Stars See Me [Interstellar] | Chapter 37 | A Meeting of Power | Novela.app

Angye’s private residence was situated within an artificial forest. In the capital system, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, this was the height of extravagance. Clad in a formal, prestigious dress uniform, Lei Ting uncomfortably adjusted his gloves, which were inlaid with a pair of "Virgo Core Gems." As he stepped out of the hovercar Angye had sent, he couldn't help but freeze for a moment at the sight of the forest. "This was a gift from Horn Molin," a gentle voice drifted over. Lei Ting looked toward the source. A tall figure stood alone a short distance away—a handsome man with a head of white hair, dressed in neat, casual attire. He possessed a pair of eyes that inspired instinctive dread; his irises were as crimson as blood, set against a backdrop of pure black sclerae. Seeing those eyes, Lei Ting finally understood why this man rarely appeared in public. Those eyes were clearly a direct manifestation of some superpower, projecting a terrifying majesty that made it nearly impossible for an ordinary person to maintain eye contact. However... according to the few available video records, Angye’s eyes were supposed to be grey. As this thought crossed his mind, Angye looked Lei Ting up and down, his smile widening slightly. Noticing Lei Ting’s gaze—which was somewhat bewildered but devoid of panic or shock—the man smiled faintly. He pulled a pair of glasses from his breast pocket and lowered his head to put them on. When he looked up again, the eyes presented to Lei Ting were a perfectly normal silver-grey. "Apologies, I forgot to wear my glasses," Angye said with a smile as he approached to greet Lei Ting. The latter inevitably caught the faint scent of Alpha pheromones. It was a scent akin to sandalwood, yet beneath it lay a chilling, bloody undertone. "..." Although Lei Ting wasn't wearing the neck-collar suppressor required at the academy, he did have a civilian-grade pheromone suppressor around his neck. If he could still smell the scent despite that, it meant Angye likely wasn't wearing a suppressor at all. The air in all directions was saturated with the controlling, aggressive aura typical of a normal Alpha. Lei Ting’s pupils constricted by instinct, but he showed no outward agitation. He simply crossed his arms calmly and met those grey eyes. Angye raised an eyebrow and reined in his pheromones, which had been leaking beyond natural levels. Continuing the previous topic, he said, "Horn Molin was the former Speaker of the Federation. He has passed away." *Yes,* Lei Ting thought silently. *And according to the Star Net and 'Pacific,' you inherited his entire political legacy—especially his network of connections.* Though it was said that "when the man leaves, the tea cools," and that connections were only reliable for minor issues unless they reached a certain depth—time and change could erase not just pain, but also friendships. As the old proverb went, "Human sentiment is as thin as paper; the affairs of the world are as fresh as a game of chess." That was likely the logic here. Yet, Upton Angye had used those few remaining connections to secure his first political victory. Since then, he had won battle after battle, eventually ascending to the position of Vice Speaker at a remarkably young age. "Speaking of which, we are alumni," Angye said, leading Lei Ting toward the main building of his estate. "Normally, the Council should have held a special seminar for you. However, Vice Speaker Evandale is busy with diplomatic affairs, and the Speaker is occupied with urgent matters. They asked me to convey their greetings; they are looking forward to your growth and wish you a pleasant life here..." Lei Ting nodded in response as he walked beside Angye. He was surprised to find that Angye was actually quite cheerful and talkative, a stark contrast to his first impression. The dynamic between them was like that of two internet friends meeting in person—neither too close nor too distant—which gave Lei Ting a sense of comfort. According to Angye, under normal circumstances, Lei Ting being brought here by his car would have been followed and reported on by the media. However, the Federal Council currently did not want the "Double S" to be officially exposed to the public, even if everyone in the galaxy who needed to know of his existence already did. "It’s a tacit understanding," Angye said. "The Federation cannot prevent them from trying to interfere before you’ve fully matured, but we will do everything in our power to ensure your safety within this star system. "And they wouldn't dare leak your existence haphazardly. Firstly, because it would increase the Collective's scrutiny of the Federation. Secondly, because... if we are pushed too far, the ultimate result would be panic among their own populace." Panic... Lei Ting remained expressionless. "Are you suggesting military action?" "Naturally," Angye said decisively. Lei Ting smiled faintly. He knew that was unlikely to happen. By now, probably no one in the Milky Way was unaware of just how terrifying "humanity" could be. Their civilization had developed through war; their highest technologies were always at the service of slaughter. More humans had died at their own hands than from any natural disaster or calamity... Their conversation lasted a long time. Ultimately, Lei Ting declined an invitation to stay the night and departed in the early hours of the morning. After he left, the white-haired man looked toward the horizon, the smile he had worn all night vanishing. He did not activate his optical brain visor, but on the lenses of the glasses he wore, a projected sentence appeared that only he could see: [Report: Current analysis indicates the 'Double S' has no connection to the rebels.] "..." Angye rubbed his chin and asked, "What about the personality analysis?" [Polite, calm, kind, principled, sentimental, law-abiding, and respectful of others. He seems to possess an innate sense of urgent danger, which serves as his driving force, but he requires proper guidance.] The psychological research team, which had been monitoring the conversation all night, replied. [Furthermore, 32% of our members believe his personality carries a trace of 'obsessive' tendencies. This is a dangerous sign.] 'Obsessive'... Angye’s expression turned solemn. He switched the communication to another channel and said deeply, "Investigate the 'Double S's' past further. Find the trigger keywords that might cause these 'obsessive' emotions to manifest." "Understood," Falin replied. After responding, Falin closed the communication interface, took off his optical brain to adjust it, and temporarily swapped in a deceptive virtual system. The black-haired Headmistress, sitting in a floating chair across from him with her arms crossed, watched him tinker with interest. "This whole situation has really screwed me over..." Falin grumbled. "I've worked more overtime lately than in the last ten years combined." "Who told you to give Angye that lousy idea? You suggested he send someone to test Valen, and he ended up running straight into little Lei," the Headmistress chuckled. "Tch," Falin shook his head and sighed. "Whatever. In any case, your ship and your people are here." The two of them looked to the side. Beside the *Sun*, which was hovering outside the Third Planet, hundreds of ships were docking. Figures in uniform disembarked, marching in unison toward the depths of the giant vessel. "The people from the Abrissac Empire haven't given you any more trouble, have they?" the Headmistress asked with feigned concern. "I know you're just worried about your precious Double S," Falin retorted. "But he's already stronger than me... I certainly have no way to breach Ringworld coating head-on." That mental-power isolation coating, widely used in interstellar society, was a miraculous craft reverse-engineered from the surface coatings found inside the Galactic Empire's Ringworld at the Galactic Core. Thus, they were known as "Ringworld coatings." The same series included technologies like "Ringworld capture nets," "Ringworld defense systems," and "Ringworld ultra-energy batteries," all sharing a similar origin. "He can do that now?" The Headmistress beamed. "It seems his mastery over his high-purity mental power has improved..." Falin sighed. "Enjoy your celebration... I'm leaving." He waved his hand, but his movement suddenly paused. "By the way, regarding our 'Double S,' what kind of person do you think he is?" "Polite, kind, calm, principled..." The Headmistress listed a string of positive traits, but her tone eventually shifted. "...But very dangerous." "..." Falin’s pupils shifted. "Dangerous?" "Haven't you noticed? His self-restraint is a bit excessive. In the entire year he's been here, I haven't seen him choose 'leisure' over 'self-improvement' even once. Not a single time." The Headmistress laughed softly. "He's only eighteen—a child who, by legal definition, reached adulthood only half a month ago... "But believe me, he is a good boy. A very good boy. "One day, you will all understand." *** The day before Lei Ting’s first internship ended, he attended the banquet for Heyan’s adoption of Hana. At the party, Hana smiled very happily. The little girl who once didn't believe in the Police Department's capabilities was now the daughter of one of its elite officers. She had decided to study hard and strive to get into the First Military Academy in the future, to chase after "the person who made her choose to start believing in the world." When she said this, Lei Ting nodded to her from the audience with composure, as if he didn't feel the slightest bit of awkwardness. The next day, Lei Ting bid farewell to everything he had grown familiar with over the past two months. He boarded an intra-system vessel and, via a short-distance spatial fold that saved months of travel time, arrived at the Fifth Planet of the capital system, where the First Military Academy was located. It was a small planet. Like the Third Planet, it featured a built-in Ringworld artificial gravity system and a Ringworld climate control system. Overall, it was rated as Class-A habitable for Orion humans. However, the planet's most significant feature was— —the entire thing was the territory of the "Orion First Military Academy." Furthermore, the main body of the academy was located inside the planet itself—a celestial body that had once been hollowed out to serve as a planetary weapon, and now, having been decommissioned, had its high-risk weaponry removed. As he entered the planet's interior via the space elevator provided by the academy to report for duty, Lei Ting saw countless students only a year or two older than himself. When he reached the reporting station for second-year students, he saw old friends he had become familiar with on the *Sun*, and... "..." Lei Ting’s eye twitched, his expression turning strange. "...Supervisor Valen?" ---