CH 60

Return (2)

Soon, the remnant crystal human officer of Silver Big Dipper and the second prince of the empire passed through the docking port of the two starships, and saw the people waiting for them on the opposite side.

Those were the members of Black Shark Base. They were uniformly dressed in white scientific research uniforms, with translucent smart goggles hanging on their faces, and they stood in two rows on both sides of the passage. At first glance, there were about forty or fifty people.

A nebula’s flowing silhouette was still imprinted on the large-scale glass porthole, its colors were intertwined and changing like the rosy clouds at sunset, but the background was the endless dark universe.

No one said anything. In the silence, these scientific research elites in white uniforms bowed while placing their hands above their chests together, paying their utmost respect to the two figures approaching.

“……” Jiang Jianming’s eyes twitched. He looked at the neatly lowered heads on both sides, and always felt that the atmosphere was too exaggerated.

Garcia walked in front of him, and suddenly turned his face to the side and asked coldly, “First time you saw someone from the Black Shark Base?” Jiang Jianming keenly sensed that His Royal Highness was not in a good mood. He thought for a while and said, “This is the first time I’ve seen so many.”

Black Shark Base, the most mysterious Far Star scientific research base in the current empire, could be traced back to the human base melee period, even earlier than the establishment of the old empire.

The core members of the base adopted a one-to-one recruitment system, and almost everyone was a genius with an IQ far exceeding that of ordinary people. Once they raise their eyes, those twinkling eyes undoubtedly should be the most intelligent radiance of the empire.

However, at this moment, everyone had their heads lowered in unison. This kind of collective quality was not worse than that of Silver Big Dipper, who was a special army of the Far Star forces. 

And what’s even more exaggerated is……

A few seconds later, the two finally finished traversing. At the end of this white sea of people, there was a black figure.

The current leader of the Black Shark Base, who was also the first base leader after the establishment of the new empire, was standing there quietly, watching the two walking in front.

He or she was not tall in stature, with a black robe covering their entire body and a black metal mechanical headgear mask on the face, from the back of the head, forehead to chin, all were tightly covered.

As everyone knew, the leader of the Black Shark Base never showed their true face.

Jiang Jianming took the lead to step forward. He placed his hand on his chest, lowered his head and said, “Chie…..”

Unexpectedly, his arm was suddenly pulled by Garcia, so much so that when he wanted to bend, he couldn’t.

“Your Highness?” Jiang Jianming couldn’t help turning his head, his eyebrows slightly moved.

He saw that Garcia’s expression was more sinister than before. He held Jiang Jianming with one hand, and stared at the chief with his emerald eyes as if a layer of hard ice had formed, “No need to salute to such a person.”

The chief on the opposite side didn’t seem to care, the dark figure looked around, and an electronically synthesized voice came from under the hood, “You all go down, our guests don’t like to be disturbed.”

With an order, the members of the Black Shark Base straightened up as if some switch had been pressed, and disappeared at the end of the passage like receding white waves.

Not a word was said throughout the entire process, and it even raised doubts whether they were a new type of simulated robot.

Then, something even more astonishing happened. The chief raised both hands and pressed on both sides of the black mechanical mask.

The mask made a “click” sound and popped a gap in it.

The chief took the opportunity to open it and removed it from the head.

“Perhaps not worth mentioning.”

Consequently, a gentle female voice replaced the inorganic, electronically synthesized voice.

“But I think, this can at least show a bit of sincerity.”

Under the mask, it turned out to be an old woman. Wrinkles were carved on her slightly slackened skin, and her eyes were deep blue and distant, reminiscent of the sky and the ocean. 

But her back was very straight, and her silver hair was coiled behind her head. It was combed into a simple but elegant hairstyle, which made this old lady look very noble, and even had a somewhat holy temperament.

In short, it was vastly different from the impression of a “research geek” or “iron-fisted chief” in the public’s imagination.

“Both of you are back.”

This old woman, the mysterious leader of the Black Shark Base, placed her hand holding the mask above her chest and bowed respectfully.

“I’m very glad…..that I am able to see you two come back here together, back to the territory of our glorious empire.”

“Chief.”

Jiang Jianming came back to his senses and placed his hand above his chest in return.

He raised his eyes calmly, “You still…..remember me.”

Unsurprisingly, he felt Garcia beside him cast a suspicious gaze, like two pressing thunder bolts.

Jiang Jianming merely turned his head, raised his eyebrows slightly, and smiled mysteriously at the prince.

“How can I forget?”

On the opposite side, the chief nodded gently, “You are the most unforgettable remnant crystal human I have ever seen…….Oh, perhaps, saying non crystal race will make you feel more comfortable?” 

“……..”

“You both,” Garcia’s eyes lost their radiance, his face was expressionless, and his voice was stiff, “know each other.”

Jiang Jianming: “We met once.”

Garcia: “How many good friends do you know?”

Jiang Jianming blinked: “More than you imagine.”

Right, the leader of the Black Shark Base, who had been widely discussed and was extremely mysterious….He had actually met her in the early years.

At that time when he and Ryann were doing “pledge to marry without parental permission” on the Omega Alien Star. Due to various practical factors, the crown prince’s marriage proposal was completely a private mode of “act first, report later”.

But perhaps, because the crown prince also felt that he was really sorry for his beloved by acting rashly, thus he eventually captured a “marriage witness”.

A person who could completely break away from various power struggles, stayed out of the political vortex, and not interfere with any imperial affairs on the surface, but had a sufficiently dignified and special status.

A person whose identity was a mystery in the past, who did not even hold a noble title, but whose qualifications could be counted all the way to the founding war period, and who even had a close personal relationship with the current emperor.

This person was the mysterious leader of the Black Shark Base.

Times have changed, and now Jiang Jianming’s heart was a little turbulent.

He did not expect that after the death of the Little Highness, he would still be able to see the chief again so easily.

The old woman had already walked over, she frowned her gray eyebrows, and looked in Garcia’s direction like an old grandmother educating her grandson, “Kaois, long time no see.”

She gestured to Jiang Jianming with her eyes, and she emphasized her tone, “I hope you didn’t bully the Little Excellency.”

“Scram.” Garcia sneered, the smile not reaching his eyes. Words like daggers pierced out from between the thin teeth, “In what identity allowed you to speak to me like this?”

The leader said, “My identity is not important. You, hearing what I said, it’s what matters.”

“You’re not staying at the base to fiddle with your test tubes and instruments, what are you doing here?”

Garcia said irritably, “Apart from saying these lofty nonsense.”

“……” Jiang Jianming silently looked at the two of them. Reason told him that the leader of the Black Shark Base must not be a simple person. This seemingly amiable old woman may be the trader behind the dark curtain.

However, when his eyes went back and forth between the two, he still felt more that they were like grandma and grandson.

“A few days ago, the emperor had already known the good news of the two of you returning.”

The chief raised her hands, “I’m here to welcome the two of you for Her Majesty…Come, it’s rude to let the guests stand here and talk, please come with me both of you.”

The three of them stepped onto the built-in gangway of the starship. Perhaps because of the chief’s order, they did not see other members of the Black Shark Base along the way. What led them was a small robot floating in the air, equipped with a high-level intelligence, which was a model that had never been seen in the outside world.

Jiang Jianming secretly observed along the way- the starship of the Black Shark Base was not that big, and it was less than twice the size of their small starship. It was not even a medium-sized ship in a real space and interstellar battle, and its combat power was not even comparable to that of the prince. It seemed that it was really just to welcome them.

During the staggered steps, Garcia glanced at Jiang Jianming inexplicably, and asked the chief, “Is he your person?”

The silver-haired old woman shook her head and sighed deliberately, “How is that possible? Kaios, it’s disrespectful of you to speak like this.” She then bent her eyebrows at Jiang Jianming, “Sorry, this child just has a bad temper. Getting along with him, is it not as good as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince back then?”

Kacha!!

In a blink of an eye, red gold crystal with the thickness of the wrist suddenly appeared out of thin air, directly piercing the metal floor in front of the chief, not even a centimeter away from her feet.

Garcia’s eyes darkened, “Are you, looking for, death?”

Seeing that the situation was not good, Jiang Jianming hurriedly stopped him, “No, no, nothing of the sort, no matter which Little Highness it is, it is still very likable……Chief, may I take up some of your time? I have been wanting to ask you some questions alone.”

Garcia was finally furious, “Lieutenant Jiang, discussing in private, isn’t Xie Yuduo alone, enough?”

“Sure, no problem.” 

The chief gave a deep smile, “The premise is that you have to let our tantrum-ridden prince obediently stay in the room of this starship.”

****

Unexpectedly, Garcia, who showed great hostility towards the leader of the Black Shark Base, did not actually prevent the two of them from being alone. He just threatened Jiang Jianming, ordered him to return to his side within half an hour, and then turned his head and left without waiting for Jiang Jianming to say anything.

The latter watched the prince’s back shrunk, strangely feeling a sense of strong desolation from it.

Although he didn’t know if it’s an illusion, Jiang Jianming decided to end the conversation with the chief as soon as possible……Tonight, he still wanted to continue telling stories to the Little Highness.

“Actually, I know what you want to ask.”

When the two stood still in the empty command room, the chief slowly turned around. Her silver hair reflected the starry sky, shining with finely crushed lights.

“About the death of His Highness Ryann, about His Highness Garcia’s rebirth, about these three years, and the stories behind these three years, right?”

The black-haired young man expressed his affirmation with his calm eyes, but the old woman sighed softly.

“But I’m sorry, you were a step late…I have already promised Kaios to keep it confidential from you.”

Jiang Jianming couldn’t help shaking his head and laughing, he simply acted in front of the chief, and evaded away with a joking tone, “You just saw him today.”

The chief returned with a faint smile.

She didn’t speak, and just looked at him.

In an instant, a tingling sensation spread all over Jiang Jianming’s back, and a certain absurd guess pierced through his mind like an arrow.

His pupils shook, and he whispered in disbelief, “Ryann?”

The voice echoed in the command room, and the data of countless optical screens and from the intelligence still continued to flicker in a regular manner, driving the navigation of the starship. Apart from this, there was no other testimony.

The chief sighed, and the elderly woman lowered her eyelids, “You are still so wise.”

Jiang Jianming’s fingers quietly squeezed his cuff, he heard his heart beating faster, but his face remained calm, “Why?”

“Some things need to be done step by step. This universe is cruel. Getting in touch with certain things too early will only make people realize their own insignificance and powerlessness, leading to self destruction in despair.”

The chief turned her face sideways, and she stared at the starry sky flowing outside the porthole, “He can’t bear the pain of being apart from you.”

It’s Ryann.

Jiang Jianming was a little dazed by the meaning behind these few words.

Ryann met the chief before he died……and asked the chief to keep it a secret from him today………..Does this mean that the Little Highness already knew in advance that he would…

Chief: “Since you came from the First Fortress of Silver Big Dipper, you must have seen the Crown of Golden Dawn. There should be the last words inside.”

“That’s right, I’ve read it. Is that message really left by His Highness Ryann?”

“Yes, and no.”

“Is everything now under his control?”

“Yes, and no.”

“What exactly is the situation with His Highness Garcia?”

“I can’t say it.”’

“……”

Jiang Jianming’s eyes turned cold.

But the chief turned around at this moment, stared at the black-haired young man in front of her with those blue eyes, and slowly added her explanation, “You are too smart, once I say it, you will easily guess the “should not come into contact with”, moreover, I have already promised Kaios.”

Jiang Jianming: “Then what should I do?”

Leader: “Please listen to your heart for guidance.”

The surrounding silence was being squeezed viscously, making the nerves jump.

Jiang Jianming closed his eyes and tried to force himself to remain calm. He clenched his fist silently and then released it. His palms were already wet with sweat.

“Is Black Shark Base conducting forbidden experiments?”

“No comment.”

“Who else knows the truth?”

“No comment.”

“What else can you tell me?”

“He loves you.”

One word fell like a heavy hammer, shattering the spirit with a bang.

For a few seconds, Jiang Jianming’s mind went blank. His lips trembled, his throat became dry, and he was unable to say the next sentence immediately.

Thus the chief continued, “He was in too much pain and was very guilty…about everything he owed you. Those things tortured his heart like a Ling Chi’s torture. I have even seen him cry.” (TL: thousand cuts by a thousand knives, or torture by dismembering the body.)

There were a few seconds of silence.

The will that was still tense just now, as if in a fighting state, slackened, and the fast-moving thinking became unable to turn.

“…….”

Jiang Jianming stared blankly at the white-haired woman in front of him. He never knew that the word “love” could have such devastating power in the high-speed interlacing of rational rhetoric.

“I don’t understand,” he murmured, “he doesn’t…doesn’t owe me anything.”

“Just because you don’t understand, doesn’t mean he doesn’t think so. I have witnessed his departure, he loved you deeply until the last moment when his consciousness disappeared.”

“Therefore,” the chief folded her hands, with a hint of sadness in her eyes. She stood under the starry sky, like an old saint praying, “This is a small plea that stems from my selfish heart.”

“Please forgive him for hurting you, just like a compassionate god forgiving his sinners,”

“Whether it is in the past or in the future.”

Past, future……These sounded like very eloquent words.

But Jiang Jianming immediately understood its true meaning. The “future” in the chief’s mouth referred to Garcia……

The black-haired disabled human was silent. At some point, a little bit of sadness appeared in those dark eyes, just like the sadness in the eyes of the chief. His heart was throbbing with dull pain, perhaps it was bleeding from the wound stabbed by the word “love” just now.

“Is that all there is?” After a few seconds of stalemate, Jiang Jianming spoke hoarsely.

“You’re not willing to provide more information other than empty and unclear language, and some sentimental useless words and phrases?”

The chief went silent for a long time and shook her head.

Jiang Jianming’s brain was still in a state of confusion, but his limbs began to move stiffly. He pursed his lips and bowed, turned and left. As he took the first step, the chief’s soft voice came from behind.

“If you promise not to inquire about its profound meaning, I am willing to tell you a few more words.”

Jiang Jianming stopped. Behind him, the chief’s voice trickled down like a stream of water.

“The dead did not truly die, and what is lost is not irretrievable.”

“He’s still waiting for you.”

“And has been waiting for a long, long time.”