CH 7

Federation Star Time: January 1st, 2845. 

A little planet, which did not exist on the star map officially published by the Federation, was just entering a permanent self-rotation pattern. 

“This is the red wine I smuggled from the transportation division. Those celebrities in the capital can’t get enough of it, they say. Careful pouring it, make sure it doesn’t spill!”

A transit station within the asteroid belt was just kicking off new year’s celebrations. 

The transit station was very small. 

The station could only fit about one hundred people inside—including special housing for the ‘guests’ that would live there temporarily. 

As far as permanent employees, there were only those currently gathered around a small table. 

“Okay, okay, Old Wang. Stop your blabbering!” One person jeered, “What kind of precious goods could the transportation division smuggle in for you? Red wine from the capital? Couldn’t it be fake?”

“If you don’t have the balls, don’t drink it then!”

Old Wang immediately patted the person’s hand, “I used a year’s worth of ‘tips’ for this. This year was lucky. All the ones sent here were kids from rich families, enough to grease my palms!”

“Man, I’m telling you, when I got started this year, there weren’t any tips. You ran off with all of them.”

Old Wang shrugged his shoulders, revealing a sly, boorish smile, “This shithole doesn’t even have Star Link, after all. The only entertainment is teasing the newcomers. Speaking of, the little rascal actually looked just right the other day. If I hadn’t been so busy prepping for the new year celebration and dealing with the ships, I would have already made some time for a bit of fun.”

“You?” His workmate sneered, “That girl looks like trouble. Anyone who can escape from such a chaotic wormhole and live to tell the tale is not easily managed.”

As he spoke, he suddenly reached past Old Wang’s shoulder and grabbed the cup of wine he had just finished pouring. 

“You!”

Old Wang was angry, but just as he was going to snatch it back, the phone rang in the office. 

You go. 

He gave his workmate a look, then pointed at the glass of wine the other had just stolen. The meaning was clear: 

If you do not go, give the wine back. 

His workmate swore, but still staggered over to answer the call. 

The work environment here was abysmal. 

Not only did they have to stay here, the only transit station around, but they were also completely cut off from Star Link. 

Even their communications equipment were fixed-line telephones, exceedingly antiquated. Rumor has it that the communication equipment only worked on-planet, and for receiving communications from some unknown, carefree transmitting station. 

Old Wang had worked here for over ten years. If the salary had not been agreeable, he would have quit a long time ago. 

Fortunately, the work was quite simple. On the 2nd of each month, new people would be transported to the little planet. 

As for where these new people had come from and what they had experienced, Old Wang was not in a position to know. 

“What is it?” Old Wang watched as his workmate picked up the phone. 

“Oh, there should be someone new arriving today, but they seem to have come on their own. No escort.”

“No escort?”

Old Wang roared in astonishment, “How isn’t there an escort?”

“How would I know?!” His workmate did not feel like dealing with this matter, “The higher-ups said that the newcomer is different from the others. They didn’t say…” Anything else. 

His workmate’s last couple of words were drowned out by an electronic notification:

“Warning, warning, a small, private vessel is approaching the transit station and is requesting to dock. Allow docking?”

Old Wang gulped down the red wine. Cursing the ruined wine, he reluctantly approached the screen and pressed the ‘allow’ button. 

Everything here was as old as it gets. Old Wang suspected that he was actually some sort of museum guard. 

The two of them swiftly opened the passage, staring at the person walking out of the starship docked in the space port in amazement. 

“Damn, it really is just one person!”

“They’re good. All those newcomers from before were bawling their eyes out when they were escorted in. I thought I was in a fucking prison!”

“Isn’t this pretty much a prison, though? The situation of the guest rooms…I saw crude fixings like that in a museum about ancient times.”

“This gait. Why is it so similar?”

“Similar to what?”

“Don’t you think it’s like those people in the transportation division or the escort teams? Cocky and uptight, like they’re scared that others won’t know that they’ve got a big dick!”

“…”

As they spoke, the person from the military vessel had already arrived at the temporary transit terminal. 

…

Louie saw the two people in front of her and started to suspect that the ship’s automatic navigation system was broken. 

With a visual assessment, one had white hair, slightly stooped back, and a body transformed into a sphere by fat. 

The other wore a sweatshirt covered in oil stains, black shorts, and held a pair of normal plastic slippers——

For a moment, Louie thought she was in the slums of some garbage planet. 

These were her future…superiors?

Louie suddenly remembered the specific terms of the Decree of Intergalactic Exile. 

Despite her misgivings, she still offered a respectful military salute. 

The pressed military uniform, cropped hair covered by the brim of a hat, entirely motionless expression, and sharp clack of the military boots against the floor startled Old Wang and his workmate. 

Indeed…out of the common way. 

“Soldier E79479, under orders to come here and receive an assignment by the commanding officer. Please instruct!”

“Soldier E…huh?” The workmate picked his ears, like he did not hear her clearly. 

“Soldier E79479…”

Louie subconsciously went to repeat her statement, but was interrupted just as she began speaking. 

“Don’t waste your breath. We’re just door guards. We don’t know about the commanding officer you’re looking for.” Old Wang walked forward, smiling. He went to pat Louie on the shoulder with both hands. 

Louie withheld the urge to toss them about with effort, listening to the rest of his words. 

The trailing fingers started to drift lower. 

“The person you want to meet should be on the planet. Everything passes through here. If you want to make a report, go to the planet.”

The fingers dipped into her pocket. 

Old Wang did not think that it would be empty. 

“You didn’t bring any money?” He was a bit taken aback. 

“Money?” Louie frowned. Since the other party was not her direct superior, there was no need for her to give him any face. She coldly brushed his paws off and replied, “A protection fee? A tip? Whatever you call it, I don’t have it. Sorry.”

Old Wang retracted his paws with regret, not caring in the least that he was seen through. 

“Stingy[1].” He swore under his breath. 

Louie turned a deaf ear to his comment. Her brows knitted together, “Then, when may I…”

“At eight in the morning tomorrow, we’ll gather here, and I’ll send off you and the one that arrived yesterday.”

Old Wang sullenly waved her over. He staggered away, starting to lead Louie to the guest quarters. 

“There are some rules in this place…maybe they were decided on by that superior you mentioned…but, basically, you cannot leave your room at will, and you cannot fight with others in private. Meals will be sent to you at fixed times. You probably already discovered that we don’t have Star Link here, but don’t worry, everyone is in the same boat…

“You will wait here for a day, so you don’t need to know about everything. Also, don’t think about running or revolting. Neither will end well. If you’re interested, give it a try.”

Old Wang was not at all interested in those who did not pay up. He was all too eager to send her off and go back to drinking. 

The entire transit station looked old, and there were even several yellowing spots. 

Passing through a corridor lined with steel bars, her back ram-rod straight the entire way, Louie was brought before a cellblock. 

No different from the flophouses on D-tier planets where wanders come and go freely. 

Old Wang pulled open the door to a room. 

Louie turned her head to look: 001. 

“Even though we have lots of rooms, all of the ones used for treatment are here. Two per room, enjoy tonight.”

Old Wang chuckled, thinking that he was pulling a practical joke. 

Louie walked into the room, a bit confused. The room locked automatically from the outside with a swish. 

“Hey there, new roommate?”

Louie’s attention was drawn to this voice. 

She could not describe such a sensation. 

Somewhere between the voice of a child and the graceful maturity of a woman’s voice. Indolent, pure, even filled with temptation. 

Filled with temptation. 

This made Louie’s heart tighten. 

She turned her head to look around. She found that, within the narrow room, there was only one single-person bed, one bathroom, and one place to stand near the entrance. 

And the speaker was idly leaning against the yellowing wall, with golden hair hanging down to her waist and deep brown irises that flash a charming red. 

The brilliance of the color blinded Louie, robbing her of her sight. 

From the head of the bed to the end of it, in the matter of a second, Louie found that her roommate had approached her. 

As the faint smell of blood dispersed through the room, Louie finally noticed that the other’s arms, legs, and even neck were all covered in white bandages. 

Fresh blood seemed out of the bandaging. 

“I really like you.”

Her roommate’s second statement truly endeavored to shock others.[2]

For a moment, Louie did not react. The other was like an enchanting snake, not giving people enough time to react. 

She took a step backward. Her roommate promptly entangled with her, drawing close to the artery on her neck in a rapacious way. 

Her roommate released a besotted sigh, “You have a special flavor.”

Louie cautiously separated the two of them, frowning, “You—”

Space in the tiny room was finite. She could not retreat more than a few steps. Her roommate approached her again. 

Louie noticed that her irises were not a deep brown. 

They were a crimson red, as red as dry blood. 

The next second, the aggressive, sweet smell of temptation surrounded her on all sides. 

“My name is An Ran. You can call me An.”

The words were muffled as she spoke them, becoming almost mumbled. 

“What’s your name?”

Louie’s pupils constricted. She shoved her away. 

Louie used her full strength, but found that the other had not budged at all. Pulling on the collar of Louie’s military uniform, she threw her onto the bed and wrapped her hands around her neck. 

Looks like she’s an old hand at this. 

Grinning, Angel sidled up to Louie’s carotid. She laughed dangerously and happily, “What if you zone out while kissing?”

Thereupon, like a venomous snake, she swallowed her prey whole.