Reiner seethed, every emotion erupting in a single instant. He snatched the coat rack leaning by the door and roared, “Get out! Get out of here!”

The two people who had been intertwined froze, immediately separating to scramble for their clothes, dressing haphazardly.

The man was so terrified his legs shook violently, and he crawled away, soiled himself in panic.

The woman, slightly calmer, let out a cold scoff. “I divorced you centuries ago. Who I sleep with is none of your business!” With that, she turned and walked out, swishing her hips.

Reiner swung the coat rack savagely toward the ** with brutal force.

The bed was the finest, softest, most comfortable one.

The coat rack didn't shatter the bed as intended; instead, it bounced back, numbing half his arm with the impact.

He threw the rack aside, covered his face, and slumped onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

He had nothing left!

In a single night, everything was gone!

After weeping for a while, a fierce unwillingness gnawed at him. How could he surrender so easily?

No, he had to reclaim everything that belonged to him!

Bai Lanxue, that woman, had framed him. That woman deserved to die!

Reiner indulged his imagination for a moment, picturing Bai Lanxue being tormented to death within his mental world. Then, he mentally ** Nisa Bi and his ex-wife millions of times, finally feeling a measure of peace. He got up, took a shower, changed his clothes, and prepared to head out for revenge.

However, the instant he opened the main door, three figures charged in. Two of them subdued him in seconds, pinning him to the ground, handcuffing him.

Lying there, he spat curses, “Damn it! If you don't release me right now, I’ll **—”

Before he could finish his threat, a piece of paper was thrust before his face.

He followed the paper upward with his eyes and saw the crisp uniform of the Interstellar Federation Police.

He forced a calm demeanor. “What do you want?”

The officer’s face was impassive. “You are arrested for committing a crime against national security, as stipulated by law.”

Reiner shouted, “This is slander! I demand an appeal!”

The officer replied flatly, “I’m sorry, not every crime offers an opportunity for appeal.”

Reiner was shocked. “Where are you taking me?” He hadn't exacted his revenge yet; how could he be taken away like this? He was filled with resentment!

The officer gave him a cold glance. “Let’s go. You’ll find out when we get there.”

What terrified Reiner was the realization that he wouldn't even get the chance to enter a police station or a courtroom. After being shoved into a transport vessel, within minutes, he was aboard the Dreadnought Dada.

It suddenly struck Reiner that the ones who came for him weren't ordinary police—they were special tactical units from the Dada!

He stared at the monotonous scenery of deep space and was gripped by sudden terror. Being familiar with the system, he understood the function of the Dreadnought Dada.

It was a ship used to transport prisoners to Silver Talisman Star!!!

Reiner was simultaneously unwilling to accept his fate and utterly despairing.

The Dada cruised at full speed near the edge of the wormhole, soon arriving at a place where not a single star was visible, the darkness thick as ink. Reiner instantly soiled himself in fear. “Sir, I beg you, show mercy! I’ll kneel for you!”

But no matter how he begged, it was useless.

The transport vessel he was in was jettisoned from the dreadnought…

Lan Li watched the transport vessel plummet toward the wormhole. Though he couldn't see the person inside, he understood what had happened. Most likely, it was the scapegoat, Reiner.

After dumping Reiner, the Dada turned back.

Before Lan Li’s dreadnought could cloak itself, it met the Dada head-on.

The Dada, seeing a dark dreadnought suddenly appear in its view like a beast, visibly shuddered on the spot. Without a word, it opened fire!

This was certainly Lan Li’s most frustrating day.

First, he was attacked inexplicably in front of Siatu, and now, chased behind Siatu, he was attacked inexplicably again. He narrowed his eyes at the Dada and gave a cold smile. “Fire back!”

This time, Lan Li didn't even feel the desire to evade. All weapons platforms fired, and all drones launched. Although the Dada was also a dreadnought, its purpose was prisoner transport; lacking the danger of a prison break, it was built for stable cruising, possessing very little combat capability.

Soon, the Dada was torn to shreds by Lan Li.

The captain asked, “Vice-Commander, should we destroy it?”

Lan Li smiled coldly. “If he doesn’t die, we will.” He stared intently at the main screen. “First battery platform, adjust thirteen point eight degrees right. Second battery platform, adjust nine point seven degrees. Attack!”

The Vice-Captain adjusted the platforms as instructed…

Boom! Boom!

The Dada dissolved into the most beautiful fireworks display!

Lan Li waited for the fireworks to dissipate and the shockwave to calm. He casually pointed at a staff member. “Go back, bring a salvage tug here, and collect all the debris.”

The staff member responded, “Yes!” He headed toward the mech hangar and slid out on a mech along the docking ramp.

The captain worried, “What if someone notices?”

Lan Li smiled slightly. “As long as you all keep quiet, no one will notice.” He activated the internal comms, dialed a number, and spoke, “When you have time, make that wormhole behind Siatu even more volatile. If any Federation ship goes missing nearby, you know what to do.”

After ending the call, he addressed the captain. “Engage engines. Time to go home.”

With the induction field, Zi Ye and Tang Wen crossed the wormhole smoothly in just a few minutes, entering Silver Talisman’s atmosphere. After passing through the atmosphere, Zi Ye locked onto their home coordinates, preparing to land right at the doorstep.

Mechs were small and convenient, unlike capital ships that required landing in open plains.

Zi Ye activated the voice system. “Check the mech team coordinates. Landing in five minutes.”

Tang Wen was silent for a long moment before a subdued “Mmm” came through. It was unclear if he was unnerved by the state of Silver Talisman Star.

Zi Ye wanted to offer a few comforting words, but then thought: there was nothing to comfort him about. She had lived on Silver Talisman Star for over two years without complaint; what did he have to complain about? Hmph.

Such a pampered young master!

Just as Zi Ye was projecting her thoughts onto Tang Wen’s feelings, Tang Wen suddenly said, “There’s something falling from the horizon.”

Zi Ye startled, and before she could speak, Little Sprout bounced up. “It’s a transport vessel! A prisoner transport! Let’s go check it out! Go, go!”

This wasn't the scheduled time for prisoner delivery; why was a transport vessel falling?

Confused, Zi Ye immediately locked the mech controls and activated the mech team broadcast. “Let’s go take a look.”

At this moment, the mechs were only two thousand meters above the ground, and the purple vegetation was visible. Tang Wen responded, then suddenly laughed. “I thought Silver Talisman Star would be either desolate wilderness or covered in silver metal. I didn't expect it to look like it was planted with lavender.”

Zi Ye couldn't help but smile. It seemed she had underestimated Tang Wen; anyone who could compare fields of grayish-purple plants to lavender possessed a certain resilient optimism even in hardship.

Boom!

With a huge explosion, the transport vessel detonated, sending a mushroom cloud tens of meters high into the sky. Zi Ye was unfazed—transport vessels always exploded a few minutes after landing—but Tang Wen, unaware of the context, frowned. “Executing prisoners?”

Zi Ye didn't explain. She landed her mech two hundred meters from the explosion site, exited, and before she could run over, she heard hysterical screaming.

The voice sounded surprisingly familiar.

Little Sprout zipped over, circled above the person’s head once, then quickly flew back to Zi Ye, flapping its wings and roaring with laughter toward the sky. “Hahaha! It’s that big bad guy! Hahaha, I’m so happy! Landing right in my master’s hands…”

Zi Ye looked and saw Reiner.

Little Sprout perched majestically on Zi Ye’s head like a queen. It strode toward Reiner without a word and unleashed three simultaneous bursts of electricity from the sprout on its head.

Reiner had just ‘enjoyed’ the freefall acceleration from a great height, and then seeing the transport vessel explode upon landing—in his privileged life, he had never suffered such treatment.

He was instantly terrified, crying out for his father and mother.

But to his surprise, with his wailing, he received several more jolts of electricity. The crackling sparks nearly set his clothes alight, sending him rolling frantically on the ground, rising with trembling legs.

Zi Ye sighed softly.

He must have been quite well-dressed when he left—his clothes were worth no less than thirty thousand credits—but now they were dirty and ragged, one pant leg soaked, and a foul stench emanated from him up close.

He had lost control of his bowels from sheer terror!

He looked up, saw Zi Ye, then noticed her neat and beautiful uniform. With a thud, he dropped to his knees and crawled toward her, trying to grab her leg. “Please, save me! I beg you, I’ll kowtow to you…”

Zi Ye stepped back a few paces, shook her head, and turned to leave.

Tang Wen had just walked up. Seeing he wasn’t wearing a hat, Zi Ye quickly placed her own hat on his head. “Remember to wear a hat next time.”

He was wearing a butler uniform, which, paired with Zi Ye’s ornate, white hat, created a bizarre, eclectic mix. Zi Ye couldn't help but laugh. “Master Designer Tang certainly has refined taste.”

Tang Wen looked at her thoughtfully, then suddenly placed the hat back on her head. “It’s alright.”

Zi Ye rolled her eyes at him, then forcefully placed the hat back on his head, her expression stern. “Keep it on, or don't blame me if you get a headache.”

Tang Wen looked at her haltingly, his brows lowered, his expression earnest and serious. “But you’ll get a headache even if you don’t wear it.”

Zi Ye felt a warmth spread through her chest and couldn't suppress a faint smile. “I’m used to it.”

Seeing another person arrive, Reiner scrambled over, hoping to plead his case. The moment he saw Tang Wen, he was struck dumb, his face cycling from pale to blue, then back to pale.

Reiner felt like he was trapped in a nightmare, and now he had found the source of it.

Tang Wen! Everything that happened was Tang Wen’s fault!

It turned out Tang Wen and Zi Ye had conspired all along, setting a trap for him, and he had foolishly walked right into it. The more Reiner thought about it, the less he could bear it. “You—how can you be here?”

Tang Wen looked down at him, his eyes devoid of any emotion. “Why shouldn’t I be here?”

Reiner gave a bitter laugh. “Fine, very good. Are you two here to laugh at my misfortune? I’m already at rock bottom, and you’re still not satisfied?!”

Even on the same prisoner planet, he was worse off than a convict, yet Tang Wen was still immaculately dressed in a suit, poised and composed.

Why?

Why him!

Reiner collapsed onto the ground and wept bitterly.

-RS