IWYTBW - Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Education is the Starting and Ending Point for Parents to Take Up Their Posts.
Rong Hongxue gazed at Yi Zhen, and Yi Zhen looked back at Rong Hongxue.
Beyond the porthole, there was neither the dark nor the icy grip of space. Instead, the atmosphere of the Luna Star burned a vibrant shade of orange, as if engulfed in flames at the peak of their ferocity. A superstorm cyclone, forming a great red spot, slowly drifted across the field of view, perfectly blending the universe’s most extreme coldness with the fiercest of heats.
Rong Hongxue stood against the backdrop of the Luna Star, silence lingering for several seconds before he finally revealed a faint smile and asked, “You’ve changed quite a bit. Is something the matter?”
“Of course not!” Yi Zhen laughed too. “I simply wanted to share the little delights of today with you. For instance, how brilliantly the sun shines, how fragrant the flowers are, and how seeing your sly face could make me sleep soundly—do you think that’s possible?”
What audacity he must have, to behave in such a manner today. Did he take the wrong medicine, or what? Yista Roland was utterly shocked. She quietly stared at the steadfast back of her superior, speculating how this man, venomous as a viper, would deal with the widow of his elder brother.
Over the years, she often heard the name Yi Zhen, and the mentions were mostly tinged with contempt and insinuations. They called him a parasitic vine, a wanton creature, a shared spouse among brothers... Yet, surprisingly, the more dominant party seemed not to take offense. Instead, they almost listened with approval to these highly insulting rumors and gossips—even though he himself was labeled a patricide, a title dipped in notoriety. Many people usually expressed their sympathy by saying that his father had “nurtured a tiger only to invite calamity.”
“You know why I’ve called,” Yi Zhen said, his smile fading. “Don’t play dumb. It’s pointless.”
Rong Hongxue chuckled softly, shifting the topic. “I heard you’ve borrowed the Rong family’s training room?”
Yi Zhen replied, “Indeed.”
“I’ve also heard that a ‘Grey Rabbit’ antidote has appeared on the market, obtained by a black market merchant in exchange for the formula of a ‘Decoction of Rebirth’,” Rong Hongxue mentioned. “It’s an outdated and inferior physique-enhancing potion.”
Yi Zhen commented, “Not bad. What else?”
Rong Hongxue’s expression was gentle as he spoke, “I must say, the person who made the exchange was too impatient. If he had been willing to wait a little longer and not be so stubborn, I could have offered him much better medicines. Perhaps he doesn’t understand that the most crucial part of such a Detoxifying Elixir lies in the purification of the poison. The more refined the toxin, the more it can shatter the foundations of the one being cleansed, and thus, the body that is rebuilt will be much stronger and more resilient.”
“Alas,” he sighed, “this prescription is too ancient. The technique for purifying toxins is only something that a great pharmacist dedicated to academic research would keep. After all, with the advent of cutting-edge technology, who would still choose to endure such hardship?”
Yi Zhen spoke with a hint of sarcasm, his tone laced with a mild annoyance. “Hmm... thanks for the reminder? Have you heard any other notable news? Perhaps details as minute as what I drank for breakfast, what meat I had for lunch, or what soup I tried for dinner? Or maybe something more significant... like your sister being locked in a vacuum simulation chamber, and only after the oxygen was depleted, did she manage to escape by breaking all ten of her fingernails?”
Rong Hongxue was somewhat surprised, “Ai Ling? I really didn’t expect you to come looking for me because of her.”
Yi Zhen stared at him intently, “Don’t play dumb with me. We have been intimately close, do you think I don’t know you? You’re well aware of how terrible Ai Ling’s social relationships at the university were, as if someone reports to you daily on the affairs of the Rong family. Her performance at school must have been made known to you immediately. Yet, you never intervened. Why?”
Yista silently moved back towards the control panel, exchanging a surprised glance with a fellow colleague who was one of the shipborne engineers.
What was going on? In the past, whenever this young widower heard about his personal affair with her superior, he would either pale like a ghost or his face would flush with a mix of shame and anger, possibly even breaking into a humiliating cry. Yet today, what had changed? It was as if he had undergone a complete transformation, embodying both the audacity of challenging heavens and the ease of handling matters with adept skill!
“Because she never said a word to me,” Rong Hongxue lifted an eyebrow, looking innocent. “If she thinks that she can resolve the conflict with her fellow students on her own, wouldn’t it hurt her self- esteem if I were to intervene?”
Yi Zhen explained: “She is in her current position because she has far too much self-respect. She thinks too much about how other people view her and her opinions, and she is not willing to lower herself to ask for your help. Inside her heart, you are her so-called older brother. You took her with you when you left that fringe star, and you recommended her to one of the best universities in the empire. In her eyes, she already owes you too much.”
“So now what?” Rong Hongxue asked.
“Therefore, she finds herself in such an awkward position. Ai Ling is surrounded by descendants of dukes and princes, a circle she neither fits into nor can rise to. She lacks the political acumen. Instead, your act of making enemies and your tolerance have turned her into a target that everyone can hit with a casually shot arrow,” Yi Zhen said coldly, staring at him. “It’s all your fault, do you understand? Everything, it’s all because of you.”
Yista and her colleagues were alarmed, and a sharp intake of breath could be heard from some of them.
How utterly disrespectful, yet Rong Hongxue smiled with interest.
“You’re very kind, to cause a huge commotion with me for Ai Ling’s sake,” he chuckled while sizing up Yi Zhen, “I recall that she has also humiliated you many times. You quietly wept in your bedroom because of her opinions, that seemed to be the usual relationship between you. Do you really want to stand up for her?”
Yi Zhen admitted resolutely: “That’s right! I do not possess such a kind heart, so I will be frank and tell you that I will not let any opportunity pass by to berate you. After all, it is entirely justified and immensely satisfying to criticize someone from a position of moral superiority. What else do you have to say?”
Rong Hongxue: “……”
Rong Hongxue stared at him, with a hint of mockery on his face: “Only the naive and foolish are accustomed to blaming the neglect and inaction of the strong on the recklessness and face-saving of the weak. There are hundreds of millions of beggars, disabled, and scavengers on the fringe planet. If they are so miserable, do you also have an inescapable responsibility?”
Yi Zhen remarked, “This is a classic example of a slippery slope fallacy. Unfortunately, I’ve never regarded beggars, the disabled, or scavengers as my sisters. Since you’re comparing her to these individuals, why not go ahead and sever your ties with Ai Ling? Go on, and while you’re at it, discard the kin your mother acknowledged during her lifetime. You brought her back from a desolate planet, only to abandon her in a completely unfamiliar environment to fend for herself. Do you think this constitutes a great benevolence? You’d have earned merit simply by allowing her to attend a public university, yet you didn’t. Instead, you brought a country girl into the palace without teaching her any means to protect herself or maintain her composure. Nor did you stand by her when she faced insults and attacks. Thanks a lot, you really are a wonderful brother, so considerate!”
Rong Hongxue’s gaze turned icy, listening as Yi Zhen continued, “Rong Hongxue, the hardships you’ve endured, you don’t want others to endure as well, can you understand that?”
“Oh my…” Yista and her workmates gasped again, their involuntary exclamation cut short as they quickly hushed themselves, fearing their superior would overhear and blow their cover… but their worries were needless! The control room was filled with a chorus of soft gasps, making their own murmurs unnoticeable amidst the commotion.
Long ago, Yi Zhen had seen Rong Hongxue’s attitude.
For many years, he rarely returned home. The Rong household was empty and desolate; there were no invitations, no banquets, no guests. It was like an isolated island abandoned by its master. Rong Hongxue inherited the Rong family business, but he did not want it. He washed his hands clean of his power and discarded everything that the Rong family’s ancestors had built up, including the manor.
He had already climbed to the peak of glory and yet insisted on the Rong family staying put, awaiting their doom. At the same time, he remained utterly indifferent to familial bonds. Even towards Ai Ling, who was nominally his closest kin, he adopted a hands-off approach, turning a blind eye to her repeated humiliations.
Little brat, Yi Zhen thought, he really deserved a beating.
Provoked by Yi Zhen, Rong Hongxue’s true fire was ignited. He said mercilessly, “She’s a B-level Mecha Pilot at such a young age. Do you think it’s because of her extraordinary talent? The starting platform of Star Alliance University is something that thousands of public universities combined can’t compare to. Even if she was beaten to death there, it’s better than having a sweet dream of being in a loving family with a bunch of trash!”
“Really, is this how you educate your child? I am very intrigued, what exactly are you expecting her to grow up to be like? Why don’t you do us all a favor, and tell us how you envision her turning out?”
“Of course,” Rong Hongxue said lightly. “It’s pitiful that she can only become a feudal lord or a prime minister. However, I suppose unifying the galaxy and becoming the empress of the universe might be a decent consolation prize. As for me, an incompetent elder brother like myself, I can only rely on her to leave an indelible mark in history, and do my best to carve a place for myself in the annals of time.”
“Fine! Let’s just act like sniveling gossips!” Yi Zhen’s head had begun to blaze at this point as well. “If you think so highly of having her study at Star Alliance University, then why bother spreading rumors about the private matters between us to the heavens and beyond? Who cares about your secrets? Do I have extra limbs or do you have an extra... you know what? Do you find joy in seeing rumors about us spread like wildfire? I wonder if those spreading these tales have taken a moment to commend your prowess. Just be careful not to have your capabilities doubted to the point where you’re rumored to be impotent—that would indeed be the icing on the cake of this spectacle!”
“Oh---!” Yista and her colleagues exclaimed in amazement. At this critical moment, they didn’t care if their superior would punish them afterward, because the information conveyed in the conversation between the two people in front of them had exceeded everyone’s expectations. It was terrifying, truly terrifying.
“Do you think... it’s like...” her colleague quietly gestured, “Parents fussing over their kids’ education... well, you know...”
Yista nodded slowly and solemnly. “… I do not know if this is a question that can be answered... but... it seems like it.”
As the war reached its peak of intensity, Rong Hongxue composed himself. As one of the empire’s strongest in terms of mental power, he swiftly regained his composure and sought to seize control of the situation once more.
He realized that engaging in such long-distance conversations was putting him at a disadvantage. Firstly, he couldn’t use overwhelming force to intimidate Yi Zhen; secondly, the current Yi Zhen was truly inscrutable. The old tricks he was familiar with no longer worked, and instead, Yi Zhen would seize upon them and mock him mercilessly.
How had things escalated to such an extent? Rong Hongxue was unusually vexed. Had he known that this would happen, he would have killed him before leaving. That would have saved him a lot of trouble now.
“Very well,” he said in his deep voice, “what is it exactly that you want?”
Finally, we’ve gotten to the main topic.
Yi Zhen paced around the room a few times to calm his breathing.
“……The day after tomorrow, I will drive your vehicle to the venue and have you reserve the top floor of StarFall Restaurant. I want to invite Ai Ling’s classmates to a meal.”
He stressed the word “meal” heavily. “How about it? With your status, you can easily get it done.”
Rong Hongxue had always treated those despicable hyenas who approached him for his power and wealth as expendable goods, squandering their lives without a second thought. However, for reasons unknown to him, even though Yi Zhen openly declared his intention to use Rong Hongxue’s power and status for his own benefit, Rong Hongxue, though outwardly furious, found himself strangely devoid of any real animosity towards the man.
He asked without revealing his thoughts, “What did you have in mind?”
“Leave her concerns to me; you needn’t worry about them, alright?” Yi Zhen spoke, ensuring, “After all, dealing with a group of royal heirs, they wouldn’t go as far as taking a life.”
“Boasting...” A colleague whispered, “Although Star Alliance University is slightly inferior to Azoth University, the students there are the elite among the elite. Not to mention the ones bullying Miss Ai Ling...”
“Ai Ling’s strength isn’t the strongest among them,” another engineer interjected, “probably in the middle or lower range, otherwise she wouldn’t have been treated so badly.”
A third colleague joined the discussion: “What level do you think Mr. Yi is? He’s strangely handsome, like a jade statue...”
“Are you already referring to Mr. Yi as that?”
“What is there left to question? After the battle today, he has earned my utmost respect. I will forever hold him in the highest esteem, and show him every respect due to his station!”
Suddenly, all the lights went out, and the spaceship sank into the boundless vacuum in an instant. Every source of light and sound was swallowed up, and the scene suddenly fell deathly silent.
The engineers, who had been engaged in heated discussion until just moments ago, were sent into a state of sheer terror. Their spiritual bodies, which had already assumed tangible form, emerged from their bodies in a subconscious reaction to the fear. However, they were instantly crushed by the overwhelming darkness that enveloped them, disintegrating into nothingness.
In the cold and deathly silence, it was as if they had been sent back to countless millennia ago, before humans, who once consumed raw meat and drank blood, had yet found the fire that would illuminate civilization. They endured through such prolonged times, huddled together through every starless night.
“Next time, I will try my best not to destroy the atmosphere for everyone, and allow you all to finish watching the show.”
Time seemed to blur, perhaps only a second had passed, or perhaps it stretched out to a day and a night. Finally, the darkness gradually dissipated, and Rong Hongxue’s voice, as soft as silk, caressed everyone’s ears.
“...Gentlemen, in about 9.7 cosmic hours, the spaceship will arrive at the fourth supply station located on the Salya Star,” Yista maintained her composure, standing beside Rong Hongxue with her eyes on his nose and her nose on her heart, “Please, do not waste time.”
Rong Hongxue shifted his gaze, the hint of a smile on his face disappearing like ice melting in the sun. He looked around with an indifferent expression and then gazed out the porthole at the Luna Star, ablaze with fire, without speaking another word.
-------
-------
Next ChapterIf You Want to Gain Respect, Study Knowledge Properly. qq remarks a chapter without any e/ns.... thank fuckscheduled on may20,2024 ;'P
Comments
Post a Comment