Chapter 13: Meeting at Last (2)
Nan Ming said, “About this matter... actually, this time, I'm the one who's meeting someone. I just brought you here along the way for a meal. Later, just quietly eat and don't worry about anything else, understand?”
Nan Yu suddenly understood. So that was it. He just didn't know who his father was meeting.
“Of course, I'm not meeting him here. I'll go to another private room later. While I'm gone, don't wander around. Avoid any accidents, understand?”
Just who was this person? So important?
Still, all three obediently nodded.
Just as Nan Ming stood up to leave and head to the other private room to meet that person, the door was suddenly pushed open.
The four of them all looked toward the opened door.
The person standing outside was actually Yuan Qiyang...
They all knew Yuan Qiyang.
Why would the Crown Prince come here?
Could it be that the person Nan Ming was meeting was Yuan Qiyang?
What exactly were these two meeting for?
Yuan Qiyang nodded at them before expressionlessly looking at Nan Ming.
“Major General Nan, my uncle has already arrived. Please come with me.”
Nan Ming took a deep breath.
“Alright, I'm coming.”
Then he turned to Nan Yu and the others.
“You just stay here and eat. I'll be back shortly, understand?”
Nan Yu nodded.
Yuan Qiyang's uncle?
That would be the Empress's younger brother?
If he remembered correctly...
Yu Lanfeng?
He had heard that this man was incredibly powerful. It was said that even the Emperor couldn't defeat him. He was the strongest Ability User in the entire Empire. Whether it was individual combat, team battles, or command warfare, he stood at the absolute peak.
Because of his overwhelming strength, he had always been responsible for leading the army stationed on several planets along the Empire's border, resisting Ability Beast invasions.
Of course, Ability Beasts couldn't fly spaceships or anything like that, so their greatest mission was actually defending against foreign enemies.
In his previous life, Nan Yu had only heard of this person until the day he died, but had never actually met him.
He hadn't expected that in this life...
Well, perhaps he still wouldn't get the chance to meet him.
Nan Yun said, “The dishes are here. Let's eat first.”
Nan Yu snapped back to reality.
Right. Eating was more important right now.
“Don't eat too much. Save some for Dad. Talking with someone that important, he definitely won't have time to eat.”
The dishes had all been reserved in advance when the table and time were booked, so they couldn't order extra food on the spot.
In other words, once they finished everything on the table, that would be it.
Nan Yun and Nan Zhen both nodded.
“We won't touch Dad's favorites first. Xiao Yu, these are the dishes you like, hurry and eat. These giant shrimp are the freshest. They should have just been transported from the newest marine production planet.”
Nan Yu excitedly peeled one.
The shrimp meat looked incredibly tender the moment it was peeled, and the flesh was as large as his palm. Given his appetite, one or two would be enough to fill him up.
However, unfinished food here could be packed and taken home. Many people specifically did so, so there was absolutely nothing embarrassing about it.
Meanwhile, Nan Ming entered the private room and stood upright, giving a perfect military salute to the person inside.
“Marshal!”
There was only one person worthy of being addressed so respectfully as Marshal by a Major General like Nan Ming.
Yu Lanfeng casually glanced at him.
“Major General Nan, please sit. This meeting is about the Ability Beast outbreaks on several border planets in Border Sector One...”
Nan Ming paused slightly.
This matter... was there some difficulty?
To wipe out those Ability Beasts, all they needed was to dispatch an army. Supplies were abundant, and claiming that the military lacked Ability Users was absolutely impossible.
So...
“Marshal, could it be...?”
Yu Lanfeng rubbed his brow with a slight headache.
“Exactly what you're thinking. Our Mental Power User squad was attacked while resting on a transit planet during the return trip. Several of them are injured and haven't recovered yet, so they can't head there for the time being. Mental Power Users elsewhere all have their own assignments.”
“So...”
Nan Ming understood.
Yu Lanfeng clearly wanted to bring Nan Yu there.
But Nan Yu was still so young and had never suffered hardships. Could he really handle accompanying the military on an Ability Beast extermination mission?
Of course, Mental Power Users didn't need to charge onto the battlefield.
However, military Ability Users fought for long periods, used their abilities extensively, and consumed large quantities of high-level Ability Beast meat.
To maintain both their combat power and mental clarity, the accompanying Mental Power Users had to work day and night, continuously removing Mental Contamination from them.
Yu Lanfeng looked at Nan Ming somewhat unexpectedly.
Whenever he discussed matters with this man before, Major General Nan had always agreed quickly and decisively.
But even someone like him would hesitate when it involved his family.
“Major General Nan, may I meet him?”
This was an emergency. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come looking for Nan Yu personally.
Actually, he had noticed Nan Yu long ago. At first, he hadn't considered him and had merely planned to urgently transfer one or two Mental Power Users from elsewhere to barely hold things together.
However, when his nephew mentioned Nan Yu while chatting with others earlier, he suddenly remembered that there was such a talented Mid-Tier Mental Power User on the Capital °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° Star.
Three High-Tier Ability Users in the family all relied on him to remove Mental Contamination, and he did an excellent job.
Rumors might be exaggerated, but those facts stood plainly before him.
If he could really bring Nan Yu along, it would ease a tremendous amount of pressure.
In the end, Nan Ming decided to leave the choice to Nan Yu.
“In that case, I'll bring Xiao Yu over. This matter depends entirely on his own wishes. As his father, I won't interfere.”
Originally, Yu Lanfeng had planned to meet him personally to show his sincerity.
But after thinking about it, he realized that appearing directly would be inappropriate and could easily cause a commotion, so he agreed.
When Nan Yu saw Nan Ming return, he grinned.
“Dad, you're back already? Hurry and eat! We saved your favorites for you!”
Seeing that several dishes he usually ate the most hadn't been touched, Nan Ming felt warmth rise in his heart.
But business came first.
After listening to Nan Ming's explanation, Nan Yu was surprised.
Even Nan Yun and Nan Zhen were shocked.
Nan Yun exclaimed, “Dad, seriously? You're sending Xiao Yu to the front lines?!”
Nan Ming frowned.
“Don't talk nonsense. They just can't temporarily transfer any Mental Power Users there. And it's not the front lines, just Border Sector One. You know that every year, for several months, Ability Beast tides break out on a few planets. There was only a slight accident this time.”
“Of course, everything depends on Xiao Yu's own decision.”
“Xiao Yu, come with me. The Marshal wants to meet you and speak with you privately.”
Nan Yun and Nan Zhen didn't know what to say.
Nor did they know whose side to stand on.
Yu Lanfeng was their idol.
Nan Yu was their beloved younger brother.
Caught in the middle, they felt miserable.
Nan Yu laughed shamelessly.
“Alright, alright. It's not like I'm going somewhere dangerous. Big Brother, Second Brother, stop worrying.”
“I'll go meet the Marshal first, and besides...”
“This might even be a good opportunity for me to train myself.”
Perhaps he could even use this chance to obtain an official identity within the military?
When Nan Ming led him to the door, he opened it but didn't enter.
Nan Yu took a deep breath and slowly walked inside.
The first thing he saw upon entering was Yu Lanfeng standing with his back to him.
That's right.
No one recognizing the Emperor wasn't strange. After all, not everyone had ever seen him.
But anyone who didn't recognize Yu Lanfeng was truly ignorant.
Yu Lanfeng appeared in the news almost every day because he was constantly protecting the Empire, or on his way to protect it.
In short, he was busy as hell.
And powerful beyond measure.
“Marshal?”
Yu Lanfeng turned around to look at him.
He was even younger than Yu Lanfeng had imagined.
“Hello. Sit down first, and we'll talk.”
His demeanor was completely businesslike.
But Nan Yu liked that kind of attitude.