Chapter 113: The Organization
When Nan Yu opened his eyes, he was still a little dazed.
But there was already someone within his line of sight.
A person who was both unfamiliar...
And strangely familiar.
Why was this person here?!
Nan Yu immediately sat up and looked around at his surroundings.
It was a completely unfamiliar place.
Since he was indoors, he had no way of knowing whether he was still on the Capital Star.
The optical brain he always wore on his wrist was gone.
Someone had obviously removed it.
Who knew where they had thrown it?
But that wasn't the most urgent issue.
His spatial button was gone!!
Without thinking, Nan Yu blurted out,
"You took my spatial button?!"
The other man was obviously surprised.
This powerful yet seemingly fragile Mental Power User had realized he had been kidnapped, yet instead of demanding to know where he was or asking who his captor was...
His very first question was whether his spatial button had been taken.
Normally, the most important thing to any Mental Power User was their own life.
So the fact that Nan Yu valued the spatial button even more than himself...
Did that mean...
Of course, it was also possible that Nan Yu was simply smart.
He knew no one would harm him after kidnapping him, so he chose to ask about the most valuable thing besides himself.
"It's with me."
The man pulled the spatial button from his pocket and opened his palm for Nan Yu to see.
The corner of Nan Yu's mouth twitched.
"Give it back."
The other party clearly had no intention of doing so.
"No."
Perhaps realizing his attitude was rather poor, he added,
"After everything is over, I'll return all of your belongings."
Nan Yu took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
He actually knew the person who had kidnapped him.
Not in this lifetime...
But from his previous life.
As fate would have it...
The man was Ye Xing.
If this hadn't been the same person who had sheltered him during his escape in his previous life, Nan Yu would already have unleashed his mental power to kill him.
Even if he couldn't kill him...
He would at least turn him into an idiot.
"Who are you? Why did you bring me here? What's your purpose? And... are we still on the Capital Star?"
Based on what he knew about Ye Xing...
If Ye Xing had allowed him to regain consciousness, then they had definitely already left the Capital Star.
"My name is Ye Xing."
Nan Yu raised an eyebrow.
"You're just telling me your name like that?"
Ye Xing replied indifferently,
"There's nothing wrong with telling you."
"It's just a name."
"Today I can be Ye Xing."
"Tomorrow I can be Ye Guang."
"I can change it whenever I want."
Nan Yu fell silent for a moment.
If he didn't possess memories of his previous life...
He might actually have believed him.
"Forget it."
"What your name is has nothing to do with me."
"Why did you kidnap me?"
Ye Xing glanced at him before putting away the spatial button.
Seeing that Nan Yu no longer seemed especially concerned about it...
Perhaps there wasn't anything important inside?
Had he guessed wrong?
Or did Nan Yu simply know that he would definitely return it?
"You're a Mental Power User."
"There's only one reason to kidnap someone like you."
Nan Yu frowned slightly.
"There are plenty of Mental Power Users stronger than me."
"Why come after me?"
Ye Xing also frowned.
If he had been given a choice...
He wouldn't have wanted to provoke someone like Nan Yu.
Especially considering how powerful Nan Yu's background was.
Even now...
If he hadn't escaped quickly enough earlier...
He probably would have been trapped inside the lockdown zone.
"The only Mental Power Users stronger than you are High-Tier Mental Power Users."
"They're national treasures."
"It's impossible to take them."
"Even the smallest countries would mobilize their entire nation to protect them."
Nan Yu snorted.
"What would it take for you to let me go?"
"Treat someone for me."
"What about the treatment fee?"
Ye Xing paused.
He clearly hadn't expected Nan Yu to seriously discuss payment under these circumstances.
"I'll pay you ten times your usual commission."
Nan Yu looked at him.
"Deal."
Ye Xing stared deeply at him.
"Of course..."
"That's assuming you successfully cure him."
Nan Yu spread his hands.
"And if I can't?"
"What then?"
"Kill me?"
Ye Xing shook his head.
"Every Mental Power User is a treasure."
"And you're an even greater treasure."
"I won't harm you."
"If even you can't help..."
"I'll naturally send you back."
Nan Yu smiled faintly.
"What?"
"You're actually that honorable?"
"I've already seen your face."
"What if I return to the Empire, make your appearance public, and have the military hunt you down?"
Ye Xing answered calmly,
"Many countries have already issued warrants for my arrest."
So one more wouldn't matter.
That made sense.
In his previous life, Ye Xing had also been hunted by Bai Zhouyun after sheltering Nan Yu.
Even so...
He had always lived freely.
He handled everything at his own leisurely pace.
Not once had he ever been caught.
By contrast...
As long as Nan Yu stayed beside Ye Xing, nothing ever happened to him.
But the moment Ye Xing left...
Nan Yu was quickly captured again.
The gap between the two of them had always been that obvious.
Nan Yu snorted.
"How much longer until we arrive?"
"What's the condition of the person you want me to treat?"
"About one month."
"As for his condition..."
"Strictly speaking, only a High-Tier Mental Power User should be capable of curing him."
Nan Yu's eyes narrowed.
"So his Mental Contamination has reached S-rank?"
"Yes."
"Then why do you think a Mid-Tier Mental Power User like me can cure him?"
"You went through all this trouble to kidnap me."
"No matter how capable I am, I'm still only Mid-Tier."
"I'm not High-Tier."
Ye Xing replied,
"I always investigate thoroughly before taking action."
"You once successfully treated an Ability User whose Mental Contamination had already reached S-rank."
"Otherwise I never would have come looking for you."
Nan Yu slowly leaned closer.
"Where did you hear that?"
"That should be classified information."
Ye Xing answered calmly,
"Once enough people know a secret..."
"It stops being a secret."
"There are always ways to gather information."
Nan Yu smiled.
"You're quite impressive, Ye Xing..."
"You're flattering me."
Nan Yu immediately lost interest in talking to him.
In his previous life, Ye Xing had been his protector during their escape.
But in this life...
He was nothing more than the man who had kidnapped him.
Although Ye Xing had promised to pay ten times the normal treatment fee...
That didn't change the fact that Nan Yu had been brought here against his will.
He leaned silently against the wall and closed his eyes to rest.
Perhaps because he had been unconscious for so long...
He wasn't sleepy at all.
Ye Xing watched Nan Yu sit silently in the corner.
He also remained quiet.
Soon afterward, however, he stood up and left the room.
Before leaving, he merely pulled the door almost shut.
Nan Yu noticed.
But he made no attempt to follow.
Although Ye Xing moved at a leisurely pace...
Everything he did was methodical.
If he dared to leave the door unlocked...
It meant he was absolutely certain Nan Yu couldn't escape.
Or perhaps...
He was confident he could catch him before he got very far.
Having personally experienced Ye Xing's abilities in his previous life...
Nan Yu completely abandoned the idea of trying to escape.
Besides...
He strongly suspected they were already aboard Ye Xing's spacecraft.
Thinking back to that ship from his previous life...
He couldn't help feeling conflicted.
From the outside...
It looked like an ancient wreck that had been modified and patched together countless times.
A complete piece of junk.
Yet once inside...
Everything was state-of-the-art.
Nan Yu glanced at the nearby tables and chairs before standing up and sitting on the bed.
There was a perfectly good bed here.
Why had he been sitting against the wall earlier?
About ten minutes later...
Ye Xing returned.
The first thing he saw was Nan Yu comfortably lying on the bed.
Only after noticing Ye Xing—and the tray of food in his hands—did Nan Yu lazily sit up.
"Just put it on the table."
"I'll eat in a bit."
For one of the rare occasions in his life...
Ye Xing was rendered speechless.
Nevertheless, he walked over and placed the food on the table.
"Eat while it's still warm."
Nan Yu got out of bed and sat down at the table.
Looking at the familiar dishes...
He immediately recognized Ye Xing's cooking style.
Although it didn't look very appetizing...
It actually tasted quite good.
After all...
Ye Xing himself was an extremely picky eater.
Surprisingly...
Their tastes matched almost perfectly.
Of course...
Nan Yu had no intention of revealing that.
He carefully picked through the food.
Once he was certain he wouldn't go hungry, he put down his chopsticks.
About one-quarter of the meal remained.
Ye Xing glanced at it without saying anything.
He quickly cleaned everything up and prepared to leave.
Nan Yu wasn't about to let him go so easily.
"I'm thirsty."
"Bring me some water later."
"I'll need something to drink."
Ye Xing nodded to show he understood.
Then he left the room.
Two or three minutes later...
He returned with a kettle of water and a cup.
After placing them inside...
He quickly left again.
Before leaving...
He closed the door.
Just closed it.
He didn't lock it.
After lying on the clean bed for a while...
Nan Yu got up, poured himself a glass of water, then opened the door and calmly walked outside.
The moment he stepped out...
He became certain.
He was aboard Ye Xing's signature spacecraft.
He had visited this place many times in his previous life.
Nan Yu looked around.
Soon he headed toward the right.
If he remembered correctly...
The cockpit was in that direction.
Outside the cockpit was a panoramic holographic viewing area where the scenery beyond the ship could be seen.
When he arrived...
Sure enough...
The vast star-filled universe stretched out before him.
Without realizing it...
He became completely absorbed in the view.
He didn't even notice when Ye Xing appeared behind him.
"Do you like it?"
Nan Yu folded his arms.
"Of course."
"Who wouldn't like scenery this beautiful?"
"But..."
"I think a view like this only has its proper atmosphere when you're sharing it with someone you love."
Unfortunately...
Standing before him...
Was nothing but his kidnapper.
Ye Xing awkwardly scratched his cheek.
"To be honest..."
"I've kidnapped a lot of Mental Power Users."
"You're the first one I've ever gotten along with this well."
"So..."
"Would you consider giving me a chance?"
Nan Yu rolled his eyes.
"Are you joking?"
"You just told me you're wanted by numerous countries."
"Starting today..."
"The Empire will probably—no, definitely—join that list."
"You expect me to become a wanted fugitive alongside you?"
"Spend my life on the run?"
"Besides..."
"The person I've already chosen is far more outstanding than you."
Ye Xing narrowed his eyes slightly.
Perhaps it was simply an Ability User's instinct.
Any Ability User who had just expressed interest in a Mental Power User would feel dissatisfied upon hearing that another Ability User was supposedly better.
Someone with a good temper might merely change expression.
Someone with a bad temper...
Would immediately challenge the other person to a duel.
Ye Xing currently belonged to the latter category.
Somewhat unconvinced, he asked,
"Is there really an Ability User stronger than me?"
Nan Yu raised his chin proudly.
"Of course."
"He's the finest."
"The strongest Ability User in our Empire."
"No one can compare to him."
The moment Nan Yu said that...
Ye Xing immediately knew who he meant.
Realizing the identity of that person...
Ye Xing honestly gave up arguing.
He had heard that man's reputation long ago.
Unwilling to accept it at the time...
He had found an opportunity to challenge him.
The result...
He had been utterly crushed.
So when it came to combat ability...
He truly wasn't that man's equal.
Nan Yu wasn't wrong.
Ye Xing changed the subject.
"Wasn't your fiancé that Bai fellow?"
Nan Yu shrugged.
"He was."
"But didn't you hear?"
"He was recently arrested for criminal activity."
"You mean the illegal drugs?"
"That's right."
"The Empire completely prohibits the circulation of illegal drugs."
"I imagine every country does."
"But that organization..."
"It's like parasites clinging to bone."
"As long as a country exists..."
"They continue existing."
"And even after the country dies..."
"They'll continue feeding on its corpse."
Ye Xing nodded.
"That's an incredibly accurate description."
"Even now..."
"No one has managed to discover who originally founded the organization."
"But..."
Nan Yu waited for him to continue.
"According to my investigation..."
"The organization no longer has a single supreme leader."
"Instead, each country has its own administrator."
"In larger countries..."
"There may be two..."
"Three..."
"Or even more."
"All of those administrators maintain constant communication with one another."
"And they're remarkably coordinated."
"They sometimes fight among themselves."
"But whenever an outside enemy appears..."
"If one administrator can no longer hold out..."
"All the others immediately send reinforcements."
Nan Yu asked,
"That organized?"
"So how many administrators are there inside our Empire?"
The number of administrators represented the number of regions into which the organization had divided the Empire.
Without hesitation, Ye Xing answered,
"According to my investigation..."
"The Empire has been divided into five territories."
"There are five leaders."
Nan Yu frowned.
"That many?"
Ye Xing shook his head.
"That isn't very many."
"You have to remember how vast the Empire's territory is."
"Compared to many other countries, it's ten or even dozens of times larger."
"If they didn't divide it into more regions, they wouldn't be able to manage everything."
And so, as they continued traveling, Nan Yu and Ye Xing spent their time chatting.
Their relationship became less and less like that of a kidnapper and his hostage.
Instead...
They looked more like old friends who had reunited after years apart.
Because of that, Nan Yu gradually gained privileges aboard the ship that he hadn't had before.
For example, he was allowed into the cockpit.
He could even go into the kitchen and prepare food for himself.
Compared with the relaxed atmosphere aboard the ship...
The atmosphere on the Capital Star had become unbearably tense.
The first issue was Nan Yu's disappearance.
Someone had quietly abducted him from a hospital that could practically be considered one of the legion's headquarters...
Without alerting a single person.
Not long after Nan Yu disappeared, Bai Zhouyun's trial officially began.
There was hardly any need to describe the proceedings.
His crimes were confirmed beyond dispute.
After the trial concluded...
The engagement between Bai Zhouyun and Nan Yu was officially declared null and void.
The Empire would never permit a criminal connected to an illegal drug organization to remain engaged to a Mental Power User destined to make enormous contributions to the Empire.
Even if the Imperial authorities hadn't intervened...
The people of the Empire would have.
By then, Bai Zhouyun would most likely have become the target of assassins from every imaginable corner.
He probably wouldn't even know how he died.
By annulling the engagement...
The Empire had, in a way, saved his life.
But an even bigger problem soon followed.
The day after Bai Zhouyun's sentencing, he was imprisoned in the Capital Star's high-security prison.
Yet after only one night...
When morning came...
Bai Zhouyun had vanished.
There was no living person.
There was no corpse.
He had simply disappeared from the prison.
Yu Lanfeng still hadn't found the slightest clue regarding Nan Yu.
Now Bai Zhouyun had disappeared as well.
There was a strong possibility that both disappearances had been carried out by the same people.
Previously, they hadn't known who had taken Nan Yu.
But they could now determine with absolute certainty who had rescued Bai Zhouyun.
Who else still possessed the ability to silently remove Bai Zhouyun from prison?
It could only have been the same organization that had supplied him with illegal drugs.
Which meant...
There was a ninety percent chance Nan Yu had also been taken by them.
The moment Yu Lanfeng thought about Nan Yu being forced to remain in the same place as Bai Zhouyun...
His chest tightened painfully.
The Bai family immediately became the highest-priority target of the investigation.
Especially Bai Zhouyun's parents, who had always spoiled him.
Next came Old Master Bai.
After that...
Every member of the Bai family.
Anyone even remotely connected to the Bai family was thoroughly investigated.
Perhaps because Old Master Bai had immediately handed over Bai Zhouyun's examination records as soon as Bai Zhouyun was arrested...
Openly declaring that the Bai family had known absolutely nothing about his involvement with illegal drugs...
And because afterward he had never attempted to plead for Bai Zhouyun or use his connections...
Instead acting as though the matter had nothing to do with him...
After finding nothing during the investigation, Yu Lanfeng finally stopped wasting time on the Bai family.
He quickly withdrew his people.
Although they had left...
The secret surveillance never stopped.
Especially their external communications.
The moment anything suspicious appeared, it would immediately be intercepted and monitored.
Even so...
They discovered absolutely nothing.
Bai Zhouyun had seemingly vanished from the face of the universe.
Not a single trace remained.
The prison's surveillance system was equally useless.
Every camera had full coverage.
Yet on the night Bai Zhouyun disappeared...
Every recording had somehow been replaced with footage from the previous day.
In other words...
They had no clues whatsoever.
They couldn't even determine whether anyone had left the Capital Star.
Some influential individuals owned private spacecraft.
They could launch directly from the planet's surface, pass through the atmosphere, enter outer space, and leave without ever passing through the starport.
Many of those ships also possessed extremely advanced stealth systems.
Under those circumstances...
Leaving the Capital Star without anyone noticing was entirely possible.
After searching for so long...
There was still no news about either Nan Yu or Bai Zhouyun.
Only then did Yu Lanfeng finally accept the truth.
Both of them had already been taken beyond the legion's encirclement.
Nan Yun smashed a table into pieces.
"If I ever find out who took my little brother..."
"I'll slice his hands off piece by piece!"
Nan Zhen sat silently in his chair.
His expression was frighteningly grim.
Fu Yu'ang was still trying to locate Nan Yu through his optical brain.
But despite all his efforts...
Forget locating Nan Yu.
There wasn't even the slightest response from the optical brain.
Which meant...
Nan Yu's optical brain hadn't been discarded.
It had been blocked.
That was completely different from Bai Zhouyun's situation.
Bai Zhouyun's optical brain had simply been thrown away...
Ensuring they would never be able to track him.
Nan Yu was different.
Logically speaking...
Nan Yu was far more valuable than Bai Zhouyun.
His optical brain should have been discarded immediately.
Otherwise...
What if someone managed to track its location?
Yet after all this time...
Fu Yu'ang still couldn't obtain any positioning signal.
That could only mean one thing...
The optical brain was still being carried by whoever had taken Nan Yu.
It was simply being shielded.
Only after confirming the result several times did Fu Yu'ang report it to the legion.
What use was that information?
It allowed them to determine that the people who had taken Nan Yu...
Were not the same people who had rescued Bai Zhouyun.
At the very least...
They definitely weren't the same organization.
After hearing the report, Yu Lanfeng ordered the technical department not to stop tracking Nan Yu's optical brain.
As long as the kidnappers continued carrying it...
There would eventually be a mistake.
They only needed to seize that single moment of carelessness.
During this period...
Nan Ming happened to finish a mission and pass through the Capital Star.
Originally...
He had planned to stay only one day before leaving again.
He simply didn't want to create trouble for his youngest son.
But after returning...
He learned that Bai Zhouyun had been arrested for involvement with illegal drugs.
The Empire had officially invalidated his engagement to Nan Yu.
That would have been wonderful news...
If his youngest son hadn't disappeared.
The first thing Nan Ming did after arriving home was ask Nan Yun and Nan Zhen,
"What exactly happened?"
Both brothers wore miserable expressions.
They shook their heads.
"Dad..."
"Xiaoyu disappeared without any warning."
"It was as if someone happened to see him and suddenly decided to take him."
"We have absolutely no leads."
"We can't locate Xiaoyu's optical brain."
"We don't even know who took him."
Nan Zhen lowered his head.
"Dad..."
"Are we useless?"
"Every time we think we've become strong enough..."
"Reality comes along and crushes us."
It had happened before.
And now...
It had happened again.
After training alongside the legion's elite for so long...
They had believed they had finally become much stronger.
Yet now...
Faced with their younger brother being kidnapped once again...
They still had no way to help him.
Nan Ming considered countless possibilities.
Could this be retaliation because they had refused to maintain the marriage alliance with the Bai family?
Impossible.
No matter how one looked at it...
Bai Zhouyun was no longer fit to stand among the Empire's prominent figures.
Breaking off the engagement with his youngest son had been the only reasonable decision.
And the facts had proven exactly that.
Bai Zhouyun had indeed committed a crime.