Chapter 3: The First Interstellar Prison

Chapter 3: The First Interstellar Prison

"Phil, He Xiangchen has been sentenced to death, shouldn’t we take action now?" William, hidden among the reporters, whispered to her in a voice only they could hear.

Phil also didn’t understand why Ange was delaying action, but she believed Ange wouldn’t act without reason. That ruthless and brutal man was more patient than anyone when it came to caution.

As she pondered, a loud bang suddenly came from the door of the military court, the deafening noise pressing painfully on everyone's eardrums.

"They're here!"

Phil tightened the particle gun at her waist, but when her gaze swept over Ange, she was stunned.

The man was still sitting leisurely in his place, apparently with no intention of taking action.

In the courtroom, chaos erupted as the intruders burst in. The guards immediately engaged in combat, the relentless sound of particle gunfire causing waves of panic.

Everyone wanted to flee the courtroom, but the only exit was the main door, now a battlefield engulfed in flames! They could only retreat towards the judge's bench, which, already cramped, was now packed with a crowd, nearly crushing the judge!

At this moment, He Xiangchen calmly asked, "Should we continue the trial?"

Continue the trial? Can’t you see we’re in a crisis? The judge inwardly wailed. He was well aware of the guards' capabilities; the military court’s security was tight on the outside but lax inside, with the outer checkpoints being the key to defense. It was only a matter of time before the intruders breached the checkpoints and dealt with the guards.

Indeed, the sounds of intense combat at the entrance began to fade, and the battle line began to shift into the courtroom, clearly showing that the guards were losing.

Fear of death swept through the crowd.

He Xiangchen observed everyone’s expressions, but his gaze paused in surprise when it swept over a man.

The man sat calmly in his seat, apparently unfazed by the chaos around him. When He Xiangchen looked at him, he even gave a slight smile. The seats around him were all empty, making him stand out starkly.

He was either a fool or utterly fearless.

He Xiangchen quickly averted his gaze, turning to the judge and the crowd: "I can save all of you."

In the face of danger and impending death, someone suddenly claimed they could save them. If it were anyone else, they’d hesitate, but this was He Xiangchen, the most formidable five-star general in the entire Federation! If he said he could, then he certainly could!

This was their only lifeline, and no one wanted to let it go.

He Xiangchen raised his hand gently, and the noisy crowd instantly quieted down. He extended his hands, revealing the heavy handcuffs, "Judge, you have no choice."

Indeed, he had no choice. Who would choose to wait for death when they could live? Moreover, the law does not punish the masses; he was merely following the will of the people.

He stepped forward, aligning his pupils with the iris scanner on the handcuffs.

With a "click," the handcuffs fell off. The judge followed suit, removing his ankle cuffs. Relieved of these heavy restraints, He Xiangchen finally felt a sense of rebirth!

"General Yu, you’ll save us, won’t you?"

Someone in the crowd suddenly asked.

He Xiangchen smiled without answering, but his subsequent actions already answered their doubts.

Freed from the genetic restraints, He Xiangchen unleashed his full power, his speed nearly invisible to the naked eye. In just a few breaths, he decisively rescued three guards who were fighting desperately.

The guard captain was among them.

"Give me a weapon," He Xiangchen extended his hand to him.

The guard captain looked at He Xiangchen, who was now so close, and his eyes quickly reddened. His greatest dream was to join the army and follow the general on the battlefield. So when he learned of the general's treason, he couldn't accept it. He even wanted to confront him and ask why he did it.

But now, he found that he didn't need to ask.

He Xiangchen didn't know why the guard in front of him was looking at him with such a bright, admiring gaze. But there was no need to think too much about it. He Xiangchen took the particle gun and laser sword from the guard captain and joined the battle without hesitation.

Through his combat, he demonstrated the brutal beauty of violence.

Agnes's dark eyes followed He Xiangchen's figure, watching him decisively fire his gun, watching him use the simplest killing moves to harvest the lives of his enemies. On the battlefield, he was always the most dazzling presence, no matter when or where.

His parched lips desperately needed moisture. Agnes licked his upper lip, only to find his thirst growing.

He Xiangchen unsheathed his laser sword, crimson blood sliding down the blade and pooling on the ground. The last enemy collapsed with a thud, his expression frozen in a moment of terror and disbelief.

They were safe!

After a brief cheer, the crowd suddenly remembered they were still in the courtroom, where Yu Qiming was on trial. They glanced awkwardly at Yu Qiming, only to see that he had already handed his weapons back to the guard captain and was standing silently below the stage.

The judge opened his mouth but remained silent.

Instead, He Xiangchen broke the silence first, "I did not betray the Federation."

As he spoke, the projector, originally used to display evidence, suddenly played a video. It showed Federation soldiers battling aliens—creatures with sharp fangs and deadly mouthparts that could drain a person instantly upon attack.

"An alien invasion at the Federation's border resulted in countless casualties among the border troops. I, along with the Federation's 21st Division, flanked the alien nest and destroyed the alien queen at great cost. Of the three thousand in the 21st Division, fewer than three hundred survived. That year, I was seventeen and was awarded the rank of captain."

He Xiangchen's voice was calm, as if he were recounting a mundane event. But everyone was horrified by the brutal and bloody scenes on the video, and this was only the beginning of his military career.

"At twenty, a third of the Federation's planets went dark. I was sent to investigate but was ambushed. To deliver the decrypted interference code to the lost planets, my comrades and I fought our way through a blood-soaked path. Only I and a dozen of my comrades survived that battle. We delivered the code to the lost planets, thwarting the Tarma Empire's plot, and I was promoted to major."

"..."

The images on the projector unfolded like a memoir, chronicling Yu Qiming's ten-year military career.

He became the youngest five-star general not due to a prominent family, nor solely because of his unmatched talent. He truly walked over blood and corpses to reach where he is today.

He gave everything for the Federation, and now the Federation was branding him a traitor!

The courtroom fell silent, and the star network went quiet. The most chilling thing in the world is to throw a soldier's fervent blood onto the cold, piercing pillar of disgrace.

The judge closed his eyes. Perhaps he was no longer fit for the position of judge.

Because he had already developed an extreme bias towards this "criminal."

"I am not afraid of death, but I do not accept such a trial," He Xiangchen, wearing a prisoner's uniform, saluted everyone, "I will clarify myself to you all, but the premise is that I must survive. Only by living can I uncover the deeply buried truth."

His tone was sincere and earnest, with an undeniable firmness. No one dared to speak in support or opposition, as their words could easily escalate to issues of political stance. Only the guard captain stepped forward, kneeling on one knee before He Xiangchen.

"I believe in you, Steven is willing to follow you, to accompany you in clearing your name."

Steven raised his head, his gaze as devout as a believer's.

He Xiangchen walked up to him and helped him up, "Thank you, but I hope you live a peaceful life. This is for you."

With that, he placed his right hand on his chest, and after a moment, a medal lay quietly in his hand.

"All my medals are stored on my military uniform, only this one is stored within my body," He Xiangchen handed the medal to Steven, "This medal symbolizes hope. Keep it well, and one day it will shine with its own glory."

Steven was moved to tears, nodding and saying repeatedly, "I will, General, I will wait for your triumphant return!"

He Xiangchen smiled without speaking and turned to leave. The surviving guards parted to either side as he walked forward. No one dared to overestimate their ability to stop him, nor did anyone wish to.

Outside the courtroom, numerous aircraft were parked, mostly belonging to journalists who had come to observe the ceremony. This was a great advantage for He Xiangchen. With Yu Qiming's memories, his knowledge of mechanics was no less than that of a ten-year veteran repair worker. Moreover, with the help of 009, he swiftly managed to alter the data of a small civilian aircraft, making it his personal transport.

Meanwhile, in the courtroom, Stephen, clutching the medal, was still basking in the joy of receiving a gift from his idol.

"Give it to me."

Suddenly, Stephen felt a chill down his spine. Or rather, he had always sensed someone's cold gaze on him, but he had been too excited to notice it until now.

"I said, give it to me!"

Agnes's eyes narrowed menacingly, stepping up to Stephen and reaching out to snatch it!

Stephen hastily stepped back, clutching the medal tightly to his chest, "Who are you! Why do you want to take my medal!"

Hearing this, Agnes's face darkened even more, "You are not qualified to know who I am. I'll say it one last time, give me the medal, or you die here. Choose."

Stephen clearly felt the surge of killing intent. He looked at Agnes in shock; this man truly intended to kill him here!

"The general gave me this medal to keep it safe. Even if I die, I will protect it!" Stephen drew his laser sword, "If you want the medal, you'll have to step over my dead body!"

Agnes's dark gaze fell on Stephen, the killing intent so intense it felt like it could slice through him. After a moment, he shifted his gaze and walked out the door without a word.

Phil and William shared a look before hurrying after him.

A guard rushed over to steady the unsteady Stephen, indignantly saying, "What a madman! All bark and no bite—when push comes to shove, he backs down!"

Stephen's gaze followed the man's retreating figure, feeling that it wasn't as simple as the guard said. At least for that moment, he truly felt his life was in danger.

"I remember now, that man is Agnes!" a tall female journalist in the crowd exclaimed, "Oh my god, it's the so-called devil who walks in the night, Agnes!"