Chapter 40: The Black Box Email
The impact from the collision sent a shockwave through the ship, prompting the Blue Dragon system to immediately report the external situation onto the screen.
Swiftly, Blue Dragon provided an intriguing hypothesis.
When a regular pipeline is torn apart and hurled into outer space, its large size and lightweight nature cause it to warp quickly, often losing its original shape. But this particular piece of debris not only retained its form, but also carried an unusually heavy mass—something felt undeniably suspicious.
The mechanical arm grasped the broken pipeline, carefully peeling away the silver metal casing. As the first corner was torn open, a dark, dense metallic object emerged.
"Black box!" Tian Xiao immediately recognized the item and ordered Blue Dragon to halt its further deconstruction. "Get it inside the cockpit."
His heart raced as he commanded the system to retrieve the black box. He wasn't about to turn it over right away—he had other plans for it.
"Blue Dragon, now!"
"Connect the black box to the data input port and begin syncing the scans for detailed information," Tian Xiao commanded.
"Yes, Captain!" came Blue Dragon's prompt response.
The black box contained more than just star pirate dossiers. Among its contents were flight logs, operational records, and communication exchanges, as well as intercepted signals pointing to certain shady black market locations. These black market hubs were often run by individuals or organizations operating in the grey areas of society, simultaneously serving large corporate entities, mercenaries, and star pirates, all while feeding critical intelligence to Earth's military. Though their identities were shrouded in secrecy, their influence was far-reaching.
Soon enough, Blue Dragon had successfully copied all of the black box's data.
While Blue Dragon continued its work collecting nearby space debris, Tian Xiao pored over the information with growing intensity.
There was a lot to sift through—star maps, flight logs, and irrelevant banter—but Tian Xiao was unphased. He knew how to find value amid the noise.
He compiled a list of the individuals' identities and quickly found references to the Starwind Storm Fleet's Captain and their second-in-command. The fleet's captain was a formidable figure, a D-class combatant who could have been a high-ranking power in this era, had his ship's hardware not failed him. The records indicated his untimely death, though the circumstances remained suspicious.
Tian Xiao reviewed the captain's logs and communications, quickly discerning some key pieces of useful intelligence.
Firstly, the fleet had passed through a star system dangerously close to the location of the Flying Shadow Company's base—only about two days' travel away. Secondly, the captain had made a sizable purchase—an item valued at over ninety million in rare metals, an expendable D-class high-frequency pulse particle weapon bought from a black market dealer.
However, the most disturbing discovery lay in two particular emails sitting dormant in the captain's inbox.
One email detailed the navigation routes for Flying Shadow 3 and included the ship's critical specifications. The other, received just hours before, contained a complete roster of the security team assigned to the base.
Tian Xiao's expression darkened instantly.
The security team list was a temporary roster, and the only individuals who could have circulated it were members of the Flying Shadow Company's security division. This was treachery. Betrayal from within.
He knew who was responsible.
What shocked him most was that this individual had collaborated with star pirates in order to usurp Luo Fei's position as the head of the security team—willing to risk everything, including the safety of Flying Shadow Company, just to eliminate Luo Fei and seize control. Such a person was dangerous. Tian Xiao wasn't about to let them go free.
"Foolish," he muttered under his breath, "this is their undoing."
Three hours later, all Blue Dragons returned to Flying Shadow 3.
Tian Xiao submitted the black box, earning a personal reward of one million credits from Zhang Lian. The crew was envious, as most of them earned between thirty and seventy thousand credits for their efforts.
However, the biggest surprise came from Zhu Xiaotian, who, by sheer luck, discovered a jewelry box in a pile of space debris containing a gold coin worth one hundred and thirty thousand credits. She became the luckiest among them during this mission.
Still, there was one mystery left unresolved—the two modified Blue Dragons had gone completely silent. No communication, no updates. Where had they gone?
The Flying Shadow 3 set off again.
The next two days passed without incident.
Upon reaching the New Moon City orbital station, the scale of the operation became immediately apparent. Dozens of large transport ships were docked, while hundreds of smaller vessels moved in a constant, coordinated flow. It was a bustling hub of activity.
The captain of Flying Shadow 3 submitted a request to enter the jump sequence, while Luo Fei and Chen Wuling, along with the rest of the team, prepared to board a local shuttle that would take them back to the base.
The shuttle was a G-class Seahorse, a reliable and fast spacecraft designed for deep-space transport. Although it had a spacious cabin and could carry up to a hundred passengers, its interior was starkly utilitarian, devoid of any unnecessary luxury.
Luo Fei, familiar with the routine, exchanged a few words with the shuttle's pilot as they waited for the final passengers. Once the shuttle was full, the pilot promptly closed the hatch and started the engine.
"We don't have much time," Luo Fei said nonchalantly, returning to his team.
"I've already sent you all the New Moon City map and important site details. You're on your own to review it. We're leaving in five hours. In four hours, be at the designated rally point I marked. Anyone who's late will have to pay ten thousand credits for their own private shuttle back. Got it?"
"Got it!" the team responded in unison.
The Seahorse plummeted into the atmosphere, cutting through the cloud cover to reveal the vibrant city below.
From above, the sight was awe-inspiring. New Moon City was a sprawling metropolis, its glittering lights and towering skyscrapers stretching endlessly into the horizon. It was an immense contrast to Flying Shadow Company's more subdued base. New Moon City was alive, thriving with activity, a hub of commerce and culture.
Tian Xiao, however, remained unmoved. He had visited New Moon City countless times before. This city, although impressive, was just another piece in the larger system of Earth Alliance-controlled hubs. The alliance had built this massive complex, with its own jump gates, military base, research facilities, and numerous factories extracting raw minerals.
New Moon City was a thriving center, home to millions, with its own defense force and high-tech industries, easily rivaling many of the Earth Alliance's finest cities in terms of both power and style.
The crew had three hours of free time to explore and stock up on supplies—everything from food and drinks to cosmetics, clothing, and even weaponry. Tian Xiao glanced at his own balance from the black box haul—three hundred and twenty-five thousand credits.
A meager sum.
As a professional soldier, his H-class chip, H-series spacecraft, and basic combat gear left much to be desired. With such little money, what could he buy? Nothing substantial, certainly.
Perhaps it was time to focus on improving his own skills, to absorb the energy from the Xizhao Worm's pancreas and advance his own abilities.
English Translation:
Chapter 40: The Black Box Email
The collision's shockwave triggered an immediate response from the Blue Dragon system, displaying the external situation on the screen.
Blue Dragon quickly provided an insightful theory.
Ordinary pipelines torn apart and flung into outer space—due to their large size and lightweight nature—often warp rapidly and lose their original form. But this particular pipeline not only retained its shape but also possessed an unusually heavy mass. Something about it was undoubtedly suspicious.
The mechanical arm gripped the broken pipeline and carefully began tearing away its silver metallic casing. As it opened just a corner, a dark, dense metallic object was revealed.
"Black box!" Tian Xiao immediately recognized it and ordered Blue Dragon to stop further tearing. "Bring it inside the cockpit."
His heart raced as he directed the system to secure the black box. He wasn't planning to turn it over just yet—he had other uses for it.
"Blue Dragon, now!"
"Connect the black box to the data port and start syncing the scans for detailed information," Tian Xiao commanded.
"Yes, Captain!" Blue Dragon responded swiftly.
The black box contained more than just star pirate records. Among its contents were flight logs, operational logs, communication exchanges, and intercepted signals leading to shady black market locations. These black market hubs were typically run by groups operating in the gray areas of society, serving corporations, mercenaries, and pirates alike, while also feeding crucial intel to Earth's military. Their identities were often shrouded in secrecy, but their influence was vast.
Soon, Blue Dragon had copied all the data.
As Blue Dragon continued collecting nearby space debris, Tian Xiao examined the information with growing interest.
There was much to sift through—star maps, flight logs, and trivial conversations—but Tian Xiao was undeterred. He knew how to find the hidden value amid the noise.
He listed all the identities and quickly found mentions of the Starwind Storm Fleet's captain and second-in-command. The fleet's captain was a powerful figure, a D-class combatant with considerable strength in this era, had he not met an untimely death due to his ship's malfunctioning equipment. His records indicated a suspicious death, with many unanswered questions.
Tian Xiao reviewed the captain's logs and communications