Chapter 48
Yuan Xu could guess with his toes that Butler Ai was waiting outside the metal door, so he simply went upstairs and returned directly to the top berth from the stairs in the office area.
The starship hatch closed and he let out a silent breath.
Standing idly by and watching Xiang Jia would definitely affect the cooperation between him and Xi Yue, even though he had tried his best to ease the situation and let Xi Yue wait for him all night.
Xiyue wouldn't wait. He was 90% sure that Xiyue would take action tonight.
It hears, it sees, it is everywhere.
Sounds, words, even secret codes, anything observable to the outside world would be captured by it. Any mention of this world's core secrets would set it off.
The feeling of being watched had lasted for so many years, but it had never made him feel so suffocated as it did at this moment.
Furthermore, Xiyue's mental power was at E0, making him unable to use a mecha, and even unable to replicate the secret "communication" between him and Shi Hanyi. As tactful as he was, he was naturally well aware of the misunderstandings caused by "not speaking" and the resulting crisis of trust.
But he had no choice.
Yuan Xu unbuttoned his shirt collar with one hand and glanced at Shi Hanyi in the back seat through the rearview mirror: "Are you sure?"
Are you sure Xiyue won't die if you let her act alone tonight?
Shi Hanyi looked at him through the rearview mirror and didn't react at all - this was an affirmative answer.
Yuan Xu patted the steering wheel and silently complained. They were both gods of pollution, so why wasn't Xiyue like Shi Hanyi? Cold and inhuman, he wouldn't risk anything for Xiang Jia.
Naturally, if Xiyue was really like Shi Hanyi, he would not seek cooperation with her.
After realizing this, Yuan Xu's resentment dissipated. He took out a mecha box from the secret box under the driver's seat. It was black and red. After it was turned on, it was like a flame burning in the dark, which was very different from the white mecha style he usually used.
He gave names to both mecha boxes.
The black and red one is called "Liaoyuan" and the pure white one is called "Mangbai". Their functional configurations are similar, but Liaoyuan has a function that Mangbai does not have, which is just right for me right now.
It is a mother-child armor.
Yuan Xu carried the mecha box on his back and waved to Shi Han: "Come here."
He grabbed Han Yi's hand and pressed the switch of the mecha. Black and red strange gold poured out from the box, first wrapping around his body, and then spreading along his arms to Shi Han Yi.
As the name suggests, the mecha that wraps around Shi Hanyi is a "Zijia". Because Hanyi has no mental power, the control is in Yuanxu's hands.
"This function requires multitasking, which is quite difficult. Fortunately, you're not an ordinary child, so I shouldn't have to worry about you, right?"
Yuan Xu smiled at him and opened the hatch. "Time is short and the mission is heavy. Let's go."
The task Shi Hanyi assigned to him - to eliminate other polluting gods in the nearby star region - was both dangerous and exciting.
-
Now that Xiyue was sure that Xiang Jia was missing and knew where he was missing, she certainly wouldn't waste a whole night.
Logically speaking, the person has been missing for three days, and one more night or one less night may not change the outcome. She should wait.
But Xiang Jia was the first and only friend she had made since she came into this world. Emotionally, she was not equal to him for a single minute.
In addition, Ma Liu was not only an accomplice of kidnapping and robbery, but also one of her creditors. Regardless of whether Xiang Jia was alive or dead, that bastard deserved to die.
I just regret not having a remote control.
Wait, she gave the remote control to Yuan Xu. That guy is so afraid of the central government’s spies, he should not have returned it yet, right?
Xiyue immediately started chasing after him, but was stopped by Xizi just as she reached the second floor.
"The general asked me to pass it on." The younger brother handed over a cloth bag the size of a sachet.
Xi Yue took it suspiciously: "Where are the others?"
Xiaozi: "The general has something to do."
Xiyue opened the cloth bag and pulled out a remote control that was much larger than a sachet. She was slightly taken aback. Yuanxu guessed that she would need the remote control, so he asked Xizi to return it?
No, it wasn't the same remote. The one she'd given Yuan Xu had nearly seven days left on its timer, while the one she had in her hand only had 27 hours left.
Xiyue pressed the remote control screen, and sure enough, the pollution level was different: "Pollution area level, level 2, do you want to turn it on (press again to confirm)."
Secondary pollution!
She had never opened a contaminated area of this level before.
"What is this?" Xiyue deliberately gave Xizi a puzzled look.
"The Admiral said it was a toy the child gave to his mother."
In Xiaozi's eyes, Xiyue was kneading a small clay figurine, about two fingers long. Like Yuanxu, he was born in the Garbage Star Zone and knew that many children there loved to make clay figurines. After kneading them, they would freeze them in the cold air for a day or two until they were firmly shaped.
The child who made this clay figure has great craftsmanship, and it almost looks like it was carved out of stone by an adult.
Xiyue understood. It was Han Yi who gave it to her. Besides him, who else could be so persistent in calling her "Mom".
Yuan Xu had actually been to Sector 29? Also, for the pollution level to rise to level 2, the countdown would have to accumulate for at least four days. In other words, Han Yi had obtained the remote control four days ago, before she had even left Sector 29.
Why didn't he tell her? Instead, he gave her another remote control that was actually an electronic eye?
No, compared to Xiang Jia, these questions can be put aside for the time being.
"General Yuan is upstairs?"
"He's not here." Xizi answered in a muffled voice and walked down past Xiyue.
"Xiaozi," Xiyue called him. "You mentioned this morning a way to avoid the Central Army's surveillance, but what's that?"
-
"Captain, one of the long-range monitors has been knocked down!"
A report rang out over the communicator, and Qiao Mingjin sat up straight instantly: "Which direction?"
"South side!"
"Replace the monitors on the east and west sides, team members, support!"
After Qiao Mingjin finished speaking, he instructed the driver: "Go there as fast as possible!"
The starship flew rapidly towards the Admiral's residence. He glanced at the dark blue sky outside the cabin and asked, "Report the situation."
"The replacement monitor found no abnormalities."
"We went all the way from the east and west sides and found nothing unusual."
"Not good," Feng Yang, the captain of the Star Team who personally served as Qiao Mingjin's driver, suddenly spoke up, and he and Qiao Mingjin said in unison, "Make a feint to the east and attack in the west."
Feng Yang looked at Qiao Mingjin. "Three minutes have passed since the unusual movement. Whether they're using starships or mechas, the surveillance cameras probably can't catch up."
The advantages of the long-range monitoring device are its invisibility and wide monitoring range, but its shortcomings are also obvious: slow flying speed, single monitoring method, and it can only rely on long-range cameras.
Qiao Mingjin thought for a moment: "Turn on the starship reconnaissance system and look for high energy sources. At the same time, don't slow down."
"But there are starships coming and going nearby, and it's difficult to identify the energy source." Feng Yang said while still turning on the reconnaissance system.
The starship's central control panel projected a map on the screen, dotted with bright spots. Qiao Mingjin squinted his eyes and quickly pointed to a dot of light at the edge of the map, saying, "Here!"
He marked the energy source and shared the map to the team chat: "Everyone, divide the work and surround it!"
"receive!"
No one questioned Qiao Mingjin's decision. Even Lieutenant Colonel Feng Yang, who was two ranks higher than him and had many years more combat experience, simply asked, "Captain, how did you know that?"
"The main function of a starship is transportation, and the energy output of its Juhe core is very stable. Mechas are just the opposite, emphasizing agility, and their energy fluctuations are 10% higher than those of starships. Whether it's Yuanxu or Xiyue, since they chose to destroy the monitor to escape tracking, they definitely wouldn't fly a starship, as it would be too easy to be exposed."
Qiao Mingjin didn't care to look at Feng Yang's admiring eyes, and asked into the communicator: "Did you catch him?"
"No."
"No."
"We caught up!" The third team finally gave some positive feedback. "It's a mecha! The target has gone into the parking area of a building!"
Qiao Mingjin: "The other two groups, speed up and surround the docking station!"
All the team members arrived at the building quickly. To prevent the target from leaving from other floors, each group sent one person to drive a mecha and wander around outside each floor.
However, no target flew out of the building from beginning to end.
Two minutes later, Qiao Mingjin's starship also arrived.
"Captain, the target hasn't left. He must be in the building. Do you want to search?"
Qiao Mingjin looked at a starship flying out from the docking bay and shook his head slowly: "If we didn't block it immediately, it's already too late."
Most importantly, he had no basis for monitoring the General's Mansion, let alone any reason to search the building. Furthermore, even if the target was hiding in the building, if he pressed too hard, the target would abandon their original plan and hide their tracks better.
It would be a pointless chase.
Feng Yang, who had been working in the contaminated area for years, didn't understand the twists and turns of the Public Security Bureau. Hearing this, he said, "They dared to directly destroy our surveillance cameras. They must be guilty of something. Captain, I think we can just go and arrest them directly."
Qiao Mingjin remained silent, pretending not to hear.
There is a reason why the higher-ups sent Feng Yang's team to assist him. Although they are a little stupid, they have few evil intentions and are less likely to be bribed by the local star district.
While he was thinking, another report came from the communicator.
It was Xie Wenbo, the deputy captain of the Star Team. Of the ten members of the Star Team, Feng Yang personally served as Qiao Mingjin's driver. The remaining eight members were responsible for monitoring Xi Yue and Yuan Xu respectively. Only the meticulous and astute Xie Wenbo remained alone in the 44th Star Sector, following the kidnapping case to track down any clues.
He brought a clue, neither too important nor too minor: a pool of molten metal residue at the kidnappers' den, which, upon restoration, was revealed to be a Puppet Armor. Another police investigation team believed the Puppet Armor had arrived following a signal flare fired by the kidnappers' starship, which was indeed a contaminated starship at the scene.
"Even an unregistered starship needs a pass to cross a sector. I checked the pass for that starship, and it shows that its last intersectoral journey was half a month ago, and its final destination wasn't Sector 44! Captain, Captain, this starship must have been swapped!"
Before Feng Yang could digest the information, Qiao Mingjin's thoughts had already rushed ahead. He asked Xie Wenbo, "Have you figured out the kidnapping route?"
"I came out, there are three possible routes."
"Send it to me."
Starting from the 29th star zone and arriving at the kidnapping den in the 44th star zone, the case investigation team has identified three possible routes. Qiao Mingjin looked at the pictures one by one, finally returning to the second one: "This is the route."
Feng Yang opened his eyes wide: "Why?"
"Because of Commander Gong!" Xie Wenbo lowered his voice, sounding even more excited. "Aside from the investigation team and us, only General Yuan and Commander Gong know the case best. General Yuan was the one who took down the den, so he's naturally not a suspect. That leaves Commander Gong!"
Feng Yang was still confused.
Qiao Mingjin pointed to the 40th star sector where the route's right angle was located. "She was originally assigned by the higher-ups to investigate Ning Peng's death. Ning Peng had visited the kidnapping den, so she naturally had reason to approach the case team and the opportunity to swap the starship at the scene. The reason... the kidnappers were able to move freely within her jurisdiction, which means that some of her subordinates were accomplices of the kidnappers."
Feng Yang: "She wants to destroy the evidence to get rid of suspicion?!"
Xie Wenbo: "Captain, do you want to go to Sector 40? I've checked it out. It's a star town with few starships coming and going, so it's easy to check the passage records."
"Gong Daimin should not know about the matter of his accomplices. People who sit in the position of commander will look down on such activities." Qiao Mingjin answered the question irrelevantly and did not speak again after that.
Feng Yang finally came to his senses and rejected Xie Wenbo's proposal.
"Captain, our mission is to investigate Yuan Xu. He's connected to the kidnapping case, but not that connected. To put it bluntly, how many accomplices does the kidnapper have, and what does that have to do with us? I don't think this line of inquiry is necessary. Instead of wasting time, we'd better find a reason to search this building."
Being thick-skinned doesn't mean being stupid. Qiao Mingjin admitted that Feng Yang had grasped the key point.
However, the kidnapper's whereabouts were revealed in the 29th star area, and Xiyue also appeared in the 29th star area. The relationship between her and Yuanxu was unclear...Qiao Mingjin vaguely felt that Xiyue might be involved in the kidnapping case.
From another perspective, if he gave up this clue, even if he informed the case team, since there was no central special envoy like him in the case team, they might not dare to offend Gong Daimin and investigate further.
The kidnapping and theft accomplices in the 42nd star zone are at large.
"We should go," Qiao Mingjin decided. "Thank you, Deputy Captain. Notify the case team leader to meet at Sector 40 in an hour."
Xie Wenbo: "Okay!"
Feng Yang hesitated to speak, and finally shut his mouth. After all, the higher-ups had repeatedly told him to obey Qiao Mingjin's orders in everything.
Just be his bodyguard and driver.
Seven or eight mecha soldiers were lingering outside the building, attracting the attention of passersby, who thought there had been a pollution outbreak inside. Fortunately, the mecha soldiers did not enter the building and quickly dispersed.
They perfectly distracted the people in the building and left behind the other mecha soldier who broke in earlier.
In the elevator hall on a certain floor, Xi Yue looked through the window at the starship flying away rapidly, and the hand that was holding the remote control relaxed.
Xiyue looked at her younger brother with a smile. He was big and strong, but very thoughtful.
"How can you be sure he won't bring people in to search?"
Xiaozi replied in a dull yet crisp tone, "Not sure."
Xi Yue was speechless.
So this was what he meant by "unsafe"? He'd knock out a surveillance camera to divert attention, then take advantage of the opportunity to break into a nearby high-rise building, gambling that Qiao Mingjin wouldn't enter to search?
But doing so would mean breaking off relations with Qiao Mingjin.
But it didn't matter, because that person had never given up his suspicion of her from the very beginning.
"Then you... are quite brave." Xiyue felt a little more favorable towards him.
"Occupational disease," Xiaozai said. "I used to be a mercenary."
Having a high level of mental strength, but refusing to join the legion and refusing to become a working party... this is illegal.
Xiyue was even more surprised: "Then do me another favor?"
"Sure." The admiral said that as long as Miss Xi asked, he would help her in any way.
Xi Yue: "Can a mercenary rent a starship without registering with their real name?"
Younger: “Sure.”
-
In the remote suburbs of the 33rd star zone, level five pollution broke out continuously. Every time, as soon as the gray hole exploded, the pollutants that had not yet mutated were instantly cleared, and the purification gun shot up into the sky.
Yuan Xu already had six small purification beads in his hand.
He turned his head to look at the expressionless man in front of him and smiled: "Anything else?"
Even facing imminent death, the man showed no sign of panic. He walked to the side of the street and reached out to pry off a piece of the wall lifted by the bullet. However, a high-temperature gas bomb arrived in an instant, dissolving his hand and wrist.
The flaming black and red mecha had already rushed in front of him.
Yuan Xu pressed the barrel of his gun against the man's brow and said with a smile, "I told you not to take new ones."
The light bomb penetrated the man's brain.
At the same time, the roar of engines coming from far away was heard amidst the dense pollution alarms. Yuan Xu looked up and saw that the mecha was immediately disguised in the same color as the building's exterior wall and disappeared around the corner.
He found the boy quietly waiting in a corner not far away and said helplessly: "Now I, the commander of a legion, have become a serial killer."
Shi Hanyi certainly did not react, and Yuan Xu also understood that those were not human at all.
But... he touched his nose. Although both were gods of pollution, Xiyue was much more interesting than this kid.
"Next?"
Shi Hanyi extended a hand and pressed it on his mecha, lighting up a star in Yuan Xu's mind, which was located in the neighboring star zone 32. It seemed that the God of Pollution in the star zone 33 had been completely eliminated, but it would take quite a while to fight his way from there to the star zone 40.
Now that it has happened, what else can I do? Just accept my fate.
Yuan Xu then wrapped Shi Hanyi in his armor, activated the flight system, and suddenly said, "Wait a moment."
He received the message from his younger brother and said in a teasing tone, "She's gone... Your mother actually hid a motorcycle here. Did you know?"
Hearing Xiyue, Shi Hanyi finally reacted and murmured two words: "Mom."
-
Xi Yue was delayed for about half an hour by having to rent a starship and retrieve a Flying Scooter from the warehouse. Qiao Mingjin, who had unimpeded access to all star zones, arrived at Sector 40 before her.
Major Lin, the leader of the kidnapping and theft case team, was already waiting under the star district building. He greeted Qiao Mingjin politely, asked no questions, and waited for the special envoy's orders.
Qiao Mingjin glanced around the building. Some of the lights on the lower floors were on, likely occupied by the night shift staff at the garrison and public security offices. The upper half of Major General Ma Liu's private residence was completely dark, seemingly empty.
Without explaining too much, Qiao Mingjin led the team towards the first-floor gate, but was stopped by the guard at the gate.
"Central Corps, investigate the kidnapping case."
After Qiao Mingjin finished speaking, Major Lin quickly showed his ID.
The guards looked at each other, and one of them said awkwardly, "Sir, please show me the search warrant."
Following the rules is a deeply ingrained concept among all interstellar people. If you want to search, you must apply for a search warrant with evidence. The analysis of the kidnapping and theft accomplices was just speculation. Qiao Mingjin had no evidence, so naturally he didn't have a search warrant.
Of course, as a special commissioner of the Central Corps, he could certainly conduct a forced search. However, he didn't embarrass the guards: "It's not a search, just an investigation. Retrieving the access records of the survival barrier of Sector 40."
Cooperating with the investigation is the obligation of all citizens.
Strangely, the guard still refused to let him in. He was just hesitating on how to speak when the door opened and two people walked out.
The leader was none other than Miyadai Toshi.
The two had never met before, but they both recognized each other's identity at first sight.
"Captain Qiao Mingjin?"
"Commander Gong."
"I thought Captain Joe had other assignments, but it turns out he's also investigating kidnappings?"
Qiao Mingjin replied with three words, neither humble nor arrogant: "Yes, we have some connection."
Miyagi Daimin remained silent, reaching back. An attendant immediately removed a memory card and placed it in her palm. She handed it over. "The survival barrier access data is uploaded every seven days. Captain Qiao will be able to check it in the system in two days. Why bother making a trip?"
"But Commander Gong still made preparations in advance."
"As the central government investigates the case, our local authorities must naturally provide full cooperation."
Gong Daimin seemed polite, but in reality, he was telling Qiao Mingjin that he had already planned their actions. Qiao Mingjin glanced at Xie Wenbo calmly, and the latter nodded slightly.
The memory does contain the pass records.
Trouble is here. Their real purpose in coming here is to see Ma Liu. After all, only Ma Liu has the status and authority to have the courage to collude with kidnappers and thieves. Unexpectedly, Gong Daimin suddenly appeared and blocked their way. They couldn't even get through the door.
Gong Daimin: "Since Captain Qiao has obtained the pass, can I give him a ride?"
Qiao Mingjin answered irrelevantly: "Commander Gong is also here to see Major General Ma Liu?"
"Why, in Captain Joe's eyes, this commander is also a suspect who needs to be interrogated?"
"I dare not. Commander Gong, take care."
Miyagi Daimin raised his lip and walked with his entourage to the berth nearby. They watched the starship take off in silence for a while.
Xie Wenbo whispered, "Captain, what should we do? It looks like the guards won't let us in to see Ma Liu."
“Even if you go in, you may not be able to see it.”
"You mean..." Xie Wenbo didn't dare to say the second half of the sentence. Has Ma Liu been dealt with by Gong Daimin?
No wonder Gong Daimin dared to give out the pass records directly. According to the code, tampering with the barrier pass records without permission is a felony. Even if the case team finds clues of kidnapping and theft, Ma Liu is gone and there is no evidence.
Furthermore, given Gong Daimin's status and skills, he would certainly leave no clues, and Ma Liu's disappearance would remain an unsolved case. Even if the family wealth of a major general was meager, the central government would be happy to accept it, which would only put pressure on the case team to accept the fact that Ma Liu's disappearance was equivalent to death.
The clues were completely cut off.
About ten people and two starships were silent at the berth for a long time.
Major Lin said tentatively, "How about we withdraw our investigation team and investigate other areas of the 42nd Legion? Just in case Ma Liu isn't the only one suspected of being an accomplice..."
Seeing Qiao Mingjin nodded, he hurried away with his team members.
Feng Yang saw Qiao Mingjin was deep in thought, and after some hesitation, he didn't say anything to interrupt him until the communicator rang: "Report, report!"
He is a member of the star team who stayed in the 33rd star zone.
Feng Yang immediately pressed the call button: "Go ahead."
"Three murders occurred in Sector 33 within one hour! The local police deduced that the murderer might be the same person!"
Under the harsh laws that often imposed suspended death sentences, murders were extremely rare, let alone three in a row. Furthermore, the timing was too consistent with the mecha escaping from the Admiral's Mansion.
Qiao Mingjin sat up straight: "Go back!"
However, just after the starship took off, a huge pollution alarm sounded, tearing through the dark night sky of Sector 40.
"Captain, it's the sector building. There's an outbreak of contamination in the sector building!"
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