LWDC Chapter 201

Chapter 201 – Open the Door!

Chapter 201 – Open the Door!

Chapter 201 – OPEN THE DOOR!

The seemingly unremarkable silver spaceship quietly entered the spaceport.

“Huh? That’s not right, is it?”

A crew member, peering out the porthole, noticed something amiss, pointing outside and saying, “Most of the spaceships are going into that channel. Look, there are even models similar to ours at the end of the queue. Why are we going this way?”

They raised the question on the internal channel, and the cockpit replied, “We’re following instructions from the control tower. I’ll ask.”

A moment later, the cockpit’s voice sounded again on the internal channel: “Not good, brothers. We’ve been selected for inspection.”

“Huh?! What kind of inspection?”

“They’re calling it a routine random check,” the cockpit replied. “They pick one from the whitelist every so often, and we just happened to be chosen.”

“Really? It feels too coincidental. Could they have tracked us?”

“Calm down, act normal,” Duan Yunhong finally spoke on the channel. “If they were tracking us, we’d be surrounded by now. Who’d wait for you to obediently queue up?”

“Yeah, that’s true…”

“Boss, the spaceport has sent the inspection details,” the cockpit said again. “They’re requesting that everyone except those in critical roles that can’t be left gather together to wait for inspection. They might be checking IDs.”

“Damn, exciting!” The crew members clamored on the channel. “This is a test for those with fake identities. If anyone’s ID is found to be problematic, oh boy!”

“Stop acting crazy, stay on edge. Everyone remember your fake identities, don’t slip up, and especially don’t cause trouble,” Duan Yunhong suppressed their excitement. “Lock Rasel and those two in their rooms, don’t let them wander around.”

“Got it!” The crew members responded. “Oh, right, Boss, are you coming to the gathering too?”

“Yes. To prevent anyone from making trouble because the leader isn’t there,” Duan Yunhong instructed. “Also, if anyone is wearing strange clothes, change them quickly. Act like a normal person.”

“Yes, yes, yes, act like a normal person, act like an honest ‘corporate slave’ crew member. The acting challenge is on again, hahaha…”

Duan Yunhong turned off the boisterous channel.

*

Several tens of minutes after the spaceship queued into the channel, the spaceport’s boarding request arrived.

The hatch opened, and three robots boarded the spaceship, beginning the on-site inspection. The robots were equipped with various inspection instruments; generally, almost no equipment could escape their detection. Therefore, even though they were assembled from hemispheres and cylinders, people jokingly called them “electronic dogs.”

One electronic dog came to the personnel gathering hall, scanned everyone’s face, and “randomly” selected a few to cooperate by presenting their identification information. Other electronic dogs went deeper inside, patrolling the spaceship according to the internal map. The people on the spaceship didn’t follow, but the spaceship’s monitoring equipment sensed the electronic dogs’ positions and could report their every move at any time.

“Boss.”

A subordinate standing next to Duan Yunhong, waiting for the inspection, glanced at his communicator, leaned close to Duan Yunhong’s ear, and whispered, “They’re heading to them.”

This referred to Rasel and Oren’s rooms. To justify their absence from the gathering, the spaceship had previously reported that they were “resting due to illness.” Rasel and his little girlfriend were reported to have a cold, and Oren was reported to have diarrhea. Oh, right, to make the diarrhea more realistic (and to keep Oren in line), the crew members had actually given him laxatives. Even if the electronic dog wanted to inspect him, he’d probably be squatting in the toilet and unable to come out.

“Mm,” Duan Yunhong glanced at the electronic dog checking the crew members’ identities not far away and simply responded with two words, “It’s fine.”

The subordinate nodded and stood straight, but still occasionally glanced at the monitoring information on his communicator. When the electronic dog safely left the doorway of Oren’s room, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

This spaceship wasn’t big. In less than half an hour, the three electronic dogs regrouped, preparing to announce the inspection results to the crew members and the spaceport system.

“This inspection is complete,” the electronic dogs broadcasted, with green lights already lit on top of their heads. “According to the laws of the Luo Pang Empire and Planet Punai, the items inspected this time are… beep—!”

The monotonous broadcast abruptly stopped, turning into a sharp five-second alert tone. The green light on top of the electronic dogs suddenly changed, switching to a rotating yellow light. The people who had already relaxed tensed up again. Before anyone could ask a question, the electronic dog broadcasted again: “This flight has been included in the manual inspection procedure! All personnel on the flight, please remain in place, do not move, and wait for the inspectors to board. Please cooperate with the inspectors and ensure that all your answers are true and valid…”

“Hey,” a crew member asked the electronic dog, “Why suddenly a manual inspection? And without giving a reason?”

“Sorry, I cannot answer your question,” the electronic dog replied. “You may inquire with the inspectors later.”

Duan Yunhong’s subordinate looked at him: “Boss?”

Duan Yunhong narrowed his eyes slightly: “Let’s see what happens.”

“Could it be a ‘toll’…”

“We’ll see.”

The electronic dogs continued to broadcast the precautions, and after they finished, they fell silent. The scene fell into silence, with only the yellow lights rotating in circles, scanning over everyone.

The crew members didn’t move their feet, but they silently exchanged glances with each other. Duan Yunhong, of course, received their questioning signals, but he persistently maintained his unyielding expression, which gradually calmed the restlessness of the other crew members.

Just then, a new boarding request arrived.

Calling it a request was actually a mandatory requirement that the inspected party had to agree to. Refusing at this time would be seen as a major problem, directly inviting even bigger trouble. Even so, the request was passed from the cockpit to Duan Yunhong for a second confirmation. Duan Yunhong agreed, and the spaceship opened its hatch again.

The people in the hall soon heard footsteps.

More than one, the strides were powerful and not lazy, clearly the newcomers weren’t ordinary people. The crew members’ nerves couldn’t help but tighten.

Sure enough, people in uniform soon appeared at the entrance of the hall.

— It was the guard.

“…No markings of the spaceport system.” The crew members quickly realized that the guard’s attire was a bit off. Duan Yunhong’s subordinate approached him and whispered, “Boss, why aren’t they wearing any system markings? That’s not right, is it?”

Duan Yunhong also narrowed his eyes slightly at this point.

Then, a figure appeared in his vision.

A blue uniform with gold trim and a black belt with gold stars outlined his tall and slender figure, complete with a police cap, gloves, and boots. The epaulet embroidered his police rank insignia, making him the highest-ranking sergeant in this guard unit.

Most importantly, a very familiar, simple brooch was fastened to the sergeant’s lapel.

Duan Yunhong’s expression relaxed instantly.

Not only that, but there was even a clear hint of appreciation in his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the sergeant’s body unrestrainedly.

The subordinate next to him noticed the change in his expression and was at a loss: What is he going to do???

The sergeant, seemingly unaware of the impolite stare, simply stood in front of the guard unit, his eyes sweeping over everyone present, and asked in a cold voice: “Who is the captain?”

“I am.” Before anyone else could respond, Duan Yunhong spoke directly, “I am responsible for this spaceship.”

“Oh.” The sergeant walked over and extended a hand to him, “What’s your name…?”

“My surname is Zhang, Zhang Xing,” Duan Yunhong said, using the name of his false identity, shaking his hand, without intending to let go immediately, “Sergeant, what’s your name?”

“Ning Fei.”

As soon as the words fell, Duan Yunhong was about to raise a smile when a sudden change occurred!

Ning Fei pressed a button on the wrist device on his hand, and the device instantly popped out two connected electronic handcuffs, cuffing their hands together. At the same time, a small laser gun was quickly drawn by Ning Fei, pointing directly at Duan Yunhong’s forehead!

All of this happened too quickly, smoothly and efficiently, seemingly in less than two seconds.

“…Boss!”

“Don’t move!”

Ning Fei shouted loudly, the movements of the space pirates who pulled out their guns and the guards were all suspended, but the guns were still aimed at each other. Of course, the most people were aiming at Ning Fei.

Ning Fei turned a blind eye to this. The hand holding the gun was still very steady, and he could even use a slightly teasing tone when speaking: “Surname Zhang? That’s not right, isn’t it? You can’t even find a good-sounding name to use? I’ll give you another chance, what’s your name?”

Duan Yunhong’s fingers squeezed slightly on the still clasped hand: “…Duan Yunhong.”

“That’s right, Captain Duan. You’re wanted on the interstellar wanted list, and you still dare to land so brazenly. You really think highly of yourselves.” Ning Fei let go of his hand, but there was still a chain connecting the two. “Turn around.”

Duan Yunhong looked at him deeply, and turned around as he said.

Ning Fei unlocked the handcuffs on his wrist, and instead handcuffed Duan Yunhong’s hands behind his back. Then, he linked a second chain in the middle of the chain, the other end of which he held in his hand.

“Now, have your men lay down their weapons and accept restraint.”

Duan Yunhong looked back at him, and Ning Fei put the gun to Duan Yunhong’s lower back and mocked, “Do as I say. You don’t want your back to be shot through, do you?”

Duan Yunhong then looked at his subordinates: “Do as he says.”

The crowd looked at each other a few times, unwilling, but still put down their guns. The guards quickly approached, handcuffing their hands and feet one by one, searching their bodies for weapons, and placing electronic locators. Now the space pirates could only move in small steps, almost completely losing the ability to resist.

Duan Yunhong didn’t really care about the plight of these subordinates. He just turned to look at Ning Fei: “We… I have information I can tell you, let’s talk alone?”

“You want to negotiate terms now? You’re dreaming.” Ning Fei raised his hand and patted Duan Yunhong’s face with the barrel of his gun. “You don’t think we’re just here to catch someone on the wanted list, do you?

“First hand over the little prince you kidnapped, Captain Duan.”

——————–

Our Fei Fei, playing cool!