Yun watched the captive through the panoramic monitor, taking in every nuance of his expression. "Hello."

Yun used the language of the Mins Kingdom, then fixed his gaze on the man's face. The captive visibly shuddered; his features contorted in terror, and he shrank into a ball, trembling violently.

"What is your name?" Yun continued, still speaking in the Mins Kingdom's tongue.

There was no response.

"I will count to three. If you do not answer, I will kill you. Three, two, one."

The man remained silent.

"Hiss—" Yun drew a long breath. It seemed he truly did not understand Mins language. He likely possessed only Mins lineage.

"Xiao Er, you can go in now," Yun instructed.

Wang Xiaoer, who had been standing by the door of the holding cell, opened it and stepped inside. Chang Ran Ru Meng stood guard beside him.

Seeing the door open, Shang Ming's terror escalated, his body shaking more violently. That previous voice had pushed him to the brink of collapse; he couldn't decipher a word the speaker said, though some of the sounds felt vaguely familiar. In the grip of extreme fear, however, the recognition was dismissed.

It was precisely this incomprehensibility that magnified his dread. Humans possess an inherent fear of the unknown.

Just then, he "heard" a voice. Though this sound seemed to resonate more directly within his mind. “What is your name?”

Shang Ming cried out. "I don't know anything! I’m just a humble miner! You must have captured the wrong person..."

"Just tell me everything you know. I won't hurt you," Wang Xiaoer soothed him.

Shang Ming continued to wail. "I don't know anything! I don't know anything..."

Wang Xiaoer frowned, looking at the captive who had descended into hysterics. Interrogation was impossible in this state. "Shut up."

A massive sound boomed inside Shang Ming’s head, making his skull vibrate deafeningly. He promptly clamped his mouth shut.

After a few seconds, Wang Xiaoer resumed, "Do you want to die?"

Hearing this, Shang Ming flinched again, pulling his body tighter inward.

"Answer me," Wang Xiaoer pressed.

"N-no, I don't," Shang Ming vehemently shook his head.

"Do you want to go home alive?" Wang Xiaoer continued to probe him.

Home? Shang Ming’s head snapped up instantly. Did he not want to go home? He longed for home, where his beloved wife, Xiao Yue, and his son, An'er, waited.

"Yes, I want to go home."

Seeing the fierce glint of the will to live in the man's eyes, Wang Xiaoer smiled slightly, thinking, One down.

As Wang Xiaoer had anticipated, the subsequent interrogation proceeded smoothly. The captive was cooperative, answering every question posed.

"How did it go?" Ming Yunyu asked as Yun walked into the main hall, where she had been waiting for the results.

"Xiao Er is questioning the third person." Yun seemed distracted. He retrieved a bottle of liquor from a cabinet, twisted off the cap, but made no move to drink.

"Any results?" Seeing his demeanor, Ming Yunyu felt a prickle of unease.

"Let's wait for Xiao San and George to arrive," Yun shook his head.

A short while later, Zeng Xiao San and George arrived. Everyone gathered around Yun, watching him anxiously.

Yun swirled the bottle in his hand. "Now that everyone is here, well, the situation is this..."

According to the confessions, they were within the sphere of influence of the Beast Nation, and all the captives were employees of a company there called Youjie Corporation.

Beyond the name of the country, the captives knew only of a hostile neighbor called the Azure Stone Nation, with whom they frequently clashed in war.

Initially, the prisoners had assumed Yun and his crew were from the Azure Stone Nation, which explained their extreme fear. Rumor had it that the Azure Stone people were notoriously cruel to captives.

Beyond that, they were ignorant of which star field or galaxy they inhabited, or even how many nations existed in the vicinity.

The Beast Nation’s operational range was quite small; the farthest points could be traversed in about half a year round trip.

This was because the mineral resources here were so rich that they didn't need to venture far to mine enough. Compared to this place, the Omi Star System seemed as barren as a desert.

The ruler of the Beast Nation was a man named Beast, rumored to possess martial prowess strong enough to challenge a starship single-handedly. The entire planet was Beast's private property, and his authority was absolute.

It was a totalitarian state.

Even stranger, the Beast Nation had only been established for twenty years, built entirely through Beast's own relentless campaigns.

The rules here were fundamentally different from the Omi Star System. If the Omi System was civilized, this place was savage, raw—conflict was the dominant theme. Wars between nations were commonplace. Twenty years ago, there was a nation here that Beast had destroyed to establish the Beast Nation.

For two decades, Beast had led his legions on countless conquests, extinguishing several nations, allowing his influence to swell to its present magnitude.

Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned. To those raised in civilized society, such matters were utterly incredible.

In the Omi Star System, warfare was exceedingly rare, reserved only for irreconcilable rivals like the Davo Republic and the Hong Xian Federation; ordinary nations rarely resorted to force.

Under the near-stringent laws of the Grand Cosmic Federation, war brought no benefit to a nation but incurred immense cost. No one desired such a mutually destructive path; the focus for all nations in the Omi System was quiet development.

Destroying over a dozen nations in twenty years meant nearly a war per year—a testament to the utter chaos reigning here.

"Where in the cosmos have we landed?" Chang Ran Ru Meng groaned.

"Captain, we must make contingency plans soon," Ming Yunyu stated calmly.

Yun placed the bottle on the table and surveyed the room. "No matter what, we are here, and survival is paramount. We are all outsiders. Regardless of which nation each of us hails from, we are now in the same boat. Only by uniting can we navigate the current situation."

"Give the order; I follow you," Chu Tiange responded instantly, being the first to declare his allegiance.

"We follow you," the Twenty-Ones murmured in agreement.

"Captain Yun, if there is anything you need, please command me; I will not refuse anything within my capacity," Ming Yunyu declared, recognizing the gravity of the moment and stating her position clearly.

"For the lives of eight thousand passengers, I will obey your command," George added.

Yun nodded. "Good. With these words from you all, we will surely find a way out of this place and return to our home."

He tapped the table, deep in thought. "The Beast Nation has a strict hierarchy. The few we captured are too low in status. If we could seize some important figures, perhaps we could learn more."

"Leave this matter to me," Chu Tiange immediately volunteered.

"Yes, Twenty-One and Yu Wan, go with him. Be cautious," Yun instructed.

The three stood, saluted, and departed.

Watching their retreating backs, Yun sighed softly. "Perhaps soon, we will experience a war."

Ming Yunyu and George exchanged a look but remained silent.

"Are you prepared?" Yun turned his gaze back to Ming Yunyu and George seated across from him.

Ming Yunyu's eyes flickered. "I believe you will lead us to victory in any conflict we face."

George looked at her strangely; that statement seemed a touch overstated, almost like flattery. In his estimation, she wasn't the type for such effusive praise.

Nearly ten hours later, Wang Xiaoer finally concluded his questioning. Yun clapped him on the shoulder. "You’ve worked hard. Go rest for a bit; we might need you again later."

"Wake me when needed," Wang Xiaoer replied without wasted words, returning to his quarters to sleep soundly.

"Ru Meng, go over to Miss Ming's side; see if she needs any help." Yun instructed Chang Ran Ru Meng.

Upon grasping their current predicament, Yun had immediately started thinking about the eight thousand souls on board—they were, after all, a labor force. Since they couldn't return anytime soon, living well became the priority. This place was too dangerous; strengthening their position was the most urgent task.

To maximize the use of available resources, Yun focused on the eight thousand people. He instructed George and Ming Yunyu to explain the current situation to them. To prevent any impulsive actions, he dispatched Xiao San. However, knowing Xiao San might not handle it alone, he called Ru Meng to assist.

Just as Ru Meng departed, Yun received a distress signal. He rushed to the main control room and activated the transmission. It was from Chu Tiange and the others—they had encountered a formidable enemy and were unable to break free.

"Just awful luck," Yun muttered, even as he began powering up the Mercury. He couldn't abandon the three; he had only six reliable personnel left, all of whom would be needed extensively moving forward. Taking a calculated risk was necessary.

Yun sent word for them to hold on, assuring them he would arrive shortly.

The weapon systems aboard the Mercury were more powerful than those on the Mars. Although it possessed only five main cannons—one fewer than the Mars—these five delivered greater destructive force, and their charging time was reduced by one-third.

In addition, there were twenty powerful secondary cannons and hundreds of thousands of smaller weapons. The Mercury was originally designed for single-operator use, making it particularly vulnerable to swarms of close-range mechs. Therefore, the designers had installed countless small cannons specifically for engaging such proximity threats.

Finally, there were secret weapons like the Chaos Ray, designed to penetrate energy shields.

For defense, the hull was exceptionally resilient, supplemented by energy shielding.

This luxurious arsenal was Yun's greatest asset in ensuring their survival here.

P: Another week has passed; please send recommendation votes. .

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