Chapter Thirty-Four: Following Hu Tu

When Zhang Desen heard what Hu Tu said, he turned slowly, facing him, and spoke in a leisurely manner:
"Deputy Leader Hu, you truly live up to your name—confused indeed. I admire you!"
With that, Zhang Desen cupped his hands in salute to Hu Tu. Instantly, those among the household guards who were not aligned with Hu Tu erupted in loud laughter, while even some of Hu Tu’s own men struggled to stifle their amusement. Hu Tu, furious, roared at Zhang Desen:
"What did you say? Say it again!"
Just as Zhang Desen was about to reply, Zhao Chengming rushed over to Hu Tu and said:
"Deputy Leader Hu, can you really not understand? If you’re truly confused, I won’t mind explaining it again for you..."
Hu Tu immediately interrupted, shouting:
"Zhao Chengming, so you’re shielding your own? Don’t think I’m afraid of you just because you’re the leader of the household guards. If you openly protect your people, don’t blame me for being harsh."
The crowd could not help but marvel at Hu Tu’s shamelessness, twisting truth and falsehood. Zhao Chengming, hearing this, retorted:
"Have you forgotten? Right now, the household guards are competing with each other; during this archery round, if you’re dissatisfied, just show your skill. What’s the point in always stirring up trouble? Don’t think people don’t know your arrows never hit the target. If that’s the case, you can wait until the next round of combat to cause a scene, fool!"
Hu Tu’s rage reached its peak, and just as he was about to flare up again, Master Liu himself spoke:
"Enough, you two. If you want to compete in other ways, wait for the second stage. Does anyone else have objections?"
With that, the brief farce finally came to an end, and everyone resumed the archery contest. Naturally, after the earlier disturbance—and since archery was Hu Tu’s weakness—his faction remained silent.
Zhang Desen could not help but reflect that he had become thoroughly embroiled in the ongoing rivalry between different household guard factions in Liu Manor, and that he must now stand entirely on Zhao Chengming’s side. Simply put, Zhang Desen had been recruited into the Liu household by Zhao Chengming, so he naturally belonged to Zhao Chengming’s faction. If Zhao Chengming lost favor, Zhang Desen would be unable to remain in Liu Manor, a highly unfavorable outcome for him.
Thus, Zhang Desen resolved to teach Hu Tu a lesson.
Though the earlier commotion had occurred, it did not disrupt the competition, which proceeded as usual. During the display of archery skills by the other guards, Zhao Chengming led Zhang Desen to the rest area to watch. Others showcased their talents, and Zhang Desen noticed Hu Tu glaring at him, but he could not be bothered; such a person was hardly worth his attention.
Zhao Chengming observed this and quietly said to Zhang Desen:
"Ignore his antics for now, but you must teach him a lesson shortly. There are things I can’t tell you yet, but as long as you defeat him, it will be fine."
Zhang Desen replied, "Don’t worry, I don’t even consider him a threat. I just wonder if there are any requirements for the combat round?"
Zhao Chengming assured him:
"Don’t worry. There are no specific restrictions. Officially, the rules say to stop before causing injury, but if one party accidentally kills the other, they are rarely held responsible. He’ll use all sorts of tricks to force you into a duel and attempt to kill you, so you must be cautious."
Zhang Desen gave a cold smile and said:
"He’s nothing more than an ant. I’m curious to see what he can do."
Zhao Chengming replied:
"Good, as long as you’re confident. Don’t hold back against him; there’s no issue."
Zhang Desen immediately answered:

"Very well, I will not disappoint. I will bring him down."
...
Meanwhile, in the seaside base of the Terran Orme Empire, in the office of the Supreme Leader, Intelligence Director Kaba Duer came before Yuri Gotne to report. Yuri Gotne invited Kaba Duer to sit and speak.
Indeed, this Intelligence Director Kaba Duer was the same Kaba Duer who previously claimed to be the captain of the Orme Empire Border Patrol Reconnaissance Team in front of Secretary Qian. If Secretary Qian were present, one wonders how surprised he would be. Yet even now, Kaba Duer was uneasy, as could be seen in his conversation with Yuri Gotne.
At this moment, Yuri Gotne asked:
"Duer, my friend, tell me—who is responsible for the disappearance of that alien human? The science department, the intelligence agency, or another related department?"
Kaba Duer replied with shame:
"I’m sorry, Supreme Leader. I believe I should bear the primary responsibility."
Yuri Gotne continued:
"Very well, then let me ask why the new alien human has not been captured, and the previous one slipped free from our control. Didn’t you guarantee that your plan was foolproof? If the two alien humans meet, do you understand how serious the consequences could be?"
Kaba Duer responded:
"Supreme Leader, according to the technical department, the sudden interruption of the signal was caused by an unknown source. An unexpected jamming signal severed our communication, preventing connection and allowing the alien human Tang Shijie to seize the opportunity to escape our control."
Yuri Gotne asked again:
"By the way, the identification documents seized with Tang Shijie—are those records still held by your intelligence department?"
Kaba Duer answered:
"Yes, all materials he brought with him are still kept in our intelligence department, including his name."
Yuri Gotne said:
"Good. Have you deciphered and fully translated all his documents?"
Kaba Duer apologized:
"Reporting, Supreme Leader, not yet."
Yuri Gotne suddenly stood, fixing his gaze on Kaba Duer, his tone still calm:
"Then, my friend, there is something I do not understand. Please explain it to me."
Seeing this, Kaba Duer realized that their Supreme Leader was now deeply angry, despite his outward composure. Kaba Duer could only brace himself and say:
"Please ask, Supreme Leader."
Yuri Gotne promptly inquired:

"Why was there a jamming signal around Tang Shijie? How did he completely escape our control?"
Kaba Duer stood and answered:
"Supreme Leader, I believe the later-arriving alien human—his companion—found him and used a jamming device to shield the signal and hide him. They are now seeking a way to remove our control."
Yuri Gotne said:
"So, they have successfully reunited. Where might they be now?"
Kaba Duer replied:
"We believe that even if Tang Shijie’s companion shielded the control signal with a device, it is only a temporary fix. There is no way they could remove the control implant from Tang Shijie’s body in such a short time."
Yuri Gotne asked:
"How do you plan to remedy the impact of this mistake on us?"
Kaba Duer replied:
"Yesterday, after discovering the incident, I changed plans and went to the human Qian’s government. His son’s situation ensures that he will cooperate fully. His status in the Great Prosperity Nation is very high. As long as he has the photo of Tang Shijie we provided, or if they have met before, unless Tang Shijie never shows himself, anyone arranged by Secretary Qian will be able to serve us well."
Then, a spark of confidence lit Kaba Duer’s eyes, dispelling his earlier gloom, and he continued:
"Moreover, if Secretary Qian posts Tang Shijie’s wanted notice everywhere, the common people of the Great Prosperity Nation will treat them as fugitives. Even without pictures or information on the new alien human, as long as he is with Tang Shijie, all the people will reject them. They will be unable to lead the local humans, thus eliminating their chance to revive high-tech civilization here and temporarily removing the threat to us."
Kaba Duer, now fully energized, declared:
"By using humans to deal with humans, we continually delay the threat. We only need to intensify the search, and we can capture both of them at once. Eventually, we can even use Secretary Qian’s influence to gradually control all of humanity."
Yuri Gotne considered this and said:
"Very well, proceed with your plan. Do not let me down again."
"Yes, sir!"
Kaba Duer then left the Supreme Leader’s office in the seaside base of the Terran Orme Empire.
...
Meanwhile, in Liu Manor in the Western Capital of the Great Prosperity Nation, the first stage of the archery competition had concluded. Next was the tournament. For Deputy Leader Hu Tu of the household guards, the moment he had awaited had finally arrived.
When everyone should have been gathering at the tournament stage, Hu Tu could not wait and rushed to Zhang Desen, saying:
"Boy, if you’re afraid now, it’s not too late to kneel and beg for mercy. If I’m in a good mood, I might even make you my deputy."