He and It Chapter 121: Utopia (17)

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Chapter 121: Utopia (17)

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Frozen Harbor, Centrifugal City.

A white, clean, shuttle-like vehicle, moving through the orderly flow of starships, its mirrored hull reflecting the surrounding landscape so accurately that it was invisible to the outside world.

“We’re here.” Gu Xingqiao put on a half-face mask, his lips moving slightly.

“This is the aftermath of the Great Purge,” Tian Yuan’s voice fluctuated delicately into the youth’s ears through the white spider on his shoulder, “It has changed a great deal indeed.” 

The city of Starport was one of the most important turning points to the center of the Empire, Gu Xingqiao stood on the street, looking around, only a month or so had passed since his defection, but returning here again, he had a feeling that it was like a lifetime ago.

After calming his mind, he pulled out the forged id chip and walked towards the entrance of the gateway without any hesitation, sticking his wrist to it.

The gadget provided to him by Tian Yuan could, within a few microseconds, hack into the port’s identity code database and randomly arrange and pull out a brand-new citizen’s id, utilizing legitimate data.

The blue light flickered faintly, the authentication passed, and Gu Xingqiao, wearing a mask, just glanced absently at the sky.

The Empire’s most wanted man, just like that, waltzed into the heavily guarded transportation rally point.

“What’s different?” Gu Xingqiao asked, “Other than being more technologically advanced.” 

As the spider’s crystalline eyes darted back and forth across the perimeter, Tian Yuan said, “There are plenty of things that are different, but most of those differences are still the result of outdated technology.” 

“During the Age of Light, mankind had truly realized objective immortality. Utilizing the device known as the ‘Psyker’s Hand’, which is capable of transferring consciousness, the Glory Humanity has no fear of death and no need for a new life.” Tian Yuan said lightly, “An insatiable population is terrifying, and even more terrifying is that they have been given a ticket to indulge in ***.” 

Gu Xingqiao said incredulously, “Really, people from the Age of Light could live forever? I didn’t know. The Great Purge destroyed too many documents.” 

Tian Yuan said, “Arrogance, indulgence, greed, and chaos. Such an era could be called the Glory, and I am not at all surprised by the consequences of what mankind achieved next.” 

“I don’t know what the cause of the Purge was,” Gu Xingqiao confessed as he walked, “even in school, or deeper in military documents, the conclusions are based on speculation, there’s no real truth.” 

“Because the truth is boring.” The White Spider lifted one of its legs and poked at the ends of Gu Xingqiao’s hair, and found that a few strands were knotted, so it used the other leg to slowly untangle them, “There is no special reason for this, it is simply because of the law of prosperity and decline, so that the glorious human beings wearing wax wings, voluntarily flew to the destiny of the sun.” ¹

“In those days, all were crowned Elagabalus; all were devouring Trimalchio; all were Manuel, King of the Moors, who for the delusion of one, would have filled a whole lake with rose perfume.² ” In the tone of intelligent life, indifference and disinterestedness, “the extravagance which the tyrants of Rome had to write the history books to denounce, was then a mere virtue of no account. Murder, cruelty, plunging into the decaying stars… Having kept death at bay all my life, it was acceptable fun to rush into doom and revel in it.” 

The White Spider untied the strand of hair, and finally settled down on Gu Xingqiao, “In the end, it was they themselves who destroyed the ‘s Hand, dedicating all resources for pleasure to the war. I was created at the end of the war, and the insanity I witnessed was less than a millionth of what it was in its prime.” 

Gu Xingqiao sighed and said nothing.

Just like the family of origin can influence a person’s whole life, Tian Yuan said the Era of Light was his “family of origin”.

“But your designer was very rational,” he thought out loud. “According to the environment at that time, he set up that treaty for you, it is really rare.” 

“Your assessment is objective,” Tian Yuan said, “but no amount of individual rationality can save you from being on a train that’s speeding toward a cliff.” 

As they spoke, they had already arrived at the administrative center of Starport City.

As the hovercrafts entered and exited, facing the tall buildings like a hive in front of them, Gu Xingqiao said, “It’s time to contact an old friend… I hope she hasn’t been pulled out by Sissel as an eyesore.” 

“she,” Tian Yuan said, “is a human female.” 

“Yes, she is called Ming Sheng.” Gu Xingqiao nodded, “Before I left, she was the governor of Centrifugal City, a month has passed, I don’t know if the political change in the royal family has affected her…” 

Gu Xingqiao activated the invisibility function of his mask, he passed through the detection magnetic field of the administrative center without any obstacles, treating the guards as if they were nothing, and stepped noiselessly into the environment where all the employees were in a hurry.

He looked around, his iris lens zooming in and out, refracting a fine array of data before his eyes.

Maybe this is what Tian Yuan sees every day? Absent-mindedly, he quickly locked on to an employee on his way to debrief at the Governor’s Secretariat, and followed him at a distance, blending in with the ascending ladders.

Each rung of the ladder displayed a weight-bearing number, and the White Spider lept nimbly over his shoulder, plopping down on the light-screen display, immediately blurring the precise weights of the two men.

The door opened, and ahead of the clerk, Gu Xingqiao swept into the corridor, his White Spider landing lightly on his body at the same time. 

“I’m going to check their archives for personnel changes,” Gu Xingqiao said softly, “I hope it doesn’t end the way I think it will.”

“Well, at the end of the corridor, turn right, and take the second-to-last door on your left,” Tian Yuan said, “There should be something you need there.” 

“Thanks.” 

Dodging into the archive, Gu Xingqiao followed the same procedure as he had used to forge the id, and quickly opened the personnel file to the most highly classified blockade document.

“Currently serving as Governor… Major General Ming Sheng!” Seeing that his old friend was still unharmed, Gu Xingqiao couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, “Great, she’s fine…” 

“What do you need to find her for?” Tian Yuan asked coldly.

Without hearing the emotion in these words, Gu Xingqiao followed the original path, re-locked the file, “I need to find her to understand the current situation and condition of the empire, she is still in the original position after all…” 

“And has not been affected by your affair,” Tian Yuan said indifferently, “My advice, you’d better do both, always be on guard.” 

Gu Xingqiao whispered, “I know.” 

Jumping down the ladder again, he adjusted the position of his bracelet, striding towards the familiar office.

The door of the room opened noiselessly, Ming Sheng raised her head behind the holographic light screen, she was a petite and shrewd woman, a scar ran across the right side of her face, causing her to always look like she was squinting her eyes when she looked at people, she had a kind of cunning and teasing temperament.

At this moment, when she saw the unoccupied doorway, her artificial eye, which could not be opened, widened a little.

Something was coming, but the defense force field didn’t give any feedback, the heat-sensitive walls and floors didn’t show any traces of anyone or anything, and the air was silent…

She pressed her hands to the sides of the console and said quietly, “On the count of three, don’t make me turn on the purging system.” 

Inside the quiet office, Major General Ming Sheng slowly spat out a word, “One…” 

“–We both know that you never count to three. By the time you count to two, I should have already been killed by the poisonous gas, right?” 

Behind her came an incredibly familiar voice, Ming Sheng’s pupils suddenly shrunk, lost her voice and turned her head, “Xingqiao?!”

The invisible air fluctuated like water, revealing Gu Xingqiao’s figure, he wore a mask and a hood, wearing a combat uniform that Ming Sheng couldn’t recognize the material of, but those eyes were still as bright as in the old days, making people look at it once, and then they would never forget it.

“… When did we first meet?” After a long time, Ming Sheng suddenly asked.

Gu Xingqiao answered smoothly, “The men’s restroom of the military school, your uniform was scratched by the small group in the dormitory, you ran to the men’s restroom where no one was to remedy the situation.” 

“The result of the battle of Kata?” Mingsheng continued to press.

“I won,” Gu Xingqiao said, “and without a doubt, it was I who took the Consul’s head.” 

“Bullshit! If I hadn’t broken through the astral ring first, how could your broken warship have started?” Ming Sheng cursed, then took a deep breath and asked again, “The first time I fell in love, it was with…” 

“On the surface, it was with the senior who was two grades ahead of you,” Gu Xingqiao said expressionlessly, “but in reality, it was with the girl who scratched up your uniform, I saw you and her kissing in the mock trench.” 

Ming Sheng was speechless, unable to say a word for a long time.

“… You kid,” she got excited, rushed over, and punched Gu Xingqiao’s shoulder so hard that it didn’t knock out the stasis field, “You kid! Good for you Gu Xingqiao!” 

The White Spider let out a displeased hissing sound, and on Gu Xingqiao’s shoulder, shrugged out a very intimidating form.

“Whoa!” Ming Sheng was startled, hastily withdrawing her hand, “What’s this, where did you pick up that little pet?” 

Gu Xingqiao, “Uh, it… He’s not really a pet, he’s kind of a… Well, never mind, you can think of it as a pet. Don’t be afraid, he’s harmless.” 

“Where the hell have you been getting rich these days!” After the excitement, Ming Sheng grabbed his arm, “Do you know how dangerous your situation is now? Sissel’s dog is determined to kill you, even using diplomatic privileges, spreading the wanted notice to the neighboring Galaxy!” 

When old friends meet, they don’t talk about fictitious charges, they don’t talk about bitter betrayal. Ming Sheng looked at him with the same eyes as always, causing Gu Xingqiao’s heart to involuntarily spread warmth.

“How can he use diplomatic privileges?” Gu Xingqiao frowned, “He is not…” 

The words ended abruptly, and he suddenly realized something.

“He is,” Ming Sheng’s eyes were complicated, “Eleven days ago, Center Region time, 12:30am, Sissel has ascended the throne, he is the Emperor, the new Emperor.” 

“… That was pretty fast.” Gu Xingqiao muttered, “What about you, are you alright?” 

“Me?” Ming Sheng snorted, “What can I do, it’s much better than you. At the beginning of his reign, he still has to play the role of a young emperor, he needs some opposition to balance the power of the dynasty. Just ask, what other active opposition can show his generosity and compassion more than ‘Gu Xingqiao’s old friends’?” 

“… And you, an oppositionist with a name, can no longer be promoted because you are an ‘old friend of the traitor’.” Gu Xingqiao said, “Two birds with one stone, he’s still the same, hasn’t changed a bit.” 

“Damn, reminiscing about the dog’s predecessor, say less!” Ming Sheng said, “What exactly are you here for, tell me quickly, I’ll help, if I can.” 

Gu Xingqiao smiled slightly, “Firstly, Sissel is not my ex; secondly, I’m afraid I have to talk about him a little bit more.” 

Ming Sheng’s expression froze.

It was then that she looked Gu Xingqiao’s attire up and down, remembering how he had sneaked into her office unnoticed…

“What’s this you’re wearing?” she asked cautiously, “Soft but hard, I’ve never seen a combat suit made of this material, and there’s no record of it in any of the military programs I’ve been in contact with… You’re not really getting rich somewhere, are you trying to assassinate Sissel?” 

Gu Xingqiao looked at his friend and asked in a low voice, “What if I say yes?” 

Ming Sheng was silent for a moment, and also lowered his voice, answering, “Then, let’s pretend I don’t know anything. What information do you want to know?” 

Gu Xingqiao smiled, “I don’t want to make things too big… At least not yet, but I do need to see him. After he ascended the throne, he must have drastically changed the layout of the palace. What do I have to do to get the map?” 

Ming Sheng pondered for a moment, grabbed a charcoal pencil, and wrote down the name of a person on a piece of paper.

“Go to him,” Ming Sheng said, “he’s not a friend, but he’s not an enemy either, he just owes me a favor, and it’s time for him to pay me back.” 

Gu Xingqiao asked, “Who is he?” 

“The architect who designed the palace,” Ming Sheng said, “is his current lover. This little kid tricked the master into a mess, almost letting the old man hold his heart and propose to him. Whether you’re threatening or enticing, in any case, if you want to get the layout of the palace, he’s more reliable than the Minister of Defense.” 

Gu Xingqiao couldn’t help but laugh and cry, he put the note into his arms and said sincerely, “Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome,” Ming Sheng said, “We’re just like each other.” 

After hesitating for a while, the young major general asked, “Then… If you have the chance, will you come back?” 

“I will,” Gu Xingqiao nodded, “I definitely will.” 

Tian Yuan hung on the young man’s shoulder, disgruntled, but unable to say anything, so he fished for a piece of hair, sucked it into his mechanical mouthpiece, and could not chew it off, but held it in his mouth.

“Take care.” Ming Sheng said, “I can’t wish you victory, so have a safe journey, General.” 

Gu Xingqiao laughed.

“I’m just a commoner, I’m no longer a general,” he said, “You take care too.” 

His figure disappeared into the air again, the door opened and closed, Ming Sheng knew in her heart, he had already left.

Author’s Note: To say a digression, or hope that you can speak calmly in the comments section, just a book, just a story, not necessarily have to be even fried with choking, and not into the back of the kitchen of the Szechuan restaurant! (redbird.jpg)