always been adored, of high status, and received elite education.

In his heart, there was no one he loved but himself.

So cruel, yet so… beautiful.

Never before had Ludwig felt so deeply—he realized in that moment—he was done for.

He knew exactly what kind of person Xia Yan was, yet he was still irresistibly drawn to him, like a moth to a flame, doomed to burn.

The emotions that had been building up in him, ones he couldn’t fully comprehend—joy, jealousy, possessiveness—turned out to all stem from one thing.

He liked him.

Liked everything about him.

He was still hopelessly in love even if he was ignored and belittled.

But he… belonged to someone else.

A touch of gloom passed through Ludwig’s eyes, and an immense killing intent suddenly erupted from his body. He was a man who had fought his way out of a garbage planet, his hands stained with blood. How could a student from a military academy compare?

Not to mention that Xia Yan was a fake student.

In a daze, he seemed to smell blood, as though he had been thrown into a vacuum, his body frozen, his lips pressed tightly together, unable to utter a single word. Fortunately, his expressionless face prevented any cracks from showing, so his persona remained intact.

It wasn’t clear how long passed before Ludwig’s intelligent brain suddenly emitted a ‘beep,’ breaking the tense atmosphere in the room.

He fell silent for a moment before lowering his head to check the message.

Xia Yan breathed a subtle sigh of relief. Though he seemed calm, he was carefully lying down on the bed, quickly connecting to the intelligent brain and logging into the holographic world.

As for the protagonist gong in the real world… ahem, maybe he was angry at his own scumbag words. He couldn’t afford to be beaten right now, especially not when Xia Yan’s family might throw the protagonist gong into a pond in their fury.

If he intervened, it would break his persona.

If he didn’t intervene, the plot would break.

Ah, the life of a workaholic was so hard.

–

Edwin: [I’ve found evidence of the rumors Hans Dill spread.]

Huo Ruihe: [I’ve also found some things on my side.]

Edwin: [Shall we send it out together?]

[Yes, send it over, and I’ll organize it.]

[Okay.] Edwin obediently replied, then couldn’t help but joke, [Who would’ve thought, half a month ago, that I’d be sneaking around, rummaging through my roommate’s stuff for Xia Yan.]

Huo Ruihe chuckled upon reading the message.

Yeah, he hadn’t expected himself to be helping Xia Yan either.

That selfish, bloodline-supremacist heir.

The two exchanged a few more words, but still hadn’t heard from Ludwig. They both found it strange.
Edwin: [@Ludwig, how’s it going on your side?]

[I’ve gathered most of it.]

[Good, we need to give Hans, that scum, a harsh lesson this time.]

Edwin made a harsh comment.

Huo Ruihe, after receiving Ludwig’s information, hesitated momentarily before asking, [How’s Xia Yan doing? Is he bored without an intelligent brain?]

A lot of school activities required the intelligent brain to access, even something as simple as borrowing a book from the library—you couldn’t even scan the borrowing code without it.

Ludwig raised his gaze, staring at the young man on the bed, who was about to enter the holographic world for a date. His fingers unconsciously clenched into fists, especially when he remembered… he had helped him set up a date with someone else.

For the first time in his life, he experienced what regret felt like.

Ludwig gritted his teeth, every word full of blood and tears: [He’s fine.]

Too fine!!!

Huo Ruihe: [Okay, good.]

The three of them weren’t close initially, only gathered for Xia Yan’s sake. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they silently stopped talking.

Ludwig closed the intelligent brain, grabbed a chair, and sat at the foot of Xia Yan’s bed, staring at him intently.

His mind kept replaying the words the young man had said.

—Whoever can bring me benefits, that’s the person I love.

Benefits.

What do I have?

Ludwig coldly assessed himself. He had S-class mental power, superior talent, and exceptional combat skills. He was strong, but he was too young, still not on the battlefield, and without enough achievements or wealth.

He needed to become stronger. Stronger than anyone.

Strong enough for Xia Yan to notice him.

If Xia Yan were a king, then he would be the strongest knight in the king’s hand.

Ludwig forcefully pushed down the fleeting dark thoughts in his mind—thinking that if Xia Yan failed to seize the throne and was exiled, he could have him… that desire to bring the one he liked down from the pedestal was so ugly!!!

He didn’t need to bow.

Because one day, he would rise from below.

The man’s fingertips lightly brushed against the young man’s soft hair, barely making contact.

“Wait for me.”

–

Holographic world.

Ian Hyde stood at the location he had agreed upon with Xia Yan. As time passed, his expression grew increasingly somber, and when the clock struck midnight, the young man still hadn’t shown up.

He had been stood up!!!

Nice job.

He gritted his teeth, fuming with anger.

Just wait!

Meanwhile, Xia Yan, who had logged into the holographic world using a secondary account after his intelligent brain was activated, was still struggling to adjust his face.

Ahh!! What data was the original owner even using? No matter how he adjusted it, it just didn’t look right.

This is hilarious. He has the intelligent brain, but it seems useless.

At the same time, the campus forum was buzzing with activity as numerous pieces of evidence were anonymously released. A large group of night owls were watching the shocking things Hans Dill had done in the past, amazed at the revelation.

Some seemed to think the matter wasn’t big enough and casually posted it to the star network.

As one of the next heirs, Xia Yan already had a built-in fan base. His golden eyes drew a lot of attention, and people were quick to rally behind him. Now that he was being slandered, many couldn’t help but angrily curse Hans.

Everything seemed to be going in the right direction.

Until the news came from the enforcement team that Xia Yan’s intelligent brain had been stolen.