LSDWTWHA chapter 90

Chapter 89 (1)

The war was over, and the expeditionary force was reorganizing its ranks as it headed back toward the space station.

“Woo woo woo, I miss you so much!” As soon as Su Su boarded the Bai Ze, he couldn’t bother with the tour and directly pounced into the arms of Qi Hanyi, who was waiting at the door.

Now that the battle was completed, the starship had been handed over to other pilots. After enduring for so long, both of them could finally put down their burdens and rest.

“I’m sorry for making you worry,” Qi Hanyi held Su Su’s waist and looked down at the person in his arms, who was acting all spoiled.

His little shark was still very beautiful, but the pale complexion, dark circles under the eyes, and the bloodshot appearance made him look frail and pitiful.

“Go rest in my lounge for a bit. I’ll find you after I finish my work,” he said.

Jian Cheng, seeing that Qi Hanyi’s eyes were also nearly blackened, couldn’t help but interject, “Admiral, you should also rest. The remaining tasks are just a few trivial matters; leave them to me.”

Qi Hanyi preferred to do things himself, but now he was holding his long-lost beloved, and he knew that he wasn’t in a suitable state to continue working, so he agreed to Jian Cheng’s suggestion, “Thanks for your hard work.”

Qi Hanyi led Su Su to his resting chamber. This was no different from the resting chambers of ordinary soldiers, with just a single bed large enough to sit upright, and spaces on both sides for personal items. After closing the airlock door, the interior would be adjusted to resemble the livable environment on the surface, allowing combat personnel to take off their heavy protective suits and rest well.

After introducing the operations and features of the resting chamber to Su Su, Qi Hanyi said, “You rest well here; I’ll go to Jian Cheng’s…”

“This place is big enough; let’s squeeze together and sleep.” Su Su tugged on Qi Hanyi’s hand.

Qi Hanyi’s Adam’s apple involuntarily bobbed, “Don’t you like sleeping in a big bed? Besides, I’m worried that if we squeeze together, you won’t rest well.”

“Who said I like a big bed?” Su Su denied.

“Really?” Qi Hanyi showed a hint of confusion. He remembered that Su Su always liked to sleep in the big bed in his bedroom, happy every time he lay down, even rolling around sometimes.

Su Su pulled Qi Hanyi into the resting chamber, “I like that bed because it smells like you. I don’t mind whether it’s big or small; I just want to sleep next to you.”

In the closed, cramped space, an familiar cool scent wafted up his nose. Su Su tightly held Qi Hanyi, burying his head deep into his embrace and greedily breathing in his scent.

The straightforward words and the hot breath on his neck made Qi Hanyi freeze; his ears turned red, and his gaze deepened.

But Su Su appeared oblivious, boldly flirting, “A few days ago, when I differentiated, I dreamed of you. You were testing my starship; I defeated you, and you promised to be with me, but there were no details in the dream. When will we…”

“Wanna try?” Qi Hanyi, stirred by Su Su’s teasing, felt his breathing quicken, his tone growing dangerous.

“Yes… yes…” Su Su blinked but couldn’t suppress a yawn. The quiet environment and familiar scent made him drowsy, but he was unwilling to fall asleep so easily, despite his eyes clearly showing fatigue as he pulled at Qi Hanyi’s clothes.

Qi Hanyi found it both amusing and helpless; he gently kissed the corner of Su Su’s mouth, and when he raised his head again, Su Su had already fallen into a steady breathing rhythm.

“Sleep now; there will be plenty of time tomorrow.” Qi Hanyi nestled the sleeping bundle of Su Su into his arms and closed his eyes as well. Before long, both fell into a deep sleep.

After the starship descended, the well-rested Qi Hanyi went to the palace to report on the battle situation.

“The authority I granted to Su Su was solely for this mission; he acted to save my life. If Your Majesty wishes to punish someone, I will take full responsibility.” On the matter of Su Su’s unauthorized use of the starship to travel interstellar space, Qi Hanyi emphasized, “I am willing to accept any punishment; I ask Your Majesty to forgive Su Su for his rashness this time.”

“You mean Su Su really found you and cured your illness?” The emperor found this result unbelievable, but with Qi Hanyi standing before him, having recovered from the perplexing mental collapse, along with images from the battle, he couldn’t help but believe it.

“He truly is impressive.”

“Still, no matter how capable, he should not ignore the imperial command, acting unilaterally, and unauthorizedly using a backup launch pad to pilot the Silver Shark to interstellar space. This is a serious crime; Your Majesty must not condone him just because of his merits in saving Hanyi!” Qi Xingli asserted sternly, “Since my thoughtless grandson intends to take on all responsibility, please heavily punish him. I will not plead for him even a word.”

The emperor snorted, looking over at Qi Xingli, “Okay, stop acting in front of me; I’ve known you since childhood. I still don’t understand what you’re thinking?”

“Su Su grew up among sharks, some unruliness is unavoidable, but his intentions are good, and the outcome is favorable. I’m too old to be so stubborn as to punish someone for sticking to the rules when in such a triumphant moment for our army’s return. That would chill the hearts of our soldiers.”

“Alright, that matter is settled. Once everything from the battle is organized, according to the rules, we will recognize merit and reward. Su Su… Since he acted on his own, he won’t be rewarded. Punish him by sending him to the Imperial Military School to learn discipline and what it means to follow orders.”

“Understood.” Qi Hanyi breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. Having Su Su enter the Imperial Military School for formal training would be beneficial for Su Su, both in his capabilities and in his qualifications to become a starship pilot. This was less about punishment and more about expectation.

Upon returning home from the palace, Qi Hanyi found Su Su watching the live broadcast of the starship piloting competition in the bedroom, holding a bag of fried fish snacks made by the butler. Seeing Qi Hanyi return, he activated sharing mode, inviting him to watch together.

Qi Hanyi sat beside Su Su, watching him carefree, unable to stop himself from asking, “Aren’t you at all worried about the punishment for violating military regulations?”

Su Su grabbed a large handful of the fish snacks and stuffed them into his mouth, their cheeks puffed up, “The emperor looks like a very wise person; I didn’t do anything wrong, so of course he won’t punish me.”

Qi Hanyi wiped the crumbs from Su Su’s mouth, “The emperor indeed didn’t punish you; he even wants you to report to the Imperial Military School as soon as possible.”

Su Su suddenly became excited, “Going to school sounds good! I’ve wanted to experience it for a long time… but doesn’t that mean I’ll have to be away from you again?”

Qi Hanyi’s expression softened, “I’m recently on leave; I can pick you up from school every day.”

Su Su clapped his hands, “That’s great! I’ll go register tomorrow!”

Just as he was about to browse the registration form for the Imperial Military School, Qi Hanyi pressed down on his greasy hands, “You have a special situation; you don’t need to register. I will send someone to directly submit your information to the admissions office. The report time for the Imperial Military School is each year on January 1st.”

“Oh, then I’ll play for a few more days.” Su Su felt reassured and went back to grabbing more fried fish snacks.

At this time, the competition that was being live-streamed also had results. With the joint efforts of nine people, they finally defeated the mother worm, ending this intense battle in the finals. Based on contribution points, the team called Simplification, who executed a surprise maneuver, sweeping down two male worms and taking out the mother worm, claimed championship.

“Mhm, not bad, she’s quite impressive. This strategy does resemble your expedition’s style,” Su Su commented while eating with great interest. “Zheng Hui came in second, and his command scheme worked out well; without him holding down the defense, Jian Fan might not have succeeded in the ambush so smoothly.”

“What if you participated in the competition? Do you think you could win against them?” Qi Xingli asked, turning his head. The two were quite close, and he looked at Su Su’s focused profile with a special emotion in his eyes.

“Of course! They’re good, but they’re still just a tiny bit lacking compared to me,” Su Su extended his hand to measure, his thumb and forefinger spread wide.

“Would you regret missing an opportunity to be champion just to save me?” Qi Hanyi asked.

“Of course not; I could always compete for more championships later. I could win many, but if I lose you, I won’t find you again,” Su Su turned his head, hugging Qi Hanyi. His greasy handprint unintentionally brushed against Qi Hanyi’s neatly pressed shirt.

He raised his head, resting his chin on Qi Hanyi’s shoulder, “Besides, the reward for this game was logging onto the Bai Ze and seeing you; haven’t I already claimed my reward?”

Qi Hanyi then smiled in amusement, “That’s true.”

Qi Hanyi seldom smiled, but if one day the ancient glaciers were to melt, the flowing spring water would cause the ice plains to blossom.

Su Su could never withstand Qi Hanyi’s smile, his heart racing as if to the beat of a drum. He felt a tingling in his teeth and, when he came back to himself, he had already bitten down on the corner of Qi Hanyi’s mouth.

Perhaps it was because of completing his differentiation, compared to before, Su Su now appeared more mature. His originally alluring eyes now had an entrancing quality reminiscent of a mesmerizing water spirit, shedding their innocence and turning into a desire that could consume.

Qi Hanyi froze for just two seconds before flipping the script, overpowering Su Su and mobilizing between lips and tongues. Su Su didn’t back down, akin to a fearless little beast provoking a hungry lion. What was meant to be intimate turned fierce and wild.

After a kiss, Qi Hanyi, who was always restrained to the point of asceticism, finally displayed a more aggressive side, “You mentioned wanting to know about the content of the dream; are you prepared?”

Su Su, breathing heavily yet feigning bravado, replied, “Less chit-chat, continue!”

In the long afternoon, the heavy curtains drawn at the floor-to-ceiling windows shut out the ongoing winter outside. Inside, warmth and spring energy filled the room.

By the time the couple finished, the room had become a mess. The air was filled with the scent of rhododendrons. Su Su’s eyes were slightly swollen from crying, his arms tightly wrapped around Qi Hanyi’s waist, still trembling from exertion.

“Woo woo, you were so fierce.” The silver-blue merman nestled his head against Qi Hanyi’s chest, murmuring.

“I’m sorry; I couldn’t control myself… Next time I’ll be gentler?” Qi Hanyi soothingly rubbed Su Su’s waist, his hoarse voice laced with an unusual hint of languor and satisfaction, much like a content cat that had just feasted.

“Don’t!” Su Su defiantly raised his head, then murmured softly, “I like it when you’re fierce.”

Qi Hanyi: …

Qi Hanyi nearly couldn’t resist doing it again.

Later, during dinner at the restaurant, Su Su’s gaming account sent a notification: [Congratulations, you have won first place in the starship piloting competition jointly organized by the Military Records Department and the official Star Wars, and the basic rewards have been sent to your game mailbox. The special rewards will be announced later.]

Su Su read the message twice to confirm it was from the official account and not spam, then looked at Qi Hanyi in confusion, “I didn’t even participate in the competition; how did I come in first?”

Clearly, earlier in the afternoon, Jian Fan was still in first place; Su Su wondered if he had missed something.

Qi Hanyi pulled out the live stream from the afternoon, realizing that a virtual awards ceremony had indeed been held following the competition results.

What surprised everyone was that when Jian Fan, who took first place, stepped onto the stage to receive the award, he didn’t take the symbolic Bai Ze model starship but instead stepped back and publicly stated, “I forfeit this first place because I believe there’s another contestant more suited for this honor.”

The host, a major streamer from the Star Wars gaming platform, reacted promptly, “Are you referring to Su Su? As far as I know, he withdrew from the competition.”

“Yes, he did not attend the finals,” Jian Fan looked at the camera, seemingly gazing through it at Su Su, “I’ve always known that the intention behind this competition was for Su Su because Admiral Qi Hanyi believes he is a genius. But I’m not convinced; I think I can do what he can. I believe that one day I will prove myself in this competition. I want Admiral Qi Hanyi to see me and want others to recognize me, and I want to win against him.”

“He didn’t come to the competition because at that time, he was already on a real battlefield. When I learned this news, I felt I could never surpass him.”

“Now he has gone to the real battlefield, risking everything to save General Qi, locating the mother worm and the Bai Ze.”

“Those who understand starship piloting know how unbelievable this is. The gap between real starships and what’s in the game is vast; no one could master it in such a short time, let alone single-handedly pilot a starship against a swarm of insects.”

“Through this event, I finally understand why Admiral Qi Hanyi chose him at first glance rather than me. He is truly a genius, and one day he will stand alongside Admiral Qi Hanyi. The first belongs to Su Su, and I accept my loss wholeheartedly.”

The organizers never expected to encounter such a situation where the first place declined the reward and claimed to give the rank to a player who didn’t even participate in the finals. Although the competitor was indeed exceptional, the organizers still worried about public acceptance.

“I too support giving the first place to Su Su. Moreover, he did not miss the match on a whim; it was to save a life on the battlefield. The competition should not have overlooked a hero,” Zheng Hui stepped forward, saying he thought this was a foolish move, but since he lost a bet to Jian Fan, he couldn’t help it.

However, he really felt that Su Su deserved the award; after all, whether it was about piloting a starship in battle or saving Qi Hanyi, he truly succeeded. And upon introspection, Zheng Hui knew he couldn’t reach Su Su’s level.

Zheng Hui’s influence in the game was evidently high, with five players in the top ten being from the same guild as him. Seeing Zheng Hui step forward, many players began to express their support; after all, the rewards for second and tenth place were the same, so they weren’t losing out.

The game officials had to urgently consult with the military department, and after some discourse, they reached the final decision to award the first place to Su Su, with all other player ranks moved down a slot.

After watching the replay, Su Su was still in shock. Could it work like this?

Unbeknownst to Su Su, more surprises awaited him. Because he had won first place, coupled with the segment from Jian Fan that went viral online, discussions about mermaids gained greater public attention.

The incident of Su Su saving Qi Hanyi was exaggerated to the extent that it showcased the potential mermaids possessed as starship pilots while drawing attention to the bonds they shared. When they love someone, they genuinely risk their lives.

The repercussions from the Mo Family Training Center incident had not yet subsided, and coupled with this new information, some believed it was necessary to improve the treatment of mermaids, granting them genuine equality and respect. Others called for breaking marriage barriers, allowing mermaids to love humans freely instead of being monopolized by nobility.

Tang Xiruo took this opportunity to formally propose a series of improvements to the living conditions of mermaids. In addition to previously stated proposals, she especially suggested: based on Su Su’s performance on the battlefield, it should be recognized that mermaids possess abilities beyond just curing their partners; their singing could temporarily enhance the mental strength of the surrounding combat personnel and alleviate their fatigue.

This was a strong supportive capability. If each squad could be equipped with one or two differentiated mermaids instead of solely forming a separate mermaid unit, it might maximize their contribution.

Moreover, mermaids could also be trained not just as pilots, but the role of mental strength healers might become more widely applicable.

Tang Xiruo had clearly prepared thoroughly in advance, collaborating early on with the Qi Family, and her proposal garnered overwhelming support at the court assembly.

As improving the treatment of mermaids became an inevitable trend, some declining old noble families became restless. They originally lacked military insight like the Qi Family, and the Mo Family had long lost their advantages. Now, through the monopoly of marriage with mermaids, they could maintain a semblance of superior genes. If they were to lose this advantage, they would eventually fade into obscurity, unable to maintain their families.

Individually, these families might not pose a threat, but when united, they could form a formidable force that would be difficult to underestimate, gathering in the noble assembly alongside Mo Shan, who was currently assisting his father in managing the assembly, finding common ground with the opposing prince, Tang Zhuoxiong.

Mo Shan and Tang Zhuoxiong hit it off; this was a test as well as an opportunity. If they could overturn this proposal, they would significantly consolidate the power of these nobles, weakening the influence of the Qi Family and the Grand Princess.

As Tang Xiruo’s reputation increased day by day, Tang Zhuoxiong knew this was one of his remaining opportunities: “Let’s go for the source. That Su Su, isn’t he being praised as a hero everywhere now? Let’s dig up some dirt on him. I refuse to believe that he and Qi Hanyi genuinely share such deep feelings; a shark and a human can’t possibly have real feelings… If nothing else, we could find some videos of sharks attacking people and pin it on him, saying he did it.”

“This kind of fabricated stuff is hard to believe; once the other party proves these rumors are false, it will be even harder for us to do anything afterward,” Mo Shan shook his head, secretly looking down on the Crown Prince, who, though royal, clearly did not inherit the Emperor’s intellect. If it were not for the bind of interest, he would not even want to work with him.

“I have a suggestion.” The one speaking was Qi Yang. After being beaten by Su Su last time, he had spent three days recuperating in the treatment chamber. When he went back to complain to Qi Xingli, he nearly got beaten again.

His hatred for Su Su had even surpassed that for Qi Hanyi. If it weren’t for Su Su, Qi Hanyi would have been dead, and the Qi Family would have eventually fallen to his control.

“Sometimes slander can’t ruin a person, but praise can. We might be able to take a different approach and suffocate Su Su with excessive praise. This method will be subtler and harder to detect. By the time they wake up, it might already be too late,” Qi Yang said, his eyes betraying unabashed hatred.

Mo Shan nodded in agreement, “Suffocating with praise is indeed feasible. However, it’s not just about flattering; there must also be a killing move. First, we need to stir up public dislike for Su Su through continuous flattery. When the time is right, just a gentle push would be enough to make his public persona crumble and turn him into a target for everyone.”

“Isn’t that still looking for dirt on Su Su?” Tang Zhuoxiong pouted.

“Not Su Su’s dirt, but the dirt on Dark Tide,” Mo Shan coldly asked the other two, “Have you ever played dominoes?”

In the following days, discussions like “This battle was won thanks to Su Su,” “Without Su Su, humanity would never have defeated the insect race,” “Su Su is humanity’s savior,” flooded the internet, appearing on major sites with the same vigor.

The overwhelming praise triggered a wave of backlash amongst the public. Even some participating soldiers voiced their discontent.

Winning the war was due to everyone’s collective efforts, paid for with the lives of those who had fallen. Even General Qi Hanyi would never claim to be humanity’s savior, saying such words about victory belonging to himself alone.

Thus, with the excessive flattery came various questions about Su Su, such as his unclear relationship with Dark Tide, that he wasn’t Qi Hanyi’s original partner, but a substitute, and inquiries regarding Su Su’s mermaid hybrid nature and how he could differentiate, questioning whether he was lying or putting on an act.

But these questions, as soon as they appeared, would be swiftly deleted or suppressed. In just a few days, accumulated questions increased, and the reality of Su Su’s rightful praise gradually became skeptical, leading even supporters of mermaid policies to begin to doubt.

“This is clearly an attempt to suffocate Su Su with praise; it’s likely Tang Zhuoxiong and those opposed to the mermaid policies are behind this,” Tang Xiruo reached out through private channels to Qi Hanyi to discuss a counter-strategy to the situation. “We can first track down the instigators causing chaos and clarify each of the contentious issues. Finally, let Su Su come out to express his feelings, apologize, and hold a humble attitude; that ought to resolve it.”

After hearing Tang Xiruo’s advice, Qi Hanyi frowned slightly; he had no objections to the first few points, but the last made him uncomfortable: “Su Su hasn’t done anything wrong; why should he apologize?”

Tang Xiruo replied, “I know you treasure Su Su. This is merely a temporary solution. After all, he is a public figure now; facing negative public opinion, a symbolic apology could help. If we leave these statements unchecked, even if Su Su didn’t say it, he’ll be held accountable, and then…”

“And then those people will surely prepare their next moves against me,” Su Su’s head nudged closer to Qi Hanyi’s communication screen, “I don’t care as long as they don’t bully those close to me. I can’t let them live too comfortably. When I used to hunt, I liked to set the net first and then wait for prey to wander in. If these people are bound to find trouble with me, we might as well wait this time, let them jump into the net all at once and take them out, thus avoiding future hassles.”

“Mhm, I’ll listen to you.” Qi Hanyi nodded indulgently, appearing as if he would endorse whatever Su Su said.

Tang Xiruo abruptly ended the communication, leaving behind a remark, “Just spoil him.”

Su Su’s intuition was right; after two more days, seeing the climate of public opinion brewing online, Mo Shan ordered people to expose information regarding how Dark Tide had colluded with the insect race, leading to intelligence leaks, and recently, that Yan San himself was actually disguised as an insect.

The exposé strategically highlighted Su Su’s perspective, stating that it was thanks to Su Su’s keen eye that he discovered Yan San’s disguise, fighting him barehanded and killing the insect that had long been lurking in human society.

Yet within the article, it subtly hinted, “As soon as Yan San died, the war broke out immediately” and “This insect excels at possessing and disguising; even the closest individuals and most advanced machines cannot detect it,” and “He once spent a long time alone with Su Su.”

Now, the accumulated skepticism had found its channel to pour out.

【I’m just hypothesizing, is there a possibility that the real Su Su died in that battle and the Su Su we see now is a new disguise by the insect? Otherwise, I can’t explain how a mermaid hybrid could suddenly differentiate.】

【Right, right, this also explains why he could suddenly pilot a starship. Because Yan San had been plotting against Bai Ze for a long time; he must have always known how to. Besides, those insects probably wouldn’t attack him in secret; he could have already known where the mother worm was.】

【Perhaps the one who died wasn’t even the real mother worm; the insect could merely be playing tricks. Seeing that they couldn’t defeat our General Qi this time, they feigned retreat to allow the disguised Su Su to infiltrate better.】

【So can the officials provide an explanation? Is Su Su really disguised by an insect?】

【How do we verify this? Isn’t it said that insects assimilate the memories of those they devour, making it impossible for even their closest ones to recognize them? Yes, yes, I’ve heard that detectors are useless; it’s a chilling thought! What if there are more than just Yan San in Dark Tide?】

【Right, what should we do? Our mermaids can get on starships now; they could pose a threat to humanity.】

【For safety’s sake, let’s just kill them all. After all, Dark Tide isn’t good news anyway.】

“It turns out they were waiting for me here.” While browsing the discussions online, Su Su munched on freshly made fish fillets, unfazed. To him, whether it was earlier praise or current censure, it all seemed like chatter from the crowd—uninfluential assessments.

Qi Yue had the advantage of connections in the information office and had also joined this investigation: “We’ve identified all the nobles behind the scenes pushing the agenda; indeed they are targeting this mermaid policy, and the voices of opposition in the last few parliamentary sessions have grown significantly. Among the public, spontaneous opposition against mermaids piloting starships has emerged.”

“Oh, and Qi Yang has contributed a lot to this; our family is supporting the mermaid policy, and he’s directly opposing the family, likely because you, big brother, being safe and sound really struck a nerve.”

“Since he doesn’t want me as a big brother, then I don’t need to regard him as my little brother anymore.” Qi Hanyi’s expression turned cold. “Now that we’ve uncovered the truth, we can act. Let’s publish the names of those who posted online and reveal their financial backers. As for the videos of Su Su learning starship piloting and combat, I’ll release them during the clarification. Regarding Su Su’s physical changes, Su Su has already contacted the doctor from Dark Tide, and the analysis of the drug’s components and effects has been provided by Xiang Chen.”

However, Tang Xiruo felt uneasy: “But the most crucial issue remains unresolved: how to prove that Su Su isn’t an insect? If this cannot be clarified, all our efforts will be in vain. We will still lose ordinary people’s trust in the mermaids.”

Hearing this, Su Su couldn’t help but laugh, a mischievous grin on his face: “This time, Mo Shan got flawed intel; Yan Bai deliberately leaked it to him. Although there’s no telling the true appearance of the insects, they do have a critical weakness—oceans block starborne energy, causing insects to lose their unique abilities and reveal their true forms. So any mermaid who dares to enter the sea, one is enough, cannot possibly be an insect.”

“Yan Bai, on purpose?” Tang Xiruo sensed something amiss from Su Su’s words and skeptically glanced at Qi Hanyi, “Did you both know he would take this step?”

Qi Yue also chuckled, “Such a simple trap shouldn’t be something Mo Shan would fall into; I reckon he wanted to save his little brother and got himself flustered.”

Tang Xiruo, noticing Qi Yue’s lack of surprise, finally realized that she had been kept in the dark throughout the incident, feigning indignation, “Oh, you already knew and yet chose to keep it from me?”

Qi Yue stuck out his tongue in apology, innocently replying, “It’s my brother; Su Su wouldn’t let me say anything.”

“If they don’t let you speak, you won’t? Did you deliberately want to see me anxious?” Tang Xiruo snorted lightly, “I see you’ve learned to collude with them.”

The group burst into laughter, even Qi Hanyi’s lips curved up slightly.

After all the jokes, with the timing ready, everyone began to take action.

Under Tang Xiruo’s command, the information management department posted the list of the instigators controlling public opinion and their financial backers. The medical assessment department analyzed the drugs used by Su Su and the potential for differentiation.

Then the military responded to the inquiries regarding Su Su.

There were three video segments in total. The first segment showed Su Su’s first training session; during his initial operations, even the exceptionally talented Su Su couldn’t escape crashing into an asteroid, resulting in the starship being scrapped. Afterward, he attempted other operations, and due to time constraints, he only memorized the operations without proper practice; the frequent issues drew on painful memories from when many starship pilots had trained.

The timestamp in the lower right corner showed it was only a few days ago.

The second segment featured clips from the Bai Shark following Su Su’s debut, capturing his early days in space, where he could barely pilot the starship, to his stumbling confrontations with the insect race, arriving at numerous barely survivable victories. Progress happened unknowingly, and by the time the audience realized it, they were astonished to find Su Su had become rather skilled at piloting.

The third video depicted Su Su charging into a mecha-secured zone. It was a multi-angle montage featuring various starships and mechas, documenting Su Su appearing on the battlefield and uniting with Qi Hanyi. He indeed had come single-handedly; in a short time, he had grown into an excellent starship pilot. While Su Su’s singing could not be recorded, Qi Hanyi’s reaction during communications was authentic, confirming that he had indeed been awakened by Su Su. Other starships seemed to have also received positive effects from Su Su’s singing.

With no excess explanations, it appended just one sentence: Nothing is impossible because he is Su Su.

The final clarification was done by Tang Xiruo, as the esteemed princess rarely appeared online, attracting considerable attention upon her appearance. However, she wasn’t there solely to clarify things for Su Su; quite the contrary, she intended to use the buzz around Su Su to promote the mermaid policy.

Addressing the screen, Tang Xiruo said, “He is a mermaid hybrid and possesses the miraculous ability to transform into a mermaid; his differentiation is a miracle. His presence on the battlefield, awakening Qi Hanyi, is also a miracle. These miracles are credited to love, which arises only from equal and free relationships. Forced marriages often lack love. Thus, the Empire decides to lift restrictions on mermaid marriages; any individual can equally and freely pursue a liked mermaid, but no one must force or harm them. Mermaids are treasures of the Empire and our blood relatives.”

“Concerning potential hidden insects among the mermaids, there’s no need for concern. Su Su indeed had a period where he stayed in the water with insect spies as part of his mission. However, he discovered that insects need to absorb starborne energy to maintain their physical abilities, while water can block this energy. He exploited this method to eliminate the insects, a fact all witnesses can attest to.

In other words, verifying whether a mermaid is an insect is very simple; you just need to confirm whether they can touch seawater. So there’s no need for panic and certainly no need for suspicion or wariness towards our mermaid companions, as our investigations suggest that there are no more insects on this planet.”

“As for Dark Tide, they did commit some wrongdoings under Yan San’s deception, but within this, there were indeed human actions that harmed mermaids, leading to mutual hatred and misunderstanding. After negotiations, we decided to incorporate Dark Tide as a semi-official protection organization for mermaids, and in the future, they will work alongside the Empire to collectively safeguard the safety and freedom of the mermaids.”

This counterattack thoroughly dismantled the last hopes of those declining noble families. The Crown Prince lost his supporters and was completely removed from the throne succession. Moreover, Mo Lin, whom Mo Shan had dwelled on, was returned by Yan Bai, but the entire Mo Family was about to face accusations and trials regarding their long-standing abuse of mermaids, resulting in many mermaid deaths.

This time, Qi Hanyi did not spare any leniency for Qi Yang, directly expelling him from the family in his capacity as heir, stripping him of all rights and benefits afforded by the family.

For the average person, the most significant impact of this matter was that cities near the sea instantly became popular tourist destinations. Many young men and women of suitable age were eager to meet mermaids. Particularly Yongle Island, situated above the Mermaid Kingdom, which had previously been unremarkable and disregarded, now required reservations for boat tickets.

Another summer arrived, and the cruise liners bound for Yongle Island were packed with passengers—mostly young men and women excitedly discussing their journeys and looking forward to beautiful encounters with mermaids.

At the end of the cruise liner, two tall youths stood side by side on the deck, sunglasses and sun hats obscuring most of their faces, but from the remaining parts, it was clear they both looked very good.

Many curious youths nearby wanted to approach and chat, but the taller youth emanated a cold aura, occasionally glancing over with a gaze as fierce as a dragon guarding treasure, easily scaring off anyone who dared try to initiate contact.

Yet whenever he looked at the person beside him, his gaze was always warm, even with a hint of indulgent and helpless smile gracing his lips.

At this moment, Su Su was ridiculing a discussion he just overheard among several young men and women on how to pursue mermaids. Some suggested using brightly colored clothing, some said to utilize beautiful streamers, and others claimed that sounding pleasant when singing was key.

“Actually, most mermaids are pretty big on looks; they care about nothing beyond appearances, but each mermaid has their own aesthetic preferences, not all aligning with human tastes. Therefore, they don’t need to do much; if a mermaid finds someone pleasing and attractive, they’ll naturally take the initiative.”

At this point, Su Su suddenly became curious, “By the way, do you know how mermaids pursue their partners?”

“How do they?” Qi Hanyi cooperatively asked.

Su Su grinned widely, suddenly removing his clothing and taking off his hat and sunglasses.