In This Rebirth, The Male Lead Is Mine [BL]-Chapter 184: Resources

"You brat, not even telling me you’ll visit." Even when his loud voice carried remprimand, his face only showed excitement. He looked at the secretary behind him and ordered tea to be served, specifying what tea Rise could only tolerate.

Rise did not give a sarcastic retort this time and directly sat opposite his adoptive father. Watching the old man, he realized that the number he visited his place could be counted on one hand.

While they did live together when he was younger, but that was their official home and not this place. Even five years into the future, Rise rarely visited, if not always forgotten to visit him.

He could not help but think of that now. When he said his relationship with his adoptive father was only so-so, that was only on his end. His old man was actually very attentive and always trying so hard to get close to him. The old man never once made him feel he was adoptive, but his true son.

He was a good father, if not the best, alright. It was just that Rise did not know how to act as a good son. His view of parental figures was rock bottom, being an abandoned child. He was always suspicious and never opened his heart to this person, even in his last days.

Looking back, this man never did him wrong, and if Rise were to be asked, he was always supportive of him. Even when he was in a guild, the old man never forgot to give his support. And also when humanity began to hunt him, the shadow of his father was there. He knew that, as the houses he was in when he was on the run were always hidden, authorities did not seem to pinpoint where he was.

It was the usual corrupt behavior, using every power and means he had to protect his only son. He always wondered why he was fixated on protecting him when they were not blood-related. But never had a chance to ask, even now, Rise always hesitated to do so.

"What’s wrong with visiting my old man?" Rise casually replied, sitting leisurely. There was no need for formalities; if he did, his adoptive father would frown for sure.

The General stiffened, giving a second look to Rise as if scrutinizing whether the person in front of him was truly his rebel son.

A smirk appeared on Rise’s lips.

"What? Should I leave now?" he teased.

The old man blinked and shook his head immediately. "No, I’m not saying that." He laughed heartily, looking happy. "I’m always waiting for your visit, but... tsk, you’re too busy."

He seemed to want to complain, but ultimately stopped at that, aware of how Rise would only give him excuses. He chose to stop dwelling on that, sipping on the newly served tea. His eyes looked at it for a bit before shifting back to Rise, waiting for him to speak.

He was still not naive enough to think Rise missed him, so he visited. Rise saw through it, making him chuckle.

"Well," Rise shrugged, and clasped his hand in his crossed legs. "I woke up one morning and then realized something."

The old man’s brow shot up, curious. Yet, he did not interrupt.

"I realized, I’m sitting on these massive resources that anyone can only hope to have, and yet for years, I ignored them. I take it for granted." Rise’s lips were still smiling, but his tone was solemn, almost self-critical.

In fact, he did. At this, the general’s expression also turned serious.

Rise continued. "Old man, no..." he looked into his adoptive father’s eyes and spoke, "Father,"

This call made the man opposite him show a stunned expression, but only for a split second, and his expression turned grim, aware of how serious Rise was when he called him that.

Throughout their foster father and son relationship, and then becoming legally adopted, it was not that Rise had never called the general father. Rise might hate to admit it before, but he saw the general as his father.

There were times that he did, and those times, Rise was either in an emotional high, happy or sad, or he definitely needed assistance.

And for them, this was not a light word.

"What is it?" His expression and tone, heavy and solemn. Usually, exuding an amiable personality, but never mistake him as always gentle. There was a reason; he was respected but feared at the same time.

Rise pured his lips and took a deep breath. The memories of the past just flashed, seeing that familiar demeanor, and he could not help but get emotional. Fortunately, he was an expert at bottling his emotions.

"Resources. I need resources." Rise looked at his father and showed his sincerity. "I’m preparing for something, and I can’t do this alone. Father, I need your help."

For the first time, Rise had asked for help in an almost pleading tone. Before, he did not do so, his father would go and clean his mess without him asking.

Rise expressed the gravity of the situation without telling the whole situation. He knew that the old man would immediately understand him. He always recognized that individual efforts could hardly make a difference in a grand scheme of things, especially if his chances at the start were almost zero already.

He was not some overconfident person who only thought of how powerful he was. Rise was powerful, but not powerful enough to go against the whole world alone. That was not confidence, but foolishness.

And Rise was not a fool.

Even if he looked down on others, Rise still teamed up with others because soloing a gate was tiring and unnecessary. He did not need to, so why would he try? Same with this fight, if he could gather allies to fight with him, Rise would welcome anyone, even a noble at this point.

He did not care how he was fucked up by the people beyond the gates in his past; all of them were on the same boat. All puppets controlled by the author of their fates.

Yes, Rise did not even mind being humanity’s villain again, if that was the last thing he could do to fight.

All resources that could help him, he needed them. And the person in front of him, one of the closest to him... had the biggest share of the resources he needed.

If he was fighting against this world, then... would it just be fair that he used the world’s resources against it? Since all of them were pawns then, Rise wanted to be the biggest pawn.