Above the Galaxy
Chapter 315 - 207: Genetic Testing!

Chapter 315: Chapter 207: Genetic Testing!

Zhong Tianque’s face changed drastically as he thought of the annihilation of the Tang clan years ago, and he asked aloud, "Does father mean that Tang Fei is a descendant of that person?"

"It’s not that mysterious," Zhong Daolong said with a calm and assured expression. "The dead cannot speak and their clans are extinguished; anyone connected to them is gone too... The only son was executed by fire, and a genetic test was conducted before the burning. There can be no mistake."

"Besides, Tang Fei was brought over from the Old Land by your sister; how could he possibly be related to that person? Your sister escaped in an escape pod, which was damaged and happened to land there... Could they have planned and laid out such a thing in advance?"

"If they could do such a thing, I might as well give up my position to them... Is there anything in this world they couldn’t achieve?"

"The main issue is that this is too much of a coincidence; he bears the Tang surname and is closely associated with the Lu Family... This naturally leads to some unfavorable speculation."

"I don’t think that should be the case," Zhong Tianque said with a laugh. "Tang is a common surname, as is Lu; it’s just a coincidence that they collided."

"Mm," Zhong Daolong nodded and said, "Why the Tang surname of all surnames? Why does he have to be named Tang?"

Phoenix thought to herself, had her father always been hostile to Tang Fei because of his surname?

So she tentatively asked, "When I was in the Old Land, I heard Tang Fei say that his parents were refugees killed by predators, which left him an orphan... Maybe, should we ask him to change his surname?"

"We’re not that tyrannical," Zhong Daolong waved his hand, saying, "There are so many people with the surname Tang in the world, should we make all of them change their names? Besides, if a Tang surname is changed, should the Lu surname also be changed? There’s no need."

"Exactly," Zhong Tianque said confidently. "His direct relatives, after years of purging, are few and far between. Even if by chance some survived, they’re old and frail... Even if that person were reborn, I fear they wouldn’t be able to change the status quo."

"Even if Tang Fei truly were that person’s son, a lone individual without money or support, with only mediocre Cultivation Realm, what could he possibly achieve? If we perceive any danger, Chen Fenglei could take care of it... It wouldn’t impact the greater scheme."

"It was just a casual remark; don’t you go looking to harm him," Zhong Daolong cautioned aloud. "He’s Phoenix’s lifesaver. If we were to be ungrateful and even annihilative towards those who have done us a favor, people would talk."

"Besides, he has made contributions to our country, having just helped us win the championship of the mechanical competition. He should be heavily rewarded for that... How can we erase a person’s achievements and harm them just because of a surname?"

"There’s another important reason... he’s the disciple of Xuanyuan Mingjing. We would be disrespecting the Great Grandmaster if we’d just accepted him as a disciple and then killed him..."

"Yes, I understand." Zhong Tianque replied respectfully. "Without father’s command, I wouldn’t take any action against Tang Fei on my own."

"I don’t care about these matters," Zhong Tianyi yawned, his eyes unfocused as he spoke. "As long as he doesn’t harbor any ill intentions towards the Zhong Family or our country."

Zhong Daolong looked towards Phoenix and asked, "Why so silent tonight? You’ve sat for so long without saying a word?"

"Father, you should know my stance," Phoenix said boldly and directly to Zhong Daolong. "First, I believe that it is absolutely impossible for Tang Fei to be a descendant of that person, not even remotely related..."

"Tang Fei was brought over from the Old Land by me; I know what he’s like, and I am familiar with his previous lifestyle. Moreover, father should be aware that if not for your mercy, he wouldn’t have had the chance to stand on the land of New Star and would still be in the mountains fighting those Mutant Beasts..."

"So, how could he possibly be a descendant of that person?"

"Secondly, Tang Fei is my lifesaver. Not only did he save my life on the Old Land, but during the recent Ling Yunxiao incident... he also rescued me from the hands of an Assassin... Without him, I would have died long ago and wouldn’t have had the chance to sit here drinking with father and my two brothers or enjoy my favorite mung bean cakes..."

"So, I am grateful to him in my heart, and I also want to help him as much as possible... Here, I also hope that father and my two brothers... you could give him a future on my account, and let him live peacefully and prosperously for a lifetime..."

"I believe Tang Fei is someone who knows gratitude... he will definitely dedicate his loyalty to father and serve our Empire diligently..."

Phoenix stood up, bowing solemnly to her father and brothers.

Zhong Daolong stepped forward, taking Phoenix’s hand and said angrily, "What are you talking about? Is he merely your lifesaver? He saved my precious daughter, and that makes him my lifesaver too... How could I go on living if something happened to you?"

"At your coming-of-age ceremony, I told him that as long as he works hard, I would ensure a future for him after his graduation... And he did, rising from the Imperial First Military Academy to the White Crane Academy... now even obtaining the championship of the mechanical competition..."

"With this, he’s become highly sought-after. By the time of his graduation, it might be him who may not want the future I offer..."

"Indeed. Tang Fei is talented, and as long as he is loyal to the Royal Family and the Empire, we will naturally accept him..." Zhong Tianque also assured.

"I can’t promise anything; I’m just a layabout," Zhong Tianyi said with a chuckle.

"But this Tang Fei is truly fortunate; I’m starting to envy the luck of this kid..."

"Who would have thought that a few of the most distinguished people of the Phoenix Empire would be discussing the future of a nobody? If word got out, it might make those generals and ministers so envious that their eyes would pop out, right?"

"With the assurances from Father and Elder Brother, he will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of his life. Younger sister need not worry...."

"Thank you, Father, thank you, Elder Brother, and thank you, Second Brother," Phoenix said, expressing her gratitude.

"What’s there to thank for? We are a family after all," Zhong Daolong said with a chuckle. "Right, Tang Fei and Shen Xinglan have made great contributions this time. We must properly reward them... What do you think would be a good reward for them?"

Zhong Tianque laughed and said, "Father, I have thought about this question. As for Tang Fei, that’s not a hard matter, but Shen Xinglan... The Shen Family is even richer than our Royal Family, they have whatever they want, I really don’t know what to reward him with."

"Indeed, they have riches, they have power. High Cultivation Realm, good family background, a lot of people who like and support them... I just checked the news feed, and he’s still topping the trending list right now..."

Zhong Daolong’s gaze rested on Phoenix’s face and he asked aloud, "Such an outstanding young man, do you genuinely not like him?"

"..."

Phoenix’s heart pounded fiercely.

She knew this wasn’t just a jest.

Father never spoke idly; every word of his always carried a deeper meaning.

Some she could understand clearly, others she could not.

But she knew crystal-clear that since Father had asked this question, it meant he had some other thoughts in mind.

Did he want her to accept Shen Xinglan, to use a Princess to win over the Shen Family?

Or was he reminding her to not get too close to Shen Xinglan, to avoid getting too deeply hurt when it was time to deal with the Shen Family in the future?

He hadn’t inquired so bluntly about her feelings for a long time, yet tonight, he suddenly broached the subject...

Could it be that he was planning some major move?

Feigning shyness, Phoenix retorted, "Dad, why are you bringing this up again? Haven’t I told you before? I want to become a General; where would I have the time to think about romantic affairs?"

"A General can’t have romantic affairs?" Zhong Daolong said with a smile. "If Generals didn’t fall in love or get married, wouldn’t we lose all those excellent genes? How many talents would the Empire lose? Where would we find Generals then?"

"That’s their business. I just want to be a General," Phoenix spoke up. "I’ll stay by Father’s side and protect you for a lifetime."

Zhong Daolong sized up Phoenix thoughtfully and said, "Okay, you take your time to choose, to pick. As Zhong Daolong’s daughter, naturally, you deserve the best in the world..."

"I don’t want to pick at all. I’m too lazy to choose," Phoenix stated.

"How can that do? I don’t want you to end up alone. If you don’t pick, I’ll have to choose for you in time."

"You don’t need to pick for me either, I wouldn’t like it anyway."

"You don’t even know whom I would pick, how can you know you wouldn’t like them?" Zhong Daolong asked back. "Don’t you have rumors with that Tang Fei? What if I come around to thinking this lad is passable, and simply recruit him as a son-in-law... You wouldn’t agree?"

"Dad...." Phoenix stomped her foot, saying, "How can you joke about such matters? If word got out, could I still show my face?"

"Alright, alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Take your time to think about it," Zhong Daolong said with a laugh. "It’s late; you all go back and rest. I’m going to smoke a cigar and then off to sleep myself... Getting old, my energy is not what it used to be."

"Fortunately, Tian Que is growing up and can handle many things for me... Your achievements in the Heavenly Dao Conference have been remarkable, proving that Tian Que has put in the effort. That’s very good. As long as you work hard, you will certainly get everything you want."

"Yes, Father," Zhong Tianque replied with inward ecstasy, his voice steady.

Zhong Tianyi also wore a smiling face, looking as if he didn’t care about anything at all.

The three siblings rose at the same time, bidding goodbye to Zhong Daolong together.

"Oh..." Zhong Daolong suddenly said as if he had just remembered something. "That Tang Fei, did he go through genetic testing when he registered for citizenship? Bring me the results of his genetic testing to review..."

"Since we intend to utilize him greatly, we must eliminate all interference... This is also for his protection..."