The spatial button resting on the table was only the size of a brooch. As Blood Eye opened the access permissions, a simulated hologram projected from the blue-cased, silver-trimmed exterior.
Scanning the data displayed in the projection, Feng Zhixi’s brow furrowed. "Only this much material?" he asked, his voice laced with dissatisfaction.
It was a rare and precious bone-based material used for the skeletal frames of combat mechs. The quantity he had requested in exchange was certainly not this pittance. A deal without sincerity wasn't worth making.
Seeing that Feng Zhixi looked ready to walk away, Blood Eye threw out a lure. "This is merely a greeting gift. Aside from this, the amount for our trade will not be a single gram short."
This stopped Feng Zhixi in his tracks. He picked up the spatial button, tossing it idly in his hand as he turned a questioning gaze toward the man.
"As far as I know," the youth said, "there’s no precedent for 'greeting gifts' in our line of work."
So, what was the catch?
To Blood Eye, the way the youth rhythmically tossed the button made him look like he was trying too hard to act like a seasoned veteran of the black market. In the eyes of a pirate who believed he had already seen through his opponent’s nature, it was a hollow performance.
Blood Eye stopped beating around the bush. He didn't just want a one-time trade; he wanted a long-term partnership. Finally dropping his guard, he extended an invitation for a permanent collaboration.
This was exactly what the young "weapon manufacturer" had been aiming for.
"Fine." After a moment of feigned deliberation, Feng Zhixi nodded. His performance as a cocky newcomer was flawless; the fish had taken the bait.
Seeing through the youth's "act," Blood Eye was equally satisfied. At that moment, a tacit agreement was reached. Blood Eye didn't trust Feng Zhixi just because of one meeting; rather, he simply felt he had nothing to fear.
Shortly after, a young man and a greasy, middle-aged man boarded two separate commercial shuttles and departed from Delta Star’s spaceport one after the other.
***
A short while later, on the far side of the star’s orbital path, a pitch-black medium-sized starship steered purposefully toward a small moon.
As the ship approached the moon’s atmosphere, a miniature vessel emerged from the moon’s dark side. Following the docking coordinates provided by the starship, it slid silently into the hangar.
Once the small craft was secured, the starship’s hull shifted from black to transparent, effectively cloaking its presence before it accelerated into the void.
Inside the ship, Feng Zhixi stepped off the shuttle and immediately saw the man waiting for him.
A pale, gaunt face, narrow and sharp; eyes filled with a sinister, neurotic glint—this was Blood Eye’s true form.
"Welcome, welcome." Blood Eye clapped his hands, a wide, eerie smile spreading across his face, looking as though it were stained with blood.
Feng Zhixi surveyed the interior of the starship, offering a blunt critique of Blood Eye’s aerial lair: "This place isn't much to look at." The air was thick with a cloying, rot-like stench, reminiscent of a corpse.
Something about Feng Zhixi’s pickiness seemed to delight Blood Eye. He burst into a sudden fit of laughter, feeling a bizarre, twisted sense of kinship with the youth.
Blood Eye’s way of expressing this goodwill became apparent when Feng Zhixi opened the door to the room specially prepared for him. He found a girl lying on his bed.
The thin quilt was insufficient to cover her body. The girl, with long flaxen hair, stared blankly with unfocused eyes, her pupils clouded with a hazy, dazed luster.
She was a female Omega in the middle of her heat.
Feng Zhixi: "..." What a "grand gift" indeed.
Blood Eye was a generous man toward his "friends," and he had offered his latest "favorite" to Feng Zhixi for his enjoyment.
As the door locked behind him, Feng Zhixi walked to the bedside. He looked down at the girl’s face; sweat dampened her skin, and her delicate features were twisted in a mask of drug-induced or hormonal bliss. Yet, there was something hauntingly familiar about her face.
After studying her features carefully, Feng Zhixi sighed. He sat on the edge of the bed and placed a hand gently on her shoulder.
Feeling the skin beneath his palm tremble, he leaned in and injected a tiny vial into her gland.
As the liquid emptied, the girl’s tremors intensified. A moment later, a flood of tears rolled from the corners of her eyes—a desperate release as she finally regained her senses. She gritted her teeth, weeping in silent despair.
After a long time, the girl reached up to messily wipe away her tears. She pulled the quilt around her and sat up halfway. Burying her head in her arms, she whispered a soft, "Thank you."
This stranger had injected her with a specialized suppressant—a high-grade one capable of instantly quelling the surging waves of heat.
Once her emotions finally stabilized, she looked up at the man who had helped her. He looked very young, possessing an innate arrogance and aloofness, yet he made her feel strangely safe. Why was someone like him here? Did he not know what a terrifying place this was? The girl clenched her hands nervously; the events of the past two or three days had completely upended her life.
"What is your name?" Feng Zhixi asked quietly. His voice was cold and clean, yet it unconsciously eased her tension.
"Meng Xiaoxing."
Her answer confirmed Feng Zhixi’s suspicion. She was Meng Jia’s sister—the girl who, in the original timeline, had not survived.
Feng Zhixi hadn't realized that while he had helped Meng Jia avoid contact with Blood Eye, fate had a cruel way of correcting itself. Because of the high-grade genetic enhancement fluid he had provided, Meng Xiaoxing had seen her brother fall into a deep, prolonged sleep. Worried and desperate, she had ignored his warnings and returned to the bar where he had forbidden her to work.
*I’ve taken my Omega suppressants, it’ll be fine!* she had told herself. She had no idea what kind of hell was waiting for her.
The butterfly had flapped its wings, yet the diverted tracks had somehow been dragged back to their original course.
"I need an Omega assistant. Do you want to follow me?" Feng Zhixi asked. He saw the girl nod with a look of pure surprise and relief.
After spending the entire day in the room, Feng Zhixi emerged, carrying the sweet, cloying scent of an Omega. He found Blood Eye and told him he was very satisfied with the gift and would be keeping her.
The "arrogant weapon manufacturer" then added that he preferred his things to be "obedient and clean."
Hearing this, Blood Eye reflected on his own experience with her and nodded in agreement. Compared to the others, this one was indeed quite "clean."
"She’s yours." Blood Eye was generous with a partner he valued, especially since he had just tested the miniature energy shield. The results were excellent.
The quality of the device proved the youth’s skill, making Blood Eye even more eager to see the effects of the base energy shield. Furthermore, Feng Zhixi had hinted that his true specialty was offensive weaponry—the thing Blood Eye coveted most.
After warmly entertaining his future partner, Blood Eye summoned his subordinates to formally introduce them to Feng Zhixi.
There weren't many of them—about twenty or thirty—but they were a capable lot. Most were Alphas, with a few genetically enhanced Betas who possessed their own unique skills. The Alphas were all heavily muscled with bulging veins, clearly lower-level Alphas, forming a sharp contrast to Blood Eye, whose pheromones could reach Grade A.
These pirates had known for a while that their boss was looking for a weapon manufacturer. Being brought onto the starship meant this newcomer was now one of them.
However, did this guy actually have any talent?
Though skeptical, the pirates didn't dare challenge him openly. They kept their doubts hidden, waiting to see what the newcomer was made of. They were well aware that as soon as he arrived, the boss had given him a grand gift—treatment none of them received. They had been waiting for the boss to grow tired of that sweet little plaything so they could have a taste, only to have this guy snatch her up first.
There were only a couple of "entertainment pieces" left alive on the ship; with supply failing to meet demand, they were all getting restless. In a single meeting, these pirates had already developed a grudge against Feng Zhixi for monopolizing the girl.
With the introductions over and the gift received, Feng Zhixi handed over the permissions for the base energy shield and acted as though he couldn't wait to return to his "den of pleasure."
Back in the room, it was quiet. On the bed, the girl was curled up on her side, seemingly asleep from exhaustion. Feng Zhixi glanced at her, tossed his coat onto a nearby chair, and walked into the bathroom in his undershirt.
The private bathroom on the starship was small. Once Feng Zhixi entered, the silver-white door slid shut and locked silently.
The moment he heard the *click* of the lock, Feng Zhixi spun around. A thread-like beam of light shot out from his hand. In a flash, the silver beam grazed the other person’s neck, nearly drawing blood.
He stopped only because he recognized the intruder. It was Ji Yeran, who had—coincidentally—donned yet another face.
Ji Yeran, who had infiltrated the ship by replacing one of Blood Eye’s men, looked at Feng Zhixi. His eyes curved slightly, shimmering with a playful light that seemed to say, *What a coincidence~*
"What are you doing here?" Feng Zhixi asked, retracting his weapon.
"For Blood Eye," Ji Yeran answered, his eyes drifting curiously toward the small gadget Feng Zhixi had just put away.
It was an inconspicuous ring on his ring finger, a thin band of transparent material. As the silver beam retracted, a circular pattern lit up on the ring, looking like a unique tattoo.
"Is that an upgrade of the old version?" Ji Yeran asked curiously. He remembered that he was the one who had suggested the initial prototype years ago.
Since Feng Zhixi was a Beta and his physical stats weren't top-tier, Ji Yeran’s combat experience told him that a concealed weapon like this would suit him perfectly. With a single glance, Ji Yeran could tell the weapon had gone through several iterations. Recalling the speed and heat of the beam just now, he was certain it was now a small-scale lethal weapon.
"Yes." Feng Zhixi nodded. Upon hearing Ji Yeran’s goal, his movements slowed.
Ji Yeran was here for Blood Eye too? How could it be such a coincidence? Feng Zhixi suddenly began to suspect: was Ji Yeran here to snatch the star map from him again?
"?" Receiving a glare, Ji Yeran looked utterly innocent. How had he offended this spoiled brat this time?
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 空间按钮 | Spatial Button | A sci-fi storage device, usually small (like a button or brooch). |
| 孟晓星 | Meng Xiaoxing | Meng Jia's younger sister, an Omega. |
| 基地能量罩 | Base Energy Shield | A large-scale defensive shield for a base or outpost. |
| 微型能量罩 | Miniature Energy Shield | A personal or small-scale version of the energy shield. |
| 变异辐射 | Mutated Radiation | Environmental hazard in this sci-fi setting. |
| 基因强化液 | Genetic Enhancement Fluid | A substance used to improve physical capabilities, often in Betas. |
| 抑制剂 | Suppressant | Medicine used by Omegas to control their heat cycles. |
| 娇气包 | Spoiled brat | Literally "delicate/squeamish bag"; a teasing term for someone high-maintenance or delicate. |
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