Chapter 311: Pack

Chapter 311: Packing

The next day was free, and Ye Wang made some preparations.

First, he copied all the military data accessible to the Empire, even borrowing several new weapons from the Military Affairs Department under his rank as a major-general. Then, he packed everything up, flew the aircraft, and delivered it all to Bu Nian.

While Bu Nian was busy with preparations, Ye Wang took Jiang Qi to the supermarket.

Jiang Qi seemed to really enjoy these ordinary, lively things. His hobbies were quintessentially elderly—he liked sunbathing, feeding pigeons, and even scouring the discount vegetable aisle with a basket like a middle-aged man. He also drank milk for health. In short, he was someone who loved the sun and bustling crowds but hated darkness and confined spaces.

The mining ship would take over half a month to reach the Federation, during which they’d be stuck in cramped cabins facing the lightless, boundless expanse of space—no sun, no pigeons, no fresh vegetables. It would be maddening.

Ye Wang thought, *This is the final step. Don’t let the Imperial Star I went through so much trouble to steal develop some new issues—what if his hard-won recovery backslides?* So he waved his hand generously. "Load up—get whatever you like."

He was using Pei Gu’s card—Ye Wang wouldn’t be able to use it soon anyway, so why not burn through it?

Jiang Qi was baffled. He placed the most expensive carton of milk into the shopping cart, then, seeing Ye Wang didn’t react, added another.

"...Like this?"

Ye Wang: "Get some candy too. Lots of it."

Jiang Qi had a little sister who was sick. The mining ship would be dark and full of grown men—if she cried, it’d be hard to comfort her.

Still confused, Jiang Qi obediently added two more boxes of candy.

After browsing around, Ye Wang grabbed two plug-in night-lights for Jiang Qi, along with a bunch of miscellaneous items. Finally, he had everything packed and arranged for the supermarket to deliver it all to his home.

Then, Ye Wang dragged Jiang Qi to the second floor of the mall.

The Imperial Star’s usual attire was practically monastic—outside, he wore the standard-issue military shirt, ditching the sash and medals to pass as casual wear, and at home, he just wore loungewear.

But once they reached the Federation, he couldn’t keep dressing like that. The Imperial Star was about to become *their* Federation Star—what would it look like if he kept wearing the Empire’s military uniform?

Ye Wang picked out a few shirts for Jiang Qi. The man had a lean, naturally elegant frame—he looked good in anything. Ye Wang nearly suffered from analysis paralysis before remembering, *Oh right, I’m using Pei Gu’s card. Why choose? Just take it all.*

So he bought an entire box of clothes.

Jiang Qi, who could fake smiles and play the meek act in front of interrogators, only revealing his sharp edges in the shadows, was completely lost when faced with Ye Wang buying him things. He looked like he didn’t know what expression to wear—his face stiff, like a robot fresh out of the factory with default programming. He let the sales staff shove piles of clothes into his hands, pulling him in and out of the fitting room, while they beamed at Ye Wang and fawned, "Ohhh, this looks great on your gentleman here! That one too!"

Jiang Qi stood there rigidly, visibly uncomfortable.

Ye Wang thought, *So it’s this easy to make Jiang Qi uneasy? Why did I struggle so much before?* Besides, messing with the Imperial Star was oddly fun. Once he became the Federation Star and a colleague, he wouldn’t be able to tease him anymore—might as well enjoy the show while it lasted.

So he ran up the card without mercy, occasionally chiming in with, "True," "Exactly," or "You’re right."

Ye Wang and the sales staff played off each other until Jiang Qi, arms full of boxes, finally protested, "Sir, this is too much."

"It’s fine." Ye Wang took the boxes and handed them to a staff member. "Have them sent to my address."

By the time they finished their shopping spree, it was already evening. As they prepared to fly home, Jiang Qi tagged along behind Ye Wang. The setting sun lengthened the commander’s shadow across the ground. Nearby, children in the park flew kites, their laughter carried by the evening breeze. Jiang Qi, lost in his head—or maybe just blank—reached out, tracing his hand over Ye Wang’s shadow, matching palm to shadow-palm.

Ye Wang: "Want to go feed the pigeons on the lawn?"

Tomorrow would be cloudy, and after that, Jiang Qi would spend half a month in the dark mining ship. This would be his last pigeon-feeding for the next two weeks.

And from then on—forever—Jiang Qi would never toss crumbs to Imperial pigeons again! He’d only get to feed the Federation’s pigeons!

Jiang Qi flinched, snatching his hand back. "Would it hold us up?"

Ye Wang: "What’s the hold-up?"

They walked to the open space at the center, where the commander sat down on the grass, chewing on a blade of grass, waiting for Jiang Qi to distribute food to the pigeons.

Perhaps due to the harrowing experiences in the lower district, Jiang Qi fed the pigeons with remarkable fairness. He didn’t wait for them to scramble in front of him but went to each one in turn, like a dedicated zookeeper.

Ye Wang watched him lazily: "Is the bread enough? Should we buy another bag?"

Jiang Qi: "Plenty, sir."

Ye Wang then averted his gaze.

After Jiang Qi finished feeding the entire bag, for some reason, he suddenly spoke up: "Sir, why today…"

Why were you suddenly so kind to me today?

Although Ye Wang had been kind in the past few days, today was different. Jiang Qi sensed obvious indulgence.

Ye Wang, drowsy: "Hmm?"

Jiang Qi brushed off the breadcrumbs and lowered his eyes: "Nothing. Let’s head back, sir."

In the evening, Bu Nian sent Ye Wang a message, saying the mining ship was ready, fuel had been filled, and he had also fetched the siblings from District B13, bringing them onto the ship. The younger sister had received an injection and was stable, while the older brother, examined by a doctor, could also have an artificial eye implanted to restore his vision.

Everything was set—all that remained was for Ye Wang to scan Pei Gu’s face for clearance.

Ye Wang: "OK."

The two exchanged a few more details, and as Bu Nian was about to log off, he asked: "By the way, Major General, does the Imperial Star know you’re planning to kidnap him and turn him into Federation Star?"

Ye Wang: "What do you mean, kidnap…? Though, he doesn’t know yet."

Ye Wang hadn’t figured out how to bring it up. After all, on the surface, he was still an Imperial Major General—resurrecting the dead was too far-fetched. He planned to take Jiang Qi straight to the mining ship, leave him by it, so there’d be no turning back. Whether Imperial Star wanted to go to the Federation or not, he’d have no choice.

So, the next evening, after dinner, Ye Wang and Jiang Qi sipped leisurely on the milk Jiang Qi had made. Then Ye Wang said: "Jiang Qi, come with me tonight."

He didn’t say where or look at Jiang Qi, just stared at the moving second hand on his watch, acting a little off.

Jiang Qi paused, picking up on something unusual.

Just like the day before, something out of the ordinary seemed about to happen.

He didn’t ask either, just washed the milk cup clean and nodded: "Alright."

They boarded the aircraft, and after a few turns, they unexpectedly arrived at the border between the upper and lower districts. The lower district was still under lockdown, but the border guards scanned Ye Wang’s ID and, not daring to question him, let them pass.

As the neon lights of the upper district faded completely behind them, they traversed nearly half of the lower district. The surroundings grew increasingly desolate, signs of life dwindling. Jiang Qi frowned slightly and held onto the seatbelt tighter.

He glanced at the commander’s handsome profile but still didn’t ask where they were going.

The navigation system chimed. Ye Wang pulled the control lever, and the aircraft descended slowly, flying over miles of barren land before hovering over an abandoned port. There, an old interstellar mining ship lay docked, its engines shut down to conserve energy. The ship’s massive hull loomed in the dark like a sleeping beast.

Ye Wang activated the hatch: "Come on, let’s go."

Jiang Qi followed him down and stood on the ground, scanning the area. The place was desolate and dilapidated, weeds as tall as a man, the port’s facilities decayed and half-collapsed.

Ye Wang gazed at the enormous mining ship: "Silent Port—a relic from the great interstellar exodus. Freighters once traveled between worlds, carrying precious minerals. Eventually, it was left to rot."

Jiang Qi nodded: "So this is it."

He had read about this once prosperous and wealthy port in books, but now its glory had faded. If he had to describe it, this place seemed less like a starting point for interstellar voyages and more like a perfect spot for murder and dumping bodies.

His unease grew stronger, as if something fated to happen was about to unfold.

Ye Wang: "Follow me."

He led Jiang Qi through rows of abandoned buildings toward the port, wondering how to bring it up.

Though Jiang Qi disliked the Empire, he had never expressed fondness for the Federation either. Now, with the docked ship right before them, Ye Wang was about to ship him off—he at least owed him some explanation.

How could he phrase it to make Jiang Qi accept it smoothly?

After a long deliberation, he finally spoke slowly: "Here’s the situation, Jiang Qi. I’ve received some news. After the lab break-in, the Empire launched a large-scale search. They collected DNA evidence near the testing area, including blood traces and fingerprints, and are running forensic analysis. You won't be able to stay hidden much longer."

To convey solemnity, Ye Wang unusually refrained from using his usual teasing "Madam" and addressed him directly by name.

Jiang Qi had gone in with a death wish to begin with, unconcerned about leaving blood traces. Ye Wang had later instructed Bu Nian to clean up the obvious evidence, which bought them time—until now. But the Empire’s thorough search was no joke—within days, they'd find you.

Jiang Qi noted his hesitation and uncertainty: "Understood, sir."

Ye Wang continued to guide the conversation: "You know how the Empire operates. Once they trace it back to you, what they'll do to you will be unbearable—far beyond just interrogation and imprisonment. I doubt you'd want a repeat performance."

Jiang Qi lowered his gaze, still following Ye Wang with steady steps, his face betraying nothing: "Of course not, sir."

Stealing classified information was treason, and countless inhuman methods could be used on him. Compared to that, the torment in the lab was child's play.

If the Empire got their hands on him, Jiang Qi only sought a quick death.

Ye Wang: "So, staying with me is clearly no longer an option. You know that even with the Pei family’s influence, I can’t protect you."

With that, he stopped walking, observing Jiang Qi’s reaction.

Jiang Qi remained composed, even giving Ye Wang a small smile—calm, almost relieved: "I understand, sir."

From the moment he stormed the lab, this had been a death sentence. That Ye Wang had shielded him for half a month, allowing him to recover quietly and enjoy a rare stretch of peace in his life, was already more than Jiang Qi could ask for.

Ye Wang: "So..."

Jiang Qi glanced down at the gun holstered at Ye Wang’s waist.

Auto-targeting system, 9mm rounds—instant, painless.

Ye Wang rubbed his nose: "So... how about stowing away to the Federation?"