Chapter 104

Chapter 104

"Are you telling me how to do my job, Cong Ruyi?" Cong Ao strode forward, grabbing Cong Ruyi's neck with one hand. "Since when do you get to bargain with me!"

Cong Ao tightened his grip, lifting her off the ground. Cong Ruyi gasped for air, her hands desperately clutching at Cong Ao's grip, but she couldn’t break free. Struggling to breathe, she tried to tiptoe to relieve the suffocating pressure.

Cong Ruyi was gasping for air, like a flower withering away. Her broken state amused Cong Ao, and he let go, throwing her to the ground.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!" Cong Ruyi gasped, her throat burning, a flicker of hatred in her eyes.

"Talk! Where did Jin Baba go?" Cong Ao demanded fiercely.

Cong Ruyi tried to speak, but her throat was too sore. She randomly pointed in a direction.

Seeing her compliance, Cong Ao decided to let her off. "Don't cross me again, remember what happened to your mother."

Cong Ao turned and left with a flick of his sleeve. Cong Ruyi’s eyes flashed with a dark light, leaving behind a string of uncontrollable coughs.

Back in his room, the Chief Commander and the planet's council members were already waiting, eager to know why everyone had been gathered upon seeing Cong Ao return.

Cong Ao silenced them with a raised hand. First, he sent out a new team to track Jin Baba based on the direction Cong Ruyi had pointed, then briefly explained the encounter with the mecha team.

When they heard the guards had vanished and the mecha team was wiped out, the planet's council members were too shocked to speak.

"How did they get so strong all of a sudden?"

Everyone asked, but Cong Ao was in no mood to answer them.

"The reason doesn’t matter; what matters is what we do with these second-class subjects. I’ve lost too many weapons and men to handle them now. Shouldn’t you also contribute?" Cong Ao said, lightly patting the shoulder of the person nearest to him.

"This... Lord Cong, you’re not pulling our leg, are you?" the singled-out council member questioned.

"Do you think I’m a kid? We’re about to lose a third of Liuhong Star. Do I have the mood to play games? Council Member He, stop wasting time with this nonsense!" Cong Ao mocked.

The room fell silent, the faces of Liuhong Star’s leaders grim. Cong Ao hummed ambiguously, then changed the subject. "If it were just my stuff on this planet, I wouldn’t care. I’d hand over Liuhong Star; it’s not my only planet. But who says this planet has an experimental site, isn’t that right, Council Members Qin, Lu, Ji?"

"I’m not rushing; it’s your call. Check with the Doctor if he still needs this site," Cong Ao said casually.

Cong Ao seemed ready to give up resistance, his indifferent attitude making several council members break out in a cold sweat.

"Lord Cong, the experimental site was a huge investment. There’s still a batch of subjects inside. How can you just abandon it? Besides, if those lowlifes get their hands on it, we’re all in trouble, right?" Council Member Lu said.

"Fair point, but I can’t handle them alone. What do you suggest we do?"

Cong Ao was determined to drag the council members into this. After all, Liuhong Star wasn’t just his. The nobility conducted experiments on his turf, and while he could turn a blind eye, if something went wrong, they shouldn’t expect him to take the fall alone.

If this gets out, the royalty and the do-gooders will come after him, but their illegal experiments would be like pulling out a radish and bringing along the mud—hard to escape unscathed!

"We will apply for assistance from the main family, Lord Cong, please hold on a bit longer!" several council members said after discussing.

Cong Ao's intention achieved, he naturally had no objections.

"Liuhong Star is in your hands." Cong Ao said.

After all, he would either abandon the star or definitely wouldn't bleed heavily to deal with a bunch of lowlifes again. Winning such a war wouldn’t bring joy.

But since the nobility wanted to fight, he could lend a hand. Liuhong Star’s system was hard to build; he wasn’t about to start from scratch somewhere else.

"Issue the order to detain all second-class subjects in the city district. Have the second-class subjects send a representative to negotiate and return our people intact. For every person unaccounted for, a second-class subject will pay with their life," Cong Ao said with a sinister tone.

If they want to play games, he’ll give them a game they won’t forget. He’s curious to see if they’ll survive the overwhelming firepower when reinforcements arrive.

Luo Jie was frantic after receiving Cong Ao’s message.

The hostages included their family, friends, and loved ones. If word got out, the rebels would falter, splinter, and lose their unity.

As Liuhong Star descended into chaos, he feared the Shennong Star Lord might be impacted, so he sent two people to assist. Just as he was discussing with the team leaders, the captives were brought back.

Yun Wan and Luo Jie exchanged nods. The tunnel hideout was claustrophobic, with the faint yellow light from the black crystal ore energy lamp being the only illumination. She could barely make out the faces in the hideout, but the rebels’ somber mood was palpable.

Yun Wan was confused. With the Lord of Liuhong Star enraged, the second-class subjects should’ve had the upper hand. If things were going well, why the long faces?

"Lord, they’ve taken more second-class hostages and are demanding we free the guards..." Luo Jie clung to this like a lifeline.

Thanks to the Shennong Star Lord, the second-class subjects could now stand against Liuhong Star’s nobles. Luo Jie admired the Shennong Star Lord deeply, feeling invincible under his influence, like he could achieve the impossible.

"What do you plan to do?" Yun Wan became solemn.

This situation on Liuhong Star was dire, mainly because one couldn’t expect those who created the second-class subjects to have a conscience. He would definitely follow through on his threats. These hostages were the biggest weakness of the rebel forces. One wrong move, and the rebellion would crumble, leaving Liuhong Star in a bloodbath.

In the worst case, the rebels would surrender, and the hostages would perish, erasing any hope of victory or resurgence for the second-class subjects, reducing them to puppets of the nobles.

Luo Jie shook his head, looking hopefully at Yun Wan, "Lord, do you have any suggestions?"

Yun Wan pondered.

She wasn’t a military genius, and she never thought she’d be involved in war. The rebellion of the second-class subjects had reached a deadlock, and she didn’t have any particularly good solutions.

"All we can do now is our best and hope for the best. Did you finish all the candy?" Yun Wan asked Luo Jie.

"No, we’ve got a few pieces of lucky candy left," Luo Jie said with a hint of joy. Yun Wan’s reminder restored some of his confidence.

He handed out five pieces of lucky candy, sending them to the hostages. The remaining pieces were eaten by the team leaders.

They prayed the lucky candy would work miracles and turn the tide in their favor.

Lu Huai cleared his throat, trying to catch their attention.

He knew Yun Wan, despite her humble origins, had no experience with war. Luo Jie, as a poor star native turned second-class subject, was clueless about military affairs. Mobilizing such a large rebel force was no small feat.

Now, two people who didn’t understand war were trying to break the deadlock, overlooking the fact that there was an experienced soldier right beside them.

"Have the nobles chosen a location for the negotiation?" Yun Wan asked.

The two, deep in conversation, didn’t notice Lu Huai.

"Not yet!" Luo Jie said with surprise, his voice covering Lu Huai’s subtle movement.

He understood Yun Wan’s meaning. They could choose a good negotiation location, take the initiative, and buy time for the hostages.

But Yun Wan was considering more than that, "The negotiation might be an opportunity. We can lure them away and strike where they least expect it!"

Luo Jie wasn’t stupid. He was just lost in the moment. With Yun Wan’s guidance, he quickly came up with an idea.

"Thanks for the advice, Lord. I won’t forget your kindness, Luo Jie! I must excuse myself for now!"

"No worries, go ahead!" Yun Wan waved her hand.

Lu Huai: ...

Yun Wan’s ideas matched his own, and even he couldn't think of a better solution. Although she wasn't skilled in combat, she seemed particularly adept at adapting to circumstances, always making the best use of the conditions at hand to find the optimal solution.

The lord’s focused expression was hard to look away from. It seemed that his presence wasn't needed here. He took two steps back, not intending to draw attention anymore, but just then, Yun Wan called out to him.

"Lu Huai, you were coughing earlier. Are you sick?"

Under the dim light, Lu Huai's face also appeared yellowish, and no one noticed the blush creeping up his neck.

"I’m not feeling great," he glanced at the narrow passageway. The matter was already resolved, and offering help now would be redundant.

"Okay, let’s wrap this up fast!" Yun Wan said.

Lu Huai sensed concern in her tone, and a warm feeling surged in his heart.

Right away, Luo Jie got to work setting up the negotiations. Yun Wan and the others had nothing to do, so they rested in Luo Jie's private lounge.

Yun Wan shut her eyes to relax. These past few days, she had either been meeting with Luo Jie or dealing with Ru Yi, and hadn't rested well. She let her spiritual energy flow through her body, feeling less tense and could vaguely sense a connection with the Black Rock Bee.

Yun Wan felt it was amazing, and she circulated her spiritual energy again, strengthening her connection with the Black Rock Bee. Her view shifted entirely to theirs. At that moment, the Black Rock Bees were drifting aimlessly through Liuhong Star’s forests. With a thought, she controlled one of the bees, and the others seemed to notice something was off, pausing for a moment before subtly starting to move around Yun Wan as the center.

She kept the other Black Rock Bees from following her, controlling the bee to fly towards the city.

Winged creatures saw far more than land animals. Yun Wan moved through the streets and alleys without attracting anyone's attention.

Liuhong Star was on lockdown, and the streets were sparsely populated. Soldiers patrolled the area every few minutes.

Yun Wan decided to see what was going on at the lord’s mansion. As soon as she flew to the entrance, Cong Ao burst out with a crowd, and she followed closely behind to see what was happening.

A crowd gathered at the port, and soon, a spaceship came into view, slowly nearing Liuhong Star.

Yun Wan vaguely saw the Ji family's emblem. After the spaceship docked, Cong Ao stayed put, waiting.

Not long after, a soldier whispered something to Cong Ao, and Yun Wan heard him erupt in anger.

"How is this possible?! This can’t be happening!"

Cong Ao’s face stayed calm.

He had just received news that the supplies supported by the Lu and Qin families had encountered a small asteroid explosion mid-journey, accidentally deviating from their course. After an emergency landing on Liuhong Star, they ended up in the occupied zone, giving those rebels an advantage!

"This... how did it just land there? Those rebels must be thrilled," Ji councilor said, feeling uneasy.

Cong Ao didn't look pleased, "Thrilled? You think they’d even know how to use it? It's fine, no big deal..."

Before he could finish, a massive explosion sounded from the front lines, and smoke billowed into the sky.

"Have these idiots lost their minds! Have they forgotten I have hostages!" Cong Ao nearly lost his composure.

A soldier rushed from the front lines with urgent news: "Lord, it's bad. The rebels located the hostages. They used some method to rescue all the hostages, and somehow they suddenly have a lot of weapons. They’re now focusing their firepower for a fierce attack, and we can't hold on much longer. The lord’s mansion is almost lost..."

Cong Ao closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was actually laughing at the distant smoke.

The soldier was dumbfounded. How could he be laughing now?

"Great, just great!" Cong Ao clapped his hands, despite the inevitable defeat, he acted like victory was within reach.

Several directors turned pale, exchanging uncertain glances, unsure of what to do.

With timing, location, and manpower on their side, the second-class subjects had every advantage. It was hard to imagine that they were fighting this war so miserably—not only were things not going smoothly, but they were also being manipulated by a group of lowly people they once looked down upon. It was utterly humiliating.

Even the heavens seemed to oppose them; victory was impossible.

They watched Cong Ao put on a one-man show, waiting for him to make the final decision.

After laughing for a while, Cong Ao said to the guard, "Prepare the ship; we’re leaving this planet."

Cong Ao didn’t even want the supplies that the Ji family had just delivered. After boarding with the planet’s leaders and a few guard teams, they immediately set sail and left Liuhong Star. The cheers of the second-class subjects rang out behind them, echoing in the sunset.

"Take it if you dare, but you’ll never live to enjoy it!" Cong Ao sneered.

Enjoy it while you can, fools; this is your last chance.

Cong Ao took out a control device from his pocket, with a red button on it.

"What is this?" The directors also noticed Cong Ao's unusual behavior and couldn’t help but ask.

"Just press this, and boom! Liuhong Star will be reduced to dust."

The directors’ initial delight quickly turned to fear.

This Cong Ao, it turned out, had a firm grip on Liuhong Star, keeping a trick up his sleeve that they didn’t know about. It was unclear if Cong Ao had bowed to noble pressure or had his own agenda.

But they would keep these thoughts to themselves; now they still needed to rely on Cong Ao to have a chance of survival...

Unfortunately, fate ultimately did not stand on their side.

Suddenly, a Black Rock Bee appeared out of nowhere, stinging Cong Ao’s hand with its tail needle. He let out a muffled groan of pain, and the controller fell to the ground, making no sound. By the time everyone came to their senses and searched the deck, not even a fragment was found.

The controller had mysteriously disappeared!

"You wretched fools!!!" Cong Ao was so angry that his veins bulged, he clenched his fists tightly, looking around but couldn’t find an outlet for his anger. He could only stare fiercely at the direction of the receding Liuhong Star, his eyes wide with rage.