Chapter Fifty-Five: Nighttime Conversations in the Dormitory

Li Daoran and Xu Xingxing had been assigned to a new dormitory. Clutching his small box tightly, Li Daoran still hadn’t found an opportunity to open it and see just how many vials of gene serum it contained.

Unlike before, Li Daoran no longer enjoyed any special treatment. The twenty-seven of them were assigned to a large shared dormitory. Generally, starships did not operate alone; each starship fleet typically had a flagship—a giant vessel with a permanent population of thirty to forty thousand, each group responsible for different systems, with personnel rotated every two years.

Then there were a dozen or so medium-sized escort ships, each with crews of two to five thousand, whose primary role was to protect the flagship. Finally, there were smaller transport ships with a few hundred people, mainly tasked with ferrying supplies between the starships and planets and handling personnel shifts.

At present, Li Daoran and the others were aboard the flagship Mermaid. The captain was Wayne, a man born and raised on this ship. Though his abilities were unremarkable, no one knew the Mermaid as intimately as he did, and he enjoyed deep trust among the crew.

The Mermaid was the oldest among the White Deer Republic’s five giant starships. Though it had been updated with much necessary equipment, some core functions still lagged behind the other four.

Now, everyone had gathered together, listening as Xu Xingxing spoke with enthusiasm. Things that might have been secrets to others were, to him, as familiar as the lines on his palm.

The sudden upheaval had left everyone uneasy and unable to sleep; naturally, they gathered to discuss their anxieties.

“This captain’s name is the same as Blackhand Wayne’s, isn’t it? Could there be some connection between the two?” a sharp-eyed student suddenly asked.

“Nonsense, of course not. One is a hero of our White Deer Republic, the other is an infamous interstellar pirate. There are plenty of people in the world who share the same name—stop overthinking it,” scoffed the person standing behind him.

“Blackhand Wayne,” Xu Xingxing said the name, his expression turning grim. “He hides in the shadows of the Regar Star Domain, having committed countless heinous crimes. Eighteen years ago, the 7.18 Raid shocked all of humanity—three passenger starships, not a single survivor. By the time our fleet arrived, the ships were soaked in blood and thousands of suffocated bodies floated in space, but Blackhand Wayne had already vanished. Twelve years ago, he set another record, brazenly plundering our military supply transport, yet still escaped unpunished.

“Eight years ago, three years ago—there have been repeated rumors of his activities. The star domain is vast; they’re like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, striking at us when we least expect it. And whenever we exhaust ourselves trying to catch him, he always manages to slip away. We don’t even know where his lair is.”

“That’s obvious—it must be somewhere in the territory of the Felid Empire,” a classmate said indignantly.

No one responded. They all knew it, but without evidence, what could they do? Would the Felid Empire ever allow the White Deer Republic’s forces to cross into their territory and capture Wayne?

The Felid Empire, for its part, publicly acknowledged Blackhand Wayne as a pirate and issued a bounty of 100,000 merit points. Thus, the White Deer Republic could only declare that they hadn’t found Wayne’s hideout.

“Blackhand Wayne is clearly a dog raised by the Felid Empire—he might even be one of their own soldiers. But it’s all speculation without proof. Still, now they’re openly joining forces. What on earth has happened?” Xu Xingxing ran a hand through his hair, visibly frustrated.

“There’s still meaning in discussing it,” Li Daoran interjected. “Even if we don’t know exactly what’s going on, we can try to deduce it.”

“Suppose Blackhand Wayne is a soldier of the Felid Empire. Then all his actions would be highly purposeful—no way would he act like an ordinary pirate, hiding and scraping by for mere money. Most pirates are smugglers at best; those who truly plunder must have powerful backers. For all we know, some renowned pirate gangs might secretly be working for our own White Deer Republic.”

“Ahem, Daoran, be careful what you say,” Xu Xingxing feigned a cough, giving him a reminder.

“It’s fine, Vice Class Leader. We’re all friends here. I think the class leader has a point—like that Vulture fellow—” The speaker was quickly silenced, for some things, even if you knew them, were better left unsaid.

Li Daoran laughed awkwardly—it was indeed inappropriate. He blamed Chen Ming for the slip and hurried on: “So, if Blackhand Wayne enters our territory, he must have a reason. First, they never leave survivors, perhaps because their starship has distinctive features—likely active military ships from the Felid Empire. So, when discovered, they must kill everyone to cover their tracks. Notice how long the gaps are between their activities—if they were just regular pirates, they’d have starved long ago.

“So, it’s likely they’re only conducting reconnaissance outside our shipping lanes, and the massacres only happen by chance encounters. Their real goal might be mapping the area. This means Blackhand Wayne might not be a single person, but rather a code name used by the Felid Empire. Whenever they’re discovered in our territory, they adopt the Blackhand Wayne moniker for cover.

“I don’t believe our military hasn’t ever caught them. But for the sake of peace, everything is concealed after the fact. That’s the most reasonable inference.”

Xu Xingxing applauded heartily, and the surrounding students seemed to have an epiphany. Though Li Daoran called it speculation, they felt this must be the truth.

“Then why has the Felid Empire now chosen to publicly ally with Blackhand Wayne? If you’re right, there’s no reason for them to risk their international reputation,” Xiong Shan asked, appearing in the doorway. Having finished his meeting, he’d come to check on the group, only to overhear Li Daoran’s analysis at the door.

Everyone stood up a little nervously and greeted the instructor, Li Daoran and Xu Xingxing included.

Xiong Shan waved a hand. “No need to call me instructor in private. Now that we’re all here, we’re comrades-in-arms. Before long, I might be counting on you to save me. Sit down. Daoran, your reasoning just now was solid. But how do you explain the current situation? Why are a bunch of green recruits like you being sent as reinforcements?”

Seeing his classmates still a bit stiff, Xu Xingxing tried to lighten the mood. “Instructor Xiong, you’re quizzing our class leader while holding the answer—shouldn’t you at least give him a hint?”

Instructor Xiong widened his eyes in mock outrage. “Military secrets aren’t to be leaked so easily, you rascals!”

Everyone burst into laughter, teasing Xiong Shan for trying to get something for nothing.

Finally, Xiong Shan said, “If you figure it out on your own, then it’s not me leaking anything. Whatever you say, I’ll just listen—but whether you’re right or wrong, I won’t tell you.”