Adjacent to the main control room of the Star was a lounge, where Zhong Yun sat in the center, his back to the entrance, gazing thoughtfully at an oil painting on the wall.
Everything in this lounge was the masterpiece of the previous master. Zhong Yun had no particular demands regarding these items, so he hadn't made any changes.
Although the spaceship had been vacant for millennia, everything aboard remained remarkably well-preserved. Even the ornaments in the room had not been corroded by time.
However, he dared not touch the liquor stored in the cabinet. After thousands of years, who knew what it had turned into? While it was true that wine improved with age, millennia... perhaps it was best to leave it alone.
The food he ate was all transported from the Mars. Ever since the first spaceship crash, and the subsequent desperate flight through darkness, he had developed a deep-seated phobia of starvation.
Before setting off for Kedo Star, he had stocked the Mars with ample provisions—enough to last him a thousand years. This fear was the root cause.
Yet, it was fortunate he had brought so much food, otherwise, he truly wouldn't know where to find enough sustenance to feed these eight thousand people.
An alert tone pulled him out of his reverie; they had arrived.
The door behind him slowly opened, and a familiar voice sounded, “The captain of this vessel claims to know us. How strange. This location is light-years from Dawa; how could someone here know us?”
Another voice chimed in, “What’s strange about that? The six of us brothers are famous throughout the Omi star system. It’s hardly surprising to meet someone here who knows of us.”
They were as playful as ever. Zhong Yun’s lips involuntarily curled into a nostalgic smile.
“Huh? Why has that robot stopped moving?” the first voice asked again.
“Idiot. We’re here now.”
“Long time no see,” Zhong Yun said, rising to his feet.
Hearing their native language spoken so abruptly gave the six men a significant start. They had been speaking freely precisely because they assumed no one here understood the Dawa dialect, a tactic to ease their own tension. Who could have predicted a sentence in Dawa would suddenly cut through the air? It would be strange not to be startled.
“You are…” The expression on one of the bowl-cut-haired men shifted dramatically, and he exclaimed, “It’s you!”
“What’s ‘It’s you’? Stop speaking in riddles,” another complained.
Zhong Yun turned his head and chuckled, “Don’t you recognize any of me?”
“Whoa—” Except for the bowl-cut man who had recognized him, the other five were once again thoroughly shocked. Their eyes widened to their limits, staring blankly, hands clamped tightly over their mouths, as if afraid to utter a sound.
Seeing their reaction, Zhong Yun couldn't help but be amused. “What? Seeing me is such a surprise?”
These six men were the mischievous quintet Zhong Yun had encountered at Yu Daoqing’s base: Chu Tiange, Wang Xiao’er, Zeng Xiao’san, Chang Ran Ru Meng, and Twenty-One, along with his mech enlightenment coach, Bai Yuwan (See Chapter 139 for details).
Though the time they spent together was brief, he had formed a deep impression of these six.
Since he and Yu Daoqing were kidnapped by the base's vice-captain, Wang Jingze (Chapter 141), he hadn't seen the other five. He never expected to run into them here, at this time.
“Surprised, incredibly surprised,” Twenty-One, the first to recognize Zhong Yun, was also the first to recover from the shock. “Zhong Yun, what are you doing here?”
“That’s a long story. How did you all end up here?” Meeting an old acquaintance in an unfamiliar place, especially in the boundless expanse of the universe, amplified the joy immeasurably.
“That’s not a short story either,” Zeng Xiao’san began, his face suddenly hardening with anger. “We heard about what happened to you. Those bureaucrats, they are truly scum.”
“Exactly! Every citizen knows you saved Dawa from imminent collapse. If it weren't for you, Dawa would have been lost. To think they ended up betraying you. They should all be captured and strung up,” Chang Ran Ru Meng declared righteously.
“Aren’t you cursing me?” Zhong Yun’s expression remained unchanged as he smiled. “Heroes usually don't have good endings. I have no desire to be a hero.”
Chu Tiange, standing nearby, clapped him hard on the shoulder and said solemnly, “Thank you.”
Zhong Yun glanced at him, discerning much from his eyes, and replied, “It was what I should have done.”
Bai Yuwan, the most composed of the six, stepped forward with a sigh. “It’s such a relief that you’re safe. After your incident, we were all so worried.”
“Just a bunch of good-for-nothings trying to keep me behind,” Zhong Yun scoffed.
“What unforgivable thing did you do to make the Dawa higher-ups risk their careers to come after you?” Wang Xiao’er asked with genuine curiosity. The incident had such a massive impact that everyone privy to the details kept silent, so no rumors reached the public.
“Do you really want to know?” Zhong Yun looked at them with amusement. All six leaned in, resembling curious children. Hearing his question, they nodded vigorously.
“It’s because I abducted the princess of the Gane Empire,” Zhong Yun whispered.
“Ah!”
All six stared at him with the look one gives an alien being—it was no longer simple shock, but something akin to reverence.
“Big Brother, you are incredible,” Wang Xiao’er said, utterly impressed. Truly, a capable man could do anything. Daring to make a move on the Gane Empire’s princess—it was audacious beyond measure.
The other five nodded in unanimous agreement.
“Incredible my foot,” Zhong Yun laughed and cursed. “It forced me into hiding. What rotten luck.”
“Speaking of which, how is the Young Miss?” Twenty-One suddenly inquired. He had wanted to ask the moment he saw Zhong Yun but had held back until now.
The other five instantly forgot their previous topic, their eyes fixed eagerly on Zhong Yun. Yu Daoqing was not only their savior but also the long-time dream girl of their youth; her safety mattered more than anything else to them.
“She’s fine. She’s already become my fortress lady,” Zhong Yun said, a smug smile spreading across his face.
“Ah—” The six cried out simultaneously, tinged with a hint of disappointment, but overwhelmingly tinged with relief and peace of mind.
Ever since hearing of Zhong Yun’s deeds during the Second War of National Defense, they had regarded him as a man standing tall and unbending, a match made in heaven for the Young Miss. Only a man like Zhong Yun was worthy of the ethereal beauty that was the Young Miss.
That the Young Miss had married Zhong Yun brought them only blessings.
“Then next time we’ll have to call you Uncle-in-Law,” Wang Xiao’er joked cheerfully.
“Doesn’t that make me sound like I’m living off my wife?” Zhong Yun laughed.
“Who dares say you’re living off your wife? I’ll beat them to a pulp,” Bai Yuwan chuckled as well.
After the laughter subsided, Zhong Yun recalled the earlier question. “Right, how did you all end up here?”
P: Asking for votes