Chapter 8: The Consul
A strange expression appeared on Han Naijin’s face, but it vanished in an instant. The corners of his mouth curved slightly as he walked toward the main building.
Bai Mu turned his head slightly to watch that tall, powerful silhouette until it disappeared among the buildings.
The eavesdropping device was successfully planted. This was another step forward in his plan. He should have been happy, but a strange, unspeakable emotion rose in his heart—perhaps guilt, but it was more than that.
Bai Mu sat on the bench for a while longer before returning to his room. He sat on the sofa and immediately had Xiao Piao project a virtual screen. After inputting several strings of code, a static sound reached his ears. Bai Mu’s usually cold face showed a hint of a smile; the bug was working.
Bai Mu took a nutrient solution and listened carefully to the movements through the bug. Soon, he heard the sound of a chair scraping against the floor, followed by a knock on a door.
A crisp, professional voice spoke: “Consul, here is your schedule for this morning. At 7:30, you will discuss solutions for the government budget deficit with financial officials. At 10:00, you have a hearing for the integrity legislation. At 11:00, you will participate in a consultation meeting on road and bridge planning. This is the preliminary proposal just submitted regarding continued investment in education. Parliament hopes you will review it as soon as possible and provide a response…”
Before the person could finish, another knock sounded. “Will you be seeing the Foreign Minister of the Osolon Free City today?”
“I’ve noted the schedule. I’ll review the education proposal as soon as possible. Schedule the Foreign Minister for the afternoon or tomorrow.”
As the Consul, Han Naijin’s voice was low and serious—nothing like his usual lazy self. Just hearing the voice conveyed a sense of pressure that made one not dare to be negligent.
And so, Bai Mu remotely “participated” in three government meetings and heard Han Naijin review two education proposals. Furthermore, the door to the Consul’s office was knocked on countless times. Bai Mu estimated that at least twenty people entered and exited his office. He had brief exchanges with each person lasting no more than three minutes, covering defense, religion, technology, and justice. Despite the complexity of the affairs, Han Naijin always managed to find the key issues, sometimes striking the heart of the matter with just a single sentence.
Perhaps because Han Naijin always presented a lazy and casual image before him, Bai Mu had never associated him with the supreme ruler of a city-state. He had even thought the Consul was just a figurehead with no real power. But after this monitoring session, he no longer thought so.
This young Consul was very familiar with handling government affairs. Whether it was dealing with the difficulties or laziness of parliament members, his methods of pressure, warnings, and checks and balances were used with ease. He didn’t seem like a newcomer to politics at all, but rather a cunning politician who had been in the game for years.
Furthermore, all the opinions he proposed were practical, reliable, and for the benefit of the people. It was clear he truly cared about this city-state.
Bai Mu continued to listen until the sound of footsteps slowed down. Then, a long exhale came through—sounding like a stretch. He guessed Han Naijin was finally able to rest for a bit.
Spending a morning like that must be exhausting. Even just listening made Bai Mu feel mentally drained. He didn’t understand—though he had only met Han Naijin a few times, he never felt Han Naijin was the type to covet power. Why did he want to be the Consul?
Bai Mu checked the time. The morning had slipped away, and aside from realizing being a Consul wasn’t easy, he hadn’t gained any information useful to himself.
After a moment of silence, more voices came through. He heard someone asking Han Naijin to go to the dining hall. Soon, the background noise became loud; even on the way to the dining hall, Han Naijin was still discussing government affairs with someone.
The bug was made of poor materials, and sharp static was constantly present. Long-term monitoring had begun to make Bai Mu’s ears ring. He let out a sigh, thinking he might not get the information he wanted today. If things continued like this, he wouldn’t even be able to hear it if they actually mentioned mechas.
Besides, at the dining hall, the Consul should at least be allowed a peaceful meal. Bai Mu raised a hand to pause the monitoring program, but just then, a light computer notification sound rang out. His hand froze in mid-air. Then, he heard Han Naijin’s voice again.
“Hello, Chief Master Tang. How is it? Have you found a solution?”
Bai Mu couldn’t hear the response. He only heard Han Naijin speak again after a brief pause: “Still nothing? It’s been five days.”
Han Naijin’s tone seemed to hold anxiety and displeasure. Bai Mu instinctively felt this was an important matter, so he focused his mind to listen intently. There was a long silence on Han Naijin’s end, likely listening to the explanation on the other side. Then, Bai Mu heard a light sigh: “I understand. Let’s leave it at that. I’ll go to the mecha base this afternoon.”
The surprise came so quickly!
Bai Mu was dazed for a moment. Those few words had more impact than everything he had heard all morning combined.
Though he didn’t know what had happened, if they hadn’t found a solution in five days, it must be a difficult problem.
Bai Mu continued to listen. He heard Han Naijin telling others to postpone the afternoon’s affairs as he was heading to the mecha base. Soon, the bug only emitted static again. He knew Han Naijin must have already left for the base and was out of range.
However, he had already obtained the information he wanted.
The virtual screen retracted. Bai Mu watched Xiao Piao fly toward a corner by the window while his mind calculated.
With a light mecha’s energy reserves, long-distance interstellar travel was impossible, but reaching a nearby asteroid was feasible. Once Xiao Piao was recharged, he would find a city-state on a nearby asteroid to settle in. He would shake off the mercenary and avoid the Imperial agents. Then, he would earn some money, get a fake identity, and live in a neutral nation for a while. He would take the chance to observe the Imperial military’s movements before making his next plan.
Bai Mu made up his mind, and his heart calmed. What he needed to do now was still… wait.
It was already late at night, but Bai Mu hadn’t gone to sleep yet. Instead, he sat on the sofa, listening carefully to the sounds in the building. It was past midnight when he finally heard the sound of people moving.
Bai Mu’s spirit was stirred—the Consul was back.
He went to the door and quietly opened it, just in time to see a few figures going up the stairs. He spotted Han Naijin among them. Han Naijin was saying something to several people, likely about tomorrow’s schedule. He faintly heard the words “mecha base.”
The sound of footsteps vanished. After waiting a bit longer, Bai Mu left his room and went up the stairs to the second floor, reaching the door to Han Naijin’s room.
The door wasn’t closed. Bai Mu was about to knock, but in the blink of an eye, the bathroom door opened. Han Naijin walked out, wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers. Water droplets were still clinging to his body as he rubbed his hair with a towel.
Han Naijin: “…”
Bai Mu: “…”
The air suddenly went dead silent. Bai Mu was still holding his hand in a fist against the door. Their expressions were surprisingly similar—both were awkward with a hint of confusion, staring at each other.
Before him was an incredibly masculine body. Han Naijin was tall, powerful, and long-legged. His muscles were tight and strong but not overly bulky. He radiated pheromones and hormones. Even more “fatal” were the two mermaid lines disappearing into the black waistband of his boxers and the… quite impressive object beneath the fabric…
The scene was too high-impact. Bai Mu felt a wave of dizziness. This stimulation—to put it inappropriately—was no less intense than the moment the particle beam pierced his eyes.
From the moment Han Naijin went upstairs to the moment he found him, it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes. In such a short time, Han Naijin had already showered and just happened to step out.
A faint blush appeared on Han Naijin’s face. It was hard to notice because of his tanned skin; if it were Bai Mu’s fair skin, it would have been obvious.
However, the always-composed Consul couldn’t possibly lose face in front of an Omega. So, Han Naijin acted like a rooster, puffing his chest and tilting his head. “Well? I have a good body, don’t I!”
Bai Mu: “…”
After saying that, the “rooster” strode past him and quickly grabbed a bathrobe from the sofa, throwing it on.
The bathrobe was draped casually, revealing a large portion of his chest, but he didn’t care. He tilted his chin toward Bai Mu, signaling for him to enter.
Bai Mu stepped into the room. Usually, the cool and composed Chief Mecha Master would have been fine, but he actually tripped over his own feet. Fortunately, Han Naijin had just turned around and didn’t notice. Bai Mu walked to the desk and stood still. Perhaps the “heat” from that earlier scene hadn’t faded yet, because his mind went completely blank. Every word he had prepared and rehearsed was gone.
At that moment, Han Naijin also walked toward the desk. His narrow eyes squinted slightly, his gaze unreadable. He closed in on Bai Mu inch by inch. Bai Mu’s lower back was forced against the edge of the desk, his body leaning backward. Han Naijin stared into Bai Mu’s eyes. His trembling eyelashes revealed his panic, but his voice remained cold: “Officer, it’s late. Don’t catch a cold.”
As he spoke, he raised a hand to touch the two lapels of Han Naijin’s bathrobe. He pushed Han Naijin’s approaching body back unhurriedly while gently pulling the robe closed. His fingertips brushed against Han Naijin’s skin like a dragonfly touching the water—a brief, fleeting contact.
Han Naijin’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly. Suddenly, a strange emotion surged through his entire frame.
He didn’t want to analyze what it was. He reached out to grab Bai Mu’s wrist. Bai Mu immediately tried to pull away, but Han Naijin’s grip was very strong. Han Naijin leaned in again, reaching past Bai Mu to pull a small, button-like object from his jacket pocket. It was the bug.
Han Naijin said nothing, but his gaze was meaningful as he studied the Omega. After a few days, the Omega’s color was better, and his face had some color—all thanks to him. Yet, this Omega wasn’t grateful at all, instead constantly calculating how to scheme against him.
Bai Mu wasn’t surprised that the bug had been discovered. Han Naijin had gone to the mecha base; entering a base required a strict security sweep. A crudely made bug would be easily found.
Besides, a simple inquiry would reveal that he had repaired a robot with Qiao today. It was logical to suspect him. Not suspecting him would have meant something was wrong with the man’s head.
Bai Mu felt Han Naijin’s gaze turn sharp, but there seemed to be no anger. Bai Mu looked down at the bug in his palm as if it were an insignificant object. After a quick glance, he set the bug on the desk. He didn’t admit it was his, but he didn’t deny it either; his expression remained very calm, and he no longer feigned innocence.
He no longer needed to act pitiful or ignorant to win sympathy. Now, he had a more valuable bargaining chip for this contest.
Han Naijin stared at Bai Mu for a long while, but he saw no defeat or panic. Instead, once the submissive disguise was shed, Bai Mu presented a composed and detached aura. In contrast, Han Naijin now felt his muscles tighten and his expression grow stern, as if facing a great enemy.
He had a bug planted on him and hadn’t noticed at all. He was always on guard; when and how had this bug been placed?
It must have been this morning. But they hadn’t had any contact. How did he do it?
He likely wouldn’t get an answer. Han Naijin didn’t think further and said in a deep voice, “Tell me. Why were you looking for me?”
Since the bug was discovered, Han Naijin likely guessed his purpose. Bai Mu simply stated his intent: “Regarding the mechas, perhaps I can help.”
Hearing this, Han Naijin’s expression became more serious.
He believed this Omega had some ability. From the way he seamlessly dismantled the alarm and used components from a cleaning robot to make a bug, it was clear he had deep knowledge of machinery. Han Naijin asked, “How can you help?”
At this moment, Bai Mu was entirely enveloped by Han Naijin’s silhouette, and the surrounding pressure was heavy. But Bai Mu remained composed. He said flatly, “I can repair mechas.”
Bai Mu looked at Han Naijin calmly, waiting for a response.
But after he spoke, Han Naijin’s expression remained unchanged, as if he had heard an unimportant sentence rather than a mecha master revealing his identity.
Bai Mu had imagined Han Naijin might be surprised and accept happily, or be skeptical, or dismissive and decline politely. But getting no reaction? What did that mean?
The air stayed still for several seconds. Bai Mu’s composed heart began to waver. Had the mecha base’s problem already been solved? Honestly, the information he had overheard might have been flawed.
Had his efforts become unnecessary? Had he made a fool of himself?
As the seconds ticked by, Bai Mu felt the time was exceptionally long. His fists clenched involuntarily, but Han Naijin seemed very calm.
I seem to have lost this round.
Bai Mu stepped back to a proper distance. He gave a slight nod, then turned and began to walk toward the door. But his legs felt as heavy as lead. Just then, Han Naijin finally spoke: “And? What do you want?”
Bai Mu’s steps stopped abruptly.
He turned back to meet Han Naijin’s gaze. Han Naijin’s expression had turned cold, and his voice was even deeper: “State your conditions. I might consider them.”
The mecha base’s problem hasn’t been solved!
He didn’t lose!
Han Naijin’s words meant he was willing to negotiate. However, Bai Mu didn’t have any real demands. His only goal was to use the energy pool and escape. He couldn’t say that. If he mentioned wanting to use the energy pool for his light mecha, the base would surely inspect the mecha, and his identity would be exposed. He didn’t know how Laea City would treat him then.
Bai Mu made a subtle expression, looking somewhere between crying and laughing. “Officer, I have no conditions. You saved me; I naturally should repay you.”
Han Naijin let out a cold laugh. “Don’t tell me you went through all that calculating just to help me fix mechas.”
“Leaving aside the ‘calculating’ as you call it,” Bai Mu said, becoming composed again, “I can help you repair the mechas. That is the truth.”
Han Naijin was noncommittal.
Bai Mu’s face was now like still water, his tone flat. “The others can’t do it, can they? Why not let me try? Besides, every move I make is under your surveillance.”
With that, Bai Mu held up the arm with the black bracelet before Han Naijin’s eyes. On that fair, thin wrist were the red marks from Han Naijin’s earlier grip.
Translator’s Note:
Whew, things are getting spicy! The “mermaid line” refers to the V-cut muscles above the hips (the iliac crest), which is a very popular aesthetic for Alphas in these novels. (I’m so envious… I haven’t touched a mermaid line~ hahahaha)
Terms to note:
- Guanghuo Xiang (广藿香): Patchouli. It’s often used to describe Alpha pheromones that are earthy, woody, and slightly bitter—giving a mature, reliable, but mysterious vibe.
- Mermaid Line (人鱼线): As mentioned, the V-cut. It’s the peak of masculine beauty in these descriptions.
- Luo Yi (罗伊): Bai Mu’s chosen pseudonym. It’s common for MCs to use the names of people they knew to keep things simple for themselves.
- Nutrient Solution (营养液): The staple food of the future. Think of it as a highly efficient protein shake that replaces all meals. Boring, but functional!
Stay tuned for more!
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