Chapter 177: Action
If it had been possible, Song Xiaoyu would have changed his face completely to look like Nan Yu.
After all, wasn't Nan Yu the younger brother Nan Yun and Nan Zhen loved most?
If he had a face like that, then even if they still refused to treat him warmly, at the very least they wouldn't mock or sneer at someone who looked exactly like their beloved little brother.
In truth, all he wanted was to stay quietly by their side.
Nothing else really mattered.
That was why he had made such a request.
But he understood his current situation.
He was still a fugitive.
If he could successfully leave the Capital Star with Nan Yun and Nan Zhen...
Then, if the organization was willing to perform another operation and alter his appearance once more, he would absolutely transform himself into Nan Yu and live together with the two brothers.
Who told them to be so outstanding?
Who told him he loved them so much?
He believed meeting Nan Yun and Nan Zhen had been God's guidance.
One of the organization's members twitched the corner of his mouth as he watched Song Xiaoyu drifting off into another daydream.
This idiot...
Why was he always spacing out?
As expected of trash.
Even after successfully using the serum, this was all he amounted to.
Compared with Nan Yu, they were both Mid-Tier Mental Power Users.
Yet the difference between them was like heaven and earth.
They weren't even worth comparing.
If they didn't still need Song Xiaoyu's help, they would have killed him to silence him long ago.
Someone like him had absolutely no value.
As for successful serum test subjects?
Please.
The organization already possessed a far more perfect one—Zhou Ziyu.
There was no need for a defective product like Song Xiaoyu pretending to be useful.
Soon, everything was ready.
Song Xiaoyu and the person accompanying him packed up their optical computers, identity documents, and several large suitcases.
Then they placed the box from earlier in a conspicuous spot on a table inside the spacecraft.
Its color had been changed to a warm yellow, making it look as though it contained some expensive food.
It blended in perfectly.
If the soldiers who boarded were searching for hidden people, then these preparations were practically flawless.
After all, who would think to open a basketball-sized food box just to see whether someone was hiding inside?
Still, to be safe, they prepared several identical boxes.
The one containing Nan Yun and Nan Zhen was placed farther back.
The boxes in front contained beautifully prepared delicacies.
Everything matched naturally.
Whether they could safely pass inspection and leave the Capital Star...
Would depend entirely on luck.
Song Xiaoyu looked at the time.
"Everything's ready.
"We've already wasted half an hour.
"Four and a half hours remain."
"It'll take us an hour just to fly from here to the inspection plaza."
"I've heard there's a queue there too...
"It could easily take over another hour."
"That means more than half of our five-hour limit will already be gone."
"And after passing inspection, we'll still need time to fly from the Capital Star to the starport."
"Especially since there's another final inspection there—the strictest one of all."
"The military handles every single search from beginning to end."
"That's where we'll spend the most time."
"I just hope nothing goes wrong..."
The organization members calculated the schedule again and again.
It did seem rather tight.
But abandoning the plan was impossible.
"We'll play it by ear."
"After they finish inspecting this spacecraft, we can release the two of them for a while while we're flying toward the starport."
"Then we'll put them back inside afterward."
"That way, the five-hour countdown starts over."
"It'll be fine."
"Besides..."
"We can also let them out while we're waiting in line."
"When it's almost our turn, we'll hide them again."
"Wouldn't that solve the problem?"
Song Xiaoyu sighed.
"That might work.
"But what if we're discovered?
"There won't be any way to explain ourselves."
It was already impossible to explain things clearly.
If they were caught doing that, it would become even worse.
The fact that he had changed his face would immediately come to light.
Just like Bai Zhouyun before him, he would probably become a wanted traitor to the Empire.
After all...
He had kidnapped Imperial citizens Nan Yun and Nan Zhen.
If he were also caught cooperating with members of the organization...
No amount of explanations would matter.
Everyone would believe exactly what they saw.
Completely unconscious, Nan Yun and Nan Zhen had no idea they had already been placed inside a box and were about to be smuggled off the Capital Star.
Had either of them possessed even the slightest shred of consciousness...
Neither would have submitted without resistance.
Soon, several people stepped off the shuttle.
They quietly drifted away in different directions.
About ten minutes later, the spacecraft slowly lifted off under their watchful eyes and departed for its next destination.
Since the entire Capital Star already knew that entering and leaving now required extremely strict inspections, very few people were willing to leave unless absolutely necessary.
Most residents had no pressing reason to travel elsewhere.
As a result, the queue was surprisingly short.
Only those who absolutely had to leave were present.
Song Xiaoyu and his companion deliberately acted anxious while speaking with the inspection staff.
"I'm sorry.
"A family member is critically ill.
"I have to hurry back."
"Could you possibly inspect us a little faster?
"I'm afraid I'll miss my elder's final moments."
The staff nodded sympathetically.
Although they sped up their movements, the inspection itself remained meticulous.
Just as thorough as ever.
Naturally, they noticed the identical boxes on the nearby table.
"May we open these for inspection?"
At that moment, Song Xiaoyu was undergoing identity verification.
After confirming everything was correct, he turned around and explained calmly,
"They contain food.
"If you'd like, you can even try some."
"If you're worried, feel free to open every one of them."
The inspectors carefully examined the boxes.
They casually opened two.
Both contained beautifully prepared food.
There didn't seem to be any problem.
Since Song Xiaoyu's identity also checked out, they only opened about half of the boxes instead of inspecting every single one.
After thoroughly searching the spacecraft, they left.
The shuttle was cleared to proceed.
Only after piloting it farther inside did the two men finally let out the breath they had been holding.
Their trembling hands slowly relaxed.
Neither could stop themselves from quietly celebrating.
The plan had actually worked.
Now they only hoped the soldiers at the starport would let them through as well.
Song Xiaoyu barely spoke to his companion.
After repeatedly trying to start conversations only to be ignored, the other man gradually gave up.
He assumed Song Xiaoyu looked down on him because he was the weakest Ability User in their group.
Song Xiaoyu had at least restrained himself when others were present.
Now, however, only the two of them remained.
No courtesy was necessary.
Whatever the other man said, Song Xiaoyu ignored it.
Instead, he stood up.
"I'm going to change my clothes.
"We'll discuss everything else afterward."
With that, he left the other man alone in the cockpit.
Fortunately, the spacecraft could fly itself.
There was nothing requiring his attention.
In reality...
Both of them knew exactly what Song Xiaoyu intended to do.
He was hurrying off to release Nan Yun and Nan Zhen from the storage device for a while.
Once they reached the starport, he would put them back inside.
That way...
The five-hour countdown would begin again.
Song Xiaoyu became visibly excited after releasing them.
The brothers' breathing remained steady.
After conducting several quick checks, he found no abnormalities.
Although they had spent nearly two hours inside the device, they showed no symptoms whatsoever.
It seemed the organization had been telling the truth.
As long as the time limit didn't exceed five hours...
There would be no problems.
He didn't leave afterward.
Instead, he laid both brothers gently on the sofa and simply sat beside them.
He stared at their faces in complete fascination.
Honestly...
They matched his ideal type perfectly.
That was precisely why he couldn't control himself.
He wanted both of them.
If they truly ended up together...
Nan Yun and Nan Zhen would surely come to appreciate him.
If the organization didn't still require Song Xiaoyu's cooperation...
They might have gouged out the brothers' eyes long ago.
Better that than risk them recognizing anyone's face later.
Once inside the organization, communication was impossible.
Would Nan Yun and Nan Zhen really remain silent forever?
Would they simply allow themselves to become tools used to threaten the younger brother they loved most?
Obviously not.
Most likely, they would rather kill themselves than let the organization succeed.
That was why they were regularly injected with drugs to keep them permanently unconscious.
Since they were Ability Users...
Going without food or water for a while wasn't a serious problem.
Although Song Xiaoyu felt somewhat distressed thinking about it...
The excitement of imagining them belonging to him afterward easily overwhelmed those feelings.
A little temporary suffering didn't matter.
As long as they could eventually be together...
Nothing else was important.
Their spacecraft gradually approached the starport outside the Capital Star.
There, they could temporarily dock before undergoing the final departure inspection.
Its speed matched the surrounding traffic.
Neither especially fast nor especially slow.
It maintained an ordinary cruising pace.
Nothing about it looked suspicious.
It resembled any ordinary civilian vessel preparing to leave the Capital Star.
While the man in the cockpit observed the surrounding traffic, a spacecraft suddenly shot toward the starport at astonishing speed.
Had there not been speed restrictions in this area...
It likely would have traveled even faster.
Almost in the blink of an eye...
It disappeared from view.
What kind of speed was that?
Even Song Xiaoyu, who was wiping down Nan Yun and Nan Zhen's bodies, assumed that spacecraft would undoubtedly undergo an especially strict inspection.
No matter how urgent the situation inside...
Yet just as they reached visual range of the final checkpoint...
They watched the vessel pass straight through without undergoing any inspection whatsoever.
Both men were stunned.
Song Xiaoyu even walked over.
"What's going on?
"Doesn't every departing spacecraft have to be inspected?"
"Why didn't that one?"
"Does it belong to someone powerful?"
After docking at the starport, the other man stood up.
"I'll go ask around."
"If there's really a loophole we can exploit, that would be ideal."
"You put them back inside the box."
"Whether I find anything or not..."
"We'll have to leave once I return."
Song Xiaoyu nodded.
"I know."
"Don't worry."
"Hurry back."
"I can hardly wait."
He casually waved him away, treating him like someone who could be summoned and dismissed at will.
The man's face twisted slightly.
He quickly forced himself back to normal.
"I'll be back soon."
"Just wait."
Completely focused on Nan Yun and Nan Zhen, Song Xiaoyu failed to notice anything unusual in that tone.
Nor did he notice the subtle changes in the man's expression.
Occasionally...
A trace of killing intent even flashed through his eyes.
An ordinary Mid-Tier Mental Power User would certainly have sensed something.
Unfortunately...
Song Xiaoyu's own strength was mediocre.
He noticed nothing.
After leaving the spacecraft, the man's expression gradually turned icy.
Grinding his teeth, he muttered,
"Once this mission is over...
"I'm going to kill him."
"I'm going to kill him slowly."
Inside the spacecraft, Song Xiaoyu continued enjoying his private time with Nan Yun and Nan Zhen, completely unaware of the fate awaiting him once the organization completed its mission.
His mood remained excellent.
Had he spared even a little attention for his companion...
Or bothered maintaining a proper cooperative relationship...
Things might never have developed this way.
Instead...
He was destined to be caught completely off guard.
After checking the time, Song Xiaoyu nodded.
"I'm sorry.
"For your safety...
"I still have to put you back inside."
"You'll have to endure it a little longer."
"When we arrive, I'll make it up to you."
"I hope you won't blame me."
"I'm doing this for our future."
He carefully placed both brothers back inside the storage device.
Holding the box in his arms, he continued talking to himself.
"If there had been any other choice...
"I wouldn't have cooperated with the organization."
"I know what kind of people they are."
"Working with them carries risks."
"But I'm not afraid."
"They want to use you.
"So they definitely won't hurt you."
"When they bring your younger brother into the organization too..."
"Maybe our whole family can finally be reunited."
"Oh, right."
"And Major General Nan Ming."
"Once all three of his sons are here..."
"Surely he'll come too."
"Brother Nan Yun."
"Brother Nan Zhen."
"I know you can hear me."
"You just can't wake up because of the drugs."
"You can't move either."
As he spoke, a shy smile appeared on his face.
"Well...
"We haven't really had any intimate moments together yet."
"How about..."
"Once we leave the Capital Star..."
"We kiss properly?"
"Of course..."
"Just kissing."
"Don't misunderstand."
Song Xiaoyu continued whispering what he believed were affectionate words.
As for what Nan Yun and Nan Zhen would truly think after hearing them...
Only they themselves would know.
—
After leaving the spacecraft, the organization member deliberately headed toward the crowded area.
The earlier military spacecraft had attracted too much attention.
Many people were questioning what had happened.
"You owe us an explanation!"
"Why was that spacecraft allowed through without inspection?"
"We still have to be searched!"
"So people with status don't need inspections?"
"If that's the case, what's the point of these checkpoints?"
"What if the people you're looking for were hidden inside that spacecraft?"
Standing in the middle of the crowd was the officer in charge of the starport.
Dressed in full military uniform, he stood perfectly straight with an expression as stern as stone.
The previously furious crowd gradually lowered their voices.
A minute or two later, although some still complained, everyone waited for his explanation.
"Everyone has calmed down now?"
"As for what happened earlier...
"I can certainly explain."
"I can't reveal the identities of the passengers."
"That information is classified."
"But I can explain everything else."
"What everyone wants to know is why that spacecraft was allowed through."
"The reason is very simple."
"It was a military spacecraft."
"The pilot was also military personnel."
"As for why..."
He smiled slightly.
"Because it already belongs to the military."
"It underwent strict inspections long before arriving here."
"So another inspection at this checkpoint isn't necessary."
"It wasn't a privately owned vessel."
"It was an active-duty military spacecraft."
"I believe anyone who's encountered similar situations before has already figured this out."
After finishing his explanation, the officer saluted the crowd before turning to leave.
Someone nearby added,
"I heard it was transporting a critically ill patient to a medical specialist on another planet near the Capital Star."
"Their own spacecraft was either too slow or would waste too much time undergoing inspection."
"So they requested military assistance."
"That's why the spacecraft belonged to the military."
"Judging by its speed..."
"The patient's condition was probably extremely urgent."
"So that's what happened."
"Let's all head back."
"We should get ready for inspection."
"If anyone truly has an emergency..."
"You can try applying for military assistance too."
"Maybe you'll be approved."
After learning the truth, everyone quickly lost interest.
Most had heard of such exceptions before.
They simply hadn't remembered them in the heat of the moment.
The crowd dispersed.
People returned to their spacecraft, starships, and cargo vessels, carefully checking whether they had overlooked anything.
If they failed the first inspection...
They would have to spend an entire day correcting the problems before joining the queue again.
Naturally...
Everyone wanted to pass on the first attempt.
The requirements sounded simple.
Only after checking them one by one did everyone realize just how strict they actually were.
Certain cargo couldn't be transported yet because it violated regulations.
Some goods couldn't be loaded together.
Every cargo ship also had strict weight limits.
There were countless other regulations as well.
Everyone developed headaches reading them.
No one knew when things would finally return to normal.
After gathering all the information, the organization member quietly returned to the spacecraft.
The moment he stepped inside, he saw Song Xiaoyu sitting at the table, hugging the box and murmuring to himself.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
He genuinely suspected Song Xiaoyu had gone insane.
Otherwise...
Why would anyone hold a box while wearing such an infatuated expression?
One moment it was lovestruck admiration.
The next...
An almost terrifying possessiveness.
It exhausted even the man who had just returned intending to share information.
Fortunately, Song Xiaoyu soon noticed him.
He quickly composed himself.
After neatly arranging the boxes on the table, he walked into the cockpit and sat down.
"Did you find anything?"
"Of course."
The man briefly summarized everything he had learned.
Song Xiaoyu frowned.
He hadn't expected such a situation either.
But it undoubtedly existed.
Something similar had happened once before.
In any case...
It had nothing to do with them.
Soon, their spacecraft entered the departure queue.
At the current pace...
Their turn would arrive in just over half an hour.
Those thirty-plus minutes felt incredibly tense.
Time passed quickly.
The spacecraft ahead successfully completed inspection and departed.
Then...
It was finally their turn.
The organization member had clearly experienced situations like this many times before.
He remained completely calm.
Pointing toward Song Xiaoyu, who lay sleeping in a corner with his eyes closed, he explained,
"That's my friend."
"He drank too much last night."
"He's still suffering from a terrible hangover."
When the soldiers boarded...
Song Xiaoyu simply hid and didn't dare show his face.
Fortunately, that wasn't a problem.
They were searching for two Ability Users.
The person sleeping over there was a Mental Power User.
There was no reason to suspect him.
Then the inspection reached the boxes on the table.
One of the soldiers suddenly asked,
"What's inside these?"
"Could you open all of them so we can take a quick look?"