Doctor Lu Always Wants To Steal My Baby! Chapter 44
byChapter 44 Setting Sail
[Hello everyone, the recent scandal surrounding the He family of Xingdu—the child swap—has shocked the entire network. The editor has specially compiled the timeline of events for your reference…]
[Rumor has it that He Chen broke into the He family residence that day, passed through five gates and slew six generals, reclaiming his biological father’s relics. The He family elite were all dispatched, yet they could not subdue him alone!]
[Heaven’s justice is clear, and retribution is swift. The He family’s Wolf King spiritual body manifested precisely in a vagrant they had mistreated.]
[Uncovering He Chen’s years of wandering on the slum planet!]
Xiang Heng opened the news channel. The top trending topics were all related to He Chen’s background, making it difficult for anyone to miss the full story.
Setting things right was a good thing, but he wondered how He Chen would react upon learning of He Yarun’s actions.
Xiang Heng thought for a moment, closed his terminal, and shut his eyes.
Five minutes later, he exited his hovercar and walked into a private residence. After being searched, he stepped through a doorway.
“Commander He.”
His voice was calm as he addressed He Hongsheng, who sat in the seat of honor, his face grim and his right shoulder bandaged.
“He Siyuan said you’ve already used this thing,” He Hongsheng said, looking at a tray held by one of his subordinates.
The man stepped forward, and Xiang Heng saw what was on the tray.
A square, red crystal.
It was similar to a Blood Crystal, but not quite. Or rather, it was a special variant of the Blood Crystal—it was called an Ice Blood Crystal. It was rarer than ordinary Blood Crystals and offered better enhancement effects, but it was highly addictive.
Once a person became accustomed to it, stopping use would lead to severe discomfort, even death by spiritual power explosion.
This was essentially a poison, one that could not be forced but only took effect if the user actively absorbed it.
It was a slightly extravagant method used by aristocratic families to control those who willingly pledged allegiance.
With Xia Jingpeng’s death, the He family lost the leverage he held over a group of controlled individuals, including Xiang Heng. However, Xiang Heng had already used the Ice Blood Crystal, which was why He Siyuan vouched for him.
Seeing the instinctive, undeniable craving that flashed in Xiang Heng’s eyes the moment he saw the Ice Blood Crystal, He Hongsheng nodded to his subordinate, who then withdrew the tray.
“Siyuan says you are capable. Starting today, serve me well, and the benefits will continue as before.”
“Yes,” Xiang Heng replied, bowing his head.
“What are He Chen’s weaknesses?” He Hongsheng asked bluntly in the next breath.
Xiang Heng pondered for a moment: “Which aspect are you referring to?”
“All aspects.”
“Understood. He values relationships and loyalty, excels in combat, is careless with details, becomes impatient when faced with excessive data, and is not skilled at management. Furthermore, he lacks capable subordinates; they are all commoner martial artists.”
“You missed the most important point,” He Hongsheng said, his expression sinister as he scrutinized him. “His spiritual power is unstable and requires long-term suppression via inhibitors.”
“Yes,” Xiang Heng replied calmly. “But he is currently receiving treatment from Lu Changqing. I believe this point can no longer be exploited by us.”
“What is his relationship with Lu Changqing?” He Hongsheng asked again.
“They had a relationship while studying at the academy. After graduation, I haven’t seen him contact Lu again,” Xiang Heng answered.
“So, it’s an old flame rekindled?” He Hongsheng sneered, looking indifferently at Xiang Heng. “Tell me, what is the best way to quickly eliminate him?”
Xiang Heng paused again before answering: “Assassination.”
“However, I believe that He Chen’s death at this time would be detrimental, not beneficial, to the Commander.”
“Oh? Tell me how it would be detrimental.”
“The Emperor has just promoted He Chen, and He Chen has just made an enemy of the He family. If He Chen is assassinated now, the Emperor, acting out of anger, will not return the Pingshan Base to the He family. Instead, it is highly likely he will hand over the Hanhe Base, along with half of Pingshan, to his own people, outside of the He family’s control.”
“At that point, Pingshan will be truly lost forever.”
“Conversely, if it is handed over to He Chen, you can still maintain control in the shadows.”
“Simply put, He Chen is merely a knife in this matter. The person holding the knife is above us. Rather than giving that person a chance to replace the blade, it is better to turn the tables.”
He Hongsheng listened, then raised an eyebrow and stared at him for a long time. “Are you usually this talkative?”
Xiang Heng’s expression remained unchanged: “I will keep my answers brief from now on.”
“Useful words can be spoken more often.” He Hongsheng shifted his indifferent gray eyes, about to ask something else, when a confidant whispered a report—
“Second Master, if that is the case, I fear it is bad news. First Master’s people may have already made their move.”
Made their move? Xiang Heng maintained his posture and demeanor, detaching himself as he listened to the man whisper about “sanatorium,” “ambush,” and “assassination”…
“What do you think?” Xiang Heng suddenly heard He Hongsheng ask.
“I believe that if the deed is done, we can only accept it. The immediate priority is to transfer the industrial assets on the Shangyun and Xiayun planets, leaving as few traces as possible…”
Xiang Heng heard himself answer calmly and methodically.
“Good, you may leave now.” A moment later, he heard He Hongsheng speak again.
Xiang Heng answered “Yes,” walked out of the room, left the small courtyard, and boarded his hovercar. He placed his finger on the terminal, then endured the urge and forcibly moved it away.
Nothing will happen, otherwise Xiang Zhe would have given him a signal. Xiang Heng thought, but cold sweat suddenly beaded on his forehead, and his lips turned purple. He instinctively reached into his pocket, gripped a marble-sized Ice Blood Crystal tightly, but did not absorb it, closing his eyes in forced endurance.
*
He Chen’s terminal finally rang. It was Lu Changqing: “Did you encounter them?”
He Chen nodded.
“Are you injured?”
“No,” He Chen replied. Lu Changqing had given him advance warning, so he was fully prepared and naturally unharmed. The only regret was, “The killer committed suicide, claiming they were avenging the people of Fire Fox.”
“I’ve handed the person over to the Patrol Bureau to see if anything can be found.”
“Good.” Lu Changqing asked calmly from the other end of the terminal, “Do you want to retaliate in kind?”
He Chen pondered for a moment, then looked at Xu Lin on the hospital bed: “Let’s return to Hanhe first.”
A head-on confrontation was not wise right now. Only after returning to Hanhe and settling the people he cared about could he act without restraint.
“Since they ambushed you on the way to the sanatorium, it means they already know your relationship with Xu Lin. Xu Lin might not be safe staying in Xingdu.”
It was strange; Lu Changqing on the other end seemed to know exactly what he was thinking, speaking with perfect synchronicity.
“The medical academy’s transport ship departs tomorrow. Should we arrange for Xu Lin to go with them?”
“Yes.” Previously, He Chen had settled Xu Lin in Xingdu because he still had relatives. But three years had passed, and those relatives treated him much worse than before.
“Thank you, Senior Brother.” He Chen ended the call, stroked Xu Lin’s hair, took a Major General’s badge strung on a cord from his pocket, placed it around Xu Lin’s neck, and then pinched his cheek, a smile suddenly curving his lips. “Idiot, we’re going home. Aren’t you happy?”
Xu Lin showed no reaction.
He Chen slowly lowered his smile, but his eyes remained resolute.
He arranged for Ning Tian to personally handle Xu Lin’s transfer, then turned and strode out the door.
*
“Take care!” At the Xingdu Military Department’s exclusive spaceport, Shen Xian came alone to see off He Chen, without any entourage.
“I’ll send a few people to your place for training later,” He Chen said.
“Training for what?” Shen Xian asked, then suddenly understood. “Hacking and stuff? That depends on talent.”
Shen Xian boasted: “Send them over, but no guarantees on mastery. Also, your people need to teach us something—like extreme environment maneuvering techniques.”
“Deal,” He Chen agreed readily.
Shen Xian clapped hands with him, then looked at Lu Changqing nearby, his posture becoming solemn and respectful: “Director Lu, thank you for looking after my father.”
As he spoke, he bowed to Lu Changqing, and when he straightened, his eyes looked toward the spaceship not far behind Lu Changqing, his gaze seeming to penetrate the hull to see inside.
“He has been cryogenically preserved for now. He will be safe during the journey, General Shen, please rest assured,” Lu Changqing said.
“Yes, I have no worries.” Shen Xian clenched his fist, then cheered up, patted He Chen’s shoulder, and said, “I’m counting on you.”
He Chen understood what he was counting on. He patted Shen Xian back; everything was understood without words.
“Get on board. Have a smooth journey. I’ll come find you in Hanhe if I get the chance!” Shen Xian stepped back two paces, watching He Chen and the others board. He watched the two heavily armed transport ships, distinct from the other battleships, slowly ascend, following closely behind their warship.
Not far from him, on another boarding ramp, someone else watched He Chen’s spaceship ascend, his face gloomy.
It was Xia Zhenye.
Fang Wenhuo, holding Xia Kai’s hand, kept his head down. He noticed Xia Kai was losing patience from standing too long, twisting his body and trying to run forward. He held him back tightly, asking carefully, almost innocently, “Brother Zhenye, why aren’t we leaving?”
Xia Zhenye snorted coldly and started walking again.
Fang Wenhuo followed him, pulling down his sleeve to cover the bruise on his wrist, his eyes quickly and unwillingly sweeping across the flight path left in the sky.
*
“We’ll be performing a space jump. Will the patients be safe?” After setting sail and arranging the schedule, He Chen returned to the cabin and asked Lu Changqing.
“Safe, don’t worry,” Elder Fang answered before Lu Changqing could.
As a member of the treatment team, Elder Fang was also participating in the relocation and traveling with the ship. He was currently telling a story to He Leyan with a relaxed expression.
He Moyan and Ning Tian sat on the other side, wearing uniforms—as if they feared being dragged back to school if they wore casual clothes. When his eyes met He Chen’s, he paused for only a second before looking away as if He Chen were air.
Brat. He looks quite handsome in that uniform.
He Chen scanned the cabin, his gaze finally settling back on Lu Changqing. Lu Changqing had a stack of documents spread out before him, his expression focused as he reviewed something.
He was so focused that he seemed to exist in his own world.
He Chen stared at him involuntarily for a while. The ship cabin jolted, and he suddenly snapped back to attention. Turning his head, he unfortunately met Wen Yi’s smiling gaze.
He Chen uncomfortably looked away. When he did, he noticed Elder Fang also giving him a meaningful look.
! Have they all been corrupted by gossip?!
He Chen pretended not to understand their looks and calmly sat down across from Lu Changqing: “What are you looking at, Senior Brother?”
“Research data I just received.” Lu Changqing looked up at him and handed him a packet of nutrient paste he had been warming in his hand. “You missed the meal service earlier.”
“Thank you.” He Chen took the nutrient paste, felt its warmth, and paused, looking at Lu Changqing.
He had been using his internal energy to keep it warm for him?
He Leyan stretched out his small hand at that moment: “I saved some for Daddy too.”
Well, he saved a packet of his favorite squeeze jelly.
“Thank you.” He Chen curved his lips, took the jelly, leaned his big head over, and gave Leyan a loud kiss.
Lu Changqing looked up at the laughing father and son.
“Have you found anything?” Elder Fang asked Lu Changqing then.
He Chen was curious and glanced at the documents in Lu Changqing’s hand: they were full of symbols and formulas he couldn’t understand.
“Found what?” he asked Elder Fang.
“Information about the Beast-kin,” Elder Fang explained in detail to He Chen. “Changqing obtained some of Fu Chen’s old research data from Marshal Shen. Fu Chen was an expert in this field, and we want to take a shortcut to see if his work offers any methods for restoring the Beast-kin’s sanity.”
As Elder Fang spoke, he thought of that rather unique Beast-kin and glanced at He Chen.
“Fu Chen, is that Shen Xian’s other father?” He Chen asked.
“Yes, a figure of astonishing brilliance,” Elder Fang replied, regaining his composure.
“I heard he also researched the genetic fusion of Mysterians and us Blue Star people?” Wen Yi asked probing.
Lu Changqing’s quietly resting fingers suddenly tightened. He Chen, being sensitive, instinctively looked over, but saw only Lu Changqing bending his fingers to turn a page.
“Yes,” Elder Fang replied, shaking his head at Wen Yi. “A genius is a genius, but he was a bit too unconventional.”
“I think that’s how scientific research should be,” Wen Yi stated frankly. “Reproduction is becoming increasingly difficult on Blue Star. Researcher Fu chose these directions simply to solve the fertility crisis and prevent us from truly facing extinction someday.”
“Perhaps,” Elder Fang said no more.
He didn’t like arguing with young people. When it came to matters of philosophy, arguing was pointless.
Wen Yi quickly realized that Elder Fang’s views differed from his own. This was not surprising; most of the academic community, like Elder Fang, viewed Fu Chen and his research—the so-called hybrid race—as heretical and perverse.
Wen Yi was not lacking in emotional intelligence. He suppressed his interest and was about to drop the topic, but Lu Changqing, who had been silent and never commented on such topics before, suddenly said, “Fu Chen’s data suggests that in ancient times, we and the Mysterians were actually of the same origin.”
Really? Wen Yi’s spirits lifted, and he wanted to ask for more, but he saw the Director’s eyes fixed on He Chen: “What do you think, Junior Brother?”
Huh? He Chen was momentarily confused, feeling the abruptness of a jock being called upon to answer a biology question: “What do I think?”
“Nothing, keep eating.” Lu Changqing lowered his head and continued looking at his data.
The vertical line in his pupil flashed and disappeared.
He Chen stopped eating, put down the nutrient paste, and spoke: “Um, what do you think, Senior Brother? I mean, about the Mysterians.”
He Chen was thinking of the evidence he held regarding the He family’s secret collusion with the Mysterians.
This matter was far-reaching. There must be others behind the He family, such as the Qian family, the maternal family of the Second Prince, who profited the most from that war as arms suppliers.
Or, to be more direct: the Second Prince. The Second Prince, who was closely related to the Lu family.
He Chen wanted to gauge whether Lu Changqing was aware of this and what his attitude was toward such matters: “Senior Brother, do you think we can ever shake hands with the Mysterians, or even cooperate with them?”
Lu Changqing looked up, carefully observing the sharp edge in He Chen’s demeanor.
“No,” Lu Changqing replied. “They are not of our kind; their hearts must be different.”
“Senior Brother speaks the truth.” He Chen’s eyes brightened.
Lu Changqing’s eyes deepened slightly: “Hurry and eat. It’s not good for your stomach if it gets cold.”
“Mhm.” He Chen opened the nutrient paste, then looked at Lu Changqing with bright eyes again. “My command room is empty. It’s quiet there. Would you like to go look at your data there, Senior Brother?”
“Alright.” Lu Changqing looked at him, the brief darkness in his eyes hardening into resolve.
“I have something to discuss with you. Come with me?”