Chapter 90: Spaceship Competition and Challenge 1
The morning light has already climbed up the attic windowsill, and the noise from the distant street has drifted in, mixed with the aroma of food and fermenting in the air.
The little lamb knocked on Lin Yao's door for the third time.
"Brother Lin? Are you up yet? The breakfast provided by the hotel is almost cold!"
There was no response from behind the door, but instead there was a faint sound of strange movement.
It sounded like the rustling of cloth rubbing against each other, mixed with a bit of muffled humming, intermittent and making people feel uneasy.
Little Lamb frowned and moved closer to the door, calling out again, "Brother Lin? Are you awake?"
After a long while, Lin Yao's voice finally came from inside. He was still a little hoarse and had some quick breathing, as if he had just had a violent dream:
"... Got it." He paused, lowering his voice even more.
"I have something to do here. You guys eat first. Don't wait for me and don't bother me."
"Ah? Oh." The little lamb was even more confused by these incoherent words. He scratched the back of his head and turned to walk downstairs.
Lao Kui was sitting on the bench, slowly chewing on the Star Beast Sausage. Seeing him come back, he raised his eyes:
"Still not awake?"
"Wake up," the little lamb drank a mouthful of porridge on the table, looking confused.
"But Brother Lin said he had something to do, so we should eat first and ignore him."
He scratched his head.
"But I just heard some strange noises in the room, and Brother Lin was breathing heavily when he spoke. Could he be feeling unwell? Is there really nothing we can do about it?"
Lao Kui put down the sausage, took a tissue and wiped his hands, then reached out and rubbed the lamb's hair, a knowing smile flashing in his eyes:
"Don't worry about it."
He pointed to the breakfast on the table.
"Eat it while it's hot, my Lord. You always have to... dawdle a little."
The little lamb blinked as if he understood, and watched Lao Kui pick up the sausage and chew it happily.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he finally put the matter behind him and grabbed a piece of berry cake and stuffed it into his mouth.
The sunlight outside the window became brighter and brighter, and the noise in the attic was completely drowned out by the noise of the Star Pirates Festival.
At the dining table, more and more people come to enjoy breakfast.
He had no idea what kind of time, bathed in the hot morning light, was hidden behind the tightly closed door upstairs.
It was ten o'clock in the morning. Lao Kui put his hands in his pockets and walked on the road with the little lamb chewing on the candy man.
The bustle of the morning market has mostly faded, with only a few vendors packing up their stalls.
People gradually gathered outside the spacecraft competition venue, and colorful flags fluttered in the wind.
Lao Kui led Xiao Yangzai around to the elevated platform beside the track and pointed to the front row:
"Let's watch it here this afternoon. The view is excellent and you can see the spacecraft's tail flame clearly."
The little lamb was lying on the railing, looking at the spaceship being debugged below, his eyes sparkling:
"Wow, that silver one is so cool! It must be the fastest!"
The two of them walked around the area again, bought some parts to repair the spaceship and some fresh berries, and then slowly walked towards the stargazing hut.
As soon as he turned into the narrow alley leading to the attic, the little lamb keenly noticed a shadow behind him.
He glanced back secretly and saw a tall man.
He was wearing a dark windbreaker, with his hat pulled down low, and holding a bag in his hand. He followed behind them at a leisurely pace, and his direction was exactly the same as theirs.
"Lao Kui," Xiao Yangzai tugged at the corner of Lao Kui's clothes and lowered his voice.
"The person behind us seems to be following us."
Lao Kui turned sideways calmly, glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and said lightly: "Don't worry about it, he might live here too."
Having said that, he quietly quickened his pace and his fingers reached for the tool bag on his waist, where a modified short blade was hidden.
All the way to the door of the stargazing cottage, the man still followed behind.
As the little lamb stepped onto the creaking stairs, his heart was in his throat, and he couldn't help but look out of the corner of his eye with every step he took.
It was not until they stopped at the door of the room on the third floor that the man walked past them and stopped at Lin Yao's door, raising his hand to open the door.
"Hey, what are you doing?" The little lamb finally couldn't help shouting, and rushed forward two steps to block the door, like a little animal with its fur standing on end.
The man slowly raised his head, revealing a well-defined face under the brim of his hat.
The dark green eyes flashed in the shadows, and there was a barely perceptible smile as he looked at the little lamb.
He shook the bag in his hand and said in a clear and calm voice: "Deliver breakfast."
"Delivering breakfast?" The little lamb was stunned and subconsciously looked at the bag, which faintly emitted the aroma of food.
"Who are you? Does my brother Lin know you?"
Lao Kui didn't say a word from beginning to end, but the moment the man raised his eyes, he took half a step forward and protected the lamb behind him without making a sound.
His right hand was still inserted into the tool bag, his knuckles pressed against the cold touch of the short blade, his left arm slightly bent, ready to block at any time.
His cloudy eyes were fixed on the man's wrist, where the cuffs were tightened and the bulging muscles could be vaguely seen. It was obvious that he was a man who had been holding guns or fighting for years.
But he relaxed his tension when he saw the other person's face clearly.
The atmosphere outside the house suddenly became strange, and at this moment, the door of the room suddenly opened from the inside.
Lin Yao was wearing a loose shirt with a slightly open collar, and there was a hint of red marks on his collarbone.
He saw the people at the door, was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "What are you doing?"
Ye Heng walked sideways into the room and handed the bag to Lin Yao naturally. Then he turned around and raised his chin to the still confused little lamb:
"I'm Ye Heng."
"Ye, Ye Heng?! Marshal Ye?!" The little lamb's eyes widened. He looked at Ye Heng, then at Lin Yao's open collar. Suddenly, he seemed to understand something.
Her cheeks flushed red, and she turned and ran to her room, "I, I'm going back to my room!"
Lao Kui looked at the fleeing lamb, then looked at the two people in the room smiling at each other, shook his head helplessly, and turned to go downstairs:
"I'm going to check the ship, you guys chat."
Before leaving, he paused again and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear:
"Be quieter next time."
Ye Heng raised his eyebrows and replied, "I understand."
The door closed gently, blocking out the noise from outside.
Lin Yao opened the bag and took out the breakfast inside while blaming Ye Heng angrily, saying it was all his fault.
Ye Heng gently put his arms around his waist from behind, resting his chin on the top of his head, and said lazily in his voice: "It's my fault."
The sunlight outside the window was just right, shining on the two of them through the viewing window.
Lin Yao took a bite of the pastry in his hand and found it a little sweet, so he handed it to Ye Heng's mouth.
The aroma of food spread, mixed with the warmth of the morning light, and turned into honey in this small space.
-
At lunchtime, the restaurant of the Stargazing House became lively again.
Lao Kui bought some special grilled meat skewers and vegetable pancakes, while Xiao Yangzai held a bowl of sour plum soup and glanced at the stairs from time to time.
"Why haven't they come down yet?" The little lamb took a bite of the vegetable pancake and asked vaguely.
Lao Kui put two skewers of barbecued meat in his bowl and said, "Don't worry about it, or you might not grow taller."
The little lamb quickly spat a few times. What's the point of not growing tall? He will definitely grow to two meters in the future.
As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps were heard on the stairs.
The little lamb's eyes lit up, and when he looked up, he saw Ye Heng coming down.
He was wearing a clean black T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing his well-defined arms. He looked completely different from the secretive look he had in the morning.
"Marshal Ye." The little lamb greeted him a little stiffly.
Ye Heng responded, then reminded him not to call him Marshal anymore.
Xiao Yangzai asked what to call it? He had also asked Lin Yao this question, and Lin Yao said that Ye Heng could just be called "Mr. Ye".
But Xiao Yangzai still thought it would be better to ask the person himself, after all, the name Ye Heng still carries weight in the space pirate circle.
"Call me the same as you call Lin Yao." Ye Heng glanced at the food on the table, which seemed a bit greasy.
Seeing him say this, Lao Kui told him that he had already asked the hotel kitchen to cook porridge, which should be ready soon.
A smile appeared on Ye Heng's face and he said thank you to Lao Kui.
Only then did the little lamb summon up the courage to timidly call out "Brother Ye"
Ye Heng responded with a smile.
Lao Kui handed him a pair of bowls and chopsticks and told him to pick up whatever he wanted to eat.
Ye Heng took the bowl and chopsticks and sat down, naturally picked up a piece of vegetable cake and put it in the bowl.
"Did you go out for a walk this morning?" Ye Heng asked.
"Yeah!" Little Lamb perked up immediately. "Lao Kui took me to see the observation point for the spacecraft competition, and we also went to the morning market and bought a lot of delicious food!"
Lao Kui added, "I'm going to watch the spaceship competition this afternoon. I saw it this morning and the venue is almost set up. It should be exciting."
Ye Heng nodded slightly when he heard this: "There are many people in the spaceship competition, so please take care of your belongings and don't get separated."
He paused and asked, "Any other arrangements?"
"No, I'll be back after watching the game and bring some dinner." Lao Kui replied. After that, Lao Kui asked Ye Heng: "Are you guys going?"
Unexpectedly, the answer he got was yes. He thought the two of them would stay in the hotel for a long time.
Ye Heng didn't say anything more and just picked up the food quietly.
The little lamb was a little nervous at first, but when he saw that he was not arrogant, he gradually relaxed.
Occasionally I would tell him some interesting stories about the morning market, and he would listen patiently, nodding in response from time to time.
When the porridge arrived, Ye Heng asked the hotel staff for a plate and two empty bowls.
He filled a bowl of porridge and a bowl of sour plum soup, and also put the bowl that Lao Kui had handed him on the plate.
"Eat slowly." Ye Heng picked up the plate and said to the two of them.
"Okay." Lao Kui nodded, "See you later."
"See you later."
Little Yangzai watched his back as he walked towards the stairs and whispered to Lao Kui, "Marshal Ye doesn't seem that scary after all."
Lao Kui patted his head and said, "Didn't I tell you not to call him Marshal? Hurry up and eat!"
Ye Heng returned upstairs with the dinner tray. When he gently pushed open Lin Yao's door, he heard the sound of water splashing in the bathroom.
He laid out the food one by one, and Lin Yao came out of the bathroom wiping his wet hair, wearing a neat dark long-sleeved shirt.
Lin Yao casually put the towel on the back of the chair, walked to the table and glanced at the plate, his eyebrows slightly raised,
"It's only been over an hour, and you've prepared food?"
"It's noon." Ye Heng handed him a pair of chopsticks.
"Lao Kui said he's going to watch the spaceship race this afternoon. Don't you want to go with him?"
"Go, why not?" Lin Yao picked up a vegetable pancake and weighed it, frowning slightly.
"But I'm really not hungry." Having said that, he still took a small bite of the biscuit and chewed it slowly.
Because there are so many people and things to do in the afternoon, I am afraid I can't hold on without eating something. In case of any emergency, I can't deal with it on an empty stomach.
Ye Heng watched him eat in small bites, a smile appeared in his eyes, and he picked up a skewer of barbecue and started eating.
-
The afternoon sun slanted through the glass windows of the stargazing building, casting grid-like spots of light on the wooden floor of the hall.
When the mottled electronic clock on the wall struck two o'clock, a light sound came from the stairs, and Ye Heng and Lin Yao walked down side by side.
Lin Yao changed into a short jacket that was easy to move in, with the cuffs casually rolled up to his forearms, while Ye Heng still wore a neat black coat.
As the two walked to the long table in the middle of the hall, they heard the roar of the spaceship engine outside.
It was obvious that the spaceship competition of the Star Pirate Festival was approaching, and even the air was filled with a restless atmosphere.
"Did Lao Kui say he was going to buy anything?" Lin Yao glanced at the door and sat down on the bench.
She leaned her back towards Ye Heng and put all her weight on him.
Ye Heng put his arm around his waist and gently pinched his side with his fingertips:
"He didn't say but he was very punctual. I guess the little lamb got stuck in the stall and couldn't move his feet when he saw the new stuff."
Ye Heng's eyes swept over the people coming and going at the door. Most of them were pirates and travelers in festive attire.
Some people carried flags, some held up freshly bought snacks, and the noise came in like a tide.
Lin Yao's gaze followed a child holding a glowing balloon for a while before turning to look at Ye Heng's jawline. His voice was lazy:
"I was just messing around with you before, and I didn't even ask you how your journey here was. Did you encounter any one-eyed people questioning you?"
"We took three dangerous detours and avoided seven regular checkpoints."
Ye Heng's fingertips carelessly scratched the zipper of his jacket. "One-Eye's patrol ship recently added a guard at the edge of the galaxy, but they can't catch me."
He paused and added, "In the asteroid belt, we did encounter some random bandits who tried to steal our supplies, but I chased them away."
"Not hurt?" Lin Yao didn't smell any blood on him.
A smile flashed in Ye Heng's eyes: "No, the opponent didn't even break the energy shield."
Lin Yao kept patting Ye Heng's palms, jokingly saying that he was full of energy.
He grabbed Lin Yao's wrist with his backhand and pulled it towards him. "Did you get enough sleep this morning?"
Lin Yao snorted, "I'm praising you! Are you feeling okay now? I noticed your eyes were a little red this morning."
"It's okay." Ye Heng lowered his head, brushed his nose against the top of his hair, and smelled a faint scent of shower gel.
"I slept for two hours between jumps, and another two hours with you. That's enough."
He looked at the crowd outside the window and lowered his voice.
"Let's go to the stadium and relax in the afternoon. After that, we can do our business."
Lin Yao hummed, and unconsciously scratched Ye Heng's hand with his fingers:
"I know. But speaking of that, you said that old Scar's son..."
Before he could finish his words, Ye Heng stopped him with a look.
He raised his chin towards the door, and Lin Yao looked over and saw Lao Kui leading the jumping little lamb running in.
The little lamb was holding a windmill with a spaceship pattern printed on it.
"Brother Lin! Brother Ye!" The little lamb waved the windmill from a distance.
"We're back! I just bought some energy bars at the intersection. Add to that the snacks I bought this morning so we can eat them during the game!"
Ye Heng took over his words: "That's great, take your snacks, we should go."
Lin Yao watched the little lamb excitedly go upstairs, and nodded to Lao Kui and said hello.
"I'll go upstairs to put my things." Lao Kui pointed to the stairs.
Both people sitting on the stools said they understood.
-
The competition venue was located on an open-air platform at the edge of the space station, and it was already packed with people.
Flags of various colors fluttered in the wind, with different symbols printed on them.
One-eyed wolf-head flags and skull patterns made by some scattered bandits were spread out layer by layer above the heads of the crowd.
A transparent energy shield was installed on the edge of the platform, allowing one to see the large and small spaceships parked in the starry sea below.
The roar of the engines rose and fell, like countless beasts ready to go.
"Follow closely!" Lao Kui led the way, pushing the crowd aside with his strong arms. The little lamb tightly grasped the corner of his clothes, and the windmill in his hand was squeezed crookedly.
Ye Heng held Lin Yao's hand, holding his palm tightly. The two followed slowly behind, looking around vigilantly.
A drunk space pirate came forward with a wine jug in his hand, but Ye Heng calmly dodged him by moving to the side; a peddler selling gambling tickets came forward, but Lin Yao waved his hand to refuse him.
The front row of the elevated platform indeed has an excellent view, facing the starting line of the track.
The track is a circular track drawn by energy beams, winding around the edge of the space station and extending as far as the meteorite belt.
At this moment, more than a dozen spaceships have stopped at the starting point, and their colorful shells are flashing in the sun, making it impossible to open your eyes.
There were streamlined silver racing boats, heavy spaceships equipped with weapons, and even a modified cargo ship whose clumsy appearance drew laughter from the people around.
"The silver-gray one will definitely win!"
The little lamb clung to the railing and pointed at the sleek spaceship in the middle. "Brother Lin, look at its engine. It's the latest ion thruster!"
Lin Yao leaned against Ye Heng, squinting his eyes as he looked at the ship:
"Not necessarily. The red modified ship next to it has an anti-gravity device added to its tail fin, so it will be faster when going around corners."
Ye Heng hugged him quietly, but his eyes were not on the stadium, but swept towards the entrance of the viewing platform.
Lao Kui took out a pair of binoculars from somewhere and was observing the movements in the crowd, occasionally glancing at Ye Heng.
At half past two, the signal light at the starting point of the track suddenly turned red, and the engines of all the spacecraft roared at the same time, shaking the platform slightly.
With a sharp whistle, the red light turned green, and more than a dozen spaceships rushed out like arrows.
The tail flame dragged a long streak of light across the starry sky, causing the crowd to burst into deafening cheers.
The race was extremely intense. As the little lamb said, the silver-gray spaceship took the lead for a while thanks to its speed advantage.
But when the red modified ship passed the first asteroid belt bend, it suddenly made a beautiful sideslip and overtook from the inside.
The gamblers on the platform were instantly in an uproar. Those who won money clapped their hands on the railings and laughed wildly, while those who lost money cursed angrily, and the sounds of booing were heard one after another.
Lin Yao was so excited that he was about to say something to Ye Heng, but he suddenly tightened his grip. "What's wrong?"
He looked up and followed Ye Heng's gaze towards the entrance to the viewing platform.
The crowd there suddenly retreated to both sides like a split tide, and a dozen guards in black uniforms walked in, surrounding a one-eyed man.
The man was about fifty years old, with wrinkles all over his face.
He wore a brass-colored prosthetic eye in his left eye, which emitted a cold light when it turned, while his right eye was as sharp as an eagle, slowly scanning the entire audience.
As soon as he appeared, the originally noisy platform suddenly became mostly quiet.
Even the elevated platform farther away from them was completely silent, with only the roar of engines on the distant track still to be heard.
"One-Eye." Lao Kui put down the telescope and lowered his voice. "Why would he come in person? Could it be that what those people said yesterday..."
The little lamb retracted his hand in fear, and the windmill fell to the ground with a thud. He whispered, "That's the one... ten years ago..."
"Quiet." Lin Yao held his shoulders and stared at the guard behind the one-eyed man.
Everyone had an energy gun on their waist, and their hands were always on the holsters. It was obvious that they had bad intentions.
One-Eye walked straight to the center of the viewing platform, where a seat had already been prepared for him.
As he sat down, his artificial eye turned half a circle and just happened to sweep across the elevated platform.
Ye Heng calmly took Lin Yao and hid him in the crowd, tapping his palm lightly with his fingertips twice.
That was their agreed-upon code: 'Stay alert and evacuate at any time!'
The spaceships on the track were making their final sprint, the silver-gray spaceship and the red modified ship running side by side, their tail flames almost colliding.
But at this moment, no one cared about the outcome of the game anymore. Everyone's eyes were glued to the one-eyed man on the viewing platform.
There was a suppressed tension in the air, as if a storm was about to come.
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