Takoyaki
by M1zushiThank you Read for the ko-fi donation!
At midnight, Lu Hang, who was supposed to be on leave, received an emergency order to return to his unit.
That evening, Lu Hang had invited a few brothers to a villa for a barbecue, and his cousin Lu Xun was among them.
A few alphas had drunk a bit too much and started rambling. It happened to be right when the news broke about the famous “courtship performer,” Ji Le, spouting foul language. Everyone was slamming the table in fury, but Lu Xun was particularly livid.
Lu Xun: “He dared to insult my male god? I’ll fight him!”
Friend: “Is Young Master Lu going to challenge him to a duel? Come on, we’ll cheer you on.”
Lu Xun kept his eyes forward, his fingers flying across his screen: “I’m going to create twenty alt-accounts and report him to the official tournament website to get him banned.”
Friend: “…Your dad is Chairman Lu. Can’t you have a little vision?”
Lu Xun slapped his forehead. “I forgot…”
His old man happened to be one of the heads of the competition judging committee and was famously intolerant of evil. In the past, Lu Xun felt his father was too strict and nitpicky, so his rebellious streak often led him to clash with the old man on purpose.
Now, he couldn’t wait for Old Man Lu to whip out his belt and ruthlessly strike down the villain.
Fueled by alcohol, Lu Xun didn’t care if dragging his old man out of bed in the middle of the night would earn him a “belt-fried fish” beating. He stood up, ready to head into the city.
Just then, Lu Hang entered the hangar.
Lu Hang frowned. “Don’t fly after drinking that much beer; it’s dangerous. Where are you going? I’ll give you a lift.”
Lu Xun said he was heading back to the old family estate, but then he noticed his cousin was wearing his full military uniform. He chuckled:
“Dressed so sharp this late? Got a date?”
Lu Hang tapped him on the forehead to sober him up. As he started the aircraft, his expression grew grim:
“The unit called me in immediately saying something happened; a [Storm-Class] Red Alert.”
The Empire’s emergency states were named after winds, from [Light Breeze] to [Hurricane], totaling twelve levels.
Normally, [Hurricane-Class] was only triggered during a national catastrophe or when the monarch’s life was at stake; it was legendary.
The next level down, [Storm-Class], referred to a global emergency crisis: tsunamis, earthquakes, asteroid impacts, or severe terrorist attacks. The Old Empire recorded it six times, but in the ten years of the New Empire, it had only been sounded once.
Right now.
Lu Xun was so scared he sobered up instantly and began planning an escape route, but Lu Hang spoke again: “The Outer Space Mecha Legion Commander, Major General Gram… his inhibitor ring has been disconnected from the system.”
“Disconnected from the system” was a euphemism.
Lu Xun breathed a sigh of relief. “Just a piece of trash dying. How serious is that?”
Lu Hang gave him a deep look. “Also, the monarch’s ‘Space Palace’ was bombed. The monarch lost a tentacle and is currently being resuscitated in the hospital.”
Lu Xun sucked in a breath. “Amazing!”
Imperial Planet Holy Emperor Hospital, outside the operating room.
The palace secretaries were frantically running around, busy dealing with the media. High-ranking military officials stood in a circle, their faces clouded with unease. Only one man sat unmoving in the waiting area, with two people serving him tea.
He was the hero who had saved the day—
“Lord Heinz!”
The lead surgeon opened the door and, after scanning the room, headed straight for Heinz.
The military brass watched as the royal physician bypassed them. They cursed inwardly, “the villain has succeeded again”.
The doctor was full of flattery. “Lord Heinz, His Majesty has just woken up and wishes to see you.”
Heinz stood up with a pale face. He swayed slightly before steadying himself.
The doctor turned to bark at the nurses: “What are you all doing? Lord Heinz was seriously injured saving His Majesty. He just left the ICU to stay on standby, and you all just stand there? Get a wheelchair, quickly!”
The officers gritted their teeth in resentment, feeling the doctor was making pointed insults at them.
However they had been there; the intense survival instinct of an alpha had made them flee in panic. It wasn’t until they got outside that they realized… they might have forgotten the monarch?
By the time they planned to go back, Heinz had already emerged carrying His Majesty on his back. Not only did he have a wound the size of a bowl on his waist, but the spot where he collapsed was quite deliberate—
Right in front of the medical ship, directly under a surveillance camera.
Act! Go on, keep acting!
Yet, jealousy was useless. After this incident, Heinz replacing Gram as Kaide’s number one confidant was a done deal.
Becoming a Grand Minister was only a matter of time.
Now that the monarch has summoned him, it’s surely for a reward.
As for what Heinz would ask for… that was currently unknown.
Inside the VIP ward, a faint scent of honey-glazed takoyaki lingered in the air.
Heinz walked in, sniffed slightly, and surreptitiously pressed his lips thin.
To show concern for his favorite official, Kaide specifically used a tentacle to pull a chair over for Heinz.
Heinz remained standing by the bed, his eyes lowered. “This servant does not deserve such honor; I truly do not dare to sit. Besides, Major General Gram has yet to be found, and the ‘Space Palace’ is 75% destroyed. I still need to handle the aftermath.”
The moment this topic was brought up, eight tentacles flailed in a mad rage. The burned tentacle unfortunately split open, and the ward was suddenly filled with the smell of a fried giant octopus reminiscent of a street stall.
Heinz was already planning what to have for a midnight snack.
Kaide’s eyes were bloodshot. “This matter must be thoroughly investigated. Those terrorists must be torn limb from limb!”
Heinz lowered his head meekly. “Rest assured, Your Majesty. The investigation into the attackers has already been handed over to the Police Department and the military.”
Kaide gnashed his teeth. “No! That bunch of greedy, cowardly bastards in the military… When something happens, they run faster than anyone else.” Thinking of this, Kaide looked at Heinz and made an immediate decision. “Heinz, I’m putting you in full command of this matter.”
Heinz hesitated. “Ah… that wouldn’t follow regulations.”
“What ‘regulations’? My order is the regulation.”
Heinz said humbly, “This servant is not up to the task. Furthermore, I am but a lowly secretary; I cannot command Duke-level generals in the military across ranks.”
Kaide waved a hand. “Bah, what does that matter? I’ll just make you a Duke as well. Tell me, what title do you want?”
A flicker of perfectly timed sorrow crossed Heinz’s gloomy face. “Your Majesty, this servant’s former household was a Ducal one. I suffered endless humiliation there since childhood. They beat and scolded me daily, calling me ‘b-man,’ ‘idiot,’ and ‘useless jellyfish.’ I have psychological trauma; I truly do not wish to bear the title of a Duke.”
Kaide actually paused to think for a moment. “Psychological trauma…”
Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit him. The Eagle-Owl family’s noble title was due to be revoked in a few days anyway; why not just give it to Heinz? First, it would humble the Eagle-Owl family, and second…
Technically, when an Emperor awards a Dukedom, he grants land and property. By directly awarding the Eagle-Owl family estate to Heinz, he could save himself a huge expense.
A perfect solution.
Kaide made the decision then and there with great cheer, but Heinz maintained a worried expression:
“Your Majesty, there is something you may not know. Although the Eagle-Owl Family has declined and holds no formal positions in the military, the elders of the family still throw their weight around, riding on the coattails of the Old Marshal’s reputation. I am but a former slave of their household… I fear that property won’t be handed over to me so easily.”
That was true enough. Heinz was no longer connected to the Eagle-Owl family; if the Emperor wanted to instigate his favorite official to seize someone’s family assets, he needed a plausible excuse.
Kaide, in a rare moment of cleverness, recalled something and said, “Right, that Eagle-Owl omega in my palace doesn’t have a guardian. Why don’t you take the role?”
A calculated gleam hid deep within Heinz’s eyes, yet his voice rose in feigned surprise: “Guardian?”
“Exactly. In principle, a beta cannot be a guardian. But since you performed meritorious service in saving the monarch’s life, I can have the system make a unique exception for you.”
Kaide stroked his chin smugly, thinking his plan was absolutely perfect. “This way, you can rise from slave to master and rightfully become the head of your former master’s household.”
Heinz said with great reluctance, “This servant obeys.”
From now on, Young Master is my officially registered little nursing hen.div>
Call me Daddy.
Because they devoured too many varied species, their bloodline test results often spanned hundreds of pages.
For management purposes, the Imperial Xenogeneic Bloodline Bureau registered them all under one title:
[Mixed-Juice Jellyfish]
In the early hours of that morning, one person silently vanished from the meeting list of the Seventy-Two Demong King Pillars, and another was added with great fanfare.
[Note: “Mixed Juice” has joined the meeting]
The virtual projector flickered, and countless mosaic squares integrated into a data round table. In one corner, a phantom light shone down, illuminating a shadow hidden in the darkness that bowed elegantly.
“Mixed Juice” spoke with humble politeness: “Good evening, fellow Demon Kings. I shall open the floor tonight.”
After a half-hour virtual meeting, “Mixed Juice” was left alone.
Heinz revealed his true face; facing the massive black silhouette sitting in the shadows, he kept his gaze lowered to show respect:
“As you saw, someone hijacked Gram’s ship tonight. Onboard were seven seafolk alpha nobles, including the ‘Power King’ Pavo. Their assets involve minerals, energy, military, and agriculture.”
The One had previously proposed a hostile takeover of these industries, but the price had been stuck in a tug-of-war.
“The good news is that the acquisition can start tomorrow.” Heinz curled his lips into a gloomy smile. “And you can now complete the transaction at one-tenth of the price.”
No one had expected that just as they were preparing to close the net and uproot these nobles in one fell swoop, a sudden attack would occur. The ship that was bombed just happened to be connected to that group of “falcon boiling” nobles.
As the incident escalated, the stock prices were bound to plummet.
Rounding it off, it meant they could swallow the resources controlled by these nobles for just a few transaction fees. It was a killer deal.
Moreover, the situation was urgent; aside from the Seventy-Two Demon King Pillars, no other organization could bite off such a large piece of cake at once.
It was truly a godsend.
Heinz raised his wine glass: “To Thanksgiving. To the cupcakes.”
The One’s shadowy figure smiled slightly and also raised a glass: “To the cupcakes. Regardless of which side the attacker is on, we must thank him for his bravery.”
Mentioning this, Heinz said meaningfully: “Regarding the attacker, I actually have some clues. According to my informants in the bars, this group of nobles summoned a mecha pilot tonight. The pilot was coerced onto their ship. The pilot’s name is…”
Heinz looked down to confirm the intel, “—’Bai Ling’.”
CRACK! It was the sound of glass being crushed.
“Meeting adjourned,” The One indifferently proclaimed, and the meeting link disconnected instantly.
Inside the study, Yu Chen clenched his fingers, crushing the glass shards into shimmering, fine powder.
Suppressing the dark vortex in his eyes, he summoned the AI: “Summon Bai Ling here.”
The AI rotated its camera in surprise; this seemed to be the first time the Master had directly called the mechanical bird by his name.
“The mechanical bird is still in the bathroom,” the AI reported truthfully.
Yu Chen exhaled slowly. “Power-scrubbing his body?”
“He probably hasn’t washed yet. When I passed the bathroom door just now, I only saw him scrubbing a pair of pants with great force.” The AI tried to playback the recording file. Knowing its Master liked the hardworking mechanical bird, it described:
“He’s washing very thoroughly, scrubbing and muttering, ‘This won’t leave a scent, will it?'”
—A textbook example of destruction of evidence.
At the same time, Bai Ling was leaning over the bathtub, scrubbing his combat suit. He leaned in to sniff it, unable to tell if there was any alpha pheromone scent.
Is the Commander a beta?
As he was immersed in scrubbing bubbles, he didn’t notice a tall shadow looming behind him.
Bai Ling’s nose twitched. Although he couldn’t smell pheromones clearly, years of life-and-death experiences had given him a keen sense for approaching danger.
He suddenly turned his head and saw the merman, who looked as if he had just swum up from a pool of blood in hell, shrouded in countless dark auras.
Like a beast brewing a low growl in its throat before tearing its prey apart, the merman suppressed a dark fire. With an unprecedented, towering dominance, he tilted his chin and commanded word by word:
“Take off your clothes. I need to inspect you.”
Author’s Note:
Little Bird gets caught by Daddy. Danger!
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