Chapter 69#
Investigation#
At the sight of the visitor, Mr. Silver narrowed his eyes slightly, his smile growing even brighter.
“You must be Mr. Lu.”
Yin Beichen glanced at him without acknowledgment, then turned to look at Ning Feng, his expression indifferent. “Why did you run off?”
Cold eyes swept over him, making the parts inside his body tremble slightly. Ning Feng chuckled twice. “I had a card game set up for tonight. Since you were taking so long, I thought I’d go find you.”
“And did you find me?”
“I found the wrong person…”
His gaze fell to the hand gripping his waist. Yin Beichen said calmly, “Mr. Silver, this is the croupier I booked. Please let him go.”
Mr. Silver smiled faintly, but his grip tightened.
“I didn’t expect Mr. Lu to be so attentive, coming all the way here in the middle of the banquet. It seems Sixteen’s card skills are truly outstanding—I’d love to experience them myself.” He leaned in, inhaling near the back of Ning Feng’s neck. “Mr. Lu, how about lending Sixteen to me tonight?”
Yin Beichen remained silent, his gaze as cold as ice.
“Of course, I’m not borrowing him for free.” Mr. Silver spoke while fiddling with a button on the robot’s attire. “I have plenty of croupiers under me with excellent ‘skills,’ their quality definitely not inferior to Sixteen. If you like, you can pick as many as you want—play with them, break them, kill them, whatever suits your fancy.”
“In that case, one less or more of him won’t make a difference.” Yin Beichen’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Besides, he doesn’t want to.”
“Is it that he doesn’t want to, or that you don’t want to?”
“There’s no difference.”
“How could there be no difference?” Mr. Silver let out a low laugh, glancing sideways at Ning Feng. “Sixteen, do you want to come?”
In truth, he was somewhat tempted to go along.
Though he knew Mr. Silver was deliberately provoking trouble, investigating the clue about [G] was the main priority. From the attitude of the security guards, it was clear this man had an unusual relationship with the ship owner. If he actually went, he might be able to dig up some information. At the very least, he could secretly install a surveillance device.
After all, he was a robot—he wouldn’t suffer any real loss.
But…
Stealing a glance at Yin Beichen, Ning Feng sighed imperceptibly.
“Mr. Silver, I did have a prior agreement with Mr. Lu. Many people at the gambling table already know about it.” He offered an apologetic smile. “Perhaps you could get in line first? Next time you come, I’ll serve you exclusively?”
Mr. Silver said nothing, staring fixedly at Yin Beichen. The latter remained motionless, his face as calm as a mask.
Suddenly, a ghost of a smile flickered across Mr. Silver’s face.
“Since you already have an arrangement, I suppose I can’t just cut in line.” He scratched his angular chin flirtatiously. “Then it’s settled. I’ll come find you tomorrow night, and you’ll attend to me alone.”
He emphasized the word “alone.” Ning Feng felt a wave of nausea at the phrase “attend to me,” barely managing to force a smile as he murmured polite assurances. The moment the pressure on his waist eased, he quickly stepped back two paces, but before he could steady himself, Yin Beichen yanked him behind his back.
“Let’s go.”
Yin Beichen dragged him away without looking back. Ning Feng stole a glance over his shoulder and saw Mr. Silver waving at him with a smile.
“Good night, Sixteen.”
Once their figures disappeared from view, Mr. Silver’s smile faded. He gently rubbed his thin lips with a fingertip. After a long pause, he abruptly spread one hand and spoke to the empty corridor, “What’s the background of this Mr. Lu?”
The next second, a servant materialized silently behind him, handing him an insulated cup. “Master, he’s an aristocratic young master. His identity has been verified—no issues.”
“To cause such tension in just two days… this robot must be remarkably charming.” Mr. Silver took the cup and held it in his hands.
“According to the supervisor’s report, several guests have already shown interest in him. A few have even requested to have him serve them for a few days.”
Mr. Silver let out a derisive snort.
“Tell the supervisor that no one is to touch this croupier until I give my consent.” He took a sip from the cup. “By the way, that robot named Blade—where did it go? Have you found out?”
“To the Nora Base.”
“Oh? Nora Base?”
“I heard they conducted a genetic test there recently for all members, but the specific reason hasn’t been disclosed.”
Mr. Silver furrowed his brow in thought. “Does this place have any dealings with them?”
“Yes. A certain Miss Z purchased synthetic agents.”
“Synthetic agents?” A glint flickered in Mr. Silver’s eyes, and he licked his lips with a crimson tongue.
“How interesting.”
**
Yin Beichen dragged Ning Feng through the corridor, his hurried footsteps muffled by the soft carpet.
Ning Feng subtly tried to twist free, but his wrist was gripped even tighter. He glanced at Yin Beichen’s expression and wisely chose not to speak. Only when he realized they were heading toward Yin Beichen’s guest room did he begin to feel uneasy.
“Hey, Mr. Lu. My room is—”
“Shut up.”
“…”
He had to admit, Yin Beichen was quite intimidating when he was furious.
Ning Feng was unceremoniously pulled into the room. Yin Beichen stared at him coldly without a word.
Feeling a bit unnerved, Ning Feng cleared his throat. “So, Mr. Lu, are you planning to start your card game here?”
Yin Beichen’s expression turned even frostier, his voice dropping three degrees. “Why did you act on your own?”
“I didn’t. I sent you a message before I went.”
“Did I agree to it?”
“I was just taking a look. What could possibly go wrong?”
“Do you have to wait until something does?” The question ignited the fury simmering within Yin Beichen, the cold gleam in his eyes as sharp as a blade.
Ning Feng pursed his lips tightly, remaining silent.
He didn’t understand what he had done wrong.
Their mission was to investigate. When they spotted a suspicious target, approaching them immediately seemed perfectly reasonable. It was just a few security guards—they’d faced far more dangerous situations before. Not to mention that time on the Hive Star when he volunteered to stay behind as rearguard, and Yin Beichen hadn’t said a word.
As for Mr. Silver, he was a robot, and a male one at that. Being touched a few times wasn’t any real loss.
What the hell was this guy so angry about?
Yin Beichen closed his eyes, taking a long, deep breath before barely managing to rein in his emotions. “If I hadn’t shown up, would you have gone with him?”
Ning Feng opened his mouth.
He had indeed thought about it—it was a perfect opportunity. He hadn’t expected Yin Beichen to see through him.
“What choice did I have? You know this was a great chance.” He ran a hand through his bangs. “That man’s suspicious. The clue might be on him. If I don’t take this risk, how will we know if it’ll work—”
“So you had to take the risk?”
Yin Beichen looked down at him. “With your abilities, there are definitely better, safer methods. Why choose the most dangerous one?”
After a moment of silence, Ning Feng bit his lower lip. “Because it’s the fastest.”
“Fast enough to act alone? You could have waited for backup—”
“I don’t want to wait.”
Ning Feng’s face hardened, a hint of anger in his voice.
He was right—there were indeed more appropriate methods. But he couldn’t wait.
【My people are spread across the starfield!】
【Soon you’ll know whether I was bluffing… hehe…】
The captain’s dying taunt echoed in his mind like a nightmare.
The Nora Base was the Sixth Military Region’s largest stronghold and the Empire’s most critical line of defense. If it fell, the consequences would be unimaginable. Just thinking that someone had colluded with an external enemy to use the base for researching human-insect hybrids made him unable to sit still for a single second.
He had died from the insect venom; he knew all too well the agony it caused.
There were many things Yin Beichen didn’t know. He couldn’t tell anyone about his ability to hear insects’ voices, so he had to bear it all alone.
A few seconds of silence passed between them, neither speaking.
Finally, Ning Feng brushed his bangs aside. “Sorry. I let my tone get the better of me. Please don’t take offense, Mr. Lu.”
He received no response, only the sound of a sigh from above. He saw Yin Beichen turn and walk away, fiddling with something or other. Ning Feng didn’t care; he tilted his head back against the sofa. After a moment, he felt the cushion beside him sink as someone sat down, and a familiar bottle of lubricant appeared before his eyes.
“Drink,” Yin Beichen said.
“I have my own.” Ning Feng pouted, refusing to take it.
“Drink.”
“…”
Too lazy to argue, Ning Feng twisted open the cap and took a sip.
Then, to his surprise, he realized the composition of this lubricant was different from the previous one.
It wasn’t a matter of taste but rather the proportion of additives had been adjusted, along with the addition of expensive components like graphene and organic molybdenum. Though the adjustment was subtle, it elevated the lubricant’s performance to the highest possible standard.
He hadn’t expected Yin Beichen to go so far as to adjust the lubricant for him…
What was he after?
Just then, Yin Beichen’s indifferent voice came from beside him. “That Mr. Silver—I’ve had someone look into him.”
Ning Feng was startled. “You already checked? When?”
“After boarding the ship.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Did you give me a chance to?”
Ning Feng… Ning Feng scratched his cheek.
During the day, he had to deal with those upper-class guests. In the evenings, when he had a bit of free time, he went off to investigate on his own… Come to think of it, he had indeed been… busy.
Ning Feng cleared his throat. “So, what’s his background?”
Yin Beichen said flatly, “He’s no small fry.”
Mr. Silver had no full name—even his surname might not be real.
He was a high-ranking member of the space pirates, though no one knew exactly how high. But he was certainly deeply connected to the organization’s elusive leader. However, he never involved himself in pirate affairs and rarely showed up among them. Yet he was universally respected, even the elders in charge gave him some face.
And this ship, the Spectrum, was one of their small investments.
Ning Feng stroked his chin.
Space pirates… So the Federation’s fighter jets weren’t escorting him but monitoring his movements? “Meaning this so-called cruise ship is actually a place for them to conduct trade.”
“Highly likely.”
A carefully selected group of buyers, trading in the desolate ocean where no one could see, with all records vanishing into thin air until they docked and began shipping. Since it was trade, there had to be a flow of accounts. So if they could get the list and trace the delivery addresses, they could find the insider at the base.
Once he figured it out, Ning Feng was thrilled. He still didn’t know where the list was, but at least he had a clear goal now, instead of bumping around like a headless fly.
Still, if these synthetic agents were indeed being trafficked by the pirates, logically the pirates were also humans. Why would they help create human-insect hybrids? Weren’t they afraid of raising a monster that would turn on them?
That organization’s leader was way too shortsighted!
Seeing the man perk up again, a hint of a smile flickered across Yin Beichen’s lips, but he quickly suppressed it.
“Feng, don’t let this happen again.” His tone was still cold but carried a hint of concern. “I don’t want to be the last to know you’re in trouble—again.”
Ning Feng froze.
He didn’t nod or shake his head. He just stared blankly at the blue eyes so close to him.
It wasn’t just the unusual emotion in the words; it was that he noticed those always-cold eyes now shimmered with a gentle light. He thought he might be seeing things.
Ning Feng opened his mouth to speak but didn’t know what to say, his lips moving soundlessly.
Since the incident at the nightclub, they hadn’t met alone.
Now, his identity was all but confirmed, even if he hadn’t explicitly acknowledged it. But given Yin Beichen’s personality, it didn’t matter whether he admitted it or not. Since Yin Beichen already knew who he was, what did he mean by saying all this now?
For a moment, the room fell into complete silence.
Just then—
“Young Master Lu? Are you there?”
It was Qiu Zhen. It seemed he had finally noticed Yin Beichen slipping away from the banquet halfway.
Breaking off the gaze, Ning Feng awkwardly turned his head, biting the filter of the lubricant bottle. “Got it. Next time, I promise not to act alone or approach that guy on my own.”
But if the guy came to him, that wasn’t his fault.
Yin Beichen’s brow furrowed slightly, but before he could speak, Ning Feng cut him off.
“Oh, it’s getting late. I won’t disturb your rest.” He quickly stood up, putting some distance between them. “Good night, Mr. Lu.”
Ning Feng opened the door, exchanged a brief glance with Qiu Zhen, and strode out quickly. Qiu Zhen looked at him, then back at a contemplative Yin Beichen, his thick brows knitting together.
“Young Master Lu, why did you leave the banquet halfway?”
“I had matters to attend to.” Yin Beichen withdrew his gaze.
He assigned Qiu Zhen a few more investigation tasks before dismissing him. Once the room was empty, he opened his optical brain and navigated to a familiar paid psychological consultation titled “Love Test: Do You Like Him?”
Yin Beichen carefully read through it, then heavily checked two boxes beneath “Staring without blinking for thirty seconds” and “Feeling angry when seeing him in close contact with others.”