Escape and Retribution

The meeting finally came to a close.

In Loulay's final strategic policy, not only had he adopted Ge Xiu's cunning and ingenious plan, but he also laid out a meticulous and comprehensive strategy for the upcoming battle. Calmly, he assigned fleets and tasks to his subordinates, bringing the meeting to an end.

As everyone departed with their orders, soon only two people remained in the room—Ge Xiu and Loulay.

Ge Xiu hopped down from his tall chair, walking lightly toward Loulay.

Loulay was deep in thought, his brow furrowed, staring at the data on the light screen in front of him. Noticing Ge Xiu's approach, he absentmindedly pulled a piece of candy from his pocket and handed it over.

Ge Xiu accepted it with a hint of surprise. 

"Huh? Didn't you say you were going to dock half my sugar rations for the month?"

Loulay snapped out of his thoughts, finally recalling the earlier reprimand. He extended his hand towards Ge Xiu. 

"You're right. Hand it back."

Ge Xiu jumped back, quickly unwrapping the candy and popping it into his mouth. His words came out muffled. "Too late."

There was a mix of playfulness and defiance in his actions.

Loulay, exasperated, pulled back his hand and glanced at Ge Xiu. 

"Why are you still here?"

"I've got a question," Ge Xiu replied, hopping up onto the table and swinging his legs. "Why didn't you assign me a task?"

Loulay narrowed his eyes slightly, the faint gold of his lashes lowering over his eyes. His silver-blue pupils remained clear and calm. 

"The Leviathan is still under repair."

Ge Xiu licked the syrup from his fingers, seemingly indifferent. "This mission doesn't require the Leviathan. Any of the ships I've hijacked would be enough."

Loulay calmly shifted his gaze away. "You're the decision-maker now."

Ge Xiu's curiosity piqued. "Aren't you worried about me being in danger?"

He smiled, jumping down from the table. "Even if your flagship blows up, I'll be just fine."

Loulay turned his chair to face Ge Xiu. His elbows rested on the armrests, fingers intertwined. He studied the seemingly carefree young man before him and asked quietly, "Why do you want to go so badly?"

Ge Xiu blinked thoughtfully. "Probably because there's still something I need to take care of."

Loulay gave him a long, searching look before nodding. "Alright."

His fingers moved swiftly across the virtual screen. "Your ID has been granted access to the battle compartment. You can choose your battleship and crew and leave whenever you're ready."

Ge Xiu beamed. "Thanks!"

Loulay watched as the boy's slight frame disappeared through the meeting room doors, silently swallowing the "be careful" that had been lingering on the tip of his tongue. His gaze returned to the star map on the screen, but the complex network of icons blurred before him, preventing him from concentrating for a long time.

Frustrated, he cut off the screen.

After leaving the meeting room, Ge Xiu made his way to the Leviathan crew quarters. He quickly found Xiaoyi, who was studying piloting theory, and called out to him.

"Xiaoqi!" Xiaoyi cried excitedly, rushing over. "Are you alright? I heard you got punished—"

Before Xiaoyi could finish, Ge Xiu interrupted. His smile remained, but his eyes had an unusual seriousness. "What about the people from Junk Star? Do you know where they are?"

Although a little confused, Xiaoyi nodded. "I do."

"Go get them."

Xiaoyi always followed Ge Xiu's lead without question, but curiosity got the better of him. He hesitated for a moment and then asked in a low voice, "Uh, Xiaoqi, what's going on?"

Ge Xiu's smile deepened, and his eyes shimmered like dark, still water concealing a dangerous current beneath the surface.

He whispered, "I'm taking you home."

A week later, the images from the advance reconnaissance ship came through, relaying intelligence from the hard labor planet back to the main ship. As planned, the second wave of the fleet departed discreetly, following the cargo ship coordinates Ge Xiu had provided. Several crew members volunteered to act as local guides and consultants, eager to return to their planet.

Out of twelve crew members from the Leviathan, seven chose to accompany Ge Xiu back to Junk Star.

The command and control systems of the captured light warships had been reconfigured and reinstalled by the mechanics. After Ge Xiu inserted his ID card into the identification slot, the rebel-allied warship activated, its transfer compartment door sliding open.

Loulay's personal terminal blinked with a ship's activation alert. He paused, glancing at the familiar ID on the screen before returning his attention to the war council.

Inside the battleship, after activating the control system, Ge Xiu sat down in a quiet corner of the cockpit, his thoughts elsewhere. Xiaoyi, having learned from past experiences, had improved his piloting skills drastically under Ge Xiu's relentless pressure. With practiced ease, he navigated the ship toward its destination coordinates.

The crew, now seasoned after months of training, worked efficiently without Ge Xiu's involvement. Their cooperation was fluid, a far cry from their disorganized state before being rescued.

Ge Xiu curled up in his chair, his small frame sinking into its large backrest, his chin resting listlessly on his knees like a drowsy animal. But despite his unthreatening appearance, no one in the cockpit dared to relax.

Though they didn't consciously realize it, the crew instinctively moved quietly around him, careful not to disturb the sleeping predator in their midst.

Ge Xiu squinted at the ever-changing stars outside the window, sighing against the glass. His thin fingers traced aimless lines through the condensation, forming a tangled, childlike scribble. Then, suddenly, his hand stilled.

Among the chaotic lines, a single letter had emerged—a capital "P."

Ge Xiu blinked, frowning in confusion. He stared at the letter for a moment but couldn't recall what it meant. Irritated, he wiped the window clean, erasing the pattern entirely.

For the next several hours, he wandered the cabin in a restless mood, knocking over supplies and occasionally pestering the crew, who were doing their best to ignore him. After receiving a few subtle pleas from his exasperated colleagues, Xiaoyi finally turned to Ge Xiu with a helpless smile.

"My ancestor, what do you want?"

Ge Xiu considered the question for a moment. "Do you have any candy?"

Instantly, the crew scrambled, searching their pockets. In a few minutes, they managed to collect four or five pieces of the distributed candy and handed them to Ge Xiu.

He unwrapped one and popped it into his mouth. 

"Not as good as the ones Loulay gives me," he sighed, disappointment in his voice.

He returned

The meeting came to an end.

In the final strategic policy of Loulay, not only did he adopt Ge Xiu's cunning and ingenious plan, but he also laid out a careful and comprehensive strategy for the next potential battle. Finally, he methodically assigned tasks to his subordinates, giving orders to the fleet and outlining their missions. With everything in place, the meeting concluded.

As everyone left to carry out their orders, soon only two people remained in the room—Ge Xiu and Lulai.

Ge Xiu hopped down from his high chair and casually walked toward Lulai.

Lulai was deep in thought, staring at the data on the light screen in front of him. When he noticed Ge Xiu approaching, he absentmindedly reached into his pocket and handed him a piece of candy.

Ge Xiu accepted it with a raised eyebrow.

"Hmm? Didn't you say you were going to dock my candy for half a month?" he asked.

Lulai snapped out of his thoughts and recalled that he had, in fact, made that threat. He held out his hand. 

"You're right, give it back."

Ge Xiu quickly stepped back, unwrapped the candy, and stuffed it into his mouth before Lulai could react. He spoke through a mouthful of candy. "Too late."

Lulai sighed in exasperation, withdrawing his hand. He turned to Ge Xiu. 

"Did you have something else to discuss?"

"Yeah." Ge Xiu nodded, hopping onto the table and swinging his legs. "Why didn't you assign me a task?"

Lulai's eyes narrowed slightly, his light gold eyelashes half-covering his clear, silver-blue eyes. "The Leviathan is still being repaired."

Ge Xiu, unconcerned, licked the sugar off his fingers. "That's a minor issue. Any one of the ships I commandeered would do."

Lulai remained composed. "You're the decision-maker now."

Ge Xiu studied Lulai curiously. "You're not worried about me being in danger?"

He smiled and hopped off the table. "Don't worry. Even if your flagship explodes, I'll be just fine."

Lulai turned in his chair, facing Ge Xiu fully. His elbows rested on the armrests, fingertips pressed together. After carefully studying the seemingly carefree young man before him, he asked, "Why are you so eager to go? What's the rush?"

Ge Xiu blinked thoughtfully. "Probably... because there are still things I need to finish."

Lulai regarded him with a long, deep look. "Very well."

He turned back to the virtual screen, his fingers moving swiftly over the interface. "Your ID card now has access to the battle compartment. You can take off anytime after choosing your battleship and crew."

Ge Xiu beamed. "Thanks!"

As the door to the meeting room slid shut, swallowing the boy's figure, Lulai silently swallowed the words "Be careful" that had been hovering on the tip of his tongue. His expression unchanged, he refocused on the star map displayed on his screen. But the tangled icons and lines made it impossible for him to think clearly, a chaotic mess in his mind.

Frustrated, Lulai shut off the screen.

After leaving the meeting room, Ge Xiu went straight to the cabin where the crew of the Leviathan were stationed, easily finding Xiaoyi, who was absorbed in studying piloting techniques.

Upon seeing him, Xiaoyi cried out, "Xiao Qi!" He rushed over excitedly. "Are you okay? I heard you got punished…"

Before Xiaoyi could finish his rambling, Ge Xiu interrupted. His face still wore a lazy smile, but his eyes held a rare seriousness. "What about the people from Junk Star? Do you know where they are?"

Xiaoyi, confused but obedient, nodded. "I know."

"Bring them."

Though puzzled, Xiaoyi always followed Ge Xiu's lead without question. He started to leave, but turned back to ask timidly, "Um, Xiao Qi, can I ask... what's going on?"

Ge Xiu's grin deepened, and his eyes darkened like the calm surface of a deep, dangerous pool. 

"I'm taking you all home."

A week later, the reconnaissance ship sent to gather intelligence transmitted images from the labor planet back to the main ship. Following the coordinates provided by Ge Xiu, the second fleet departed discreetly, ready for action. The crew of the Leviathan, eager to return to their home planet, signed up to guide the mission.

Out of twelve crew members from Junk Star, seven chose to follow Ge Xiu back.

The command systems of the hijacked warships had been reprogrammed. After Ge Xiu inserted his ID card into the slot, the warship with its rebellious core powered up automatically. As the handover compartment opened, Lulai's personal system flashed with a notification. His eyes lingered on the familiar activation number for a moment before he returned to his discussions about the war.

Inside the battleship, Ge Xiu, after activating the controls, found a corner in the cockpit and sat down, lost in thought. Thanks to the relentless practice Ge Xiu had put them through, Xiaoyi's piloting skills had vastly improved. He sighed and skillfully navigated the ship toward the designated coordinates.

The crew, having undergone months of rigorous training, functioned smoothly. Their cooperation was seamless, a far cry from the disarray when they were first rescued.

Ge Xiu curled up in the large chair, his slender frame almost swallowed by it. He rested his chin on his knees, looking like a small, dozing animal—seemingly harmless.

But no one in the cockpit dared to treat him as such.

Instinctively, they walked softly and spoke in hushed tones, careful not to disturb him. It was as though they were cautious herbivores, passing a sleeping predator.

Ge Xiu idly watched the stars outside the window, sighing into the glass and tracing random patterns on the foggy surface. But his hand froze as the lines twisted into a letter—a distorted "P."

He stared at it, frowning in confusion. 

What was that?

Unable to recall, he wiped the glass clean with his palm.

Irritated, he got up from the chair and wandered around the cabin, occasionally knocking over supplies or playfully harassing the crew. His mood seemed sour, and he made sure no one around him could relax.

After several subtle hints from the exasperated crew, Xiaoyi finally turned and asked, "Ancestor, what exactly do you want?"

Ge Xiu thought for a moment. "Got any candy?"

Xiaoyi exchanged looks with the others, and within minutes, they gathered four or five pieces of candy. Ge Xiu peeled one and popped it into his mouth.

Not as good as Lulai's candy.

Sighing, he returned to his chair, curled up, and dozed off again. The crew breathed a collective sigh of relief. Now they could finally work.

Time passed. Suddenly, Ge Xiu's eyes snapped open. He glanced out the window, his dark eyes fully alert.

Almost simultaneously, the alarm blared. The radar detected approaching Alliance ships. The crew's hearts pounded in fear, but Xiaoyi remained calm. 

"No worries. We're flying an Alliance ship. They won't notice."

This tactic had worked before when they'd hijacked many Alliance ships.

But Ge Xiu's cold voice interrupted. "Run."

Xiaoyi's body reacted before his mind did. He pulled the joystick, pushing the ship to its maximum speed, barely avoiding the energy blast aimed at them. 

Following his instincts, Xiaoyi navigated through the onslaught, but two shots hit the ship, weakening the protective barrier.

"Warning! Shield integrity at 42%!"

More Alliance ships appeared on the radar, closing in fast. Xiaoyi's heart raced as he struggled to dodge the incoming fire.

"Warning! Shield integrity at 73%!"

Ge Xiu made a quick decision. He activated the gravity controls on his suit, turning to Xiaoyi. "Move."

Without hesitation, Xiaoyi unstrapped himself and rolled out of the way, just as Ge Xiu took control.

Gripping the manual controls, Ge Xiu pushed the ship far beyond its limits. The acceleration was brutal, and the crew were pinned to their seats by the force.

No one dared to go this fast.

Ge Xiu's face remained calm, his every movement precise. The ship became an extension of his body, maneuvering through the asteroids with unnatural agility. Two Alliance ships collided with a massive rock, exploding in a burst of flames.

Xiaoyi barely managed to strap himself in, staring at the screen as the destination approached. But Ge Xiu showed no signs of retreating.

Another Alliance ship exploded behind them. Only one remained in pursuit, falling out of range.

With a final push, Ge Xiu drove the ship into the atmosphere of Junk Star, the protective layers creaking under the strain. The temperature alarm blared as the ship hurtled toward the surface.

But Ge Xiu yanked the controls, and the ship made a sharp, controlled descent, landing with a crash on a mountain of trash.

Incredibly, they had landed safely.