LSDWTWHA chapter 57

“Failed?” Yan Bai sat in the conference room of the Bai Lin Guild, wearing skin belonging to a mermaid. His beautiful fish tail swayed gently with the waves.

Opposite him stood someone who shouldn’t be there, the vice president of the Chongxiao Guild, Zheng Hui.

In front of Yan Bai, Zheng Hui was not the strategic vice president who commanded authority. He lowered his head, his gaze obediently fixed on his feet, not daring to look at the beautiful fish tail swaying before him.

Here, he was just Zheng Hui, the orphan raised by the Yan family’s shipping company after being brought back from the black market.

“Yes, please punish me, young master,” Zheng Hui said.

Yan Bai snorted, his fish tail swinging to force Zheng Hui to lift his head and look him in the eye: “How many times have I told you to look at me when you speak? Why do you always forget?”

“Yes.” Zheng Hui’s gentle gaze met Yan Bai’s, but apart from the respect it was supposed to convey, there seemed to be some other emotion hidden within.

Yan Bai knew what that was—Zheng Hui liked him. The other party had hidden it, but Yan Bai had known for years. He didn’t intend to reciprocate, but he didn’t mind either. He let this fondness remain hidden in Zheng Hui’s heart so that the other would be more loyal to him. Appropriately using others’ emotions was something his adoptive father had taught him since childhood.

“Why would I punish you? You’ve done well; it’s Su Su who is too strong, exceeding everyone’s expectations,” Yan Bai softened his tone.

“But I promised you, I didn’t succeed,” Zheng Hui said, his gaze deepening.

Yan Bai scoffed: “You look like you want to be punished.”

Zheng Hui pressed his lips together: “I’ve disappointed you, and I feel very guilty.”

“Then just keep feeling guilty.” Yan Bai said casually, “There will be a rematch and finals later, just perform well, don’t let me down.”

“Yes.” Zheng Hui hesitated, wanting to say something more.

“Is there something else?” Yan Bai raised an eyebrow.

“I have a question.” Zheng Hui said honestly: “Why not let Su Su execute the mission? Although I don’t want to admit it, given his current performance, he would certainly gain the military’s attention, and the success rate of subsequent plans would be much higher than mine.”

Zheng Hui considered himself a genius and rarely affirmed someone else like this in front of others. But Su Su’s performance today had indeed made him realize the gap.

“He wouldn’t agree,” Yan Bai sighed. If Su Su could truly acknowledge them, it wouldn’t be so difficult.

“Isn’t he a mermaid?” Zheng Hui was puzzled. The hatred mermaids held stirred him emotionally; he couldn’t understand how a mermaid could remain indifferent after learning about the history of their race.

Yan Bai chuckled: “Then what about you? Aren’t you still human?”

Zheng Hui froze for a moment. Indeed, with humans like him who were eager to help mermaids, there would naturally be mermaids standing on the same side.

Yan Bai patted his shoulder: “Don’t think too much. Just focus on your competition; even if you don’t get first place, if you perform well enough, you’ll still have a chance to join the expeditionary force. As for Su Su, I have my own arrangements.”

Autumn was deepening, and as soon as the sun set, it started to feel chilly.

Although it was a family banquet, there were still some requirements for attire. Su Su had to squeeze himself into a woolen long dress, paired with a hat, gloves, and long boots, looking just like a noble girl stepping out.

Once on the shuttle, Su Su was no longer as startled as he had been the first time he went out. After piloting a starship, looking at the shuttle seemed dull—its speed wasn’t thrilling, and the route was too fixed, making it quite boring.

The Qi family’s old residence was located on the outskirts of the city, built in a retro style, with a more solemn atmosphere.

Unlike the lively Mo family, the Qi family rarely hosted guests and did not enjoy socializing. Their family rules were strict, maintaining a sense of mystery in the entire noble circle.

However, for Qi Hanyi, this place was familiar. After his parents passed away, he had lived with his grandfather in the old residence until he came of age.

Now, his room still remained on the third floor of the old residence.

The family banquet was held in the dining room. By the time Qi Hanyi arrived, it was already quite late, though fortunately, he wasn’t actually late.

At the main seat above, Qi Xingli exuded authority, with his uncles and aunts below, lined up according to rank, as well as his peers.

As Qi Hanyi entered, Qi Xingli was admonishing a few younger relatives:

“Qi Yue, I heard you were late three times this month? Military matters are serious; you cannot be negligent.”

“There hasn’t been any military action recently. Big brother is at home on leave, and I have nothing to do in the office,” Qi Yue said quietly in defense.

She was the fifth among the younger generation, but the only girl in this cohort, with a quirky personality, she could be a bit more spoiled compared to the others in front of Qi Xingli.

Seeing her indifferent attitude toward improvement, Qi Xingli frowned disapprovingly: “Has the leak of information from the space station been traced?”

Qi Yue smiled awkwardly: “Not yet.”

Qi Xingli changed the subject: “Have you heard from Her Highness the Princess recently?”

“No, Xiruo has been very busy lately. We’ve only spoken on the phone twice this month. It was just casual chatter before hanging up,” Qi Yue said gloomily.

To this, Qi Xingli was quite satisfied: “Hmm, good. You must exercise caution. We cannot get too close to the royal family; the Emperor is wary of this. Always remember, our Qi family is only loyal to those above the throne.”

“Head of the family, I think loyalty is important, but preparing for rainy days can also bring some advantages to the family, right?” Qi Yang suddenly interjected.

Qi Xingli cast an unhappy glance at him: “Our Qi family holds a major portion of military power; our influence has reached its peak. What more benefits do you want?”

“What can I want? I’m considering the family,” Qi Yang defended himself.

Qi Xingli’s eyebrows raised, and he slammed his hand on the table: “Are you truly doing this for the family or just for your own small gains, thinking others are clueless? Qi Yang, I’ve told you before to stay away from the eldest prince. Remember, family interests must come first. If you truly do anything to harm the Qi family, don’t blame me for not protecting you.”

Qi Yang’s father, Qi Hanyi’s fourth uncle, seeing the situation getting tense, quickly changed the subject: “Ah, Hanyi has arrived! You used to be the first to come to our family banquets; why were you delayed today?”

Though Qi Hanyi’s rank was low, as the heir, his position was right next to the family head on the left side, with Su Su sitting closely beside him.

He naturally arranged the dinnerware for Su Su before turning to his fourth uncle: “I was busy with the competition, just finished, which caused the delay.”

“Is it the competition from ‘Star Wars’?” Qi Yue perked up at once.

Su Su’s eyes, initially focused on the food on the table, suddenly lit up at the mention of ‘Star Wars.’

“Yeah.” Qi Hanyi only replied but didn’t delve into it further.

Upon seeing Su Su, Qi Yue’s attention immediately drifted: “Big brother, my sister-in-law is truly beautiful!”

After receiving the compliment, Su Su smiled brightly at Qi Yue. His alluring peach blossom eyes turned into crescent moons, making Qi Yue’s face blush slightly.

As the meal formally commenced, dishes were served one after the other. It wasn’t as lavish as the Mo family’s banquets, but the flavors were still good.

Su Su remembered that Qi Hanyi had advised him to not talk much during the family banquet and to focus on eating.

Qi Yue, however, wasn’t interested in the food; her eyes kept glancing at Su Su. It wasn’t just because he was attractive; it was because Qi Yue felt Su Su looked somewhat familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before.

“Hanyi, this morning, I heard you proposed a plan to allow mermaids to participate in the war to the Emperor?” At the table, Qi Xingli took the initiative to ask.

Qi Hanyi straightened his posture: “Yes. I believe this could greatly alleviate the current shortage of pilots who can use mental force to operate starships.”

Qi Xingli pointedly said, “You are following in your father’s footsteps.”

He worriedly reminded him: “You must understand that he faced significant resistance back then.”

“That’s why I added a guardian system in my proposal,” Qi Hanyi said, “In simple terms, allowing the mermaids’ partners to serve as their guardians, jointly piloting the starship during combat.”

“Most of the opposition to allowing mermaids to pilot starships revolved around concerns that it would be detrimental to humans. Therefore, I suggest installing a dual-pilot mode on the new batch of starships. Coupled with the guardian system, it forms a double insurance.”

“During the operation, the guardian will pilot the starship alongside the mermaid, holding higher authority. If the mermaid engages in any detrimental actions, the guardian can intervene promptly.”

“Enabling mermaids to participate in battles can significantly optimize the current combat system. For guardians without mental force, being a partner to a mermaid can compensate for their shortcomings in mental force, maximizing the starship’s effectiveness.”

“If the guardian possesses mental force, the mermaid partner can serve as insurance. If the guardian experiences a mental force disruption, the mermaid can not only take over piloting but also use her voice to soothe him.”

Qi Xingli listened quietly, a look of solace appearing in his eyes: “You know, you’re smarter than your father. We indeed need more advanced pilots with mental force when fighting the insect race. This proposal of yours is good. I will talk to the Emperor about it.”

Qi Hanyi lowered his gaze. He didn’t think he was smarter than his father; he was merely adopting a different approach.

His father had aimed to provide the best for his mother but neglected the inherent difficulties and resistance that came with implementing mermaid equal rights. Sometimes, what is good is not necessarily right; the feasibility also needs to be considered. Being overly ambitious could provoke opposition. If it caused a backlash like what happened to his father, where any proposal would instantly ignite (the ire of) a large group of detractors, that would be counterproductive.

Qi Hanyi himself preferred a method akin to boiling frogs in lukewarm water, subtly striving for mermaid rights, allowing mermaids to engage in human life. By the time people realize that accepting mermaids can improve their lives, some neutral individuals would gradually transform, eventually escalating step by step. By the time the staunch opponents recognize the danger, their supportive allies might already be gone.

“Moreover, I think under the permission of the guardians, some mermaids should be granted access to the game ‘Star Wars.’ Letting them experience and understand this game in advance would also help us select suitable pilots,” Qi Hanyi added. He hadn’t proposed this suggestion to the Emperor yet; he was merely using this opportunity to share his thoughts with the family head.

This time, however, Qi Xingli disagreed: “As an online game, ‘Star Wars’ inherently has social attributes. The information on it is too chaotic; it’s best not to let mermaids be exposed to it. Alternatively, we could create a separate version for them to experience—just add some statistical data collection backend, and it would serve the screening purpose effectively.”

“What you say makes sense; my consideration was insufficient.” Qi Hanyi had anticipated this rejection; it was a test step. In fact, his grandfather’s attitude represented that of most neutral conservatives: They weren’t as staunch as the hardliners, viewing mermaids as enemies to be guarded against, but they didn’t share his father’s perspective of seeing mermaids as siblings, eager to fight for equality for them.

Their attitude straddled the line between precaution and exploitation; they believed they had control of the situation and were willing to afford mermaids a measure of mercy, but only when it suited their interests.

Su Su lowered his head, earnestly focusing on his meal. Although Qi Hanyi and Qi Xingli were discussing matters concerning mermaids, he appeared as though it had nothing to do with him.

Qi Yang felt baffled by Qi Hanyi’s current stance; had he not previously despised mermaids the most? Why was he now advocating for their participation in warfare? Did their grandfather actually support him?

So it turned out he was playing both the villain and the hero?

Still fuming about the head of the family’s attitude towards him, Qi Yang felt aggrieved, wondering why no matter how hard he worked, he could never be seen in the same light as Qi Hanyi. He couldn’t help but seek to make things uncomfortable for him.

As he saw Su Su eating heartily, he recalled what happened at the last banquet and deliberately asked Su Su, “Hey, sister-in-law, why are you only focused on eating? It’s been so long since you got married; doesn’t my brother give you any food at home?”

Su Su raised his eyes from his bowl: “Not at all.”

“Ah, Bai Lin Shark!” Qi Yue suddenly exclaimed.

Su Su nearly dropped his bowl in shock.

“Why are you making such a fuss?” Qi Yue’s father disapprovingly gave her a light knock on the head.

“I just suddenly realized that sister-in-law looks a bit like a player,” Qi Yue regained her composure and realized her mistake. She had always thought Su Su looked familiar, and only when she saw him hiding half of his face behind the bowl did she recognize those eyes—just like Bai Lin Chun dressed in battle suits from the livestream.

But likeness aside, her sister-in-law was a mermaid. How could he possibly be a player in ‘Star Wars’?:

---