Chapter 54

Chapter 54

054

An Unexpected Turn of Events

Chu Li stood alone by the porthole.

The spaceship was traversing the boundless expanse of space, and it would take until the day after tomorrow to reach the nearest port. There was no way to leave the ship before then.

Jing Baiyuanting had told him to stay safe, but Chu Li had no other choice but to conceal his actions and pretend to be like everyone else.

What could have happened that made Jing Baiyuanting so wary?

Perhaps he should not have boarded this spaceship, but nobody could predict the future. It was too late for regrets now.

He turned to head back to his room when he heard footsteps behind him. Chu Li spun around to see Captain Huai Chuan striding over.

This captain had an aura that set him apart from others. He wore a faint smile at the corners of his lips as he looked at Chu Li with a nonchalant yet bold gaze. "Are you all alone?"

Chu Li acknowledged with a murmur, not intending to engage in further conversation with the captain.

If there were issues with this spaceship, the captain would undoubtedly be implicated.

However, Huai Chuan seemed oblivious to Chu Li's reluctance and walked over to his side. He lifted his gaze to the vast expanse of space in the distance and said, "This place is beautiful, isn't it? Much more so than your Blue Stripe Star."

"Blue Stripe Star?" Chu Li's tone was laced with doubt.

Huai Chuan chuckled. "I grew up in an outlying galaxy, not a native of Blue Stripe Star... If it weren't for this job, I wouldn't have had the chance to visit the capital planet of the Empire."

"..." Chu Li didn't comment on that.

Huai Chuan continued, "What kind of person is the Alpha who marked you?"

His question made Chu Li feel slightly awkward. Why did everyone seem so interested in his Alpha?

Chu Li paused for a moment, his expression complicated as he said, "The fact that I'm here alone should give you an idea of what kind of person he is."

This surprised Huai Chuan. He had anticipated that the Omega might have a strained relationship with his Alpha, but such an open admission...

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? What's your name?"

"Chu Li."

Huai Chuan turned to look at Chu Li with a smile. "You seem like a great Omega. Which Alpha is so blind not to treat you well?"

Chu Li fell silent once more. There was something off about this conversation.

But Huai Chuan leaned closer, his smile ambiguous. "How about... you come with me? I don't mind that you've been marked by another Alpha. I can take you to the best hospital on Blue Vein Star to remove the mark."

Chu Li looked at the Alpha flirting with him with a complicated expression. He didn't believe Huai Chuan was sincere; it was probably just lust on a travel journey.

Chu Li replied coolly, "I think not. How do I know you're any different from my current Alpha? If there's ever a chance to remove the permanent mark in the future, I might consider being with a Beta."

Faced with such a straightforward rejection, Huai Chuan straightened up and shrugged. "A Beta might not be any different from an Alpha. They don't have permanent marks to bind them either."

Chu Li lowered his gaze, remaining silent.

Huai Chuan said, "Alright, I apologize for disturbing you."

With that, he turned away from the porthole. He did have a liking for this Omega, but regardless of his feelings, he wouldn't force someone who wasn't willing.

As Chu Li watched Huai Chuan's departing figure, his thoughts became even more tangled. Should he tell Jing Baiyuan about this? He felt that there was something off about the captain.

After much hesitation, Chu Li decided against it. Jing Baiyuan must be dealing with some trouble; it wouldn't be appropriate to bother him with such matters.

---

The situation on Jing Baiyuan's end was similar to what Chu Li had imagined. After sharing Chu Li's findings with Ya Lan and the others, the command room erupted in chaos.

Those who could stay by Jing Baiyuan's side were no fools. Ya Lan immediately commented, "Isn't this the Empire collaborating with the Alliance to smuggle away the minerals?"

They had been on high alert around Haiyun Star, not allowing any unidentifiable ships to approach. The intern's spaceship from Lantian Star was the only one that had docked at Haiyun Star during this period!

"But the intern's ship came from the royal family!" Hong Feng, standing next to Ya Lan, found it unbelievable. "How could they assist the Alliance?"

Feng Yichen remarked, "We've always believed that the failure of our previous operation was due to a leak from the expeditionary force to the Alliance. If there was a spy on Lantian Star, then..."

The command room was dead silent.

After an indeterminate period, Jing Baiyuan tapped the table and said, "Such a major move couldn't have been executed without someone's authorization. The worst-case scenario is that they're colluding with the Alliance, but not the Parliament members... They divided their two spacecraft to travel between Haiyun Star. It's likely that the minerals from the first ship have already been transported away. Do you think those minerals went to the Alliance or the Empire?"

"That..."

The group exchanged glances, none daring to speak up.

"Sending one ship to the Empire and another to the Alliance..." Ya Lan's face was pale as she said, "They've split the resources of Haiyun Star, yet they're framing the Expeditionary Force for the loss and failure to protect the planet... Yes, we didn't detect any Alliance ships coming here, but who would've thought that it was the Empire's own people who stole the minerals?"

This... was most likely the Emperor's doing.

He hadn't expected the Emperor's hostility towards the Expeditionary Force and Jing Baiyuan to have escalated to such a degree.

"It's too late to chase after them now, Admiral. What should we do?" Ya Lan wasn't the type to dwell on the past. Remaining calm even after realizing they had been betrayed, she sought solutions.

Unbeknownst to her, Jing Baiyuan's thoughts were not on the stolen minerals at all.

He was thinking about Chu Li, who was currently on that cargo ship. According to the original plan, the ship should have landed on Haiyun Star to pick up the last batch of minerals...

Ya Lan said, "If we act now, we can still catch those smuggling the minerals. As long as we get a hold of their trail..."

"No," Jing Baiyuan Ting replied. "We can't alert them."

"Why not, Admiral?" Ya Lan was puzzled. "The royal family is clearly setting a trap for us. If we fail to catch those transporting the minerals, they'll undoubtedly pin the blame on the Expeditionary Force. We might even end up in an interstellar court!"

Jing Baiyuan Ting's voice was grim. "Little Li is on that ship."

"..." Ya Lan was stunned. "How could that be..."

Jing Baiyuan Ting stood up. "It's my fault. When he discussed this with me earlier, I didn't realize there was a problem. I should have advised him against coming."

Seeing Jing Baiyuan Ting blaming himself, Ya Lan found herself unable to say anything else. Interns came every year, and she knew full well that applications had to be submitted a month in advance. At that time, the Expeditionary Force had just received orders to garrison Haiyun Star, and no one knew what the situation was like there. How could anyone have foreseen this?

Silence fell upon the command room once again.

After a while, Ya Lan asked, "So what do we do now? We can't just watch them take the minerals away."

While it was possible to pursue them later, who knew what might happen... If there was any accident and they managed to escape...

Too passive.

Jing Baiyuan remained silent, clearly pondering a solution.

After a long while, he got up and said, "We need to locate where they're hiding the minerals as soon as possible. If we can seize control of them, we won't be at a disadvantage... Also, prepare a team. I'll lead them to greet them."

Despite his thoughts, Jing Baiyuan still felt uneasy. Even if they did nothing but let them transport the minerals to Haiyun Star, something unforeseen might still occur.

He had an unsettling feeling that something undesirable was about to happen.

---

Without discussing it, Chu Li and Jing Baiyuan both independently decided to stay put and not provoke their opponents.

But their inaction didn't mean others would do the same. Late into the night, footsteps echoed in the hallway, waking Chu Li. Lying in bed, he didn't move. After a while, gunshots rang out outside!

"Bang!"

"Bam! Bam!!"

Two more indistinct sounds echoed, and the spaceship shook violently!

"What's happening?" "Damn it!" "Interstellar pirates!"

"Teacher Cao... Teacher Cao!!"

Amidst the commotion outside, Chu Li hastily dressed himself, not bothering with shoes as he dashed to the door of his room. Amidst the chaos, he heard Cao Yun's voice, "Back to your rooms! Everyone, stay in your rooms and don't come out!"

Chu Li paused with his hand on the doorknob, still not pushing it open but instead locking the door from the inside.

He switched on his personal terminal and, as expected, found their internship group chat in an uproar.

"What's going on? I heard someone mention interstellar pirates!"

"Shit, Liu Yang is injured! There's no medical scanner here, he'll lose too much blood!"

After a while, Cao Yun replied, "Where are you all? I'm coming to find you."

Cao Yun likely set off, and some time later, posted in the group, "Did any of you bring any medication with you when you left your rooms?"

Yet, the students exchanged glances. There were no medications in sight; they were so accustomed to using medical scanners that they hardly had the habit of carrying medicine with them.

Chu Li suddenly recalled the small package Grandma Wang from the flower shop had given him before he boarded the ship. Upon opening it, he indeed found a medication capable of stopping bleeding. He sought out Cao Yun to inquire about the location of their room.

Cao Yun asked, "You're coming over to room 203?"

"As an Omega, you must prioritize your safety! Ensure that you're not noticed by those around!"

Chu Li was aware that the spacecraft must have encountered some sort of situation, likely what they referred to as interstellar pirates. However, with a vessel this size, it would take them some time to check each room.

Right across from him, if he was cautious, there shouldn't be a chance of being discovered.

He replied with an "I got it" and then approached the door, gently easing it open.

The corridor was in disarray, but it was deserted.

On his personal device, Cao Yun informed him that she had unlocked the door, and all he needed to do was push it open.

Chu Li surveyed both ends of the corridor once more, confirming its emptiness before swiftly exiting his room and slipping into Room 203 opposite.

The door slammed shut with a resounding thud, but fortunately, they had escaped unscathed.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked around the room.

The layout of this room was similar to his own, except that now, apart from Cao Yun, there were three other students inside, one of whom lay on the floor, drenched in blood.

Cao Yun was pressing on his thigh, but it was doing little to stem the flow of blood.

Chu Li quickly retrieved his pack and said, "On my way here, the florist gave me a few gifts. This can temporarily increase blood viscosity and help stop his bleeding. Teacher, give him the medicine first, then we can bandage him."

Cao Yun had never heard of such a thing and asked doubtfully, "Will this work?"

Kneeling on the ground with a calm expression, Chu Li replied, "We don't have a choice. If this spaceship has indeed been hijacked by interstellar pirates, they'll start clearing the rooms within half an hour. At that point, we won't be able to move freely, and they won't care about the students' lives. If we don't stop the bleeding within the next half-hour, he'll just be left in a corner to fend for himself!"

His injury might even make him a burden, and the pirates might simply throw him out of the ship.

Cao Yun understood the situation and, upon hearing Chu Li's words, nodded resolutely. "Then you support him while I give him the medicine."

The other two students stood by, at a loss for what to do. Chu Li glanced at them and said, "What are you waiting for? Aren't you here for a frontline internship? This is your first patient."

Students: "…"

How could these situations be the same?

However, seeing Chu Li's calm expression, they realized that if an Omega could remain so composed, they were being too weak and panicky. They gritted their teeth, regained their composure, and approached Chu Li and Cao Yun. "Is there anything we can assist with?"

Their facilities might be rudimentary, but they had enough manpower. The injured student wasn't severely wounded; he had merely been accidentally injured in the thigh by an artery when the space pirates had burst in. After administering medicine and bandaging him, his bleeding had finally stopped.

However, due to excessive blood loss, he had passed out.

Chu Li didn't have much knowledge about extracting medicinal properties from plants, nor did he dare to give the student multiple medications. All he could do was let him rest.

After dealing with the student, everyone turned their attention to the matter of their spaceship being hijacked by space pirates. "We're not a commercial vessel. Why would we attract space pirates?"

"Yes, what are they doing on a ship transporting students? Could it be that there's some incredibly wealthy businessman's son on board that they plan to kidnap?"

Upon hearing the words "incredibly wealthy businessman's son," Chu Li trembled slightly.

He wasn't the son of a wealthy merchant, but his connection to Jing Baiyuan was enough to make him a target for interstellar pirates.

But they hadn't made their relationship public. The pirates were far from the reach of authority, so there should be no way they'd know about it.

So why would they attack an ordinary student transport ship?

Chu Li couldn't help but think back to the oddities he had noticed on the ship, which might be related to this situation.

Before the pirates arrived, Chu Li swiftly opened his personal terminal and informed Jing Baiyuan of everything that was happening.

Just as he finished sending the last message, he heard footsteps outside, followed by the sound of a door being kicked open. The loud noise startled him, and as his gaze swept over the conversation with Jing Baiyuan, he saw that there was a reply. However, before he could read it, the interstellar pirate at the door aimed his black gun at them and barked, "Hands up! Come out!"

Not daring to make any sudden moves, Chu Li obediently raised his hands and walked towards the door.

Upon reaching the entrance, the pirates noticed the glowing personal terminal on his wrist and sliced through its strap with a small knife. The severed terminal immediately transformed back into its original state, unable to connect with its owner anymore, and was discarded in a corner, rendered useless.

Chu Li pressed his lips together, not daring to say a word as he was escorted out of the room at gunpoint.

Arriving in the atrium, he found that the other students had also been taken out. They crouched on the floor, and upon seeing Cao Yun behind Chu Li, their expressions grew even more panicked.

"Kneel down!"

Chu Li obeyed without resistance and squatted in the corner of the wall. Cao Yun crouched beside him, with the two students behind them—the injured one likely remained in the room due to his incapacity to move.

Chu Li felt relieved that he had managed to stop the bleeding beforehand; otherwise, the victim might have bled to death by the time everything was settled.

Once the interstellar pirates saw them all kneeling, they left, leaving only two guards at the entrance of the hall.

A few students approached Chu Li and Cao Yun, whispering, "Teacher Cao, what on earth is going on here?"

Cao Yun's face was clouded with worry as he shook his head.

Someone suggested, "We can't just sit here and wait for our fate… Where do you think they're taking us? I don't see many of them. Can we try to break free?"

"Are you insane? They have weapons! One shot at you and it's over!"

"Well, I'm trying to come up with a solution, aren't I? What else can we do?"

"We're all trapped here, but where's the captain? Why haven't we seen the captain or any crew members?"

People started to look up in search of the captain and crew, but after a while, they found no one.

"Maybe they haven't arrived yet?"

Silence fell among the group; even the most naive person could grasp the situation now.

Chu Li crouched among the crowd, reflecting on the past events. Jing Baiyuan had mentioned that there was something wrong with this spaceship... Could it be that these space pirates were somehow connected to the Alliance? But the spaceship captain hired for their school internship should be an Imperial citizen, right...

Suddenly, Chu Li recalled a conversation he'd had with Huai Chuan before.

"Your Blue Vein Star..."

No wonder... He was indeed not from the Empire.

In any case, it seemed too late to realize this now.

He pressed his lips together and remained silent, crouching among the crowd.

--

In the spaceship's cockpit, Huai Chuan was still seated in the captain's seat, monitoring the ship's interior via surveillance.

Everyone had been gathered in the main hall for easier control. Beside him, a crew member who had once fixed Chu Li's pipes whispered, "Boss, what should we do next?"

With a toothpick in his mouth, Huai Chuan slouched nonchalantly. "Those ungrateful Imperial wolves. I've given them my men and resources to help mine their minerals. We agreed on one ship for each of us, but at the last minute, they reneged and allowed the Expeditionary Force to set up camp on Haiyun Star. My positioning equipment in the mines has been destroyed, and Jing Baiyuan already knows about the site. Do they think we can sneak away a second time without being noticed?"

"Are they waiting for me to walk into their trap?" Huai Chuan spat out the toothpick, stood up from the pilot's seat, and peeled off his dark blue captain's uniform, revealing an undershirt made of linen. He appeared even more audacious. "Pah! If they dare to deceive me, I'll sell them and their spaceship to space pirates!"

A subordinate worried, "What if they find the Alliance…?"

"Huh? Find the Alliance? How could they? Didn't our spaceship get hijacked by space pirates halfway through?" He rose and pulled a tattered coat from a nearby rack, draping it over himself. "Captain Huai Chuan would obviously be thrown into space, never to be found again. What does that have to do with the Alliance?"

After getting himself sorted, he strode out confidently.

While Huai Chuan led his team off the spaceship, Jing Baiyuan had just received Chu Li's message after a long delay due to interstellar time differences.

He tried to reply to Chu Li, but regardless of what he said or whether he called or video chatted, there was no response from Chu Li.

His personal terminal must have been forcibly shut down.

What else could have happened on that spaceship?

There was no time to waste.

"Ya Lan, prepare a light spacecraft. We're leaving immediately."

---

While Jing Baiyuan and Yuanting were hurrying their journey, Chu Li's spaceship remained stationary for a day before it headed in the exact opposite direction. The surrounding stars were obscured, leaving only the vast darkness of space. The silence inside the ship was oppressive, making one feel uneasy.

After the space pirates finished counting their captives, they didn't keep everyone in the hall but instead sent them back to their rooms, locking each one separately.

To tend to the injured classmate, Chu Li and Cao Yun shared a room with him.

At regular intervals, someone would bring them meals, but since they were confined in a windowless room, they had no way of knowing whether the ship was moving or not.

The only ray of comfort for them was that the injured classmate's condition hadn't worsened. After a few days of struggle, his health gradually improved.

Of course, Chu Li also administered some of his other medicines to the injured student.

Approximately three days later, the classmate regained consciousness, and the wounds on his leg had also begun to heal.

"I genuinely can't thank you enough for saving my life. If not for your medicine, I might not have made it through the day of the spaceship hijacking." The student, with reddened eyes and nose, expressed his gratitude to Chu Li, saying, "If I pull through, I'll make sure my parents compensate you abundantly! Whatever you desire, I'll do my utmost to fulfill it!"

Chu Li could not help but laugh through his tears, and said something to dampen the mood, "Let's talk about it outside."

At this, a profound silence fell upon everyone.

Indeed, let's discuss it outside.

It was uncertain if they would even be able to leave.

Approximately five days later, the spacecraft finally docked at a port.

However, after disembarking, they realized that the place was dilapidated and filthy. It was evident that this wasn't within the empire, nor was it any registered port in the galaxy.

They had been transported to a clandestine port.

Upon reflection, it made perfect sense—these were interstellar pirates, after all!

Before disembarking, the pirates blindfolded them all, allowing only a fleeting glimpse of the port through a porthole. They had no idea where they had been taken.

With their sight gone, their other senses became acutely heightened. Chu Li stumbled along an uneven path, turning at unknown corners until someone pushed him forward, "Go in."

Had they arrived?

Before he could take a step, a voice from behind spoke up, "Hold on, separate him from the others."

The person who had pushed Chu Li grabbed his hand again and led him in another direction, "You, come with me."