Chapter 5: The First Interstellar Prison

Chapter 5: The First Interstellar Prison

He Xiangchen was awakened by a knock on the door.

He rose, changed into his everyday attire, and opened the door to find Agnes, the long-separated brother of Yu Qiming, waiting at the door with a communicator in his hand.

"Good morning, General Yu," Agnes greeted with a smile, appearing genteel and cultured.

But He Xiangchen knew this was merely a facade. How could a notorious pirate leader be associated with gentleness? This only deepened his curiosity about Agnes's true intentions.

Numerous thoughts raced through He Xiangchen's mind, but he betrayed no sign of it on his face as he took the communicator and fastened it to his wrist.

Agnes was pleased with the trust He Xiangchen displayed. "I found something on your spacecraft. I apologize for intruding, but I was surprised to discover that the General is also highly skilled in hacking."

"You flatter me," He Xiangchen replied modestly, as the forged identity was entirely the work of 009.

"The General is worthy of any praise," Agnes continued. "I directly copied your forged identity information. Please verify it, and if there are no objections, we'll proceed with it for now."

He Xiangchen opened the communicator to check the information. Sure enough, his name was listed as He Xiangchen.

This only deepened his suspicions about Agnes's motives.

"General Yu?" Agnes noticed He Xiangchen's distraction. "Is there anything about my arrangements that dissatisfies you?"

He Xiangchen shook his head, not hiding his probing gaze. "I'm simply curious, why are you aiding me? Is it truly just for that unclaimed resource planet?"

He Xiangchen keenly observed a fleeting change in Agnes's demeanor, but the subtle emotional fluctuation quickly vanished.

Agnes looked up, shedding his genteel exterior. His gaze was as sharp as a leopard's, brimming with aggression.

Just when He Xiangchen thought Agnes was finally going to act, he suddenly smiled. "Why I'm doing this, the General will soon discover. I just ask you, do you dare to wager with me on this?"

He Xiangchen heard Agnes's unadorned tone for the first time—low, seductive, like a blade concealed in the night, poised to strike, with a beauty and boldness that was captivating.

This was a gamble with high stakes. If he won, he would return in glory, reclaiming his place at the pinnacle of the Federation. All past blemishes would be erased, and all the framing and slander would come to light. But if he lost, he would be making a pact with a tiger, and his fate would be uncertain. Moreover, once his collaboration with the pirates was exposed, his reputation would plunge into the abyss, never to be redeemed.

Even Agnes considered this a challenging and weighty decision for He Xiangchen.

But Agnes didn't expect that, in fact, within three seconds of finishing his words, He Xiangchen gave his answer.

He stepped forward, firmly grasped Agnes's left hand, and smiled slightly. "Then, Mr. Agnes, a pleasant cooperation."

Their hands met briefly before parting.

Agnes calmly tucked his left hand behind his back, rubbing it repeatedly.

"General, won't you reconsider? You know, cooperating with me means there's no turning back," Agnes said seriously, his deep eyes like an unfathomable pool.

He Xiangchen's smile remained unchanged. "Turning back? If I thought about retreat before even starting, I would have been buried long ago."

"Besides..." he said with a slight change in expression, "I have no other choice, do I? Even if this is a dead end, I can only keep going until I'm shattered to pieces."

Agnes stood quietly beside him, listening until He Xiangchen mentioned "shattered to pieces." Only then did his gaze show a slight change.

"I won't let you die, believe me."

These words were resolute, imbued with a comforting strength, as solemn as a vow.

For a moment, He Xiangchen felt he was mad to start believing the words of an interstellar pirate.

Agnes did not miss the brief shock and confusion in the General's eyes. He smiled self-deprecatingly, hiding the disappointment within him.

Suddenly, the starship's arrival notification sounded.

"I'll wait for you at the port."

After saying this, Agnes turned around, leaving He Xiangchen with a precise posture. For some reason, He Xiangchen felt that his figure looked so lonely and desolate, as if he were about to disappear into the shadows.

...

Lancelot Planet, a notorious lawless zone in the Demelans star system, experiences more riots annually than the entire star system combined.

But at some point, this planet suddenly lost contact with the planets within the Demelans jurisdiction. The Imperial Star had sent several waves of scouting missions, but all of them disappeared without a trace. Gradually, the royal family completely abandoned this planet, allowing it to become isolated from the Demelans star system.

Today, Lancelot Planet welcomed a special guest.

As He Xiangchen stepped off the starship, he found the port crowded with people. Upon his appearance, a wave of welcome banners and slogans greeted him, the crowd's enthusiasm nearly overwhelming.

What's going on?

Agnes smiled at the stunned General, visibly uncomfortable and at a loss on the starship's steps.

The Federation prioritizes officer protection, meaning higher ranks rarely appear in public. People on the stellar network only know the name Yu Qiming, but rarely know what he actually looks like. This is also why the recent public trial of Yu Qiming has attracted so much attention.

Currently, on the Federation's stellar network, some people are condemning Yu Qiming, demanding an official explanation. Others are beginning to question whether Yu Qiming has really betrayed the Federation. The two factions are locked in heated online debates, while the Federation intensifies its efforts to capture He Xiangchen.

Unbeknownst to them, He Xiangchen, thrust into the spotlight, had covertly traveled to the Demelans star system with the pirate Agnes.

"Welcome to Lancelot Planet, General. It seems you're quite popular," Agnes said, approaching He Xiangchen with an intense gaze. "Care to address your admirers?"

Reassure? How? He doesn't even belong to the same star system as them; he's just a guest from a foreign star system.

Or rather, an exiled criminal.

Agnes likely had no intention of complicating matters for He Xiangchen. Raising his hand to silence the crowd, Agnes declared, "General Yu is my esteemed guest. Treat him as you would me."

He Xiangchen quickly observed that everyone's gaze towards him became much more respectful. He began to suspect that the pirate leader's background was more complex than he had assumed.

At Agnes's command, the crowd presented their gifts to He Xiangchen before dispersing. He Xiangchen, holding flowers and gift boxes haphazardly, looked like a Christmas tree buried under presents.

His genetic enhancements were useless in this situation, and he couldn't bring himself to discard the gifts. He shot a pleading glance at Agnes, who watched the spectacle with evident amusement.

"Sorry, everyone is too enthusiastic," Agnes suppressed a laugh and personally helped He Xiangchen clear away the gifts. "Phil, put these things away. General Yu, I'll take you to my place to rest."

He Xiangchen nodded and followed him onto the hovercar.

Agnes's villa is located in the suburbs, with a beautiful environment and fresh air. He parked the car and personally opened the door for He Xiangchen.

"Thank you," He Xiangchen looked at him in surprise. In the two days he had spent with Agnes, the other had behaved like a gentleman, making it hard to believe that he was a notorious pirate leader in the star system.

Agnes smiled and led him into the house.

"Take a seat first. I'll go to the Imperial Star to check on the matter of your property proof," Agnes took out a detector from the cabinet. "Give me a drop of blood."

He Xiangchen's thumb slid across his index finger, creating a small cut. He placed his blood-stained fingertip on the blood slot of the detector, letting the blood drip into it.

Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, Agnes grabbed his wrist.

He Xiangchen looked at him in confusion, trying to break free from his grip, but unexpectedly, Agnes's strength was surprisingly strong, and he couldn't free his hand!

Suddenly, he felt a moist sensation on his fingertip!

He Xiangchen widened his eyes. No matter how much he couldn’t believe it, the sensation of his finger being enveloped by soft lips and a tongue was undeniable. Agnes was actually licking his finger?!

He jerked his hand back as if electrocuted. This time, Agnes didn’t stop him. Agnes stared at him intently, his tongue flicking over his blood-stained lips. The scene suddenly turned indecent and erotic!

"What are you doing!"

The General, like an offended leopard, quickly raised his eyes to defend his dignity. But his roar betrayed his inner turmoil.

This pleased Agnes immensely. "The General’s precious blood—not a single drop can go to waste."

"It’s just a bit of blood... There’s really no need to lick it off."

"But to me, it’s priceless."

Agnes smirked, tucked the detector into his coat, and explained, "This is a disguiser. It can mimic your genes, but it needs blood to activate."

He Xiangchen clenched his fist, trying to shake off the sensation of his finger being sucked. Agnes noticed this and gave him a chance to divert his attention.

"What are you planning?" He Xiangchen was instantly on guard. "You want to disguise yourself as me?"

Disguising as a Federal General opens up countless possibilities. The other party is also a pirate leader, which made He Xiangchen have to be alert.

"The General is so dutiful," Agnes sneered. "Only by pretending to be you can I access your assets in the Demelans star system. Or does the General have a better way?"

He Xiangchen forced a smile. "Sorry, I misunderstood you."

"I’m not angry."

He Xiangchen glanced at Agnes and found that the other party really did not have a trace of anger. He thought about it and said to Agnes, "I can go with you. After all, disguise is just disguise—there’s still a possibility of exposure."

Agnes regretfully shook his head.

"I’d love to accompany you, General, but you’re a wanted criminal now. The situation on the Imperial Star is too volatile—I can’t guarantee your safety."

Yes, as a Federation fugitive on an enemy planet, he had to worry not only about being recognized by the enemy but also by his own people lurking in the Demelans star system.

"I’ll be here, waiting for your return." He Xiangchen spoke haltingly, his heart heavy as he added, "Safe travels."