Counterattack [Interstellar] - Chapter 11

“Where did you just go? Austin was one second away from sending his lion to find you!” Madam Jenny scolded playfully, tapping Alan’s arm with her fan. “Don’t be too naughty. You’ve just returned; you can’t leave the public with the impression that you’re ignorant of etiquette!”

Alan quietly took his seat beside Madam Jenny and apologized with a smile, “I’m sorry. I just ran into a former subordinate and spoke for a bit longer than expected.”

Madam Jenny did not doubt him. She nodded and said nonchalantly, “Austin is still giving his speech… He certainly has a lot of grievances to vent lately. He’s been talking for nearly ten minutes…”

Alan leaned over to exchange a few jokes with Madam Jenny, but his gaze slowly drifted toward Anthony’s side. Sure enough, Pei Yao was already seated next to him.

A dark shadow flickered in Alan’s eyes. Although the shallow-level bonding just now had confirmed that Pei Yao currently had no partner, Alan’s naturally suspicious nature still led him to overthink. Pei Yao had been by Anthony’s side for so many years, accompanying him day and night—had Anthony truly never harbored any inappropriate thoughts toward him?

Pei Yao’s handsomeness was beyond question. From the Royal Family to the Parliament, from the Imperial Guards to the military, Alan could hardly find another general younger or more handsome than Pei Yao. Most importantly, while Pei Yao was highly valued by the Emperor, his parents had passed away long ago, and he had no influential family to rely on. If Anthony truly wanted to coerce Pei Yao into something, Pei Yao would have no way to resist.

At this thought, another doubt took root in Alan’s mind. Anthony had always been obsessed with the events on the Pearl ten years ago. To uncover the truth, would he use some disgusting method to threaten Pei Yao?

Or perhaps, there are no secrets in this world—could Anthony already know about the past, and Pei Yao, in order to protect Alan, was forced to accept some of that bastard’s damnable demands?

Alan, having lived his entire life in a state of constant crisis, saw his train of thought bolt like a runaway horse toward the darkest side of human nature. Madam Jenny’s leopard sensitively felt the shift in Alan’s emotions and couldn’t help but stretch out a paw to touch his arm in concern. Madam Jenny turned her head and laughed, “My dear…”

Alan snapped back to reality and managed a strained smile. “What is it?”

“The expression you had just now looked like you wanted to tear Austin apart alive.” Madam Jenny smiled, lowering her voice. “I hate listening to this nonsense too, but for the sake of the many reporters here, let’s at least pretend to listen seriously.”

Alan shook his head with a self-deprecating smile, trying his best to calm his emotions. It was likely just his imagination… Recalling Pei Yao’s clumsy kissing technique from moments ago, Alan was almost certain that the last time the man had kissed someone was the forced kiss ten years ago.

Alan felt a bit more at ease. He couldn’t help but savor the scene in the rooftop garden again. Major General Pei Yao—who clearly could have pushed him away but allowed himself to be treated however Alan pleased just to avoid hurting him—was simply too endearing. He must be quite vexed right now, wasn’t he? As the Empire’s loyal hound, he had accidentally “disturbed the Empire’s prize cabbage.”

Thinking of the bonding earlier, Alan couldn’t help but smile. His compatibility with Pei Yao was very high, likely exceeding 90%. At such a compatibility level, after a true bonding, their spirits could almost merge into one. Alan’s peripheral vision drifted back to Pei Yao involuntarily; he was practically itching to mark this little Sentinel.

Speaking of which… after the temporary mark just now, Alan did not feel any sense of “submission” from him. When he had ordered Pei Yao to return to his side, Pei Yao had successfully refused. It seemed that, at least under the conditions of a temporary mark, making a Sentinel submit was still quite difficult.

After a moment’s reflection, Alan relaxed. It didn’t matter; his mental power hadn’t fully matured yet, and the Taipan snake was still growing. He was confident that one day in the future, he would mark Pei Yao thoroughly from head to toe, inside and out… It was just a pity that Pei Yao lacked any sense of romantic flair. While the panicked look during the kiss was adorable, Alan still hoped that Pei Yao could hold him back, be a bit more proactive, and show more attachment—ideally parting his lips obediently the moment Alan touched him, letting Alan do whatever he wished…

Alan’s thoughts took a sharp turn from the dark side of humanity and, as if riding a photon cannon, accelerated at full power toward a different, much more “indecent” direction.

Alan’s gaze swept over Pei Yao’s leather combat boots, his straight calves, his lean and powerful thighs, and his tight, narrow waist… Perhaps Alan’s gaze was too blatant; Pei Yao unconsciously turned his head to look at him. Their eyes met. Alan continued his fantasies without changing his expression, while Pei Yao turned red with indignation.

“It’s your turn.” Madam Jenny nudged Alan’s arm, asking curiously, “What were you looking at?”

Alan stood up, adjusted his cufflinks, and gave a faint smile. “Nothing.”

“Prince Alan, is your sudden return to the Capital Star intended to help the Crown Prince resolve the current crisis caused by the ‘Non-Allocation’ proposal?”

Alan smiled and turned to glance at Anthony. He shook his head and said, “First, I want to clarify one point. As early as half a year ago, His Majesty the Emperor had inquired with the therapists at Apollo multiple times about whether I could return to my family sooner. It was only because the doctors there were too cautious—and His Majesty respected their professional opinions—otherwise, I believe I would have returned six months ago. Therefore, there is no such thing as a ‘sudden’ return. Furthermore… there is no so-called crisis. I believe there were some misunderstandings regarding previous events. Brother Anthony, do you feel a sense of crisis?”

As if it had been rehearsed a thousand times, Anthony gave Alan a doting look, smiled, and picked up the thread, “To call it a crisis is an exaggeration. I’ve read the negative reports. I am very grateful for everyone’s attention. I accept all the criticism and hope that my subsequent work will satisfy everyone.”

The reporter nodded and asked further, “Then may I ask if there is any actual possibility of the ‘Non-Allocation’ proposal being implemented?”

“Absolutely none.” Alan withdrew his smile and said solemnly, “From the beginning, this was merely a suggestion. The Parliament receives thousands of unrealistic proposals like this every year, and most are rejected during the various stages of review. This particular proposal has never undergone any formal review by the Parliament or the Royal Family. The public may not understand this well, but the media certainly does. To take a worthless document that has not been vetted by any government agency and turn it into a sensationalized rumor—I think some people should first reflect on themselves.”

“Forgive me if my tone is a bit harsh. I believe most media outlets have professional ethics, but I must admit there are those who forget their integrity for profit, sensationalizing false content for the sake of attention or for even shadier purposes. I represent the Royal Family in stating that we can tolerate their various slanders against us and will not mention them further. However, regarding their attempt to fool the kind-hearted public for profit, I represent myself in stating that I will pursue this to the very end.” Alan looked calmly into the camera and said flatly, “If someone’s sore spot has been poked, feel free to retaliate against me however you wish. I am ready at any time.”

“…Heavens, how many young girls are going to fall for Prince Alan in his military trousers?” Not far away, Madam Jenny sighed softly while fluttering her fan. “I can almost see the you of your younger days.”

Austin, his face dark, watched Alan silently. Upon hearing this, he said coldly, “You flatter me. I wasn’t nearly this shameless in my youth.”

Madam Jenny raised an eyebrow. “None of us know for sure if Alan is the one guiding the public narrative. Even if it is him, at least Alan is now working hard to stabilize the situation.”

“Stabilize?” Austin sneered. “He was clearly the one who stirred it up…”

“Your Majesty!” Madam Jenny interrupted Austin. “I hope you haven’t forgotten that the first person to propose that brain-dead suggestion was Anthony. Even if Alan added fuel to the fire, it was based on your eldest son’s own self-destruction.”

Austin’s lion stood up and shook its mane warningly at Madam Jenny. In response, Madam Jenny’s leopard directly raised its paw and delivered a fierce slap to the lion’s face!

Although he had been estranged from Madam Jenny for decades because of the throne, she was still the younger sister he had doted on since childhood. Austin’s lion could not bring itself to strike back and could only rub its face sulkily.

On the other side, the informal small press conference was coming to an end. A female reporter asked with a gentle smile, “Then, Prince Alan, having recognized these shortcomings, how will the Royal Family make amends? Could you give us a sneak peek? What effective solutions will there be for the human rights issues of Guides? Finally, I wish you a happy birthday.”

“Thank you.” Alan bowed politely and continued, “Regarding the solution to the Guide issues, our current plan is to build a new Guide Academy. The academy will implement the ‘Free-Style’ teaching method proposed by Queen Mary Ann years ago. In the initial phase, we will accept about a thousand Guides who volunteer to be students for trial teaching. The details are not yet finalized, so I cannot reveal too much, but it certainly won’t be like the White Tower. Guides will be able to choose their own curriculum and meet with their family and friends at will.”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present widened their eyes. Austin clenched his fists tightly, and his lion let out a low-voiced roar toward Alan. This time, even Madam Jenny’s leopard didn’t dare to be boisterous, but Madam Jenny herself was ecstatic, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Alan.

The reporter clearly hadn’t expected the Royal Family to make such a massive move and was momentarily stunned. Another reporter stepped in at the right time and asked, “Is this plan your own suggestion, Your Highness, or…” The reporter glanced at Anthony, who stood beside Alan with a look of surprise, swallowed, and continued, “…or was it agreed upon by all members of the Royal Family?”

“Of course, it was agreed upon by everyone. Right, Brother Anthony?” Alan looked at Anthony with a smile. Anthony, having regained his composure, hurriedly nodded in agreement. Alan smiled and dropped the second bomb of the night. “Although I am the one announcing this plan, please believe that the Crown Prince fully supports it. Much of the early planning was orchestrated by the Crown Prince. The best proof is that the Crown Prince’s own personal guard, one of the Paladins, Major General Pei Yao, will serve as the Principal of the new Guide Academy.”

Countless cameras instantly turned toward Pei Yao, who was standing guard alone in a quiet spot. Pei Yao looked at Alan in astonishment. Alan smiled. “And I shall serve as Major General Pei Yao’s superior and partner, acting as the Chairman of the new Guide Academy.”

“Major General Pei Yao, I look forward to working with you.”