921 - 932

Chapter 921 - No Place For Us!

Ling Lan didn't reveal any loopholes. She ended Tang Ningyu and Mu Chaoran's suspicion on her. After chatting with them for a while, Li Lanfeng sent the two people away by telling them that their regiment commander needed to rest.

Tang Ningyu and Mu Chaoran felt that they had gotten the truth so they didn't have the heart to stay at the treatment room anymore. They left dejectedly.

Li Lanfeng closed the door and quickly looked at Ling Lan. Ling Lan nodded to express that she was fine.

"Why did you want to see them?" Li Lanfeng didn't want them to see Ling Lan. He felt that these two people would just be troublesome. However, just as he was about to chase them away, he received an order through Ling Lan's spiritual power. Ling Lan told him that he wanted to meet them. That was why Li Lanfeng changed his tone.

"If I don't let them see me, they'll get even more curious and will think of even more ways to see me." Ling Lan felt a little tired. She was recovering slowly both physically and spiritually but since her injuries were very serious, she would still feel tired easily.

Li Lanfeng noticed this and hurriedly laid her down.

"So, you wanted to solve everything once and for all," Li Lanfeng said firmly.

"Yes," Ling Lan closed her eyes and replied.

"It's all because of this idiot. It always creates trouble." Li Lanfeng looked at Little White with disdain. Little White was attempting to jump into the healing pod along with its master. Li Lanfeng picked it up before it could.

"Rawr!" 'You are the idiot! Damn it, how am I supposed to know that those two people will come on my watch?' Little White waved its tentacles furiously. However, Li Lanfeng was standing behind him so his tentacles were not long enough to reach him. The angry Little White forgot that its tentacles could be extended.

"We can't blame Little White. I was not careful enough." If she didn't bring Little White to Planet Azure, this wouldn't have happened in the first place.

'Sob. My master is the best.' Little White was so touched that it started crying. It waved its tentacles in the air as it ran into Ling Lan's arms to seek for comfort.

Li Lanfeng saw the two fountains over Little White's eyes and frowned. He flicked Little White away with his right hand and then took out a handkerchief from his pocket. He wiped his right hand carefully as if he touched something dirty.

Li Lanfeng's actions angered Little White. It rushed towards Li Lanfeng and waved its tentacles around. It wanted to attack this very bad person who always treated it badly.

Li Lanfeng raised his finger and pressed it against Little White's body. Then, he started scratching it.

Little White hugged Li Lanfeng's finger and let out a sigh to show how comfortable it was.

'No, I can't bow down to a bad person!' Little White tried to resist against its nature.

Li Lanfeng looked at it with a cold face. He could feel that Little White had gotten fatter. The food and water supply in the base were limited. Along with the huge stress of the battle, everyone had gotten skinnier. Only Little White ate well and came back fatter. Li Lanfeng was extremely unhappy at it.

Little White narrowed its eyes and laid on Li Lanfeng's hand happily. This time, Little White lost to its nature again and got subdued by Li Lanfeng's finger.

Ling Lan saw the two of them battling again and shook her head. The results were expected. Her Little White was indeed stupid. Once its weak point was known to Li Lanfeng, it would never be able to win against Li Lanfeng anymore. Unfortunately, Little White didn't understand this point and continued to resist uselessly.

After settling Little White, Li Lanfeng looked at Ling Lan again. he pondered over his words carefully before asking, "Rabbit, what do you plan to do after you go back?"

Ling Lan raised one of her eyebrows as if she didn't understand what Li Lanfeng meant.

"Are you planning to retire?" This was the only answer Li Lanfeng got after thinking through all the possibilities.

Ling Lan remained silent for a few seconds. She replied, "You know that this is the safest path for me." She mustn't recuperate. Leaving the military was her only path out.

"Rabbit, are you planning to abandon us?" Li Lanfeng was heartbroken. he had already predicted this result but when he heard it from Ling Lan, he still couldn't help but feel sad.

"I'm not abandoning you. There is just no place in the military for me and my father." Having one Ling Xiao was already enough for the military. If another Ling Xiao appeared, those people would take action against them. To protect the safety of her father, Ling Lan must leave the army.

Ling Lan couldn't blame the military. Some high-ranking officers might have their own personal motives but most of them did it for the sake of the Federation. The Ling family had some secret skills that could allow them to jump level and control a god-class mecha. If she had died, everything was fine. However, she didn't. This was enough to excite the military. Fortunately, her father was already a god-class mecha and one of the ten great generals of the Federation. He was also the general of the 23rd division. These powers were enough to stop the people that wanted to do anything to him.

But, that was it. If she managed to recover, it would prove that the Ling family had a way to resist the backlash from jumping level and operate a god class mecha. This was enough for the military to go crazy. At that time, the powers her father wouldn't be enough to stop the entire military.

Ling Lan knew that her father was clearing her back for her. In the battle of power, the pressure her father was handling was not much lesser than her. He might even be in a more dangerous position than her. One single mistake could cause the destruction of the entire Ling family.

Ling Lan remembered that the mastermind who planned her father's murder in the past was still in the military. After so many years, the other party's faction must have grown even stronger. Ling Lan didn't believe that the other party would stop his actions. He must be waiting for a chance to launch another lethal attack.

For the sake of his father, she mustn't recover in front of the public eyes. She must leave.

Li Lanfeng calmed down when he heard what Ling Lan said. He knew that although Ling Xiao looked glamorous and seemed to have a bright future ahead of himself, he was constantly surrounded by danger.

Ling Lan won huge military merit when she jumped level and operated a god-class mecha. She allowed Base 013 to survive until reinforcements could arrive, shocking the entire Federation. If Ling Lan was just an ordinary soldier, the military would reward Ling Lan heavily and mold her into a hero of the generation to spur the emotions of the citizens in the Federation. However, she was Ling Xiao's son. It was a fact that she jumped level and operated [Belief]. Everyone would know about this. The Federation couldn't hide this fact.

As expected of Ling Xiao's son!

It could be guessed that Ling Xiao's reputation had reached an extremely high level now. This was like adding oil to a burning flame.

Chapter 922 - Slackface!

Ling Xiao's reputation and might was like a marshal in the military. The three marshals were afraid that he would take away their power. Hence, the three marshals might attack Ling Xiao together if he got too strong. They wouldn't allow a fourth marshal to appear in the military.

"Even the First Marshal can't be trusted?" Li Lanfeng didn't give up. He heard that the First Marshal groomed General Ling Xiao as his heir. Shouldn't he be happy that his heir was so outstanding?

"An heir is just an heir when the emperor is still healthy and strong." How many heirs managed to become the emperor in the end? The only time it could happen was when the emperor was old and weak, thus he had no choice but to hand over his power to his heir.

Ling Lan had seen videos about the First Marshal. He was more than 90 years old but he was still very healthy. The humans in this world lived twice as long as the people in her past life. If she calculated the First Marshal's age based on her past life's standard, he would only be around 50 years old now. He was at the prime of his age. So, how could he willingly support a person who would take over his power soon?

Her father was the most outstanding heir in the First Marshal's faction but so what? The First Marshal still had many years ahead of him. He could always groom a new heir again. Hence, her father was not indispensable. A cold light flashed past Ling Lan's eyes. Just like Ling Xiao who managed to come back alive from his ordeal, she no longer trusted anyone around her. She could only rely on herself now

That was why she asked Li Shiyu to declare that she was seriously injured and all the agents had no effect on her. However, even after all that, Li Lanfeng still didn't wish that Ling Lan would leave.

"I understand," Li Lanfeng said bitterly. He thought that he would be able to work hard and progress together with Ling Lan. But, in the end, he had to walk alone to defy his fate.

Ling Lan sighed when she saw Li Lanfeng's dejected silhouette disappearing from the door. "All good things must come to an end. No one can accompany you forever. You all will have to depend on yourselves now."

"Boss, are you sad?" Little Four detected Ling Lan's emotions and quickly came out to console her.

"Yes. I didn't know that it's so difficult to say goodbye to my friends." Ling Lan gave a forced smile. 'This is the best time for me to leave, but why do I feel so sad?'

Little Four didn't know what to say. He couldn't understand the friendship between Ling Lan and her friends. Hence, he could only say, "Boss, don't worry. Little Four will always be beside you."

He felt that one person was not enough so he quickly added, "Little Blossom will be beside you too."

Ling Lan felt touched when she saw Little Four's agitated face as he tried to console her. She hugged Little Four and rubbed his small head. "Thank you, Little Four."

Fortunately, Little Four was always beside her. She wasn't alone.

Ling Lan knew that declaring her mecha piloting career's end was the best way to solve this crisis. If not, she might never be able to escape the fate of being constantly hounded on by the higher authorities. However, once she steps on this path, it would mean that she had to bid farewell to the male Ling Lan and all the friends she made on the way, but doing this was very cruel to her friends.

Little Four blushed when he got hugged by Ling Lan. He stuttered, "There's no need to thank me. Boss, I said we'll be with you forever."

"Yes, there's still Little Blossom." Ling Lan smiled. "Oh right, can you ask Number Five when he is going to release Little Blossom? I'm afraid that he might be injured."

Little Four started worrying too, as he hadn't seen Little Blossom in a long time.

Ling Lan and Little Four's desire to see Little Blossom might be too strong. As after they had finished thinking about Little Blossom, they saw a figure dropping from the sky and slamming onto the floor in front of them.

The small person was lying motionless on the floor.

"Little Blossom?" Little Four looked at the sky of the mindscape curiously. There were no changes to it. He didn't know why Little Blossom suddenly appeared in such a strange position.

"It should be Little Blossom." Ling Lan confirmed. Those fat little hands and fat little legs were just like what she remembered.

Little Four walked towards Little Blossom and kicked his butt. "Little Blossom, are you alright?"

Little Blossom finally had some reaction. He pushed his hands on the floor and looked up at Little Four. His gaze was distant. It seemed as though he didn't recognize Little Four.

"Little Blossom? Why did you become like this?" Little Four hugged his head in disbelief. 'Is this the enthusiastic and lively little brother that I know?'

"Training," Little Blossom replied indifferently. The cute and stupid Little Blossom was gone. This child in front of them was just cold and expressionless.

Ling Lan frowned. She moved her right forefinger and a black crack appeared in her mindscape. She reached her hand inside and caught Number Five who was trying to run away. She pulled him out.

"Number Five, can you explain this?" Ling Lan stared at the haggard Number Five coldly.

Number Five knew that he couldn't escape so he tidied his clothes slowly. Just when Ling Lan was about to lose her patience, he said, "I don't know."

"Didn't you take Little Blossom out for training?" Ling Lan frowned.

"At the start, yes. However, someone took him from me." Number Five shrugged.

"Who?"

Number Five continued smiling but he didn't reply. Ling Lan understood Number Five's smile. If he didn't reply, it meant that his lips were sealed on that matter. He couldn't tell her anything.

"Why?" Ling Lan decided to change her way of asking.

"You are unwilling to awaken yourself so she couldn't appear. Hence, she took your man to vent her frustration…" Number Five calmly told Ling Lan that she was the cause of Little Blossom's suffering.

"Awaken?" Ling Lan was dumbfounded. She didn't know what she needed to awaken. She thought for a moment and understood who Number Five was referring to. Out of her nine instructors, only Number Four hadn't appeared yet.

Number Five continued smiling. He didn't reply to her but Ling Lan could tell from his expression that her guess was right.

'What is Number Four supposed to teach me?' Ling Lan couldn't guess it. She didn't know what she needed to awaken before Number Four could appear.

Number Five sighed in his heart when he saw Ling Lan's puzzled expression. 'It seems like Number Four has to wait more.'

Chapter 923 - Tolerance!

Hailiya denied breaking the Human United Agreement and sending the God-Killers during the meeting of the Intergalactic United Nations but the evidence that the Federation provided was too solid. They had no way of escape. The Intergalactic United Nations were not stupid too. They knew who was in the wrong. Of course, another factor affecting this decision was that they were afraid of the Federation. Hence, when Caesar decided to remain silent on the matter, they promptly gave Hailiya their punishment.

Many countries in the Intergalactic United Nations were unhappy that the Federation used a god-class mecha but there was no rule restricting the movement of god-class mechas. Thus, they couldn't question the Federation about this. They were furious so they added new rules into the Human United Agreement to make sure that such a situation would never happen again.

The Federation didn't care about all these, because every citizen from the Federation was in an angry frenzy on a different matter. This anger was ignited by the climbing number of casualties from the war on Planet Haijiao.

Although Ling Lan managed to save Base 013 and prevented the reinforcements of the Federation from sinking into Hailiya's trap, the other soldiers on Hailiya were not so lucky. Most of these soldiers died when their bases fell. Only a few extremely powerful or lucky people managed to survive.

As Qi Yaoyang and his army slowly claimed the lands of the Federation back, the number of casualties increased exponentially.

A month later, Qi Yaoyang managed to claim back all the lands they lost to Hailiya with the help of continuous reinforcements from the Federation. By now, the total number of casualties from this battle was out. The number was alarming. The citizens from the Federation knew that many people had died for this war but when they saw 160 million casualties, they were still shocked.

This was the highest number of casualties in 300 years of history of the Federation. They didn't lose to their enemy in battle fairly. They lost because Hailiya broke the Human United Agreement and sent their imperial operators from the God-Killers. If there were less than 100 million casualties, the citizens of the Federation were still able to maintain their composure. However, this number angered them. They were furious.

They wanted revenge. The soldiers of the Federation couldn't just die like this. Rally for wars started happening on many planets in the Federation. The citizens hoped that the Federation would launch an all-out attack on Hailiya to take revenge for the fallen soldiers.

At the Second Marshal's mansion, the Second Marshal looked at the newest information he received and shook his head with a bitter smile. "That sly old fox got what he wanted again." All the citizens of the Federation supported his plan now, so he and the Third Marshal had no choice but to support the First Marshal too.

"What do we do now? Is there really no other way?" Some of his confidants were unhappy that the First Marshal got hold of the situation again.

"Of course. Anyone that disagrees to fight now will be going against the intention of the public. We are unable to stop this." The Second Marshal was able to sit in this position because he was good at analyzing situations. Everything was in the First Marshal's favor now. Thus, they could only go with the flow. If they go against the tide, they would be outcasted by the public.

The confidants knew the Second Marshal was right. The power they managed to wrestle back with some difficulty might be gone because of this. They felt their heart aching. However, there was nothing they could do. They could only smoke their cigarettes silently and keep their frustration in their hearts.

"There's no need to be so dejected. We still have a long way ahead of us. The First Marshal might look glamorous now but who knows what would happen in the future?" The Second Marshal gave a cold smile. That sly old fox must be regretting it now. Even if he wasn't, he would feel frustrated. Ling Xiao, whom he groomed personally, was becoming a threat to him.

"Marshal, are you talking about Ling Xiao?" One of the confidants was very quick-witted so he immediately understood what the Second Marshal meant.

"There will be a struggle for power in the First Marshal's faction. Let's wait for a good show." Ling Xiao was a threat to him and the Third Marshal too but his threat to the First Marshal was much greater. He wondered if the people in the First Marshal's faction had any thoughts about changing their leader… A good show was definitely coming up soon. The Second Marshal was schadenfreude. The First Marshal had been suppressing them for over 30 years. They had kept their anger to themselves for a long time. Hence, they were happy to see the First Marshal getting into trouble.

A similar conversation was going on in the Third Marshal's mansion. The Third Marshal seeked peace. So, he was frustrated when he saw the Federation fighting war after war. Many soldiers died in other countries' soil. Unfortunately, he was always on the losing end in the political battle with the First Marshal. This time, he was defeated by the First Marshal again.

"I hope that the battle can end on Planet Haijiao," the Third Marshal said worriedly. He knew how tensed the Federation was after years of wars. If the Federation couldn't handle the stress, the entire Federation would collapse. Its economy would move backward and there might even be a civil war.

He noticed these dangers. The Second Marshal noticed them too. The First Marshal was even clearer about them. They were all looking for ways to solve the problem. On his end, he wanted to stop the wars slowly and let the Federation have some time to settle their internal affairs. However, the First Marshal planned to bring everyone's attention to their enemies so that they could become the fighting machines of the country. The Second Marshal wanted to find a perfect blend in between these two extreme ends but the Third Marshal felt that it was impossible.

Everyone had their own plans, and none of them approved of each other's plan. This was why the three marshals kept fighting among themselves. They wanted to control the military so that the military could run based on their beliefs. No one was willing to take a step back. Thus, the battle for power would continue until someone fell. However, the most likely situation was that they would continue to keep each other in check until the end.

"Ling Xiao… he is the crux."

Because of the battle of Planet Haijiao, the power of the Second Marshal and the Third Marshal got suppressed by the First Marshal. The military was controlled by the First Marshal now. But, there were hidden dangers too. It all depended on how tolerant the First Marshal was.

Chapter 924 - Come Back!

The battle between the higher authorities of the military didn't affect Ling Lan. At this moment, she was being examined by all the military doctors and specialists sent from the Federation. They reached the same conclusion as Li Shiyu. All the agents in the Federation were ineffective for Ling Lan's injuries, including the Ling family's restorative agent.

This also proved that Ling Lan was forced to operate the god-class mecha. Ling Lan was able to operate a god-class mecha for 20 minutes because [Belief] received an order from Ling Xiao to minimize the backlash to Ling Lan. That was why the backlash on Ling Lan dropped by two-thirds.

However, the consequences were still huge. Ling Lan lost his healthy body and was unable to stand up again. He wouldn't be able to operate a mecha anymore too.

Many people in the military were disappointed when they heard this piece of news. But, some people felt relieved too.

Hailiya got punished by the Intergalactic United Nations and the trades coming in the country stopped. This caused a huge commotion arose in the country. Many conflicts happened on various planets so the Hailiya government had to spend time to stabilize their internal affairs, making Hailiya not have the energy nor time to care about the war on Planet Haijiao. The Hailiya army on Planet Haijiao didn't have any reinforcements so they kept retreating. After one month, they surrendered due to the lack of resources.

Planet Haijiao officially became part of the Federation. The military moved new mecha clans into Planet Haijiao. The soldiers that used to be stationed on Planet Haijiao came back to their country, the Huaxia Federation, along with the spirits of the 160 million soldiers that had fallen.

Ling Lan came back with the first batch of people. Li Shiyu, Luo Chao, and Han Xuya came back with her. They were in charge of taking care of her. Luo Lang and Li Lanfeng were present too to protect her.

No one knew what would happen after they come back. After some discussion with the ten team leaders and the heads of the logistics departments, they decided to let Li Lanfeng go back with their Boss. They also kicked Luo Lang, who was powerful but stupid and wasn't much of a help if he stayed on Planet Haijiao, back to the Federation. Luo Lang was there to help their Boss and Li Lanfeng to run some errands. After all, they couldn't let the two ladies run errands, right?

The moment the starship landed in Port Doha, Ling Lan was carried down by Luo Lang and Li Lanfeng who wore the medic attire just like Luo Chao and Han Xuya. They stood beside Ling Lan and guarded her.

This starship was filled with heavily injured soldiers. Many of them had lost their limbs. However, compared to the people that had fallen, they were considered lucky.

They sat in a car while waiting for the traffic in front of them to clear up. Suddenly, Ling Lan heard gunshots sounding in alignment.

Then, the screen in the car flashed the image of what was happening outside. Luo Lang glanced at the screen and said, "They're having a ceremony for the fallen soldiers."

Li Lanfeng smiled coldly, "Why are they doing this first instead of sending the injured soldiers to the hospital? How funny."

"That's not true. Those that had fallen are the citizens of Huaxia. It's necessary for them to welcome them back." Ling Lan didn't think about it too much. She used her spiritual power to ask Li Lanfeng to think more positively.

Many properly dressed young second lieutenants with stern faces appeared on the screen. Each of them had a box in their hands. The boxes were covered with the flags of different mecha clans. They stood on hover cars and moved towards the street that was filled with people.

Every time a car passed by, the screen would introduce the mecha clan of these people and show how many had fallen. The reason for their death was stated too.

The whole sky of hover cars represented all the mecha clans and the soldiers that had fallen. The family members of the soldiers heard a familiar name of a mecha clan and started crying furiously. Before this, they still bore hope that their child might have escaped the ordeal and was still alive. However, now, they knew that their child had really left them. They couldn't control their emotions anymore.

'Wars only cause sadness!' Ling Lan looked at the people crying on the screen and felt this point deeply.

There were too many hover cars so they needed to wait for more than an hour before they could leave.

After waiting in the car for an hour, Ling Lan was finally pushed into a nearby ambulance. Li Shiyu, Luo Chao, and Han Xuya wanted to get in but they told that only two people could board the ambulance.

Li Lanfeng and Li Shiyu exchanged glances with one another. Li Lanfeng pulled Luo Lang into the ambulance while Li Shiyu and the two ladies would take the car they were previously waiting in.

After some time, the ambulance started moving. A few minutes later, Ling Lan heard a deafening cheer.

Luo Lang pushed open a corner of the curtain and saw the excited expressions of the people outside. They were waving their arms wildly in their direction.

"Regiment commander, they seem to be welcoming you." Luo Lang listened attentively for a while.

"It looks like the military created hype for you." Li Lanfeng spoke to Ling Lan using his spiritual power. If there were more attention on Ling Lan, it would be harder for him to retreat unscathed. Why didn't General Ling Xiao stop this welcome parade?

"Take it as it comes." Ling Lan frowned. She was a useless person to the general public now. 'Why do they have to put me in such a position?'

'No, they put me in this position so blatantly because I'm useless now!' Ling Lan was enlightened. She couldn't help but worry for her father. It looked like her father was having a hard time recently. If not, he wouldn't let her appear in front of so many people, especially when she had secrets on her.

"Lanfeng, contact the other team leaders of 250 Ace Mecha Clan and tell them to keep calm. I think the higher authorities will be doing something to 250 soon. Don't act rashly and wait for me to be back, especially Li Yingjie." Ling Lan gave Li Lanfeng an order after thinking for a while.

"Yes." Li Lanfeng nodded. He also thought that it was impossible for the military to not keep their hands off the powerful 250 Ace Mecha Clan after creating such a huge fuss for Ling Lan unless General Ling Xiao took control of the entire situation. However, was that possible? This wasn't because Li Lanfeng didn't trust Ling Xiao. It was because the three marshals were too difficult to deal with.

But, this was a test for 250 Ace Mecha Clan too. Li Lanfeng wanted 250 Ace Mecha Clan to become Ling Lan's personal mecha clan. Even if the higher authorities send a new regiment commander for them, the spiritual leader of 250 Ace Mecha Clan was still Ling Lan.

The ambulance rode for a distance before stopping suddenly. The driver shouted, "Who are you?"

"This is an order from General Ling Xiao. We will take over from here." A familiar voice sounded. Ling Lan was stunned. It was Ling Yu.

Chapter 925 - Impeachment!

"The military ordered us to send Lieutenant Colonel Ling Lan to the hospital for treatment. I'm sorry, we can't accept General Ling Xiao's order." The driver rejected them directly.

"Lieutenant Colonel Ling came from the 23rd division. He should be taken care of by us." Ling Yu sent a glance at his subordinate. His subordinate immediately took out his gun and aimed it at the driver's forehead. He said coldly, "I'm sorry."

"This is against the rule," the driver shouted angrily. He attempted to alert the medics in the ambulance.

The subordinate immediately knocked the driver unconscious. Ling Yu also subdued the soldier sitting on the passenger's seat.

General Ling Xiao said clearly that they must send their young master back to him safely even if they had to use force.

The two people in charge of carrying the stretcher heard the commotion outside, and their expressions changed immediately. Their hands reached behind their backs but Li Lanfeng and Luo Lang, who were well prepared, subdued them instantly.

Li Lanfeng took out a beam handgun from the person's waist. He threw it at Luo Lang and said, "How dare you take out a gun in front of our regiment commander. Are you looking for death?"

Luo Lang took out a beam gun from the person in front of him too. He placed the two guns on his waist and knocked the two medics unconscious.

Li Lanfeng looked at Luo Lang. He carried Ling Lan up while Luo Lang kicked the door of the ambulance open. Then, they quickly got into the hover car Ling Yu was driving and left the scene.

The other soldiers that came after this only saw an empty ambulance and a bunch of unconscious medics.

"Damn it. We were fooled." The leader of the group stomped his feet angrily. Just now, a senior colonel from the 7th division stopped him and asked him about the condition of the injured soldiers from the 7th division. He didn't want to offend the person so he patiently answered his queries. After that, he quickly asked his men to follow the ambulance but they were still too late.

At this moment, the senior colonel from the 7th division came up behind them and shouted in surprise, "Senior Colonel Le, what happened here?"

Major Le looked at the senior colonel. The surprise on his face seemed real. Major Le started wondering if this was just a coincidence.

"Senior Colonel You, I still have some things to deal with. I'll take my leave first." Major Le couldn't confirm his suspicion so he wanted to dismiss the person.

Senior Colonel You heard this and knew that he couldn't interfere in this matter. He said hurriedly, "Please do, please do."

Major Le came to a quiet spot and quickly contacted his superior to tell him about the situation.

"Forget it. This matter will end here. If someone asks you anything, just say that you don't know anything." This was the reply his superior gave him.

"Yes, I understand," Major Le replied. The battle of power between the higher authorities was not something a small figure like him could participate in.

Major Le's superior reported the situation to his senior officer too. He got the same reply.

The moment they entered Ling Yu's hover car, she opened her eyes. "Ling Yu, what's the situation at home?" Little Four told her some things that were happening in the Federation but he didn't know much about the power struggle. Hence, he was not knowledgeable in this area. Ling Lan had to gain more information from the trustworthy Ling Yu before she could make a decision.

"On the surface, there doesn't seem to be a problem. However, the military recently impeached General Ling Xiao for moving the treasure of the country out of the nation. The general is having a hard time." Ling Yu truthfully told Ling Lan General Ling Xiao's current situation.

Ling Xiao came back when Ling Lan was 16 years old but the family head of the Ling family was still Ling Lan. Hence, as a loyalist of the Ling family, he would report the condition of the past family head, Ling Xiao, to Ling Lan without any hesitation. He didn't hide anything from Ling Lan although Ling Xiao asked him to.

"They really did something to General Ling Xiao." Li Lanfeng knew that Ling Lan's operation of a god-class mecha would spark the greed in the higher authorities. He used to think that these people would hold back a little because of General Ling Xiao's name but now, he felt that he was too optimistic. No one was able to resist such a great temptation.

Ling Lan frowned. This matter could be big or small. If the people from the military didn't want to deal with Ling Xiao, they could just ignore this issue. If someone wanted to tackle Ling Xiao, this would be something they could make use of. It'll be hard for her father to clear his name.

"What's the attitude of the First Marshal?" Ling Lan knew that on the surface, her father belonged to the faction of the First Marshal. If the First Marshal wanted to protect Ling Xiao, he would be saved. If not, Ling Xiao's future would be hard to tell.

"Ambiguous." Ling Yu recalled how frequent General Ling Xiao got asked for questioning and guessed that the First Marshal probably wanted to sit on the fence.

"I understand." Ling Lan closed her eyes again. Ling Yu was just a loyalist. He couldn't participate in the battle for power personally. He didn't understand some things that were happening too. If she wanted to understand the situation clearly, she needed to ask her father.

Ling Lan asked Ling Yu because she didn't want to be fooled by her father. Ling Xiao was a good person. His only flaw was that he liked handle everything himself.

"Rabbit, what do you plan to do?" Li Lanfeng quickly used his spiritual power to contact Ling Lan.

"I will make a decision after speaking with my father. In terms of understanding the bigger picture, my father is better than me." Ling Lan understood herself well. Her father understood the bigger picture better than her. She didn't want to create more trouble because of her poor decisions.

Li Lanfeng nodded. His heart skipped a beat. 'Rabbit knew what his weakness was so he wouldn't make a decision blindly. However, he seemed to believe in his judgment of himself too much. If I am Rabbit, I would have made a plan already, I wouldn't even think about asking for General Ling Xiao's opinion.'

'Thinking about it, in 250 Ace Mecha Clan, I made some decisions like this too. Did I create trouble for Rabbit unknowingly because of this?' Li Lanfeng felt cold sweat on his back. He reminded himself that he mustn't make similar mistakes again.

Ling Lan didn't know that her words unintentionally caused Li Lanfeng to reflect on himself. This caused Li Lanfeng to change his style in the future and got better at communicating with people. It helped him to prevent possible problems that might arise in the future.

Chapter 926 - Handsome!

Ling Lan finally arrived at the Ling family's house. Ling Qin was already waiting for her anxiously at the porch. When he saw the hover car appeared on the horizon, he felt relieved.

The moment the hover car stopped in front of the porch, Ling Qin rushed forward and opened the door, revealing Ling Lan who was covered in bandages. He had already seen her once but he still couldn't hold in his tears. "Young master, you're finally back. Mistress is waiting for you." Their young miss should have lived a life without any worry. However, a single thought caused her to suffer so much. Ling Qin felt regretful as he thought about this.

Ling Lan nodded. Soon, she was carried into the house on a stretcher that was prepared beforehand. She was sent to the treatment room hurriedly while Li Lanfeng and Luo Lang were invited to the main hall to have some rest. Li Lanfeng left Ling Lan without much hesitation because Ling Lan had already preempted him at the start.

If the Ling family's house was not safe, nowhere would be safe.

Ling Lan entered the treatment room and saw her mother waiting for her inside. When Lan Luofeng saw Ling Lan entering with bandages all over her, her eyes turned red. Ling Lan thought that she was going to cry but instead, Lan Luofeng smiled and forced her tears back.

"My Lan'er, you're the best. Mother is proud of you!" Lan Luofeng smiled gently as she kissed Ling Lan on her forehead. Ling Lan was stunned. This Lan Luofeng was different from the one in her memory.

Ling Lan was slowly placed on a bed. Accidentally, Ling Lan saw her mother turning her back to her and wiping her tears away. She quickly understood why her mother was acting like this. Lan Luofeng was worried that she would interfere with her rest when she cried in front of her.

Just like how Ling Lan understood Lan Luofeng, Lan Luofeng understood her too. Hence, she didn't want Ling Lan to worry. That was why she controlled her emotions and gave Ling Lan a smile to comfort her.

This was her mother. She looked like a weak flower that needed the protection of everyone but in actuality, she was stronger than everyone. She never gave up easily. This was why Lan Luofeng was able to protect Ling Xiao's merits from her greedy relatives after he 'died' a few years ago and raised Ling Lan up safely.

"Mummy, I'm fine!" Ling Lan felt touched by the love of her mother. She didn't want her mother to worry.

Lan Luofeng turned immediately. She smiled as she looked at Ling Lan. Everything seemed perfect except for the tears on the corner of her eyes.

It was a tiring journey so Ling Lan didn't chat much with Lan Luofeng. She quickly went to sleep.

When Ling Lan was sleeping, Lan Luofeng and Ling Nanyi asked everyone else to leave. They closed the door and started unwrapping the bandages around Ling Lan.

Lan Luofeng saw the injured skin under the bandages. Every single part of the skin was either bruised or cracked. The wounds hadn't healed. Lan Luofeng couldn't control her emotions anymore. She rushed to the side and started crying. She was afraid that she would wake Ling Lan up so she covered her mouth and forced herself to cry silently.

Tears ran down Ling Nanyi's face too. Ling Qin told her that their young miss was heavily injured but she didn't expect the injuries to be so bad. How painful was it at that time? How did their young miss endure it? Ling Nanyi felt as if her heart was stabbed by a knife.

As a strong mother, Lan Luofeng came back beside Ling Lan after a while and started treating Ling Lan's wounds. Then, she used new bandages to wrap her wounds. Her actions were light and gentle. However, Ling Lan continued frowning in her sleep.

At night, Ling Xiao finally came back. The moment he entered the house, Ling Qin nodded at him and Ling Xiao heaved a sigh of relief. He was fighting a verbal war with the people from the military so he wasn't able to get first-hand news of Ling Lan.

He came to the main hall and saw Lan Luofeng talking with Li Lanfeng and Luo Lang. They were talking about what Ling Lan did on Planet Haijiao. Lan Luofeng's expression was filled with pride as she heard about Ling Lan achievements.

When they saw Ling Xiao, Li Lanfeng and Luo Lang stood up hurriedly. "General!"

"You're both Lan'er's friend. There's no need to be polite," Ling Xiao smiled as he said. He turned and looked at Lan Luofeng. "What are you talking about?"

"You came when we were talking about the battle on Planet Haijiao." Lan Luofeng smiled gently.

"I see. I've something to ask too. Come to my study." Ling Xiao acted quickly. He brought Li Lanfeng and Luo Lang to his study directly.

Only people who Ling Xiao trusted could enter his study. Ling Lan told Ling Xiao that Li Lanfeng and Luo Lang could be trusted. She was the one who suggested bringing them into the study too.

The moment they entered the study, they saw Ling Lan sitting behind a desk. She had bandages all over her and was flipping through a book.

"Boss, you are fine?" Luo Lang shouted in surprise.

Li Lanfeng tried to appear calm but his eyes betrayed his emotions.

"I'm much better. I'm sorry to make you worry," Ling Lan said apologetically. To prevent other people from suspecting, she lied to her friends too.

"No, this is good. If not, we won't be able to act so sincerely." Li Lanfeng agreed with Ling Lan's decision. The more people knew about this, the greater the chance of a loophole appearing in their acting. It was better to have fewer people with knowledge of this.

Luo Lang was confused. 'What are they talking about?'

"Have a seat." Ling Xiao smiled when he saw the difference in expression between the two people whom his daughter trusted. Li Lanfeng was a sensitive person while Luo Lang was a straightforward person unexpectedly. It didn't seem to suit his looks.

Li Lanfeng and Luo Lang sat on the two chairs at the side. They didn't expect Ling Xiao to sit down on the seat next to them. They thought that their Boss would give up his seat to General Ling Xiao.

"Father, what's the situation in the military? Don't try to fool me. I've asked Ling Yu and Grandfather Ling Qin." Ling Lan stared at her father with cold eyes.

Ling Xiao held his forehead in his heads. 'When did the identity of me and my daughter changed? Is this how my daughter should be speaking to me?'

Li Lanfeng's eyes lit up. He didn't expect Ling Lan to appear so oppressive in front of General Ling Xiao too. 'When will I be able to be like him?'

As for Luo Lang, he just stared at Ling Lan with admiration in his beautiful eyes. 'Ah! My boss is so handsome!'

Chapter 927 - Purpose!

"It's nothing really…" Ling Xiao wasn't used to telling his daughter about the problems he was facing. However, under Ling Lan's cold and unrelenting stare, Ling Xiao could only bitterly tell her the truth, "Currently, the law enforcement unit is indeed pressuring me a lot about how I passed on my god-class mecha to you. However, I can still endure it."

'My own daughter is severely injured and she still wants to wait to talk to me in person. Doesn't this mean that she is worried about me?' Ling Xiao's heart felt warm. He also gave up the pride of being a father and finally told Ling Lan everything.

Hearing this, Ling Lan seemingly began to think deeply. In reality, she was in her mindscape looking through all the rules and regulations Little Four had found regarding god-class mechas to try to find a loophole.

Li Lanfeng also began to think deeply about the situation. If he wanted Ling Lan to be safe, then General Ling Xiao must also be safe as well.

Ling Xiao was also thinking of how to perfectly resolve this issue. He didn't want to continue to waste his efforts and time on such trivial things, as he had more important things to do.

The room instantly became silent. Only Luo Lang was looking at the other three people in the room with a confused expression, but didn't dare to make a sound and disturb them.

The Federation had indeed written rules about how a god-class mecha must only be used by its owner. The operator and mecha were forbidden to be separated unless there was an external factor stopping them. This also clearly proved that god-class mechas were the strongest weapons of the nation and was forbidden to be used for self-interest. Ling Xiao had broken both of these rules, so his impeachment was expected.

However, this didn't mean that Ling Xiao would actually be impeached. If the First Marshal wanted to protect Ling Xiao, he still had his methods around it.

Ling Lan frowned as he looked at the rule that can only be invoked by the three marshals.

Desperate times called for desperate measures! If the First Marshal was willing to invoke this rule, then Ling Xiao would not have problems facing the law enforcement unit anymore.

"Dad, where does the First Marshal stand currently?" Ling Lan suddenly broke the silence and asked.

"He is not taking any sides." Ling Xiao was still frowning. The entire military had chosen to not speak about his issue. The Second Marshal's faction also chose to stay silent. After all, the Second Marshal owed him a favor. Ling Xiao originally thought the Third Marshal's faction would take this chance and make a move, but instead they were also silent. This was something he didn't expect would happen.

With the other two marshals being silent and the First Marshal's personality of planning first and executing later, they wouldn't reach a consensus that easily.

"Could they possibly have given up?" Ling Lan asked hesitantly. However, Ling Xiao understood what Ling Lan wanted to ask.

"Currently, that's not possible." Ling Xiao thought for a moment and gave this answer. Ling Xiao can still feel the care and protection form the First Marshal. Even if this care was slowly disappearing as he grew stronger, it still had not reached a point where the First Marshal would give up on him.

Ling Xiao was someone who knew to appreciate what others did for him. He cherished how the First Marshal cared for him in the past. This was why when he returned, he publicly stood under the First Marshal's faction.

Although he knew that this relationship with the First Marshal had some changes and couldn't return to when they completely trusted each other during their younger years, he still chose to continue to follow the First Marshal. He would follow the First Marshal until the he didn't need him anymore.

"But, they won't help either, right?" Ling Lan hit the nail on the coffin. Otherwise, as a general, Ling Xiao wouldn't become so disheveled from dealing with the law enforcement unit.

"Perhaps everyone's waiting to see who is willing to help me." Ling Xiao thoughts were even more intricate than Ling Lan.

"Understood" Ling Lan now understood why Ling Xiao was so passive recently. The reason the marshals didn't make any moves was to see just how much power Ling Xiao had control of. However, Ling Xiao would rather let himself become disheveled than exposing those working for him.

"However, if the situation continues like this, it wouldn't be beneficial for you father." The three marshals could endure it, but Ling Xiao couldn't. Once it entered the legal system, Ling Xiao must stop everything that he was doing. If the duration of this debacle was to reach three months, his job position would no longer be guaranteed. The 23rd Division that he worked so hard on would then be handed over to someone else.

"I understand. That's why I'm currently looking for a way to resolve this situation without getting into bigger problems." Ling Lan knew of this point and Ling Xiao knew of it even more. If it were to reach that point, then he would have to expose a portion of those working under him.

Li Lanfeng, who had been listening to Ling Lan and Ling Xiao's conversation, suddenly interjected, "Actually, it's not like General Ling Xiao doesn't have any chances to resolve this situation."

"How?" Ling Lan asked. Li Lanfeng always had many strategies in mind. Perhaps he managed to think of something that the two of them hadn't thought of.

"General Ling Xiao has a huge advantage that can be exploited," replied Li Lanfeng.

"Oh? I have an advantage?" Ling Xiao raised his eyebrows in astonishment. His confidants had determined that he was at a disadvantage in every aspect. He didn't think that a young Li Lanfeng would be able to say that he had an advantage somewhere. This made Ling Xiao became very curious of what Li Lanfeng would say..

"Yeah. General, did you forget? You are the Federation's idol." Li Lanfeng told Ling Xiao about what common soldier and citizens thought about him.

Ling Lan's eyes glimmered. "Apply for a public hearing."

"Public hearing? That is a big issue, let me think about it carefully." Ling Lan and Li Lanfeng's words provided Ling Xiao a new train of thought. He began to think about the benefits and disadvantages, and whether it was possible to conduct a public hearing.

"General, you definitely broke the rules. However, in the face of family values and outcomes of the battle, that would mean nothing," Li Lanfeng said proudly.

Ling Lan's eyes shined bright, while Ling Xiao frowned again when they heard that.

If he didn't apply for a public hearing, Ling Xiao would only be able to have an internal hearing. If the law enforcement unit insisted that he committed a crime, nothing he says would matter. However, a public hearing would make the law enforcement unit unable to control the situation that easily. As the idol of the citizens, Ling Xiao would receive a great number of supporters. If they also used these two points to fight against the convictions, it would be impossible for them to lose.

This way, Ling Xiao also didn't need to expose those who worked for him. Just himself would be enough.

In actuality, Ling Xiao didn't like to have his own private matters known to the public. This was why he didn't think of applying for a public hearing in the first place.

"However, if we do this, then you'll really be the person everyone will be talking about, Lan'er." Once the news that Ling Lan was his son becomes public knowledge, the chance of Ling Lan returning to being a female would be even lower. This plan didn't align with Ling Xiao's plans for Ling Lan and was also another reason why he was hesitant to publicly announce it.

"It may become more dangerous for our regiment commander, but it would also be an opportunity." As long as Ling Xiao was fine, no would dare to lay their hands on 250 Ace Mecha Clan.

In the end, Li Lanfeng still didn't give up on the hope that Ling Lan could remain in the military. Li Lanfeng wanted to use the power of the people to make everyone know of Ling Lan's sacrifices and identity. This would make the higher-ups in the military not dare to make any moves on Ling Lan. Once that happens, even if Ling Lan wouldn't be able to pilot a mecha because of his injuries, he would still be 250 Ace Mecha Clan's one and only regiment commander.

Everything that Li Lanfeng was doing now was for this reason.

Chapter 928 - Running Away From Home!

Ling Xiao's request for a public hearing shocked the entire military. Some people wanted to stop him but it was Ling Xiao's right to do it. Most people remained silent in this matter but that didn't mean that they supported the people who reprimanded Ling Xiao. Thus, under such circumstances, Ling Xiao's request was approved quickly. An exciting conference was going to occur in the Federation soon.

Just like what Li Lanfeng had expected, most of the citizens of the Federation had good feelings towards Ling Xiao. Besides those people that were jealous of him, most citizens couldn't accept the fact that the law enforcement unit reprimanded Ling Xiao.

The conference was held as planned. The entire Federation was watching the conference. Anyone that was free would enter the virtual world and witness the conference for themselves.

During the conference, the law enforcement department started reprimanding Ling Xiao righteously for his illegal behaviour. Then, they told the public that the mecha operator Ling Lan, whom they admired and respected, was actually the son of Ling Xiao. They used this point to prove that Ling Xiao had secretly sent his god-class mecha out to protect his son. Basically accusing him that everything he had done was for his personal gain.

He Xuyang was in charge of refuting the claims. He led his group of advisers and used the result approach to refute their claims. No matter what they claim, they should look at the results first. Did General Ling Xiao cause any anger or losses to the Federation due to his illegal actions?

The procurators were speechless when all the results were laid out before them. If it wasn't for the god-class mecha, the bases on Planet Haijiao would all be annihilated. The reinforcements would be in a dire position and the result would be the loss of close to 700 million soldiers. Of course, Ling Xiao's illegal act harmed one person, and that was his son, Lieutenant Colonel Ling Lan.

Very soon, Ling Lan's diagnosis was thrown out. His spiritual power was exhausted and his potential was at the negatives now. His body was injured badly and his physical condition was now at the lowest grade, G. These results meant that even if Ling Lan managed to recover, he wouldn't be able to go back to being an imperial operator anymore. He could at most become an advanced mecha warrior.

This diagnosis came from the hands of many experts and military doctors from the military hospital. The most advanced medical equipment was also used to scan Ling Lan's body to make sure that the results were true. (Little Four couldn't do anything to humans but he could easily handle the lowly medical equipment.)

Ling Xiao's actions saved 600 million soldiers but harmed his only son. It also caused the Federation to lose a potential god-class operator and also caused the idol of the Federation to lose his only heir. Could this be said as personal gain?

He Xuyang's questions caused the citizens' hearts to waver. That's right, if Ling Xiao did it for his personal gains, he could have asked Ling Lan to leave with the god-class mecha. Based on how powerful a god-class mecha was, Ling Lan could definitely escape from Planet Haijiao by himself. After that, Ling Lan would still have a bright future ahead of himself and Ling Xiao wouldn't have to be called to account for those crimes too.

However, Ling Lan used his own strength to defend the base during the battle on Planet Haijiao. He jumped and fought with the enemy for 20 minutes using a god-class mecha. He defended the base until reinforcements arrived, but one foot of his was in the grave now.

The citizens of the Federation thought about the news they had heard on Ling Lan's dire conditions (This was Li Lanfeng's doing. Little Four helped him a little too). This was enough to prove that Ling Lan was prepared to live or die with the base. If the reinforcements didn't come, Ling Lan would have died in battle.

The citizens were touched by Ling Lan's selfless actions. They couldn't control their emotions anymore, and they made their final decisions. They proclaimed Ling Xiao as innocent. The votes flooded the mainframe of the military, so much so it almost crashed the mainframe.

The support for Ling Xiao climbed higher and higher. More than 80% of the citizens supported Ling Xiao. The law enforcement department knew that they had failed. In the end, they lost to public opinion. Just like what Li Lanfeng had said, battles always emphasize on results. If the result was better than normal, the public would support and accept the decision. In addition to that, Ling Xiao had a good reputation among the public. With the help of Ling Lan's selfless act, Ling Xiao would never lose this public hearing.

Ling Xiao wasn't beaten in this crisis. Instead, his position in the hearts of the public rose greatly. This caused many higher authorities of the military to be on their guard against him.

However, Ling Lan didn't care about what happened after that. She was recovering well. But, she was unable to handle the care and concern from her mother anymore.

After Ling Lan got better, her mother changed her attention from her health to her love life. She was very interested in the two daughter-in-laws Ling Qin had told her about. She kept pestering Ling Lan and asked her to let her meet her daughters-in-law. Ling Lan was speechless. 'Was I too successful in disguising as a man? Did my mother forget that I'm a lady too?'

Lan Luofeng didn't forget about this. While Ling Xiao had his bottom line regarding the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, Lan Luofeng had no baseline. She would support any decision made by her daughter. Hence, even if her daughter was gay, she would support her too. If Ling Xiao didn't agree, Ling Lan didn't even need to persuade him. Lan Luofeng would do it for her.

Ling Lan told Lan Luofeng that she had no choice but to 'marry' the two ladies at that time. It wasn't real and she would solve this matter in the future. Lan Luofeng was disappointed so she started asking Ling Lan if she took a fancy on any men. Sometimes, she would even analyze the young officers in 250 Ace Mecha Clan along with Ling Nanyi and pick the one that was most suitable for her daughter. Ling Lan felt stressed by all these conversations. She was afraid that her mother would suddenly gift her a few men wrapped like presents in her bedroom one day.

'Let's hide from her!' In the face of the constant stress from Lan Luofeng, Ling Lan decided to pack her bags and run away from home.

"Ling Xiao, sob, our daughter sent us a message to say that she ran away from home." Lan Luofeng came to find Ling Xiao the moment she received the message.

Actually, Ling Lan had already told Ling Xiao that she wanted to run away from home. Ling Xiao was against the decision for any men to be matched with Ling Lan too. However, he didn't dare to reject his wife directly. Thus, he was happy when Ling Lan wanted to leave the house. He was afraid that one day, when he comes back from work, his daughter wouldn't be his anymore.

Thus, without reminding Lan Luofeng, Ling Lan sneaked out of the house with the help from Ling Xiao.

Chapter 929 - It Has A Hard Time

Planet Muyang was a small planet on the edge of the Federation. It was a third-rate planet but among all the third-rate planets, it was the worst in terms of economy, and status.

What hindered its development was its position away from the center of the Federation. It was also very small. Its size was one-tenth of a normal third-rate planet. There were less than 5 million residents on it. So, compared to the third-rate planets that had a billion residence, it was inconspicuous.

A third-rate planet was already lacking in resources. If those huge organizations in the Federation wanted to spend money to develop such a planet, they needed to see value in it. But, the small Planet Muyang didn't have any value at all. This was why it was not developed much.

However, this allowed Planet Muyang to maintain its natural appearance. It felt like a natural paradise. Many people were attracted by its natural sceneries. They would get sick of the modern city and come over the Planet Muyang to have a holiday for a few days. But, Planet Muyang couldn't be compared with the tourist destinations on other planets. Thus, there were not many real tourists on this planet in comparison.

Since there weren't many tourists, the residents of Planet Muyang had a hard time going out too. The port of Planet Muyang was small and old, so it could only handle small-sized starships. Of course, no big-sized starships would come to this broken-down place.

Therefore, there would only be one starship coming to Planet Muyang each week. It would come from the second-rate planet, Planet Moya, which was nearest to it.

One day, a small spacecraft came to the planet during the agreed time.

It was a small spacecraft that could carry a thousand people. Around 60 people walked down the spacecraft. One of them carried a simple bag and had a metal mask on her face. Her aura was gentle. She joined the tourists and walked out of the spaceport.

The spaceport was linked to the planet by an old shuttle. It got activated once a week just like the spacecraft. When the tourists got on this old shuttle, they would be frightened by the antiqueness of the thing. They were afraid that the old thing would break down in the middle of a flight.

However, the facilities and vehicles on Planet Muyang's port were well maintained even though they were old. The shuttle transported the tourists safely to Planet Muyang.

When the tourists walked out of the platform, they felt a cool breeze. Their surroundings were filled with rice fields. They could see low-rise buildings and wooden huts with a red roofs among the golden rice paddy. It was a rare sight.

They didn't expect the platform to be situated in the suburbs instead of the city. This unexpected arrangement made the tourist excited. They took out their cameras and started taking photos of this scenery.

A young person smiled when she saw this. She carried his bag and casually chose a path. Then, she walked there alone.

After walking for a while, the young person heard a timid voice, "Big brother, do you need a room?"

The young person was stunned. She looked back and saw a small little girl around 10 years old looking at her timidly. Her clothes were slightly old and there was a small boy around 5 years old beside her. The boy had an old and broken mecha model in his hands. He was looking at her curiously with big curious eyes.

"Isn't it time for school now?" The young person looked at the midday sun in the sky.

"Our family is poor so we can't pay for school fees. However, we will be able to afford my brother's school fees next year." The little girl noticed that the young person was amiable and gentle so she was less timid now. She smiled brightly at the young person.

"Isn't scout academy free?" The young person was puzzled.

"It's free but the lodging, clothes, and food needs money too. Poor families like us couldn't afford it." The little girl seemed used to the young man's puzzlement. Many tourists before this person were puzzled too. However, after she explained to them, they wouldn't have any more queries.

"Ah, sister, white, white…" The little boy shouted excitedly as he pointed to the young person.

A white circular creature suddenly popped up from the backpack of the young person. The round object had a pair of wide eyes that took up half of its body. It blinked and looked really cute.

"Little Yong, don't be impolite." The little girl hurriedly stopped her brother. She looked at the young person worriedly. She was afraid the person would get angry because of her brother's rash actions.

"You mean this?" The young person wasn't angry. Instead, she smiled and took the white circular creature down from the bag. She passed the white circular creature to the little boy. "Its name is Little White. It's my pet. You can say hi to it."

The little boy asked timidly, "Can I hug it?" In his many past experiences, tourists would appear nice at the start but they would suddenly turn angry and kick him. He got scared after a few times. He wondered if the young brother in front of him was willing to let him touch this cute and precious-looking pet.

"Of course. Little White, come and say hi." The young person beckoned at Little White.

Little White waved it tentacles cutely and the little boy hugged it excitedly. He stuffed his face into Little White's round body. He used so much force that Little White almost suffocated in the little boy's arms.

'Rawr! Can you throw away your broken mecha model? It's poking me!' Little White screamed in pain.

Little White wanted to cry. It was at the top of the food chain on Planet Juhao. Now, it became a cute pet used to coax little children. What a hard time it has!

The little girl saw Little White's pitiful and cute expression when her brother squeezed it. Little White didn't retaliate but its eyes were filled with tears, so she felt sad for Little White. She hurriedly stopped her brother and saved Little White from suffocation. She carried it in her arms and consoled it for a while, comforting its broken heart slightly.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Brother, if you need a room, my family can provide one for you. It's cleaner than the hotels here and it's cheap too." While the little girl was comforting Little White, she suddenly remembered her motive. She hurriedly passed Little White back to the young person.

"Brother, stay at our house. My mother can cook tasty food." The little boy thought about the good food he was going to eat when he went back and swallowed his saliva.

The young person tilted her head and thought for a moment. "How much for one night?" If the price was not bad, she would try it.

"900 Mu credits for one night. That is 100 Federation credits," the little girl smiled as she replied. She felt that she might be successful this time.

"Not bad. Let's take a look at your house then. If I don't like the environment, I'll not be staying." The young person smiled.

"Don't worry. You'll definitely be satisfied with my house." The little girl patted her chest confidently.

Chapter 930 - Small Injury!

This young person was Ling Lan. In the Ling family's house, a loyalist with a similar body structure and voice was used to disguise as Ling Lan. The loyalist pretended to be her and laid in the healing pod. Little Four also left a replica of him at the house to oversee the security of the house. Even if someone from the military headquarters came, they wouldn't be able to see past the disguise.

This time, Ling Lan just travelled based on luck. She would point to a location on the map casually and visit that place. She didn't expect herself to come to Planet Muyang. She didn't even know about this planet in the first place.

The little girl's house was in a small town. It was a little far from the platform so the little girl brought Ling Lan onto a hover bus. The bus travelled for an hour before reaching the little girl's house.

Just like what the little girl said, her house was small and the exterior was old but it was very clean. Many ornaments in the house were handmade. They were exquisite and pretty. Some were very cute too. Compared to the cold hotel rooms, this place felt much more homely.

Ling Lan was satisfied with what she saw. She gave the little girl 200 Federation credits. The rest of the money would be used to pay for her food.

Ling Lan didn't lack money. She could have given more to the poor family but she didn't want to break this fair deal between them. Treating them fairly was a form of respect too.

She tidied her luggage in her room. When she finished, she noticed that it was still early. She wanted to go to the town to take a walk. Suddenly, a little head popped out from the door. The little boy was looking at Little White longingly.

Along the way, Ling Lan found out what the names of the two children were. The little girl was called Liu Aihua while the little boy was called Liu Aijun. It was obvious that this family loved their country and the military. ('Hua' refers to Huaxia while 'Jun' refers to the army and Ai means love)

"Aijun, come in," Ling Lan smiled as she said.

Ling Lan's gentle and friendly manner won over Liu Aijun's trust. He hurriedly stepped inside Ling Lan's room.

"Brother Jiang Hui," Liu Aijun called Ling Lan. Ling Lan was using the name 'Jiang Hui' now. Little Four went to look up the Federation's database and found those people that liked to travel, would always disappear for one to two years, and had the same age as Ling Lan. Ling Lan was able to use any of their names.

Ling Lan looked at the broken mecha model in Liu Aijun's hands. She asked curiously, "You like mecha models?"

Liu Aijun nodded. "Yes, my father bought this for me. My father is a powerful mecha operator. I want to become a mecha operator in the future too." He took out the mecha model and started playing with it.

Ling Lan felt her heart pounding, as she hadn't seen the man of the family anywhere. "Where is your father?"

"He is protecting the country in a faraway place. He is a hero." Liu Aijun looked up with a proud face.

Ling Lan didn't expect herself to stay with the wife of a soldier. It was hard for a woman to bring up two children when the man was not at home. No wonder they needed to come out and look for ways to earn more money.

'No, the treatment of soldiers in the Federation is very good. The descendants of soldiers would be sent to schools and all their expenses would be deducted. These expenses include their living and food expenses.' Ling Lan remembered Liu Aihua saying that she was not able to go to school because their family couldn't afford the miscellaneous fees. They were currently working hard to earn the fees for Liu Aijun to enter school next year.

This meant that either Liu Aijun's father was not a soldier and his mother lied to him or the government on Planet Muyang took all the funds given to the soldiers' family. Ling Lan remembered the gentle but strong-willed woman she saw just now. She immediately denied the option that Liu Aijun's mother lied to her son.

'I didn't expect to meet such an interesting event on a random planet I came to.' Ling Lan's eyes turned cold. After experiencing the cruelness of the battlefield, Ling Lan couldn't bear to watch anyone treating a soldier unfairly. Undeniably, the actions of the government of Planet Muyang had angered Ling Lan.

However, Ling Lan wasn't going to solve this issue personally. She asked Little Four, who had similar thoughts as her, to collect all the evidence of corruption by the government of Planet Muyang. She planned to send this information to Li Lanfeng after she leaves Planet Muyang and let them handle this issue. This was a test she created for her friends.

Ling Lan made her decision and left Little White behind to play with Liu Aijun. She went to walk around the small town alone.

'Sob, my master abandoned me again' Little White laid on the table and cried. If it didn't agilely sneak into its master's backpack, its master would have left it behind at the Ling family's house. 'Why is it so difficult to be a pet?'

The town was small but it had everything she needed. However, the price was much higher than the other planets. Some of the necessary utilities were even twice as expensive. Ling Lan frowned again.

Planet Muyang was a primitive planet. However, there was a mecha maintenance shop here. Ling Lan walked into the shop curiously.

A young man was arranging some mecha components When he saw Ling Lan entering the shop, he stopped what he was doing and asked, "What would you like?"

"I'm just taking a look around," Ling Lan smiled.

The young man smiled and continued what he was doing.

"Brother Jiang Hui, what are you doing here?" Ling Lan suddenly heard a familiar voice. She looked up and saw Liu Aihua. She had changed into an old working attire and was waving to her from the entrance of the shop.

"Aihua, what are you doing here?" Ling Lan was surprised.

The young man heard Aihua talking to Ling Hua and turned vigilant. "Aihua, who is he?"

"He is staying at my house recently. His name is Brother Jiang Hui." Liu Aihua quickly introduced Ling Lan. "This is Brother Wang Qi. He is the son of the owner of this shop."

Ling Lan nodded at Wang Qi friendly. When she heard his name, she had guessed his identity. The name of this shop was called The Wang Shop.

Wang Qi let down his guard after hearing Liu Aihua's explanation and gave Ling Lan a smile.

Liu Aihua explained to Ling Lan, "I'm helping out with the maintenance of mecha components at this shop. Grandfather and Brother Wang Qi are good people. He allowed me to earn some money here."

Ling Lan nodded. 'It seems like the owner of this shop wanted to help Liu Aihua. If not, how can an 11-year-old little girl be able to find a job?'

"Little Aihua, who are you talking to?" A muscular middle-aged man walked out and patted Liu Aihua's head.

"I'm talking to my tenant. Also, Grandpa Wang, stop touching my hair," Liu Aihua said with frustration. She had just tied her hair up but it was in a mess now.

The middle-aged man looked at Ling Lan. His eyes shone brightly. "Young man, why did you come out and play when you're injured?" His eyes were sharp so he saw the bandages hidden under Ling Lan's clothes.

"Ah, Brother Jiang Hui, you're injured?" Aihua was dumbfounded as she asked in concern.

Ling Lan raised her hand and revealed the bandages beneath her leather gloves and clothes. She smiled. "It's just a small injury. It doesn't hurt anymore."

Chapter 931 - Underground Casino!

Ling Lan pointed to the mecha components and asked curiously, "There are people playing with mechas here too?"

Military mechas could only be maintained by the military in order to keep the technology a secret. As for the mechas of the elite families, the maintenance would be done by the mecha company that made them. Even if the company outsourced its maintenance services, they wouldn't look for a small shop like The Wang Shop. Hence, the customers of The Wang Shop could only be ordinary people who used normal mechas that had no weapons on them.

Grandpa Wang smiled but didn't reply to her. On the other hand, Wang Qi replied without any hesitation, "There is an underground casino where people will fight using mechas. Those people like to send their mechas to us to modify them."

Grandpa Wang shook his head slightly and sighed when he saw his grandson replying to the customer truthfully.

"There is an underground mecha arena?" Ling Lan raised one of her eyebrows. She didn't expect this calm and peaceful-looking planet to have such an advanced mecha casino. Normally, this kind of casino only existed in prosperous planets.

"Of course. If you can become the champion on Planet Muyang, you'll be able to go to the mecha arena on Mai'er Fa." Wang Qi had a yearning look when he talked about Mai'er Fa. It seemed like he wanted to visit the most famous gambling planet of the human race.

Mai'er Fa was an independent planet at the edge of human society. It was a prosperous planet that only runs gambling businesses. The most famous casino there was the mecha arena. There were all kinds of mecha operators there, from the lowest level to the highest level of imperial operators. These mecha operators were exiled. They didn't belong to any countries and no countries welcomed them. Hence, they could only go to these no man's lands.

Hundreds of millions of gamblers would come to Mai'er Fa every day. This was the holy ground for all gamblers. As long as they managed to get onto Mai'er Fa, their lives would be much better. The commission for a match was enough for them to live comfortably for two to three years. Even if they died accidentally in the arena, the pension was enough for their families to have a good life.

The natural pressure of life caused a certain portion of poor citizens to choose this dangerous path. Some people also took the risk to become mercenaries there. They all wanted to give their families a better life. In order to achieve this, they were willing to risk their lives.

"What are you talking about? Do your work." Grandpa Wang's expression changed when he heard his grandson talking about Mai'er Fa.

Ling Lan seemed to understand something from the reaction of two people in front of her. She didn't stay at the shop any longer. She promptly arranged a time with Liu Aihua to go back together and continued walking around the old streets.

When the sun was about to set, Ling Lan returned to the mecha shop and went home with Liu Aihua. The moment she entered the house, a round white ball pounced on her.

Ling Lan caught it. Little White had tears in his eyes as he looked at her petulantly.

"Master, how can you throw me here like this? You're so heartless," Little White complained.

"Didn't I find a toy for you," Ling Lan replied irresponsibly.

"Rawr…" Little White shouted angrily. 'Aren't I the little boy's toy instead? I almost got ruined after he played with me.'

"Fine, fine. I'll bring you out next time. I know that you're very obedient," Ling Lan comforted Little White.

"Rawr!" Little White hugged its face with its tentacles shyly. 'My master praised me for being obedient. I'm so happy.' If it could shake its butt or if it did have a butt, Little White would definitely shake it to display his happiness.

Thus, the stupid Little White got consoled by Ling Lan's insincere words. It didn't mind that it became the toy of a little child.

"Sister, you're back. Brother Jiang Hui, my mother cooked a lot of good food. We're waiting for you to eat together." Liu Aijun swallowed his saliva. No wonder he was waiting at the entrance. He was too hungry so he was waiting for Ling Lan to come back quickly so that they could eat dinner.

"Let's go and have dinner then. I'm hungry after walking around for the entire afternoon." Ling Lan wouldn't disappoint this little boy.

After they walked into the small dining room, they saw a sumptuous dinner laid out on the small dining table. The mother of the siblings wanted to bring Ling Lan's food into her room but Ling Lan rejected her offer. She told Mother Liu that she wanted to enjoy home-cooked food together with everyone as she had been away from home for a long time and wanted to experience the feeling of eating as a family.

The manners of the Liu family was good. Before Ling Lan sat down, Liu Aijun and Liu Aihua stood at the side and waited for her. They only sat down excitedly after Ling Lan called them over.

Liu Aijun was still young so he didn't know how to hide his desire. He looked at Ling Lan with clear anticipation in his eyes. The moment she started eating, he would be able to eat too.

Mother Liu saw this and scolded him. "Aijun, don't be rude."

Liu Aijun was sad. He lowered his head in sadness. If he didn't take Ling Lan as his real family, he wouldn't have displayed such emotions. It had to be said that the aura on Ling Lan was too gentle and calm, so Liu Aijun and Liu Aihua had lowered their guards around her.

"Aunt Liu, if you still think of me as a guest, I'll not stay here anymore." Ling Lan pretended to be unhappy. She took a piece of meat and placed it in Liu Aijun's bowl. "Aijun, let's eat together. Let's not care about your mother." She winked at Liu Aijun as though they were friendly relatives. Liu Aijun instantly smiled brightly.

"You too, Aihua." Ling Lan didn't forget the little girl. This little girl went out to work at a very young age in order to lessen her family's burden, so Ling Lan felt pity for her.

"Thank you, Brother Jiang Hui." Liu Aihua still thanked Ling Lan. This showed how deep their teachings were. Their manners were not just for display. It had already become their habit. Ling Lan lowered her head when she was eating and hid the puzzlement in her gaze.

Mother Liu smiled when she saw the three people becoming more harmonious, and the gloominess in her eye slowly dissipated.

For the next few days, Ling Lan traveled further around Planet Muyang with the hover buses. However, she would always come back before dusk. Grandpa Wang wasn't as vigilant towards Ling Lan now. He was willing to tell her some interesting things on Planet Muyang. It attracted Wang Qi and Liu Aihua's interest too so they would always carry their chairs and listen at the side.

Chapter 932 - Traces!

One day, Ling Lan came to The Wang Shop again.

The door of the shop was pulled down, leaving only a gap of 50cm.

Ling Lan bent down and walked in. There was no one in the shop. Ling Lan immediately walked towards the back of the shop without any hesitation.

There was a huge warehouse behind the shop. This was the workspace for The Wang Shop. Different from the usual casual atmosphere of the shop, there were many strangers in the workspace, making the scene quite bustling.

Grandpa Wang and Wang Qi squatted beside a mecha that was laid on the ground and seemed very busy. Little Aihua sat on one corner and focused on lubricating the new mecha components in front of her. She didn't realize that Ling Lan was here. During the past few days, Aihua would be waiting in the shop or sitting beside Grandpa Wang while listening to his stories.

The strangers heard some noises and turned around. When they saw Ling Lan, they were immediately on their guard. Grandpa Wang looked up and saw Ling Lan too. He smiled. "Jiang Hui, you're here. We're busy at the moment. You might have to wait a while for Little Aihua."

The strangers relaxed a little when they heard Grandpa Wang greeting Ling Lan.

Ling Lan nodded and sat beside Little Aihua. She watched as Little Aihua wiped the components skillfully.

Ling Lan was familiar with the maintenance of mechas. She realized that Little Aihua's technique was the standard technique used in the military. It wasn't some random technique learned from outside. This meant that the person who taught Little Aihua had been in the military before.

Ling Lan knew that Grandpa Wang was the one who taught Wang Qi and Little Aihua about mecha maintenance. Thus, Grandpa Wang had to be an outstanding logistician in the military once. With such skills, he would at least be a team leader even if he didn't have a high position in the military. His benefits from the military must be good. He would have a better life in the military if he didn't come to Planet Muyang and open a small mecha shop.

'Why was Grandpa Wang willing to give up the good life in the military and come to a primitive planet like Planet Muyang after he retired?' Without even asking, Ling Lan knew that Grandpa Wang was a man filled with stories and secrets. However, she was not interested in it.

Unfortunately, Little Four was interested. Hence, when he was searching for evidence of the corruption of the government on Planet Muyang, he did some research on Grandpa Wang too. He told himself that he was helping Boss to clear any potential dangers around him.

The name Grandpa Wang used on Planet Muyang was called Wang Baozhuang. He came to Planet Muyang 15 years ago. He was not a native.

Little Four was unable to find where Wang Baozhuang and Wang Qi came from. This made him even more curious about them. Someone was obviously trying to clean up Wang Baozhuang's past history.

But, no matter how powerful a hacker was, Little Four would be able to find traces of his doings. Very soon, Little Four found the information that was deleted. He realized that Wang Baozhuang's real name was Luo Yi. Luo Yi stayed in the 3rd Division from when he was 20 years old to 60 years old. 15 years ago, he suddenly applied to leave the army and then disappeared after that.

Luo Yi never got married. He had no descendants. That meant that Wang Qi was not his grandson. As for the person who cleared his traces, Little Four only managed to know that it was a high-ranking officer who was currently in the 3rd division. There was a lack of information so he wasn't able to find out who he was at this moment.

Little Four followed the clue of this high-ranking officer and realized that traces of Liu Aijun and Liu Aihua's father was cleared too. Little Four traced the information all the way back to the 3rd division and realized that their father was said to have died on the battlefield. However, there was something amiss. Why did they need to clear the details of someone who had died?

Ling Lan agreed with Little Four's analysis. Normally, people would only clear the traces of someone who was alive so that he wouldn't be found by anyone.

However, this could explain why Liu Aijun and Liu Aihua were not taken care of by the government. Their father's name was not in the military record so they weren't able to enjoy the benefits of being the family of a soldier.

Even if Mother Liu went to the government to ask for it, the government wouldn't believe her. They might think that Father Liu became a mercenary and fooled his family by saying that he went to the military.

Of course, Ling Lan had a wild thought that Liu Aijun and Liu Aihua were the children of her team leader, Liu Furong. Based on their age, it was highly likely. However, Liu Aihua told her that her father was called Liu Aiguo. So, this guess was just her being too paranoid.

After working for an hour, Wang Baozhuang finally finished his work. A man around 30 years old, who had been waiting at the side all these while, quickly enter the cockpit. The mecha sat up and performed some simple actions.

"Uncle Wang, this is exactly what I wanted. Thank you." The person's voice came from the mecha. It was filled with excitement.

"It's not finished yet. The components had to be taken down and inspected again. If there are flaws, we need to change it. If not, we'll need to lubricate it too." Wang Baozhuang took a piece of cloth and wiped himself.

"I'll pass the rest to you. When can I take this mecha back?"

"You can take it the day after tomorrow. It won't affect your mecha competition," Wang Baozhuang knew that these people earned money through this so he immediately replied to them.

"Fine. Thank you, Uncle Wang," the young man said politely.

"Yes, Uncles Wang. I heard that there is an advanced mecha warrior who came from some planet. He has already defeated many strong mecha operators from Planet Muyang. Brother Min is under huge pressure now," a younger man beside the young man said with a dark face.

"Since you decided to take part in the gamble, you'll have to face this day sooner or later. Also, if you want to go Mai'er Fa, you must defeat the mecha operators from other planets. If not, Mai'er Fa won't give you any chances." Uncle Wang sighed. He looked at the young man who came down from the cockpit. "Little Min, why can't you find a stable job? You're not young anymore."

"Uncle Liu said that if a man can't go to the military, he should become a mercenary and widen his perspective of the world. This is the only way one won't waste his life. If I didn't need to take care of my mother, I would have become a mercenary." The young man smiled gently. His eyes were filled with confidence. "Now it's okay if I can't become a mercenary. I can take part in underground gambles to take care of my mother. One day, I'll bring my mother to Mai'er Fa and let her live a good life."

Uncle Wang looked at Little Min's hopeful eyes and shook his head slightly. He couldn't bear to tell him that an advanced mecha warrior wasn't able to survive in Mai'er Fa. That year… forget it. Everyone has the right to choose their own future. He had no right to reprimand him.

Very soon, everyone left the shop. Little Aihua finished her work and left with Ling Lan after bidding farewell to Grandpa Wang and Wang Qi.