Chapter 97: The Remnants of Old Scar 2
The two sat for a while, watching the people coming and going in front of them.
"Let's go!" Lin Yao was the first to break the silence. He stood up and patted the dust off his pants.
Lao Kui moved his mouth holding the cigarette and took a last puff.
The cigarette butt was almost burning to his knuckles, and the sparks shone brightly in the sunlight. He then slowly spat the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it hard with his foot.
The brown tobacco mixed with ash was crushed, and he rubbed it with the tip of his shoe to make sure that the sparks were completely extinguished before he stood up with his knees supported.
Sitting for so long made his waist stiff. He raised his hand and pounded his lower back, then replied in a muffled voice, "Let's go."
Lao Kui shouted inside, asking Xiao Yangzai to bring people out, and Xiao Yangzai responded.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lin Yao asked the landlady to check out of the room, and Lao Kui went upstairs to pack his things.
When Lao Kui came down, the little lamb had just come out with the little girl.
Lin Yao glanced back and said to the little lamb, "Follow closely, don't let her get lost."
The little lamb nodded vigorously and held the little girl's hand more tightly.
"Two clean rooms have been cleared out over there by the pirates' den," Lin Yao said to Lao Kui as they walked.
"Take them and settle them down first. The little girl is shy, so let the little lamb stay with her more."
Lao Kui nodded: "I know. Do you have anything else to do? Want to go out?"
"Yeah," Lin Yao responded and glanced in the direction of the star pirates' nest in the distance.
Lao Kui paused and asked, "Do you need me to follow you?"
"No need." Lin Yao did not stop.
"It's more useful for you to stay here than to go to Starport.
The pirates here are useful, but we need you to keep an eye on the account books, manpower, and this child."
He looked back at the little girl being led by the lamb.
Lao Kui smacked his lips and stopped arguing.
He knew that what Lin Yao said made sense. The pirates' nest had just changed its owner, and it was the most likely time for trouble to occur.
His presence here can at least make Ye Heng and Lin Yao less distracted.
When they arrived at the pirates' den square, Erniao was busy directing people. When he saw them coming, he said:
"Have you brought the people here? I cleaned up the two rooms next to the stone building as you asked."
Lin Yao nodded and pointed at Lao Kui: "This is Lao Kui, you two will help each other from now on."
Erniao was stunned for a moment, then reacted and quickly bowed to Lao Kui: "Please take good care of me!"
Lao Kui waved his hand without saying much, and just said to the little lamb: "You go inside and rest."
Then he said to Erniao, "Is there anything else to do? I'll come with you."
Erniao said he had something else to do, and the two of them headed towards the warehouse.
The little lamb responded and led the little girl towards the stone house.
Lin Yao watched the two people enter the house before turning and walking towards Ye Heng.
Ye Heng was sitting at the table, holding a list in his hand. When he saw him coming, he raised his chin:
"Everything settled?"
"Well," Lin Yao walked up to him, "When do we leave tonight?"
"In the second half of the night, we'll have an early lunch and then have a good sleep after we're done."
Lin Yao nodded, and then Ye Heng handed him the list:
"Screen out twelve usable ones, none of whom have been involved in innocent deaths. Let Lao Kui and Er Niao train them first."
Lin Yao glanced at the list and said, "Just do as you say. You know more about this than I do."
-
The low hum of the spaceship's engine cut through the night. Outside the porthole, the outline of the Blackfish Star gradually shrank into a pale blue dot of light.
There are a few small gray planets scattered around, which are the areas marked as abandoned belts.
The coordinates point to the most inconspicuous gravel star among them.
"Ten years." Lin Yao sat next to the driver's seat, tapping on the window with his fingertips.
"If Old Scar's men were really hiding here, they would have either moved to another place long ago, or..."
He didn't say anything else, but his meaning was clear: either they had already dispersed, or they had become a handful of dirt on this dead planet.
Ye Heng was staring at the coordinates jumping on the terminal, and his fingertips drew a line on the light screen.
The coordinates were extracted from the pass map, marking the mining station on the northern slope of the Gray Gravel Star.
"The map was kept privately by Old Scar. He never told anyone except his family."
Ye Heng looked out the window at the Gray Gravel Planet. The surface of the planet was full of pits and craters, like a piece of gnawed charcoal.
"If he really wants to leave a way out, then the Grey Gravel Star is not far away and is desolate, so it makes sense."
"It's reasonable," Lin Yao smiled and handed him a can of hot drink.
"But ten years is enough for a lot of things to happen. The mining station might have collapsed long ago, with not even a single piece of iron left."
"We can only go and take a look." Ye Heng took the hot drink and touched the back of Lin Yao's hand with his fingertips.
“Even if there are only ashes left from a fire, I still have to go and see it.
It's better than staying on Black Fish Star and facing One-Eye's lying face."
Lin Yao did not refute.
He knew what Ye Heng was thinking. The remnants of Lao Ba were a force that would be beneficial to their future rebellion.
The spacecraft bumped a few times as it passed through the thin atmosphere of the Gravel Star.
Below were rolling ochre-red rocks, and the outline of the mining station was revealed in the night.
As Lin Yao guessed, most of it collapsed.
The rusty iron frame was inserted diagonally into the rubble, like a giant bird with broken wings.
"Land on the flat ground over there." Lin Yao pointed to a relatively intact open space next to the mining station.
The spacecraft slowly landed, and the landing gear rolled over the gravel, making a harsh friction sound.
The two were not in a hurry to get off the boat. Lin Yao swept his mental power around and did not detect any breath of life, not even a trace of warmth.
"It seems there is really no one here." Lin Yao said to Ye Heng.
Ye Heng stood up with his gun in hand and asked, "Let's go in and take a look?"
"Yeah." Lin Yao put on his helmet and followed him down the ladder.
Gravel hit the soles of my boots, and the wind blew sand and gravel against the visor of my helmet, making crackling sounds.
The iron gate of the mining station had long since rusted into scrap metal, half hanging on the door frame.
Ye Heng stretched out his hand and pushed. With a clang, the iron door fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
It was even more desolate inside than outside.
The empty mine entrance was blocked with rubble, and a few empty compressed biscuit boxes were piled in the corner, half buried by sand.
Judging from its appearance, it has been there for at least five or six years.
Lin Yao squatted down, dug up the sand, and picked up a rusty metal plate.
There is a crooked word "scar" engraved on it, which is the mark of Lao Scar's men.
"I've been here." Lin Yao handed the metal plate to Ye Heng, "But he's definitely gone now."
Ye Heng held the card in his hand, rubbing the marks on it with his fingertips.
From deep within the mine tunnel came the echo of the wind, humming like someone sighing.
He was silent for a moment, then looked up into the depths of the mine. "Go a little deeper. If they move away, they'll always leave some beacons."
The two walked about a hundred steps inside, and traces gradually appeared on the wall of the mine tunnel.
It was not blown by wind and sand, but carved by humans.
The marks were shallow, as if hastily scratched with the tip of a knife, and there were a few crooked star symbols.
There is also a date, which is seven years ago.
"It was here seven years ago." Lin Yao pointed at the date. "What happened after that?"
Ye Heng didn't say anything, but just quickened his pace.
When we reached the end of the mine tunnel, the view suddenly opened up.
It was a small empty space that had been blown open, with a layer of hay on the ground, which had dried up to a crisp.
In the corner was a hollowed-out fuel barrel with words written on its wall in blackened charcoal:
【Blue Mist Star, etc.】
The words were blurred by wind and sand, but they could still be vaguely seen.
Blue Mist Star is another smaller planet next to Gray Gravel Star, and its name is not even fully marked on the star map.
"Wait!" Lin Yao said softly, his eyes brightening.
"They really didn't disperse? They just moved to a new location and left a beacon."
Ye Heng raised his hand to wipe off the sand on the wall of the bucket, his fingertips fell on the word "wait", and he paused for a moment.
The wind blew in from the mine tunnel, picking up the hay on the ground and hitting the edges of my boots. "Then let's go to Blue Mist Star."
He stood up straight, his voice deeper than when he came, but with a hint of certainty, "It doesn't matter if we make an extra trip."
Lin Yao nodded, turned around and walked back.
When the spaceship took off again, Lin Yao looked back at the mining station on Gray Gravel Star. The iron door that had fallen to the ground was half-covered by the wind and sand, as if waving to them.
"Maybe when we get to Blue Mist Star, I can give out the gift you prepared." He said with a smile, turning to look at the one-eyed man who was tied up in the back warehouse.
The fog on Blue Haze Star is thicker than marked on the star map.
The light blue mist, wrapped in the damp and cold wind, stuck to the helmet visor and condensed into fine water droplets, reducing visibility to only a few steps.
Ye Heng walked in front holding a lighting device, and the beam of light pierced through the mist and fell on the rugged rock wall in front.
This was originally an abandoned relay station, and the metal shell had long been pitted by fog.
Even the signboard for the "Relay Station" was only half left, hanging crookedly on the rusty iron frame.
"There's nothing here either." Lin Yao's voice came from behind, a little hoarse from being soaked in fog.
He had just had Shasha explore every corner of the relay station, but the tips of the vines were covered in damp, cold moss, and they didn't even find a trace of fresh footprints.
"Just some old cans, made three years ago."
Ye Heng hummed and raised his hand to wipe the mist off his mask.
The illumination beam swept across the inner room of the relay station. There were several torn sleeping bags piled in the corner, the fabric so rotten that light could see through it.
The traces of the fire on the ground had long been washed into a shallow pit by the rain, with a few burnt firewood scattered around the pit, which showed that it was very old.
Lin Yao squatted down and poked the mold on the sleeping bag with his fingertips. "It has been empty for at least two years."
Mo Yun's spirit body swam around outside the relay station. When it came back, mist condensed on its scales and it shook its head slightly at Ye Heng.
Within a radius of ten miles, there were no living creatures except for a few star beasts hiding in the cracks of the rocks.
Ye Heng turned off the lights and leaned against the cold rock wall.
When he took off his helmet, mist immediately rushed up, making the hair on his forehead wet.
"They've been moving from Gray Gravel Star to Blue Mist Star." He lowered his voice, "Maybe they've already left the abandoned belt."
Lin Yao also took off his helmet and moved closer to him, their shoulders touching to share some warmth.
"I've been busy all night." He smiled, pinched his eyebrows with his fingertips, and his eyes were red from staying up late.
"From Black Fish Star to Gray Gravel Star, and then to Blue Mist Star, it seems like we've just gone in a circle following the old coordinates."
The wind blew in through the broken window of the relay station, hitting my face with mist and making me shiver.
Lin Yao leaned closer to him.
"So what do we do next? We can't just turn over every little broken star in the discarded belt one by one, right?"
"Let's go back to Black Fish Star first." Ye Heng stood up and reached out to pull him up.
He paused, looking at the thick fog outside the relay station. "Old Kui must be getting impatient. We just took over the pirates' nest, so we can't stay here for too long."
Lin Yao nodded, raised his hand to press the helmet, and when he was about to put it on, his eyes suddenly swept across the corner of the relay station.
There was a loose rock wall there, and there seemed to be something stuck in the crack of the rock wall. It was not a stone, but more like a card.
Lin Yao quickly signaled Ye Heng: "There's something there."
Ye Heng followed his gaze and bent down to push aside the loose rock wall.
There was indeed a thumb-sized metal card stuck in the crevice, with blood stains on the card surface that had already turned black.
It looked like it had been stuffed in hastily, with a corner still exposed, damp from the fog.
He carefully picked out the card with a dagger. Lin Yao came over to take a closer look. There was a small interface on the card, which was the style of an old data card.
He wiped the bloodstains with his fingertips. "The blood is dried, but the card isn't completely rusted. I should be able to recover the data."
The two of them didn't stay any longer and quickly returned to the starship, clutching the card.
In the cockpit, Ye Heng inserted the data card into the terminal interface.
At first, the screen was just showing garbled characters, and the blood stains on the card surface seemed to affect the reading.
Lin Yao carefully wiped off the blood stain with an alcohol cotton swab, and the terminal finally beeped, and a blurry image popped up.
The image was shaky, as if it had been taken with a terminal on the wrist.
The picture shows the relay station of Blue Mist Star. Several figures are huddled in the corner. They are dressed like the men of Old Scar.
You can see someone holding a metal plate with the word "scar" engraved on it, his lips moving but no sound, as if they were muted.
Suddenly, the picture shook violently, followed by the sound of chaotic footsteps and shouting.
More than twenty masked men rushed in, wearing black clothes and black boots, holding stun guns in their hands. Their movements were so agile that they didn't look like pirates.
The people of Lao Scar tried to resist, but were hit by the stun gun and fell to the ground one by one.
The video is mostly cut off here, with only the last few seconds remaining.
When a masked man bent down to drag someone, his cloak was caught by an iron hook in the corner of the wall, and half of the corner of the clothes was torn off.
On the exposed fabric was a faint silver pattern embroidered, which could be clearly seen in the hazy light: it was rush.
The Lin family's emblem is rush.
The terminal screen went dark, leaving only the low roar of the engine in the cockpit.
Lin Yao pinched the edge of the terminal, his knuckles turning white. "It's someone from the Lin family."
Ye Heng pressed his fingertips on the afterimage of the rush on the screen, his eyes extremely cold.
Lin Yao's voice tightened, "Where did they take the person?"
Ye Heng shook his head and pulled out the data card. "Lao Ba's people have been taken away by the Lin family. It's very likely that they can't be found again."
Ye Heng's eyes swept across the back warehouse.
The one-eyed man was trapped by Shasha's poison and was now lying unconscious in a corner, with saliva still hanging from the corners of his mouth. He looked as miserable as a fish thrown ashore.
Originally, I kept him because I wanted to wait for the person who killed Lao Ba and let him serve as a token of my loyalty.
Now it seems that it is of no use.
Lin Yao followed his gaze and looked towards Houcang: "Is One-Eye related to this?"
"What else?" Ye Heng pulled the corner of his mouth.
"He said he knew the location of Old Scar's remaining troops, simply to prolong his own life."
Ye Heng's slender fingertips tapped the edge of the console, each knock sounding like hitting something solid: "One-Eye must have made a deal with the Lin family a long time ago.
Use the lives of the remaining members of Old Scar's group to allow me to work for the Lin family."
Lin Yao thought of when Duyan was captured by them. Even though Lin Yao threatened him and said he would hand him over as soon as they found the remaining members, he did not panic like before.
It turned out that it was because he knew that the old scar was no longer with him.
Even if Lin Yao and the others couldn't find anyone, his life wouldn't be in danger, and he could use the lies he made up to exchange for a new chance to survive.
"That's a nice thought." Ye Heng stood up and walked towards the back warehouse. Even if he couldn't recruit the remnants of Lao Ba's troops, Duyan must die here today.
Ye Heng dragged the one-eyed man away, and Lin Yao followed behind them.
-
The morning mist had not yet dissipated when the spaceship landed at the Pirates' Den Square.
Lao Kui was squatting on the steps at the entrance of the stone building, with his pipe dangling from his mouth. When he saw the ladder being lowered, he immediately put out the cigarette and stood up.
He glanced around the entrance of the hanging ladder. Only Ye Heng and Lin Yao came down, and there was no one else behind them.
Lao Kui paused, but didn't ask any more questions. He just went up to him and said in a low voice, "Are you back?"
"Yeah." Ye Heng responded, and as he walked towards the stone building, his steps were heavier than when he left. "Is nothing wrong here?"
"It's fine." Lao Kui followed and brushed away the mist on Lin Yao's shoulders.
"Er Niao watched and counted the supplies. The child and the lamb were sleeping in the room over there. They didn't make any noise."
He paused, glanced at the dark circles under their eyes, and said, "Take a good rest."
Lin Yao smiled and said without trying to be stubborn: "I really need to get some sleep."
"Go in first. I'll serve you breakfast. Eat and then go to sleep. We can talk about the rest this afternoon. I'll have someone guard the door so no one can disturb you."
Ye Heng did not refuse and reached out to hold Lin Yao's hand.
As the two of them were walking across the yard toward the bedroom, they ran into Xiao Yangzai carrying a wooden basin out of the house. Seeing them coming back, he shouted, "Brother Lin! Brother Ye!"
"Keep your voice down." Lin Yao made a shushing gesture and pointed to the east room. "Is the child still sleeping?"
"Yeah!" The little lamb lowered his voice, looking at them with sparkling eyes, but he didn't ask any more questions. He just said, "Master Kui said you should rest when you come back. I won't make any noise!"
Lin Yao waved goodbye to him and followed Ye Heng into the inner room.
When the door closed, the morning mist came in through the window and fell on the table.
Ye Heng unbuttoned his coat and threw it on the chair, then turned around and sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his knuckles against his brow.
Lin Yao walked over and gently pressed his shoulders from behind, pinching the muscles at the back of his neck with his fingertips:
"Get some sleep."
Ye Heng didn't move, letting him pinch her. After a while, she tilted her head and rubbed his wrist, her voice hoarse and a little lazy: "Together."
Lin Yao responded, took off his shoes and lay down next to him.
The bed was not wide, but it was just right for the two of them to squeeze in. Lin Yao buried her face in his shoulder and could smell his faint scent mixed with the dampness of the morning mist.
Ye Heng put his arms around her and pressed her into his arms, and her breathing gradually became even.
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