Z:IGSG -- Chapter 5

Chapter 5- Protect

The atmosphere in the first-floor banquet hall had grown heavy, the earlier laughter and merriment now nowhere to be found.

Music in the dance floor had ceased, musicians bowing their heads as if they had become part of the backdrop.

As General Grant disliked excessive revelry, the welcoming banquet hosted by the Governor's Office had invited only a select few socialites from Blackstone Starport—no more than twenty gathered here at this moment.

Governor Bao, the host, sat at the head table, his face ashen and his brow furrowed with worry. The other guests sat below him. Those nobles already privy to the situation wore a variety of expressions, while the few still unaware of what had transpired exchanged bewildered glances after receiving explanations from their companions.

Beside the butler stood Lide, trembling visibly at the sight of so many nobles gathered in one place.

Lide was kicking himself now.

He'd only intended to slack off, letting He Lin handle all the heavy lifting of moving the wine so he could lounge in the hover truck and stream the male zerg broadcaster. After all, He Lin was a female zerg, stronger than him, a sub-female. This kind of labor was meant for a female zerg anyway.

But after waiting for ages, He Lin still hadn't returned.

Lide wondered if the kid had somehow read his mind and ditched work too. But there was no alternative—someone had to do the job. Reluctantly, he stopped watching the male zerg streamer, grumbled his way out of the truck, and started hauling the wine.

He'd barely moved half the crates when guards sent by the steward hauled him away for a barrage of interrogation.

At first he was bewildered, but then his dim mind finally clicked: He Lin hadn't skipped work at all. He'd disguised herself as a male zerg to curry favor with General Grant!

He'd admit it—He Lin's face was ridiculously handsome. Even as a sub-female, he sometimes caught himself staring. But females had the natural advantage in looks. Could one really expect to leap straight to the top, climbing onto an Imperial Admiral's high branch, just by relying on a pretty face?

Especially when using a lie as transparent as “soothing”—who among the zerg race didn't know General Grant's terrifyingly powerful psychic abilities were famously unbreakable? Wasn't He Lin just courting death?

“That zerg... called... He Lin,” Governor Bao's weak voice carried a last shred of hope, “is he truly a female?”

Lide shuddered, forcing a smile uglier than a cry: “Governor... Governor, I worked alongside him in the same bar for years! I watched him labor every single day! Hauling crates of liquor, lugging equipment—his strength rivals that of any space pirate!”

Governor Bao felt his heart sink into despair. He had pinned his hopes on that suddenly appearing zerg miraculously calming Grant, perhaps even making the general forget his own blunder and spare his life.

And now, another zerg comes along to tell him that the male zerg was actually a female?

Bao could already envision his own tragic end—crushed to dust beneath Grant's terrifying psychic pressure. Despair and rage surged through him as he slammed his fist on the armrest, venting his fury: "Where is that damned useless male zerg? Claiming to possess Class A psychic power, he swore he could pacify the General! Now he's left us with this mess and fled?! Bring him back immediately!"

The butler bowed hastily: “Guards have already been dispatched to apprehend him.”

“And...” Governor Bao's finger trembled as he pointed: “Send a zerg to inquire whether General Grant will still attend tonight's banquet, and whether that ‘Male Zerg’ will accompany him.”

He still hadn't given up entirely, hoping to probe indirectly for even the slightest glimmer of a miracle.

The butler understood the governor's intentions perfectly and replied with utmost respect, “Yes, sir. I'll make the arrangements immediately.”

After giving these orders, Governor Bao collapsed into his chair and waved for the young female attendant to administer a strong dose of adrenaline. Without another two shots, he feared he might succumb to a heart attack before Admiral Grant could act.

Soon, the attendant sent to inquire returned, his face blank with bewilderment.

“What did he say?” Governor Bao sat bolt upright.

The attendant took a deep breath, steadying his voice. “Governor, His Excellency the Admiral will attend the banquet.”

He paused again, his expression turning peculiar, clearly finding it hard to believe himself. “And that person will be attending as well. The Admiral's personal guard is currently preparing formal attire for them. It appears... the Admiral's psychic issue has been successfully pacified.”

“What?!”

Governor Bao's eyes widened abruptly, the fleshy cheeks on his face trembling with utter shock. The surrounding guests erupted instantly into a murmur of low gasps and incredulous whispers.

Pacified? That “female zerg”? How could that be possible!

Even an A-class male zerg failed. What level of psychic power must this successful soother possess?

The shock was fleeting. Soon, Governor Bao's expression transformed into wild elation. He leapt from his seat, stood ramrod straight, and turned to bark at the still-dazed musicians: " What are you standing around for? Play the music!"

Though he had long known the slums and central districts of Blackstone Starport were worlds apart, and had glimpsed the lavishness within the Governor's residence while transporting wine, a hint of astonishment still flashed in He Lin's eyes when the banquet hall doors opened.

The dome of the banquet hall projected a nearly lifelike starry sky. A massive mechanical moon, radiating a soft silver glow, hung suspended in midair like a celestial body from myth. Its cool, gentle light provided ample illumination for the entire hall.

Within the vast banquet hall, as spacious as a small plaza, only a little over twenty nobles of the zerg race, dressed in formal attire, were seated. The main table and scattered side tables were laden with an array of delicacies.

Before He Lin arrived, the original host had lived a life where money meant eating steamed buns and no money meant going without nutritional supplements. It had been a long time since he'd tasted proper food.

As He Lin surveyed the banquet hall, the noble zerg were equally scrutinizing him, their gazes brimming with astonishment, scrutiny, and even covetousness.

The young, dark-haired male zerg wore a black formal suit, his slender, upright figure positioned half a step behind Admiral Grant—a posture neither servile nor presumptuous. Mechanical moonlight fell upon his sharply defined features, tracing lines of near-perfect symmetry.

His chin was lifted slightly as his dark eyes calmly surveyed the opulent surroundings. His expression bore neither the awkwardness of a newcomer nor the ecstatic joy of a lower class zerg transcending social boundaries. He seemed utterly at ease in this setting, his demeanor composed and detached.

Originally, the nobles had suspected Governor Bao of exaggerating the appearance of this Lord Zerg. Now, seeing him with their own eyes, they realized it wasn't exaggeration at all—it was the plain truth.

His innate, striking beauty—a blend of cold detachment and sharpness—paired with his fierce demeanor, caused many noble female zergs to fall head over heels for him at first sight.

Moreover, this was a male zerg whose psychic power was potent enough to pacify even the formidable S-class military female, General Grant!

Zerg God! Such a male zerg had been disguised as a female, hiding in Blackstone Starport all this time? How had they missed him?

Grant noticed the noblewomen's gazes in the banquet hall now fixed uniformly on the male zerg behind him. A trace of displeasure flickered across his brow—the displeasure of an owner whose property was coveted.

His face stern, he strode into the banquet hall. His deep blue uniform, meticulously pressed, bore not a single wrinkle, the gold stars on his shoulder insignia gleaming brightly. The oppressive aura of his psychic storm had dissipated, yet his long tenure at the pinnacle of power still lent his every movement an intangible weight.

He Lin maintained a half-step distance, following Grant with measured, composed steps. He could feel countless eyes glued to him, but he paid them no mind.

Compared to the opulence before him and the flattery of the zergs, he was far more preoccupied with how to advance the mission once they reached the main world—how to penetrate deeper and seize control of the general's inner world.

In the banquet hall, Governor Bao was the first to snap out of his daze. Having narrowly escaped death, his entire fleshy body now trembled with excitement. “Congratulations, General! Many heartfelt congratulations!”

Bao's congratulations shattered the banquet hall's stagnant air like a pebble dropped into a still lake. Other nobles snapped out of their daze, rising to their feet with the most fervent smiles, bowing deeply toward Grant and He Lin.

“Congratulations, General Grant!”

“It is truly the Empire's good fortune that you have been successfully soothed!”

Governor Bao had already vacated the main seat and the seat beside it. Rubbing his hands, he smiled obsequiously. Grant led He Lin to the empty seats. For reasons unknown, he relinquished the main seat and took the seat beside it.

He Lin paused slightly, though his expression remained composed as he calmly took the seat of honor.

This gesture sparked another wave of hushed gasps from below.

It seemed General Grant was genuinely pleased with this noble, using this action to warn all present Zerg that he had designated this noble as his dominant mate—no blind female Zerg would be permitted to covet or approach him.

Amidst the flattery exchanged between Governor Bao and the surrounding guests, He Lin maintained a courteously distant demeanor. His conduct, speech, and dining etiquette were all flawless beyond reproach.

Many zergs who had secretly focused their attention on him began to wonder: Was this truly a male Zerg from the slums? And how had he managed to hide in the harsh environment of the slum district until now?

Grant shared this same curiosity.

In his mind, male zergs were fragile and delicate—untouchable and untouchable. Provoke them carelessly, and one risked facing the Empire's legal punishment.

This made it all the more unbelievable that He Lin, a precious male zerg, had survived so long in a place like Blackstone Starport, hiding his identity and struggling to survive. Yet he showed not a trace of baseness; his manners and bearing were indistinguishable from those of a male zerg born into nobility.

Noticing his gaze, He Lin tilted his head slightly and met Grant's eyes. “What is it, General? Is there something on my face?”

Grant replied, “I was just wondering how you managed to live disguised as a female zerg in Blackstone Starport for so long. Any other male zerg would likely have succumbed to the hardship long ago and chosen to be taken as a consort or a female attendant.”

He Lin murmured, “General, I merely understand how to adapt to my environment. I know how to choose between enduring a harsher life and being kidnapped and sold as merchandise.”

Grant said, “With my protection from now on, not one zerg will dare to come near you.”

It must be said that in all his years as an Administrator, holding such a high and powerful position, this was the first time anyone had ever offered to protect him. And to think, it was a female zerg from a minor world.

He smiled inwardly, the warmth in his eyes gentle. He said, “Very well.”