Chapter 48: Conning Tu Rui

The Imperial Gene... Every noble of the Star Glory Empire underwent special genetic modifications right from the womb. Altering their appearance, weight, and height was merely the baseline.

These adjustments continued until birth. Naturally, the extent of the genetic modifications varied depending on their status, but as time passed, their strength would reach the absolute pinnacle.

This was the Imperial Gene.

Having the Imperial Gene extracted was equivalent to being stripped of one's noble status. Such a punishment was only utilized when an exceptionally severe crime had been committed.

This was common knowledge among the people of the Star Glory Empire. After all, ordinary citizens could hardly hope to ever see an aloof Imperial Noble in their entire lifetimes, making such bizarre anecdotes spread far and wide.

"Even if they were exiled, there should be designated planets for that. Why would they come to a desolate, godforsaken place like the Heavenly Desolation Star?" Mo Duo asked, her brow furrowed.

"Oh?" The catfish looked at Mo Duo with a hint of surprise. "Mr. Mo Duo knows quite a lot, it seems."

"That is exactly what we are all wondering. How did an exiled Imperial Noble end up here?"

The catfish spread his hands, seemingly without any answers to this question himself.

That exact thought crossed everyone's minds. For an Imperial Noble to arrive here so quietly, there had to be an unimaginable conspiracy lurking behind the scenes.

"So, is this why Your Excellency, the General Manager, called us here?" Li Yu asked, probing slightly.

"I want you to go and rescue that Imperial Noble." Lanny stretched his wide mouth into a grin, revealing rows of fine, sharp teeth.

"Us?" This took Li Yu by surprise. Asking them to save an Imperial Noble? Was the Star Glory Empire completely out of capable people?

"This news hasn't completely leaked out yet. However, due to Dark Star's recent actions drawing the attention of the entire Interstellar Society, it is inconvenient for the Star Glory Empire to make a move."

The catfish explained. It boiled down to avoiding a scandal; if word got out, the Imperial Nobles would lose face, or something along those lines.

"I suppose we don't have the right to refuse, then," Li Yu chuckled.

The catfish stroked his whiskers and said nothing, but his silence was an answer in itself.

"And the reward?"

"A Second-Class Citizen status for each of you," the catfish replied.

Citizens of the Star Glory Empire were divided into three tiers. Ordinary people were essentially third-class citizens. Although their benefits were quite good, they couldn't even compare to the second class, let alone the first.

"Fine." Li Yu nodded. They possessed absolutely no leverage to bargain anyway.

"When do we leave?"

"Mr. Li Yu is as straightforward as expected..." The catfish clapped his hands. "You leave immediately."

"I will drop you off near the capital. The people of Dark Star are allowing entry, but not departure."

A sudden thought struck Li Yu, and he asked, "What is Dark Star's objective? Are they also after this Imperial Noble?"

"About that..." The catfish shook his head. With his head directly connected to his torso, he practically had no neck. "I am not too sure what those marauders are plotting."

The catfish was clearly holding back information, but that was to be expected. After all, they weren't direct subordinates of the Tyron Chamber of Commerce.

Next, they discussed a few details. For instance, how were they supposed to find this Imperial Noble? Did they have any distinguishing features? What was their approximate location?

The catfish's answer was incredibly clear and decisive: he didn't know.

According to him, he had only recently received the news himself and knew no more than they did.

The vehicle assigned by the Tyron Chamber of Commerce was a ten-meter-long civilian aircraft.

Its design was narrow at the front and wide at the back. It featured a streamlined, droplet-like shape, yet possessed sharp, distinct angles.

It was equipped with a total of four adjustable thrusters, making it quite agile and perfectly suited for atmospheric travel within a planet.

The Hunter was still somewhat bewildered as he boarded the spaceship. He didn't fully process the situation until the safety restraints locked him in place.

"Wait a minute. What does it matter to us if you have the strength to wade into these muddy waters?" The massive revelation had left him dazed earlier, and he was only just now coming to his senses.

"Hmph..." Li Yu sneered, glancing at the staff member piloting the aircraft. "What strength? The guy was completely clueless. We are just cannon fodder being sent in to take the hit."

"We're just bait meant to muddy the waters."

Not a single word that came out of that catfish's mouth earlier had been true. A Second-Class Citizen status? Having just learned the news? Li Yu didn't believe a word of it.

This Imperial Noble was undoubtedly the eye of the current storm.

"So we're just going straight to our deaths?" The Hunter gulped.

"What else can we do?" Li Yu shot him a look. "That catfish never gave us a chance to refuse in the first place. Besides, you want to bet?"

"If we do anything out of line, this aircraft will immediately explode."

"Damn it... why do I always get dragged into this crap? My happy life at the Junkyard is gone forever." The Hunter wore a bitter expression. It felt like everything had gone downhill the moment he boarded this kid's sinking ship.

This was Li Yu's first time seeing genuine architecture on the Heavenly Desolation Star. He had been stuck in the Junkyard the entire time before, and upon leaving it, he had immediately entered the Black Market.

Silvery-white skyscrapers stretched hundreds or even thousands of meters high, piercing straight into the clouds. They were covered in overlapping, scale-like metal panels that could expand and contract at will.

On a normal day, the sky here would be swarming with flying vehicles. Right now, however, only the Dark Star fleet moved slowly overhead. Cross-shaped spaceships hovered ominously above the Governor's Mansion.

They crossed the blockade line and landed in the outskirts. The Dark Star fleet turned a blind eye to them; they genuinely weren't engaging in indiscriminate slaughter.

Li Yu and his two companions disembarked. The air here was fresh, and the surroundings were filled with all sorts of verdant flora that Li Yu had never seen before.

The Hunter glanced left and right, then lowered his voice. "Since no one is guarding us anyway, why don't we just make a run for it?"

"Run? Run where?" Li Yu gave him a sidelong glance.

"Find a place to hide and wait until the dust settles?"

The Hunter choked on his words and offered a sheepish chuckle.

"Dark Star is allowing entry but not departure. I suspect they are intentionally letting those searching for the Imperial Noble inside to save themselves some time," Mo Duo speculated.

Li Yu pondered for a moment and agreed it was highly possible. "Who cares. First, let's find some cannon—I mean, allies."

Opening his Smart Terminal, he initiated a call to Tu Rui.

"Manager Tu, I have some unfortunate news for you. I betrayed you and handed over the evidence of your Troll Heart purchase to Siege."

Li Yu dropped an opening bombshell, instantly inflicting massive psychological damage on Tu Rui.

"What!" Tu Rui's eyes bulged, completely bloodshot.

"Didn't you promise me—"

"I know... I know..." Li Yu waved his hand casually. "I promised not to sell you out, but they threatened me with my life. What else was I supposed to do?"

Tu Rui's expression flickered before he fell silent. The two of them were never friends to begin with. Pinning his hopes on Li Yu was even more foolish than counting on Dark Star.

In truth, purchasing organs was hardly a big deal, but Tu Rui had purchased organs belonging to his own race.

This meant that one Troll Heart represented the death of a Troll. In the Interstellar Society, where races tightly banded together, this was a severe crime.

What he truly feared was the pressure and backlash from within the Troll race.

"That old goat, Siege, will definitely use this to threaten you," Li Yu sighed.

"Did you call just to mock me?" Tu Rui asked, his tone frigid.

"No, I'm here to offer you an opportunity. Tell me, would the status of a Second-Class Citizen be enough to shield you from that pressure?"