FT DR Chapter 94: Six-Person Team

Chapter 94: Six-Person Team

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

The Tianque Military Harbor is composed of eight huge space fortresses. These eight space fortresses are not tightly integrated, but rather float in space in a specific order. They are named after the ancient Chinese Bagua, such as “Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun,” according to their construction years and are connected by shuttlecraft.

A public starship from Planet Dunkirk landed at the “Qian” civilian port of the harbor. Passengers walked out of the cabin in twos and threes, among them a same-sex couple. One tall and one short, the taller one appeared to be older, around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with a slender figure and cold features. The shorter one was much younger, almost childish, with fair skin and delicate features.

“Feeling cold?” As they passed through security, Jin Xuan caught up with Wu Chenghe and draped his long arm over Wu Chenghe’s shoulder. His long hair had been completely cut short, styled into neatly arranged messy strands. His appearance had also been subtly adjusted using biological means, concealing the aggressive handsomeness he used to possess, now appearing understated and ordinary. Wu Chenghe had also undergone simple facial adjustments like him, with his slightly drooping eye corners lifted slightly, losing some gentleness and gaining some cold arrogance, exuding a queenly demeanor when silent.

This time, they had infiltrated the Tianque Military Harbor under false identities to complete a secret reconnaissance mission. The entire group of seven had undergone temporary cosmetic surgery. The skill of the NTU plastic surgeons was indeed excellent; each person underwent minimal changes, but the visual impact was significant. When they emerged from the cosmetic pod, Wu Chenghe almost didn’t recognize Jin Xuan, only spotting his lion’s mane confirmed it was him.

“Not cold.” Wu Chenghe shook his head, touched his chin, still somewhat unaccustomed to his fake face. He asked Jin Xuan, “Where are we going? Taking the public shuttle?”

“No, someone will come to pick us up.” Jin Xuan said, “Several members of the team came over half a month ago to prepare at the ‘Duo Kou’.” The “Duo Kou” he mentioned was the NTU’s secret base in the Tianque Military Harbor. The NTU, as the most powerful federal intelligence agency, had such bases in various military districts. They were usually manned by resident agents for daily intelligence collection, but during special cases, they could serve as operational headquarters, providing security and cover for everyone.

Wu Chenghe and Jin Xuan picked up their luggage and walked to the exit, where they indeed saw a tall Tibetan man waiting. A holographic electronic badge above his head displayed Jin Xuan’s alias.

“That’s him, Baima Dorji, or ‘Chang Gong,’ the long-range attack specialist.” Jin Xuan whispered, putting his arm around Wu Chenghe’s shoulder as they approached the man to greet him.

“Oh, you’re here.” Baima Dorji took off the holographic badge on his head, hugged Jin Xuan, and inspected him up and down. “Looking good, much stronger than at the last commendation ceremony.” He shook hands with Wu Chenghe, “Welcome to the Tianque Military Harbor, Mr. Consultant.”

“Thank you, please take care of us.” Wu Chenghe smiled. He had joined the task force as a consultant, and to protect him, the NTU had not publicly disclosed his guide status internally. The special agents only knew him as a medical expert, a representative of the Saint Martin Research Center.

After a brief exchange, Baima Dorji led them onto a dilapidated shuttlecraft. Jin Xuan asked him, “Is everything ready at Duo Kou?”

“Everything’s ready, the plan can be activated anytime.” Baima Dorji set the route and said to Jin Xuan, “Except for ‘Yan Shi,’ everyone else is on standby at Duo Kou.”

Jin Xuan nodded, then explained to Wu Chenghe, “‘Yan Shi’ is our mechanic, staying on the warship outside the defense line of Tianque Military Harbor, providing heavy weapon support for us.”

“Ah.” Wu Chenghe nodded. Baima Dorji glanced at him, then at Jin Xuan, unable to help but say, “I really didn’t expect Mr. Consultant to be so young… Are you not even of legal age yet?”

“I’m almost twenty.” Wu Chenghe said helplessly, “The adjustments they made for me are a bit… too childish.”

“That’s good. Being young makes it less suspicious.” Baima Dorji smiled, then as if remembering something, he asked Jin Xuan, “Hey, Gun Spear, have you briefed the consultant on the situation at Duo Kou? Don’t scare him when we get there; he looks too innocent.”

“Gun Spear?” Wu Chenghe looked at Jin Xuan, “Is that your code name?” 

Wasn’t that a powerful weapon in some game?

“Yeah.” Jin Xuan nodded, “I’m the close combat assault in the team; they all call me Gun Spear.”

Wu Chenghe had always thought Jin Xuan was a long-range attacker in the special operations team because he knew Jin Xuan was good at sniping, with an exceptionally high hit rate and a rather cold personality. He hadn’t expected him to be a close combat assault, such a fierce role, which was quite surprising for a moment.

“I excel in close combat, with strong explosive power and rapid reflexes.” Jin Xuan sensed his surprise through telepathy and explained softly, “This is the characteristic of the Barbary lion sentinel. Jin Zhe used to be a close combat assault too.”

“Oh.” Wu Chenghe nodded in understanding. 

Jin Xuan continued, “He asked me to give you a brief introduction to the situation at Duo Kou. So, our Duo Kou is located in the ‘Xun’ district, right in the largest red-light district of the Tianque Military Harbor. The environment here is a bit… complicated, so don’t be too surprised when you see it later.”

“A red-light district?” Wu Chenghe was surprised. “Does this place still have a red-light district? Isn’t that kind of trade strictly prohibited by the Federation?”

Jin Xuan couldn’t help but chuckle at his surprised expression and patted his head. “This place is different from Gabriel Military Harbor. There are only military personnel here; eighty percent of the residents are single soldiers. The ‘Xun District’ is where junior officers and lower-ranking soldiers gather. During their leisure time, everyone likes to go to casinos and brothels for fun. The NTU set up Duo Kou in the red-light district because it’s the easiest place to gather intelligence.”

Wu Chenghe smiled awkwardly. “Oh, I see. Indeed, such places are suitable for intelligence agencies.”

“In fact, Gabriel also has such places, but you haven’t been in contact with them. Prostitution and assassination are the oldest professions in the world. Even the federal government can’t completely prohibit them; they can only control them to some extent.” Jin Xuan explained, “But you don’t need to worry too much. Our residence is not in the business district, and you don’t usually have to deal with the people at Duo Kou. We have dedicated personnel for external relations.”

“Yeah,” Baima Dorji chimed in. “‘Yin Bo’ is responsible for external relations and information work. He’ll take care of everything.”

Half an hour later, the shuttlecraft arrived at the “Xun” district. This was one of the largest military stations in the Tianque Military Harbor, shaped like a gyroscope with numerous docks, ports, and watchtowers on the surface, resembling a giant pinecone from afar. It housed nearly twenty thousand low-ranking soldiers of the Voyager Army, with military ships and shuttles coming and going, bustling with activity.

Baima Dorji piloted the shuttlecraft into the lowermost entrance of the “Xun” district, passed through a narrow passage, and finally stopped in a chaotic civilian parking lot. “We’re here.”

Wu Chenghe followed them off the shuttlecraft and walked to the exit of the parking lot, finding the traffic quite chaotic. There were new self-driving taxis, flying saucers, and something like a hovercraft motorcycle without a license plate, weaving in and out like flies.

Baima Dorji whistled and called over a hovercraft motorcycle. He rode on the driver’s seat himself and gestured for them to follow. Jin Xuan let Wu Chenghe get on first, then rode behind him, holding onto his waist tightly, and shouted, “Let’s go!”

With four big men squeezed onto such a small motorcycle, Wu Chenghe couldn’t help but doubt if it could still run properly. But the driver obviously had no such concerns. Putting on his worn punk-style goggles, he said, “Alright!”

The hovercraft motorcycle hummed and finally started, flying forward shakily. It circled around a traffic post, and the driver let out a wild yell, twisted the throttle, suddenly accelerating like an untamed horse along the narrow street.

Wu Chenghe almost exclaimed in surprise. He hadn’t expected such a small motorcycle carrying four people to fly so fast. Indeed, like all illegal taxis, the drivers always seemed to possess driving skills that surpassed biological capabilities.

Fifteen minutes later, the seriously overloaded hovercraft motorcycle made a stylish emergency brake and stopped at the entrance of a bustling street. The driver pushed his goggles up to his forehead and said, “Here you go, boys, ten federation credits!”

The three got off one by one, Baima paid, and the hovercraft motorcycle buzzed away. Wu Chenghe stood on the street corner, feeling a slight nerve twitch in his thigh.

“This is a no-fly zone; all airborne vehicles are not allowed in.” Baima Dorji explained, hoisting their luggage onto his shoulder. “Let’s go; there’s a waterway inside. We’ll find a boat for you later.”

Wu Chenghe followed him into the street and found it to be a very dimly lit retro-style street. Like most buildings in the Tianque Military Harbor, the houses simulated ancient Chinese style, with green tiles and upturned eaves. In the middle of the street ran a clear water channel, seven or eight meters wide, with black awning boats drifting by from time to time, manned by rowers standing at the stern – this boat was actually rowed manually.

Every twenty or thirty meters along the water channel were circular arch bridges, and the road lamps on the bridge rails were shaped like red lanterns, emitting a faint light. Between the houses on both sides occasionally extended pavilions onto the water, also adorned with the same red lanterns, exuding a romantic atmosphere.

Baima Dorji called for a black awning boat. Wu Chenghe stood at the bow, drifting downstream, seeing countless bright holographic billboards on both sides: bathhouses, casinos, arenas… Of course, there were more underground brothels, some young women in revealing clothing soliciting customers on the banks, occasionally men, mostly with well-built and slender figures.

“What are you looking at?” Jin Xuan walked out of the cabin, his arms draped over his shoulders, his tone a bit dangerous. “Do you find it beautiful? That catwoman in the black dress or the muscular man with unusually long leg hair?”

“…Just looking around, at the scenery.” Wu Chenghe withdrew his gaze, looking at the water surface in the distance. Jin Xuan’s possessiveness was quite strong, especially after the injury last time, sometimes even a few more words to Jin Zhe would incur his jealous warning.

At first, Wu Chenghe felt annoyed, as if he had lost his freedom. But the submission brought by the mark made him unable to resist Jin Xuan’s exclusivity. Even though he felt uncomfortable psychologically, he would completely submit physiologically. Later, he found that this exclusivity also had its good side: Jin Xuan would automatically resist any temptation, being one hundred percent loyal to him. So Wu Chenghe was relieved—rights and obligations are equal. Since he decided to be with someone, he must dispel other ambiguous thoughts.

Although the bond of the mark was cruel, it was very safe. They never had to worry about each other cheating. 

“There will be a performance tonight, I’ll take you to see it another day, it’s very exciting,” Jin Xuan noticed he was a little displeased, immediately softened his attitude, and pleasingly touched his hair, “I can also take you to the casino, there’s a very ancient roulette, maybe you’ll have good luck and make some money.”

“Do you often go to play?” Wu Chenghe asked, “watch performances, gamble… visit brothels?”

“How could that be!” Jin Xuan exclaimed, “I have to work, time is tight, and their performances are too low-class, not as good as mine… um, I mean occasionally watching one is fine, but twice is too much.”

“Right, you’re an expert in this area. Speaking of which, it’s been two years since you last performed. Do you feel itchy?”

“…A bit. Next time, I’ll book the Federal Theater exclusively for us, to perform just for you,” Jin Xuan whispered in his ear with narrowed eyes, “I know everything they can do, and even the things they can’t do, I can. I guarantee your satisfaction, mm-hmm.”

Wu Chenghe felt the heat of his breath in his ear, shrunk his neck, and blushed involuntarily. “Back off, stop touching me. First, save enough money to book the theater, you’re as poor as a church mouse!”

“Are you complaining about my poverty? I’ll get a promotion and a raise soon, don’t worry,” Jin Xuan continued to pat his head. Wu Chenghe waved his hand away, catching sight of Baima Dorji looking at them and laughing, his face reddened even more. “Stay away from me, Chang Gong is watching.”

“No need to worry, I’ve already told them. Our role this time is a couple,” Jin Xuan said, “it’s necessary for work. Chang Gong often pairs up with others too, Qian Hua, Yin Bo, Yanshi… I suspect he and Yin Bo aren’t even pretending to have feelings. They’re often together during vacations.”

The life of a secret agent is so glamorous, Wu Chenghe was speechless. The blush on his face gradually faded away as he said, “I’m afraid you’ll be suspected.”

“They won’t blab about our affairs. It’s an unwritten rule within the team,” Jin Xuan said, “besides, they don’t know who you are. Just hide your butterfly well.”

Wu Chenghe realized that those who knew him didn’t know about his relationship with Jin Xuan, and those who knew about their relationship didn’t know who he was… Well, since they were outside, he might as well indulge a bit. So he relaxed, leaning against Jin Xuan’s chest, reaching around to hold his neck, gently stroking the area where Jin Xuan liked to be touched the most.

Sure enough, Jin Xuan soon made a satisfied purring sound, like a lion who had eaten his fill.

The boat moved forward about three hundred meters, stopped by the shore, and Baima Dorji carried their luggage and helped them ashore. Passing by Jin Xuan, he winked ambiguously, “Your acting skills are really good, you’ve stirred up some fire.”

Jin Xuan kicked his butt, saying, “Go back and bother Yin Bo, he’s better at stirring up trouble.”

Wu Chenghe followed behind, feeling a little lost.

Not far along the diagonal path was a large-scale arena. Jin Xuan said, “Here we are, this is our arena.” One arm around Wu Chenghe’s shoulder, he pointed to a red lantern hanging next to a hotel, “This is the most famous underground brothel in Tianque.” Then he pointed to a casino on the right, “This casino has a wide range of games, but don’t play big.”

He made a gesture, and Wu Chenghe understood that they were going to cheat.

The three entered the arena, where the shouts were deafening, and the atmosphere was chaotic. Many men wearing military vests were shouting around the arena, as if calling out for some gladiator. Some women in Chunli costumes shuttled through the field, selling drinks and snacks.

“Stay away from them,” Jin Xuan hugged Wu Chenghe’s neck and shouted loudly in his ear, “they like to fight when they’ve had too much to drink, whether they win or lose. Sometimes the security can’t handle it.”

Wu Chenghe nodded and followed them along the wooden stairs at the side for about five floors until they reached a relatively quiet corridor. The noise downstairs gradually faded away, and they walked all the way to the end of the corridor. Jin Xuan glanced at an inconspicuous decoration on the wall with his iris, and a hidden door appeared on the wall.

Inside the door was another world, with a pure white ceiling, pure white metal walls and floors, modern furniture and decorations. A curvaceous redhead was sitting at the bar, disassembling a small ray gun.

“Hey, look who’s here!” A tall, enchanting blond boy jumped up from the sofa, “Dude! Your face this time is so off-putting, why so ugly? it’s downright disgusting!”

“He did it to avoid your harassment,” Baima Dorji quickly lifted his foot to stop him from hugging Jin Xuan, then threw the luggage on his shoulder into his arms, saying, “Go tidy up the dorms for them, Yin Bo, this time Chong Qiang and the consultant are playing lovers.”

“Ah! My heart is broken, why isn’t it me?!” Yin Bo shouted, holding the suitcase. “I’m tired of you guys, and now that there’s a fresh piece of meat, why isn’t it me playing lovers with the consultant?”

“Roar!” Jin Xuan’s lion immediately got angry, rushing over to roar at Yin Bo’s black panther. The breath from the roar blew away the panther’s whiskers.

Yin Bo let out another “Ah,” hugging the suitcase, he darted to the corridor opposite the door, yelling at Jin Xuan, “What’s the deal? Can’t I joke around? Why are you two acting like a real couple… damn it, keep your lion away from me. My panther is on its period, no one is allowed to bully it!”

Jin Xuan pushed the Barbary lion back two steps, and the black panther, with its facial muscles stiffened by the lion’s roar, turned around and glanced resentfully at its owner before lying down at the bar. 

The redhead finally finished assembling the ray gun, kicked the panther’s butt with her foot, and said, “Yin Bo, are you crazy from PMS? Male panthers don’t have periods.” She jumped off the stool and hugged Jin Xuan, “Hey, Chong Qiang, I’m so glad you’re still alive. I thought my medical skills were so bad that I killed you. I’ve been worried for days.”

“It’s not your fault, my consciousness cloud wasn’t stable,” Jin Xuan smiled and said. Just as she was about to embrace Wu Chenghe with her 34D chest, he quickly blocked her in front of him. “A handshake is enough, Qian Hua.”

Qian Hua rolled her eyes, “I’m starting to wonder if you guys are really pretending to be a couple.”

Although Jin Xuan’s words were a bit confusing, he understood her meaning completely. He continued to smile, but his eyes became a bit dangerous. “Think whatever you want, but please stay away from him, that’s an order.”

“Okay.” Qian Hua shrugged helplessly, reaching out to Wu Chenghe. “Welcome, consultant. I heard you’re a doctor. Please guide us in the future. I’m the medical officer in the team.”

“Hello.” Wu Chenghe was powerless against Jin Xuan’s strong attitude, so he tried to appear more accommodating. “I haven’t obtained my medical license yet, so I’m not considered a doctor. Please, give me guidance.”

“Haha, you’re really cute when you’re honest.” Qian Hua raised an eyebrow and chuckled, glancing at Jin Xuan, “Much cuter than some people.”

“Hehe.” Wu Chenghe could only give her a trademark dumb smile, but unfortunately, due to his facial features being slightly adjusted to look more regal, there was a hint of sarcasm when he smiled.

Jin Xuan frowned, secretly complaining about why they raised the corners of his eyes so high. It was much cuter when they were drooping before!

After some small talk, Wu Chenghe finally gained a comprehensive understanding of Jin Xuan’s team: “Chang Gong” was responsible for long-range attacks, “Yin Bo” handled intelligence information, “Qian Hua” managed medical and makeup tasks, and “Yan Shi” provided military support. Adding “Chong Qiang” Jin Xuan, who was responsible for close combat, made a total of five people.

Oh right, now there’s also an “advisor” who assists with medical treatment and mental protection, which is Wu Chenghe himself.

Although each of the five members of Jin Xuan’s team had their own strengths, in reality, each of them was an all-around warrior. For example, Jin Xuan, in terms of sniping and information, probably wasn’t inferior to Chang Gong and Yin Bo. Then there’s Qian Hua, who could fully take on the role of weapons expert in Yan Shi’s absence. As for Yin Bo, well… when he wasn’t dealing with information, he was the team’s dedicated bait, responsible for seduction.

Wu Chenghe felt a bit exhilarated to be working with such people. After all, any one of these five could hold their own in solo combat, comparable to 007. So he finally felt like he had unlocked a cheat code in life.

After arranging the dormitory, the five of them sat in the lobby. Jin Xuan, as the leader, scanned the room and said, “Alright, let’s talk. How’s the preparation going?”

“Everything is ready, strictly following the schedule,” Chang Gong Baima said, “Yin Bo scanned the entire Second Corps according to the data you provided, looking for potential contacts with Admiral Darwin. He has compiled a list based on probability distribution, and now it’s time to decide who to target next.”

Qian Hua added, “Most of the suspects are in Tianque Military Harbor, but some are scattered in other spaceports and asteroids. The most important person, Admiral Darwin’s aide, went missing after the incident. There are clues suggesting he might be on the Tartaros planet. Yan Shi is on standby in the periphery, and if needed, he plans to visit Tartaros.”

“Tartaros…” Jin Xuan fell silent for a moment, then said, “That’s the territory of the eldest son of General Lancer, it’s his most confidential and legitimate fleet base. It would be difficult to infiltrate. We need to establish contact with a senior officer to have a chance of getting a pass.”

Yin Bo laughed exaggeratedly, “Ah-ha!”

Chang Gong also chuckled, saying, “Yin Bo has already hooked up with a captain stationed at Tartaros, who is a logistics officer.”

“Keep it low-key, it’s not really hooking up yet, just some casual flirting,” Yin Bo shrugged. “People from Tartaros are tough to deal with, it’s different from other places. I’m not completely confident yet.” He glanced at Qian Hua. “He’s going to the casino tomorrow, and I want to go with Qian Hua as well, just to be safe. What if he’s particularly straightforward?”

As he spoke, he digressed a bit and looked at Wu Chenghe. “Why don’t you come with us, Gu Wen? Maybe he likes underage boys.”

 

 

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