Inside the shuttle, the three of them sat on the soft seats and fastened their seatbelts.
The shuttle activated, and a low hum resonated through the cabin along with slight vibrations.
The thrusters emitted blue high-pressure plasma flames as it gradually accelerated.
Zhou Tianming felt the distinct push against his back. He leaned quietly against the seat, closing his eyes in contemplation, but before he knew it, exhaustion overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.
Moments later, the shuttle entered space, and the vessel stabilized.
Liu Qing unfastened her seatbelt and looked at Wei Jun and Zhou Tianming. "We're in the L5 Space Zone. It'll take at least 12 hours to reach Earth. There's..."
Before she could finish, Wei Jun raised a finger to his lips. Upon closer inspection, Zhou Tianming had already slumped forward, fast asleep.
"This kid probably hasn't rested in a long time," Wei Jun whispered, his voice filled with regret. "It's all my fault for dragging him into this."
Liu Qing sighed as she looked at Zhou Tianming's small frame. "Things will be better once we return home. What exactly happened at the Junk Guild? Was that a full-scale battle?"
Wei Jun glanced at Zhou Tianming and said to Liu Qing, "Help me contact Zhou Junguo. I'll speak to him directly."
"Understood. Let's move to the back room."
The two quietly rose, floating weightlessly as they pushed off the seatbacks and drifted toward the rear of the shuttle.
A few minutes later, when Zhou Junguo saw Wei Jun's current state through the video feed, his eyes widened, and he was momentarily speechless.
After taking several deep breaths, his expression darkened. "Who did this?"
Wei Jun recounted everything that had happened, and even Zhou Junguo couldn't help but show sorrow.
"Don't make that pitiful face," Wei Jun said with a proud smile. "Thanks to Tianming, Li Chi must be overjoyed. Taking down a small warship single-handedly—damn, even I'm jealous."
Zhou Junguo exhaled as he looked at Wei Jun. "I'll personally visit the military department. You gather and organize the materials."
Wei Jun was taken aback, then gratefully replied, "Thank you."
"Have you identified who's behind this?"
"No idea," Wei Jun shook his head. "Tianming might have figured it out, but he hasn't said anything."
Zhou Junguo leaned back in his chair and muttered under his breath, "AI and engines... What exactly has that kid realized?"
"I believe in him," Wei Jun said earnestly. "No matter how unbelievable his conclusions are, I'll trust him."
"This isn't about belief—"
"He did it," Wei Jun interrupted, his face breaking into a smile. "He fulfilled his promise to Li Chi. If he can take down a warship alone, what's there not to believe?"
"..." Zhou Junguo stared at Wei Jun's serious expression for a long moment without speaking, then snorted: "He's my grandson. Naturally, I'd believe what he says without needing input from an outsider like you."
Wei Jun rolled his eyes and said, "I need your help. Can you still contact the technicians who worked on the Black Tortoise back then?"
Zhou Junguo looked at Wei Jun seriously: "There's no need."
"This is what he deserves."
After a pause: "I'll make the calls."
After hanging up, Zhou Junguo's face showed concern: "For a five-year-old, his abilities are far too abnormal. Even for a so-called Ultimate Coordinator, this level of performance shouldn't be possible."
...
Earth, Washington, within a sprawling estate spanning hundreds of acres.
In the study of a luxurious three-story villa at the center of the estate.
"I understand."
Duncan-L-Mokelberg, around 50 years old with shoulder-length gray curly hair, sternly turned off the communicator.
"More trouble than they're worth."
Beside him, a gray-haired young man in his twenties said softly, "Even though it failed, I don't think it's a big problem, right?"
"Sigh~"
Duncan sighed, leaning back in his chair and lowering his head in thought.
The young man opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it.
Duncan frowned and spoke sternly: "Speak your mind."
"Yes, Father." The young man bowed his head. "I just don't understand why we had to kill the crew of the Black Tortoise. Didn't we already buy the ship? It was a legitimate transaction—we could've just taken it and left. Now we've made things..."
His eyes shifting, Duncan glanced at the young man: "If the ship belonged to the Atlantic Federation or the Eurasian Federation, I would've done just that. But it was from East Asia."
"I don't get it." The young man shook his head. "I know East Asia isn't to be trifled with, but by doing this, haven't we directly provoked them?"
"East Asia is a country I can't read. I couldn't be sure whether the Black Tortoise was a trap or if there was something else hidden inside. So, I had to resort to this crude method."
"Whether Gregg could silence the witnesses didn't matter to me. What I needed was the hatred this would incite."
"The more brutally the Black Tortoise's crew died, the greater the hatred would be. Hatred is a powerful thing—it makes people lose their rationality and overlook the truth beneath the surface."
"When Gregg is flying the Black Tortoise through space, can you imagine how much pent-up hatred will have built up? And when an opportunity arises to wipe Gregg out completely, do you think the avengers will hold back?"
"By then, both the Black Tortoise and Gregg will be reduced to cosmic dust. With vengeance achieved, the matter will be laid to rest. No one will investigate whether any parts were swapped on the Black Tortoise, nor will anyone question how this all began."
"The fruit of vengeance will leave scars in their hearts, making them unwilling to recall this tragedy. Those around them will gradually forget, avoiding reopening old wounds."
The young man looked astonished.
"Unfortunately," Duncan said with displeasure, "Gregg's unnecessary actions have exposed the plan."
Lost in thought, the young man's face lit up with realization after a dozen seconds: "Gregg had people board the Black Tortoise again."
"Exactly. The removal of the engine must have been discovered. The question is, how much does East Asia know now?"
The young man looked displeased. "As expected, they're more of a hindrance than help. Junk Dealers really are just a bunch of good-for-nothings. Even with all the support we gave them, they still messed things up."
"Should we send someone to East Asia to test the waters?"
Duncan thought for a moment before shaking his head. "We can't appear too eager, or we'll lose the initiative. The AI itself serves as cover—they might not even realize our real target is the energy sector."
"The more we do, the more mistakes we'll make. Let's not take any unnecessary actions for now. The Council of Nations Meeting will convene soon, and it just so happens to be held in East Asia this time. We'll have the Atlantic faction probe them then."
"If only they hadn't discovered it," the young man said with worry. "If we can't achieve monopoly in the future, we could lose trillions in profits."
Duncan gave him a long look, disappointed to see him so absorbed in calculating monetary gains and losses.
"Not fit for important tasks."
...
Zhou Tianming's sleep was far from peaceful. Resting in his chair, he frowned and tossed about before suddenly jolting awake after just three or four hours.
His back was drenched in cold sweat. He took several deep breaths to steady himself before looking around.
The cabin was empty and silent.
Slapping his cheeks and wiping his face with his palm, Zhou Tianming unbuckled his seatbelt and floated upward, using his arms to propel himself toward the rear.
As the rear hatch opened, a fragrant aroma greeted him. Following the scent, he saw Liu Qing approaching with a steaming meal box.
Spotting Zhou Tianming, Liu Qing raised the box. "You're awake? Want something to eat?"
Zhou Tianming shook his head. "Not really hungry. Did the data I requested come through?"
Just as he finished speaking, his stomach growled. He sighed. "Alright, give me one."
Liu Qing smiled. "I know you're worried about your mom, but like I said before, don't run yourself into the ground."
Zhou Tianming naturally understood, but knowing and being able to act on it were two different things. Still, he nodded in response.
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