Chapter 97 Top Alpha: He was once a crippled Omega 7. He...
Meanwhile, in the sleeping quarters near the cockpit, Shen Wu was not sound asleep as Qi Pingye had expected.
The cabin was fully equipped. Chen Wu took a quick shower, changed out of her soaking wet clothes, and lay down on the bed.
Exhaustion washed over him like a tidal wave, engulfing him completely. He longed to close his eyes and never wake up again. But after the initial euphoria of escaping, reason reminded him that he couldn't let his guard down and assume he was free and safe. Because besides him, there was another person on this spacecraft.
Someone he doesn't trust enough.
They were in space, he knew nothing and had no control over anything, while this person not only knew how to pilot a spacecraft and operate instruments and equipment he didn't recognize, but also clearly possessed many more hidden abilities. More importantly, this person was fully aware of the danger he posed and wouldn't underestimate himself.
Once this person loses their goodwill and harbors evil intentions, you have almost no chance of winning.
In such a situation, how could Chenwu dare to sleep?
The first lesson he learned in his youth was not to live off the kindness of others.
The terms of the deal he had previously proposed, whether it was the gift of pheromones or a promise, only applied while the escort team still existed. Now that one of the three parties had left, the balance was broken, and the bargaining chips had depreciated. He needed to find new, sufficient benefits, or other value in himself, to make Qi Pingye more inclined to protect him rather than sell him out or harm him.
Exhausted, Chenwu pondered, tossing and turning in bed.
...
The next day, at seven o'clock in the morning.
The cockpit door opened, and Qi Pingye, with his eyelids open, looked back and saw Chen Wu carrying two steaming plates of breakfast in, inviting him to come and eat.
"You were up for so long last night, why didn't you get more sleep?" Qi Pingye said as he got up and went to the cockpit bathroom to wash up. "Although the inhibitors suppressed your uncontrolled pheromones, you're still in the fever phase, so getting some rest is the most important thing."
“I know,” Shen Wu smiled, “but this is the first time I’ve ever been to space… oh no, it should be the second time. I was too young the first time to remember. Anyway, I’m not used to it and can’t sleep.”
Qi Pingye leaned against the door, toothbrush in his mouth, and looked closely. He did see a dark bluish-black patch under Shen Wu's eyes.
Omega has fair skin, so this pale complexion stands out even more.
Qi Pingye's gaze lingered on it for two seconds, seemingly lost in thought, before turning away, rinsing off the foam, and washing his face.
After they came out, Chen Wu had already pulled out a chair and set out the tableware. Qi Pingye didn't stand on ceremony, thanked her, and started eating right away.
Qi Pingye ate very quickly, but he didn't seem to wolf down his food. Instead, he appeared clean and efficient, somewhat like a soldier, and also somewhat like a young master from the city lord's mansion who was particular about food. Shen Wu couldn't quite tell.
He wished he could understand Qi Pingye better, at least know what he needed most right now and what he could give him. But this was clearly not easy to do.
Chen Wu felt a heaviness in his heart.
He opened his mouth, about to speak again to probe further, when he saw Qi Pingye put down his cutlery, wipe his mouth and say, "I'm done eating. You eat slowly, I'll clean up when you're done, you wait for me in the cockpit."
Shen Wu was already eating absentmindedly, and upon hearing this, his heart tightened, and he lost his appetite even more. However, he did not intend to end his meal there, but patiently finished his food before standing up to help Qi Pingye clear the table.
After tidying up, Qi Pingye took the tableware to the kitchen to wash it, while Chen Wu sat in the cockpit rest area, tapping his knees absently with his fingers.
He didn't know why Qi Pingye had asked him to wait for him in the cockpit. Logically, he should have let him go back to his cabin to continue resting. This unusual uncertainty made Shen Wu uneasy.
A few minutes later, Qi Pingye returned. Shen Wu remained expressionless and was about to speak first to take the initiative, but was stopped by Qi Pingye's beckoning.
"Come on, sit here." Qi Pingye pointed to the driver's seat and called to Chen Wu.
Shen Wu was taken aback: "What are you doing? I don't know how to fly a flying machine."
“I know,” Qi Pingye raised an eyebrow, pressed down on Shen Wu’s shoulder after he came over, and pushed him into the driver’s seat, saying, “I’ll teach you how to drive.”
Shen Wu's eyes flickered, and he suddenly looked up at Qi Pingye behind him. His heart was pounding. He found it hard to believe Qi Pingye's words, suspecting that Qi Pingye had sensed his unease and vigilance and was testing him, yet he was also tempted by the prospect of learning to fly.
“I’ve heard that flying an aircraft is very difficult and requires systematic training,” Chen Wu said, trying to remain calm. “Moreover, many people study for many years but still can’t fly it well…”
As Shen Wu looked at the countless buttons and levers on the three control panels and the dazzling array of large and small screens around him, the fervor in his heart gradually cooled down.
"I didn't even finish high school, I didn't..."
"Nothing?" Qi Pingye interrupted him forcefully, pressing his head down with one hand and turning him to face the control panel directly in front of him. "Don't give me that nonsense. Piloting a flying vehicle isn't simple, but it's not that difficult either. Come on, learn these buttons first. This is the main power system switch..."
The man stood to the side and behind Shen Wu, one hand on the back of the chair and the other on the control panel. His tall figure blocked the overhead light, casting a dim shadow on Shen Wu.
Suddenly, for no apparent reason, Chen Wu's wavering heart calmed down.
Without realizing it, he began to listen intently to Qi Pingye's voice.
"...Just get to know these basics first: how to start it up, how to take off, how to set up automatic navigation, and how to observe the flight situation. We'll learn the rest this afternoon. I've been busy until now, so I'm going to take a nap first."
After about an hour of instruction on how to use the aircraft, Qi Pingye began to speak.
Shen Wu looked at him: "I don't want to rest for now, I'd like to try driving for a while, is that okay?"
Qi Pingye nodded: "Of course. Follow the navigation chart, don't deviate too much, this is the closest jump point to us. Perfect timing, you watch, I'll go deal with Soros's body. It's not good to keep it in the lounge, let's make it space junk as soon as possible."
"Call me if you need anything."
He tapped his wristwatch, a communicator he'd taken from the aircraft and had already made some modifications.
Shen Wu smiled and agreed.
Qi Pingye turned to walk out, but just as he was about to step out of the cabin, he heard Shen Wu suddenly call out to him.
Qi Pingye turned his head and saw the young man standing in front of the driver's seat, bathed in soft white light, quietly looking at him, and whispering, "Thank you."
Qi Pingye curled his lips into a smile, said nothing, waved his hand, and left.
That day, Chen Wu managed to get through her second nap, albeit somewhat.
For the next day and night, aside from resting and eating, Shen Wu stayed by Qi Pingye's side, learning how to operate the aircraft.
For a complete novice like him, learning to operate an aircraft from scratch was indeed difficult, but he did not give up and studied very diligently.
Qi Pingye is definitely a good teacher. He didn't intend for Shen Wu to learn the knowledge that others had acquired in one or two years in just one or two days. Instead, he focused on practical training. His goal was to enable Shen Wu to easily control the aircraft and deal with some common flight situations.
For Qi Pingye, Chen Wu was also a good student. He was intelligent, had a strong learning ability, and possessed a quick mind that could apply what he learned to new situations.
Qi Pingye dared to say that if Shen Wu hadn't been born on Zorro Star, but on Central Star, or any other normally developing planet, she would definitely have been an outstanding student, and it wouldn't have been impossible for her to get into a military academy.
"What a pity."
Qi Pingye felt regretful.
Shen Wu didn't say much about it. He had long since accepted his origins. He didn't care about the past, only the future.
Have you decided where you want to go?
With two hours left before reaching the jump point, Qi Pingye asked Chen Wu.
“A multi-dimensional planet, perhaps,” Chenwu replied.
In the past two days, he has learned how to read space maps and has learned about the situation of many planets. The Duoge planet is his first choice. It is located in the center of the Tianma star system that they are about to jump into. It is a habitable planet with a moderate level of development and a moderate population. It is famous for its mechanical manufacturing.
“Okay,” Qi Pingye had no objection to this. “The airspace over the Dog Planet is strictly controlled, so we can’t go in directly in this situation. I will drop you off at a nearby airport with less strict control and get you a ship ticket. After that, it’s up to you.”
Shen Wu nodded, approving of the arrangement.
"And you?" He didn't want to ask, but he couldn't suppress his curiosity and tentatively asked, "Where did you go after you sent me away?"
"The border," Qi Pingye said simply.
He has nothing now, so he certainly can't just foolishly return to the Central Star; that would be suicide. To exact revenge, he must first have power.
Seeing that Qi Pingye didn't seem to want to say more, Shen Wu didn't ask any more questions. She just turned to look at the porthole and slowly suppressed the inexplicable melancholy in her heart.
An eerie silence suddenly fell over the cockpit.
Shortly after, a warning sounded in the cockpit, indicating that the B90 jump point was approaching.
Qi Pingye glanced at Chen Wu, who was leaning against the co-pilot's seat with his head down, and wanted to say something, but ultimately remained silent. He sighed, adjusted the flight path and the aircraft's status, and prepared to enter the jump point.
However, at that moment, the alarm suddenly went off.
Qi Pingye looked up and saw three glaring red dots on the airspace map near the B90 jump point.
The military aircraft were not connected to the network, but they still provided a prompt based on the information in the database. The three red dots were three aircraft, all of which were on the wanted list of the White Night Federation military.
They're space pirates!
Qi Pingye's face darkened, and he immediately activated the aircraft's camouflage.
But they were still discovered.
Three aircraft hurtled straight toward them.
Qi Pingye didn't have time to think much, so he turned around and gave up on entering B90.
"What is that? A wanted criminal?" Shen Wu was startled back to reality by this sudden turn of events.
“Space pirates,” Qi Pingye frowned, “B90 has been taken over by space pirates, and the military hasn’t updated its information.”
Even though Shen Wu had never left Zorro Star, he knew how terrifying space pirates were, and his expression instantly turned serious: "What should we do? What do you need me to do?"
“B90, we can’t go any further,” Qi Pingye said, rapidly adjusting the controls on the console. “The next nearest jump point is at the edge of the Windy Airspace, and it will take at least four hours to fly there. We need to go there, but not directly. We need to get rid of these three aircraft first, otherwise we will be intercepted before we reach the new jump point.”
"Do you remember the attack lock I taught you?" Qi Pingye looked at Shen Wu and smiled. "My co-operator, it's your turn to take the stage."
Shen Wu's expression tightened, but she did not refuse.
He knew the situation was critical, Qi Pingye needed him, and he also wanted to train himself and not hide behind others, so taking the position of deputy operator was inevitable.
He composed himself, focused his attention, sat in the passenger seat, and began to cooperate with Qi Pingye in controlling the vehicle.
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