Chapter 585: Chapter 340, Fufana_2
That exercise, it wasn’t just her from the Fufana Family who participated. So how come you younger brothers didn’t have any tricks up your sleeves?
Yelisia never denied that the Fufana Family gave her everything. Without the family, even hoping to enter the Naval Academy would be a luxury; even if she did get in, even if she excelled academically, without the family, even as valedictorian, she wouldn’t be able to become a captain immediately. At most, she would mix in as a staff officer, starting from a certain position on some starship and then accumulating seniority.
But others could say that, only these family members, just like her, this bunch of younger generations, had no right to say so.
You had the same conditions, yet you couldn’t achieve one-tenth of what I did, so what right do you have to be sarcastic here?
However, in the end, Yelisia still didn’t say a word.
As she was about to speak out, looking at these younger ones standing before her, appearing somewhat uneasy, she suddenly found it all very meaningless.
Bullying these people, whose level was far below her own, was pointless;
The hopeless younger generation within the family was also pointless;
The gossip they spoke about ‘getting married’ was even more meaningless to her.
All those thoughts she wanted to spit out dissipated with a sigh.
She waved her hand and called out for them to disperse.
The young people, as if pardoned, quickly saluted and then scattered.
And Yelisia, she no longer cared what these youngsters might fabricate about her ‘throwing her weight around’ behind her back.
Feeling somewhat listless, she wandered from the hotel lobby to a temporary office.
She knocked on the door, and after getting permission, she entered.
In the office, there sat an old man.
The cornerstone of the family, known to outsiders as Old Fufana, he was a war hero who had retired from the Imperial Navy with the rank of admiral.
He had retired many years ago, but his influence still remained, both in the Tianma Fleet and across the entire Imperial Navy in the Star Domain.
Yelisia had great admiration for her great-grandfather.
Although, now Old Fufana looked just like any other ordinary, kindly old man.
She sat down in front of her great-grandfather.
Old Fufana lifted his head and said, “Feeling upset?”
Yelisia hesitated for a moment, but then nodded her head.
There was nothing good to hide.
“Because of the engagement?”
“…Yes,” Yelisia said, “I understand that families like ours need to establish and expand our influence through alliances by marriage. I just thought that I no longer needed to be chosen for an arranged marriage to demonstrate my worth.”
“Of course,” Old Fufana said, “Of course you don’t need to. You are the brightest jewel of the Fufana, you don’t need to prove your worth, your very existence is of value. The family does its utmost to help you become a general and will assist you in reaching higher positions in the future. We hope you will lead the entire family to greater heights. If you don’t want this marriage, you certainly have a choice. I can tell Miss Wang Qi to end it all right now.”
With the conversation having reached this point, it was Yelisia who hesitated:
“…No, there’s really no need for that. I was just…”
At this, she anxiously began to tousle her own hair.
Old Fufana sighed and said, “You see, little Yelisia, this is our destiny. We shoulder responsibility, and even if no one truly forces us, we still invariably take it all upon ourselves.”
“Little Yelisia, remember this: the Fufana Family has never been adept at grabbing power for its own sake; we have always dedicated our family for the empire, establishing our esteemed reputation by placing ourselves amidst the stars and seas. Our foundation lies in our ability, our merits.”
“But for a long time now, I have been disappointed to see the younger generations lacking the grace of their forebears. The family was supposed to be your support, but now it seems it has become a shackle for many. They have been raised too ‘well’ within the family, to the extent that they simply cannot withstand the storms of the outside world.”
“Your emergence gives me great comfort, little Yelisia. You have inherited the grace of our forebears. You are the best Fufana of the younger generation, and Gu Hang, that boy, seems to be the best among the Gu Clan. It’s not about you marrying into the Gu family or him becoming a Fufana. Wang Qi and I simply mean that in the future, we need a ‘union’, a deeper union.”
“The situation in the Tianma Star Sector is going to become more and more chaotic, and the war in the Dragonhawk Star Domain against the Iron-toothed Green-Skinned Aliens will also intensify. Everything in the future is going to undergo colossal change. But my child, I might not live to see that day. And the Gu Clan and us, we have natural conditions for an alliance,”
“Bringing together the best of both sides, we need to withstand the storm together.”
These words from her great-grandfather left Yelisia momentarily stunned.
Old Fufana did not say much more, he just pushed a document on the table towards her.
Yelisia asked, “What is this?”
Old Fufana said with a smile, “Marriage will never be a shackle for you. Take a look at this first.”
She picked up the document, glanced over it, and then looked at Old Fufana in surprise.
“Great-grandfather… this… you… do you suggest I accept it?”
“I do not make any recommendations. Honestly, I do not know if it’s good or bad, whatever choice you make, it’s entirely up to you.”
Yelisia was caught up in considerable turmoil.
“There’s no need to rush your response now. Perhaps, you should also discuss it with your fiancé.”
“Fiancé…” Upon hearing this term, Yelisia still felt quite awkward.
…
“I do not make any recommendations. Honestly, I also do not know if this is good or bad, whatever choice you make, it’s entirely up to you,”
That’s what Gu Hang said to Yelisia.
He had just arrived at Flying Wing Star today and checked into a hotel.
There were no customs preventing the betrothed from meeting before any engagement ceremonies, so after Gu Hang had settled in here, the first person he saw was his mother, Wang Qi, and the second person was his future wife, Yelisia Fu Fana.
When the two first met, the atmosphere between them was somewhat awkward, even strained.
But Gu Hang was not bad in this respect; using the topic of fighting side by side before, he guided the atmosphere between them back to normal.
Afterward, Yelisia brought up a matter:
She now had an ‘opportunity,’ or rather a ‘challenge’. The Naval Command of the Dragonhawk Star Domain wanted to redeploy half of the Tianma Fleet, leaving the defense zones of Tianma and several surrounding Star Sectors, to the Star Sectors occupied by the Iron-toothed Green-Skinned Aliens, to participate in the Green Skins war.
This was no small matter.
In the past, the Tianma Fleet had been ordered several times to participate in the Green Skins war, and almost every time, by the time the Tianma Fleet was called in, it meant the intensity of the war had already escalated to a significant level.
That meant the risk was very high.
The Iron-teeth Greenskins were not like the primitive Green Skins; their raiding fleets were numbered in the dozens, with many large warships as well.
If Yelisia were to lead a team to the fallen Star Sectors, they would not only be supporting ground forces—a relatively safe task—but they might also face a head-on decisive battle with the Green Skin Fleet.
Naval battles were such that if you lost, there was no way out, and ship destruction meant certain death.
This was a real war with real deaths, not something to joke about.
Yelisia could choose not to go; she was a strategically important general raised by the Fufana Family, the hope for the next generation, and could not be sent off carelessly.
Yet, at the same time, this was an opportunity to earn honors.
She shared her dilemma regarding this matter with Gu Hang.
And Gu Hang, he spoke the same words as Old Fufana, leaving the choice entirely in Yelisia’s hands.
Then, he added, “Although I’m not certain, I think that if you want to go, I support you completely. Because that is you, that is the Yelisia I know and admire.”
Yelisia’s smiled radiantly.