Chapter 26: Association
Lan Ze shook his head. “There are surveillance recordings on the starship that can prove I was on Garbage Planet 1347 the entire time after boarding. The spaceport also has records of Pete boarding the ship to Planet Cangnan. He disappeared on Planet Cangnan, which has absolutely nothing to do with me.”
Yan Mo sighed in relief. “That’s good to hear.”
Lan Ze thought for a moment, deciding it was best to mentally prepare Yan Mo. He continued, “However, since I am currently the primary suspect, they might lock me up for a few days to cooperate with the investigation.”
“What?”
Yan Mo grew immediately anxious. On what grounds? Why did ‘cooperating with an investigation’ require Lan Ze to be locked up?
Yan Mo had learned enough over the past few days to know exactly what kind of place the Male Protection Association was. How could he possibly let Lan Ze face a place like that alone? Who knew if they would resort to extrajudicial torture?
Lan Ze patted Yan Mo’s shoulder reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. I’m just going to cooperate with the investigation. They don’t have the evidence to convict me, so they can’t actually do anything to me. Just be good and wait for me at home. If anything happens, contact my Female Father. I will be back in a few days.”
Yan Mo frowned, fiercely rejecting Lan Ze’s request. There was no way he was going to let Lan Ze face the Male Protection Association by himself.
Efa Star Spaceport.
The Male Protection Association had already dispatched several enforcement officers to wait at the spaceport.
There were three primary officials leading the group; the one standing at the very front was a Male, while those following behind him were all Females.
The Male had a sharp, triangular face and a habit of looking at people sideways, constantly projecting an aura of overbearing arrogance.
After waiting for a while, he began to lose his patience.
Noticing his irritation, a Female official standing nearby—clearly holding a leadership position himself—quickly offered a fawning, apologetic smile. “Lord Xin Feng, we don’t know exactly when the starship will arrive. Why don’t you head back and rest? As soon as Major General Lan Ze lands, we will immediately bring him back to the Association to await your interrogation.”
Xin Feng rolled his eyes dramatically, glancing over at a squad of Military Females standing in formation on the other side of the docking bay.
“No. This matter is too important. I need to keep a personal eye on things. If someone intercepts him, how am I supposed to explain it to the higher-ups at the Association?”
The Military Females, all wearing the insignia of the Fourth Army, stood tall and rigid like statues. They stared straight ahead, completely ignoring the “Lord’s” thinly veiled accusations.
Standing at the very front of the squad was Adjutant He Qiu, Admiral Lan Hechen’s right-hand man. Adjutant He maintained a warm, pleasant smile on his face; not even a muscle twitched in response to Xin Feng’s provocations.
Having his passive-aggressive jabs met with utter silence, Xin Feng pouted in humiliation. Seeking an outlet for his frustration, he directed his anger at the spaceport’s civilian staff.
“Exactly how much longer is it going to take? Is this how the spaceport operates?”
The spaceport official assigned to host them frantically wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and offered a trembling smile. “My Lord, the itinerary data transmitted from Planet 1347 indicates they will arrive at Efa Star in half an hour. We have prepared some tea and pastries; please, do have a taste.”
Half an hour later.
Lan Ze, holding Yan Mo’s hand, descended the ramp of the starship.
Seeing the Male Protection Association officials and the Fourth Army soldiers waiting at the docks, Yan Mo instinctively squeezed Lan Ze’s hand tighter.
Lan Ze offered Yan Mo a comforting smile and guided him directly toward He Qiu.
“Adjutant He.”
He Qiu nodded respectfully in greeting.
He then turned his gaze to Yan Mo. “Lord Yan Mo, it is a pleasure to meet you again.”
Yan Mo had seen He Qiu once before during that bizarre “matchmaking assembly” at the hospital. He had been standing right next to Admiral Lan Hechen—so he was the Admiral’s adjutant.
Lan Ze asked, “Did my Female Father have any instructions?”
He Qiu looked at Lan Ze, speaking in a warm tone that made Lan Hechen’s normally harsh, unforgiving words sound like a gentle spring breeze. “The Admiral said that you acted far too recklessly this time. He expects you to resolve the consequences yourself. He sent me here to escort Lord Yan Mo back home.”
Adjutant He had grown up alongside Admiral Lan Hechen and eventually became his most trusted subordinate. He was the one Female that both father and son trusted implicitly. Knowing that Adjutant He was here to collect Lord Yan Mo, Lan Ze finally felt at ease.
However, Yan Mo had no intention of leaving with He Qiu. Just as he opened his mouth to refuse, a sharp, grating voice cut into the conversation.
“I believe, gentlemen, that this is hardly the time for a heartwarming reunion.”
Xin Feng was furious at being ignored. He had been forced into his current posting, sent to the remote Efa Star to manage the local branch of the Male Protection Association against his will.
Who could have predicted that Efa Star would be overflowing with crude, lawless Military Females who held absolutely zero respect for the Male Protection Association?
Hearing that the offending Female this time was actually a Major General of the Fourth Army, Xin Feng offered a spiteful, vicious sneer.
He had finally found his perfect opportunity. He was going to thoroughly discipline this wretched Female and establish dominance over every single insubordinate soldier on Efa Star.
“Lan Ze, Major General of the Fourth Army, you are suspected of plotting to harm a Male. Arrest him immediately!”
At Xin Feng’s command, two Females stepped forward from behind him. One of them, holding a pair of heavy shackles, advanced toward Lan Ze.
Yan Mo’s expression darkened instantly. He stepped squarely in front of Lan Ze, blocking their path.
“Hold on. You need evidence before you start making accusations. Ever since Lan Ze boarded the starship to Planet 1347, he has been with me the entire time. When exactly did he ‘plot to harm a Male’?”
Xin Feng looked at Yan Mo with undisguised contempt. This defective, low-level Male was actually defending these crude Females.
“Who do you think you are? Do not interfere with the official business of the Male Protection Association! Get lost!”
Yan Mo stared back at Xin Feng with icy eyes. “Without evidence, you arbitrarily arrest Females. So this is how the so-called Male Protection Association handles its business? In that case, according to your rules, Lan Ze is my future Female Monarch. If you want to take him away, you must first ask if I agree!”
“You…”
Xin Feng was trembling with rage. Xie Dun, the president of the local branch standing next to him, quickly interjected, plastering a placating smile on his face. “Lord Yan Mo, please do not be angry. Major General Lan Ze is suspected of harming Lord Pete. Although you can testify that he was with you the entire time, the fact remains that he threatened Lord Pete before boarding the ship. We ask that you allow us to bring him back to the Association to cooperate with our investigation!”
Yan Mo asked coldly, “Has Lan Ze already been convicted of a crime?”
Xie Dun wiped his brow nervously. “N-not yet.”
“Then why does ‘cooperating with an investigation’ require him to wear shackles?”
“…”
Yan Mo continued, “I was the one who traveled with Lan Ze to Planet 1347, and I was the one who had the final conflict with Pete. I will accompany Lan Ze to the Male Protection Association for the investigation. Why don’t you go ahead and put a pair of shackles on me, too?”
“My Lord!”
Lan Ze cried out in alarm. How could Yan Mo possibly go to a place like that with him?
Ignoring Lan Ze’s protests, Yan Mo stared defiantly at the Female holding the shackles.
Xie Dun was practically sweating buckets. How could he possibly dare to put shackles on a noble Male Lord?
If he slapped those cuffs on him, the Star Net would practically explode five seconds later.
If that happened, he wouldn’t just lose his position as President of the Efa Star branch to his Vice President, Xin Feng; he would probably have to pack his bags and prepare for a permanent vacation on a garbage planet!
In truth, since they only needed Major General Lan Ze to cooperate with the investigation, as long as he didn’t resist, mandatory shackling wasn’t required by protocol. But even though Xin Feng was only the Vice President, his status as a Male meant that Xie Dun usually had to defer to his demands.
Xie Dun shot an agonizing look toward Xin Feng.
Xin Feng’s expression was incredibly ugly. He knew that with Yan Mo standing there, he had no chance of getting the shackles onto Lan Ze today.
Although the Male Protection Association hadn’t yet released the details of Pete’s disappearance to the public, meaning the Star Net was unaware that Lan Ze was the prime suspect, Lan Ze was still the youngest Major General of the Fourth Army. He was an idol to countless Females, and media drones who had caught wind of the situation had already rushed to the spaceport.
Xin Feng glared at the small camera drones hovering in the air.
He sneered coldly. “Since Lord Yan Mo is volunteering to cooperate with the investigation, you may both come along.”
He couldn’t do anything to them out here in public, but once they were dragged back to the Male Protection Association’s headquarters, he would be the one calling all the shots!
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