Chapter 28
Wen Ling's suggestions regarding the ancient starship design were eagerly received by Lao Lin's team. A few days later, when Wen Ling reentered the core area of the Iron Throne, he saw several engineers gathered around a holographic projection, enthusiastically discussing a new energy adaptation solution based on the ideas he had provided. Lao Lin, seeing him, nodded, a rare gesture of greeting.
Wen Ling walked over to Miao Weizhen, who was overseeing the installation of the prototype's armor plates. The massive robotic arm hoisted the heavy alloy plates, making a heavy humming sound.
"I have another question," Wen Ling's voice was low, but clear enough to penetrate the noise. "Regarding the assassination attempt against me in Huangquan Rust Port, I always thought it was someone from within the Federation, like Qu Beichen or the Xingyan faction, who wanted to eliminate me."
This was the first time Wen Ling had brought this issue up, because he knew they had reached a point where they needed to be honest. He needed to find a solid reason for staying.
Miao Weizhen did not look back, his eyes still following the armor plate that was slowly being put into place, as if that was the most important thing in the universe, but his jawline tightened almost imperceptibly for a moment.
"It's the order of His Majesty Wen Xunyi." Miao Weizhen's voice was as calm as if he was reporting the weather, but the content was earth-shattering.
Wen Ling felt the surrounding noise fade away instantly, and his blood seemed to freeze. He had guessed countless possibilities, even suspected that Miao Weizhen had staged the incident himself, but he had never imagined that the mastermind would be the emperor of Sailiang, his own uncle.
"He needs you to die in an 'appropriate' place, by an 'appropriate' murderer, in order to intensify the domestic hatred against the Federation, ease the Federation's determination to purge Sailiang, and, by the way, eliminate you, the legitimate heir who may threaten his and his children's status," Miao Weizhen continued, each word like an icicle, piercing Wen Ling's cognition.
Although she had been mentally prepared to hear the dark truth, when Wen Ling heard the answer in person, her heart felt like it was being gripped by an ice-cold hand, causing a suffocating pain.
"What about you?" Wen Ling asked, her voice trembling slightly, her green eyes fixed on Miao Weizhen. "What role did you play? Why didn't you kill me?"
"I was the one who turned the assassination into a show." Miao Weizhen's tone was flat, as if he was recounting someone else's story. "I received the order, but I chose to exploit it. I guided the men sent by His Majesty to take action, then personally 'stopped' them, blaming 'Star Flame' and drawing everyone's attention to the illusion of internal strife within the Federation. This not only saved you, but also paved the way for my subsequent actions in Rust Harbor. At the same time, it also temporarily silenced Wen Xunyi."
He paused, and looked at Wen Ling sharply, as if he wanted to see through him:
"I took advantage of your near-death situation to achieve my goal. Now, do you still think staying is the right choice?"
"Your uncle wants to kill you, and the person who saved you is also using you."
This honesty was more powerful than any lie. He laid bare his most shameful and calculating side, along with the bloody royal conspiracy, before Wen Ling.
Wen Ling fell silent. He looked at Miao Weizhen, a man who walked on the edge of a knife in the vortex of power. For a greater goal, he would not hesitate to put himself on the chessboard as a pawn. This was cold and cruel, but -
"If you had followed orders strictly, I would be a corpse now."
Wen Ling spoke slowly, her voice a little hoarse, but unusually clear: "You chose a more complicated and dangerous way, saving my life and advancing your plan."
He raised his eyes and looked directly into Miao Weizhen's bottomless eyes. There was pain in them, but more of it was clarity. "I hate being used, but I also value the results. At least, I am still standing here now, with the opportunity to figure all this out, the opportunity to change it with you. Whether it is the Federation or the corrupt throne of Sailiang."
This time, he did not avoid the dark side of Miao Weizhen's methods, nor was he defeated by the betrayal of his uncle. Instead, he chose to understand and accept the complex motives behind the darkness, and saw clearly the path he must face in the future.
Miao Weizhen's pupils trembled slightly. He had anticipated Wen Ling's anger, collapse, or fear, but he hadn't expected such a quick calm and almost desperate determination. This rational acceptance and steadfast alliance moved his heart even more than simple understanding.
Just then, Ah Yuan came over with some snacks, seemingly prepared for the engineers. She sensed the solemn and special atmosphere between the two of them and paused, feeling a little overwhelmed.
Wen Ling smiled at her naturally and took the tray: "Thank you, I'm a little hungry."
He picked up an energy biscuit and handed it to Miao Weizhen, "You also need to replenish your energy."
Miao Weizhen looked at the biscuits handed to him, then looked at Wen Ling's eyes, which were still clear but a little deeper and more tenacious. He took it silently.
Dr. Case even raised his coffee cup from a distance, as if witnessing some kind of transformation from afar.
Miao Weizhen took a bite of the biscuit. It tasted ordinary, even a little dry. But he chewed it slowly.
He watched Wen Ling's silhouette as he turned to discuss technical details with Lao Lin. He watched him, even after learning of his family's betrayal, quickly regain his composure and cast his gaze into the distance. This young man, unbroken by the mist and blade he had cast, had instead forged a stronger core and chosen to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
Life on the base gradually formed a unique rhythm.
In addition to studying and practicing at the Iron Throne, Wen Ling also began to participate more deeply in the daily operations of the base. He discovered that Lao Lin not only had to maintain the huge mechanical system, but was also responsible for the maintenance of a part of the base's old but core energy distribution network.
On this day, Lao Lin was inspecting a main energy line that passed through a narrow pipeline corridor and needed a relatively thin person to go in and dismantle a faulty node. Wen Ling volunteered to help.
Just as he was concentrating on disassembling the complex energy coupler, Lao Lin, who was outside the pipe, suddenly said, "Turn the third buckle of the coupler 45 degrees counterclockwise before pulling it out."
Wen Ling did as he was told and successfully removed it. As he handed over the part, Lao Lin's rough fingers accidentally brushed against the base of his right hand and the inside of his index finger.
Lao Lin paused for a moment, raised his eyes, and scanned Wen Ling's skin like a searchlight - there was a thin layer of calluses there, but they could not be ignored. They were not traces that could be formed by fiddling with instruments or practicing musical instruments.
Wen Ling noticed Old Lin's gaze and her heart skipped a beat, but she remained calm. "Master Lin?"
Lao Lin withdrew his gaze, lowered his head and continued working, saying only vaguely, "Your technique is very skillful."
But this subtle interaction didn't escape the attention of Miao Weizhen, who had just come over to confirm the specifications of a certain part with Lao Lin. His gaze shifted between Lao Lin's instantly sharp eyes and Wen Ling's feigned calmness, finally landing on Wen Ling's hand, which had just been withdrawn. His eyes darkened.
For the next few days, everything went on as normal, until a small defense drill inside the base. Luo Yan led a basic weapons familiarization course, using an old-fashioned energy pistol.
When it was Wen Ling's turn, he picked up the gun with a seemingly unfamiliar posture, but when shooting at a static target - although he deliberately controlled himself and even let the first two bullets miss the target slightly - Miao Weizheng and Luo Yan almost simultaneously noticed the steady shoulders and arms when he raised the gun, the unusually stable wrist when he pulled the trigger, and the hard-to-disguise instinctive rhythm of a shooter when adjusting his breathing.
The third shot, in particular, seemed to be done subconsciously, with barely a pause in aiming. With a slight flick of his wrist, the energy beam accurately pierced the bull's eye. After completing it, he seemed to suddenly wake up, and immediately revealed an expression of "lucky."
Luo Yan's mechanical eye flickered, but he remained silent. Miao Weizhen, meanwhile, leaned against the wall, his arms folded, a faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
The class ended and the crowd dispersed. Wen Ling was about to leave when Miao Weizhen called him.
"Your Highness."
Wen Ling turned around.
Miao Weizhen walked up to him, keeping a close distance, his eyes fixed on his face. "I remember the royal family's electronic records show that when you were in Luofeng, you went to the Royal Theatre for violin lessons every week."
Wen Ling's heart skipped a beat: "Yes, but it's a pity that I'm so dull."
"Really?" Miao Weizhen smiled softly. He suddenly reached out and gently brushed the calluses on Wen Ling's right palm. "You've developed a unique skill in holding the bow."
Wen Ling raised his eyes, looking into the pair of dark brown eyes so close to him. Knowing he could no longer hide the truth, he pursed his lips and said, "In a place like that, you need some self-defense. You can't really survive by relying solely on kindness."
Miao Weizhen stared at him, watching the sharpness flash across his clear eyes. He remembered Wen Ling's composure at Rust Port, his rapid learning on Waste Star, and his composure after being exposed.
He withdrew his hand: "Well hidden."
His tone was flat, but the look in his eyes when he looked at Wen Ling was deeper than ever.
Miao Weizhen turned and walked away, took two steps, and then stopped again: "Next time you practice, use target number seven, a moving target. Let me see how well you play your violin."
Wen Ling looked at his back as he left and smiled silently.
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