Doctor Lu Always Wants To Steal My Baby! Chapter 77
byChapter 77 Not an Allergy
“It was the He family who helped Chu Yunlan escape. We haven’t yet determined if other families or bases were secretly coordinating with them.”
On Hanxiao Star, in the conference room, Lu Changqing personally updated everyone on the intelligence.
“The He family?” Chu Yunqi gripped the conference table so hard he nearly tore it apart. What a He family—his maternal uncle’s family!
“What were they thinking, that they absolutely had to board this pirate ship?!”
“Chu Yunlan naturally promised them things your Imperial Father could not,” He Chen said, glancing calmly at Chu Yunqi.
“The He family was already at fault. They were made a target during the blood crystal allocation, suffered successive blows, and incurred severe losses. Their ranking among the noble families has dropped repeatedly, and their industries and resources are being squeezed and fought over by several powerful clans. Fortune favors the bold. It’s normal for He Hongyi, unwilling to fall further, to take a risky gamble.”
Lu Changqing elaborated.
Chu Yunqi fell silent after hearing their synchronized explanation.
“The most important thing now is not discussing why the He family defected, but what their next move will be,” He Chen said, looking at his subordinate officers.
The officer understood and immediately activated the virtual sandbox in the middle of the conference room. After a deferential look at He Chen, he began his report:
“Apart from a few isolated enclaves, the He family’s power is entirely concentrated in the Pingliao Star Sector.”
As the officer spoke, he used a virtual pen to draw a red arc in one corner of the sandbox, separating the “Pingliao Star Sector” from the larger map of the entire Star River Empire.
“By taking the rear bases of Hanhe and Pingshan—which is us,” the officer highlighted the Hanhe Base and Pingshan Base on the sandbox, “the He family and the Second Prince can occupy the entire Pingliao Star Sector and become self-sufficient.”
“In other words, they will be coming for us?” Chu Yunqi’s expression changed slightly.
“Most likely. Even setting aside other factors, just considering Your Highness, taking the Hanhe Base would be their first choice,” another officer said, looking at Chu Yunqi.
By eliminating Chu Yunqi, Chu Yunlan would become the Empire’s sole legitimate heir, greatly enhancing his rallying power. If he were the rebel leader, he would prioritize this move to legitimize himself.
Chu Yunqi’s face paled, but he clenched his fists as if to encourage himself: “Don’t worry, Imperial Father will send troops to suppress them! Maybe they won’t even get a chance to come here!”
“Hanhe and Pingshan are at the very rear of the Pingliao Star Sector. No matter where reinforcements are dispatched from, they must pass through He family territory. The He family can mobilize troops to attack us without any obstruction,” He Chen drew a few lines on the sandbox, ruthlessly shattering Chu Yunqi’s illusion.
“Then what should we do?” Chu Yunqi looked at the two isolated, surrounded bases on the sandbox, his face growing even paler.
Ning Tian glanced at him, then turned to the sandbox, saying coldly, “I suggest offense as defense. Before the enemy can fully mobilize, we should first take Liaoshan Base, which is closest to Pingshan. The southwest side of Liaoshan Base is our territory, and the northeast side is a narrow shipping lane—a vital choke point. Holding this lane secures Hanhe and Pingshan!”
“Unwise,” an officer objected. “The He family has deployed forces forward, so Liaoshan must be prepared. If we divide our forces to attack Liaoshan, our defenses will inevitably be weak. We might not even take Liaoshan before our own home is attacked. Commander, I suggest concentrating our forces on defense first. Fighting on home ground, with us solid and the enemy stretched, gives us a better chance of victory!”
“Defense is necessary, of course.” But offense was not impossible either.
Liaoshan Base was He Sizhong’s territory, and He Chen already had plans for it…
He Chen and Lu Changqing exchanged a look, then refocused on the sandbox: “Where to defend is the question.”
Hanhe and Pingshan were not simply two isolated cities. In addition to the two space bases, they included eight administrative or resource planets. Military strength was limited; trying to defend everywhere equally meant defending nowhere effectively.
He Chen looked at Chu Yunqi.
Chu Yunqi was certainly an important target, but He Sizhong surely understood the principle of feinting.
Since he couldn’t make every point a strong point, he had to guide He Sizhong to attack the place that was genuinely strong…
He Sizhong was impulsive, easily angered, arrogant, and hated him intensely… He Chen pondered, his eyes deepening.
“General, we have a new battle report. He Chen personally led his subordinates to set up defenses at Pingshan. The Pingshan Base has raised an electronic battle flag. That flag, that flag—”
The intelligence officer stammered at this point.
“Speak!” He Sizhong glared at him.
“Yes! On the battle flag, it is, it is two wolves fighting, with one wolf being trampled underfoot!”
Hiss… Silence fell among the people on the ship. This clearly reminded their General of the scene during the battle that brought down the He family.
“Clang!” He Sizhong violently smashed an object nearby. The intelligence officer’s head was bleeding, but he dared not flinch.
“General, Pingshan Base just released a message—” another person from the intelligence department spoke softly.
He Sizhong clenched his fist, veins bulging: “What did they release?”
The intelligence officer didn’t speak. He Sizhong pushed him aside and looked directly at the optical computer behind him. The screen displayed a line of bold, large text: “He Sizhong: Do you dare to fight me fair and square?”
“Are you saying this is on their official website?” He Sizhong asked, suppressing his rage.
“Yes.”
“Meaning, the whole world has seen it?” Blood rushed to He Sizhong’s head, turning his face purplish-red.
“General, calm your anger.” An elderly officer, Ye Yongnian—He Sizhong’s father-in-law—spoke up in time. He was the only one who dared to speak at this moment. “General, He Chen did this deliberately. If you lose your temper and confront him head-on, that is exactly what he wants and what suits his plan!”
“But attacking Pingshan was already part of our plan,” another officer interjected.
“That was assuming Pingshan’s defenses were inadequate!” Ye Yongnian scoffed.
“Now He Chen has clearly guessed our feinting strategy and adjusted his defensive focus! He is betting on the General’s fiery temper, knowing you won’t tolerate the insult, and is waiting for you to come to him, rested and ready. General, you must not fall for it.”
“I naturally won’t fall for it.” He Sizhong lowered his arms, the veins beneath his skin throbbing, which he forcibly suppressed. “Where is Chu Yunqi? And those two little brats?”
“Chu Yunqi is still on Hanxiao Star,” a younger officer replied. “General, Hanxiao Star also has Lu Changqing and his Medical Institute. Lu Changqing’s relationship with He Chen is extraordinary. With him and Chu Yunqi there, He Chen will not truly relax the defenses of Hanxiao Star.”
“My estimation is that either he has heavily fortified both Pingshan and Hanxiao Star, or his display at Pingshan is a feint. He anticipates that the more he provokes the General, the less likely the General is to take the bait, thereby guiding the General to aim his attack at the well-defended Hanxiao.”
“So, what is your suggestion?” He Sizhong scanned the speaking officer, his anger barely contained.
“My suggestion is to avoid the strong and attack the weak: attack Pingshan and wipe away the previous humiliation!”
“Do not be reckless!” Ye Yongnian snapped. “He Chen is personally present; how could it be a feint? He must have divided his forces, planning that if the General attacks Hanxiao Star, he can circle back from Pingshan to reinforce! But as long as we move fast enough to capture Chu Yunqi, the overall situation is decided!”
“But if we get bogged down at Hanxiao, we will be surrounded by He Chen and attacked from front and back!”
“Hah, speaking of defeat before victory. He has already divided his forces. How can he possibly hold us up?”
“What if we speak of defeat? How can we wage war without considering the risks and costs?!”
“Enough!” He Sizhong’s gloomy gaze swept over the useless men, forcing the burning rage back into his chest. “With just one move from him, you’ve all fallen into disarray!”
“I asked where those two cubs are. Did anyone answer me?”
“Reporting, General, we just contacted our spy. Those two cubs haven’t shown themselves since this morning. Our people cannot get close and do not know their whereabouts.”
“Did any ships return to Hanhe from Hanxiao Star?” He Sizhong asked in a low voice, kneading his fingers.
“Yes, a fleet. It’s estimated that, similar to the handover at Pingshan, He Chen specifically sent those two little cubs back to the Hanhe Base.”
“Good!” He Sizhong ground out a single word through his teeth. “Then attack the Hanhe Base!”
“General, why?” The people who had just been arguing fiercely spoke in unison, looking at him in astonishment.
“Because when I strike him, I strike his weak spot, instead of being led around by his feints and realities like you fools!” He Sizhong glared coldly at the useless men.
“But the environment of Hanhe is unique, General, you cannot!”
“Get out!”
“Uncle Deng, what are Dad and Papa doing? When will they be back? Why do we have to stay here?”
“Because we are having a drill.”
In an underground air-raid shelter on Hanxiao Star, Deng Tie calmly and kindly explained to He Leyan: “Leyan has experienced earthquakes. Everyone is panicked during an earthquake, right? If you practice beforehand and know how to hide, you won’t be so chaotic when an earthquake happens.”
So that’s it.
He Leyan understood and nodded seriously: “I heard that kindergartens have fire drills.”
He Chen had recently told He Leyan that he would send him to kindergarten in the future. Since hearing that, He Leyan had been curious about kindergarten and learned to use the terminal to look up information, finding out many things about it.
“Yes, it’s just like that,” Deng Tie rubbed his head, glancing nervously at his terminal.
He Leyan looked at him, then at He Moyan, feeling that something was off.
Kindergarten drills ended quickly; they didn’t last all day.
“So what are we drilling for? Earthquake or fire?” He Leyan hugged his small backpack and asked in a childish voice.
“We are—”
“War.”
Deng Tie and He Moyan spoke simultaneously.
“War?” He Leyan shot up.
This honest child… Deng Tie looked at He Moyan, then back at He Leyan, forcing a smile to coax him: “Yes, it’s a war drill, but Leyan doesn’t need to be afraid. We’re just practicing.”
“Then, where is Dad?” He Leyan asked, tugging at his small backpack.
“The Commander is directing the drill,” Deng Tie replied.
“Is it really a ‘drill’?” He Leyan stared intently into Deng Tie’s eyes.
Deng Tie felt a pang of guilt: “Yes.”
“Lying makes your nose grow long!” He Leyan “threatened.”
“Uncle Deng is not lying.”
Alright. He Leyan relaxed slightly: “Then what are we responsible for?”
“Huh?” Deng Tie didn’t react immediately.
“In the drill, what are we supposed to do?” He Leyan asked seriously, reminding Deng Tie, “During the earthquake, I was responsible for helping the doctor uncles with bandaging.”
“Oh, then Leyan is, is responsible for—” Deng Tie was speechless. He hadn’t prepared such a detailed script…
“You are responsible for hiding well,” He Moyan spoke up, taking off his headphones.
“Hiding well?”
“Hiding quietly,” He Moyan emphasized the word “quietly,” and showed He Leyan the book in his hand—
“It says here, ‘Do not make a sound, or the enemy will hear you.'”
Oh dear, this child went to school for a while and came back smarter, capable of deception.
Deng Tie glanced at the irrelevant words in the book, looking at He Moyan with newfound respect.
He Leyan bit his lip, genuinely lowering his voice, and looked at He Moyan: “Then what is Brother responsible for?”
He Moyan paused, then replied: “Memorizing.”
He Chen had said that once he memorized the book, he would take him to the battlefield.
He Moyan, in a foul mood, put his headphones back on, picked up the book, and continued to quietly recite: “The spirit of the three armies can be seized; the heart of the general can be seized. Therefore, the morning spirit is sharp, the midday spirit wanes, and the evening spirit returns. A skilled commander avoids the sharp spirit and strikes the waning and returning…”
“Therefore, the morning spirit is sharp, the midday spirit wanes, and the evening spirit returns. A skilled commander avoids the sharp spirit and strikes the waning and returning…” He Leyan couldn’t help but recite aloud.
He Moyan stiffly pushed down his headphones, watching his little mouth chatter non-stop.
He Leyan recited a long passage, but the more he recited, the more wrong it felt. His voice choked up. Finally, he wiped his red eyes and looked at He Moyan: “You’ve recited it over a dozen times.”
So what? He Moyan was puzzled: Why is he crying? Shouldn’t I be the one crying?
“You lied! Your book didn’t tell me to be quiet at all! This isn’t a drill! Dad went to fight a war!”
He Leyan stopped suppressing his voice and burst into loud sobs.
“What should we do? Dad, Dad might go to sleep!”
Wait, what does that mean? Deng Tie was at a loss, unable to offer comfort: “No, Leyan, why would the Commander go to sleep?”
“Fighting a war is like Uncle Xu, like the dad who gave birth to me—they all went to sleep!”
Ah… Only then did Deng Tie understand what he meant by “sleep.”
His heart ached, and he hugged the little boy: “He won’t, Leyan, don’t worry, the Commander definitely won’t!”
He then looked at his terminal, his eyes lighting up: “Alert canceled! Leyan, the Commander has won!”
“Commander, this is the command room. Here is He Sizhong’s optical computer. The core key to the Liaoshan Base is inside the optical computer.”
It was two o’clock in the morning, Blue Star time. He Chen was inspecting the newly occupied Liaoshan Base with his men and meeting with the “insider” from the base.
“Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel Lin,” He Chen said calmly and composedly, concealing his scrutiny as he looked at the middle-aged man before him.
“No need to thank me, Commander. Your strategy is divine. Even without my cooperation, taking Liaoshan would have been easy for you. As for He Sizhong—”
“He has been captured at Hanhe,” He Chen answered concisely.
The middle-aged man named Lin excitedly clenched his fist upon hearing this. He looked up, about to say something to He Chen, but saw He Chen focused on the large screen in the command room.
The screen displayed surveillance footage from various parts of Liaoshan Base. Lieutenant Colonel Lin followed He Chen’s gaze to the specific image he was looking at: it was nothing special, just four young soldiers from Hanhe huddled together, checking each other’s injuries, moving things, interspersed with laughter and joking.
The surveillance had no sound, so it was unclear what they were laughing about, but their young, robust faces and raised lips were full of youthful spirit.
“Commander—” Lieutenant Colonel Lin was about to say something else when someone approached and whispered in He Chen’s ear.
He Chen nodded: “Escort him directly here.”
“He’s already here,” a familiar voice came from behind.
He Chen quickly turned, looking surprised: “Senior Brother, why did you come too?”
“I brought Xiao Zhe over,” Lu Changqing said, patting Xiang Zhe beside him.
He Chen’s trusted adjutant, following He Chen’s instruction, immediately led Xiang Zhe toward the optical computer.
Lu Changqing glanced at the young soldiers on the large screen, then looked back at He Chen. He said nothing, but his eyes were exceptionally warm: “Are you injured?”
He scrutinized He Chen from head to toe as he asked.
He Chen shook his head: “The main battlefield was at Hanhe. I am not injured.”
He had not personally commanded at Hanhe because he was confident that any unfamiliar unit entering a fully prepared Hanhe would be walking into a trap.
“How did you predict He Sizhong would choose Hanhe?” Xiang Zhe, who was opening the optical computer, couldn’t help but look up and ask He Chen.
He was extremely introverted and rarely spoke proactively. This question was also stammered out, but he still asked it—he could tell his brother on his death anniversary.
“He didn’t predict; he guided,” Lu Changqing answered for He Chen.
Guided? Xiang Zhe was half-understanding.
“The key to victory on the battlefield lies in creating momentum,” He Chen treated Xiang Zhe like a younger brother. Seeing his rare interest in something, he continued Lu Changqing’s explanation: “Guidance means creating a situation for the opponent where they feel they have no choice but to follow the path we have marked out.”
“It’s like—” He Chen looked at Lu Changqing.
“It’s like playing chess,” Lu Changqing finished his sentence, his eyes fixed on him. Wearing a military uniform, tall, sharp, and like a drawn sword, He Chen could not hide the admiration in Lu Changqing’s eyes.
Lu Changqing’s admiration was open and honest, without the slightest embarrassment. Instead, He Chen suddenly coughed, becoming uncomfortable.
“Your pneumonia hasn’t healed. Remember to take your medicine.” Hearing him cough, Lu Changqing stepped closer and handed him a small packet of pre-packaged medicine.
“Thank you.” He Chen took the medicine, tightening his fingers. Could it be… he traveled all this way just to bring him medicine?
“I brought a batch of Zero-model mechas,” Lu Changqing then whispered in his ear.
Ah, he had been presumptuous… He Chen’s ears turned slightly red.
“Once the news of He Sizhong’s capture and the fall of Liaoshan spreads, the other He family units that are watching and waiting to mobilize might immediately move. Liaoshan Base will bear the brunt. The choke point you mentioned, even if it can be held, will be difficult. Using the Zero-models, if not to achieve extraordinary feats, can at least help reduce your casualties.”
As Lu Changqing spoke, seeing He Chen with his head lowered and his ears red, he couldn’t resist. When no one was looking, he quickly reached out and pinched his ear: “General He, are you listening?”
Of course he was listening! He Chen stepped back half a pace, adopting a stern demeanor: “Are you ready for the Zero-models to be revealed?”
“I am ready. I told you before, you can deploy them anytime,” Lu Changqing said calmly.
“I am the one who isn’t ready yet,” He Chen said in a low voice.
“I’m sorry for dragging you into this before you were ready,” Lu Changqing understood what he meant.
The revelation of the Zero-models would likely shift the focus of this “suppression” war immediately.
At that point, in the eyes of the Emperor and the noble families, Hanhe would become the biggest “rebel.”
“My allies—our allies—are more numerous than you imagine,” Lu Changqing whispered, listing a string of names in He Chen’s ear. “Under the pretext of suppressing the rebellion, they are rushing to Hanhe.”
After hearing the list, He Chen felt strangely uneasy. He looked up at Lu Changqing: “How many fish do you keep in your pond?”
Lu Changqing processed his meaning, narrowing his eyes: “What kind of things does your genius mind think about when you’re not fighting?”
“…” Proper things.
“When you have a moment, video call Leyan. He’s very worried about you,” Lu Changqing added.
He Chen nodded, his expression just turning serious, when he heard Lu Changqing ask: “I haven’t had a chance to ask you, what’s wrong with your skin allergy?”
Ah. He Chen glanced at his serious, earnest face, hesitated, and slightly pulled open his collar: “Just some red spots. They don’t hurt or itch. It should be fine.”
Lu Changqing looked at the red marks below his neck, his eyes deepening. He buttoned up He Chen’s collar: “Cover it up. It’s not an allergy.”
No, not an allergy? He Chen, the dignified Major General of the Empire and Commander of the Three Bases, felt his face instantly flush. Then, what was it?