A week later, a small flight craft docked at the external starport of Triangle Star, and a man stepped out.
As the only external docking hub for Triangle Star, the port saw a constant stream of large commercial vessels, but it also hosted many private small ships. These travelers came from nearby minor planets, wealthy families with private fleets, or interstellar explorers. However, a significant portion were "Space Wanderers"—a group more commonly known by another name: interstellar pirates.
Due to Triangle Star’s unique geographical position and its legal status within the Federation, it was a "paradise" for everyone, especially those lurking in the grey zones. It was a planet that thrived by playing both sides of the law. Everyone who landed on Triangle Star followed the surface-level rules, and the Space Wanderers were no exception. They maintained their disguises and adhered to the public regulations, seeking only pleasure and profit without causing trouble. After all, they too needed a place where they could surface and breathe.
Thus, a tacit, invisible agreement had been reached among the various factions on Triangle Star.
At the starport, when the man from the craft entered the brokers' line of sight, half of them frowned while the other half grew restless with greed.
"Why are you stopping me?" a broker snapped, annoyed at the companion who had grabbed him just as he was about to introduce himself. "That’s a fat sheep right there."
"Are you insane?" The companion tightened his grip, whispering urgently in his ear. "He’s a Space Wanderer!"
"So what? It’s not like we haven't hosted them before. They’re the most generous spenders!"
"That’s the others. This man... he has a certain smell." As an Alpha—even if only a low-level one—the companion could scent an indescribable aura radiating from the man. It was foul and stagnant, like... a rotting corpse. "If you don't want to die, stay far away from him," the companion warned. "Look at the other Alphas."
Alerted by his friend, the greedy broker realized that everyone around them who had looked interested was a Beta. Not a single Alpha broker was willing to go near the man; they looked as though they were gripped by primal fear.
The broker’s heart skipped a beat, and his movements slowed. At that moment, a beautiful Beta with vibrant red hair stepped forward to approach the man.
"Sir, do you need a guide?" The red-haired Beta was petite and delicate. She walked up with a beaming smile, her pointed chin tilted slightly as she rested her hand lightly on the man's forearm.
Blood Eye lowered his head slightly, staring at the bright red nails resting on his arm. He wore a fake expression that resembled a skin-deep, mirthless smile.
"I need you to be my *personal* guide," Blood Eye replied, his gaze locking onto her eyes, placing a heavy emphasis on the word "personal."
"I would be delighted to serve you." The red-haired Beta laughed. She took the man's arm intimately and walked away. She was never seen again, vanishing as if she had never existed.
In the previous timeline, the one who had vanished silently was the young broker Meng Jia. This time, however, Meng Jia had not come to the starport at this hour. Or rather, in this life, he didn't need to risk his life for a vial of high-grade suppressant.
When Blood Eye reappeared, a day had passed. He was alone again, but his appearance had changed completely. He now looked like a portly, middle-aged man.
He appeared at Gadi Bar. Inside a private, custom booth, he sat across from the bar’s owner.
"Old friend, it’s been a long time. I thought you’d forgotten me," the owner said with a smile. He didn't even blink at the completely unfamiliar face; those who came to him for private cooperation were always this cautious.
Blood Eye, having just enjoyed himself and now ready for business, got straight to the point. "I need an energy shield."
The bar owner—one of the local underground dealers—chuckled and agreed readily. "You’ve come to the right person. I can guarantee my stock is the most comprehensive and high-quality around. Even if you want military-grade shields, I have them. So, how many do you need?"
Blood Eye silently held up one finger.
The owner paused. "Ten thousand? That’s quite a large order."
"No," Blood Eye said slowly. "I only want one. A base-grade energy shield."
"..." The owner sucked in a breath, his face full of shock. "I don't have anything like that here!"
Unwilling to waste words, Blood Eye tossed a card onto the table. "Ten times the commission." The purple-gold surface of the card shimmered with a tempting light.
Swayed by the prospect of such a massive deal, the owner hesitated for a long moment. He gritted his teeth and snatched up the card. "Fine. Give me two days. I’ll have an answer for you by this time the day after tomorrow."
"Good." Looking at the money-hungry owner, Blood Eye smiled. That superficial grin was like a bloated, oily corpse.
The power of money surpasses that of gods and demons. On the third day, at the same time and place, Blood Eye—wearing yet another face—received the answer he wanted.
"Old friend, for your sake, I’ve run myself ragged. I searched the entire ocean of contacts before I finally found one for you," the owner boasted, seeking credit.
"How much?" Blood Eye asked.
"The thing is, the other party doesn't want money," the owner replied. "They’ve proposed a barter." A barter meant a face-to-face inspection of the goods.
Blood Eye’s brow furrowed. Many people passed through the hands of underground dealers like this owner; just as many chose to trade directly as those who used him as a middleman.
With a "sterling reputation," the bar owner was well-regarded among Space Wanderers and interstellar explorers alike. Everyone praised him as a "shrewd merchant" when trading and a "good man" when acting as a broker.
Among those who "praised" him, one group liked him best: arms dealers who were new to the trade and hadn't established many client channels. They loved using him to facilitate barters because it was a convenient way to find long-term clients.
In the chaotic world of the underground, finding an "honest man" like the bar owner right at the start of one's career was considered a stroke of luck.
Blood Eye glanced at the owner and silently labeled the seller as a novice arms dealer.
He had no intention of meeting such a person. Besides, why was it so coincidental? Just as he needed a base-grade energy shield, someone happened to have one and insisted on a barter?
There was only one explanation: that person wanted to see him, or rather, he was the target!
Suspicion turned Blood Eye’s gaze cold instantly. His Alpha scent, laced with the smell of blood, flared without restraint. As a man who lived by the blade, even the slightest hint of doubt made him think of betrayal.
The intensely paranoid man immediately fixed his gaze on the owner he had worked with for so long. His eyes scraped over the man inch by inch, as if looking at a corpse.
Realizing instantly that the other man was moved to kill, the owner scrambled to save himself. "Wait! We’ve worked together for so long, do you think I’d be that unreliable?"
"I have what he wants! I have it!" The owner’s words finally made Blood Eye shift his murderous gaze away. The owner gasped for air. "In one month, you’ll have your energy shield."
The owner beat his chest in guarantee; he would handle the trade, and Blood Eye wouldn't have to show his face.
"A month?" Blood Eye was dissatisfied. "I want it now."
The owner wore a pained expression. "The reason he chose a barter is that the item he wants is incredibly hard to find. I only managed to get a lead on it by chance. A month is the fastest I can do."
Facing the miserable-looking owner, Blood Eye grew impatient. Irritation caused a bloody tint to fill his eyes, and the neurotic side of his personality quickly overrode his caution. "What exactly does he want?"
The owner whispered a term.
Upon hearing the request, the blood-red tint in Blood Eye’s eyes receded. He calmed down. "Trade it. I have that." He then stated his own conditions.
"..." The bar owner looked shocked on the surface, but inwardly, he was celebrating having collected fees from both sides.
Soon, Feng Zhixi received a message from the third party: someone was willing to trade for the energy shield in his possession.
The bait he had cast had finally hooked a fish. Feng Zhixi lowered his eyelids slightly and smiled. It seemed Blood Eye was in a great hurry to obtain this shield.
Feng Zhixi had never actually met Blood Eye, but someone else had—someone who knew him intimately. That person was the future "Smiling Fox K," the current young broker Meng Jia.
In K’s words, Blood Eye was an intensely suspicious, arrogant, and neurotic man. None of that stopped him from being a blood-soaked demon who took pleasure in torturing others.
"The more pain you feel, the happier he is. The more you beg, the more he enjoys it," the future K had told him. "So, I swore to destroy him and everything he owns."
In the end, K had succeeded. K had obliterated Blood Eye along with his entire stronghold.
Only K had crawled back to the world of the living from that hell. Meng Jia and his sister had been "left" in that den of monsters forever, becoming part of the cosmic dust in the explosion.
Blood Eye’s future stronghold was Feng Zhixi’s current target. To be precise, it wasn't Blood Eye’s nest yet.
It was a sufficiently secluded minor planet, hidden deep in the shadows of a dark nebula, shielded by a naturally occurring barrier of cosmic mist. It was a place that could never be found without a fixed star map, located far off the galaxy’s main shipping lanes.
Most importantly, that planet contained energy minerals required by mainstream fleets. Was there a more perfect private research planet?
Having left home with his entire fortune, Feng Zhixi had incorporated that minor planet into his plans the day after he woke up.
In the future, that mini-planet had been blown to smithereens by Meng Jia. Forget a star map—not even a speck of dust remained.
But now, the planet was still intact. Moreover, Blood Eye had likely just discovered it and did not yet have an energy shield for it.
Feng Zhixi had deduced this from the future Meng Jia’s stories. Wearing a hazmat suit to operate primitive mining machines on the surface, then returning to the dark, deep underground caves—those were the few relatively peaceful and normal times the young Meng Jia had spent in that hell.
The energy minerals on that planet were likely of extremely high purity and were located in open-pit mines on the surface. Such mines emitted high levels of mutagenic radiation, which was damaging not only to people but also to machinery. Consequently, production had remained low until a year later, when Blood Eye acquired a base-grade energy shield.
Pulling his thoughts back, Feng Zhixi quickly read the message. The other party had agreed to the trade, and the time was set for the following day.
***
"He agreed," the bar owner told Blood Eye.
Blood Eye nodded and stood up to leave. Just as he stepped out of the private booth and was about to depart, he suddenly let out a soft "oh" and stopped in his tracks.
"Is that little Omega one of yours?" Blood Eye stood on the second-floor balcony, looking down. His greedy gaze landed on a fair-skinned, beautiful young girl.
"A sweet scent," he remarked.
The owner followed Blood Eye’s gaze and saw the girl. She had slightly curly, flaxen hair and was carrying a large tray, smiling sweetly.
"She’s a cook here," the owner replied, recognizing her uniform.
Even in the interstellar era, there were many like the bar owner who enjoyed styling their establishments with "antique" characteristics. People felt that, compared to cold robotic servers, this style had more class and could command higher prices.
"I like her very much." Blood Eye’s gaze crawled over every inch of the girl’s exposed skin. His words decided her future.
The targeted girl—Meng Xiaoxing—did not yet know that whether in the past or the future, she could not escape this demon.
Last time, it was because of her brother and the Rose Heart invitation. This time, even with all those conditions removed, she was still enveloped by the oncoming malice.
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
血眼 | Blood Eye | A notorious interstellar pirate and the primary antagonist of this arc.
基地能量罩 | Base-grade energy shield | A large-scale protective field used to shield entire planetary bases or outposts.
伽迪酒吧 | Gadi Bar | A bar on Triangle Star known for hosting underground deals and brokers.
笑面狐狸K | Smiling Fox K | The future alias of Meng Jia, known for his cunning and ruthlessness.
孟晓星 | Meng Xiaoxing | Meng Jia’s younger sister, an Omega.
星空流浪者 | Space Wanderers | A formal or euphemistic term for interstellar pirates.
