Free Web NovelChapter 132: Chapter 132: The Collapse Value Decreased
Perhaps because they had finally left Prison Star, it wasn’t just Jiang Xia; the others were also anxious to get home.
Besides, they couldn’t stop worrying about Shi Lan being all alone on Yaoxing.
Yan Huoshui mulled it over for a moment. "We still don’t know who else is pulling the strings, but at least it’s clear their primary target is Ye Ming. In that case, Ye Ming, you and Vice Admiral He should wake up first."
"The three of us will wait and see."
He said, looking toward Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng.
Jiang Xia nodded in resignation. Mu Tangfeng didn’t object either, but he sniffed at himself with a pained expression. "This Gugu Beast blood smells terrible. I’m covered in it. I desperately need a shower."
As he was talking, Yan Huoshui suddenly raised a hand to silence him.
A shadow seemed to flit past the crack under the door. They exchanged glances, then silently reverted to their beast forms and lay back down inside the Treatment Pods.
Outside, the Director, who had been about to enter, paused. She looked at the incoming call on her chip, her eyes glinting for a moment before she answered after a few seconds.
"Zhenzhen, I heard you took Ah Ming and the others to your private planet?"
The Director looked at the person on the video screen, her gaze serene. "Yes. Your Majesty."
"Zhenzhen, we were once husband and wife. Why do you still act like such a stranger?"
The Monarch, dressed in extravagant royal robes, sat upon his palace throne. He had the same deep green eyes as Ye Ming and looked younger than the white-haired Director. He was, in fact, a few years her junior, his features still handsome, with only the faintest hint of a wrinkle at the corner of his eye.
But while his lips curved into a smile, his eyes were unfathomable, holding little warmth—only the severe, cold authority of a ruler.
The Director walked farther away from the room where the Treatment Pods were. She looked at him with composure. "As Your Majesty said, that was in the past. There is now a distinction between sovereign and subject, so proper etiquette is necessary."
"Very well."
The Monarch seemed to sigh, his voice softening. "You bought this private planet because you loved the scenery. Now you’ve brought Ah Ming and the others there. Their risk levels are high. If their spiritual power were to collapse, never mind the destructive potential, I would be very concerned for your safety."
"That being the case, it would be best to send them back."
The Director understood his implication. She said only, "Rest assured. Ah Ming contacted me, but now they’re unconscious. They need to be examined by a doctor. Once they wake up, I will naturally send them back."
"Very well. We’ll do as you wish, Zhenzhen. Just be sure to protect yourself."
A flash of sarcasm crossed the Director’s eyes as she noncommittally ended the call.
After the call, the Director returned to the temporary lounge.
She pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was silent. After closing the door carefully behind her, she said, "All right, the act is over. You can get up."
The door’s soundproofing was decent, and this was her private planet. Except for Fang Yuan, nearly everyone here was one of her own people, so the Director wasn’t worried about eavesdroppers.
He Hanshi was the first to return to his human form and open his Treatment Pod. Hearing the movement, Mu Tangfeng hesitated for a moment before also sitting up in his.
The Director’s gaze swept impassively over Ye Ming before settling on He Hanshi. "Vice Admiral He, what’s going on? Why have your collapse values dropped so drastically after your spiritual power episodes?"
He Hanshi and the others were certain the Director didn’t belong to any faction. Ye Ming had also said his mother could be trusted, which was why, to be safe, they had chosen her medical team.
As for the Imperial Central Hospital, after the last incident, they suspected their collapse values had been leaked by the staff. The place was full of all sorts of people and wasn’t safe.
Still, He Hanshi hadn’t given the Director the full story at first. He’d only told her that after a spiritual power episode, he discovered his collapse value had unexpectedly dropped to 20%.
The Director had never encountered such a case. As a physician, despite her usual calm and collected demeanor, her eyes were filled with a curiosity and thirst for medical knowledge that had compelled her to rush over.
He Hanshi shook his head. "I don’t know either. Actually, it dropped once before, but only by 1%. This time, it dropped by a huge amount."
Ye Ming understood his intention and added, "That’s right, Teacher. Dr. Ai knows about it too."
The Director fell into thought. According to all known cases, there was no precedent for a spiritual power episode actually lowering a person’s collapse value.
Still, this was a good thing. The interstellar community needed the protection of these powerful males, and, with the selfish heart of a mother, she also hoped her own child would be safe and sound.
The Director’s gaze fell on him, then she discreetly looked away.
Seeing no immediate answer to this mystery, she changed the subject. "I heard there’s a new Prison Director. What happened to that female, Shi Lan? You didn’t deliberately give her a hard time, did you?"
At her words, everyone suddenly found a reason to clear their throats and cough.
"Hm? You really did bully a female?"
Her gaze landed first on Mu Tangfeng. The Mu Family’s son had always been a scoundrel and had made more than a few females cry in the past.
Mu Tangfeng refuted her, looking guilty. "I didn’t do anything." freeweɓnøvel.com
The Director looked completely unconvinced, so He Hanshi stepped in to help. "Actually, Shi Lan was the one who wanted to quit. She found life on Prison Star too dull."
He Hanshi’s words carried some weight, so the Director nodded. "In that case, just rest here for now. We can talk about when you want to leave later."
"Alright, thank you, Director."
They all said in unison, yet somehow Ye Ming’s single word, "Teacher," stood out clearly from the chorus.
A flicker of sorrow crossed the Director’s eyes. Without another word, she left the lounge.
After she left, Jiang Xia couldn’t help but ask, "Eldest Prince, why do you call the Director ’Teacher’ and not ’Mother’?" freewёbnoνel.com
Ye Ming pressed his lips together and uttered a few quiet words. "It’s a habit."
Perhaps for as long as he could remember, his mother had been a strict teacher.
She would say, "You are to be the people’s Monarch one day. You must be learned and self-disciplined. Only by becoming a wise ruler can you live up to the hopes of the people."
This was how she had always taught him, even before his parents divorced.
Ye Ming snapped out of his reverie. Seeing that he clearly didn’t want to discuss it further, Jiang Xia kept quiet.
「That evening.」
As planned, He Hanshi and Ye Ming were the first to "wake up."
Doctors from the medical team came over to perform basic checkups. Since the diagnostic tools could be self-operated, the men declined their assistance.
The results came back quickly, matching the data on their personal chips: He Hanshi’s collapse value was 20%, and Ye Ming’s was 18%.
Before the other doctors could react to these numbers, Fang Yuan, who had been tagging along, couldn’t accept it. "Impossible!" he shouted. "Is there something wrong with your equipment?"
"They’re both Beastmen suffering from High-Level Spiritual Power collapse! How could their collapse values drop to low-level ranges after an episode?"
"The equipment is definitely malfunctioning."
The doctors frowned at him. One of the female staff spoke sternly, "Sir, if you continue to cause such a commotion, we’ll have to ask you to leave."
"There are still gentlemen resting here. Please do not disturb them."
Fang Yuan suppressed his temper and reiterated, "These results are absolutely wrong."
