MPWATMBC Chapter 58

No matter how powerful the burly man was, he was still flesh and blood and could not withstand sharp metal. Auston pulled out the blood stained dagger and jumped down from the man’s shoulder. The burly man collapsed with a thud behind him, blood trickling from the wound on his temple. Without any hesitation, Auston ran to Ryan’s side. “The police received information from an informant that Red Spider is recruiting members and has chosen a bustling planet to conduct ability tests. Those who pass will become their new members. I have already initiated the emergency plan at the station, and the police are prepared.”

The Red Spider is the Empire’s most wanted pirate gang. Admiral Tolkien’s Honor Legion has repeatedly tried to exterminate them, but they can never fully eradicate them. After each crackdown, they resurface in three to five years, like weeds that grow back after being cut. The Empire’s attempts to annihilate them have instead contributed to the Red Spiders’ legend. The Empire remains in a passive state, unable to deal with them effectively. The best strategy is to infiltrate the Red Spiders and dismantle them from within.

It’s frustrating to admit, but what gives the government the biggest headache is that every time the Red Spiders recruit, it always causes a huge commotion. They operate in the shadows, while the police and military act openly. Often, extensive preparations are made, only to find that the Red Spiders’ recruitment site was elsewhere, and by the time the authorities react, civilian casualties have already occurred.

This time was no different. Who would have thought that the Red Spiders would target the secondary planet Beland, and at a densely populated bus station? The subsequent accountability and other issues are not worth mentioning now. Ryan and Auston are already involved and need to deal with the immediate problem.

As the political and cultural center of a planet, the capital bus station of Beland has a comprehensive emergency response plan. While Auston revealed his identity and accessed the surveillance, the station master and the head of security quickly activated the emergency plan. Around the outskirts of the screaming, fleeing crowd, a dozen robots over two meters tall walked into each entrance of the station, shouting, “Don’t panic, don’t run, stand in place, stand in place.”

As the repetitive announcements continued, some fearful people in the crowd began to comply with the robots’ instructions and stopped moving. Calmness started to spread, and more and more people stood still. Although some still screamed and sobbed uncontrollably, the situation improved significantly compared to before. The armored robots, with their sturdy exteriors, instilled strength and confidence in the crowd. Their arms extended to over six meters, enabling them to simultaneously evacuate over twenty people.

The police and the confused station police quickly caught on. Following Auston’s prior arrangements, they could no longer focus on interstellar traffickers. Instead, they organized and began evacuating the crowd, as reducing civilian casualties was paramount.

However, the capital bus station was overcrowded, and it was impossible to evacuate all the panicked and weakened passengers in a short time.

In the middle of the station, Ryan, holding a baby, fought back-to-back with Auston. With reinforcements, the few basic security robots were quickly dealt with. Ryan then turned his attention to a tall young man standing against the wall. The smile on his face had frozen, replaced by a look of panic and confusion as he searched for an escape route.

“There’s a child in that man’s suitcase,” Ryan said, nodding toward the tall young man in the distance. The young man had a black suitcase at his feet, which surely contained a child.

Auston shouted, “Ryan!”

“Hmm?” Ryan heard the seriousness and urgency in Auston’s voice.

Auston looked at the men and women in the distance, surrounded by police yet still fearlessly wielding knives. He said, “Those people aren’t pirates.”

Ryan looked over, his heart sinking. Auston was right; those people weren’t pirates. They were ordinary individuals wielding weapons and attacking with no clear strategy. They were extremists, unable to resist and thus sacrificing themselves for their ideals. They were chanting slogans of “freedom, equality, and kindness.”

“Is that knife?” In the heat of the moment, Ryan, trying to prevent civilian casualties, raised his dagger, preparing to throw it, but then noticed something was off with the knives those men and women were holding.

To Ryan and Auston’s eyes, the timid woman holding a bloodied long knife gave a tragic smile. She threw the knife down, and it landed without the sound of metal hitting the ground. Amidst the police shouting, ‘Drop your weapons and surrender,’ she took a small dining knife from her bosom and slit her throat. Blood spurted everywhere.

In the midst of the blood spattering, the timid woman used her last breath to shout, “Arranged marriages destroy humanity. We want freedom, we want equality!”

The woman’s death triggered the nerves of the group. They all threw down their blood-stained knives and took out dining knives, utility knives, or scissors from their pockets, stabbing at their own major arteries. Only the leader, holding a knife, charged at the encircling police, screaming, “Wake up, ignorant people! We are not cattle; we deserve marriage freedom!” Amidst the gunfire, his voice was drowned out by the screams of the panicked crowd.

Rat-tat-tat—

The Beland police took action, seizing the opportunity to execute several individuals who were spreading bloodshed and terror. Thick, sticky blood flowed from their bullet wounds, their unblinking eyes staring at the sky, only to be met with endless darkness.

On the ground, the hot blood gushing from their veins mixed into a symbol of freedom that had been drawn at some unknown time.

Is it really necessary to fight for light, freedom, and equality through such extreme and brutal means?

A deep sense of shock and helplessness welled up in Ryan. He opened his mouth to say something but found that all words felt hollow at that moment.

Not far away, a familiar figure was moving. Ryan’s gaze suddenly hardened. After handing the baby over to Auston, he sprinted forward, quickly reaching Evan’s back. The despicable interstellar trafficker had changed his appearance, donning a fake beard to blend in with the fleeing crowd and attempt to escape the station. Evan hadn’t anticipated Ryan’s sudden appearance, but his long experience in dangerous dealings made him instinctively dodge Ryan’s attack.

Ryan raised an eyebrow. His attack had been avoided by an ordinary person with minimal combat skills. But while he might have evaded once, there would be no second chance. Ryan wasn’t about to give Evan that opportunity.

Swish—

The blade pierced through Evan’s body, pinning the once-infamous interstellar trafficker, known as “The Musician,” to the ground. The handle of the dagger was almost embedded in his body as Evan lay on the ground, coughing up blood.

A police officer approached, taking a defensive stance and commanding, “Drop your weapon and raise your hands.”

Ryan stood up, shook the blood off his hands, and replied calmly, “The person on the ground is the trafficker ‘The Musician’ Evan.”

The young officer, who had not been in the field for long and had already encountered a major incident, widened his eyes in shock. He looked at Ryan incredulously and then at Evan on the ground, who didn’t match the wanted poster’s description at all. The officer’s mind raced. Could it be that Evan had staged a deception, injuring a civilian to pose as himself and then making a getaway?

The place where the gun was aimed was empty. The man who had seemed so devoid of murderous intent after the stabbing had vanished. The young officer looked around in frustration, but there was no sign of him.

“Leader, I saw someone who looked like Evan,” the officer reported via radio.

The voice of the leader came through the earpiece, “Where?”

“Opposite ticket checkpoint JPK30, but Evan has already fled. There are injured civilians needing rescue.”

“Hold on.”

It wasn’t long before the leader, along with several people and a doctor, rushed over. Panting and covered in sweat, the leader asked, “Where is he?”

“Evan has escaped, but I remember his clothing. It was a man with a mask on his face,” the officer said firmly.

The doctor, already attending to the fallen man, was horrified to discover that the dagger had pierced through his body, pinning him firmly to the marble floor. Simple first aid was impossible under these circumstances.

“Sir.” The doctor spoke gently to the injured man, whose face was smeared with blood and appeared quite grotesque. “Hmm…”

The doctor noticed something on the man’s face was protruding, as if it might fall off at any moment. Concerned it might affect the man’s breathing, he reached to remove it… A half-mask of human skin was peeled away, revealing a face identical to the one on the wanted poster. This was indeed “The Musician” Evan, the infamous interstellar trafficker.

Seeing the severely injured trafficker, the police chief slapped himself hard across the face, the force making his head snap to the side.

“Chief!” the young officer called out.

The chief grimaced in pain, regaining his composure. “What are you standing around for? Get out there and help with the crowd evacuation.” He realized he had made a critical mistake by acting on the report of trafficker “Evan” being at the bus station without considering the Red Spiders’ recruitment activity. He had overlooked the fact that these deranged pirates would do anything, regardless of the location, whether it was a bustling city or a secondary planet’s capital.

Following the chief’s orders, the young officer hurried to assist his colleagues in evacuating the crowd. Glancing up, he saw the scene surrounded by a totem and noticed a colleague from the criminal investigation team holding several long knives. Impressed, he thought, how skilled must this detective be? But as he watched, he realized it wasn’t that the colleague was exceptionally skilled; the knives were fake, lacking the proper weight.

With the police involved, capturing the rest of the trafficker gang should be straightforward. Ryan turned around and noticed that Auston, who had been holding the baby, was nowhere to be seen. After a brief moment of panic, he had a thought and headed towards the restroom. Indeed, he found Auston inside the men’s bathroom, along with the tall young man clutching the black suitcase.

The young man was cornered with nowhere to escape, like a trapped animal, he warily watched the approaching people and bravely declared, “Kill me, and you’ll never find out where the kidnapped children are!”

Ryan glanced at the black suitcase.

The young man continued, “There’s only one child in here; there are others too.” He tried to play the sympathy card, softening his stance and looking pitifully at Ryan and Auston. “I’m a man who aspired to be a pirate, but I still have a human conscience. I haven’t done anything like kidnapping or trafficking. I knew that the Red Spiders’ test involved secretly taking children, so I recorded the appearance of all the children and planned to help them get home when I had the means. Uh…”

He looked down at his chest and saw the bright red blood flowing out. It was surprising to see how red his blood was.

Auston put away his gun, his voice cold and emotionless, “We already know where the remaining children are.”

The young man’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Impossible!”

Ryan said, “It’s true.” He trusted Auston.

“Impossible, impossible…” The young man muttered, desperately asking, “How do you know?”

But all he could see were the diminishing figures of the two men as they walked away.

Auston knew that if he said he knew, it meant he knew. The young man, who aspired to be a pirate and was superior in mechanical modifications, was still too inexperienced in other areas. In just a few questions, Auston had extracted the children’s whereabouts from him. They were still in the station, waiting for the young man, the old man, the dwarf selling e-cigarettes, and the iron tower-like giant to transport them out.

This was the Red Spiders’ recruitment challenge—to quietly transport children out of the Beland capital. To facilitate this test, the Red Spiders had specifically contacted trafficker Evan to source the children. To increase the difficulty, the Red Spiders had instructed Evan to target children from the roaming ships, the type whose parents would alert the police, requiring the police to act within half an hour.

Most of the recruitment tests were successful, but they hadn’t accounted for the involvement of Ryan and Auston.

Plans are always subject to change, and the Red Spiders certainly didn’t anticipate the extremists declaring blood oaths in the station.

The children were found, and Ryan and Auston thwarted the pirates’ plot. They didn’t make a public appearance and left discreetly, holding the baby. It was only later that they learned the chaos had resulted in two people being killed by the pirates, three others severely injured from blood loss, and over a hundred people hurt due to trampling and other reasons.

With Auston and Ryan’s intervention, the danger from the pirates was minimized. Thanks to Auston’s prior arrangements, the chaos was managed with some semblance of order. After scanning the area and finding no major issues, Ryan and Auston quietly left, keeping their efforts and names out of the spotlight. They met with the Stark Couple, who were waiting outside the station.

“The baby was given medication, so they have been unusually drowsy. You should definitely take the child to the hospital for a thorough check-up,” Auston advised as he handed the baby over to Herman.

Graydon and Herman were overjoyed to have their child back and repeatedly thanked them. Ryan told them not to thank them too much and to take the child to the hospital quickly. “In the future, don’t park the car in such a secluded spot.”

“Of course, we’ll make sure not to,” Graydon assured repeatedly.

The threat from the bad guys could arise anywhere in a bustling city, and the location didn’t matter much. The reminder was just to help Graydon and Herman relax a bit; living in constant fear and anxiety wasn’t ideal.

As they watched the Starks leave, Ryan and Auston headed towards the Blue Moonlight Bar, where they had arranged to meet Fan Lanting. With only a few minutes left until their 9:30 meeting time, they were cutting it close.

“We caught Evan,” Auston said. “Aren’t you going to claim the reward?”

“No,” Ryan shook his head. Auston had exposed his identity while reviewing the surveillance footage, so the police would surely be aware that General Dalton of the Imperial Army was in town. If Ryan went to claim the bounty, it would reveal that Auston’s partner was hunting Evan just for the reward, which would be problematic. “Let’s go through that alley. It’ll take us about twenty minutes to get to the Blue Moonlight Bar. Have Fan Lanting wait there.”

Ryan led the way, and with a smile hidden behind his black mask, Auston caught up and took Ryan’s hand in his, pretending to be nonchalant as they walked forward. Ryan looked at their clasped hands and smiled.

The bar street was bustling with various themed bars: some exuding classic, retro vibes; others filled with a sweet, romantic atmosphere; some featuring live singers and bands, creating a music festival ambiance; and others simply plain, focusing solely on serving drinks. The Blue Moonlight Bar was of the latter type, with a stark, unadorned exterior and a sign reading “Blue Moonlight” in straightforward, large letters—so plain it was almost dull. As people approached, the bar’s door slid open automatically, revealing an interior that was equally unremarkable.

In the center was a circular bar counter, surrounded by patrons. Almost everyone had a glass of Beland’s ice-cold beer, a craft brew made from hops grown on the icy plains. This high-alcohol beer was known for its bitter yet slightly sweet taste, with a strong barley aroma. It was notorious for causing people to get drunk quickly, often referred to as “blackout beer” due to its potency.

After a simple mix, the beer could present different flavors. However, the people of Beland, who lived in the cold lands, preferred the rich and stimulating taste of ice-cold beer. Even after drinking several glasses, their faces would only flush red, and they wouldn’t lose their composure.

In a corner of the Blue Moonlight Bar, Ryan and Auston found Fan Lanting staring at a holographic projection. The projection showed a segment of Connor’s first-ever media interview since his rise to fame. Prior to this, all of Connor’s interviews had been conducted via voice communication, and he had never appeared in person before the public.

Few people knew what the famous online writer Connor looked like, except for some fans who had attended small signing events.

The bald male host asked, “In the latest chapter, Connor wrote about Emperor Qin Feng Anderson playing the piano for his beloved. Official records do not mention that the Emperor played the piano. Is this based on historical evidence, or is it purely fictional?”

Connor smiled and replied, “Emperor Qin Feng Anderson is a real historical figure, a hero of our Empire. How could I make up such details about a character based on him? Of course, there is evidence. I must thank my cousin for buying me many books, one of which mentioned that the Emperor could play the piano. I used that in my writing, which resulted in the scene you see.”

Connor’s smile during interviews is widely recognized as lacking authenticity, resembling a plaster mask—rigid and devoid of genuine emotion.

The host raised an eyebrow and pressed further, “Is this from unofficial sources?”

“No,” Connor replied. “It’s from a memoir written by a presidential office staff member from seven hundred years ago. It’s a niche book, and I checked—it has sold just over a thousand copies since its publication. Fortunately, my cousin is one of those thousand, which allowed me to learn more about the real Qin Feng.”

“Thanks to Connor’s cousin,” the host said to the camera, as if addressing Ryan directly. “Without his cousin, we wouldn’t have seen such a real and poignant side of the Emperor. The iron-fisted and hard-hearted Empire President, showing such tenderness, playing the piano for his lover amidst the backdrop of raging war and the looming threat of the Zerg army. Whether humanity can hold the final line remains uncertain. In this environment, the Emperor plays ‘To My Beloved,’ a stark contrast that leaves a lasting impression.”

Ryan, seated and listening to this, felt a sense of helplessness. He had recently played the piano for Auston, but his rendition of the “Blue Danube” prelude was so fragmented that only Auston would appreciate it.

Ryan wanted to speak up and interrupt Fan Lanting’s video, but Auston stopped him, as Auston was also engrossed in it. Ryan glanced disinterestedly at the table, not wanting to watch the video, yet the sound kept flowing into his ears.

The host asked a pointed question, “Did you expect to face so much opposition when writing ‘The Song of Beacon? I did a lot of research before this interview and specifically went through comments on the novel’s webpage. I found many critical comments, some quite harsh, and even as a bystander, I couldn’t help but frown. How do you deal with such criticism?”

Connor’s smile grew more genuine as he responded, “I used to be very sensitive, upset by readers’ comments, and even small remarks could linger in my mind for a long time. I would reflect on where I might have gone wrong and what dissatisfied the readers, and I even considered giving up several times. It was my cousin who listened to my complaints, supported me, and encouraged me not to quit.” Connor’s smile softened further, “Over time, I guess I became accustomed to it. I accept constructive criticism, but I choose to ignore those who come with a combative attitude and insults. They no longer enter my sight. As for the criticism of ‘The Song of Beacon,’ this is how I handle it. I don’t really understand it. Emperor Qin Feng Anderson is our hero. Without his policies from over seven hundred years ago, we wouldn’t have the good life we have now. Why should we entirely disregard his contributions and achievements?”

Connor tossed the question back to the host, and the host’s expression changed momentarily, clearly indicating that the question wasn’t part of the pre-discussed script.

The host smoothed things over with a glib comment, “Because our society is open and free, everyone is welcome to express their opinions. Of course, everyone is curious about how such an excellent writer like Connor achieved success, so let’s ask about that. And we still have some very interesting questions coming up. For instance, Connor, what is your ideal partner like?”

Connor’s smile remained subtle as he responded, “I suffer from a deficiency of element φ3.”

The host’s smile faltered, and the interview video was abruptly cut off. It was unclear whether the segment would be retained or if Fan Lanting decided to keep it.

Wherever Connor was, Fan Lanting couldn’t see anyone else. When the video finished, he finally noticed that the General and Ryan were sitting next to him and said in surprise, “When did you guys arrive?”

“Just arrived,” Ryan replied after thinking for a moment. “We stayed to watch the video with you.”

“Oh.” Fan Lanting scratched his head, looking embarrassed. Watching a video for a while had clearly been longer than just a while. “What do you want to eat? Would you like to try some of Beland’s craft beer? It’s very pure, served with natural ice blocks taken from the river. It tastes great and you can’t find it anywhere else.”

“No thanks.” Auston looked cute after drinking, but a little bit of low-alcohol beer would be enough. Craft beer gets him drunk quickly, and he’d end up having to carry Auston back.

Fan Lanting didn’t insist, saying, “Then let’s have some honey water. It tastes pretty good too.” He called over a waiter and ordered two glasses of honey water. When the honey water arrived, Ryan saw it looked pretty much like pure honey. Indeed, indulgence in alcohol and sweets are two major hobbies of the people of Beland.

This kind of honey water was basically off the menu for Ryan and Auston; they weren’t fans of overly sweet things. As they were about to discuss what they had seen and heard after their separation, the bar’s display screen cut to news coverage about the incident at Beland’s bus station. The footage showed a chaotic scene, filled with blood and injured people, quite different from what Ryan and Auston had seen when they left. The background noise of the live reporter’s broadcast was filled with adults screaming, children crying, and the sounds of various equipment clashing. Suddenly, black body bags slowly disappeared from the frame under police escort, though it was unclear whether they were from the perpetrators or the victims.

The once lively bar fell silent. When news came that there was a shortage of B-type blood at the hospital due to the injuries, some patrons put down their glasses, spoke briefly with friends, and left the bar to rush to the hospital to donate blood.

The bar street, not far from the bus station, had heard nothing about the incident.

Ryan furrowed his brows as the news broadcast magnified the situation at the station. What was the intention behind this?

The screen changed to replay surveillance footage from the incident. It showed reserve pirates crushing people’s skulls (with blurring), controlling station service robots to attack, and an elderly man moving with surprising agility for his age. It also displayed extremists with blurred faces shouting indistinct slogans before committing suicide, and the blood around them forming a chaotic, sacrificial-looking pattern. Then, the screen suddenly showed Ryan in a dashing pose, decisively pinning “Musician” Evan to the ground.

Fan Lanting’s eyes widened as he shifted his gaze back and forth between the screen and Ryan. Meanwhile, Ryan silently removed his clothes, flipped his sleeves, and then put them back on. Luckily, the outfit was reversible. He messed up his hair and took off his mask, making him look completely different from the person in the news.

“You?” Fan Lanting asked subtly.

Ryan nodded, “Yes.”

The news continued, with the voiceover saying: “The notorious human trafficker Evan has been captured. Through him, the police uncovered the traffickers’ network, quickly setting up operations on more than a dozen planets. They dismantled a massive trafficking ring spanning two star systems, rescuing over thirty infants and several dozen individuals with X gene sequences. If the police hadn’t arrived in time, these people would have fallen into the hands of pirates.” The news of Evan’s capture couldn’t be kept secret. The police’s extraordinary efficiency in dismantling the trafficking ring set a historical record.

Fan Lanting’s eyes remained wide open as he asked in a hushed tone, “General, Ryan, you didn’t come to Beland on a private mission, did you?” True to being a fan of Connor, his imagination was quite active.

Ryan glanced at Auston, a helpless smile on his face. “Believe me, it was all just a coincidence.” His original intention was merely to earn the 5,000 star coins.

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Hi everyone! It’s been a while. I believe you all are well. My apologies!! I took a long break because of my studies. I hope you enjoy this novel as before. Thanks for your patience. Love you all❤❤❤