The visitor stepped into the great hall.
Chen unexpectedly raised his eyebrows, only then seeing clearly that it was actually a young man with black hair, even younger than himself. His eyebrows were like long mountains, his eyes like deep waters, his demeanor relaxed and calm. The whole person seemed to have walked out of a stark black and white ink painting.
Kaios very naturally extended his hand, drawing the visitor to his side, his tone full of intimacy. “Aslan, you came too late.”
“Your Highness, please forgive me.” The black-haired youth slightly bowed his head, then turned to stand beside the prince, facing the “Golden Snake” Fiennes. “Your Excellency the Envoy, please forgive me.”
Fiennes’ legs had long since gone weak, and he dared not put on airs. He forced a dry laugh and said, “Cough…cough, who might this be?”
Kaios narrowed his eyes. “Dawn Aslan, my personal advisor. However, Your Excellency were saying earlier… I dare not? What do I dare not do?”
The corners of Fiennes’ mouth twitched… Before coming here, he had also heard that Kaios was unruly and possessed crystal bones far superior to ordinary people. However, having stayed in Yongle Garden for too long, he subconsciously felt that an individual’s power couldn’t possibly oppose the vast empire, and he had sneered at such rumors.
It was only moments ago that he had awakened from the grand dream of being an imperial envoy – whether Kaios could oppose the empire was beside the point; if this peculiar little prince really went berserk, he could easily kill the entire envoy team!
“…Cough, earlier when Your Highness delayed in accepting the decree, it caused me to misunderstand.”
Fiennes tried to maintain his composure, “But seeing this now, it’s clear that Prince Kaios has a clear understanding, so the upcoming handover should be much easier, don’t you think?”
Kaios smiled and said. “The handover is simple, it can be completed in less than half a day. However…”
He glanced to his side, and Jiang Jianming naturally picked up the latter half of the sentence. “However, the situation on Blue Mother Star is complex. The territory here is vast, the population numerous, and there are many uncivilized stubborn people in the wild areas.”
The young man lowered his eyebrows and spoke softly, his hand touching his chest in a gesture of respect, his manners flawless. “If Your Excellency the Envoy encounters any difficulties in his work, please don’t hesitate to ask. We are willing to provide assistance at any time.”
“…Of course, of course.”
Fiennes’ face darkened, inwardly taking this as a threat from the other side putting on a strong front, but he dared not do anything about it.
He snorted and said, “Then without further delay, after Your Highness accepts the decree, let’s proceed with the handover immediately.”
…
In less than half a day, Bin Fiennes from Yongle Garden Star City took control.
Apart from Prince Kaios himself, the original core senior officials of Blue Mother Star were individually “invited” out of the official residence by Fiennes, and ordered to move into the guest house next to the official residence that was specially set up for guests.
They were not allowed to meet each other, forbidden from contacting the outside world, effectively under house arrest and surveillance.
The only exception was the black-haired youth Aslan who had entered the hall midway.
The prince claimed this person was his close friend, and that he was frail and sickly, unable to leave the hospital and various emergency equipment even now, making it impossible for him to stay elsewhere.
Saying this, Kaios linked arms with the youth, their fingers intertwined, and directly took him back to the room as if no one else was present.
The imperial soldiers looked at each other, no one daring to stop them.
This little prince was too strange, and no one wanted to truly anger a new crystal human with Super S-class crystal bones and lose their life here.
Even Fiennes dared not voice his anger, only ordering his subordinates to set up more surveillance and keep strict watch, making sure not to cause any incidents.
Meanwhile, Ryann led Jiang Jianming all the way into his bedroom. As soon as the door closed, there was a rustling of footsteps outside, clearly indicating that the guards had already taken up positions outside the door.
Turning back, his heart suddenly tightened. He saw Jiang Jianming with his eyes closed, leaning on the corner of the table, breathing slightly erratic, looking as if he might collapse at any moment.
“—Aslan!?”
Ryann’s expression changed abruptly. He rushed over in two steps, forcefully supporting the other’s ribs and pulling him into his arms. “How are you? Where do you feel unwell?”
“…It’s nothing, just a bit tired from being busy lately.”
Jiang Jianming shook his head. His demeanor was relaxed as he glanced at the prince from the corner of his eye, his voice mixed with a sigh and a smile, “You’re quite the little tyrant, giving me so many affairs to handle. I can’t even finish them by staying up all night… and you even made me late in public.”
Ryann’s pupils contracted slightly, understanding the hint.
From now on, their every word and action would surely be monitored. Anything they wanted to say couldn’t be said openly anymore.
And Ryann also understood Jiang Jianming’s implication.
The reason Odin II had given such a short ten-day deadline was naturally because he was wary of the little monster Kaios, fearing that the longer it took, the more variables might arise.
However, just as Jiang Jianming had said to Fiennes, Blue Mother Star, as the mother planet of humanity, was inhabited almost entirely. Trying to coordinate everything clearly was no small feat—if not for this, there wouldn’t be so many criminals fleeing to the wild areas year after year.
So, if the various regions of Blue Mother Star refused to cooperate, and chaos frequently erupted during the implementation… When Fiennes found himself unable to complete the emperor’s mission within the deadline, he would have no choice but to seek their help.
With Jiang Jianming’s abilities, Ryann didn’t need to ask to know that he must have made arrangements using this “late” time difference, and quite possibly had already informed Lin Ge far away in the wild areas.
This was the only chance to leverage this deadlock.
So…
Ryann held Jiang Jianming as they walked towards the bed, the two almost pressed together.
He said in a low voice. “Alright, don’t think about anything else. There’s nothing we can do about this situation, we can only wait and see. You should rest early, don’t fall ill.”
Jiang Jianming nodded slightly—this was also contrary to the truth, as Ryann would never utter such passive sentences as “there’s nothing we can do.”
His Highness meant the exact opposite: a lifeline was there, but how to grasp it remained undecided. Should they advance or retreat, fight to the death or temporarily endure?
Indecision would only waste time. They needed to decide early to have any hope of gaining the initiative in this extremely disadvantageous situation.
At some point, the twilight outside the window gradually darkened, and it was time for the sun to set and the moon to rise. The antique clock hanging high on the wall moved forward silently, and the faint sound of guards moving about could be heard from outside the door.
The silence seemed to engulf them.
Jiang Jianming leaned against the headboard, pretending to be too exhausted and dazed to have any strength, allowing Ryann to unbutton his formal attire one by one, removing his outer garments.
Ryann also took off his boots, and finally scooped those slender legs onto the bed, hiding them under the quilt.
After a moment, Jiang Jianming slowly raised his head, his gaze falling on the scattered ornaments on the bookshelf. In the place closest to the window, an exquisite model of the Blue Mother Star astrolabe glinted in the last rays of light.
He said softly, “They’ve all gathered dust. When I’m not here, Your Highness doesn’t even know to tidy up these little objects.”
Ryann turned around and stared for a second.
He walked over, reached out his right hand, and casually picked up the astrolabe. “It’s troublesome.”
“There were many things, it was indeed a bit troublesome to tidy up. If Your Highness didn’t like them, should we throw them away?”
“You’re asking me!?”
Ryann suddenly turned his head, a hint of coldness in his brow. “All these little trinkets, you said you liked them so I bought them to display. Now you’re asking me if we should throw them away?”
Jiang Jianming’s expression was gentle. He sat on the bed, calmly looking at Ryann by the window.
“After all, it’s Your Highness’s room, and I’m not staying here for long.”
A black crow fluttered past above the official residence. It brought an ominous shadow, darkening the young man’s handsome face for a moment, then immediately vanishing in the sunset.
Ryann snorted, taking a step to the side, stretching his arm above the recycling bin. The sensor-activated lid popped open automatically, waiting to receive new trash.
The Blue Mother Star hung in the young man’s palm, his emerald eyes looking particularly cold in the dim light.
— It seemed he understood, and so did Jiang Jianming.
Choosing the path forward was, after all, just two options, a choice between two.
With his power, escaping the Blue Mother Star wasn’t actually impossible. Almost all of the Blue Mother Star’s military was his people. With the right strategy, he could completely pilot a few starships, bringing a batch of elite soldiers and generals to leave this place.
As long as they initially fought while retreating, shaking off pursuers until jumping to coordinates that couldn’t be found on star charts in distant star domains, they could become space pirates roaming the universe, and figure out the rest later.
But the billions of civilians on Blue Mother Star could never be brought along.
There was no way. One universe-class heavy cannon from the Empire could vaporize hundreds of millions of lives directly. If he wanted to protect the people, there was no choice but to submit.
He could only let the Empire move away large amounts of resources, bitterly guarding this impoverished star city drained of its blood and sweat, not knowing if there would be a future.
The prince’s silhouette fell in the vast evening light, his eyes full of a hopeless dusk.
Should he abandon it?
Blue Mother Star itself was a trap set for him, a quagmire Odin II used to drag him to his death. He came here only for Jiang Jianming, not out of any extra sentiment for this star city.
Ryann gazed at the star model in his hand.
This dusty thing, his star city; living in this star city, his countless subjects.
His.
“Your Highness is the master of this star city,” the gentle voice of the disabled person came from his memory, parting the mists of time. “We are all your subjects.”
And he had seriously corrected. “It’s us and them.”
Ryann closed his eyes briefly, opening them to find those emerald eyes still cold.
“I didn’t say I liked it that much,” he said, taking out a handkerchief from his bosom none too gently, carelessly wiping the star model. “But it’s not like we can’t arrange it, what’s there to throw away.”
The handkerchief was casually tossed into the trash bin, while the star model was carried by him and placed back in its original position with a “thud”.
Ryann turned and walked towards the bed, his demeanor relaxed. The golden tassels on his black ceremonial dress swayed, gleaming with light.
He leaned close to Jiang Jianming’s cheek, as if to kiss him, but in the end only whispered. “Besides, who said you’re not staying long.”
****
Within a day, shocking news spread throughout the star city.
The emperor’s envoy suddenly arrived, bringing an imperial edict for a great migration. His Highness Kaios had been stripped of power, and all the people in the official residence were placed under house arrest.
In an instant, the public was frightened and panicked.
Those who could understand the conspiracy knew that the end of the star city had come; even those who couldn’t grasp the intricacies at least knew that during the two years His Highness Kaios had governed the star city, discipline was strict and prosperity was flourishing… Now that the great nobles had taken over Blue Mother Star, the good days were likely over.
Z2 Wild Area.
In the dark night, the cold wind tousled Lin Ge’s long hair tied at the back of her head. The female lord sat astride a gray boulder, legs apart.
Her eye patch was pulled up, slanting across like a headband. The scarlet electronic prosthetic eye installed last year flashed with a cold light.
Looking down from this cliff, one could vaguely see the factories hidden in the valley. A small portion of the area was operating non-stop, while more than half was still under construction.
Over a hundred shabbily dressed poor people were holding torches in the night, surrounding their young female lord, shouting one after another.
“We can’t dismantle it, Big Sister!”
Lin Ge didn’t like being called “Lord”. This group following her all called her Big Sister, just like a bunch of space pirates.
At this moment, a middle-aged man anxiously said, “After so many years, we finally have a decent livelihood, no longer having to pick food from garbage dumps… Now the great nobles have come from the upper-class stars, and with one word they want to dismantle all our machines and take them away? Bullshit!”
“They even say they want to take all the people away!” an old woman angrily said, waving the firebrand in her withered hand. “Bah, what a big lie!”
She counted on her rough fingers, shaking her head. “Even this old grandma knows, the first to leave will definitely be the nobles, then the obedient ones, then the smart and capable ones, and only at the last will it be our turn. Hmph, by then we’ll have starved to death long ago!”
Someone laughed bitterly. “Grandma, what do you know! There won’t even be a ‘last’. They’re just planning to starve us to death here!”
“Ah!” The old woman’s eyes widened. “Then… then what are we to do?”
“The city lord won’t agree to this, right? His Highness Kaios won’t abandon us, will he?”
“We’d rather live a harder life than go back to the days when we were treated like livestock!”
The torches flickered, swaying in this barren mountain area. From afar, they looked like fireflies floating in the darkness.
“Big Sister.”
Suddenly, a hoarse voice spoke up. “Do you… do you still remember Dawn?”
The female lord, who had been unmoved by the eight winds, paused her breathing. Lin Ge slowly raised her face, examining the man who had spoken.
…Dawn.
She thought no one would remember that name anymore. Since that little troublemaker had rescued him years ago, Jiang Jianming had never returned to the Z2 Wild Area, and even the people in her territory had assumed he was dead.
Later, when Kaios took control of the star city, his revolutionary policies were like a rolling fire, igniting this decaying planet.
Compared to that, Dawn was just a thin candle. Even if he burned himself out, he could only illuminate so much.
Once the candlelight went out, who would still remember?
The man who spoke had a thin, anxious face. He wrung his clothes in his hands, but what he said was, “Big Sister, do you remember when he led us to capture that first wedge of land?”
“Back then, it was Dawn who taught us to resist,” the man gritted his teeth, the muscles in his face tightening, “Big Sister, I’ve realized, once people stand up, they don’t want to kneel down again…!”
Surprisingly… someone remembered.
Lin Ge’s nose stung, and she quickly bit her lip to hold back her emotions.
To cover it up, she cleared her throat heavily. “Is this what all of you think?”
Enthusiastic responses came from the crowd. The impoverished people raised their torches high, anger burning in their eyes.
“Then do you know what you’ll be resisting this time?”
Lin Ge stretched lazily. She jumped down from the boulder, pointing at the sky, and shouted. “It’s this big!”
The boundless starry sky twinkled under the girl’s fingertip.
The sky was indeed that big.
“The other side has tens of millions of warships, space stations covered in fluid armor, equipped with anti-aircraft guns, more mechas and firearms than they can use, and endless drones. Aren’t you afraid?”
The crowd looked bewildered. The old woman scratched her head. “Big Sister, what breed of chicken is a ‘drone chicken’?”
Lin Ge roared. “Drones aren’t chickens, they’re weapons! I’m saying, the other side has a lot of money, a lot of food, a lot of weapons, and a lot of people!”
These Wild Area residents with little knowledge still didn’t grasp the concept. Someone shouted. “Big Sister, then tell us what we should do.”
Lin Ge raised her eyebrow arrogantly, “Nonsense, do you even need to ask!”
She raised her fist high, as if trying to grasp the starlight in her palm.
“Of course, we’ll take all that money, all that food, all those weapons, and all those people for ourselves!”
