Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Scoundrel Brother’s Scheme

Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Scheming Brother

After a brief calm inside the room, everyone began ordering dishes. The variety was impressive—a true luxury in the barren star region where resources were scarce.

Then, finally, the main event began.

“This time, we really got screwed! Brother Huang, you can’t just stand by and watch us lose so much!” The one who spoke with such vulgarity was the same man who had spoken on the stairs earlier. Clearly, he belonged to another fleet, serving as a sort of enforcer.

“Hmph! Who hasn’t lost out? I— Don’t worry, I, Huang Xuan, won’t let you work for me without proper compensation. What we agreed upon before, not a cent less,” Huang Xuan replied, his anger still simmering. Yet, it was obvious that these words had been prompted by Tu Wenhong.

Tu Wenhong was the deep-voiced man Liu Shaoyu had overheard before. The foul-mouthed speaker was his nephew, Zhou Anyi. Though his name sounded like “peaceful,” it was clear that whoever named him must regret it, for there was nothing peaceful about Zhou Anyi.

Upon hearing Huang Xuan’s words, Tu Wenhong’s expression barely changed. At fifty-four, he was in the prime of life by modern human standards. Yet, after turning twenty, he became a wanted man in the Earth Federation, fled to the outer rim of the desolate star region, and never again set foot in his homeland.

Huang Xuan’s terms this time were incredibly tempting—not only a hefty commission, but the freedom to mine any discovered ice ore, with the Huang family promising to buy it at seventy percent of the black market price.

Though seventy percent was a significant cut, when combined with the commission, it still surpassed the eighty-five percent offered by Galaxy Universal Technologies, the highest bidder.

But most important of all was Huang Xuan’s personal promise: once the job was done, he would use his connections to restore Tu Wenhong’s Earth Federation citizenship. This was what mattered most to Tu Wenhong.

To most people, Tu Wenhong was a renowned fleet captain, celebrated among the adventurers in the barren star region. But deep down, he was simply a pitiable man unable to return home. For over thirty years, Tu Wenhong had dreamed of returning openly to the land of his birth, to walk once more on familiar soil, to gaze again at that sky.

Now, all of that was gone. Not only had he failed to get what he most wanted, but his entire fleet had suffered catastrophic losses. Each ship and crew member had been painstakingly gathered over the years.

Now, with nearly total destruction after a single battle, what good was the compensation Huang Xuan spoke of? Did Tu Wenhong really need Huang Xuan’s paltry money? In his heart, Tu Wenhong was full of resentment toward Huang Xuan, though his expression remained polite.

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“Hahaha, brother, you’re making this sound like we’re strangers. We all lost people here. The job didn’t get done, and I’m ashamed to even discuss compensation—it’d be slapping myself in the face!” Tu Wenhong understood that, though Huang Xuan was speaking to Zhou Anyi, he wanted Tu Wenhong to hear.

“Ah, Brother Tu is right. But when I think of those brothers who’ll never return, it pains me deeply.”

Huang Xuan’s face took on a heavy, somber look, as if he truly mourned those lost in action.

His expression made Tu Wenhong feel nauseated, cursing inwardly: “Who the hell was the first to run, anyway! If you’re upset, it’s only because you didn’t find the ice ore!” Nevertheless, he wore a look of understanding.

Had Liu Shaoyu been here, he might have retched on the spot. Even listening in would have given him goosebumps.

Despite his disgusting facade, Huang Xuan was acutely aware that the operation had not only failed to bring him the expected profits but had cost him dearly. His ships were equipped at great expense, and moving his fleet to the barren star region had drained his finances. If he couldn’t fill this hole, his financial situation would collapse.

More importantly, his brothers at home had long been jealous of his lucrative position. If this incident gave them any leverage, the family’s leadership might change. That was something Huang Xuan could not tolerate.

“Brother Tu, as you see, everyone suffered losses this time. As I said, I will honor the compensation promised—no question about that. But… if we don’t recover what was agreed upon, it will be hard to smooth things over at home.” He began with grand words, then shifted his tone.

Tu Wenhong frowned inwardly, thinking, “This kid’s about to renege.” Before he could reply, Huang Xuan spoke again.

“However, Brother Tu, your matter is always on my mind. Here’s the thing—if you can help me with one more task, not only will you get all the promised benefits, but I can secure a spot at the space station customs here in the barren star region, so our brothers can settle down.”

This news eased Tu Wenhong’s furrowed brow. If customs could reserve a spot for his people, he could arrange for his nephew to be settled after returning home. Tu Wenhong had always planned to hand over his fleet to his nephew, who would continue their line of work, while he retired peacefully.

Yet, he knew his nephew’s temperament. If there were another candidate, he would never entrust his hard-won fleet to him. But as for customs, Tu Wenhong had high hopes for his unruly nephew.

And as for Huang Xuan’s abilities, Tu Wenhong was certain—he knew exactly what business Huang Xuan was involved in, even if others didn’t.

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“What is it?” Tu Wenhong’s deep voice rang out. Zhou Anyi knew from his uncle’s tone that Tu Wenhong was now serious.

Seeing he had Tu Wenhong where he wanted him, Huang Xuan became leisurely, just as the dishes and drinks arrived. He casually suggested they eat first and talk later, and so the group began to drink and banter.

Liu Shaoyu, having already finished his meal when they arrived, saw that they were no longer discussing anything urgent. Staying any longer would only invite trouble, so he paid his bill and left the restaurant.

But instead of returning to the space station, Liu Shaoyu found a nearby bar and stepped inside.

Neon lights, glowing signs—a riot of color.

For a moment, Liu Shaoyu felt as though he had returned to Earth. Though it was midday for him, in space, time had lost its fixed standard. Without the division of light from a star, it might well be night for others.

He wasn’t surprised to see many humanoid aliens and even some non-humanoid beings. It seemed that any alien with a digestive system had a fondness for alcohol, so Earth Federation bars were commonplace across the planets.

The noise and atmosphere were oppressive, but Liu Shaoyu hadn’t come to drink. Huang Xuan had mentioned during the conversation that they would relax here later, so Liu Shaoyu had arrived early.

Clearly, the real negotiations would also take place here.

“Is there a quieter spot?” Liu Shaoyu asked a young woman who looked like a server.

“Yes, please follow me,” she replied with a smile after hearing Liu Shaoyu’s translated speech. She answered him in Chinese.

Liu Shaoyu smiled awkwardly, surprised to find the woman was from China. He followed her down a corridor to the left side of the bar.