Chapter 2: The First Interstellar Prison

Chapter 2: The First Interstellar Prison

On the Prada Star Sector, which belongs to the Federation, a starship had just completed its third spatial leap and landed steadily on the transition node.

Encased in a dark metallic hull, it moved like a phantom through the vast star sector. Even the Federation's most sophisticated radar could not detect its presence.

Inside the starship, a golden-haired boy was holding a holographic computer with a look of astonishment, "Phil, do you think such a planet really exists? One that could provide energy for the entire Alpha galaxy for a hundred years? If such an energy planet were to be evaluated, it would definitely be SSS level, right?"

Phil, however, was not infected by his excitement. She glanced at him indifferently and retorted, "What’s your take, little William?"

"Isn't it obvious!" William chuckled, "Someone must be trying to rescue Yu Qiming, deliberately spreading this rumor. So Phil, do you think the boss will go?"

Phil remained silent and motioned William over with a flick of her finger.

The golden-haired boy leaned closer to her, only to have his ear pinched, "Ow, ow, ow!"

"If you’re curious, just ask him yourself! If the boss finds out we're speculating about his thoughts here, we’ll definitely end up as space junk by tomorrow, believe it or not?"

After Phil finished speaking, she saw William staring at her in a daze. She shook her head in amusement, "Are you scared out of your wits?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a deep voice came from behind her, "Am I really that scary?"

A chill of fear crept up her spine, and Phil turned her head, staring at the black-haired man before her, her heart pounding.

He had the kind of handsome face every man envies and a body that makes women swoon. Every time Phil laid eyes on Agnes, she felt her head spin.

However, she was even more aware of how cold-blooded and cruel the man in front of her was. This bone-deep fear was enough to overshadow any admiration she had for his looks.

"Boss, we messed up!" William quickly lowered his head, "We were just talking casually, and I started the topic. Don't blame Phil, punish me alone."

Agnes glanced at him and then looked away, "Make sure it doesn’t happen again."

After saying that, he strode toward the control room.

Seeing Agnes about to leave, the golden-haired boy couldn't help but ask, "Boss, are you going to rescue Yu Qiming?"

Phil looked at him in disbelief, God, why put her through this torture! They would be executed, right? Definitely, tomorrow's space trash would definitely include the two of them...

Agnes suddenly stopped.

Phil felt her heart skip a beat!

Then, she heard the devil seem to chuckle, "Why not cause trouble for the Federation?"

After he entered the control room, Phil's tense body finally relaxed.

William then realized belatedly, "Thank God, Phil, the boss didn’t punish us!"

Phil weakly said to him, "I’m just glad you finally caught on..."

"Phil, why does it feel like the boss is in a good mood? The boss never told us why we infiltrated the Federation, could it be that he had planned to come and snatch someone all along?"

"..."

Phil silently shook her head, who could possibly figure out what that man is thinking?

...

He Xiangchen spent three quiet days in the prison cell, and Yu Jiashi, who had come to make noise in front of him before, never came again.

The electronic lock of the cell was opened, and he was brought to the military court.

Putting a five-star general of the Federation on trial was an event significant enough to be recorded in history, and no one dared to take it lightly. The military court was packed with reporters, and due to the limited capacity of the court, without He Xiangchen's consent, the authorities unilaterally decided to broadcast the trial live across the entire internet.

Everyone could watch this scene online.

"Host, they are so out of line, calling you a traitor, a bastard! These people know nothing, how dare they say such things!"

009 was indignantly fighting alone in the comments section, unsurprisingly being ganged up on.

"It's okay, don't be angry, I'll get back at them soon."

He Xiangchen, dressed in prison clothes, his handsome features not diminished by the days of imprisonment, stood in the defendant's stand like a straight pine tree.

His appearance completely crashed the Star Network. Countless comments cursing him were highlighted in red, causing a network outage lasting a full minute on the usually stable Star Network.

Law enforcement officers escorted him to the defendant's stand. Standing high, he could feel the disdainful or pitying glances from behind, and see the four judges in front trying to maintain their composure.

Without exception, they were all trying hard to hide their inner fear.

Facing such a battlefield god who could destroy a planet with a wave of his hand, no one dared to be the least bit careless.

"The Federal Military Court is publicly hearing the case of former five-star general Yu Qiming for treason. According to the relevant provisions of the Federal Law, the defendant has the right to defend himself."

The judge struck the gavel, the dull sound reverberating painfully in the ears.

"Defendant, state your name."

He Xiangchen did not answer, as if the trial before him had nothing to do with him. His gaze was piercing, silently observing the judge.

Even though the judge was accustomed to dealing with hardened criminals, he was still intimidated by He Xiangchen's dark, chilling eyes and dared not meet his gaze.

With the defendant unresponsive, the judge had to proceed alone, reading out the remaining regulations. After finishing, the judge wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and announced with relief, "Call the witness!"

The doors of the military court opened, and a man in a Federal military uniform slowly entered. He Xiangchen glanced at him, a flicker of understanding quickly crossed his eyes.

This was a captain under Yu Qiming, named Zhang Sheng, who was highly trusted by him. Perhaps the original owner would never understand why his usually loyal confidant would come to court without hesitation to be his tainted witness.

He Xiangchen watched Zhang Sheng walk to the witness stand, listened to him nervously recount the accusations against the original owner, and couldn't help but curl his lips into a cold smile, "Zhang Sheng, do you remember what I said to you on your first day by my side?"

Zhang Sheng was startled, the ingrained sense of awe made him answer He Xiangchen's question immediately, "I remember, you told me that a soldier's duty is to obey, but above duty, there is loyalty. Loyalty to friends and lovers, loyalty to superiors, and loyalty to the country..."

"You are unworthy of being a soldier." He Xiangchen's aura suddenly became sharp, "You wearing this uniform is the ultimate insult to me!"

He Xiangchen did not know that when he said this, the Star Network went into a frenzy! Countless people mocked and ridiculed him, saying he was seeking fame, saying he was still singing high praises even at death's door.

One netizen even posted a cartoon they found extremely ironic. In the cartoon, Yu Qiming was wearing black and white striped prison clothes, firmly locked in chains. Zhang Sheng stood in front of him, his military uniform straight, his image tall.

Under the cartoon was a line of small text: Who really insulted the military uniform?

Netizens unanimously scoffed at He Xiangchen's words.

In stark contrast, the military court was eerily quiet.

The reporters, unusually, did not whisper to each other, nor did they immediately express their views to the audience through the live broadcast equipment. They sat in their seats, not even daring to breathe heavily.

So terrifying! Is high-level genetics so overwhelming, so potent that it compels them to submit involuntarily? No, it's not just that, only those who have truly been through the baptism of blood and slaughter could possibly exude such a deterrent aura.

When He Xiangchen said this, he used Yu Qiming's mental power, every word was deafening and impactful. In the interstellar era, those with strong mental power could even control living beings, this level of deterrence was nothing for He Xiangchen.

The pressure reached its peak, and many people began to feel restless, even wanting to flee the military court. Only then did they realize that Yu Qiming wasn’t just any celebrity on the Star Network, open to ridicule, nor was he a noble who rose to power through family connections. He was the real deal—an iron-blooded general, the Federation's shining star, feared by all his enemies!

Finally, this prolonged ordeal came to an end as He Xiangchen deliberately reined in his presence.

Zhang Sheng had collapsed to the ground, trembling like a leaf, seemingly petrified. Having directly faced He Xiangchen's oppressive aura, his spirit had been unilaterally crushed by He Xiangchen. It would take at least two months of rest for him to recover.

The doctor's emergency diagnosis yielded a conclusion similar to He Xiangchen's estimation.

"This is deliberate harm! The military court should file charges immediately! Such a terrorist must not remain in the Federation!"

"Don’t any of you wonder how he did it? Shattering someone’s psyche out of nowhere—good heavens, just how high is his psychic power?"

The Star Network erupted in chaos, with everyone on edge, awaiting the final verdict.

The witness was sent to a sanatorium, but the trial had to continue. The presiding judge was well aware that without the witness, moving forward with the trial would be a tough sell. At this point, a recess was the best course of action.

However, before he took the bench, he had been explicitly ordered from higher-ups to secure a treason conviction against Yu Qiming, no matter what.

Yu Qiming’s immense influence sparked panic among the Federation’s elite. As long as he was around, any decision he made would be unimpeded. This undoubtedly crossed a line for some high-ranking officials.

The presiding judge subtly gave Yu Qiming an apologetic look and methodically presented the evidence to the court. The scene bordered on absurdity, with him as the sole voice in the otherwise silent court.

"Under Article 5 of the Federation Law on treason, the verdict for Yu Qiming is as follows..."

"Yu Qiming is convicted of treason and sentenced to immediate execution by firing squad!"