When Bai Lanxue descended onto Silver Rune Star, it was already nighttime, and the gamma baseline was intense. Everyone on Silver Rune Star remained indoors, rarely venturing out. Otherwise, given the ostentatious brilliance of Bai Lanxue’s flagship, a horde of plunderers would have already emerged.

Rainer was quite pleased that no one came out to loot. He piloted the flagship to a secluded spot, landed, detached from the fleet, and shut down all systems to prevent immediate tracking.

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Once that was done, he headed toward Bai Lanxue’s quarters.

It had been far too long since he’d had any satisfaction. The mere thought of the fair, smooth skin beneath Bai Lanxue’s stiff business suit made him want to rush in and push her down right there.

Bai Lanxue, feeling utterly uncomfortable, had already gone to sleep.

He paced back and forth outside her lounge a few times, finally suppressing his primal urge and returning to the Captain’s cabin.

—Bai Lanxue still served a significant purpose for him.

He could not jeopardize the grand scheme for a fleeting moment of pleasure.

Back in the Captain’s cabin, he sent a message to the few individuals he had recently subdued: "Before dawn, meet on the plains. Kill everyone you see; leave no survivors. All the warships will then be yours."

Those individuals, whose usual business was banditry, heard this excellent proposition, immediately called up their friends, and piloted their airships toward the great plains.

However, the descent of the Interstellar Federation Fleet onto Silver Rune Star was not a secret known only to him.

The Angel Legion maintained a training ground on one side of the plains. The soldiers there spotted the arrival of the warships and the departure of the flagship. As soon as Rainer left, they immediately contacted the high command of the Angel Legion to report the incident.

Upon receiving the news, Lan Li asked An Junlie, "Should we play the long game to catch a bigger fish, or should we kill them now to avenge them for bombing our interstellar orbit?"

An Junlie, currently searching for Ziye near the Tuba Star System, replied, "No hurry. Let them emerge near the wormhole before we intercept. As for the group down there, capture them alive if possible."

The Silver Rune ground training facility immediately dispatched a hundred-man contingent toward the great plains.

But in this world, some people always moved one step faster than the military—the residents of Silver Rune Star.

One person lived right next to the plains, on the former site of the Silver Rune Hotel. After seeing the flagship leave, he immediately gathered a few people, took two battleships, and salvaged one frigate.

When the Angel Legion troops arrived, they found a large group of people lying unconscious on the plains. They first commandeered four battleships and then crammed the unconscious people into the frigate.

At that moment, Rainer's men arrived.

The Angel Legion recognized them as the faction at odds with them. Not wishing for a conflict, they fled in the frigate.

So, when Rainer's men reached the plains, they found about ten people lying on the ground and one battleship. Without a word, they executed all ten unconscious people on the spot and drove off in the battleship.

Bai Lanxue’s fleet was carved up overnight.

Bai Lanxue slept until morning, feeling much better, and prepared to execute her grand plan. However, upon finding no one else aboard the flagship, not even her aides, she became displeased and, with a stern face, initiated a wide-band search.

One person, no connection.

Two people, still no connection.

Bai Lanxue was utterly dejected. She stepped outside and saw Rainer approaching with breakfast, roaring, "Where is everyone? Where did they all go?"

Rainer desperately wanted to fling the breakfast in her face.

Still looking for people?

Dream on!

However, Rainer masked himself well. In the six months on Silver Rune Star, the most refined skill he had acquired was adaptability. Facing Bai Lanxue’s interrogation, he feigned innocence: "I have no idea! After rescuing you yesterday, I didn't dare linger and stopped over here."

Only then did Bai Lanxue recall that her entire contingent was incapacitated on the plains. She ordered, "Set a course for the plains."

Rainer was meek and compliant: "Yes, Secretary-General Bai."

Familiar with the routes, Rainer steered the flagship toward the great plains.

Bai Lanxue sat in the co-pilot’s seat, gazing at the monotonous landscape of Silver Rune Star, a vague sense that something was amiss settling in her heart.

Everything had spiraled beyond her control since landing on Silver Rune Star.

This was not a good sign, and certainly not a safe one.

Bai Lanxue pondered for a moment, silently activating her wide-band communicator to locate the few people usually by her side.

Their positions were all concentrated on the great plains.

Bai Lanxue’s frown deepened.

Being unconscious in the wilderness overnight, especially an unfamiliar wilderness, was extremely dangerous. Never mind encountering wild beasts or poisonous insects; if seen by others, the outcome would likely be unpleasant.

She couldn't help but stand up and look down through the viewport.

Rainer turned his head, saw her frowning, and seemed to sense her thoughts: "We'll be there in three minutes."

Bai Lanxue responded with a noncommittal "Mm," and said nothing more.

Three minutes later, the flagship arrived at yesterday's location. Bai Lanxue watched the empty plain, her heart sinking, and it never rose again.

She hastily disembarked and searched the grassland once; no one.

She searched again; still nothing.

Last night’s killing had been too swift and clean, leaving not a drop of blood. The warships had been piloted away, leaving the area as clean as if they had never been there. Even the body of the reserve captain she had shot was gone.

Bai Lanxue’s heart finally panicked.

Her people were all gone!

She pulled up the wide-band screen again, relocated their signals, and followed the navigation until she found a muddy pool.

Even if Bai Lanxue were slow-witted, she knew what had happened now.

Her people had been eliminated silently by someone else!

Bai Lanxue looked up at Rainer.

During this entire period, only Rainer had been near her.

This meant Rainer was the most likely culprit!

He had deliberately lured her away and then eliminated her entire contingent.

A murderous intent flared in Bai Lanxue’s heart. She beckoned to Rainer, who walked over to her feigning innocence.

The next second, Bai Lanxue shot out both hands, gripping his shoulders like iron pincers, and violently drove her knee upward!

She was trained, after all. With this thrust, she exerted twelve points of force, delivering a solid impact.

Rainer let out a sharp cry, clutching his lower body, and collapsed to the ground, writhing.

Bai Lanxue snorted coldly and stepped down hard on his ribs. "Where did you take my people?"

Rainer’s face turned white with pain.

He suspected his manhood might never recover.

A killing intent briefly surged through Rainer; he wanted to grab her leg and flip her over. But the next second, he clasped Bai Lanxue’s leg instead and cried out, "Secretary-General, you are mistaken! I’ve been surviving here by gnawing on grass roots; how could I have the ability to move so many people? Any one of them could stomp me to death!"

Bai Lanxue considered this, finding some truth in his words, and eased the pressure of her foot. It wasn't that she underestimated Rainer, but he looked genuinely pathetic—his clothes were tattered, and he was thin and weak, a stark contrast to the fair and tender appearance he had maintained in the Interstellar Federation.

This person certainly didn't look like he was doing well.

Rainer sensed her foot lighten and quickly seized the opportunity. "The people on Silver Rune Star are vicious. They slashed me last time, and the scar hasn't healed yet. Look if you don't believe me!" Saying this, he closed his eyes and pulled up his shirt.

His abdomen bore a gruesome scar resembling a centipede.

Bai Lanxue looked at him deeply, released her foot, and said, "Do you know where they are?"

Rainer struggled up from the ground, his groin still throbbing—he cursed internally but forced a look of relief onto his face. "They live over near the primeval forest. I went there once looking for food, but it was full of venomous insects and beasts; I nearly lost my life."

Bai Lanxue looked in the direction Rainer pointed. After a brief thought, she abandoned the idea of fighting her way in.

She currently only had one flagship. Even if she found the others, she couldn't fight; she might even be repelled by the battleships they had stolen.

She finally realized she had capsized in a ditch this time.

Bai Lanxue turned and stepped onto the flagship, putting the missing personnel out of her mind for now, beginning to consider the next steps for the two people remaining.

Rainer limped behind her, clutching his groin, his heart filled with malice and resentment, yet he never made a move against her.

She sat down in the co-pilot’s seat. "Which group has more people? Let's go check."

Rainer remained seated in the captain’s chair. "What are your intentions, Secretary-General?"

Bai Lanxue replied, "There’s a war brewing in space, and I intend to recruit capable people. You’ve lived here for a while; you know the situation better than I do. Don't worry, if you can recruit them, I won't treat you unfairly."

Rainer’s face broke into a smile.

This was the line he had been waiting for.

He had long wanted to leave this wretched place. If they could just get off Silver Rune and into space, ha! He was absolutely certain that no one in space could stand against them.

Who could be more brutal than the depraved prisoners of Silver Rune Star?

Who could be tougher than the prisoners who survived Silver Rune Star's harsh conditions?

Space would belong to him!

He flattered her: "You don't need to worry. No flagship has ever appeared on Silver Rune Star before. Since it’s daytime, everyone can see us. We’ll just wait here; surely, someone will beg us to take them out soon. We'll sign a contract with them, and it will be straightforward, right?"

Bai Lanxue murmured an "Mm," and opened her wide-band communicator to draft a contract.

Without aides, she had to handle everything herself.

She was, after all, the second-in-command of the Interstellar Federation, possessing formidable operational capability. In a short time, she produced a contract filled with the Federation’s oppressive clauses.

The only thing she forgot was that the Interstellar Federation was the very entity that had thrown these prisoners here. Now, with the Federation banner prominently displayed on the flagship, what would these prisoners think...

The time wasn't ripe yet. Rainer remained calm and sent a message summoning his crew to come and cling to Bai Lanxue’s leg.

Her only use right now was to escort them out into space.

Once they reached space, hehe, forget Bai Lanxue; he would seize control of the Interstellar Federation itself!

-RS