Chapter 29: Encounter
"If this still doesn't succeed, you'd better come up with a good reason! A bunch of useless trash — you're good for nothing but ruining things. I have to do everything myself! One of these days I'll just kill you all! Get out of my sight, worthless scum!"
"Y-yes, sir."
Watching the two men tremble as they bowed and backed out of the room, Franklin sighed helplessly. Over the past year, he had racked his brains — seizing territory, recruiting talent —
All of that effort had finally turned the Red Ribbon Corps into one of the most powerful forces among the allied armies. But despite reaching that level, the ones in the main storyline who were supposed to give Goku some trouble were nothing but small fry.
Their power levels were all in the 30 to 40 range. Not a single one of them was above 60. At this point, facing Goku, they were nothing more than one-punch cannon fodder — little mobs for him to farm experience from, with absolutely no threat.
This situation was giving Franklin a massive headache. If he couldn't solve this problem, he was doomed — there would be no harem of beauties in his future, no sisters warming his bed.
Even if he completed this mission, without a solution, future missions would inevitably fail. After all, this was one of the major arcs in the Dragon Ball timeline.
All for the sake of his future happiness, Franklin racked his brain for a solution — and the result was drugs. Lots of drugs. Enhancing the body's physical capabilities through sheer force — as long as they could boost their strength and survive until Goku destroyed the Red Ribbon Corps, that was enough.
But there was one person standing in the way of that plan: Ryōko Mikado. She had strictly forbidden anyone from touching such harmful drugs, and Franklin always listened to her. After all, she was like a mother to him — the elder sister who had cared for him since childhood.
Now, it seemed he had no choice but to go to her. By his calculation, there was only about half a month left until his birth. Ryōko Mikado should already have arrived on Blue Star by now.
Whether that was true or not, Franklin didn't know. But returning home to take a look didn't seem like a bad idea.
With that thought, Franklin pressed the button on his desk. Soon, hurried footsteps approached, and Red and the burly Black man, Black, rushed into the room.
"Sir, do you have any further orders?"
Franklin rose from his seat and walked over to them. Considering how the storyline was progressing, he said directly, "Red, from now on, you are the acting commander of the Red Ribbon Corps. Black, you're the deputy commander.
"I have matters to attend to and will be away for some time. While I'm gone, manage the Red Ribbon Corps properly. When Dr. Gero arrives, treat him well. Give him anything he needs — no excuses.
"And remember, do not kill innocent people indiscriminately. Only by putting the people first can we endure. If I return and find that you've messed anything up… you know very well what I'm capable of. Think carefully about how you conduct yourselves."
After arranging everything for the Red Ribbon Corps, Franklin vanished from where he stood. In his place, a phantom clone appeared, attaching itself to Red's shadow. Meanwhile, the real Franklin on the other side felt his body instantly drained.
The spiritual liquid in his dantian, compressed several times over, was completely depleted, leaving only a trace of spiritual energy in his meridians and apertures. Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead as he realized just how close he'd come to being sucked dry,
Franklin glanced around at the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings. He knew he had successfully arrived in Cainan City, in the Neon Province.
Months earlier, the phantom clone residing in Goku's shadow had witnessed Grandpa Gohan picking up the Four-Star Ball. The main story on Goku's side had begun moving along its proper course. With that, the phantom clone left and headed straight for West City.
Upon arriving at Capsule Corporation, it discovered that Bulma's Dragon Radar prototype was already taking shape, though it still couldn't be miniaturized. Dr. Brief's capsule technology had also reached its early stages —
He had apparently gleaned the concept from a small, specialized test tube. Once Franklin confirmed that both storylines were progressing smoothly, he traveled directly to Cainan City — which allowed him to reach his destination so quickly.
Standing outside a familiar gate, Franklin hesitated for a moment before firmly pressing the doorbell. A moment later, the connection was made, and a gentle, familiar voice came from the speaker:
"Hello, may I ask who you're looking for?"
The sound of that voice made Franklin's throat go dry and raspy. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring himself to speak.
It took him a long moment to calm his emotions. Just as he was about to respond, the world around him suddenly changed — the light dimmed, and the sky transformed. Countless black specks filled the heavens, and countless gleaming blades replaced the sky, blotting it out.
Looking closely, Franklin saw a tall, handsome man — graceful and elegant — floating in midair, his sharp gaze locked tightly onto him.
Before Franklin could react, all the surrounding buildings vanished, replaced by a graveyard of swords thrust into the ground.
"Only at the Foundation Establishment stage, your spiritual energy exhausted, and yet you can sever cause and effect and conceal your fate from me. Even with my cultivation, I cannot see through your origins. Who are you? Why are you here?"
Lin Muyang's voice was deafening as it reached Franklin's ears. His internal organs felt as though they were being shaken apart. If he didn't possess some cultivation himself, Franklin was certain his viscera would have shattered and he'd be bleeding from every orifice.
Locked in a gaze with his father high above, Franklin felt his body grow weak, a wave of dizziness piercing deep into his soul.
As their eyes met, Lin Muyang saw a flicker of familiarity in the stranger's gaze — an expression that looked as if he were looking at the closest person in the world.
After a brief hesitation, Lin Muyang pointed with one finger. A stream of seven-colored power surged forth, instantly dispelling all negative effects on Franklin and fully replenishing his spiritual energy.
At the same time, the multicolored force probed every detail of Franklin's body and relayed the information back to Lin Muyang. As he examined the results, Lin Muyang's eyes widened in shock.
The information was so unbelievable that he immediately examined himself to make sure there was no mistake. Once certain that nothing was wrong, he descended from the sky, grabbed Franklin's wrist, and began a more detailed inspection.
Having just regained his senses, Franklin felt his wrist gripped with overwhelming strength. He instinctively tried to break free — and immediately understood what it meant for an ant to try and shake a tree.
Meeting Lin Muyang's intense gaze, Franklin felt a chill crawl up his spine. It was as if he'd been completely laid bare — like standing naked in the middle of a crowded street.
"You're Franklin? My son… from the future?"
Sensing the disbelief and doubt in Lin Muyang's voice, Franklin spread his hands with a helpless look. "You've already seen the truth yourself. Can't you tell?"
Seeing Franklin's flippant attitude, Lin Muyang's eyes narrowed. A wave of icy killing intent surged straight to the top of Franklin's head.
"I'm asking you — are you Franklin? Are you my son?"
Meeting Lin Muyang's cold, piercing gaze, Franklin's heart trembled. It felt as though if he didn't answer right now, he would be reduced to dust in the very next instant.
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