Chapter 4#

The Beta Lieutenant Colonel Who Sacrificed for His Country#

Returning to their temporary residence in Nabiya, the three began discussing the plan of action for the coming days. Finding Aileden in the chaotic city of Nabiya was almost impossible. The only place where one could gain access to Aileden was the Central Auction House.

According to intelligence provided by their military informant, before every auction, the seller would remain with their auction items in a heavily guarded room behind the auction house, waiting until their item was sold and they had received the star-credit card on the spot before leaving.

“It seems that if we want to catch Aileden, we can only make our move in the waiting area.” Xiuyi projected the exterior of the auction house into midair, repeatedly switching between various angles for study. “Is there any way your contact can get a layout of the auction house’s interior? If we had a blueprint, the difficulty of the operation would drop considerably.”

Lu Heng shook his head. “The informant says that’s classified information—only a few senior executives at the auction house have access to it. He can’t get hold of it at all.”

“Tch. In that case, things are a bit troublesome.”

“Um,” Carlo suddenly spoke up, “I have an idea…”

“Let’s hear it.” Xiuyi looked at him encouragingly.

“I can disguise myself as an Omega and infiltrate the auction house as a waiter,” Carlo glanced at Xiuyi, and seeing that he seemed quite interested, he grew more confident. “Then, I can take the opportunity to familiarize myself with the internal layout. Oh, and on the day of the auction, I can also provide support from inside for you guys.”

Lu Heng’s heart sank. In the original timeline, Carlo had proposed the very same plan. Back then, neither Laina nor Xiuyi had objected, and so Carlo successfully disguised himself as a waiter and infiltrated the Central Auction House. However, on the day of the Platinum Auction, he caught the eye of an Alpha, who secretly slipped him an aphrodisiac meant to forcibly claim him. When the time came to retreat, Carlo was in the midst of heat, which triggered a chain of subsequent events.

Unexpectedly, Xiuyi did not immediately finalize the plan. Instead, he turned to Lu Heng. “Laina, do you think this plan is feasible?”

Lu Heng curled his fingers and tapped the table lightly, his brow creasing habitually. Knowing that this was his habitual gesture when thinking, Xiuyi said nothing more, quietly waiting.

Carlo, however, grew somewhat anxious. “Adjutant Laina, please believe in me.”

“This plan has too many variables,” Lu Heng spoke up while Carlo was still trying to persuade Xiuyi. “First, whether a newcomer who enters on such short notice can access key areas remains uncertain. Second, Carlo, you have no experience as an undercover operative. We can’t let you take that kind of risk.”

“But there’s no better option, is there?”

Xiuyi patted Carlo’s shoulder in a calming gesture. “Don’t rush. Laina surely has a plan in mind.”

Between Xiuyi and Laina, this had always been the way they worked together. For matters concerning Wind and Thunder, Xiuyi was responsible for the overall strategic direction, while Laina handled the detailed management. In missions, operational plans were generally formulated by Laina as well.

Lu Heng opened his holographic computer and rotated the three-dimensional projection of the Central Auction House’s exterior repeatedly, carefully observing it from every angle.

“I feel like this building looks somewhat familiar,” Xiuyi suddenly remarked. “But I can’t really offer any useful opinions—back in the day, during History of Art and Architecture, I only ever sat in on a few of your lectures when I went to find you.”

Lu Heng nodded. “I have that feeling too.”

Laina had been a man of broad interests. During his military academy years, unlike Xiuyi, who had plunged headfirst into military and mecha coursework, Laina had selected courses from a wide range of disciplines—one of which was History of Art and Architecture. The paper he wrote on the subject had even been included among the architecture department’s outstanding theses, for the reference and study of the junior cadres who came after.

Remembering this, Lu Heng immediately contacted the mission assistant and began searching through Laina’s memories. He soon found a relevant clue. It was an out-of-print book that Laina had happened to come across while writing that paper. Its author had reconstructed the design blueprints of several famous ancient Blue Star buildings based on scattered historical fragments. The Central Auction House bore a striking resemblance to one of those designs.

Lu Heng shared his thoughts with Xiuyi, and Xiuyi also dug that blueprint out from some corner of his memory. They had been roommates back then—he had seen that book too.

Carlo, however, raised a different objection. “Just because the exterior looks similar—what if the interior layout is different?”

“The founder of the Central Auction House, Locke, was a very passionate enthusiast of ancient Blue Star culture,” Lu Heng explained.

With the biggest problem resolved, the three quickly finalized the division of labor and details for the rest of the operation. Afterwards, Lu Heng returned to his room to draft the blueprint, leaving Xiuyi to emphasize some additional points of caution to Carlo.

“Carlo, once I rendezvous with Laina, I’ll send you a transmission on an encrypted channel… Carlo?”

Carlo looked heavy-hearted, and under Xiuyi’s pressing questions, he spoke up somewhat uneasily. “Xiuyi, does Adjutant Laina not like me?”

“Why would you think that?” Xiuyi had long felt that something was off between Lu Heng and Carlo, but he had never been a man of subtle sensibilities. He had assumed it was simply because the two of them weren’t yet well acquainted. Looking at it now, it seemed Lu Heng’s strictness had probably frightened Carlo.

He shook his head inwardly. Carlo seemed a bit too fragile for someone in the military. This wasn’t the psychological fortitude a proper soldier should possess.

“From the very start of this mission, Adjutant Laina didn’t want me to come along. Just now, the plan I proposed—he rejected it too. In his heart, I must be nothing but a troublemaking newcomer. But… but I’ve been trying so hard…”

“Little Carlo, sometimes you overthink things. Laina’s personality is just like that. He’s simply stating facts—it’s not personal.” Xiuyi felt his tone had been a bit too harsh, so he blinked and softened it. “He’s actually been very gentle with you. You should see the way he glares at me. If one day he treated me the way he treats you, I’d be smiling in my sleep.”

Carlo’s mother had been a bar dancer who conceived Carlo with his father, Sergeant Meg, on a chaotic night together. It wasn’t until she was on her deathbed that she revealed Carlo’s existence to Sergeant Meg. But at the time, the battle against the Zerg was at its fiercest. Sergeant Meg was barely able to keep himself alive, let alone raise Carlo himself, so he entrusted the boy to his own brother.

A long life spent as a dependent had made Carlo extremely sensitive to other people’s emotions. He could sense Xiuyi’s displeasure and quickly explained. “Perhaps I’m just too sensitive. My aunt was always this strict with me too, so I’m a bit afraid of people with that kind of personality.”

Whenever the topic of Carlo’s background came up, Xiuyi couldn’t help but soften his expression. After all, Sergeant Meg had already submitted his retirement papers and was simply waiting for that battle to end so he could retire and devote himself to raising his child—but he had sacrificed his life to save Xiuyi. From the day Xiuyi learned of Carlo’s existence, he had taken the boy on as his own responsibility.

“Don’t worry, you still have me.” Xiuyi smiled and patted Carlo on the shoulder. “You’ll become an excellent soldier.”

The Platinum Auction was Nabiya’s largest annual auction—a black-market event that could arguably be called the biggest transaction in the entire Human Alliance each year. People from major space pirate crews gathered here with their spoils of war, and merchants from various nations also came in search of valuable goods.

The security level at the Central Auction House had been raised to the highest degree, yet this could not deter the audacious pirates who tried their luck every year. After all, a high-reward, low-cost venture like this was something everyone wanted a piece of.

Star Furi had always been renowned for its freedom, and the Central Auction House had an interesting rule of its own: anyone who successfully robbed the Central Auction House and managed to escape would be welcomed back as an honored guest on their next visit. However, once caught, they would either have to bankrupt themselves paying a ransom, or be auctioned off as merchandise by the Central Auction House.

Billy tugged at his collar, feeling it was a bit too tight. Three years ago, in pursuit of a stable life, he had hung up his hat as a bounty hunter and taken a job as captain of the guards at the Central Auction House.

He wasn’t boasting, but during his tenure, not a single troublemaker had ever escaped his watch. After all, an S-rank bounty hunter’s reputation wasn’t built on nothing. But today, he had been feeling restless for some reason—the scar on his face, a mark of honor, even itched faintly.

Maybe the weather’s too hot, he thought. I’m Billy the Falcon. The last pirate who didn’t believe in the supernatural is still mining coal on some penal planet.

Billy tugged at his collar once more and decided to step around the corner for a quick smoke to unwind. As he walked, he barked sharp orders at the patrolling guards to stay alert. The moment he reached the corner, a tremendous crash came from the entrance.

Billy spun around and saw a strangely shaped mecha—no discernible model—perched brazenly on the shoulder of Locke’s statue.

Tch, another death seeker. Billy thought, even as he summoned his own mecha without a moment’s hesitation and charged forward.

“The defenses of this Central Auction House aren’t that impressive, are they? Hm? This one’s not bad—gives me something to practice on.”

While listening to Xiuyi spouting meaningless chatter over the comms channel, Lu Heng noticed a waiter. The waiter’s build was roughly similar to his own, and the uniform he wore was somewhat distinctive.

Lu Heng picked up a glass of wine from a nearby table and stumbled his way in the waiter’s direction. Just as he drew near, he tripped and fell, slamming hard into the waiter. The red wine in his glass splashed all over Lu Heng’s chest, leaving his three-piece formal suit a complete mess.

“W-what’s going on?!” Lu Heng let out a belch and waved the wristband that signified VIP status. “Is this how you treat your VIP guests?!”

“I’m terribly sorry—are you all right?” The waiter hurriedly bowed in apology.

“Which of your eyes tells you I’m all right? This suit is very expensive! I’m filing a complaint!”

The waiter still had some youthfulness to his features and clearly looked like a newcomer. Put on the spot by Lu Heng like this, a few beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. “I’m really, really sorry. Let me take you to change into another set of clothes first. I’ll cover the cost of your ruined suit.”

“At least you’ve got some sense. Lead the way.”

At the corner, seizing the moment when everyone’s attention was drawn by the commotion outside, Lu Heng swiftly struck the waiter unconscious and dragged him into a nearby supply closet.

A few minutes later, Lu Heng emerged, disguised as the waiter, and headed straight for the back area of the auction house. Just as he had expected, this waiter was indeed one of the back-area staff, and he passed through unimpeded the entire way.

The waiting area was exactly where they had guessed it would be. After entering the waiting area, Lu Heng used the information on the holographic computer he had stripped from the waiter and knocked on the door of Room No. 7.