Chapter 17 - The General's Wife is an Illegal Resident in the Star System

Translator's Note:

Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.

Here you go, and I wish you a good read.

And, as I said before, if you wish to read ahead, you can head over to my Patreon to get early access to all the translated chapters.

The True Motive Behind the Attack

 

 

Qin Yu's sharply defined features appeared on the screen, his dark eyes settling on Lu Li's face.

 

"What's the matter?"

 

Lu Li opened his mouth, but before he could reply, he heard Qin Yu give an order to someone to leave. Realizing his timing might be poor, he asked, "Did I interrupt your work?"

 

"It's fine," Qin Yu replied. "If it was bad timing, I wouldn't have answered."

 

"I heard about the Glory Empire attacking the Federation's borders." Since the call was already connected, Lu Li decided not to beat around the bush.

 

Qin Yu responded with a simple hum.

 

"So… was this past month spent preparing for that attack?" Lu Li paused, then took a leap, "Is it because you were angry about the Federation sending me to steal your technology?"

 

"No." Qin Yu's face was cold and unwavering.

 

"What?" Lu Li had braced himself for a "yes." Caught off guard by the answer, he wondered if he'd misheard. The man on the screen repeated himself, his calm face darkening with a chill that sent a shiver down Lu Li's spine. The look on his face was reminiscent of that day he'd brought Lu Li back from the mall—only this time, it carried a far more menacing edge.

 

"He dared to recklessly risk your life by forcefully restoring your memory. This is his punishment."

 

Lu Li barely managed to process his words. He… he meant General Zhang?

 

"I… don't understand what you're saying."

 

"He ordered a risky procedure to stimulate your brain, despite the success rate being as low as forty percent. If it had failed, you would have been reduced to a lifeless state, an empty shell. He knew the risks and still had the audacity to try it!" Qin Yu's fury was palpable on the screen.

 

"So… that's your reason for attacking the Federation?" Compared to He Jianbai's deception, Lu Li was more shocked that the reason for Qin Yu's attack on the Federation was indeed related to him, but it was completely the opposite of what he had imagined.

 

Qin Yu scoffed. "You reached out because he contacted you, didn't he?"

 

"Yes." Lu Li barely had time to process.

 

"Did he ask you to plead on his behalf?"

 

"No." Lu Li immediately denied it. "My adoptive father was just worried about my safety, so he reached out to check on me."

 

"A month without concern, and suddenly, he's worried—just when I'm attacking the Federation? You truly believe he reached out only out of concern, rather than expecting you'd come to me?" Qin Yu's lips twisted into a faint, mocking smile.

 

Lu Li couldn't refute that and, after a moment's hesitation, finally said, "I know you mean well, but… can you spare my adoptive father and my homeland?"

 

Qin Yu's expression darkened.

 

"The Federation is where I grew up. I can't stand by and watch it suffer." Lu Li lowered his head. His adoptive father knew him well, and he understood his adoptive father in return. Even though he knew he was being used, he couldn't ignore it.

 

The Federation was his homeland, a place bound to him by over twenty years of memories. Studying at the Federation's top military academy had ingrained in him the duties and responsibilities of a soldier. He wasn't made of stone; he couldn't remain indifferent.

 

Qin Yu didn't respond. That night, Lu Li didn't contact him again. Only three days later, when he checked the star network, did he learn of Qin Yu's decision.

 

General Qin Yu of the Glory Empire agreed to withdraw, though he demanded some concessions from the Federation to end the conflict.

 

Qin Yu's renown only grew after this, despite him never appearing on the battlefield himself. It was common knowledge that the fierce first legion of the Empire was his force, and this one-sided victory clearly bore his command. Forums across the network buzzed with admiration for him—his fanbase didn't miss a beat.

 

"My idol is amazing! Even if we're from different star systems, nothing can diminish my admiration for him. Let's go fight together, Li Lu!"

 

This was a message from "Rainwalker," one of Lu Li's online friends. They'd met in the mecha training center. At first, they hadn't known each other's identities, but after multiple intense matches, mutual respect grew into friendship. Eventually, Lu Li discovered that his friend was one of Qin Yu's ardent fans.

 

But where there was praise, there was inevitably criticism.

 

The incident flooded the forums with countless posts, most singing Qin Yu's praises. The sheer volume of them annoyed some people, or perhaps just stirred up long-time detractors, resulting in a wave of posts vilifying and insulting him. This backlash only fueled the fans' passion, turning the already lively forums into battlegrounds filled with colorful insults. Both sides fought with relentless enthusiasm, and the conflict only grew more intense.

 

Yesterday, however, a more reasoned post appeared, with a thorough analysis of Qin Yu's motives. The writer argued that this was Qin Yu's worst move yet.

 

In the era of interstellar politics, relationships between empires were always tense, but because of that, no one dared to trigger a war lightly. If war broke out, it was never without cause.

 

The author analyzed every possible motivation but could find no justifiable reason for Qin Yu's attack. The Federation had maintained a careful image, never openly antagonizing the Glory Empire, and even maintained trade relations—close to an alliance, though not officially. That Qin Yu had suddenly lashed out seemed like pure whimsy, giving the impression of him being reckless and arrogant.

 

The author concluded that Qin Yu was merely flaunting his power, portraying him as self-centered and unworthy of being a role model for humans all over the star systems.

 

The post quickly went viral, drawing tens of thousands of comments within hours. Loyal fans and vocal detractors entrenched themselves in the thread, and the battle raged on with no signs of slowing down.

 

As a loyal fan, Rainwalker was committed. He rallied all his contacts, including Lu Li, who had barely logged in before his friend invited him, to join the fray. It took Lu Li a moment to understand what was going on.

 

Thanks to his friend's invitation, Lu Li soon found himself in the most chaotic corner of the intergalactic network. Only then did he realize how famous Qin Yu truly was—and that the Forum war was all because of him.

 

Knowing the truth that no one else did, brought Lu Li a certain thrill.

 

One thing surprised him, though: for all the posts about Qin Yu, there wasn't a single picture of him. His security team was meticulous.

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