When consciousness returned to Li Qin, Alpha Gold Crown discovered that "his" hands were aching from clenching too hard, and the hem of his clothes was wrinkled.
"Heh."
It seemed this guy's consciousness had just tried to resist?
But since his own mental power hadn't fully withdrawn and was still controlling this body, there was nothing the other could do—not even send a text or make a video call for help on the light brain. All he could do was struggle against himself like this.
"Wasted effort."
With a sweep of mental power—oh, he was even trying to harm himself to alert others?
Alpha Gold Crown almost laughed out loud. A body already tainted by him still dared to rebel?
He got up and went to the bathroom, splashed his face with cold water, then patted his cheeks with his right hand.
"You and I are one now, understand?"
The "Li Qin" in the mirror wore a mocking look, completely lacking the righteousness of a soldier.
"Once I've tainted you, you're my avatar. Even if your consciousness hasn't completely faded, your whole being belongs to me. Even if I stop using this body later, the subconscious will take over. You are me, and I am you, got it?"
The person in the mirror quickly had reddening eyes.
A tear was about to fall, but Alpha Gold Crown forced it back.
If it hadn't taken so long wrestling with Qi Chengyan's consciousness and mental power when he parasitized him on that barren star, he would have made sure to parasitize or taint more people to be safe!
But that day had been urgent. Even though he'd destroyed all the cameras, that female commander had arrived too quickly. Plus, everyone else's attention and mental power were highly focused, and he'd just learned to pilot a mecha, immersed in the thrill...
Afterward, his mental power was suppressed, transport was in sealed capsules the whole way—every unfavorable factor came together. Now even this body was trapped in this damn place, with no idea when he'd get out.
Though it gave him more time to learn and prepare, relying only on other Alpha insectoid subordinates to gather information in animal form was still too limiting.
And whatever he parasitized, the attack power the body could exert was fixed. Those small animals had limited physical capabilities.
As far as he knew, several insectoids had already died from lack of caution, without even uncovering any useful information.
Some were hit midair by flying vehicles, some accidentally touched high-voltage power grids, or simply fell into water.
When there was no time to find a new host, they vanished completely.
And now, that old bastard had ganged up on him with numbers, suppressed his mental power, and beaten him... A total disgrace!
His plan was to master the core technology of mechas, or capture someone who had, and bring them back to build mechas.
Then find the right opportunity to launch a full-scale war, coordinating from within and without to seize the Federation's planets!
The original timeline for this plan was very long—time didn't matter to them. It would be best if they could drag things out until the current Prime Minister died.
But looking at it now, maybe some adjustments were needed.
If he stayed in that basement much longer, there was a real chance that old bastard and his people would find a way to wear him down. And the Federation was training warriors above the Super S level... He'd have to find a way to sabotage that.
Back in the room, he reopened his light brain.
The finals of the third military academy mecha competition seemed to be in a couple of days. Based on the first two rounds, they'd definitely change venues.
Other planets at least weren't as strictly controlled as Tianshu Star. This might be his best chance to intercept people.
As for the other students—that Fu Xingyuan's body looked pretty good too. And Huang Yan's mental power was more than just S-level—should he kill him outright or take him for his own use?
Li Qin pondered while moving his body. This body still had use in the upcoming plans, so he had to maintain its vitality and muscle mass.
He went to the window to observe the layout of the entire quarantine control center. To get out of this building...
"Buzz!"
The light brain on his wrist suddenly vibrated. It was Jiang Ya calling—annoying woman.
"Commander."
On the other end of the video call was Jiang Ya's face, also in her quarantine room.
"Li Qin, beautiful weather today. How are you feeling?"
"Great, Commander. And you?"
"I'm good too."
Jiang Ya video-called her soldiers every day—both as a check-in and for reassurance.
The longer the independent quarantine, the more the soldiers needed communication. Otherwise, anxiety, loneliness, or depression could easily set in.
Especially for frontline operatives who had just lost their comrades... Ensuring smooth information and personnel communication was key to maintaining the soldiers' mental health. All of this was her responsibility as commander.
Through the video, Li Qin's complexion seemed fine. He stood by the window, basking in the sunlight, with a few sparrows resting outside.
"Soaking up some sun is good—it lifts the mood. Get plenty of rest and don't overthink. Have you been keeping in touch with family and comrades?"
Li Qin smiled.
"My bones are practically rusting from all this rest. Thought I'd move around a bit.
Ding Han and the others message me now and then. Everyone's been focused on the military academy competition."
Jiang Ya's gaze lingered for a second on the wrinkled hem of Li Qin's clothes. He immediately shifted the screen upward.
"Sorry, Commander. I just... caught me off guard. Haven't tidied up yet."
Jiang Ya nodded.
"Even in quarantine, mind your appearance. Don't let your spirits drop too much.
You're a squad leader—you know the drill. The academy competition's finals are next, right? Which team are you backing?"
"Kirin."
Li Qin answered without hesitation. Jiang Ya was surprised.
"Oh? I thought you graduated from First Military Academy? I assumed you'd support them."
Li Qin's lips curled involuntarily.
"Wang Tianwei from Kirin Military Academy—I think she has real potential."
"...I see. Got it."
After hanging up, Jiang Ya didn't immediately call the next soldier.
Was she being overly suspicious? She felt like something about Li Qin was... off.
Was it the look in his eyes when he spoke? The wrinkled hem? Or his unwavering support for Kirin?
She opened the quarantine center's morning report—all green, no one found to be parasitized.
Her gaze drifted to the window. Maybe she was overthinking it.
Being isolated for so many days—it was normal for his behavior to differ from when he was in the unit.
After a moment's thought, she added Li Qin to tomorrow's observation list, then dialed the next soldier's video call.
"Good morning, Ding Han. How are you feeling today? How much nutrition fluid do you have left in your room? If it's not enough..."
