Chapter 53 Part 2

Three months ago, the Boss returned to Red Blood, and the brothers were thrilled. They all cracked their knuckles, itching to pilot starships and wipe out the group that had plotted against their Star Pirate Group. But they waited and waited, and the Boss’s first order was—

Monitor one male insect.

Monitor one male insect.

Wait.

Hold on—

One. Male. Insect?

Oh, the Boss was about to go on another killing spree.

Inside the spaceship, Phibet was the first to voice his understanding and support for the Boss. With a “click,” he assembled the Ripper Gun in his hands.

As the assembly sounds rang out, a piercing gaze fell on his Ripper Gun.

Phibet’s brow twitched. For some reason, a chill ran down his spine, a shudder of horror surging in his heart.

The universe was an endless black curtain. Countless brilliant stars and dark fires turned this star sea into a surging dark river. The Red Blood ship loomed like a black ghost, its glaring Morse Lights flashing red.

The entire ship was pitch black, bearing no markings to indicate its identity. But no markings was Red Blood’s best identifier. Any race in the interstellar would steer clear upon seeing this massive vessel.

In the command room, dim blue lights flickered on the control panel. The red-haired female insect sat boldly in the command chair, exuding an aura impossible to ignore. Due to his posture leaning back, his facial contours hid in eerie darkness.

One hand extended from the darkness. Ludwig adjusted his position, his gaze falling on the cold control panel. His fingertip touched the smooth metal surface. Through the front viewport, he looked toward the dark starfield behind the ship.

In the darkness, several small warships trailed closely behind.

At some point, these warships had started following them, always maintaining a safe distance. They never tried to enter Red Blood’s attack or alert range and had even intercepted several ambushing ships for Red Blood during past encounters.

Ludwig quickly understood their intentions.

Express goodwill, wait for a stop, initiate negotiations, conduct a deal.

Moreover, the style of the warship’s devices made it clear at a glance that it was a private vessel from one of the Empire’s certain families. Ludwig withdrew his gaze. As the sound of the Ripper Gun being assembled rang out, his eyes shifted upward to Phibet.

That glance was truly chilling.

Phibet had followed Ludwig for many years and had only seen the Boss with such an expression a handful of times. The first was when the Empire demanded that the Boss fulfill his responsibilities and hand over command of the Military Department. The second was when the Military Department and other Star Pirate Groups joined forces to encircle and suppress Red Blood.

His scalp instantly went numb, his body stiffened, and the hand holding the gun nearly failed to steady itself.

Seeing his reaction, Ludwig curled his lips. “If even a single hair on his head falls out, I’ll throw you into the Extreme Dark Domain.”

The Extreme Dark Domain was a patch of undetectable dark space-time. This domain emitted no light, absorbed no light, and reflected no light either. It floated silently in the universe like a vortex of thick darkness, and any matter that fell into it had no way out.

No race had ever dared to explore this dark space-time. Hundreds of years ago, the Mermaid Clan, which could bestow blessings and curses upon life, had been hunted down by the interstellar races. The entire clan was forced to flee into the dark domain, signaling the extinction of the whole race.

The blessings and curses of life—such powers that defied nature were like the Sword of Damocles, hanging high over the heads of the Mermaid Clan. In the end, when that sword came crashing down, paradise fell from paradise.

Even now, there were still those who, in pursuit of the so-called blessings of life, threw themselves headlong into this dark swamp without hesitation.

Ludwig had always scoffed at such things.

Hearing Ludwig speak such devilish words, Phibet’s eyes widened instantly. “??? Boss, I haven’t sinned that badly!”

Ludwig curled his fingers, his knuckles tapping lightly on the control panel one by one. The entire ship quickly fell silent, with only the sound of those rhythmic taps echoing, creating an astonishing sense of pressure.

The female insect beside him immediately frowned and ruthlessly jabbed the oblivious Phibet in the arm, telling him to shut up.

A moment later, Ludwig raised his eyes, glanced at the two of them, and slowly spoke. “This mission will be handled by your squad from now on.”

“…”

Phibet, who was single-mindedly focused on fighting, looked as if he had heard terrible news and nearly fainted. Edmund immediately covered his mouth and accepted the mission.

And so, the surveillance mission landed squarely on Phibet’s squad.

Phibet couldn’t figure it out. His squad consisted entirely of high-grade female insects who had fought their way out of bloody storms. Each one was rich in combat experience, worth an entire special operations team from the Military Department. They had always charged at the forefront before. How had they fallen to this?

A man’s heart truly was like a needle at the bottom of the sea.

Phibet resentfully packed up his belongings and began his three-month surveillance mission.

The first month of surveillance went smoothly, and there was even an unexpected surprise. The male insect went out every day, on fixed dates with different female insects. Although each time the news was reported back, the Boss fell silent for a long time.

Phibet gradually sensed that something was off.

The Boss’s reaction was very off.

This situation was very off.

After automatically imagining the damsel-in-distress female insect being rescued by the male insect and heading toward grand harmony, Phibet felt a depressed sense of eating the melon alone every day. He looked around at his companions and let out a long sigh, wishing they could share the melon.

The mission was boring, but it was leisurely. The female insect under surveillance was also a great beauty, which was truly pleasing to the eye. However, Phibet soon discovered that his mission was getting tricky.

In the last two months, the male insect hardly went out at all, holing up at home like a shut-in.

Phibet decided to change his mission strategy.

The sound of the door opening rang out. Phibet pinched the real-time sensory monitor on his ear, not knowing if the Boss was watching now. He lifted his head and looked toward the silver-haired male insect at the door.

Although Phibet had observed this male insect from the shadows for a long time already, he still had to admit at this moment that all distant observations paled in comparison to this instant visual impact.

Silver long hair, blue cold eyes, pale white skin—like a glass doll sculpted from a handful of snow. He didn’t seem like a real person. If not for the casual hoodie and long pants he wore, one might feel as if they had stumbled into some icy, snowy otherworld.

Just by standing there, he struck at many people’s conceptions of beauty.

A flash of astonishment passed through Phibet’s eyes. He suddenly understood the Boss a little.

The unfamiliar female insect seemed to react suddenly, straightening his slouched posture and rising from his seat. He reached out to pull back the chair beside him.

The other male insects were clearly watching. Seeing the female insect’s actions, their gazes shifted to Shen Yu, their eyes revealing a hint of sudden realization, as if the words “Oh, he’s here to chase you~” were written right in them.

Shen Yu: “…”

The male insect walked in with an expressionless face, lifted his long leg wrapped in black pants, and kicked the chair back into place. Then, still expressionless, he pulled out the seat beside it, bent at the waist, and sat down.

Having hit a wall right away, Phibet touched his nose and obediently sat back down.

But he really couldn’t understand what he had done to displease the male insect. Phibet turned his head. He had a handsome face that looked very youthful. Separated by a chair and an empty seat, he asked somewhat awkwardly, “Your Excellency, have I offended you somehow?”

Shen Yu didn’t answer his question, not even sparing him a glance.

The co-research meeting host was a sub-female insect who had devoted his life to serving the Azure Sparrow Hill Community. He cleared his throat lightly and began hosting the meeting. After introducing the community’s new member to everyone, he started discussing issues related to the community environment and greening.

The sub-female insect picked up the remote control on the table and turned on the display screen. At that moment, an emergency news bulletin was interrupting all channels on Star Net.

“In the name of the Insect Emperor, this is the White Rose News Channel, bringing you an urgent news report. After destroying fortresses in the Seventh Star System and Fifth Star System, Red Blood has launched a ray attack on the Military Department. This action is suspected to be indiscriminate retaliation by Red Blood—”

“The nearby areas have all been sealed off. Imperial Capital residents are advised to follow official guidelines and suggestions when traveling, avoid the incident zones, and if encountering a terrorist attack, remain calm, keep communications open, and receive the latest safety information and instructions.”

The Imperial masses hated Red Blood as much as they feared it. The Star Pirate Group, dormant for so long, had made a comeback. The sub-female insect’s hand trembled uncontrollably as he held the remote.

On the icy blue display screen, a video was playing. Amid the roar of engines, pitch-black warships shuttled through cannon fire.

Blinding fireballs exploded in the cosmos, like burning furnaces or celebratory fireworks, bursting across the entire interstellar space.

Although he hadn’t participated directly in the battle, Phibet watched with his whole body buzzing with excitement.

What fortresses? They were clearly just hideouts for those scum who had collaborated with the Empire, disgracing the Star Pirate Groups and abandoning their longstanding code of honor entirely.

If the other insects present hadn’t all been grim-faced and silent, Phibet would have jumped up to clap and cheer.

A dense flash of white static crossed the display screen, and suddenly, the blurry side profile of a red-haired female insect appeared.

Amid the cannon fire, that side profile wasn’t very clear—one half hidden in shadow, the other exposed to the light. Angular features, ambition and ruthlessness coexisting, the corners of his mouth slightly downturned in a cold smirk.

“This is—”

“Doesn’t it look a bit familiar?”

Shen Yu lifted his eyelids, his fingers resting on the tabletop. The blurry image on the display screen reflected in the two icy lakes deep in his eyes.

Red hair?

It truly stirred some unpleasant memories for him.

Shen Yu parted his lips. “Ah, weren’t you just asking what kind of female insect I hate the most?”

The clear, cold voice rang out in the space.

Phibet froze, realizing Shen Yu was speaking to him. An ominous premonition instantly rose in his heart. He turned back to look at Shen Yu.

The male insect leaned lazily against the chair back, his half-damp silver hair falling on his snow-white shoulder and neck, posture casual. He stretched out his hand, pointing at the blurry silhouette on the display screen. His brows and eyes were indifferent, his voice even colder:

“I hate this kind of female insect the most.”

Phibet felt the surveillance device on his ear suddenly burn hot.