ISWTDB Ch126

Chapter 126: Intersteller Mermaid (15, 16)

After Bennett appeared, he expectedly saw the surprised expression on Ying Zhao’s face. He knew that Ying Zhao still felt some guilt over the fact that he had turned into a mermaid because of him, so he wasn’t worried that Ying Zhao would reveal his identity.

Seeing that Ying Zhao was ignoring him, Bennett narrowed his eyes in dissatisfaction and continued, “I’ve been a bit busy lately, so I haven’t had the chance to visit you, Brother Ying Zhao. I was even thinking of taking the opportunity to see Brother Ying Xiao’s rather peculiar-looking partner!”

Bennett’s sarcastic tone made Ying Zhao inwardly sneer. So after Bennett finished speaking, he looked at him, hesitated for a moment, then frowned and said, “Who are you?”

This question nearly caused Bennett’s expression to crack. The man he had pursued for two lifetimes was now seriously asking him who he was.

Seeing the students around him, who were crowding around to get closer to their idol, looking at him with either confused or disdainful eyes, as if he had purposely come over to pretend to know Ying Xiao just to curry favor, Bennett took a deep breath, feeling furious inside, but he had to work hard to maintain the smile on his face. He continued, “Brother Ying Xiao, I’m Bennett! How could you not remember me!”

Ying Zhao listened to Bennett’s words and looked at him expressionlessly for a long time. He only nodded after Bennett’s smile was about to falter and said, “I remember now, you’re the child of the Austin family, right? I do have some impression of you.”

Upon hearing this, Bennett could no longer maintain the fake smile on his face, and a look of humiliation appeared. He had done so much for Ying Xiao, even willingly giving up his human identity to become a mermaid.

He never imagined that the other party would now look at him like a stranger, as if all his past pursuits and sacrifices were nothing but a joke.

And many of the Imperial Academy students around them now looked at Bennett with schadenfreude in their eyes. They thought, “So, he’s just a kid from a familiar noble family, yet he talks so ambiguously, as if he really is so close to General Ying.”

Bennett was furious but couldn’t find the words to express his anger. However, he was unwilling to leave just like that, so he stood in front of Ying Zhao, staring at him intently.

Harrison also felt that Bennett’s behavior was getting out of control. After all, he didn’t want to cause any trouble now, so he stepped forward to smooth things over and said, “General Ying Xiao, long time no see.”

Ying Xiao glanced at Prince Harrison and nodded politely, saying, “Hello, Your Highness.”

After exchanging pleasantries, Harrison made small talk with Ying Zhao, while Bennett, unwilling to be ignored, sidled up to them and boasted, “Brother Ying Xiao, I forgot to introduce you, Prince Harrison is my boyfriend now.”

Harrison frowned when he heard Bennett’s words. Although he didn’t deny them, he clearly didn’t think now was the right time to make it public.

After all, as the future emperor, his partner was supposed to be a mermaid capable of bearing offspring. But now, Bennett’s mermaid identity obviously couldn’t be revealed.

Sure enough, after Bennett said that, many of the surrounding students started whispering, and Harrison once again realized how foolish Bennett was.

He suppressed his inner impatience but still had to play along. He reached out and stroked Bennett’s hair, putting on a doting expression, and said to Ying Zhao with a light smile, “Meeting someone worth loving is my good fortune.”

Hearing Prince Harrison say this, Bennett felt proud. He had originally looked up, hoping to see Ying Zhao’s expression change, but instead found that his expression had actually become much gentler.

Ying Zhao even nodded in agreement and said approvingly, “Your Highness, you’re right. Being with Cecil is the greatest fortune of my life!”

After Ying Zhao finished speaking, the surrounding students started making a commotion. After all, everyone in the empire knew that their general was a bit of a show-off when it came to his partner, loving his mermaid to the point of madness.

Bennett, having failed to show off and instead getting a dose of dog food, glared at Ying Zhao fiercely. Just as he was about to say something more, a displeased voice sounded nearby.

The person said to him, “Please don’t stand in the middle of the road blocking the way. It’s causing trouble for others. Or do you think using this method will attract attention?”

Bennett turned around, wanting to retort, but was intimidated by the murderous look in the person’s eyes.

He saw a tall man with fiery red hair and sharp, chiseled features. For some reason, Bennett felt this person looked very familiar.

Although the man’s appearance was quite handsome, the glaring killing intent in his ruby-like eyes as he looked at Bennett made it impossible for Bennett to think clearly. He instinctively felt that this man was extremely dangerous.

It was as if, if he said a single word, this man would step forward and snap his neck in an instant. The fear he felt in his bones made Bennett unconsciously take two steps back, giving way to Ying Zhao.

Ying Zhao, seeing that Cecil couldn’t hold back from speaking up for him, smiled at him, causing the surrounding students to gasp.

Even though Cecil knew that the smile was meant for him alone, he still felt a bit jealous that others could also see his partner’s beautiful smile.

Then he saw Ying Zhao smile and nod at him, saying softly, “Classmate, I’m looking forward to your performance in training.”

The students around them heard Ying Zhao’s words of encouragement to Cecil and were all extremely envious. They thought, “If only I’d stepped up and pushed Bennett out of the way, maybe General Ying Xiao would have said those encouraging words to me.”

Ying Zhao left the venue under everyone’s gaze. Du Lu and Du Ke looked at Cecil with stars in their eyes, and Du Lu said enviously, “As expected of our idol, he caught General Ying Xiao’s attention so quickly! That’s amazing!”

On the other side, Du Ke was also excitedly shouting, “Yes! Amazing! Cecil, did you hear that? General Ying Xiao said he’s looking forward to your performance. Do you think since we’re together, General Ying Xiao might notice me too and say a few encouraging words? Then I could die without regrets!”

As Du Ke spoke, he even made a swooning gesture, as if he were about to faint, only to be flicked on the forehead by Yan Lang, who said, “Show some dignity, will you? If we perform well, we’ll definitely earn the general’s recognition.”

Du Lu and Du Ke immediately nodded seriously, but Yan Lang was thinking that he had long known about the connection between Cecil and Ying Zhao.

Although Yan Ning hadn’t told him Cecil’s true identity, after seeing their interaction just now, he also realized that Cecil belonged to Ying Zhao.

He even thought that Ying Zhao might have deliberately arranged for Cecil to be at the Imperial Academy at this time, perhaps with some other purpose.

And since they were part of Cecil’s team, they would definitely belong to General Ying Xiao’s First Legion in the future, so they would naturally have plenty of opportunities to interact with their commander.

Since Ying Zhao had returned to the military earlier in the day to handle his reinstatement, it was already evening by the time he arrived at the Imperial Academy. After giving a motivational speech in the auditorium, he had a simple meal with the academy leaders and chatted briefly before returning to the residence the school had arranged for him. The real training for the competing students would officially begin the next day.

But when Ying Zhao arrived at his dormitory and had just opened the door, someone forcefully grabbed his wrist and pulled him into a broad embrace.

As soon as the person touched him, Ying Zhao could smell the familiar scent of his lover. It was a scent similar to water, but without the fishiness of the sea, instead, it was refreshingly clean.

So Ying Zhao didn’t resist at all and instead hugged his lover’s waist and snuggled into his embrace. After half a month of not seeing each other, they both missed each other deeply.

They missed each other’s scent and warmth, missed the real touch, and wanted to see this person with their own eyes. Cecil’s passionate kisses fell on him, and Ying Zhao responded tenderly. Before long, the two lovers expressed their longing for each other in the most direct way.

They didn’t want to say anything, only to feel each other’s presence. After a long time, the heated atmosphere in the room gradually subsided, but the love between them remained strong.

Ying Zhao lay comfortably in Cecil’s arms, leaning close to his ear and whispering softly, “My dear, I missed you, I really missed you.”

Cecil turned his head and gently kissed Ying Zhao’s forehead, his expression also showing a touch of emotion. Their fingers tightly interlocked, and it wasn’t just Ying Zhao; the longing in Cecil’s heart was no less intense than Ying Zhao’s, perhaps even stronger.

Words were no longer necessary. They understood each other so well that just a glance could express their love for one another.

After easing their emotions a bit, Ying Zhao asked Cecil, “Is it alright not to return to the dormitory? I noticed that you seem to get along well with those three little ones.”

Cecil nodded at his words, thinking about the time spent with them in recent days, and affirmed, “They are all quite good. Although each has their own weaknesses, there are no major issues. With a little training, I think they can be incorporated into my team.”

Ying Zhao also thought Cecil’s idea was good. Based on what Ying Zhao had learned earlier, these three boys were indeed outstanding, whether in mech combat or character.

Moreover, this was the team his lover wanted to build, so naturally, the decisions were all his to make. Even Andy had been handled by Cecil, who had agreed to join his team.

However, during the mobilization meeting today, Ying Zhao didn’t see Andy. It seemed that this person was still holed up in his divine laboratory, immersed in mech research—truly a madman obsessed with mechs.

With this in mind, the competition rules allow for teams of four to six people. Including Cecil, there were now five members in the team, which was sufficient. Still, Ying Zhao wasn’t worried about not seeing the crucial mech maker, Andy, today. After all, the training would officially start tomorrow, and Andy would show up.

Cecil decided to stay over at Ying Zhao’s place that night. It wasn’t until early the next morning that he got up and hurried back to the dormitory. When the other three saw Cecil coming out of his room, they thought he had returned in the middle of the night.

After all, Cecil had a high combat ability, so sneaking back in the middle of the night without anyone noticing was quite normal. When he left yesterday, he had mentioned that he had some personal family matters to attend to, so no one asked any more questions.

However, Yan Lang looked at his glowing face and satisfied expression and found it strange. Although Cecil still appeared stoic to outsiders, those who knew him well could tell that he was in a good mood. It was as if he had met with some little lover.

At that moment, Ying Zhao, Cecil’s little lover, had just woken up in bed. After being reunited with his lover after such a long time, it was inevitable that he would be a bit exhausted.

Waking up and feeling the cold sheets beside him, Ying Zhao felt a bit of disappointment. However, seeing the message Cecil had sent to his light brain, a warmth flowed through his eyes.

Following the instructions in the message, Ying Zhao got up and went to the kitchen, where he found the breakfast his man had already prepared. Although it wasn’t anything extravagant, it was still warm in the pot.

Perhaps no one could imagine that a mermaid would one day personally cook human food. After all, mermaids naturally favor water and fear fire.

However, after Cecil had tasted a few of Ying Zhao’s meals, he actually managed to overcome his aversion to fire and began to consciously try to do more for Ying Zhao.

After finishing breakfast, Ying Zhao, feeling in a good mood, arrived at the training grounds. As expected, all the students preparing to compete were already present; no one would dare take this competition lightly.

Seeing the students’ energetic appearances, Ying Zhao felt quite satisfied. Holding the information on the students’ mental strength and physical condition, he did a headcount and realized that more than 500 students from the entire Imperial Academy, including the Mech Combat Department, wanted to compete.

Ying Zhao finally spotted Andy, a very thin young man wearing black-framed glasses, standing in disarray next to Cecil. Ying Zhao gave a slight nod to Cecil, who still stood out among the crowd, and they both saw the smile in each other’s eyes.

All the students focused their attention on Ying Zhao, hoping to present their best selves to this Imperial Major General and catch his attention.

Even Bennett, feeling like he’d had an adrenaline shot, wanted to show Ying Zhao his best side. He thought to himself that he must make this man who failed to see his value regret it. However, no matter how straight Bennett stood, he didn’t receive a single glance from Ying Zhao.

Looking at the dense crowd on the training ground, Ying Zhao frowned. Although there was no limit to the number of participants, it was clear that not everyone could meet the standard.

The school’s initial selection process was useless in the eyes of the military. Ying Zhao directly led everyone to the gravity training room and, in front of them, turned the gravity up to the fifth level.

Then, looking at the students standing outside the gravity training room, he simply said, “Go in.”

Ying Zhao’s action left all the students stunned. The gravity training room had six levels, and typically, being able to train at the fourth level already indicated a super-strong physique.

But now, Ying Zhao had directly set it to the fifth level. Such intensity could easily knock out half of the students, especially someone like Bennett, who wasn’t from the Combat Department and whose physique wasn’t as strong as the students in the Mech Combat Department.

Seeing this, Bennett stepped forward in dissatisfaction and said to Ying Zhao, “General Ying, what do you mean by this? I understand that you want to select the most outstanding students, but in the team, someone like me, a mech maker, is only responsible for maintaining and improving the mechs. Our physique isn’t as strong as that of the Combat Department students, so the same training intensity is definitely unfair to us!”

This time, Bennett didn’t address Ying Zhao as “General Ying,” as yesterday’s attempt at familiarity had ended in embarrassment. He had been mocked by his teammates on the way back, and even Harrison hadn’t looked pleased.

So today, Bennett adopted a more formal tone. His words expressed the concerns of many students from other departments, so several people echoed his sentiments, hoping Ying Zhao would lower their training intensity.

In reality, Ying Zhao had only brought them here for testing, but seeing their attitude, he decided not to explain.

Hearing Bennett’s words, he looked at him expressionlessly and said, “What do you think the battlefield is? The battlefield is not a game. A good team doesn’t just need strong warriors. A weak mech maker has no ability to handle the high intensity of the battlefield and will only drag everyone down.”

Taking a step forward, Ying Zhao swept his gaze over everyone and said in a deep voice, “What I am about to say is not just for the Mech Maker Department but also for the Command Department and other students who want to compete and join the military. You need to understand that having a strong physique is the foundation of everything. Imagine if the warriors are fighting on the front lines, their mechs encounter an emergency, and the mech maker, exhausted, can’t provide support. What will the warriors do in that critical moment? Who will maintain their mechs? Who will ensure their safety?”

“Don’t underestimate your profession. The victory in a war isn’t just the achievement of commanders and warriors. Strong mech makers and medics can increase the survival rate of warriors on the battlefield by sixty percent. A strong rear is the foundation of the front line. Do you still think your physical condition is unimportant? Or are you indifferent if someone sacrifices their life on the battlefield because of your weakness?”

Ying Zhao’s words were powerful and resounded with everyone. They knew the cruelty of the battlefield. Although the competition was important, most students understood that only one person and one team would ultimately emerge victorious.

So most of them hoped to use this opportunity to enter the military, and someday, truly step onto the battlefield and become a steel gun of the Empire.

Those students who had just questioned Ying Zhao’s actions now blushed with shame, feeling deeply embarrassed. Bennett hadn’t expected Ying Zhao to say such things. Publicly humiliated again, he could only shut his mouth tightly and, seeing Harrison’s grim face, felt even more resentful towards Ying Zhao.

After Ying Zhao finished speaking, Cecil immediately walked into the gravity training room, showing his support for Ying Zhao through his actions.

After Cecil walked in, his three roommates naturally followed. Seeing more and more students actively entering the gravity training room, Ying Zhao gave Cecil a smiling glance.

If it weren’t for the fact that their relationship couldn’t be made public yet, Ying Zhao would have wanted to give his man a flying kiss. He pretended to pinch his fingers, thinking to himself that he would have to properly reward his lover tonight.

As for the situation in the gravity training room, it turned out exactly as Ying Zhao had anticipated. Soon, many students could no longer bear the intense pressure, collapsing to the ground, completely unable to move forward. Some even fainted under the strain.

Seeing this, Ying Zhao instructed the two subordinates he had brought from the military to go in and drag out the students who had fainted on the ground.

After ten minutes, noticing that less than a third of the students remained, most of whom were already drenched in sweat and struggling to hold on, Ying Zhao pressed a few buttons to remove the gravity.

Most of the people collapsed to the ground as soon as the gravity was lifted, but there were a few who remained unaffected. Seeing the thirty or so individuals who still stood firm in the gravity training room, Ying Zhao nodded in satisfaction. The situation was much better than he had expected.

Cecil’s entire dormitory group showed no change in their expressions; they all seemed to be in excellent physical condition. Even Andy was still rubbing his head, seemingly clueless about what had just happened, which surprised Ying Zhao a bit. He hadn’t expected this little guy to have such a strong physique. It seemed that letting him join Cecil’s team was absolutely the right choice.

Harrison’s team had also been carefully selected by him, and most of them weren’t affected by the level five gravity. However, their mecha engineer, Bennett, was already drenched in cold sweat and on the verge of collapsing, though he hadn’t fallen yet thanks to Harrison’s support.

Seeing Bennett’s legs trembling, Ying Zhao didn’t point it out. Clapping his hands to get the attention of the remaining students in the gravity training room, Ying Zhao nodded and said, “Congratulations. You remaining students have passed the preliminary test. Next, we can proceed to the simulation training field.”

All the students who remained couldn’t help but show excited expressions upon hearing Ying Zhao’s words. Bennett, gritting his teeth and trembling, followed the group just like everyone else behind Ying Zhao.

His heart was full of resentment as he thought, “This was clearly a test, so why didn’t he say anything, letting everyone think it was training? Making me contradict him in public and then get embarrassed—this guy must have done it on purpose! Yesterday, he even pretended not to remember me; he definitely did it deliberately to make me look foolish!”

Harrison noticed that Bennett’s resentment was almost written on his face, and quickly gave him a look, signaling him not to act impulsively. Only then did Bennett lower his head, hiding his expression. However, he was unaware that seeing him like this only made Harrison increasingly displeased.