Chapter 66
Chapter 66: The Cub’s Mom’s Cover Stayed Intact, but the Crown Prince’s Cover Blew Wide Open—Insane
Jiang Tea Tea grinned and jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “Who do you think we are? He’s obviously fanning it for Agris.”
Da Ma Zi and his people escorted Agris off the shuttle—right into Jiang Tea Tea’s pointing finger. Confused, they looked between Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming and Jiang Tea Tea like they’d wandered into a madness they couldn’t understand.
Sui Xuan Chu’s mouth twitched. He stole a nervous glance at Chong Ming and whispered, “Roommate. That’s not just a sharp angle. That’s lethal. Tell me, fine, but never say it out loud. His fanboys and fangirls would drown you in spit eight hundred times over.”
Jiang Tea Tea laughed quietly. “Relax. I’m only saying it to you.”
Chong Ming’s gaze flicked to Jiang Tea Tea’s hand. “Good. I’ll take you to the Medical Department to have it checked.”
Jiang Tea Tea spread her palm. There was blood, but no wound. “It healed already. No need.”
“A gunshot still needs the Medical Department,” Chong Ming said. “A scan can tell us whether the bone was damaged.”
Jiang Tea Tea raised her hand right into his line of sight, almost pressing it under his eyes. “Dear Commander-in-Chief, sir. This is my hand. I know whether I broke anything—”
Chong Ming caught her wrist.
Jiang Tea Tea’s expression shifted instantly. She yanked her hand back and hid it behind her. “What are you doing?”
Chong Ming’s brows tightened. “Checking your hand.”
There was a faint scent clinging to her skin—familiar. The same scent as the twig he’d picked up at the First Hotel.
Jiang Tea Tea’s voice went cold. “The way you grabbed me doesn’t look like you want to check anything. It looks like you want to chop my hand off. Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming, I just dragged your mortal enemy back for you. Is this how you treat me?”
Chong Ming lowered his hand slowly and changed the subject without a ripple. “If you won’t go to the Medical Department, go to the cafeteria. In two hours, the ship returns to Tropical Primeval Planet. You’ll be dropped off.”
Jiang Tea Tea heard the deflection perfectly. She couldn’t beat him, and she didn’t have his authority, so she swallowed it with a sharp snort. “Fine.”
Then she turned and called brightly, “Roommate, let’s go empty the cafeteria.”
Xin Yi, who had been hovering with nerves lodged in his throat, finally breathed again. “Go, go, go. Hurry.”
Chong Ming glanced at Adjutant AI.
Adjutant AI stepped forward and led Jiang Tea Tea and Sui Xuan Chu away.
Only once they were out of sight did Chong Ming turn to Agris, mild concern on his face. “Your Highness Agris. You fell? How careless. You fell very hard.”
Agris spat. “Zhong, stop pretending. You know exactly why I look like this!”
Chong Ming’s face said he understood everything. His mouth said the opposite. “I truly don’t. After I ended our call, I was busy thinking how to blow up your main battleship. I didn’t have time to watch anything else. I never imagined you’d… fall this badly.”
Agris’s voice dripped disgust. “Hypocrite.”
“Hypocrite?” Chong Ming repeated, unbothered. “Secretary Wen.”
Secretary Wen stepped forward. “Yes, Commander-in-Chief.”
Chong Ming gestured toward Agris as if presenting an exhibit. “Take a nine-photo grid of Your Highness Agris. Then add images of his main battleship and star systems being bombed. Post it on Starnet as a strong condemnation.”
“Content: Insect Clan’s Your Highness Agris tore up the ceasefire treaty and sailed into our Eighth Star System region without authorization, attempting to murder our empire’s thirtieth cadet cohort—more than 1.8 million people.”
“Agris also secretly sent bugs to infiltrate our cadet cohort, attempting to kidnap our crown prince during field training.”
“Our nation was forced to retaliate, bombarding the Insect Clan’s long-range ships and space stations, and capturing the Insect Race Eldest Prince, Agris, alive. We urge the Insect Clan to reflect.”
Secretary Wen’s fingers flew over his lightbrain. In less than ten seconds, he said, “Commander-in-Chief. The official condemnation has been released to the Insect Clan.”
Agris’s eyes nearly bulged. “Zhong! You bombarded my Insect Clan’s long-range ships, space stations, planets, and Frontier Star Domain! You captured me and crippled me, and you still have the nerve to play the victim?!”
Chong Ming waved a hand.
Da Ma Zi clamped a hand over Agris’s mouth and dragged him away.
Agris’s blood trailed behind him, from the shuttle all the way to the room where he’d be held.
On Starnet, Secretary Wen posted the condemnation from the empire’s military account, attaching thirty-six photos.
Official accounts across the Zhen Lin Empire reposted it in unison. The topic soared, detonating into the hottest trend across the M31 Star System.
Netizens exploded.
“Oh my Beast God. I’m going to be shocked for eight hundred years. The Insect Clan is shameless. Back then they couldn’t beat the Zhen Lin Empire, begged for a ceasefire, and even paid two star systems as compensation. Now they show up at someone’s doorstep again to stir trouble? Unbelievable.”
“Unbelievable? I don’t get why my male idol Chong Ming even signed a ceasefire with them back then. He had the advantage. Why not wipe out the Insect Clan directly?”
“I support that. I hate the Insect Clan the most. They eat anything—bloodthirsty and greedy, selfish and cold, violent and cruel. I don’t know why the Beast God created a race like that. Erasing them would benefit the entire galaxy.”
“Agris got captured alive and his battleship got bombed—his own fault. You can’t blame my husband, Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming.”
“Hahaha, yes. He tried to steal a chicken and lost the rice. He dropped the rock on his own foot. My husband Chong Ming did great.”
“Long live Commander-in-Chief! Long live Your Highness! That’s how you deal with bugs.”
“Filthy bugs, rotten bugs, shameless bugs. Did they think after a few years of recovery they could come back and target our crown prince?”
Then the Insect Clan side erupted, furious.
“You beastfolk, human race, merfolk clan—open your eyes. It’s clearly Chong Ming who attacked and injured our Eldest Prince. Just because he posted first doesn’t make him the victim.”
“Zhen Lin Empire lost nothing. Not one ship, not one star system, not one space station, not one planet. Who’s the victim and who’s the aggressor isn’t hard to see.”
“Chong Ming is a rotten dragon. He can turn black into white with his mouth. How can you have no judgment?”
“Look at what they did to our Eldest Prince. Why do they get to be ‘right’?”
“Queen! Queen! I petition the Insect Clan to crush the Zhen Lin Empire and take back our prosperous star domains and rich planets!”
“Take back? You’ve been invading us for generations. You covet our star systems and planets, and now you claim our prosperous domains are yours? How can you be that shameless?”
“They were ours! Zhen Lin Empire has dozens of rich star systems. Why should they be rich while we’re poor? We refuse. We will take and seize. Support the Eldest Prince!”
In the cafeteria, Sui Xuan Chu’s lightbrain pushed the trending topic automatically. He clicked it, saw the comment war, and immediately showed Jiang Tea Tea. “Roommate, look. They’re fighting on Starnet.”
Jiang Tea Tea leaned over, read through it, and clicked her tongue. “I have to say, Old Loach Chong Ming really knows how to take advantage and still act innocent.”
Sui Xuan Chu’s eyes widened. “Roommate, you live in the Zhen Lin Empire. How can you talk about Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming like that?”
“Which line was wrong? The Insect Clan started it. They nearly captured me—a harmless, innocent little victim—and killed me.”
Then his expression changed. “Wait. Roommate.”
Jiang Tea Tea’s gaze sharpened. “He condemned the Insect Clan for sending bugs to kidnap the crown prince. Those bugs were grabbing you.”
She turned her face toward him, voice lifting. “Sui Xuan Chu… are you the crown prince?”