As Yue'an playfully kicked his legs, the vial of emerald-green solution spilled onto the plush carpet. Tiny, round droplets of vivid green scattered across the water-resistant fibers, evaporating at an astonishing rate.
The cat quickly realized that the catnip solution concocted by the military's science division was vastly superior to anything the research department had produced. The potency was off the charts!
The air soon became thick with the scent of catnip, so intense it felt as if the entire room had been transformed into a catnip wonderland. Yue'an was suddenly reminded of that fateful day when he and his fellow nine-tailed cats had found themselves overwhelmed in the flower and bird market.
Sprawled across the cat tree, Yue'an lay limp with his paws outstretched and tail drooping. His eyes were half-closed, face pressed against the soft padding. In this state, he looked small, helpless, and utterly adorable.
The media, always quick to react and eager for sensational news, pounced on the scene like firecrackers igniting in rapid succession. Headlines began to explode across the star network:
"What Horrors Drove Earth's Precious Relic to Drug Dependency?"
"The Dark Secrets of the Research Department: What Did Yue'an Endure?"
"Imperial Marshal's Lawsuit: Unveiling Shocking Truths?"
Speculation about Yue'an's condition spread like wildfire across the star network. This wasn't just news for the Xinteris Empire; foreign media outlets were equally captivated by the potential scandal involving one of the most powerful military forces in the galaxy.
Yue'an's live stream viewership skyrocketed, breaking the hundred billion mark and still climbing. The platform's technical team worked frantically to prevent server crashes under the unprecedented load.
The Imperial High Court was set to begin proceedings at 10 AM Xinteris Capital Time. Despite vast time differences across star systems, people everywhere were staying up, eyes glued to their screens, eager for the unfolding drama.
While the High Court's proceedings were public, certain privacy agreements had been signed. Marshal Xiu Jun had adamantly refused to allow detailed information about the experiments to be disclosed, even if it might lead to a lighter sentence for the accused. He prioritized protecting the reputation of the research staff and maintaining public trust.
As the appointed time drew near, Xiu Jun waited quietly in the antechamber, accompanied by two fleet commanders who occasionally exchanged hushed words. Their communication devices had been disabled upon entering, leaving them in tense silence. Nearby, their lawyer pored over documents, preparing for the battle ahead.
Yue'an, oblivious to human legal procedures, remained sprawled on his cat tree for a full hour. Only when he heard the hourly chime did he sluggishly rise, regretfully opening a window to clear the air of the intoxicating catnip scent.
On the holographic display, Xiu Jun appeared before the cameras. His appearance was a stark contrast to his usual demeanor around Yue'an. Dressed in a crisp military uniform, his chest adorned with medals testifying to years of conquest, Xiu Jun cut an imposing figure. His expression was composed yet icy, his dark eyes as vast and inscrutable as the universe itself.
Yue'an flicked his tail, admiring Xiu Jun's powerful presence. In his feline opinion, while the marshal might not be the most handsome human, his strength and aura were unparalleled.
As the main event was about to begin, Yue'an padded over to the snack box Xiu Jun had prepared the night before. He began pulling out treats one by one, ready to enjoy the show.
Meanwhile, the live stream's comment section was ablaze with activity. Viewers had shifted from condemning the research department to showering Yue'an with virtual gifts and words of comfort:
[Yue'an, we're so sorry! QAQ]
[Most humans are good, please don't ignore us Q^Q]
[Look at us, Yue'an! QvQ Don't take too many hallucinogens, it's not good for you!]
[Here's my heart and wallet, please stop with the drugs! It'll mess up your mind (:з」∠)]
[Isn't that stuff only for treating extreme mental illnesses now?]
[So heartbreaking!! QAQ]
[Just eat snacks, don't do drugs (:з」∠)]
[Yue'an, look here! I'll recommend some tasty treats for you!!]
Yue'an stared at the comments, utterly bewildered. What were they talking about? He looked down at the snacks under his paw. Were these hallucinogens? Weren't these just his regular treats?
Confused, Yue'an turned back to the camera and let out a questioning "Meow."
The chat exploded with more meows and reassurances:
[Meow meow meow!]
[Meow meow!]
[Meow!]
[Yue'an, we're all good people! Don't judge us all because of what the research department did QAQ.]
Though he didn't fully understand why they were saying these things, Yue'an meowed a couple of times at the camera in response.
On the holographic projection showing Xiu Jun's side of the courtroom, all parties had taken their seats. The air was thick with anticipation as the court was about to be called to session.
Meanwhile, Yue'an lounged comfortably on the sofa, a bag of snacks nestled in his lap. He alternated between nibbling on his treats and watching the full-scale hologram of the courtroom before him. It was the epitome of comfort and convenience.
The Empire's Supreme Court rarely took on cases, but when it did, each trial was a marathon of meticulous examination. Every charge required repeated confirmation, every piece of evidence - both testimonial and physical - was scrutinized to ensure absolute authenticity and validity. While their judging process might not be the most efficient, their track record spoke for itself: not a single wrongful conviction in recorded history.
The credibility of this court was legendary throughout the interstellar community. In the annals of the Xintes Empire's history, this Supreme Court had once tried an Emperor himself, ruling against him and directly leading to his abdication and the ascension of a new Emperor.
In the eyes of all, the Empire's Supreme Court represented absolute justice and unvarnished truth. In a universe full of compromises and shadowy dealings, the Supreme Court stood as a beacon of hope for those at the bottom rungs of society who had been wronged. It was a light that sustained their will to persevere.
It was also one of the reasons why both the military and political factions of the Empire remained vigilant, careful not to overstep their bounds. For once a case reached this court, the outcome was usually a matter of life and death for those involved.
Xiu Jun's team planned to start with a bombshell. They knew that the more severe the initial charges, the more fiercely the defense would resist, and the worse the impression the jury and public would have of the defendants.
They couldn't afford to build up gradually, starting with minor charges that wouldn't warrant capital punishment. Such an approach might lead the jury and public to believe that "the defendants have a good attitude towards admitting guilt and have realized their crimes with potential for reform."
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The people of the Empire's Research Department were top-tier talents, and the general public tended to view such elites through rose-tinted glasses. Anyone familiar with public relations work would never make such a naive mistake.
So, on the first day of the trial, the prosecution's opening statement focused on the most damning charge: illegal experimentation.
The scope of illegal experimentation was vast, but Xiu Jun's lawyers homed in on the most forbidden aspect of all: cloning.
Cloning technology wasn't particularly difficult in this advanced age. With the rapid development of life sciences, even fresh graduates who hadn't yet entered formal research institutes could manage to produce clones. Yet, throughout the interstellar community, this technology had been strictly prohibited. The reason was simple: the Interstellar Code, revered by all of humanity in this cosmic age, explicitly forbade any form of cloning experiments under any circumstances. The penalty? Death.
Over thousands of years, countless defiant researchers had challenged the authority of this code, only to face swift and uncompromising justice, further cementing the gravitas of these regulations.
The jury and the audience watching the live broadcast were shocked into silence.
The reason for banning this technology was straightforward. No one could accept the existence of an identical copy of themselves in this world. The mere thought of returning home to find it occupied by someone exactly like oneself was terrifying beyond measure.
Deeper considerations raised even more troubling questions. What value could these artificially created life forms generate? Would they be exploited as labor, commodities, or worse, marked as inferior beings and treated like cattle?
What if one day, you suddenly saw a slave with your exact face and genetic makeup?
It was unacceptable. Any person with a shred of sense could foresee the chaos such a scenario would unleash upon society.
Without the constraints of thought and morality, humans would be no different from beasts. The articles in the Interstellar Code existed to suppress such dangerous ideas born from rapid technological advancement and a subsequent loss of reverence for life.
But now, the very scientists they had admired, worshipped, and seen as the beacons of human progress had shattered this taboo!
This was intolerable. Absolutely unforgivable!
Scientists were different from ordinary people, possessing superhuman wisdom and astonishing foresight. On an intellectual level, some ordinary folks might even admit that exceptional scientists were a cut above the rest.
But this did not give them the right to brazenly break a prohibition respected by all of humanity.
Humans have an incredibly keen sense of crisis. This sense now had the informed audience and jury members on edge.
Yue'an watched as the Research Department representatives vehemently denied and refuted these charges. It seemed they hadn't informed their hired lawyer about this aspect, and the attorney's expression was a sight to behold, looking at his clients as if he wanted to devour them alive.
Xiu Jun's side came prepared. They produced witness testimonies and physical evidence one after another, countering each denial with irrefutable proof.
Cloning of thirteen intelligent species with special talents.
Illegal experiments on sentient beings, including Xiu Jun himself.
And more...
The charges kept coming, one after another.
Even the memory chips of the robots responsible for the mechanical and complex basic experimental operations in Laboratory No. 1 were presented as evidence.
At the prosecution's request, only the outline of the items was disclosed, with specific contents not revealed to the jury and other observers.
The Imperial Supreme Court guaranteed the absolute authenticity of the physical and testimonial evidence.
The prosecution lawyer's indictment against the personnel of the Research Department's Laboratory No. 1 lasted for two hours.
Throughout this time, Xiu Jun's expression remained cold and detached. He showed no signs of being shaken, despite the experiments involving him personally.
Yue'an noticed that in his livestream, the comments were scrolling so fast they were almost impossible to read. The long string of exclamations and large number of censored profanities clearly conveyed the audience's agitation.
It wasn't just the Xintes Empire that was in an uproar; the entire interstellar community had exploded with reactions.
While the reputation of the Xintes Empire's Silver Blade certainly struck fear into the hearts of neighboring countries, apart from the nation that had an entire solar system obliterated by Xiu Jun cheering loudly, other countries and federations expressed their heartache over the young general's experience of being subjected to illegal experiments.
An SS-class genetic body wasn't coveted by the Xintes Empire alone. If Xiu Jun ever decided to defect, there would be no shortage of places eager to welcome him—which was why the Empire's political faction dared to move against Marshal Kevin but wouldn't dare interfere too much with Xiu Jun.
The first day of the trial lasted only four short hours, with three hours dedicated to case presentation and the prosecution's indictment.
As this phase concluded, before the defense lawyer could say much, the jury members, unable to contain their fury, erupted.
"That's our hero!"
"The hero who conquered a solar system for us and strikes fear into our enemies!"
"How dare you?!"
Xiu Jun had been away from home for years, roaming the universe to eradicate space pirates, constantly refreshing his undefeated record to demonstrate his strength.
What was it all for?
For the peace of the Empire!
To deter neighboring powers with ill intentions!
How dare they do this to him?!
In the jury box, people with faces flushed with anger nearly broke through the seating area!
Such scenes weren't uncommon in the Imperial Supreme Court. Since the cases accepted by the Supreme Court were usually major crimes or miscarriages of justice, it wasn't unusual for jury members to lose their composure or even faint during case presentations.
Yue'an, watching the jurors who seemed ready to leap up and assault the defendants, marveled at the richness of human emotions. He then extended his fluffy little paw to hook another bag of snacks from the box under the sofa, tearing it open and munching away as he continued to watch the spectacle unfold.
His round, azure eyes remained fixed on the jury members who were nearly breaking through security. Yue'an thought that if the experienced Supreme Court hadn't wisely confiscated anything that could be used as a weapon before the jury entered, the defendants standing in the dock would probably already be lying there lifeless.
The jury members were strictly required to wear only soft fabric clothing, with no heavy accessories on their person. Even high heels and hard-soled shoes were forbidden; they had to wear soft shoes!
All this was to prevent a scenario where the defendant or the plaintiff might be beaten to death by an enraged jury using accessories or shoes before the case could be fully tried.
Amidst the chaos, Xiu Jun and his two legion commanders remained as still as statues, seemingly unmoved by the commotion around them.
However, their composure did nothing to calm the furious jury. As the jury members looked at them, imagining who-knows-what, their anger only intensified.
The scene was so chaotic that even security couldn't force the enraged jury back to their seats. The Chief Justice had no choice but to declare the end of the first day's proceedings.
As the holographic projection disappeared, Yue'an finished the last of his snacks, turned off his own livestream, and scurried to the entrance to wait.
When Xiu Jun returned, his mood had reverted to its usual calm, even showing signs of being slightly elevated. The jury's outrage and the defendants' unsightly behavior in court had clearly pleased him.
"Yue'an," Marshal Xiu called out as he entered, unsurprised to see Yue'an perched on the low cabinet by the door, waiting for him.
He placed the items he was carrying on the cabinet surface.
"Treats," he said simply.
Yue'an tilted his head, confirming that Xiu Jun was indeed in a very good mood, before jumping down from the low cabinet and climbing onto the dining table, impatiently patting the tabletop with his little paws.
"Meow!"
Marshal Xiu brought the food box to the table, opened it, and took out a small stack of pastries, placing them in front of himself before pushing the rest towards Yue'an.
Yue'an leaned in, about to eat, when he suddenly remembered what Xiu Jun had said before leaving that morning.
The snow-white ball of fur looked up at Marshal Xiu, who had already picked up his fork, then turned and jumped off the dining table. He went to the sofa and opened his mouth to drag the large sofa cover over.
Marshal Xiu turned his head to watch his cat's sudden mischievous behavior, his expression remaining calm.
Yue'an dragged the over two-meter-long cover to the edge of the dining table, released it from his mouth, looked up at Xiu Jun and meowed twice, then crawled under the cover.
Xiu Jun watched the small lump under the cover as his fork pierced a pastry on his plate.
Yue'an wriggled around under the cover, moving to about the middle position. He briefly recalled the trick to transforming into human form, then mobilized the spiritual energy flowing within his body.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Marshal Xiu stared at the young man who had poked his head out from under the cover, so startled that his fork pierced a huge hole in the dining table.