Chapter 184: Tasuri Hub

At the border territories of the Star Glory Empire, various space stations had been established. Their primary purpose was to serve as transit hubs and to detect the warp fluctuations of smuggling ships.

Four days later, outside the Star Glory Empire's Station 844, an unnamed warship previously belonging to Marauders abruptly emerged from its warp state. Just a short distance further, and it would enter the station's radar detection range.

Inside the captain's cabin, Li Yu and his companions were preparing to transfer to another vessel. Waltzing into the space station in a full-fledged warship would be nothing short of suicide.

They had used the warship earlier simply to make good time, as its warp speed was undoubtedly far superior to that of a standard travel ship.

The vessel they were switching to was a small travel ship the Marauders had previously plundered, specifically modified for smuggling.

The interior space of the small travel ship was more than sufficient for them. After wiping all internal surveillance logs, they abandoned the dilapidated warship directly in the starry sky.

This type of transfer station was nothing like the Inuit Hub. It was not an open interstellar hub boasting prosperous commercial trade.

Instead, it functioned more like an outpost, holding far greater strategic significance than commercial value.

"Unknown spaceship, please identify yourselves and depart the area immediately, or we will open fire!" The station's response was extremely forceful, flatly rejecting Li Yu's docking request.

The personnel completely shifted their attitude. Dropping their hostile tone, they granted permission to dock.

"I didn't expect this identity to be so effective," Li Yu remarked, mildly surprised.

Hunter explained, "This is a space station close to the Amethyst Civilization, after all. If we were at a different station, it might not have worked so smoothly."

There was undoubtedly a substantial number of Amethyst citizens entering the Star Glory Empire through this route. The Amethyst Civilization had likely greased the palms of this space station long ago.

Having received clearance, the spaceship entered the station's orbit and parked at an internal dock.

Stepping off the vessel, the group glanced around. The architecture of the station featured a classic Imperial Style.

"Greetings, Sir Li..." Several imperial inspectors were waiting at the dock. The leader among them stepped forward and spoke.

"May I ask if you require fuel resupply?"

"That is part of the reason," Li Yu replied with a smile.

The inspector frowned slightly, waiting for Li Yu to elaborate.

"The other part is that we would like to borrow the mini stargate here."

This was Li Yu's true motive. The Star Glory Empire was impossibly vast. Relying on that rundown little travel ship, who knew how many warp jumps it would take to reach their destination?

Using a stargate was the fastest method. There were virtually no commercial stargates in the border territories; only space stations like this one possessed mini stargates.

"This..." The inspector immediately looked conflicted. Authorizing the use of the station's stargate was well beyond his pay grade.

"Please follow me for now... This matter requires notifying the Station Chief."

The space station was not particularly large. Its exterior was a sleek silver-white, featuring a lightweight design with sharp, distinct angles that perfectly embodied the characteristics of the Star Glory Empire.

The Star Glory Empire prioritized precision and simplicity. The internal structure of the space station was relatively straightforward, with clear navigation signs placed everywhere.

Since Li Yu and his group were outsiders, the station's classified areas remained strictly off-limits. They were only permitted to move within the docks, the lounge, and the guest quarters.

Li Yu killed time in the lounge. Only he, Mo Duo, and Hunter had disembarked; the rest of the crew remained on the ship to wait.

His eyes were unfocused as he browsed the System Log.

Ever since Clone One injured Batman, it had indeed enjoyed two days of relative peace. Although Batman was no longer actively hunting him, the clone kept bafflingly running into random robberies and shootouts.

Even while sleeping in a hotel, he would encounter sudden police raids. Because he lacked a valid identity, he had no choice but to eliminate the officers and flee, forcing him into the unavoidable destiny of becoming a wanted fugitive.

He hadn't received any worthwhile rewards, either—just trivial items like bullets and handguns that provided little to no actual benefit.

On the other hand, the Second Clone had made substantial progress. The scepter had finally been successfully escorted into Hydra's hands, making him a spectacular double agent.

[Obtained Special Item — Proof of Hydra: You are a distinguished member of Hydra, an all-pervasive double agent.

Upon use, you can instigate a rebellion among non-leader organization members.

Note: Inciting defection does not guarantee they will obey your commands.]

Now that was an interesting item. It might produce miraculous results at the right moment, Li Yu figured.

As his strength continued to grow, many things had simply lost their usefulness to him.

He still had quite a few excellent items hoarded in his system warehouse, which served as his absolute confidence to remain calm in any situation.

The person who arrived to greet them was the Station Chief. He was a stern man whose movements and attire were utterly meticulous, exuding the crisp demeanor of a seasoned military officer.

"The stargate will never be lent to outsiders!" His expression was icy, laying down the law the absolute second he arrived without even giving Li Yu a chance to speak.

"Once your fuel is resupplied, you may leave."

He was an interstellar human and a native Imperial Citizen. The Star Glory Empire was a colossal galactic state without any single dominant species holding absolute reign over the rest.

The original civilization form of the Star Glory Empire had long become untraceable. However, historical records indicated that the earliest iteration of the empire was primarily composed of interstellar humans.

Even now, the Imperial Nobles and the various major aristocratic families still maintained a human appearance.

Deep in his bones, this Station Chief carried the ingrained arrogance of the Star Glory Empire, holding immense disdain for other civilizations. He did not show it blatantly, instead using official rules and regulations as a flawless shield that left no room for argument.

"Could you perhaps make an exception? We are willing to pay the corresponding price," Li Yu hinted, frowning slightly.

"Heh..." The Station Chief sneered coldly, rebuking him. "Lowly Amethyst citizen, do you truly think you can bribe me with such methods?"

Imperial Citizens harbored a natural sense of superiority and contempt for the various civilizations attached to the Star Glory Empire, never once considering them equals.

Li Yu did not grow furious. He simply shook his head and said, "I admire your upright character."

"What are you trying to do?" the Station Chief barked coldly. "Are you thinking of using force? If you dare to attack me, you must be tired of living!"

Li Yu shot Mo Duo a meaningful look. Mo Duo understood instantly. The Station Chief's pupils immediately glazed over, his expression turning slack. His personal strength was not particularly high; he was merely a D-Class Lifeform.

After all, this was not a major military base, just a simple outpost.

For Mo Duo, controlling him with her Blazing Eye was entirely effortless.

"Heed my command. Open the stargate and adjust the docking coordinates to the Tasuri Hub," the Station Chief ordered, pulling out his smart terminal.

On the outskirts of the space station, the stargate folded along the orbit slowly unfolded. Electric arcs crackled across the framework built from specialized materials as massive surges of energy congregated at its center.

A pale blue portal of light gradually took shape. This was one of the crowning technological achievements of the Star Glory Empire—a stargate capable of crossing endless distances in a single instant!

"Station Chief!" someone yelled, running out frantically from the depths of the station, drenched in sweat. "Why was the stargate suddenly activated? We haven't submitted an application..."

He was the Deputy Station Chief. He stopped mid-sentence upon realizing outsiders were present.

"I know what I am doing," the Station Chief stated callously.

"But... opening the stargate requires authorization from the higher-ups!" the Deputy Station Chief exclaimed anxiously, no longer caring who Li Yu and his companions were.

"If anything goes wrong, I will bear sole responsibility," the Station Chief replied, maintaining his cold tone while keeping his back turned to his subordinate.

The Deputy Station Chief swept his gaze over Li Yu's group and frowned. His intuition screamed that the Station Chief's sudden activation of the stargate was intrinsically tied to these people.

Li Yu offered him a polite smile. The Deputy Station Chief was as anxious as an ant on a hot griddle, but his hands were entirely tied.

Since the Station Chief held higher power, he could only watch helplessly.

"Who are you people? Where are you from? Have your identity records been backed up?" he demanded, redirecting his frustration at Li Yu's group.

"They are my guests," the Station Chief interjected, stepping in front of the deputy with an exceptionally unreasonable attitude.

The Deputy Station Chief felt his sanity crumbling. 'My dear Station Chief, just yesterday we were drinking together like sworn brothers. How did you wake up today and completely flip the script?'

"Fine! Great! Excellent!" The Deputy Station Chief trembled with sheer fury. "If headquarters finds out, you will face the consequences alone!"

He stomped off, muttering curses under his breath. He had ultimately achieved his primary goal anyway—distancing himself from the situation so he wouldn't end up taking the fall.

Li Yu watched his retreating figure, then pulled out a Crystal Card from the Star Alliance Bank and handed it to Hunter.

"Take care of him."

Hunter nodded, took the card, and hurried after the man.

Using the stargate was a minor issue; the real problem was ensuring the situation didn't escalate. They were already within the borders of the Star Glory Empire. Blowing things out of proportion would only draw unwanted attention, which was detrimental to their overall operation.

Otherwise, why would they go to all this trouble of mind-controlling one guy and bribing the other?

It didn't take long before Hunter returned, grumbling quietly.

"What a greedy bastard. It took a whole million Star Coins to buy that guy's silence."

"Money isn't an issue as long as the problem is solved," Li Yu said calmly. A million coins was a mere drop in the bucket to him now.

The group returned to their spaceship and piloted it directly toward the stargate.

As they approached the structure, the entire ship vibrated violently. Two-thirds of the dashboard instruments failed completely, as if battered by some intense interference.

The very instant the vessel made contact with the stargate, space itself seemed to warp. The ship was visually stretched into a flat streak before completely vanishing into the portal.

The moment the ship disappeared, the Station Chief standing on the docks rapidly regained his senses. At first, he felt nothing but profound bewilderment.

Then, he caught sight of the fully activated stargate glowing along the station's orbit and exploded with pure rage. "Who opened the stargate?! Who?!"

The nearby staff members looked at each other in dismay. Had the Station Chief lost his mind?

"Didn't you order us to open it, sir?" one of the workers whispered timidly.

"Me?" The Station Chief was stunned. A terrible premonition washed over him. He hurriedly checked the logs and discovered that the order had indeed been issued from his own terminal. He stared at it in sheer disbelief.

Buzz—

At that moment, his smart terminal buzzed continuously. A new message caused his pupils to shrink.

[Dear User, 1,000,000 Star Coins have been transferred into your account . Current Balance: 2,454,000]

Right above that notification was a text: "Mr. Station Chief, thank you for your assistance. The money has been transferred to you. You'll have to handle the fallout yourself."

"Whether you choose to sacrifice your future and newfound wealth to report us, or simply pretend none of this ever happened, is entirely up to you."

"Oh, by the way, the Deputy Station Chief will be more than happy to back you up."

The Station Chief clenched his fists, his expression incredibly moody. He appeared to have a choice, but in reality, he had none at all.

Since the Deputy Station Chief had obviously accepted a bribe as well, he definitely wouldn't sit idly by while his superior reported the incident. He might even blame the accuser and throw the Station Chief under the bus, seeing as it truly was the Station Chief who ordered the gate opened.

Moreover... he wasn't entirely sure he had the resolve to give up the money either... His eyes flickered uncertainly before he let out a defeated sigh.

...

On the other side, at the outer stargate of the Tasuri Hub. This stargate was staggeringly colossal, towering majestically amidst the starry sky. Various ships darted in and out incessantly, with the actual Tasuri Hub located just a short distance away.

Completely unlike the crystalline structure of the Inuit Hub, the Tasuri Hub was essentially a floating city in space, densely packed with soaring metallic skyscrapers.

There was nothing overly spectacular about it. In fact, many sections were clearly showing signs of aging. The Tasuri Hub had been around for a very long time.

The stellar light from the suns of the Blazing Eye Star System shone directly upon it, eliminating any need for artificial light sources.

The lights inside their travel ship flickered erratically. Li Yu and the others stared at the magnificent Tasuri Hub in the distance, a wave of lingering fear washing over them.

"I genuinely thought this piece of junk was going to detonate mid-transit in the stargate channel," Hunter muttered, gripping the control console with lingering trepidation.

Mo Duo gazed at the hub with distant eyes. It was as if a buried memory had been triggered; a flurry of images flashed through her mind, eventually culminating in a blinding wash of crimson blood.

The Tasuri Hub was built just outside the Blazing Eye Star System, situating it incredibly close to its borders.

The Blazing Eye Star System was rather unique. It contained nine planets, yet only one was a life planet—the Blazing Eye Star. The other eight, however, were brimming with rich mineral resources.

This geographical wealth was precisely what led to the creation of the Tasuri Hub. Even after the Blazing Eye Star was annihilated, the hub wasn't decommissioned; it continued operating as usual.

The spaceship did not dock at the Tasuri Hub. Instead, it wobbled unsteadily toward the Blazing Eye Star System. A short-range warp would not take much time.

However, they never reached their destination. They were intercepted and forcefully ripped out of their jump state by a jump interference device.

Two conventional warships sailed toward them, simultaneously tapping into their ship's communication frequency to issue a stark warning:

"Vessel ahead, you have entered a restricted military zone. Please identify yourself, power down your engines, and submit to an inspection."

Mo Duo leaned against the porthole. The Blazing Eye Star was just a short distance away. Its surface was now a sickly dark brown, ravaged by raging sandstorms and marred by gargantuan craters—the devastating aftermath of a spaceship's main cannon bombardments.

"Once, it was a beautiful green planet..." she murmured, her eyes losing focus as a single teardrop traced down her cheek.

Sinai stood beside her, biting her lip. She seemed to want to offer comfort, but unable to find the right words, she hesitated.

"Big sister, have some candy..." Little Loli Keller toddled over to Mo Duo and timidly offered her small hand. In her palm sat the sweet reward Peyton had given her for not crying during a blood draw.

Mo Duo gently patted Keller's head and reined in her surging emotions.

The perimeter of the Blazing Eye Star was already littered with jump interference devices, and there were undoubtedly standard detection arrays in place as well. Getting close would not be a simple endeavor.

"I am an Honorary Baron of the Amethyst Civilization. I was unaware of the current situation here. We will leave immediately," Li Yu responded over the comms.

"Please upload your identity verification," the warship replied.

After a thorough series of verifications, the patrol surprisingly opted not to board and search the ship, merely ordering them to vacate the sector as quickly as possible.