Surprise! My online crush turned out to be... - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

In the deep night, all was silent. At this hour, the city center was still brightly lit, but in the villas of wealthy residents like Shu Yang, it was almost all closed. Only the street lights were still diligently working.

Shu Yang finally returned to his small villa.

He had grown accustomed to living away from home, and Shu Zhiyi, as usual, would not be home tonight. After catching a ride, Shu Yang simply asked to go back to his own house, to which Shu Zhiyi offered no further comment.

Now Shu Yang lay sprawled on his bed, the lights off. Only the faint light from the window allowed him to clearly see the furnishings in his bedroom.

The light from his phone shone on his face, illuminating his eyes.

“Is Da Ge there?” Shu Yang sent a tentative voice message.

The reply came quickly, “Yeah.”

“It feels like we haven’t talked in ages. I thought Da Ge and I were drifting apart.” The quiet of late night easily makes one drift off, feeling safe and private, and saying things one wouldn’t dare say during the day.

“It’s just that you’re ignoring me.” Francis also sent a voice message. Although his tone didn’t change much, the meaning of his words still made Shu Yang smile for a long time.

“It’s not that I’m ignoring you, I’m just a little busy lately.” Shu Yang wasn’t stupid enough to tell the truth.

If he had said he simply didn’t want to talk to you, then the relationship would probably be over.

“I’m busy too.”

This reply truly caught Shu Yang off guard. He had expected Francis to just reply “Yeah,” as he had before.

He knew Francis was busy. In that distant empire, Francis was a marshal. Thinking of his own country’s leader, he knew Francis must be very busy, with a lot on his plate, and every decision affected the entire empire.

Thinking of this, Shu Yang rolled over and lay flat on his back in bed. Honestly, he’d met some truly remarkable people.

He usually interacted with businessmen and people from the military compound, but honestly, his level was limited to hanging out with these “second-generation” and “third-generation” people. He had no chance of connecting with the truly powerful.

“If I get a chance, I’d really like to visit your place.” This was his true feeling. He didn’t just want to see the environment there, he also wanted to see the real Francis, what he thought in his world.

“I’m busy too,” Francis repeated.

Shu Yang was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud.

“I get it, Da Ge. I’ll definitely get back to you next time!”

“Yeah. Maybe there really is a chance,” Francis continued.

Shu Yang closed his eyes, then, with a grin, sent a message, “Da Ge, do you like boys? Handsome, young men? If not, I won’t go.”

After sending this message, he didn’t receive the same immediate response as before. Shu Yang watched his phone screen gradually dim, then took a deep breath.

“…I was joking.”

“If you don’t come over, I’ll go.”

Two voice messages appeared on the screen simultaneously.

—

“Marshal, there’s no need to take this risk.” Joyce hurried after the handsome man, his pace so brisk that he practically had to jog to keep up.

“The empire is safe from external threats right now, and you hold an absolute advantage in the internal political management. If you leave, it could cause a drastic change in the situation, and it’s fraught with danger. Marshal, please reconsider.”

The words were sincere, a warning to Francis, yet Francis didn’t pause.

“Joyce, just because you can’t see an external threat doesn’t mean it’s not there. Besides, this time, it’s for personal reasons.” Francis spoke briefly.

Joyce, however, understood his meaning.

The advanced civilization he’d been searching for recently sent an invitation. While everyone remained silent and bewildered, Francis had already made his decision.

Only warriors of 3S caliber could withstand the pressure of the tunnel. Furthermore, facing an invitation from a plane whose identity was unknown, the more silent and fearful they remained, the more likely they would face disaster.

“When I leave, send three thousand soldiers to Kartasir for martial law training and spread the word. If I don’t return for more than three months, immediately inform General Tulsi and forcibly take over the First Legion.”

Francis’s thinking was clear. His First Legion had become a thorn in the side of many. As long as they knew he was gone, there was no guarantee someone would exploit the Legion to cause trouble, and the Tulsi family would be in trouble.

“Marshal…” Joyce was about to say something, but Francis waved his hand and walked into the laboratory of the special research group.

Since Professor Broad had been invited by Francis on a personal basis, he had made little progress on this topic. After all, the enemy’s technology far surpassed theirs. If Joyce hadn’t tracked them down by following a few clues, they probably wouldn’t have known anything about them until now.

Time passed, and only with the invitation from the other party did Broad’s team finally find a new research direction.

The laboratory door hadn’t been opened for a long time. For the sake of confidentiality, all members of the research team were forbidden from leaving or contacting the outside world. Only Broad had permission to communicate with Francis.

It was Broad who passed this message to Francis.

Francis stepped into the laboratory, which was still spotlessly clean. However, as soon as he entered, he saw Broad standing not far away, watching him.

“Professor,” Francis nodded.

Broad’s face was beaming as he quickly approached him, saying, “This is a significant discovery, Marshal. This research will benefit all of humanity, and both you and I will go down in history. This is the ultimate honor for a scientific researcher.”

Francis didn’t respond, simply listening quietly as Broad spoke. The two of them headed towards the center of the laboratory.

Broad’s words were clear; everything he said was intended to convince Francis to participate in this project. Traveling through a time tunnel would create immense pressure, a stress no one could withstand, but Francis was different. His physique was 3S, more than enough to withstand the physical trauma of such a high-pressure environment, and his recovery speed was exceptional.

But it was also clear that, in some ways, Francis had no obligation or need to wade into this murky water.

He was the youngest and most promising First Marshal of the Empire, with powerful subordinates and countless followers and loyalists. This journey was fraught with danger and uncertainty, and whether he could return alive was uncertain.

Broad wasn’t sure what Francis meant, but he was determined to give it a try.

“Send me a detailed project plan,” Francis said, then stopped and looked at Broad. “Correct, complete.”

Although he had already decided to go, he couldn’t forget Broad’s passionate and radical attitude when he first arrived. It was inevitable that he would have to make a false report just to convince him; he had to understand all the possible issues.

Broad broke out in a cold sweat at Francis’s sharp, cold gaze. The title of First Marshal of the Empire wasn’t earned in vain, but forged through the bl00d of war. The aura and momentum it embodied was simply beyond the reach of Broad, a professor who spent his days in the laboratory.

“Okay,” Broad nodded, then took Francis to see the time-travel machine.

They didn’t yet have the technology for time-travel, but the other party said they didn’t need to learn much; they just needed to build the most robust instrument possible.

Broad felt the concept of “strongest” was too abstract, and didn’t fit with his preference for data-driven thinking. Fortunately, not long after, the other party sent him a more complete and detailed document, allowing him to finally build this thing.

“When?” Francis quickly flipped through the brief plan Broad had sent him.

“The agreed time is two days from now.” Broad wiped the sweat from his forehead.

He knew he had too little time. Firstly, the shuttle was a time-consuming process, and some of the materials were rare, so it took several rounds to gather enough. Secondly, out of selfish motives, he didn’t want to give Francis too much time to consider. After carefully considering the pros and cons, Francis would most likely refuse the shuttle.

“Okay.” Francis returned the plan from his computer and nodded to Broad.

The project plan didn’t contain much meaningful information, and they were all in a very passive position. They knew very little about the subject, and it was difficult to formulate a comprehensive plan and response. It was a rare achievement for Broad to have included everything he had in mind in the plan.

“Marshal, I hope you’ll leave your optical computer behind.” Broad was silent for a moment, then continued.

“Yes, I understand.” Francis understood his meaning. This operation was fraught with danger, and he needed to make all necessary preparations.

“Marshal, let’s begin a simulation exercise now,” Broad said, walking towards the newly constructed laboratory on the other side.

The document they had sent contained a crucial piece of information. The pressure during the shuttle journey wasn’t constant. However, with their current technology, no instrument could withstand it to the end.

In other words, the final leg of the journey would require the pilot’s physical strength to withstand it. Fortunately, the pressure wasn’t unbearable.

As they walked, Broad continued to explain to Francis, “Marshal, the world you’re heading to may be even more complex and powerful.”

This power refers not only to technological advancements, but also to the evolution of humanity. Human power might even become a more perfect individual norm.