VAP - Chapter 126
Chapter 126: The Marshal's Journey is the Sea of Stars (22)
In the room of the legion's supreme commander, kisses, frenzy, and a rising tide of passion were enough to burn away all reason.
And so, Yue Du missed the first assembly after the interns arrived on Cadina Star.
The Sentinels from the Capital Star's First Military Academy, completely unaware, looked around for their top student. However, even after roll call was finished, there was still no sign of her.
They anxiously asked the major in charge of the interns. His eyes darted away for a second before he said with a straight face, “Your top student has an urgent mission. She's already reported to me, so she doesn't need to be at the assembly.”
Hearing this, the relatively naive military cadets were relieved.
The major also breathed a sigh of relief. He thought to himself that their top student Yue had indeed requested leave, but it couldn't be called “reporting in.” It was more like a “notification”—and the one who had delivered said notification was Marshal Sheng Xuejiu herself.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Truly, a brief separation makes for a reunion sweeter than a honeymoon.
If it had been anyone else, the major in charge of the interns might have grumbled to himself, worrying about how to manage his people in the future without inadvertently offending his superiors.
But since it was Yue Yao, there was no need to worry. He would just lead them as usual and make sure to remain polite.
Did the legion not have an accurate understanding of the female Sentinel who had come along with the spouses' contingent and even helped out on the battlefield from time to time?
The “urgent mission” only took half a day. Early the next morning, their top student, Yue, returned to the ranks.
Ying Wei was a little curious. “What was the mission yesterday? Was it classified?”
Yue Du glanced at the circle of colleagues around them, their ears all pricked up, and said solemnly, “It was a classified mission. I can't say any more.”
Ying Wei nodded in understanding and didn't press the matter.
Although the interns were all under the supervision of a single major, they weren't organized into one large team. Instead, they were broken up and integrated into the legion's various squads, where they would be mentored by veterans.
Ordinary Sentinels joined as privates, while the top student from each military academy started as a private first class. If they made no mistakes during their probationary period, they could be promoted another rank.
This was the advantage of graduating from a Capital Star military academy.
But with this honor came high expectations for their abilities.
If any of these interns' performances were the least bit unsatisfactory, they could be weeded out and dispatched to other border planets.
Therefore, no one dared to slack off.
When Yue Du first joined her squad, its members were quite startled and exchanged glances.
Their squad leader, a young corporal, even cautiously asked her, “Aren't you staying with the Marshal?”
Yue Du shook her head and smiled without a word.
The squad members got the hint. They didn't treat her like a rookie, but rather like a reliable veteran who had just transferred in.
It seemed that, aside from living in the Marshal's quarters, Yue Du was no different from any other soldier.
Patrols, training, combat, clearing the battlefield... Through the daily routines of the border garrison, all the interns matured at a rapid pace. It was a period of time they were destined to remember for the rest of their lives, the true beginning of their military careers.
But in the eyes of later generations, the experiences of ordinary interns were clearly not the most important thing. Due to the actions of a certain great personage, this period was imbued with a unique significance.
That's right.
In the year 3002 of the Star Calendar, this period would be remembered in the history of the Jiuyue Empire as the beginning of Empress Sheng Xuejiu's legendary performance.
This year, the medics of the Silver Lion Legion, under the Marshal's command, collaborated to develop a serum that could suppress a Sentinel's frenzy, greatly reducing the likelihood of Sentinels falling into mania or a fugue state in the absence of a Guide.
This year, the Marshal followed an unknown clandestine lead, investigating from the bottom up, and ultimately exposed the Federal Minister of Finance for embezzling a huge amount of military supplies, handing him over to the Supreme Court to be brought to justice.
This year, it was the Marshal again who annihilated the invading Zerg army nine times, even killing seven King Zergs at once, breaking her own previous record of killing four in a row—
Each of these was a major event that shook the Federation, and each was witnessed by all. Sheng Xuejiu's appearances in the public eye quietly began to increase.
That same year, the military command unanimously passed a proposal to release video footage to the public.
Aside from segments containing military secrets, footage of battles against the Zerg and daily training exercises was uploaded to the StarNet, allowing ordinary citizens to watch.
Several high-ranking officers even opened personal live-streaming accounts. The military's official explanation was that it was “to bridge the distance between the public and the military, making citizens feel more secure and at ease.”
Unfortunately, Her Excellency the Marshal was not among the officers who started live-streaming.
But that didn't matter. There were also professionally edited videos, combining both technical skill and aesthetic appeal, available on the platform for casual viewing. One could easily watch a new one every day.
Sheng Xuejiu had long been the face of the military by virtue of her looks and skill, but her reluctance to make public appearances had kept her from reaching the status of a national idol.
But now, with these new initiatives, the Marshal's prestige among the common people soared to unprecedented heights. It was no exaggeration to say that the Federation's most popular celebrity at the time couldn't match even a tenth of her popularity.
From her youth to her maturity, from top cadet at the military academy to the old Federation's youngest marshal, and finally to the ruler of the Jiuyue Empire, Sheng Xuejiu's legend spanned her entire life.
But her actions that truly constituted a “performance” really began from this point in time.
Of course, the people of this time were still completely unaware of these future events.
Only Yue Du and the Marshal herself knew how their plans for the future would unfold, step by step.
There were, however, some alterations to the plan. For instance, in Yue Du's original design, live-streaming was a crucial component, as it directly related to the host's approval rating across the Federation.
But...
“I don't like live-streaming,” Sheng Xuejiu said.
Yue Du asked, “Is it an aversion?”
“Not that strongly,” Sheng Xuejiu replied. “I'm just annoyed that my already limited private time would be taken up by it.”
As the Federal Marshal, no matter how much Sheng Xuejiu shirked her duties and seized every opportunity to slack off, she didn't have much free time to begin with.
Adding live-streaming to the mix would be even worse. The time she had to be affectionate with her Guide would disappear!
Yue Du thought for a moment. “If you don't want to, then let's forget it. Live-streaming is certainly more personable, but it's also more prone to unexpected incidents. Just recording videos will work fine. We can have Admiral Samo and the others handle the rest.”
Sheng Xuejiu was slightly displeased that Yue Du had singled out Samo and deliberately disparaged him. “Samo won't work. He's too erratic. Letting him stream would probably just bring disgrace to the military.”
“No, he won't,” Yue Du explained. “Admiral Samo is very reliable when it comes to important matters, and his personality will easily win over the public.”
He was down-to-earth. Samo and his Quantum Beast, a Samoyed, were like two peas in a pod. With a little guidance, they could shape him into a capable mascot.
After listening, Sheng Xuejiu summarized, “So, in other words, being a bit goofy is also a good thing.”
“...You could put it that way.”
“Then you don't need to guide him. He can play the part naturally. I guarantee he'll achieve the optimal effect you're looking for,” the Marshal said, her face impassive.
Yue Du: “...”
She finally realized that frequently mentioning Admiral Samo's name was just getting him into trouble. It was better to change the subject.
Over the next period, the work of boosting their prestige and infiltrating other factions proceeded simultaneously, with smooth progress on both fronts.
The former was guaranteed by the host's good looks, while the latter was supported by information gathered from various sources. It was a two-pronged attack.
At this point, no matter how unshakeable Sheng Xuejiu's image as a lazy, unambitious official was, President Yubulaji began to realize something was amiss.
“Marshal Sheng, the military has seen some major changes recently, hasn't it?”
On the pale blue, transparent light screen, the Federal President's face—which looked deceptively like that of an upright gentleman—was displayed clearly.
Sometimes, high resolution wasn't a good thing. Seeing a scumbag in such high definition was hard on the eyes.
Sheng Xuejiu said nonchalantly, “The times are changing. The military can't remain stagnant. I personally think these changes are for the better. Thank you for your concern.”
The President smiled with gratification, but Yue Du, analyzing his micro-expressions in her spare time, could see “I think this is a bad idea” written all over his face.
The President felt a strong sense of crisis.
Big data was highly advanced in the interstellar age. Real-time data on public support was easy to obtain, though it wasn't available to the general populace. Watching the prestige of the military—and Sheng Xuejiu in particular—rise like a flooding tide, he was getting truly anxious.
The next election was only five years away.
Therefore, this was clearly not a development he could afford to ignore.
“I regret to have to remind you, Your Excellency Marshal,” the President said meaningfully, “that military life is not something that should be put on such public display. Our enemies are the Zerg, but they are not our only adversaries.”
Sheng Xuejiu replied, “Our people aren't foolish enough to post classified information.”
“But accidents can always happen—”
“Are you objecting?” Sheng Xuejiu asked bluntly.
The President replied, “How could I be objecting? It would be wonderful if the public had more trust in the military, of course, but this method is inappropriate. I simply hope you will reconsider it carefully.”
Sheng Xuejiu said nothing.
“What are your thoughts?” the President asked.
An abrupt mechanical voice sounded: “Beep. Your contact, ‘Speaker Xi Zhou,’ is joining the call.”
As the President stared in disbelief, the smiling face of the Federation's Speaker, Xi Zhou, appeared in a small pop-up window on the screen, a glint of light flashing across his gold-rimmed glasses.
“Good afternoon, Mr. President,” the middle-aged gentleman greeted him politely. “I hear you have some objections to the military's recent innovative measures?”
The President demanded, “Marshal Sheng, what is the meaning of this?”
Sheng Xuejiu gave a slow, deliberate smile.
“The military is under my command, which generally means I set the confidentiality regulations. The Parliament does have the right to intervene in military regulations, but we have happily reached a consensus.”
The President's face seemed to turn a shade paler.
“If there's anything you don't understand, I'm sure Speaker Xi Zhou would be happy to answer your questions. Now, if you'll excuse me.”
With that, Sheng Xuejiu closed the communication window.
“The Speaker will make him question his life choices,” Yue Du said.
“He brought it on himself,” Sheng Xuejiu said, gloating. “It's already a done deal, yet he still insists on struggling. If the Speaker doesn't school him, who will?”
She had gotten in touch with Xi Zhou two weeks prior.
The Speaker was a formidable character. Despite his gentle, gentlemanly demeanor, he was deeply cunning and calculating. He didn't desire ultimate power, knowing he wasn't suited for it. At the same time, he didn't think anyone else was suited for it, either.
Forming an alliance of mutual interest with such a person was no easy task.
But everyone has a past, and hidden within it are the keys to persuading them.
Xi Zhou's key was the Zerg.
Xi Zhou was a Guide who had also served in the military in his youth. He and his older brother had formed a mental link; they were close, both as blood relatives and as comrades-in-arms.
Later, during a surprise Zerg attack, Xi Zhou lost his brother and his own left leg.
Xi Zhou could still walk now, thanks to an intelligent prosthesis, but it was no substitute for his original limb—not that he himself seemed to mind.
This was when Sheng Xuejiu made him an offer he couldn't refuse: she would eliminate the Zerg threat by killing the source of their entire race, the Broodmother.
Xi Zhou was stunned for a full two seconds before his customary smile returned to his face. “An irresistible promise. To trade it for the Parliament's support... you flatter me. But what guarantee can you offer, Your Excellency Marshal?”
Sheng Xuejiu stated plainly, “If anyone can do it, it can only be me.”
Xi Zhou stared at her for a long moment before saying slowly, “You're right.”
And so, the two sides reached an agreement.
Perhaps sensing Sheng Xuejiu's undisguised dismissiveness toward him, Xi Zhou casually added another question. “Are you perhaps dissatisfied with me in some way?”
Sheng Xuejiu answered without hesitation. “You guessed right.”
For the Zerg-extermination fanatic who had once done everything in his power to hint that she should leave the Capital Star, give up her part-time teaching post at the academy, and go kill bugs on Cadina Star, “dissatisfied” was putting it mildly.
Xi Zhou: “...”
He was shocked by her bluntness.
The Speaker shook his head, said goodbye, and ended the call. He seemed to have no intention of asking what she was “dissatisfied” about, nor any awareness that his new ally might give him a hard time in the future.
The Speaker was now on the military's side. The Premier, meanwhile, was a non-entity. He and his State Council had as little presence as they had slow reaction times; they probably still hadn't figured out what the military was planning.
...He was probably still happily watching the videos the military had uploaded.
Ever since being rebuffed, the President had been trying to find Sheng Xuejiu's weakness. After a long and fruitless search, he could only resort to underhanded schemes.
He looked into Yue Du—or to be precise, Yue Yao.
A union between two female Sentinels, while somewhat uncommon, was hardly unheard of. No one would pay it any mind if he tried to make an issue of it.
But Yue Yao's family was an excellent point of attack. President Yubulaji didn't expect to cause Sheng Xuejiu any major problems, but he hoped it would at least have some effect.
With this in mind, he sent people to find Yue Yao's parents.
...The result: he couldn't find them.
Two ordinary, living people with reasonably successful careers had simply vanished into thin air.
Long before this plan was set in motion, Yue Du had already made arrangements for the couple, without letting them know about their daughter's current situation.
Normally, this would have been very difficult. But Yue Du, with access to the System Store through her host, was an exception to the rule.
With no more concerns holding her back, she was free to act.
Over the next year, Sheng Xuejiu led the military from one major achievement to the next, as if trying to make up for her thirty years of keeping a low profile.
More and more citizens came to realize they had such an outstanding marshal—beautiful, elegant, and cool as hell when fighting the Zerg. And the military personnel under her command were all equally outstanding.
They even had a mascot!
Admiral Samo: “...”
Public opinion had dampened the admiral's fighting spirit. He considered himself a powerful and imposing Sentinel; the purpose of the live stream was to showcase his abilities. He should not, under any circumstances, be associated with a mascot.
Yue Du figured Admiral Samo would never guess who had first mentioned the “mascot” idea. And even if he did... it wasn't as if it would matter, right?
In any case, the military had successfully boosted its approval rating with the general public.
Prestige was one thing; the common people had no idea about the storms brewing in the upper echelons. But even within the Federation's top leadership, more and more people were beginning to tip the scales in favor of the military and Marshal Sheng Xuejiu.
With the situation looking increasingly favorable, almost everyone assumed the Marshal was a shoo-in to win the next election.
Except for Yue Du. No one else suspected that the Marshal had never intended to wait quietly for an election.
Amid the turbulent undercurrents, three years slowly passed.
There were still two years left until the scheduled election.
But Yubulaji wouldn't make it that long. An old case against him was reopened, and the now-former President was unseated, sent directly to the Supreme Court the moment he left office.
This was Yue Du's handiwork.
She had learned of the former president's crimes from a wealth of encrypted information, but there was no incriminating evidence online. Even if there had been, it couldn't have been used directly as evidence in a trial.
Fortunately, by knowing the results of his crimes, it wasn't too difficult to follow the trail and uncover a chain of evidence, no matter how cleanly he had covered his tracks.
Yubulaji was likely the first president in two hundred years to have his term terminated for criminal activity, followed by a streamlined process of trial, imprisonment, and execution.
And so, the presidency was now vacant, urgently requiring a new election.
The most popular candidate in the Federation was Sheng Xuejiu.
At this moment, with all eyes upon her, she once again took an unconventional path, becoming the supreme authority in the Federation by virtue of her position as Marshal, without an election.
The Parliament, the State Council, and even some members of the former president's own cabinet voted in favor of this.
The reason was simple.
“According to the latest intelligence from the military, the Broodmother is already gestating a new one,” Sheng Xuejiu announced from the stage, her calm voice carrying as she surveyed the crowd below.
“To acquire the energy needed for gestation, the Zerg will launch an all-out assault. We, in turn, cannot allow a new Broodmother to be born. Unlike the minor skirmishes we've fought on the border, this will be an all-out war between our two species.”
“I hereby declare that the Federation is entering a state of war. Until this war is over, the military command will serve as the supreme governing body.”
And as the leader of the military, Sheng Xuejiu was now the supreme authority of the Federation—
“Beep! Stage one of the main mission has been completed within the time limit. Reward: 2,000 points.”
“Initiating stage two of the main mission. Requirement: Kill the Zerg Broodmother within two years and prevent the birth of a new one!”
Hearing the familiar mechanical voice, Yue Du's expression became complicated.
Well, she was suddenly a little gratified.
For once, the mission issued by the Main System was actually normal, and it perfectly aligned with what they were planning to do next.
Meanwhile, in Yue Du's original world.
Qi Jiu had been staying at Yue Du's home for five days, in the capacity of a bodyguard.
During this time, Yue Du's sister, Yue Hao, had tried to subtly probe for information. Unfortunately, her “sweet but naive” stats were maxed out. She failed to learn anything about her sister and instead ended up revealing everything about herself.
If it had been anyone else, Qi Jiu truly would have been too lazy to say a single word.
But this was Yue Du's sister.
Back then, before Yue Du left, she had mentioned this sister often. She clearly cared for her a great deal.
For that reason alone, she couldn't just ignore her.
Qi Jiu was too lazy to invent a backstory, so she just went along with Yue Hao's wild theories—something about a secret government agency whose members all had mysterious powers, conducted top-secret research, and couldn't reveal their identities to anyone.
...She made it sound completely believable.
She was supposedly a bodyguard, but in reality, there was nothing for Qi Jiu to guard against.
The men waiting in the dark alley a few days ago had indeed been sent by that Young Master Ji, but they were just a bunch of good-for-nothing thugs, not professional muscle.
Last time, Qi Jiu had beaten the group half to death, yet the nearby surveillance cameras hadn't captured anything out of the ordinary. Feeling he'd lost face, Ji Chenghui went crying to his older brother, the one who ran a real estate company.
When CEO Ji heard this, he was so furious he was practically fuming. He immediately grounded his younger brother, ordering him to stay home and reflect on his actions and to stop bothering the young woman.
Would Ji Chenghui listen?
Obviously not.
Right now, he was on the phone with some of his degenerate friends, declaring that this wasn't over and that he was going to teach that “ungrateful woman” a proper lesson.
As for how Qi Jiu knew all this in such detail...
It was because she was right outside the window of Ji Chenghui's house.
Sitting amidst the lush leaves of the poplar tree in front of the house, Qi Jiu watched the scene inside the room with indifference, her dark eyes filled with a chilling coldness.
If.
If she took care of this annoying pest before Yue Du returned, she would be happy, right?
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