Chapter 17
Miao Weizhen's injuries stabilized under Susie's strange but effective treatment, but the thin ice of trust between him and Wen Ling, which had become fragile due to the truth of the airport assassination, did not melt, but was temporarily shelved under deeper suspicion and necessary cooperation.
The new discoveries brought back by Susie and Han Zhong, like a stone thrown into stagnant water, stirred up the situation again - after the core was annihilated, the same energy nodes were detected in several abandoned ancient mining areas, just like a centipede that was still alive after death; and there was an inexplicable slight deviation in the energy signature of the federal killer, which made its origin even more confusing.
"We must eliminate all nodes and eliminate any possibility of the core's resurgence." Miao Weizhen issued an order in the command room. His voice was slightly muffled due to his internal injuries, but the determination in his tone was unquestionable. "General Han, send additional reconnaissance teams to determine the exact location and energy levels of these nodes. Susie, continue analyzing that energy signature. I need to know where it came from."
"clear!"
"Leave it to me!"
Wen Ling stood aside, listening quietly. He knew that clearing the node was the most urgent task, but he was more concerned about the killer's background. This was related to who truly wanted him dead. He glanced at Miao Weizhen, who looked calm, as if the incident at the airport had never happened.
"Minister," Wen Ling said in a steady voice, "I request to participate in the node clearing mission. I am more familiar with the structure of the ancient mining area than most people." He needed to participate in the core operation, on the one hand to ensure that the node was completely cleared, and on the other hand to observe and look for clues during the operation.
Miao Weizhen turned his gaze and fixed it on him. His eyes remained deep and unfathomable, scrutinizing him, yet also tinged with a subtle complexity. "Yes, Your Highness. Lead the team to clear the 'Snake Ridge Mine' area. The structure there is relatively stable, but the node energy reaction is not weak. Be careful."
He divided the area and assigned the relatively safe task to Wen Ling. This arrangement itself seemed to have some meaning.
Over the next few days, clearance operations unfolded simultaneously across multiple mining areas. Wen Ling's team encountered a node-activated defense mechanism in the "Snake Ridge Mine"—a collection of abandoned mining machines manipulated by energy, their movements rigid but powerful. Drawing on his understanding of the ancient machinery, Wen Ling provided multiple early warnings and directed his team to effectively evade and counterattack. Despite the risky process, the clearance was successfully completed.
However, the "Lower Rift" area, which Miao Weizhen was personally responsible for, encountered serious problems. The node energy there was extremely powerful, and it gave birth to guards similar to energy life forms. These guards had no fixed form and their physical attacks were extremely ineffective, and the team was trapped for a time.
When the news came back, Wen Ling immediately volunteered to lead the team members who had completed the mission to provide support. When he arrived, he saw Miao Weizhen's team struggling under the siege of energy life. Miao Weizhen himself was still injured and his movements were obviously slow, and he was in danger.
Without hesitation, Wen Ling immediately ordered the team to attack from the flank to disperse the enemy's firepower. He himself used his keen perception of energy flow to guide the team members to attack the core resonance points of energy life, effectively weakening them.
During the fierce battle, an energy life form suddenly exploded, and the resulting shock wave knocked down several huge rocks and hit Miao Weizhen who was commanding.
Wen Ling caught a glimpse of this and almost instinctively rushed over, violently pushing Miao Weizhen away.
"Boom!" Rocks fell where they had just stood.
Miao Weizhen stumbled from the push, twitching a rib injury and groaning in pain. But once he regained his balance, the first thing he looked at was Wen Ling, who was panting slightly from the exertion. The blond youth's face was stained with dust from the mine tunnel, his green eyes gleaming brightly in the intensity of the battle. That reckless push was unfaithful.
An extremely tiny crack quietly spread across Miao Weizhen's frozen heart.
"...Thank you." He whispered, his voice a little hoarse.
Wen Ling simply waved his hand and turned his gaze back to the battlefield:
"Deal with them first."
The two worked together to command the team to stabilize their position, and finally cleared the node of the "lower level of the rift" with great difficulty.
Meanwhile, Susie's analysis was also making progress. She discovered that the energy signature's shifting pattern matched closely with data fragments from a disbanded Federation black project group focused on asymmetric energy weapons research several years ago. This group had been shut down due to its dangerous research, and the whereabouts of some of its members and data were unknown.
The clues seem to point to a dark corner that is hidden deep inside the Federation and out of control.
Just as they were about to conduct further investigation based on the new clues, an emergency communication came from the port's outer cordon.
A small, unannounced Federation fleet has been detected approaching Yellow Springs Rust Port at high speed. Its type identification indicates it belongs to a Federation outer patrol fleet, but its behavior is extremely unusual.
Miao Weizhen and Wen Ling immediately climbed up to the port watchtower.
In the starry sky, three fast attack ships painted with the Federation logo were approaching regardless of the warning signals from the port, and their weapon ports were even in a pre-activated state.
"It's 'Star Flame'! They are still harboring evil intentions!" Han Zhong gritted his teeth. He saw through the telescope a hidden mark on the ship that belonged to the "Star Flame" faction.
It turned out that the previous assassins had failed, and the clearing of energy nodes had thwarted their plans. They actually dared to directly mobilize armed forces disguised as patrols, attempting to break in by force and create a fait accompli conflict.
"Activate all port defense systems and maximize the energy shield," Miao Weizhen ordered sternly, his eyes as cold as a knife. "Contact the Sailiang Border Patrol and report the situation. Engineer Su, try to send a top-level warning to that fleet via public channels and reveal their identity as 'Star Flame'!"
The port instantly entered the highest state of combat readiness, and the alarm sounded through the sky.
The energy shield created a light blue halo around the port, and the defensive turrets slowly rotated and locked onto the target.
Wen Ling stood beside Miao Weizhen, watching the three hostile Federation warships approaching with increasing hostility. His deep green eyes reflected the light of the shield. He knew that the true test had just begun. The ultimate fate of Huangquan Rust Port, and whether they could uncover the mastermind behind the incident, would be determined in the upcoming confrontation.
"They are gambling. They are gambling that we dare not really open fire, and that the Federation will support them." Wen Ling's voice was very soft, but with the calmness of someone who saw through everything.
Miao Weizhen glanced at him sideways and said nothing.
Atop the watchtower, the air seemed frozen. The shadows of the three Federation attack ships weighed on everyone's mind like a foreboding omen of doom. The panic that had just subsided in the harbor was reignited, and despair spread.
Wen Ling stared at the starry sky, his fingers subconsciously clasping the cold railing. He glanced at Miao Weizhen beside him, whose face remained frozen, unchanging for millennia, without a trace of emotion. He remained so calm at a time like this. Did he anticipate this, or perhaps he already had a foolproof plan?
"Susie," Miao Weizhen's voice rang out, breaking the dead silence. His tone was so steady it was frightening. "Use my authority to connect to the federal border control public channel and follow the standard inquiry procedure."
Susie froze for a moment, her fingers moving quickly on the console. She couldn't help but mutter, "Public channel? Minister, they're almost riding on our heads. Is this going to work?"
"Follow the order." Miao Weizhen's voice was flat.
Soon, the port's external broadcast sounded, using standard diplomatic language, questioning the other party's identity and intentions, and demanding that they immediately stop dangerous maneuvers and abide by the Interstellar Navigation Convention.
This voice seemed so pale and powerless in front of the attack ship armed to the teeth.
Even Han Zhong clenched his fists, his face full of humiliation and confusion: "Minister! We can't just..."
"General Han," Miao Weizhen interrupted him, his eyes still locked on the ship's trajectory on the screen, "Increase the defense system to the highest level and charge all turrets. But without my direct order, no one is allowed to open fire." He deliberately emphasized the last few words.
"But if they force..."
"Follow orders." Miao Weizhen repeated in an unquestionable tone.
Han Zhong gritted his teeth, sighed heavily, and turned around to convey the instructions.
At that moment, Susie suddenly exclaimed, "Huh!" Data streams frantically scrolled across the screen in front of her. "Minister, I'm trying to disrupt their short-range communications... I've discovered they're receiving encrypted instructions. The source's disguise is very advanced, but the resonant pattern... looks familiar." She looked up sharply, her amber eyes gleaming with the excitement of discovering a secret. "It's very similar to the underlying offset characteristics of the killer's energy signature. While it's been manipulated, the core algorithm is the same."
Wen Ling was shocked. It turned out that he was related to the killer and they were from the same force.
Miao Weizhen's eyes instantly became as sharp as a knife, but he remained restrained in his orders: "Record all data. Continue to protest through public channels and the federal military hotline, escalating the rhetoric and accusing the other party of illegal intrusion and provocation."
As he spoke, he quickly typed something on his personal terminal, his movements concealed.
Wen Ling noticed that the encryption method he used to send information was completely different from the port's conventional system and was extremely complicated.
The standoff continues.
The attack ship seemed to be hesitant because of the port's tough stance of "only protesting but not fighting back" and slowed down, as if waiting for further instructions.
Inside the harbor, the atmosphere was extremely oppressive. People looked at the dark figure on the watchtower with complicated eyes. Some cursed his "weakness" under their breath, while others wondered why he hadn't yet ordered a retreat or surrender.
Time passed by minute by minute, and every second was like torture.
Suddenly, the three attack ships turned sharply almost at the same time, with their engines fully running. Without any hesitation, they evacuated the airspace of Huangquan Rust Port at a speed faster than when they came, and quickly disappeared into the depths of the starry sky.
The entire port was silent for a moment, and then erupted in huge cheers of survival.
"Gone? They just left like that?" Susie rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
Han Zhong also breathed a sigh of relief, and the look he showed towards Miao Weizhen was less filled with dissatisfaction and more with inquiry and doubt.
Wen Ling did not cheer.
He clearly saw that at the moment the attack ship turned, Miao Weizhen's tense jaw line relaxed almost imperceptibly for a moment, and his clenched right hand also loosened slightly.
He was definitely not indifferent.
Moreover, their swift and decisive retreat couldn't have been solely due to the port's "protest." Something must have happened that they were unaware of. Did Miao Weizhen's secret message work? Or did the communications interference Susie discovered expose their true identity, forcing them to avoid further risk?
Wen Ling looked at Miao Weizhen, trying to find the answer from his frozen face, but the other party had returned to normal and began to issue follow-up orders, as if everything that had just happened was just an ordinary diplomatic friction.
"The crisis has been resolved for now." Miao Weizhen turned to Wen Ling and said calmly, "But the hidden dangers still exist. Your Highness, we need to discuss the next step."
"I want to talk to you about something else first, Minister Miao." Wen Ling looked straight into his eyes.
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