C9 — First Interstellar Prison

The Rockside sailed out of the space station silently.

 

He Xiangchen stared incredulously at the old emperor who was locked up in the interrogation room. “How did you do it?”

 

“Dropped the bag while there was chaos.” Angnis looked at him with amusement. “Did you think that I let you compete with Josephine just to tease you?”

 

Wasn’t it?

 

He Xiangchen didn’t say this out loud; seeing as he managed to bring the old emperor on board the starship, He Xiangchen decided to forget about it.

 

“Should you or I take the statement?” He Xiangchen consciously asked for Angnis’s opinion; after all, this was the other party’s hostage.

 

However, Angnis avoided answering and instead asked him, “If I let you come, what would you do?”

 

“Use a lie detector.”

 

He Xiangchen said without thinking; this was the usual practice of the military department; technology had developed to the present day, and the accuracy of the lie detector was already as high as ninety-nine percent.

 

“The general is really merciful; if it were me, I wouldn’t use a lie detector. I would have tortured him first, so that he would know what would happen if he framed me. I would have someone cut open his skin and release bloo-dthirsty worms into the wound. I’d revive him when he was on the verge of death.”

 

“A few times back and forth like that, and he’ll say everything.”

 

Angnis’s icy cold gaze was like a scalpel; just by looking at the emperor like this, it was as if he had already sliced through his flesh and skin.

 

Even He Xiangchen was given a chill by his words.

 

Not to mention the old emperor, who was still pretending to be dazed.

 

“Don’t pretend you’re unconscious,” Angnis snorted. “Perhaps you’d prefer to try being gnawed on by blo-odthirsty worms right now?”

 

“No!”

 

The old emperor sat up in a hurry and looked at them with an indignant expression, “Do you know what you are doing? I am the emperor of the planet Demera. Can you afford the offense of kid-napping the emperor?”

 

“Offense?”He Xiangchen pointed at himself, the corner of his mouth slightly upturned, “You think I would be afraid?”

 

“You, you’re ……”

 

He Xiangchen had removed his disguise as soon as he left the Imperial Star, and the He Xiangchen who now stood in front of the emperor was clearly topped with the face that had caused the royal family of the Demera Star to deeply hate him.

 

“Yu Qiming?!”The king’s mouth grew wide, both of his eyes widened to the size of copper bells. “How could it be you? No, it can’t be!”

 

“Thanks to your blessing, I’m still alive and well and have come to Imperial Star for sightseeing. I have to say, your daughter really impressed me.”

 

He Xiangchen made two sarcastic remarks, satisfied to see the emperor’s face turn pale instantly, before getting straight to the point: “I don’t intend to take your life; if you want to be free, just do what I say.”

 

“What do you want me to do?” The emperor asked apprehensively.

 

“Tell me first, who asked you to frame me?” He Xiangchen’s sharp eyes stared firmly at the emperor. “Who is that person?”

 

A compelling might swept over the emperor as he lumbered back to the base of the interrogation room wall, his back against the wall. The cold touch fed back some clarity to him, which freed him from the pressure He Xiangchen had given him.

 

“I, I don’t know…”

 

In just a few seconds, the emperor already felt his back covered in cold sweat, and the icy, moistening sensation almost seeped into his bone marrow.

 

Noticing He Xiangchen’s slightly cold gaze, he hurriedly told him all that he knew, “That person put on make-up when he approached me. I once sent someone to check his identity but found nothing.”

 

These words were easily believed by He Xiangchen; when a person was in extreme panic, only telling the truth could allow him to find a sense of comfort. Even without the use of a lie detector, he believed in his own judgment.

 

“What are you going to do?”Angnis asked him.

 

He Xiangchen thought for a moment and said, “Let him give a statement first. I’ll leave the rest to you. I think his identity should help you a bit.”

 

“We’re not k-illing him?”

 

He Xiangchen looked at Angnis in surprise. “You want to ki-ll him? Even if you ki-ll him, there will be a new emperor in the Dimera planet. It’s better to make him sign some treaties while he’s still alive; it’s better than k-illing him.”

 

Angnis stared at He Xiangchen, his eyes dark. He Xiangchen had never been looked at like this before, and he could see his own silhouette reflected in the other party’s dark eyes, nothing else but him.

 

“Maybe he can do a lot of things alive and can bring me a lot of benefits. But there’s only one point…” Angnis suddenly stopped, raised his hand, and hooked He Xiangchen’s chin with his finger. “He touched you; he can’t live.”

 

He touched you; he can’t live.

 

He Xiangchen stared at him in a daze, momentarily forgetting to avoid Angnis’ palm.

 

He had almost forgotten what it felt like to be protected. He was a five-star general of the Federation, and behind him was the life and safety of the Federation’s masses. He Xiangchen had long since grown accustomed to carrying this heavy responsibility on his shoulders and to his identity as a protector.

 

He had never thought that he would also have a day when he would be protected.

 

As if he hadn’t noticed He Xiangchen’s change, Angnis softly asked in the general’s ear, “After the statement is recorded, is the general going to return to the Federation?”

 

Of course he would go back; after all, he did, wasn’t it to clear his name? But facing the deep gaze of Angnis, he found himself unable to answer him.

 

He averted his gaze. “I will give you the route to the Resource Star.”

 

Angnis smiled and said with intent, “Okay, then I’ll wait for the general’s route map.”

 

……

 

The next day, the Rockside returned to Planet Lancelot, and He Xiangchen unsurprisingly got the emperor’s statement from Angnis.

 

As for what Angnis would do with the king, they tacitly didn’t mention it. With the confession and proof of assets, it was enough to prove his innocence.

 

That night, Angnis held a celebration banquet for He Xiangchen.

 

At the celebration banquet, there were Fei’er and William, as well as Angnis’s men; the only one who wasn’t seen was Truss.

 

“This first drink, I toast to the General. Congratulations to the general for clearing his name; getting back to the top is just around the corner.”

 

Angnis raised his glass, and everyone followed suit.

 

He Xiangchen drank the wine in one go. “Many thanks.”

 

Just as he had put down his glass, Angnis had already filled a second glass for him. “This glass is to wish the General a bright future and prosperity. General, don’t worry; the cooperation between us will not be known by any outsiders. You are still the Star of the Federation, and I am still a Star Pirate.”

 

He Xiangchen watched as he tilted his head, the knot in his throat rolling up and down. His heart followed the ups and downs, and even after a long period of silence, he only squeezed out two words, “Many thanks.”.

 

“Apart from thanks, doesn’t the general have anything else to say to me?” Angnis stared at He Xiangchen, as if he wanted to get some answer from him. “I’ve done so much for the General; are you not touched at all?”

 

“I will repay.”

 

“With that resource star?” Angnis scoffed, “To use that kind of words to deceive me, Lord General has underestimated me too much.”

 

He Xiangchen pursed his lips and didn’t say anything. As for Angnis, he looked at him with an increasingly burning gaze. He moved closer to He Xiangchen, his tone dangerous, “Even if there is, I don’t want it anymore.”

 

“Then what do you want?”He Xiangchen frowned slightly; the distance between them was so close that he could even smell the sweet aroma of the wine in Angnis’s mouth.

 

Angnis finally revealed his first smile of the day.

 

He leaned in close to He Xiangchen and whispered in the sensitive contours of his ear, “What I want is you.”

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