Chapter 77: A Request
Yun Xi was taken to the Female Alliance. The entire time, she waited for Han Yu to finish his work and come take her away. But by the time she was brought before the Female Alliance’s military tribunal, Han Yu had still not come to save her.
「Meanwhile, in an office at military headquarters.」
Han Yu was a little confused when his superior summoned him. It wasn’t until he saw Major Yu in the office that he had a vague sense that something was wrong.
Sure enough, his superior spoke a moment later. "Do you know why I’ve called you here?"
Han Yu mentally reviewed recent events but couldn’t figure it out. "I don’t know."
The moment he spoke, his superior placed what Major Yu had just handed him down in front of Han Yu. His tone betrayed no emotion. "Then have a look at this."
He took it and saw it was a file containing evidence of his interference in the Zone B hunt.
Whether this was a big deal or not depended entirely on who was making the accusation and who had discovered it.
There were only three people in the room, and unfortunately, one of them was the man who had always been his rival: Major Yu.
In other words, not only did Major Yu know, but he had also reported it directly to his superior!
’If it had been anyone else, he could have maneuvered his way out of it. It wouldn’t have been a disaster. But of all people, *he* had to be the one to find out!’
Major Yu had always been at odds with him, and now he had leverage. If this wasn’t handled perfectly, his military career could be over for good.
At this thought, Han Yu’s grip on the evidence tightened.
His superior watched him, radiating a quiet authority. "Finished? What do you have to say for yourself?"
Having been in the military for so many years, Han Yu knew that making excuses now would only earn his superior’s displeasure.
After a moment of rapid calculation, he analyzed the pros and cons, lowered his head slightly, and spoke with sincerity. "I did it. I should not have interfered in the collective hunt over a personal
grudge. I am willing to accept my punishment and will compensate the Beastmen who were affected by my actions."
Seeing that he not only admitted his mistake but had also already considered how to offer compensation, his superior was somewhat satisfied. At least this proved he wasn’t a lost cause.
He’d been angry when Major Yu first brought him the evidence. He had always favored Han Yu and was deeply disappointed by his short-sighted involvement in such a matter.
’The issue wasn’t just that he’d done it, but that he’d been so careless as to get caught. Now that the proof had been laid right in front of me, I couldn’t be too obvious about protecting him, even if I wanted to.’
’Fortunately, even though Han Yu had messed up, he knew how to do damage control. He wasn’t a complete fool.’
He then turned to Major Yu. "Given that the impact of this incident was not severe, the punishment will be a fine of six months’ salary, fifty lashes with the military whip, and a two-year ban on promotions. Are you satisfied with that, Major Yu?"
Major Yu smiled. "Everyone in the military knows you are a fair man, Admiral. I’m quite satisfied with your decision. I would just like to add a small reminder... while Major Han Yu is exceptionally talented, perhaps he should pay more attention to matters at home."
As he spoke, he sent two video files to both Admiral Lin and Han Yu. "I just received some information," he said at a leisurely pace. "If this isn’t handled properly, I’m afraid it could have quite an impact on Major Han Yu."
When Han Yu saw the video from Major Yu, his expression instantly darkened, becoming even grimmer than when he’d learned Major Yu had discovered his involvement in the Zone B hunt.
His first reaction was a single, sinking thought: ’I’m finished.’
’He never imagined that the ever-cautious Yun Xi would be recorded indirectly admitting she hired someone to go after another female. And most importantly, in the short time since he’d been summoned here, she’d been taken away by the Female Alliance!’
Han Yu realized it in a flash. ’We’ve been set up!’
’First, Major Yu reported my own affair to the admiral. Then, in the time I was occupied, the Female Alliance showed up and took Yun Xi.’
’Everything is happening at once. If it had been any earlier or any later, I could have found a solution. But it had to be now.’
’The goal was to stop me from saving Yun Xi. If this had happened to her earlier, the impact on me wouldn’t have been so severe. But it had to be now!’
’I was just punished for the incident in Zone B, and now my wife is being exposed for hiring someone to viciously attack another female, Bai Zhi. If both these stories break at the same time, the blowback on me will be enormous!’
’She, his wife, had knowingly broken the law. And this was happening right after I myself had been punished for doing the same. The two incidents, back-to-back...’
’Han Yu couldn’t even bear to imagine the consequences...’
’We’ll probably be made an example of, publicly denounced by the Alliance. I will definitely lose my position. I’ll be lucky to stay out of prison.’
’If it had been just one of these things, it wouldn’t have been this severe. But it had to be now, it just had to be now...’
The thought made his vision go dark.
After watching the video, Admiral Lin frowned slightly. He said nothing, merely lifting his gaze to look coolly at Han Yu. ’The nature of this crime is simply too vile,’ he thought. ’I can’t protect him this time. It could very well affect my own career.’
Han Yu saw the abrupt shift in Admiral Lin’s demeanor and knew exactly what it meant. A look of utter defeat washed over him.
Admiral Lin rose and walked to his side. He looked at Han Yu, shook his head, and clapped him on the shoulder. "You’re on your own now."
’Han Yu understood. The admiral was telling him to turn himself in. It was his only chance to mitigate some of the fallout.’
’As for why Major Yu had brought the evidence to Admiral Lin first, it was to give the admiral face. If he had submitted it through official channels, he would have risked becoming a target for Admiral Lin later.’
’But Han Yu had dug his own grave. He had no one to blame but himself.’
Major Yu watched Admiral Lin leave, knowing the man would no longer intervene in Han Yu’s affairs. He sauntered over to Han Yu, looking him up and down. "TSK TSK TSK... I never would have guessed. After all these years of fighting me, you end up being ruined by a female..."
Han Yu was clearly not ready to accept his fate. A cold glint flashed in his dark eyes. "Major Yu, seeing as I’m about to be judged, I have a request."
Major Yu raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
Han Yu looked up at him. "Can you tell me who gave this information to you?"
Major Yu wasn’t surprised by the question. He gave a faint smile. "Apologies, but I don’t know either."
Han Yu knew the man was simply unwilling to tell him. He said provocatively, "Is there anything you, the great Major Yu, don’t know?"
Major Yu was clearly not baited by his words. "There’s plenty I don’t know," he said. "Just think of it as a gift from a kind-hearted person who wishes to remain anonymous."
Seeing that he couldn’t bait the truth out of him, Han Yu’s expression grew grim. The hand at his side clenched into a fist.
’There were only a few factions who would want to take him down.’
’Within the military, there were others besides Major Yu who wanted to see him fall.’
’Then there were the people he’d arrested in the past—they would be eager to see him make a mistake, to watch him suffer.’
’And finally, there was Bai Zhi and her Beast Husbands.’