Starforce Warriors

Li Xiaofei was starting to get excited. He had been trying to find a thread, something that connected him to Eden, ever since arriving in the Outer World. Now, finally, he had something to pull on. The fog that veiled this world was starting to lift, little by little, right before his eyes. At last, he had a clear target.

"Keep talking." Li Xiaofei pressed.

Zhou Yifei spilled everything he knew, leaving nothing out. He confessed without holding anything back. And in the end, under Li Xiaofei's persistent 'this could exist' nudging, he even made up a few more wild, shameless, over-the-top accusations. Each one was more outrageous than the last. After he finished, Li Xiaofei finally let him go.

After that, the other privileged second-generation heirs were brought in one after another. Each one entered the same room, and each one received the Life and Death Talisman treatment.

They confessed every secret under the cold gaze of Li Xiaofei and the unblinking lens of the camcorder. Eagerly. Desperately. They revealed every dark corner of their lives and their families as if they were stripped bare before him, body and soul.

And their secrets? Almost all of them were tied to their powerful parents. Which meant they were tied to Chongque City's upper-class nobility. Even the busybody masses of the rumor mill would be full to the point of vomiting from all the juicy scandals.

Guided carefully by Li Xiaofei's suggestions, these heirs also made up a few additional bombshell revelations. They were fabricated but delivered with conviction, just to round out the entire process.

Li Xiaofei sorted the resulting mountain of dirt into different archives, classifying them based on their credibility of fact, half-truth and pure fabrication. He organized everything meticulously, then finally let out a long, satisfied breath.

A massive haul. After this, he could confidently say that he now held leverage over more than half of Chongque City's powerful elite. If used wisely, this would be a weapon of mass destruction. It could shake the very foundations of the city.

If used poorly, it would be his death sentence. To borrow someone else's words, Li Xiaofei now possessed a path to death. This was a double-edged sword.

Moments later, in the banquet hall of the shuttle ship, Song Shiyan stood up.

"Everyone, from this day forward, Li Qingchen is my big brother," Song Shiyan announced, patting his chest proudly in front of the crowd. "We didn't get along at first, but after a little clash, we've come to admire each other. Brother Chen and I hit it off right away, and we've sworn brotherhood. From now on, anyone who goes against Brother Chen is making an enemy of me, Song Shiyan!"

The City Lord's son made doubly sure everyone heard.

"Brother Chen!"

"Greetings, Brother Chen!"

"Brother Chen is truly heroic, noble in bearing, graceful as jade, dignified and dashing..."

"From now on, Brother Chen is our big brother!"

"One call of big brother, a lifetime of loyalty!"

The other privileged young heirs followed suit one by one as they all scrambled to express their allegiance. It was as if they were terrified of being noticed for responding too slowly.

Li Xiaofei wasn't the least bit surprised. There were indeed second-generation elites of Chongque City with unyielding spirits and remarkable talent. But those people would never associate with someone like Song Shiyan.

"Haha, well said, no hard feelings after a fight," Li Xiaofei chuckled. "We're all just here in Chongque to have some fun. There are no grudges worth holding onto. From now on, we're all brothers. I'm someone who values loyalty, treats his people well, and is easy to get along with. Anyone who can't get along with me... should probably do some self-reflection."

A brief silence followed in the hall. Then, as if on cue, Song Shiyan led the others in laughter, playing along like performers on a stage.

"We're like grasshoppers on the same rope. You can't run without me, and I can't escape without you." Li Xiaofei clapped Song Shiyan on the shoulder, leaned in close, and whispered, "Don't start having thoughts you shouldn't. If you ever try to come after me, you'll only get one chance. If you fail, rest assured. You won't die... but you'll wish you had."

"You're my big brother. I'll listen to you for the rest of my life," Song Shiyan quickly replied, bowing his head in submission.

Li Xiaofei patted his cheek lightly. "I hope you mean that. Now go on, don't get in the way of what I'm doing here."

At last, Song Shiyan and the others boarded their shuttle and rose into the air, quickly vanishing into the snow-filled night sky.

Once they cleared M73's near-orbit and entered the vast expanse of space, Zhou Yifei hesitated. Then, unable to hold back, he leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Brother Yan... what do we do next?"

***

"Let's stop by Jiuyang Tower for a drink first," said Song Shiyan.

"And after that?"

"Then we go home and sleep."

"So... that's really it? You're just letting this go?"

"What, can't swallow the humiliation?"

"No, I just feel it's unfair to you, Brother Yan."

Smack.

Song Shiyan slapped Zhou Yifei across the face without hesitation and said, "Unfair my ass. Brother Chen is a true expert, he had us figured out from the start. He's skilled, bold, and far beyond what we can handle. I'm convinced. If you're not, figure something out yourself. But don't drag me down with you."

He leaned closer, voice low and cold, "And listen up. If I ever find out you tried to move against Brother Chen, I swear I'll kill you myself. You believe me?"

"I do, I do! Brother Yan, you could crush me like an ant," Zhou Yifei replied quickly, laughing nervously and bowing his head in apology.

Wiping his hands clean with a hot white towel, Song Shiyan said, "Tell the others too, give it up. Stop plotting. We're not playing in the same league."

***

"Brother Chen... you're really letting them walk away just like that?" Huang Dinggou sounded a little uneasy as he asked, "What if they turn around and stab us in the back?"

"Don't worry," Li Xiaofei said with a straight face. "Worst case, I'll just hand you over to take the fall."

"???"

Huang Dinggou stared at him in disbelief. Li Xiaofei burst into hearty laughter.

He followed a hidden path known only to close allies and arrived at the secret encampment. He retrieved a massive cache of supplies from the Secret Time Pavilion within the Moonlight Treasure Box and handed them over to the village elder.

"All this?" The old woman gasped in astonishment.

What Li Xiaofei had brought in a single trip was more than what Nangong Longjian had delivered across ten missions. Even rare resources like celestial jades, which were strictly regulated by Chongque City and desperately needed in the village, were now available in abundance.

"It's nothing," Li Xiaofei replied with effortless flair, playing it cool.

Chongque City maintained tight control over its resources, especially due to the ongoing war with Eden. Their inspection systems were highly advanced, utilizing detection insects and specialized hounds that could sniff out even the most well-hidden storage artifacts.

But Li Xiaofei had an unfair advantage. He had the Moonlight Treasure Box and the Secret Time Pavilion. He could bypass all detection effortlessly, which allowed him to smuggle in supplies without a trace.

After a brief conversation with the village elder, he left behind a video message recorded by the young girl, Ah Qing, then quietly took his leave.

He didn't linger long on the trash-covered M73. After a solemn visit to Autumnwatch Peak to pay tribute to Nangong Longjian, he boarded his shuttle and began the journey back to Chongque City.

The asteroid planet floated just beyond the edge of the solar system. It hovered in place like a silent spy, watching the inner planets from afar.

Sometimes, Li Xiaofei couldn't help but ponder a troubling question,Was the plan designed by Lin Beichen, Li Mu, Ye Qingyu, Sun Fei, and Ding Hao? The plan to use Earth as a battlefield and logistics base... is it truly a wise one?

A hundred thousand alternate Earths, each with its own 'save file,' seemed, on the surface, to offer an endless stream of geniuses and powerhouses that could support the Star Battlefield.

But at what cost? How many ordinary people had suffered? How many had been torn apart by war, separated from loved ones, and seen their homes and families destroyed?

Setting aside everything else, just the archive worlds Li Xiaofei had personally visited, aside from Earth No. 1818 which had yet to be mobilized and was still being held in reserve, had already been plunged into chaos and bloodshed.

Wars between nations. Wars between humans and star beasts. Everywhere he went, there was only killing and death. Was this the destiny Earth's people had hoped for? Was this the future Ye Qingyu and the others had sought to create? Was sacrificing the present and the past in exchange for an uncertain tomorrow truly a wise gamble?

Li Xiaofei found himself momentarily lost in thought as he stood in the outer orbit, on the starlane just outside Chongque City's stargate. Of course, it was only a brief moment of sentimentality.

He returned to Earth No. 1818. In the end, the mission still awaited. After confirming the connection between Jiepeng and Angrus, Li Xiaofei decided it was time to visit Jiepeng and investigate further.

There was no need for planes or ships as he crossed the distance with a single thought and arrived instantly in Tokyo, the most renowned city in Jiepeng.

The first thing he realized? It wasn't even that warm here.