Chapter 42
The success of Planet K-127 triggered a chain reaction throughout interstellar society. Doubts about the neurotoxin program grew within the Federation, while the Cyran opposition was emboldened. However, the price of this victory began to show.
"The Federation has stepped up border surveillance," Luo Yan reported at the morning meeting. "Three of our supply lines have been cut off."
Lao Lin slammed the control panel. "Those protective agent ingredients won't last long."
Wen Ling noticed Miao Weizhen's silence. These days, he often stood alone in front of the star map, his gaze fixed on a specific area - the direction of the Phantom Waste Star.
"Thinking about the Iron Throne?" In the dead of night, Wen Ling found Miao Weizhen on the observation deck.
"The Federation has stationed a scientific research team at the ruins of the abandoned planet," Miao Weizhen said in a low voice, "They are attempting to salvage the sunken core area."
Wen Ling held his hand: "We won't let them succeed."
At this moment, an urgent notification came from the communicator. Su Huaijin's holographic image appeared before them, his face pale.
"Something happened," she said, her voice trembling. "General Lin Hao has been arrested."
This news was like a bolt from the blue. Lin Hao was not only their most important ally in the Sailiang military, but also the guarantee of the protective agent production base.
"What's going on?" Miao Weizhen immediately regained his composure.
"The military hardliners launched a purge, accusing General Lin Hao of treason," Su Huaijin pulled up a classified document, "but the real reason was that he discovered this."
The documents show that the Sailiang military leaders signed a secret agreement with the Federation.
Allow the Federation to establish a neurotoxin production base within Sailiang in exchange for political support.
"Once this agreement is implemented, Sailiang will completely become a vassal of the Federation." Wen Ling said in shock.
Miao Weizhen's eyes sharpened: "We must prevent this agreement from taking effect."
However, the situation was deteriorating rapidly. The next day, they received even worse news: the Federal Minister of Science had resigned for "health reasons," leaving the neurotoxin program's supporters in complete control of the federal scientific research sector.
"Our breakthrough point within the federation has been blocked." Luo Yan reported.
To make matters worse, there were also problems with the supply of the main raw material for the protective agent. During a routine inspection, Ayuan discovered that the last batch of mirror seaweed had begun to die in large numbers.
"The cultivation environment has been polluted," she said sadly. "We have lost our last source of raw materials."
The successive blows brought the atmosphere at the base to a freezing point. Wen Ling noticed that Miao Weizhen began to suffer from frequent headaches, a sign of excessive stress.
"You need to rest." Late one night, Wen Ling forcibly pulled Miao Weizhen out of the studio.
"Now is not the time to rest." Miao Weizhen rubbed his temples, his voice tired.
Wen Ling gently massaged his head. "Remember what you taught me in Rusty Harbor? Sometimes, you can see more clearly if you take a step back."
At Wen Ling's insistence, Miao Weizhen managed a rare full night's sleep. The next morning, when he found Wen Ling at the observatory, her eyes had regained their former clarity.
"I think I've found a way through," he said. "Since we can't apply pressure from the outside, we'll collapse from within."
He pulled up the personnel files of the Sailiang military: "Hardliners are not a monolithic group; some are simply forced to take sides."
Wen Ling immediately understood what he meant: "You want to incite them to revolt?"
"It's not about inciting rebellion, it's about giving them a chance to make a new choice." Miao Weizhen's lips curled into a cold smile, "And what we need to do is make this choice tempting enough."
They immediately took action. Utilizing Miao Weizhen's connections accumulated over the years in Sailiang's political circles, they quickly targeted several key figures, the most important of whom was Yang Jing, Sailiang's Deputy Minister of Defense.
"Yang Jing is a realist," Miao Weizhen analyzed. "He joined the hardliners to protect himself, but deep down he doesn't agree with their approach."
"How can we convince him?" Wen Ling asked.
"Make him an offer he can't refuse." Miao Weizhen pulled up a document. "This is part of a secret agreement between the Federation and the hardliners. If it were made public, participants like Yang Jing would also be implicated."
Wen Ling thought thoughtfully: "You want to threaten him?"
"No, it's about giving him a chance to make amends," Miao Weizhen amended. "The essence of politics is transaction. We need to make him understand that cooperating with us is the wiser choice."
Contact with Yang Jing was conducted with extreme caution, through layers of intermediaries. The atmosphere at the base was particularly tense as they waited for a response.
That night, Wen Ling found Miao Weizhen alone in the training room, punching the sandbag like he was letting out some steam. His training clothes were soaked with sweat, and each punch was filled with suppressed force.
Wen Ling didn't interrupt, but just watched quietly. He didn't hand over a towel and water until Miao Weizhen stopped exhausted.
"I remembered some unpleasant things."
Miao Weizhen took the water and his voice was hoarse.
"About Yang Jing?"
"About all the choices I was forced to make." Miao Weizhen leaned against the wall, looking up and closing his eyes. "Over the years at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I've seen too many people sell out their principles for survival. Sometimes I wonder what the difference is between me and them."
Wen Ling sat down beside him. "The difference is that you never forget why you fight."
Miao Weizhen opened his eyes and looked at him deeply: "You trust others too easily."
"I only trust you." Wen Ling said softly.
This sentence softened Miao Weizhen's eyes. He reached out and gently pulled Wen Ling into his arms. On this night filled with uncertainty, the warmth of each other's bodies was the best comfort.
Three days later, Yang Jing finally responded. He agreed to meet, but with extremely harsh conditions: the meeting place would be a space station in the federally controlled area, and only Miao Weizhen would be allowed to go alone.
"This is obviously a trap." Luo Yan objected strongly.
"But this is our only chance," Miao Weizhen said calmly. "Besides, Yang Jing chose to meet in the federally controlled area, which just shows that he's afraid of being discovered by his own people."
Wen Ling held Miao Weizhen's hand: "I'll go with you."
"No--"
"It's dangerous, so I can't let you go alone." Wen Ling insisted, "Besides, my identity can provide protection in certain situations."
After intense discussion, it was finally decided that Wen Ling would accompany them, but Luo Yan would lead a team to meet them outside the space station.
On the day of the meeting, security at the space station was exceptionally tight. Wen Ling noticed that in addition to the Sailiang military, there were also quite a few federal agents mixed in with the crowd.
"Yang Jing is scared," he whispered to Miao Weizhen.
"He should be afraid," Miao Weizhen said calmly, adjusting his cuffs. "Traitors never have a good ending."
The meeting was held in the station's most prestigious reception room. Yang Jing was already waiting there, and the renowned calm general was now fidgeting.
"Minister Miao, Your Highness," he said, maintaining a forced politeness. "I hope this meeting is worth the risk."
"It depends on the general's choice," Miao Weizhen said, taking a seat gracefully. "To continue being someone else's pawn, or to take control of his own destiny."
Yang Jing's expression changed: "Just tell me, what do you want?"
"Prevent the neurotoxin protocol from taking effect." Wen Ling took over the conversation. "In return, we can guarantee you a position in the new government."
"A new government?" Yang Jing sneered. "Do you think you can overthrow the current regime?"
"It's not about overthrowing, it's about changing," Miao Weizhen said calmly. "And, the change has already begun."
He cited a recent poll: "Over 60% of Sailiang residents oppose the nerve agent program. There is also significant opposition within the military. General, do you really want to be on the wrong side of history?"
Yang Jing was silent for a long time before finally speaking, "Even if I agree to cooperate, it won't change anything. The agreement has already been signed, and it just awaits parliamentary approval."
"Then don't let Parliament pass it," Wen Ling said. "As Vice Minister of Defense, you can definitely find a reason to postpone the vote."
"The Federation won't accept it."
"That's the second problem we need to solve." Miao Weizhen leaned forward. "We need you to provide the encryption key for the copy of the agreement."
Yang Jing stood up suddenly: "This is impossible! That's my life-saving chip!"
"It will soon become your death warrant," Miao Weizhen said coldly. "Think about it. When the contents of the agreement are made public, who will be the first to be pushed out as the scapegoat?"
This sentence hit Yang Jing's soft spot. He slumped back into his chair, sweat pouring down his face.
At this moment, Wen Ling suddenly noticed something unusual outside the window - several federal warships were quietly approaching the space station.
"We have been betrayed." He whispered to Miao Weizhen.
Miao Weizhen's expression remained unchanged. Instead, he smiled at Yang Jing and said, "It seems that someone is more anxious than us."
Yang Jing's face turned pale instantly: "It's not me! I didn't say anything!"
"Of course not you." Miao Weizhen stood up. "It's those who don't want the agreement to be blocked."
There were hurried footsteps in the corridor outside. Wen Ling immediately pressed the emergency communicator and notified Luo Yan to prepare for the call.
"Now, General," Miao Weizhen looked at Yang Jing, "it's time for you to make a choice. Will you come with us, or stay here and be a scapegoat?"
Yang Jing hesitated for only a second before making a decision: "I'll go with you."
They evacuated through a pre-planned escape route. In the chaos, Yang Jing provided the most critical information: a copy of the agreement was stored in the core server of the Sailiang Ministry of Defense, and the encryption key was hidden in his identification code.
Back at their temporary base, they immediately began cracking the protocol. When the full content appeared on the screen, everyone gasped.
"This is worse than we imagined," Wen Ling said in shock. "Not only are they setting up a production base, they're also conducting live experiments in the Sailiang capital."
Miao Weizhen's eyes were cold: "It's time to let the whole world know the truth."
With Luo Yan's technical support, the agreement was anonymously released to every corner of the interstellar network. The news immediately sparked an uproar. Protests erupted across Sailiang, forcing the federal government to intervene and clarify the situation.
However, just when they thought they had achieved a temporary victory, an unexpected news came - all the federal research ships in the direction of the Youji Waste Star suddenly evacuated, and were replaced by a large number of warships.
"What are they looking for?" Wen Ling was puzzled.
Miao Weizhen's expression became extremely serious: "They are looking for Xinglan."
"What?"
"The agreement states that the final phase of the neurotoxin program requires 'consciousness encoding technology,'" Miao Weizhen brought up the relevant clauses. "And only Xinglan fully possesses this technology."
Wen Ling suddenly understood: "That's why they are so obsessed with salvaging the Iron Throne."
"It's not just salvage." Miao Weizhen's voice was low, "They are looking for the complete data of Xinglan's consciousness. If they get it."
He didn't finish, but Wen Ling already understood the consequences. Xinglan's research could not only create an antidote, but also create more terrifying weapons.
At this moment, the base's alarm suddenly sounded. Luo Yan's image appeared on the main screen, and his tone was urgent:
"A large-scale fleet jump signal has been detected! The target is... us!"
Outside the porthole, countless Federation warships were emerging from the jump point, surrounding their hiding place.
Behind this seemingly victorious game, the real crisis has just begun.
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