LSDWTWHA chapter 87

Chapter 86

When the emperor heard Su Su’s answer, he was momentarily taken aback: “Have you thought it through? If you choose this, then the two rewards I just mentioned will be invalid. Additionally, Qi Hanyi specifically requested me to prepare the registration rights for the Bai Ze, saying that as long as you win the starship driving competition, you can obtain it. Considering the time, it should be nearing the finals, right? If you lose your standing, you will not be able to inherit the registration rights of the Bai Ze.”

“I’ve made up my mind; I want to save him!” Su Su’s voice was firm and resolute.

The emperor’s gaze shifted to Qi Xingli, who was sitting next to Su Su: “What does Xingli think?”

Qi Xingli responded, “Your Majesty, Su Su has already completed the mermaid differentiation. He indeed has the ability to rescue Qi Hanyi. Now that his identity and the issues surrounding the Dark Current have been concluded, why not grant him this opportunity…”

Before he could finish, a person in royal guard attire rushed in through the side door and whispered a few words to the emperor.

The emperor’s expression became complex as he glanced at Su Su, then ordered the person beside him: “Repeat the urgent news you just received to everyone.”

“Yes,” the guard immediately declared: “Distinguished lords, we have just received urgent intelligence that our contact point with the space station has been attacked by the insect race, and we are currently unable to receive any signals from the space station.”

“What did you say!” Even the typically calm Qi Xingli stood up in shock upon hearing this news: “I communicated with them this morning and the communications were fine. Please explain in detail what happened?”

“Yes, at 9:03 AM, we first lost the visual contact. The personnel on the other side reported that there were insects infiltrating the space station for an attack. We then faintly heard some chaotic sounds of battle, screams, and calls for help. By 9:14 AM, we lost contact with our main signal station and attempted to activate the backup signal station, but by 9:18 AM, the backup signal station activation failed. We cannot confirm the situation at the space station, and the supplies initially scheduled for delivery at 9:30 AM have also been postponed.”

“The situation is clear now,” the emperor said gravely: “The war situation is more severe than we imagined.”

“Hanyi, you will immediately enlist retired starship pilots who are in suitable condition for retraining and be ready to board the ship at any time.”

“Additionally, double the supplies for distribution, and prepare for long-term warfare. If the signal is not restored by this time in three days, we will launch all one hundred backup starships and five thousand mechs, carrying supplies into space, and send three hundred mechanical engineers along to build a temporary communication station. We must restore communication with the front lines within seven days.”

“If there are no urgent matters to discuss, this meeting ends here. After you leave, please prioritize preparing for this matter.”

The ministers below responded in acknowledgment, rising to leave, their steps far more hurried than when they arrived.

Su Su suddenly stepped forward, catching up to the emperor who was about to follow the guard out through the side door.

“Su Su, don’t be rude,” Qi Xingli’s warning voice came from behind.

But Su Su could not care less; he hurriedly stopped the emperor and asked, “Your Majesty, can I join the team heading out in three days?”

The emperor looked at the solemn Qi Xingli and then at the hopeful Su Su, and said gravely, “The space station has lost contact; everything up there is unknown. It’s the first time this has happened in a century. I cannot agree to let you take the risk in this situation. You are a promising candidate whom Hanyi has safeguarded, the most potential starship pilot for the future. But right now, you have not undergone starship pilot training. In this uncertain state, you cannot only let Hanyi down but also endanger yourself.”

“If you don’t try, how will you know? I am not afraid of death; I will find a way to rescue him,” Su Su insisted.

“Su Su, listen to the emperor. With an ambush at the space station and the main battlefield in complete disadvantage, Hanyi will most likely initiate a counterattack to kill the queen insect and secure victory in this war,” Qi Xingli said. “There’s no time left; in three days, Hanyi will likely have already dived deep into the tide of insects. How will you find him if you can’t even pilot a real starship?”

Su Su stubbornly replied, “Wherever he goes to find the queen insect, I will go to find him!”

Qi Xingli scolded, “Don’t be willful. Reality is not a game. Everyone is currently busy with the war, and there’s no time to discuss this with you.”

“You said that as long as I completed differentiation successfully, you would help me! You are all being rational, looking at the bigger picture. You clearly know that Qi Hanyi is going to die, yet you can act as if it doesn’t matter.” Su Su’s eyes reddened with emotion as he pulled out an old chip from his pocket, its edges smoothed by seawater: “Eighteen years ago, I saved Qi Hanyi’s life. It was not given by you! If you don’t care, I do! Whether you believe it or not, I can find him. Eighteen years ago, I found him at the bottom of the sea, and eighteen years later, in the starry sky, I can find him just the same!”

After finishing, Su Su turned around and left. He no longer expected Qi Xingli’s help; he decided to find a way on his own.

He had to find Qi Hanyi; he had to save him.

In the hall, Qi Xingli looked at Su Su’s figure without calling after him, nor pursuing him. He had been amazed too many times lately by this little shark who seemed almost magical.

His thoughts drifted back to that summer night eighteen years ago, a day he still remembered with pain. That day when he discovered the sunken ship, only his son, who had been tortured to the point of losing breath, was aboard. He had spent all night searching the sea and finally found Qi Hanyi weakly lying on the rocks.

The silver little shark swam into the distant sea, and he thought it was a shark that wanted to make a meal of the young Qi Hanyi, even issuing a kill order. But Qi Hanyi held onto him, saying not to shoot, claiming that the shark saved him.

It was hard for Qi Xingli to imagine a shark rescuing someone and had always regarded it as a delusion from Qi Hanyi’s delirious state after the incident, until he saw Su Su produce that chip, which Qi Hanyi had worn around his neck in his childhood, still bearing the Qi family crest.

Qi Hanyi never believed in fate, yet in this moment, he felt a certain force as if it were destined.

Qi Hanyi was his bloodline; even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance, how could he bear to give up on saving him and watch the child die? During a time of scarce information and limited resources, piloting a starship deep into insect territory was a gamble, and even Qi Hanyi had gone in with the belief of certain death. How could he expect Su Su, who had never piloted a real starship, to create a miracle?

But now, Su Su seemed to have proven with that chip that miracles do exist.

After Su Su and Qi Xingli had vented their tempers, he angrily rushed home and began intense training.

He spent a full day and night reviewing the piloting techniques summarized by Qi Hanyi, then took a good, restorative sleep. On the third day morning, Su Su began researching how to access the launch pad, intending to use Qi Hanyi’s privileges to sneak in with the supplies and engineers heading to the space station and then plan from there.

However, the defense of the launch pad at this time was tightened to a fortress-like level by Qi Xingli. When Su Su made his first attempt to sneak in, he was caught before he even reached the main entrance, and the military personnel, knowing they could not handle Su Su’s identity, sent him back to the Qi family manor for Qi Xingli to deal with.

When Qi Xingli heard the news, he came out from the command room. Due to the recent busy days, combined with his advanced age, fatigue was evident in his eyes.

When Su Su was brought before Qi Xingli, Qi Xingli surveyed his attire and noted that he was still wearing Qi Hanyi’s protective gear. This type of protective gear indeed made him appear less conspicuous among those entering and exiting the launch pad. But what Su Su did not know was that Qi Hanyi’s protective gear had a special identification chip embedded inside. As soon as he approached the launch pad, the command room would receive a notification. This was precisely why he failed before he could even slip through the front door.

It was likely that the command room was equally startled upon receiving the alert.

However, Qi Xingli did not intend to inform Su Su of this: “I advise you not to waste your effort; the tower will not allow you to sneak in.”

After saying this, Qi Xingli waved his hand, lacking the energy to teach Su Su a lesson, and allowed him to leave.

Su Su, having failed at his first attempt, felt immense frustration. As he pondered what other methods he could use to reach the space station, he unexpectedly nearly collided with someone approaching.

“Big sister-in-law, be careful while walking,” a smiling voice sounded next to Su Su’s ear.

Su Su looked up at the voice and suddenly came face to face with Qi Yang, which deepened his annoyance. Although their interactions were limited, Su Su had already labeled Qi Yang as duplicitous and a backstabber. So he didn’t even raise his head and intended to go around him to leave.

However, as soon as Su Su moved to the left, Qi Yang blocked him again. He then moved to the right, and Qi Yang followed.

“Are you looking for a fight?” Su Su frowned, pressing his lips together to show a fierce expression.

“Don’t be so fierce, big sister-in-law. I’m here to help you,” Qi Yang insisted.

Help him? Su Su didn’t believe it; this guy must be scheming to harm him again.

“No need; step aside, and stop bothering me!” Su Su retorted.

“I’m really here to help you,” Qi Yang pressed on. “Don’t you want to find big brother at the space station? I have a way to save him.”

“You’ve always wanted big brother dead so you could grab his position as the heir. How could you possibly help me save him?” Su Su asked bluntly.

Qi Yang showed an exaggerated expression: “Oh, big sister-in-law, you can’t say that. I admit I’m a bit jealous of big brother, but we’re all family. How could I wish for his death? Besides, the victory of this war concerns the survival of all humanity. I certainly hope you can save him, allowing him to deal with those insects and return us to a peaceful world.”

“Then what plan do you have?” Su Su felt skeptical but decided to listen to Qi Yang’s suggestion, hoping to gain some insight or possibly uncover unknown information.

“Do you know that there’s an old launch pad kept as a backup outside the imperial capital? It’s regularly maintained and fully functional. I can take you there, and also help you prepare a retired B-class starship.”

Su Su knew Qi Yang would not genuinely want to help, so he was sure there had to be a trap waiting for him. But then he reconsidered; since Qi Yang dared to mention the old launch pad, it should be real. Moreover, he had Qi Hanyi’s privileges, which was something Qi Yang didn’t know. If Qi Yang indeed prepared a B-class starship, wouldn’t that allow him to seize it effortlessly?

Nevertheless, as a precaution, Su Su quietly opened Qi Hanyi’s privileges, shared his location with Qi Yue, briefly relayed what Qi Yang had said, and added, “I’ll go check it out with him first. If the situation seems off, you can tell grandpa to send someone to rescue me.”

Qi Yue quickly replied: “Got it, leave grandpa to me. Just be careful.”

Qi Yang observed Su Su fiddling with his terminal but thought that a mermaid’s terminal invariably had limited privileges. Although Su Su could contact Qi Xingli, he dared not inform him while sneaking away. Once Qi Yang tricked Su Su into the designated location, the signal would be blocked, and he would be in a hopeless situation.

Qi Yang’s plan did indeed target Su Su. Because of Su Su’s previous involvement with the Dark Current, the relationship between the Qi family and the Mo family had become strained. He had agreed with Mo Shan that as long as he delivered Su Su, the previous conflict between the two families would be resolved in one stroke. Furthermore, Mo Shan would also be responsible for persuading his father to support him as the next heir of the Qi family following the incident with Qi Hanyi.

The two, with their own motives, quickly arrived at the location Qi Yang had mentioned. Qi Yang wasn’t lying; it truly was a backup launch pad.

“You can’t wear my brother’s suit. It has the chip in it. Once sensed, it’ll be reported immediately. I have a regular pilot’s protective suit here for you to change into.” Just before they got off the shuttle, Qi Yang handed Su Su a brand-new protective suit.

Realizing why he had been unable to infiltrate the launch pad earlier, Su Su complied and changed into the protective suit that Qi Yang provided. The two then entered the site where the backup launch pad was located.

Although there were guards around, compared to the active launch pad, it was much more relaxed. Qi Yang showed a hint of the family crest, successfully leading Su Su inside.

“This is it.” After a few twists and turns on the internal shuttle, Qi Yang brought Su Su to a track where a B-class starship was docked.

Before them sat a B-class starship that looked somewhat exaggerated; it was five or six stories high and the size of a two hundred-meter playground. Although it appeared somewhat run-down, its exterior remained intact.

“Let’s go inside and take a look.” Qi Yang opened the door of the abandoned starship, indicating for Su Su to head towards the cockpit.

After Su Su reconfirmed the positioning information with Qi Yue, he stepped onto the starship. The internal settings were reasonably intact, albeit a bit worn. Just as Su Su was evaluating the condition of the starship after taking a few steps forward, the transparent electronic door behind him suddenly activated and closed with a bang before he could react, with Qi Yang expertly remaining outside.

Su Su turned around to face Qi Yang: “Is there something wrong with this starship?”

Qi Yang maliciously raised the corner of his mouth: “Of course. Did you really naïvely think I was here to help you? The power system of this starship has long been dismantled; now it’s just an empty shell of a model.”

Oh? Su Su’s expression sank in disappointment, realizing that his plan to forcibly activate the starship using Qi Hanyi’s privileges had flopped.

Not wanting to waste more time, Su Su attempted to contact Qi Yue for extraction but found that the signal was already blocked.

Su Su was not surprised; he had already arranged with Qi Yue that if his signal disappeared, Qi Yue would directly inform Qi Xingli. Knowing Qi Yue’s efficiency, he expected to be rescued quickly.

Moreover… Su Su touched the terminal ring on his finger with his thumb, his tiger tooth licking the tip as a ruthless light flickered in his eyes.

“At this time, the only one who would be interested in me is likely Mo Shan, so you’re colluding with the Mo family to set me up?” Su Su looked down, his expression gloomy, his voice sounding a little shaky due to restraint.

Qi Yang saw Su Su lowering his head, and thinking he was frightened, felt victorious: “Not too dumb after all. Just stay here and wait; in a little while, someone from the Mo family will come to take you away. As for what happens next, that will be your fate.”

“Qi Yang, do you know that I’m avoiding you, not because I’m afraid of you, but because you’re too annoying? I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist hitting you,” Su Su raised his head, his eyes cold and dangerous.

“What?” Qi Yang instinctively stepped back half a step, and even though there was a glass door separating them, he felt a hint of panic. He finally realized that Su Su’s response was somewhat unexpected.

Su Su pressed a hand against the switch, and the electronic door opened with a sound, erasing the barrier between them.

Qi Yang turned and ran, not even having time to think about why Su Su could open the door in front of him, not understanding why he was taller and stronger than Su Su but was terrified of the other. Yet, Su Su’s predatory gaze crossed the line of his reason and awakened his instinct to survive.

Qi Yang sprinted toward the starship’s main door.

“Bang!” The starship’s large door closed before Qi Yang, and he panted heavily as he stopped: “W-Why can you…”

“Why can I control this starship? Because Qi Hanyi gave me a gift,” Su Su operated on the terminal, bringing lights inside the starship to life, illuminating the entire cabin. He shook the ring on his hand, clearly showing off: “His private access.”

“Now, the Mo family can’t get in. I’ve already notified Qi Yue; with the remaining time, I can settle the score with you before your grandfather arrives.” Su Su finished saying and kicked Qi Yang in the abdomen: “This one is for how you used others to scheme against me at the Mo family banquet.”

Then followed up with an elbow strike: “This one is for your snide remarks at the family dinner.”

The little shark had no particular method for beating someone, only a reckless ferocity. Qi Yang was stunned at first, and later, when he tried to fight back, he was completely overwhelmed by Su Su, ultimately ending up on the ground bleeding from his mouth and nose, begging for mercy.

Afterward, Su Su was tired from the fight. Rubbing his slightly reddened hands, he glanced down at the slightly scraped corner of his lips and looked at Qi Yang from an elevated position: “Remember, don’t provoke me again. Qi Hanyi is holding back because we are family. I won’t be so lenient. I hold grudges; whoever offends me once, I will pay back double.”

Meanwhile, after receiving the news, Qi Yue immediately sought out Qi Xingli to inform him of Qi Yang’s deception.

“This is ridiculous!” Qi Xingli was so furious that his beard bristled: “I thought fourth brother was just doing some minor mischief, but wouldn’t lose his mind over something serious. Yet now he actually… It seems the last warning didn’t make him reflect. Once this conflict is over, I won’t let him off lightly!”

“And Su Su, does he really think he can pilot a B-class starship to find Qi Hanyi? Does he think this is a game? That broken B-class starship will become scrap metal once it encounters the advanced insect race—it’s essentially a death wish.” Qi Xingli turned to Qi Yue: “Qi Hanyi is my grandson; he is the heir of the Qi family. If there is any opportunity to save him, would I even need to stop him? Qi Yue, since you’re on good terms with Su Su, tell me—what is he really after? Why would he want to take a risk knowing the odds are slim?”

“Grandpa, I can understand Su Su. Your perspective is based on your position, but have you considered that Su Su is a mermaid? Mermaids are born with not only mental force but also emotions that are clearer and more intense than humans.”

“Whether it’s big brother, the emperor, or you, you all believe that keeping him alive is for his own good. You’ve paved a seemingly beneficial path for him, thinking that can compensate for his loss of companion. But feelings cannot be measured on a scale. Su Su has differentiated for big brother, meaning he chose to become human for him. If big brother truly dies, he won’t die on the battlefield but might very well die from excessive sorrow. In Su Su’s heart, first is big brother, second is the starship, and then the life he lives as a human. He values big brother more than his own life. Only with big brother or him, would he have the motivation to learn starship piloting, live as a human, and contemplate his future.”

“So how can you expect him to watch big brother die from a mental force collapse and not act in time to save him? If you ask me, it may be better to meet his wish. If he’s successful, it’s a joyous end for everyone; if not, let him and big brother be a pair of doomed lovers rather than letting him live in regret for life after hearing the news of big brother’s death.”

After listening to Qi Yue’s words, Qi Xingli remained silent for a long time.

Qi Yue sensed his wavering and cautiously probed, “Grandpa, are you moved? Are you preparing to help Su Su?”

Qi Xingli shot her a glance, his face cold: “The emperor has already ordered that he cannot go. The emperor’s command is paramount and cannot be defied.”

“Ah…” Qi Yue pouted, almost able to hang an oil bottle: “Please think again, how pitiful they are. Even if it’s just to see each other one more time, it would be good.”

“Hmph, I will not allow a half-baked pilot like Su Su to pilot a starship,” Qi Xingli stated firmly: “You should go save him quickly; don’t delay further and let Mo Shan seize the opportunity.”

“Oh…” Qi Yue responded in disappointment as she slowly walked out.

Just when she was about to exit the door, Qi Xingli’s voice echoed from behind: “You just mentioned the backup launch pad. I remembered that Qi Hanyi himself has an SS-class starship named Silver Shark, which he used before inheriting the Bai Ze, and has been stored at the backup launch pad. If you have the time, check on its maintenance status for me. It might become useful later on.”

If it were just to check on the maintenance condition, there would be no need to send Qi Yue specifically. This was clearly a hint for her.

An SS-class starship for Su Su—besides other things, it would definitely increase safety. Qi Yue’s mouth broke into a brilliant smile as she dashed out of the courtyard: “I knew grandpa you’re the best!”