I Can Read Minds But Will Not Be Marked

After a very short moment of silence, someone on the comm opened up.

“I’m going too!” Ye Ling’s voice didn’t hesitate.

“Boss, I—” Lu AnHe also wanted to take the initiative to accept the order, but before he could finish, he was interrupted by He YunTing.

“The starship consumes too much energy, there isn’t much energy left in the center ring, and there are still many people who need to go back.” He YunTing tone of voice without the meaning of reproach, but familiar with his people, so they all knew that this was a motionless refusal, “Aegis’ best at defense, but the firepower isn’t enough. You’re responsible for coordination and arrangements.”

The implication was that he wouldn’t be much help to blow up the leap point. But it was a few concise answers, and then the sergeants who volunteered were blocked one by one. In fact, without He YunTing specifically pointing out, everyone could soon realize the problem of energy.

Black arrow ants’ attack power was weak, but the number and defense wasn’t to be underestimated. It would lead the other side to the starship and destroy it, and had consumed most of the fortress energy, so it was impossible to support so many people to rush to the sub-star. But no one expected, before anyone volunteered, the General was already one step ahead of everyone.

“Time is short, if there’s no problem, leave the rest to Captain Ye and Lieutenant Colonel Lu,” He YunTing didn’t want to say more, “if there’s any situation then report accordingly through the comm.”

“General,” Lu AnHe gritted his teeth and didn’t call him as he usually did, “Then Mr. Lin…”

He positively vouched, “We will definitely protect Mr. Lin’s safety.”

“Mr. Lin ah…” He YunTing repeated, obviously his voice sounded no different from earlier, but when he said it very softly and swept the three words from his lips, he spoke again with more softness, “I would like to ask him not to go. But he definitely won’t agree.” He YunTing’s trailing voice rose, he knew the other party was listening and said, “Isn’t that right, Mr. Lin?”

This was different again from the last time.

The last time he met a dangerous situation in the border area, even the warship might not be able to return safely at that time, so He YunTing took Lin Han with him and said he would protect him. But now… 

Lin Han’s voice was a bit smiling as he replied with the same sentence, “I would like to go back to the core area directly. But M2742 is still short of a pilot, and I have to help.”

If he wasn’t there, he would be very lonely.

Lin Han heard He YunTing also gave a light smile, “Okay.”

After all, he was just an ordinary person who needed company and dependence. So no one said anything more about their choice, and no one disobeyed the General’s orders, even though they knew it might be a difficult trek.

For insurance purposes, after checking that M2742’s energy and other reserves were sufficient and that there were no other problems, the ship began to disengage from the fortress’s orbit. The nearly depleted energy rings no longer burned brightly compared to when they arrived, but fortunately there were few casualties.

Only one mecha with a cold glow started its engines alone and parted ways with the group, heading for its final stop. He YunTing put the driving speed on auto mode as they crossed the highest point of the fortress, began to descend, and reaccelerated again, heading for their destination.

“How long will it take at the earliest?” Lin Han held the Grr in both hands and pressed it into his arms.

Although it hadn’t been out of the battle, but as a Kudzuar Race who has seen the world, it had at least really slept in the mecha pod for so many days, witnessed the fall of the Queen Zerg, the overthrow of the black arrow ants, and the giant sand worms that fell for it from the other side.

Oddbound creatures were diverse, but a small, friendly race like this one also inherently hated scary and dangerous creatures like the Zerg, and this “warlike” fervor has affected it to some degree, as evidenced by how it actually fainted in the mecha when it was doing a large, fast lift.

“One day.” He YunTing came over and graciously hugged the big guy and the little one together.

This was his way of relaxing.

Lin Han reached out and stroked his partner’s hair, “I thought you would insist that I go back with Lu AnHe and the others.”

He didn’t expect him to so easily agree.

He YunTing’s face was embarrassed, and he was glad that Lin Han couldn’t see his expression now. He paused for a moment before answering, “…I was worried you’d cry.” 

He never wanted to see Lin Han cry again. He YunTing hugged him a little tighter, still remembering Lin Han’s previous appearance. Every sob was like a big invisible hand choking his throat, seizing his breath, making his heart and chest cavity smothered with heavy stones.

Probably because He YunTing used force, the small thing caught in the middle felt squeezed and let out a small squeak to show its dissatisfaction.

“Don’t think about it.” Lin Han heard this sound, pulled the black little guy out, rubbed its head, and replied to He YunTing in passing, “It’s kinda humiliating.”

But if he did it again, he probably still wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to cry. But the result was good, for example He YunTing now used hugs as a veiled expression of exhaustion and was also using this to gain comfort.

Although the process may still take a long time, Lin Han was already satisfied.

“How did you know the sandworm would disguise itself as a black arrow ant?” Lin Han asked him after thinking about it.

And still, the plan was made the day after the fall of the Queen, while using the transports to switch while the battle was going on, while creating the illusion of the space station fighting to defend the enemy.

“Guessed.” He YunTing said in a light voice. “They wanted to attack with the most aggressive sand worms in the last wave once and for all, but the sand worms aren’t only brutal, they also have some brains,” He suddenly thought of something, “They’re similar to the star pirates actually, just simple gaming.”

Lin Han remembered that when he met him, He YunTing had just finished taking care of the vicious Star Pirates with Lu AnHe. Although the public thought it wasn’t a big deal, not many people knew that He YunTing was injured on the shoulder, “So when you went to fight the Star Pirates, it wasn’t as easy as the news said?”

He YunTing paused for a moment and then said frankly, “Yes. But they couldn’t fight tactically, and it was only a matter of time before they were defeated.”

“When I was a student,” Lin Han suddenly arched his eyes, “there was a saying that circulated in the mecha manufacturing department.”

He YunTing raised his eyebrows.

“You know the contempt chain is amazing,” Lin Han saw the expression of the person he was looking at become vivid little by little, and his smile deepened a bit, “The manufacturing department just felt that it should design the best weapons, the best mecha, and sometimes some professors were overly noble and tell us that we weren’t only training but also engaging in tactics to play with the mind, so your heart is quite black.”

Lin Han smiled and continued to joke with him, putting his hand on his chest, “So the General’s heart is also black.”

Thinking about what they were secretly planning, “It brought me down too.”

“Is that so?” He YunTing didn’t deny it, and even hooked his lips very lightly. He rubbed the side of Lin Han’s neck, his long fingertips tracing the edge of his ear, then slowly falling on his shoulder.

Lin Han heard him say, “But I want to bring my wife home safe and sound more than having a black heart.”

His lustrous porcelain white earlobe suddenly began to turn red and hot.

The little one who smelled the sour smell silently got out of Lin Han’s arms, jumped to the ground, quietly rolled to the corner and covered its ears with its fur.

It was clear that he was the one who called himself Mrs. General first, but how come it came out of He YunTing’s mouth with a different taste?

Lin Han heard the voice of his General’s heart.

【Is Mr. Lin shy?】

He was delighted by the other man’s transformation, and at the same time nearly overwhelmed by it. Grr jumped down, so Lin Han both hands were free, re-encircling each other in this position.

He had to ask.

“What do you think, wife?”

This time not only the earlobe, Mrs. General’s whole face began to redden, head dead buried in He YunTing shoulder unwilling to lift up.

After a few moments, he gave a buzzed response.

“At your service.”

— 

The news of the fortress victory soon spread throughout the Empire with the return of the starship.

Even if one didn’t know much about the Zerg, the word “Zerg Queen” was known to everyone — who would have thought that the Zerg Queen would have been involved in this and become a pile of unrecoverable space junk, along with her own children, who were fed by the fortress?

The people were already excited at first just knowing this news, whether or not they once had prejudice against him, were now convinced, after all, no matter what, in the front line to protect the Empire was always first.

Everyone began to sort through the General’s unbeaten battles over the years, praising him as a rare weapon for the Empire, and envious of the gentle and beautiful Omega who could be by his side. The central park became floral and vibrant again.

But soon they found out that the General didn’t return after the arrival of the starship. At the same time, Lu Huai, who was in charge of the security of the berth of the sub-star, was also not heard from.

The sub-star had been stable and calm, and the berth wasn’t worth mentioning compared to the main star, even if the landing didn’t have many Zerg, so many bigger berths had been secured, what could happen to a distant sub-star?

But anxiety quickly overshadowed the joy of victory, and everyone knew what the words “General failed to return” really meant, and how much weight He YunTing’s name really carried.

The one who came out to speak at this time was Wen Zhao. He was dressed more formally when facing the public, but the tone of his voice was still lazy, as if he wasn’t the slightest bit surprised.

Wen Zhaoge swept a glance at the camera and opened his mouth with a light smile.

“General still has some things to deal with, so you don’t have to worry and trust his ability.” Just when the crowd thought that Wen Zhaoge just found a random reason to give them a piece of mind, his next sentence nearly made people turn their backs—

“There’s a multi-year leap point hidden at the mouth of the Zixing berth, General has to go blow it up.”

A leap point? Why was there a leap point in that place? Leap point to where?

“Because we didn’t want to cause panic earlier, and not many people know that place, it has been left behind.” The Emperor of the Empire added word by word. “By the way, the leap point of the sub-star, if lost, can leap directly to the core.”

There was an uproar.

Who would have thought that the place where they lived had such a secret leap passage, and now there was a possibility that this passage would be lost?

If it was lost, if it was lost… 

Everyone’s heart hangs anew, if the previous berth guarding success, fortress extermination Zerg, at least all in the periphery of the home planet, and not straight to the most central location of the Empire, but now after Wen Zhao’s words, people began to think of self-preservation. There was never a moment when they wished for the General to be so brave and heroic as now.

Wen Zhao turned off the public facing screen and looked back at the report sent by Lu AnHe.

He understood that releasing this information was bound to cause even more ripples, and he knew that if He YunTing failed, the consequences would be unthinkable. But the Empire had been at peace for so long that too many people had forgotten where that peace came from.

He knew that He YunTing already knew this in his heart, so he might as well let his people remember that no peace came easily.

There were traitors in the Empire.

Loyalty wasn’t absolute, but disloyalty was absolute.

Wen Zhao pinched the bridge of his nose and ran his fingers across the white jade chess piece.

He remembered the young General who faced him with a cold face, and the unassuming and gentle youth he saw in the video message a few days ago. When Wen Zhao wasn’t smiling, his deep face profile was handsome and serious, a change from his previous careless appearance.

They will succeed, right?

— 

The ecological environment of the sub-star was actually good, although not as vast and advanced as the main star, the small population and slow-paced life was also very leisurely. When M2742 was about to arrive, Lin Han looked at the planet carefully through the display.

He was intrigued by all the places he hadn’t ventured to yet.

“Where do we stop? Straight at the berth, or?”

“Wait a minute.” The other side didn’t give an immediate answer.

Following his movement, Lin Han saw that He YunTing had turned on the communicator again, the difference was that this time the frequency wasn’t connected to the main star or the base, he tried a few frequencies that could only be received at close range, and after a few minutes heard a long-lost human voice.

Communication was restored?

Lu Huai’s formation wasn’t actually in trouble, only the frequency had disturbance, and only connected now?

He YunTing waited for a while, heard the opposite side really send out the common communication contact signal in the army, after he gave a response, immediately opened his mouth.

“General,” Lu Huai’s voice sounded quite natural, “You’re here?”

“Mn.”

Unexpectedly, Lu Huai didn’t directly let M2742 come to the berth, but said, “Prince Wen Yu said there’s something to discuss, and to let you come to see him first.”

Hearing these words, the two people inside the mecha quickly exchanged a look.

“Okay.” He YunTing replied crisply.

—

Wen Yu was considered the most aloof of princes, so even the palace at sub star was low-key and simple, except for the fountain at the entrance and the banner with the imperial emblem, the rest of the place was kept simple.

Lin Han parked the mecha, and He YunTing himself walked down first. When the guards at the entrance saw it was him, they saluted respectfully and let the way out without saying a word. He YunTing walked down the red carpet of the hall and soon saw a man leaning on a bench with his back to him.

He was covered with a cloak symbolizing his status as a prince, and his eyes were looking out the window, seemingly focused. Until he heard footsteps, the man on the bench moved, intending to turn around and wait for the General to salute him.

He YunTing leaned over slightly, as if to bend down—

But in that instant, without a moment’s hesitation, he pulled his sidearm from his waist under the guise of saluting, and before he could wait for the other man to turn around, he fired first. He placed the gun against the other party’s temple with a hint of mockery in his voice, but his tone was one of complete and even better certainty, “Long time no see, Professor Xu.”