Chapter 6: Major General Lan Ze
Such behavior naturally drew the ire of the Males. Lan Ze had been the subject of numerous complaints, and the Male Protection Association had caused him plenty of trouble to save face for the Lords.
However, Lan Ze was a brilliant soldier with a legendary record on the battlefield; merely rejecting a Male wasn’t enough to charge him with a crime.
Nevertheless, many Zerg felt Lan Ze was being ungrateful. His reputation among the noble Males was terrible, and none were willing to take such a “difficult” Female as their Monarch.
None of this bothered Lan Ze, but as his mental pollution worsened, Lan Hechen began to worry for his son.
If Lan Ze didn’t find a Male to soothe his mental domain soon, he would die in a mental riot. This was why the Admiral had insisted on securing the guardianship of Yan Mo.
Lan Ze walked out of his father’s office, his face as cold as ice. An adjutant waiting outside nodded to him.
“Major General, the Admiral is very worried about your mental condition.”
Lan Ze stiffened for a moment. He had just had a massive row with his father.
“A mental riot is better than wagging my tail for a Male,” Lan Ze replied coldly.
The adjutant was silenced. He knew Lan Ze had his pride.
He was both a subordinate and a friend to Lan Hechen; he had been the Admiral’s adjutant since the latter was a Major. He had witnessed Lan Hechen marry Lan Zeās Male Father and give birth to Lan Ze just to stave off a mental riot.
As a Military Female himself, he understood the agony of mental riots. He knew Lan Hechen only wanted to save his son from that suffering.
Lan Ze was a rare S-rank Female. In the entire galaxy, very few were S-rank at their first differentiation. The stronger he was, the greater the pain of the mental riots.
If he refused to bond with a Male and obtain pheromones, it was only a matter of time before he died.
Lan Ze likely understood his father’s intentions. But since he was old enough to remember, he had watched his Male Father whip and berate his Female Father with a barbed lash.
Everything his Male Father hadāhis wealth and honorācame from his Female Father, yet he gave nothing in return but abuse and violence.
If the price of survival was to be ground into the dust before a Male like his father was, Lan Ze would rather die on the battlefield than under the whip of a stupid, tyrannical Male.
The adjutant sighed, wishing he could mend the rift between father and son but not knowing where to start.
“Lord Yan Mo has been delivered to your residence,” he added. “The registration with the Association is complete. Itās a done deal. You should head back and meet him.”
The chill on Lan Zeās face deepened.
“Perhaps Lord Yan Mo will be different,” the adjutant urged. “Lan Ze, maybe you could have some hope.”
After all, based on his behavior so far, Yan Mo was a rare, gentle-tempered Male. Lan Ze offered no reply, turning and walking away in silence.
Back at the villa, Yan Mo stared at the nutrient solution Xiao Yuan had brought him. He had tried this stuff before; the taste was as offensive as fermented bean juice.
Yet it seemed most Zerg lived on it. It was efficient and provided an immediate energy boostāthe perfect food for soldiers.
After the Great Radiation, natural ingredients had become incredibly rare and expensive; only noble Males typically enjoyed cooked meals.
Lan Ze lived on nutrient solutions, so the fridge was full of nothing else.
Yan Mo raised the cup several times, only to put it back down. His stomach growled in protest.
Grititng his teeth, he held his breath and downed the solution in one go. A foul aftertaste lingered, but the effect was instantāhe felt full almost immediately.
After rinsing his mouth with water, he opened the Star Net and ordered a batch of ingredients. He couldn’t survive on that sludge forever.
Once he had solved the food problem, he spent some time wandering the villa. He might be living here for a while, so he wanted to familiarize himself with the layout.
By the time he had mapped the place out, Lan Ze still hadn’t returned. Yan Mo let out a breath of relief.
It seemed the Major General wasn’t coming back today, which was fine by him; he wasn’t ready for their meeting either. He washed up and fell asleep soon after.
Three days passed, and Yan Mo had explored every corner of the villa. His initial nervousness about living with Lan Ze had faded.
Meanwhile, at the Fourth Army camp, Saiensi stepped out of a training pod. He was drenched in sweat from a physical drill, his high-level pheromones radiating from his muscles.
Lower-ranked Females in the room paled under the pressure, while those of a similar rank felt their fighting spirit flare.
Saiensi ignored them, looking toward another pod. Inside was a soldier with hair as bright as platinum and eyes like ice. Lan Ze was undergoing a combat simulation.
On the external screen, his power and speed data were skyrocketing. The simulation featured a high-level interstellar beast. An A-rank Female like Saiensi would have struggled for a while, but Lan Zeās movements were clinical and decisive.
He moved so fast he left an afterimage, his hand piercing through the beast’s armor like it was tofu. The beast collapsed.
The pod opened, and Lan Ze stepped out, his powerful aura making those nearby feel oppressed. He glanced at Saiensi.
“I heard Lord Yan Mo chose you as his guardian,” Saiensi teased, patting Lan Zeās shoulder. “Why are you still here doing drills instead of accompanying the noble Lord?”
Lan Ze brushed the hand off and walked away.
“Oh? And who was it a few days ago who said they didn’t care about the Lord, only to secretly apply for guardianship?”
“I didn’t apply,” Lan Ze said coldly.
Saiensi paused. Realizing Lan Ze wasn’t faking his annoyance, he thought of Admiral Lan Hechen. “Ah, the Admiral? Well, you did rescue him; you had priority.”
He could see Lan Ze was furious about the forced decision.
“Don’t be too angry. The Admiral only wants whatās best for you. Unless the Lord agrees to dissolve the guardianship, youāll likely have to marry him once he differentiates. You should go see him. They say heās gentle, but if the rumors are wrong and you keep ignoring him, he could report you to the Association.”
If that happened, Lan Ze would be in for a nightmare. The Associationās disciplinary rooms were a horror story for every Female.
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