ISWTDB Ch125

Chapter 125: Interstellar Mermaid (13, 14)

Harrison was certain that if a combat genius like this could be brought under his command, then his team would definitely win the next mech battle.

On the other side, Cecil still didn’t know that because of this battle, both he and Ying Zhao had become a big hit on the Star Network. Now everyone was speculating about their identities and wondering who they really were.

As soon as the two of them returned to reality from the virtual network, they immediately sat up from the training pods. Then, they turned to look at each other, their gazes full of passion, and without a word, they rushed toward each other and kissed passionately.

The battle just now had been exhilarating, and each other’s charm was magnified infinitely in the other’s eyes. So after returning to reality, they both urgently wanted to release the overflowing emotions in their hearts.

After kissing deeply for a long time, Ying Zhao finally lifted his head, gasping for breath. With a flushed face, he kissed the bridge of Cecil’s tall nose and sighed, “Husband, have I ever told you that you’re insanely sexy when you fight?”

Cecil shook his head, too distracted to care about anything else. He directly pulled the nutrient-covered Ying Zhao into the bathroom, his voice low: “Baby, don’t worry about anything else. Be good, come eat fish!”

Thus, Ying Zhao successfully completed the joke he had made earlier on the Star Network, happily enjoying a full fish feast. Although the process of eating was quite exhausting, both Ying Zhao and Cecil were very satisfied.

Although Cecil hoped Ying Zhao could eat a bit more, for the sake of his health, Ying Zhao decided not to overeat after feeling he was already full.

After some convincing, Cecil finally agreed to wait for the next time. The feast had completely drained Ying Zhao of his energy, and he quickly curled up under the covers and drifted off to sleep.

Cecil looked at Ying Zhao’s sleeping face, a gentle smile appearing on his own. He kissed his lover’s hair and then held him as they both fell into a deep sleep.

So the next day, when Ying Zhao woke up and logged into the Star Network, he discovered that Cecil had become famous.

Though Ying Zhao, who had also disappeared with Cecil after the long final battle, attracted some attention, it was clear that the rising star Cecil, who appeared out of nowhere, garnered much more focus.

This outcome was within Ying Zhao’s expectations. However, recalling the conversations of the spectators around him as he watched his man’s heroic presence from the stands, particularly the mention of the upcoming campus mech competition, it caught Ying Zhao’s attention.

Before he had a chance to think it through, Ying Zhao received a call from the military. Expecting it to be urging him to return to duty, he was surprised to find the caller was actually his marshal father, Ying Xiaolin.

Marshal Ying asked Ying Zhao if he could go to the Imperial Academy and conduct a month-long special training for the students who were about to participate in the mech competition, as the Federation would also be sending people to participate in this year’s competition.

In short, the Empire wanted to ensure victory in the best possible condition. After all, the champion of the mech competition always came from the Imperial Academy, so it made sense to have him train the Imperial Academy’s contestants. Without much thought, Ying Zhao agreed.

Ying Zhao understood that this competition was extremely important for both the Empire and the Federation, and he feared the Federation might harbor ill intentions. This competition wasn’t just about testing the strength of the participants; the final match would use the most advanced mechs, making it a measure of the two nations’ strength.

Due to the Federation’s involvement, the mech competition had been delayed by half a month. Marshal Ying, understanding that Ying Zhao was newlywed, gave him an additional half-month leave.

Ying Zhao didn’t expect his father, the marshal, to make such an arrangement. It seemed his father wasn’t as rigid as he had thought and still doted on his son.

But after hanging up the phone, Ying Zhao had another idea. If his own man could also participate in the competition and defeat the Federation to claim ultimate victory, he would become a hero and a strong figure in the eyes of all Imperial citizens.

Then, by bringing his lover into the military to stay by his side, not only would it be perfectly legitimate, but Ying Zhao believed that with Cecil’s abilities, he would soon become the new idol of the Empire.

At that time, if they exposed Cecil’s merfolk identity, even the research institute wouldn’t dare to touch a hero. Otherwise, they’d be condemned by the public. This idea, upon reflection, seemed to be somewhat borrowed from Bennett’s approach.

With this thought, Ying Zhao directly contacted Yan Ning. He couldn’t tell his father about this, but he trusted Yan Ning could easily help him get a spot at the Imperial Academy.

As for the name, being Yan Ning’s relative would do just fine. After all, Yan Ning also had deep-sea merfolk blood, so it wouldn’t be too far-fetched.

Yan Ning agreed without hesitation, joking with Ying Zhao: “I knew you’d come to me, but I didn’t expect you to squeeze someone into the Imperial Academy instead of the military.”

“I knew this small matter wouldn’t be difficult for Uncle Yan,” Ying Zhao complimented expressionlessly, clearly not putting much effort into it.

Yan Ning was used to Ying Zhao only showing emotion toward Cecil and Marshal Ying, so he didn’t mind.

Just as he was about to hang up, he heard Ying Zhao on the other end say, “There’s a hidden compartment on the right side of the bookshelf in my father’s study, and it seems to contain some things related to Uncle Yan.”

Yan Ning raised his eyebrows, knowing this was Ying Zhao’s return gift. He smiled and acknowledged it, quickly helping Ying Zhao settle the procedures for Cecil at the Imperial Academy.

Ying Zhao had no doubts about Yan Ning’s abilities. He trusted him to handle this matter well, and then directly discussed with Cecil his plan to arrange for him to study at the Imperial Academy.

Cecil knew that Ying Zhao was going to train the students there, and he was happy to be able to see Ying Zhao regularly. But when he thought about living at the academy and not being able to be with his lover, Cecil hesitated.

Seeing his man’s sullen look, Ying Zhao amusedly knocked on his head and said, “Are you silly, my dear husband? Do you think it’s that hard for the two of us to meet at night with our skills? My accommodation at the Imperial Academy will naturally be private, and we can sleep together every night if we want!”

Upon hearing this, the man’s expression finally improved a bit, but he immediately became worried again and said, “But you’re only going to be a coach for a month. What will I do when you leave?”

Ying Zhao hadn’t expected his lover to become so clueless when it came to matters involving him. He couldn’t help but laugh out loud, then leaned in to rub noses and murmured, “Of course, I’ll take you with me. My man is so great; I can’t feel at ease leaving you far away.”

Sweet words always lead to passionate kisses, and Ying Zhao didn’t feel the situation was so urgent that it would take away from their precious intimate time together. So after a round of “fish eating,” Ying Zhao snuggled in Cecil’s arms and continued discussing with him the things they would need to be mindful of at the Imperial Academy.

Ying Zhao recalled that, in the original story, Bennett had made a huge splash in this competition, especially showcasing his amazing mecha talents in team cooperation.

However, Ying Zhao knew full well that, based on Bennett’s real abilities, there was no way he had the vision to come up with such brilliant mecha concepts. Could it be that he plagiarized the research results of someone from before Ying Zhao’s rebirth?

Sure enough, Ying Zhao’s guess was spot on. Bennett’s stolen idea came from a genius student in the Imperial Academy’s mecha engineering department named Andy.

Andy was an eccentric and stubborn person who was only interested in mechas, a true mecha fanatic. He didn’t interact with others at all and, after entering the Imperial Academy, only attended mecha-related courses.

When he found that even his teachers couldn’t provide him with new inspiration, he stopped attending classes altogether, holing up in his lab every day to work on his research.

It wasn’t until four years later when several groundbreaking mechas were introduced that people came to know of Andy, this genius. Andy could be said to be a milestone figure in the history of Imperial mechas.

Through Xiao Bai’s investigation, Ying Zhao learned that Bennett had not only shamelessly stolen Andy’s ideas but, after failing to make progress himself for a long time, had sneaked into Andy’s lab and taken some of his drafts.

“This Andy is quite interesting,” Ying Zhao remarked objectively, stroking his chin.

Ying Zhao admired people who were focused in their fields and didn’t want to see a genius like Andy have his hard work stolen.

To win the mecha competition, it wasn’t enough to have excellent individual abilities; the team competition was just as important. After all, with Prince Harrison, who always saw eliminating the Ying family as his top priority, Ying Zhao wasn’t about to let things go his way.

So Ying Zhao had already decided to have Cecil form his own team, and it was clear that a genius mecha engineer like Andy would be an excellent addition if he was willing to join.

Ying Zhao then had Xiao Bai transfer Andy’s later research results to him. After evaluating the weight of the information in his hands, he sorted it out, handed over the portion that could be revealed to Cecil, and told him his plan.

Naturally, Cecil supported all of Ying Zhao’s plans. After receiving the information Ying Zhao gave him, Cecil requested to handle the matter himself.

After all, as the future leader of the team, it was best for him to directly approach the members he wanted to recruit and make them loyal to him. Ying Zhao trusted Cecil’s abilities and agreed not to interfere.

More than half a month later, Ying Zhao went to the Imperial Academy according to the military’s arrangements to begin training the participants, while Cecil had gone there fifteen days earlier.

Under Yan Ning’s arrangement, Cecil, under the alias “Ceci,” entered the Imperial Academy and became a student in the mecha combat department.

Before leaving home, in just a few short days, Cecil had once again demonstrated his terrifying learning ability, much like Ying Youjie and Ming from the previous world.

Because he didn’t need to master too much theoretical knowledge, he consumed even less time in learning. The main focus of the mecha combat department was combat skills, mental strength, and physical fitness.

Cecil had a natural overwhelming advantage in these areas, so what he really needed to pay attention to were some common sense aspects of human life. After all, the areas where merfolk and humans interact were different, and the inherited memories of deep-sea merfolk clearly didn’t include knowledge about this part.

Ying Zhao had originally planned to wait until his leave ended and then arrange for Cecil to report to the Imperial Academy when he started teaching there. That way, they could act together, and he could enjoy an extra half month of cozy time with his lover.

But his man insisted on going early. Although Ying Zhao was very reluctant, it was rare for his man to be so adamant. He understood that Cecil wanted to go to the Imperial Academy first to take care of all the necessary arrangements so that Ying Zhao wouldn’t have to worry.

No matter when, his lover always wanted to spare him trouble, wholeheartedly protecting him. Ying Zhao couldn’t help but feel moved, so he agreed to his request.

Thus, by the time Ying Zhao arrived at the Imperial Academy, he and Cecil had not seen each other for half a month. Although they talked every night through their optical brains, it was clear that this wasn’t nearly enough to alleviate the longing in their hearts.

The Imperial Academy warmly welcomed Ying Zhao’s arrival. With a month left before the competition, Ying Zhao decided to conduct a week of special training based on the students’ conditions and hold an initial selection.

All the students who had signed up for the mecha competition gathered in the largest auditorium at the school, and Ying Zhao stood on the podium, waiting for everyone to arrive.

His gaze was firmly fixed on the entrance, and he immediately spotted the red-haired man standing among the crowd.

After transforming into human form, Cecil stood at nearly 1.9 meters tall. Even though the students around him were generally not short, they were still slightly overshadowed by Cecil. His hair color and height made him the most outstanding presence among them.

Yan Ning had not arranged for Cecil to have a single room in the dormitory. Instead, he lived in a four-person dormitory with his fellow mecha combat students, each having their own independent room.

Always keeping an eye on his lover, Ying Zhao quickly noticed that a few people were following behind Cecil: a tall, scholarly young man with glasses and a pair of twin brothers with bright smiles.

Ying Zhao had already learned from the information fed back by Xiao Bai that the three people behind Cecil were top students in the mecha combat department at the Imperial Academy, and none of them belonged to the pro-imperial faction.

The young man wearing glasses was Yan Ning’s nephew, Yan Lang, who had been instructed by Yan Ning to take care of Cecil. As for the twin brothers, Du Lu and Du Ke, they were the children of the wealthy Du family.

The Du family had always maintained neutrality, without leaning towards any side. However, Du Lu and Du Ke had always idolized Marshal Ying and Ying Xiao and felt that the royal family was hypocritical, so they had not accepted Prince Harrison’s recruitment.

The four of them walked together, and although Cecil remained the most silent, Ying Zhao could still tell that his relationship with the other three was very harmonious.

Especially looking at how the other three surrounded Cecil, Ying Zhao raised an eyebrow. It seemed that no matter where he went, his man could easily become the leader of any team, just like in the past.

Upon arriving at the venue, the Du brothers, Du Lu and Du Ke, immediately shouted excitedly when they saw Ying Zhao standing on the stage.

Du Lu, flailing his arms in excitement, exclaimed, “Ahhhh! That’s General Ying Xiao! I’ve finally seen him in person! Look, look, it’s my idol! Of course, Cecil, you’re also my idol, but, but you still can’t compare to General Ying Xiao!”

In the mecha combat department, strength was always respected. At first, the Du brothers didn’t care much about the new roommate who had been suddenly assigned to their dorm, Cecil. But after they had a mecha battle in the virtual network and were utterly defeated by Cecil, he naturally became their idol.

Especially when Du Lu found out that Cecil was the very “General’s Merman” who was currently famous on StarNet, he admired him even more, to the point of prostration.

Plus, Yan Lang also highly recognized Cecil’s strength, so now, in the entire dormitory, all three of them looked up to Cecil.

Although Cecil hadn’t explicitly said they would form a team, in the minds of Yan Lang and the Du brothers, Cecil was already their captain.

Du Ke, standing beside him, nodded vigorously and looked at Ying Zhao with a face full of admiration, saying, “Do you guys know how many battles General Ying Xiao has been through, and how many victories he’s brought to the empire? They say he’s even our senior! When he first entered the Imperial Academy, General Ying had already been scouted by the military. His photo is even in the hallway of the mecha combat building, reserved only for the top honors of the best students! I wonder if we’ll ever have a chance to be like General Ying Xiao, becoming such an outstanding Imperial soldier!”

But at this moment, Cecil could no longer hear the words of Du Ke and Du Lu. His eyes were fixed on the tall man standing on the stage, dressed in a military uniform.

After not seeing each other for half a month, Cecil’s heart was overflowing with longing for Ying Zhao. He still remembered how reluctant he had felt when he decided to leave early back then.

But he knew that his lover had already sacrificed so much for him. Their happiness couldn’t rely on only one person’s effort, so he too had to do something for their future.

It was only after leaving that he realized how much he missed him, how he couldn’t bear to be apart. During the half month they’d been separated, although they talked every day through the optical brain, Cecil still felt it was completely unsatisfying.

At this very moment, looking at the man standing high above with an icy, ascetic aura, Cecil couldn’t help but want to rush over, hold him tightly in his arms, and kiss those water-colored lips to express his longing.

Ying Zhao naturally also saw Cecil. The two locked eyes and saw the deep affection they held for each other in their gazes.

But in the current situation, they couldn’t reveal that they knew each other in front of the crowd, so they had to suppress their feelings and use their eyes to express their yearning.

At the motivational assembly, Ying Zhao gave a short and encouraging speech, but it was enough to stir up the blood of all the students in the hall.

The only ones who didn’t wholeheartedly welcome Ying Zhao were likely Bennett and Harrison and their group. This was the first time Bennett had truly seen Ying Zhao since his rebirth.

His eyes were filled with suppressed resentment and the bitterness of unrequited longing. That mixture of love and hate surged through him, almost driving him mad. Yet, he had to bite his lip and forcefully suppress his emotions, not letting them show.

Harrison noticed the hatred in Bennett’s eyes, squeezed his hand, and whispered in his ear, “Hold on a little longer. Sooner or later, we’ll bring the Ying family down!”

Bennett nodded, looking deeply at Prince Harrison beside him. He kept reminding himself not to waste any more feelings on Ying Xiao.

Now, everyone in the Ying family was his enemy. Besides, he had already found the person most worth loving in this life, and that was Prince Harrison of the Empire.

The day after that team training simulation, Bennett had somehow eaten something bad, which caused his body to feel unwell, and he had transformed into a merman right in front of Harrison.

Bennett still remembered Harrison’s shocked expression, but luckily, it had been just the two of them at the time. Not only did Harrison not expose him, but he also promised to help keep his secret and expressed his love.

This greatly surprised Bennett. Although he had always hoped to gain Harrison’s affection for his own purposes, Harrison had always maintained a distant attitude.

But when he faced such a tricky situation, it was Harrison who held him in his arms and swore to protect him. That feeling of being cherished deeply moved Bennett.

With Harrison’s help, Bennett soon retrieved some of Cecil’s stored blood from his dorm and returned to human form.

He knew Harrison was a powerful man. He was a prince of the Empire, the future emperor of the entire Empire. So, Bennett couldn’t help but fall for him.

At the same time, he felt that even though Ying Xiao didn’t choose him, he could find someone better to show him. Clearly, Harrison was the best choice.

Especially now that Harrison knew his greatest secret, Bennett confided in him about his resentment towards the Ying family and even handed over the stolen designs from Andy as if they were his own creations.

Sure enough, Harrison was very pleased with the designs and placed even more importance on Bennett. He also told him that they absolutely had to win the mecha competition, as that would help him gather more followers.

After all, to truly seize military power and eliminate the Ying family, it wasn’t enough to have strength alone; they also needed public support and opinion. Elevating the image of the royal family was the first step Harrison wanted to take.

Bennett thought Harrison was very clever and would be his true support, and a few days ago, they had even solidified their relationship. Thinking of this, Bennett couldn’t help but blush.

Recalling Harrison’s fiery passion, Bennett felt even more convinced that Harrison was the better choice, compared to Ying Xiao. Little did he know, the reason he had suddenly transformed into a merman was entirely because of the drug Harrison had secretly given him.

Harrison saw this as an unexpected benefit. He had originally thought Bennett was useless and had planned to drug him so he wouldn’t be able to compete. But if Bennett was a merman, then Harrison could make other plans.

The other person was stunningly beautiful and had Austin as backing, making them very suitable for a marriage alliance. Besides, there was still some use in terms of mecha-related value, and the taste from the past two days had been quite pleasant.

Thus, both people, harboring their own hidden motives, were quite satisfied with each other. After the motivational assembly ended, Bennett intentionally hooked his arm around Harrison’s and approached Ying Zhao, greeting him, “Brother Ying Xiao, long time no see!”