MPWATMBC Chapter 99

Bandner and the others’ little broken ship had a star map from fifteen years ago, an outdated version that didn’t mark many newly discovered or explored routes and planets. With such a worn-out, patched-together map, Ryan stubbornly drew out the course, constantly calibrating and correcting the route as they sailed. Finally, after thirty days, they reached the vicinity of the Omega Military Base. Just five more hours of travel, and they would arrive at the base, ready to sleep soundly in a comfortable, fluffy bed.

“We’re finally almost there,” Derrick remarked as he set up a chair and sat on it, resting his arms on the back of the chair and propping his head up as he sighed, “If we don’t stop soon, my injuries will be fully healed.”

“Once we get back, you can stay in the oxygen chamber for two hours, and all your minor jump-related injuries will completely disappear,” Harriet said, squatting behind Derrick, playing a game of space version of “Flying Chess” with Fan Lanting. The starry version of the game was holographic, with actual miniature planes flying, but the luck-based nature of the game hadn’t changed. Harriet’s luck wasn’t great; after six rounds, Fan Lanting’s planes were all out, while she had only managed to fly out one.

The frequent jumps without preparation had a significant impact on their bodies. Not being superhumans, they had all sustained some injuries, some visible and some internal. There were light internal bleeds, temporary digestive system disturbances, and so on. After the ship had stabilized, everyone checked their bodies. The more obvious injuries were easy to see, but even Ryan had experienced slight gastric bleeding, which he treated with some pills for a brief recovery. He would need further check-ups at the hospital once they reached the base.

The goal was in sight, and there was no need for Ryan to constantly calibrate the route for navigation. After briefly speaking to Jack, who was piloting the ship, Ryan stood up and left the cockpit. He went to the kitchen at the back of the ship to pour himself a glass of orange juice that tasted like sunshine. As soon as he tasted it, he could tell it was from his own farm, made from their fresh sun-kissed oranges. The taste was unmistakably good. Since receiving that compensation (Uncle Porter had invested the money he received into the farm, becoming a small shareholder), his father had expanded the farm’s operations, with one of their flagship products being the sunshine fresh oranges, which were now available on all the large planets and some medium-sized planets within the Storm Starfield.

When the ship stopped on a medium-sized planet to resupply, Ryan had seen the high-end fruit, the sunshine fresh orange, and bought two. After opening them, he made fresh juice, replenishing his vitamin C and other nutrients while satisfying his taste buds.

Footsteps sounded behind him, but Ryan didn’t turn around. He continued gazing out the window at the scenery speeding past. “Still uneasy?”

“How could that be!” Bandner retorted, pouring himself a glass of juice and adding a generous amount of ice. After gulping it all down, he hesitated for a moment before walking over to Ryan’s side. “Do you think the collaboration will succeed?”

“As long as there’s determination, why wouldn’t the collaboration succeed?” Ryan replied with a smile. “Even if it doesn’t work out, it’s fine. I won’t execute you all as pirates.”

Bandner: “…” This was exactly what he was afraid of!

The closer they got to the Omega Military Base, the more nervous Bandner became. He kept telling himself to trust the soldiers, to trust the military. Once they set foot on the base, he could fulfill Emperor Qin Feng’s task for the ancestors! But another voice inside him warned that it wouldn’t be so simple. After all, they were pirates. They might not even meet the military’s top brass before being split up and sent to the interrogation rooms, subjected to this and that kind of torture…

Ryan turned to Bandner, winked at him, and whispered mysteriously, “I have connections with the higher-ups in the military.”

Bandner nervously asked, “What kind of relationship?”

“Marital relationship,” Ryan answered without any hesitation, “I’ve got your back.”

Bandner: “……”

Bandner: “!!!”

“You can’t joke like that!” Bandner sighed and lowered his head, “Sigh, if they torture me and ask me about the Red Spider Pirates, I’ll tell them everything without holding back.”

“Haha, I wasn’t joking.” Ryan looked at Bandner, faintly seeing the shadow of a subordinate from centuries ago. To meet the descendants of that subordinate in this way and learn that the undercover mission was still ongoing—Ryan couldn’t help but feel astonished, though he quickly replaced the shock with pride. His gaze towards Bandner changed. He was willing to help Bandner complete the task passed down through generations, as well as to assist Qin Feng Anderson in fulfilling his work.

Bandner, still confused, hesitated before asking, “You really weren’t lying to me?”

“Why would I lie to you? What’s in it for me?”

Bandner thought for a moment and really couldn’t come up with anything. Aside from himself, he had nothing of value—wait, deceiving him could lead to getting the exact coordinates of the Red Spider Pirates’ hideout… But that was precisely the premise of the cooperation. Whether Ryan lied or not, he would still have to reveal it. Bandner was getting confused, so he decided to stop thinking about it and started gossiping instead. “So, which high-ranking official are you with? It’s not General Tolkien, is it?”

Ryan: “…Why would you think of him?”

“Oh, because the Omega Military Base belongs to the Glory Legion,” Bandner sighed, lowering his head and staring at his toes, much like the timid violinist from Shakespeare, revealing the uncertain side of his inner self. He was playing his role to perfection. “I don’t have a personal terminal, so I can’t access Star Net. If I could, I’d just search your name and find out which general you’re with. How did I forget? It’s the one who traveled with you on Shakespeare, so young… General Dalton!”

Ryan smiled and nodded.

Bandner let out a dramatic groan. “That’s my idol! And he’s married!!!”

He couldn’t even recognize his idol when he appeared in front of him—what a fake fan.

“We’ve been making that public for a while now,” Ryan patted Bandner’s shoulder reassuringly. Without a personal terminal and unable to access Star Net, it was understandable that he was behind on the news. “Once we reach Omega Planet, you’ll get to see Auston. We’re almost there.”

Bandner nodded, his excitement about meeting his idol started to spread through him, completely replacing the anxiety and fear. After all, they were already on the starship, and running away was impossible—five regular soldiers could easily turn the three of them into a ball and kick them around. Knowing that his idol, General Auston, was at the base, Bandner felt the ship was moving too slowly. “How much longer?”

“Four and a half hours. Not long now.”

“So slow.”

Ryan couldn’t help but chuckle at Bandner’s voice and then asked, “Don’t you think the people waiting for the goods will be worried if you don’t deliver them on time?”

Bandner sighed, “Every procurement is never smooth. Sometimes it takes four or five months, and other times even seven or eight months. They won’t wait forever. You’ve seen it, our starship is outdated, so we spend a lot of time on the road. Being unregistered, we can’t access the proper planets to purchase goods, so we have to go to places pirates frequent. As soldiers, you must be familiar with these gathering spots. They’re like the Cranberry planet—places where human nature is indulged, and honest trade requires a strong intermediary. To hire such an intermediary costs a lot of money. We don’t have much to spend, so it’s not just one stop where we can buy everything. Usually, we have to visit three or four places to gather the supplies we need, and we also have to worry about pirates taking advantage of us.”

Life is tough, but they have to grit their teeth and keep going to survive.

The planets they lived on had harsh environments, with poor plant growth, many wild beasts roaming around, and occasional attacks from scattered Zerg swarms. The Zerg swarms treated their bases as breeding grounds, never completely consuming the people there.

“We call the place we live in as Savage Star—a primitive, backward, hopeless planet,” Bandner’s tone grew heavier as he spoke about where he came from. “The total population is just over 13,000, and only about 3,000 live near me, all gathered on one mountain. Although we’re called the Red Spider Logistics, I’m still a logistics officer, but I don’t have any real authority. We often get bullied and oppressed. If we step out of our village, we could be captured and turned into slaves. We don’t have enough weapons to defend ourselves from both wild beasts and people. Life is so hard.”

Ryan pursed his lips, gazing out at the vast, endless universe before sighing. Despite the harsh environment, one family had upheld a mission for centuries. “Everything will be okay.”

“Yeah, Emperor Qin Feng’s will is the spiritual force that supports us in resisting the darkness. He once told my ancestors, ‘Everything will be okay.’ I think his tone must have been similar to yours,” Bandner pondered for a moment, carefully reflecting on Ryan’s tone. He was surprised and said, “Really, your tone feels just like what I imagine the Emperor’s would be. It’s not solemn and imposing, full of grandeur, but gentle and encouraging.”

Ryan turned to Bandner and said, “It was Emperor Qin Feng who told your ancestors that, and now it’s me. Remember this feeling, and tell your children about it in the future.”

Bandner rolled his eyes. “Don’t get too full of yourself. And remember, when you mention the Emperor’s name, always use a respectful title.”

Ryan smiled but said nothing.

Bandner added, “Hey, you do know that the Emperor is a very sacred figure to us, right?”

“Alright, I know,” Ryan’s voice was somewhat dismissive. Who goes around constantly saying respectful titles about themselves all day? It’s too awkward.

Time passed unnoticed. Bandner, looking at the approaching planet, felt a mix of nervousness and curiosity. This was his first time visiting such a formal military base, and he had no idea what it would be like inside.

At the Omega Military Base’s docking port, upon receiving news that Ryan and his team were returning, Auston had already been waiting for a while. Calmly gazing at the sky, his expression gave nothing away, but the urgency in his dark eyes revealed the turmoil within. Three groups had been sent out, and two of them had already returned half a month ago without bringing back any useful information about the Red Spider hideout. All attention was now focused on the third group, hoping they would provide the exact coordinates of the hideout to prevent the joint operation from falling apart. While others were concerned about the success of the mission, Auston’s primary concern was Ryan’s safety. Though Ryan repeatedly reassured him that he was fine, Auston’s doubts remained in the absence of direct confirmation.

A myriad of thoughts flashed through Auston’s mind, but his expression remained unchanged. He looked up at the sky and saw a familiar, old starship descending. His tightly pressed lips loosened slightly, and a smile slowly appeared on his face.

“I wonder what Ryan and his team brought back.”

Auston said, “Didn’t they report it already?”

Tolkien, who had received the message and was slowly walking over, replied, “What they reported was intangible. Only by seeing it with our own eyes can we be at ease.”