Zhong Qing (Cherish) - Chap 18
There were a total of thirteen routes from the Empire to Eta Star. The largest transfer station was called ‘Shura Gate’, which could accommodate nearly a thousand merchant ships a day. The Stallion Balls flag was replaced with a ‘Star Thief’ flag as they approached the port.
Qin Yun watched Ali hang the five-pointed star flag on the bow of the ship while a little guy cut out disposable tattoo stickers next to him.
“Do you always maintain such a high profile before starting work?” Qin Yun stretched out his arm in confusion. Moschery skillfully rolled up his sleeves to his shoulders and put a five-pointed star tattoo on his elbow.
“Even if we don’t raise the flag, they still know we’re space pirates. It’s better to show it openly; when people are uneasy, it’s easier to act.” Ali touched the little guy’s head, “His name is Yaya.”
Qin Yun lowered his head and saw a cheetah lying quietly at Yaya’s feet, “A speedy sentinel?”
Ali smiled: “No one here can catch up with Yaya.”
The sentinel glanced at Ali expressionlessly and made a shut-up gesture.
“Don’t be embarrassed, bro.” Ali patted Yaya’s shoulder, “He can’t speak, so you’d better learn some simple sign language… In fact, we have always wanted to find a guide for him so that communication will be much easier.”
Sentinel and guide could communicate through consciousness, which was equivalent to an extra translator for Yaya’s case.
“On the ship, except for Yaya and the boss, the others were all partners who have made the final mark.” Ali pointed to himself, “And then there are the ones like us.”
The majority of the star thieves were not sentinel and guide, but ordinary people like Ali. They got along with each other like brothers, and there was no difference between them.
“Things used to be like this for me in the front line.” Qin Yun suddenly said, “Although I have insufficient abilities and am just a low-level guide, there are no sentinels in General Skarter’s army who will look down on me because of this. Of course, there are many others like me. Perhaps people like us can’t get into guide academy and be elected to the cabinet, but we can still prove our worth in other ways.”
He looked at Moschery and smiled, “We fight side by side with Sentinel. We are comrades-in-arms and brothers.”
Moschery didn’t answer. He seemed to be addicted to drawing tattoos. He reached out a hand and roughly ruffled Qin Yun’s bangs without raising his head.
“I heard that the political stance of the royal family and the Cabinet are different. The cabinet advocates god-level rule, strengthening the high-level and eliminating the inferior.” Ali was silent for a while and said with a wry smile, “In the Imperial Capital, ordinary people or low-level guide and sentinel are not taken seriously.”
“That’s the position of the cabinet, not the royal family.” Moschery handed the tattoo paper in his hand to Qin Yun and motioned for the other party to apply it to him, “Strengthening the high-level and eliminating the inferior will only make the regime more divided, which is simply stupid. “
Ali and Yaya looked at each other. The sentinel quickly made a series of gestures, and Ali quickly translated, “But the Emperor is too young and has only been in power for a short time. How can he compete with the Cabinet?”
“I am—The Emperor is not the only one resisting.” Moschery raised his head and glanced at the other party, then said calmly, “In order to centralise power, countless people will eventually take this road.”
The target, Olympus’ merchant ship, arrived at the harbour by noon on the next day. Before even having dinner, Qin Yun began preparing the things he needed for the operation. Moschery frowned as he watched him emptying the bag and said disapprovingly, “You don’t need to go. Just wait for me here with Chen Xiao.”
“It’s just stealing a map of the fortress. It’s not like there’s any danger.” Qin Yun sorted out the toolbox and medical kit, “Besides, the guide in Olympus must have a lot of good stuff. I might be able to bring some out.”
“Just tell me what you want.” Moschery rubbed his eyebrows anxiously, “I’ll buy it for you.”
Qin Yun stared at him for a while, then suddenly patted his knee, “I haven’t given you a guiding for a few days… Do you have a headache? Come here, and let me rub it for you.”
Moschery was stunned for a moment, and then he muttered, “Don’t think that just coaxing will make it okay.” Yet he still walked over obediently.
Qin Yun’s guiding tendrils gently penetrated Moschery’s consciousness and slowly soothed and combed it until the other party suddenly hooked his neck.
“?” Qin Yun looked down at Moschery’s face.
The latter pressed the back of his head impatiently, “Kiss.”
Qin Yun, “…Can’t you be more subtle?”
“So many demands. How can I be more subtle?” Moschery had a displeased expression, “Mwah?”
“…” Qin Yun, “It’s better to just directly kiss.”
The time to infiltrate the opponent’s aircraft was set at midnight. In addition to Qin Yun and Moschery, they were also accompanied by Ali and Yaya. When the actual action was taken, it was discovered that there were two more people.
“The younger brother is sentinel, and the elder brother is guide.” Ali introduced the newly arrived twins.
Qin Yun looked at the two brothers, who looked almost exactly the same. One had a Tibetan mastiff lying next to him, and the other had a pug squatting on his shoulder.
Although Ali couldn’t see the spiritual link, he could still tell the two brothers apart, which Qin Yun found amazing.
“You will know after you know them for a long time.” Ali explained patiently, “There is still a big difference between the two.”
Qin Yun didn’t believe it at first, but soon after entering the enemy camp, he understood the big difference within a short time…
Older Brother: “Have we ever been to this place?”
Younger Brother: “We’ve passed by.”
Older Brother: “How did you know?”
Younger Brother: “Xiao Zang just peed.”
Everyone: “…”
Elder Brother: “Have you never been to this place?”
Younger Brother: “No.”
Elder Brother: “Then let Xiao Zang pee.”
Younger Brother: “I’m out of urine, let big brother’s urinate.”
Everyone: “…”
Elder Brother: “Go and smell whose urine this is.”
Younger Brother: “Xiao Zang’s.”
Elder Brother: “Oh, then go to the left.”
Everyone: “…”
Ali said matter-of-factly, “Since the two have been asking and answering questions one after the other, you can tell who’s who once you figure out the order.”
With two dogs leading the group, the group would not get lost. The two brothers kept going back and forth like machine guns throughout the whole process. Qin Yun couldn’t bear the noise.
“How can we make them stop…” Qin Yun said with a headache, “There’s no end to the constant question and answer!”
Elder Brother: “Actually, it can be stopped. He just needs to shut up.”
Younger Brother: “Shut up first and then I’ll shut up.”
Elder Brother: “I have shut up.”
Younger Brother: “I shut up too.”
Elder Brother: “…you are obviously talking.”
Younger Brother: “Didn’t you shut up…”
Elder Brother took a deep breath: “Okay, let’s do it together.”
Younger Brother: “1, 2, 3!”
The two brothers said in unison: “Shut up!”
Qin Yun: “…”
Because they were sneaking in through the air vent at the bottom of the ship, several people had to kneel forward most of the way. The two twins led the way quietly at the front. Qin Yun was protected by Yaya and Moschery in the middle, and Ali followed behind.
After about an hour of climbing, the younger brother’s Tibetan Mastiff suddenly stopped and kept picking up a piece of filter screen with its paws.
Yaya turned around and gestured quickly to Qin Yun.
“The storage room… is at the bottom.” Qin Yun understood several keywords, “No..one… No one’s there?”
Yaya nodded, made a gesture for sentinel, and pointed at Moschery.
“Qin Yun and I will go down.” Moschery ordered, “Twins, pay attention and listen to the movements. Yaya, move quickly. We will throw the map up first, and you will take it out immediately. Ali, you stay here. I will ask Qin Yun to come up first, and you gotta pull him.”
“It’s not like I can’t get up on my own…” Qin Yun argued in a low voice.
Moschery pretended not to hear. With a gentle push of his elbow, the filter was loosened. He grabbed the edge of the ceiling and landed lightly on the ground. He stretched out his hand towards Qin Yun, “Come down.”
Qin Yun subconsciously threw the bag he was carrying to the other party, followed closely before jumping down.
Moschery maintained the hugging posture and stood stiffly, “…”
Qin Yun blinked, “What’s wrong?”
Moschery sullenly threw the bag back to him angrily.
“…” Qin Yun was a little confused, “Are you looking for a map? Let me see if there is anything a guide needs.”
Moschery didn’t say anything and started to look through things. Qin Yun shrugged and ran to the medicine area alone. He searched the three shelves but didn’t find anything useful. He was about to give up when he saw red contraband in the corner, labelled with the words ‘stimulant’ on it.
“Xi Zhao! Come over and see what I found?” Qin Yun said excitedly.
As the name suggests, ‘stimulant’ was a drug that could stimulate the guide’s potential mental power. The reason it was called contraband was because the side effects after it subsided would be very serious, affecting the brain and mind.
But Qin Yun didn’t care about this. Compared to the aftermath, he had to consider the critical moment to maximise the stimulation of his mental power without relying on Moschery to supplement pheromones so he could assist his Sentinel to the fullest extent.
He quickly prepared several tubes of medicine and carefully put them into the bag. Qin Yun was about to stand up when he suddenly kicked a piece of solid wood at his feet. He lowered his head and found a row of capsules on the bottom shelf.
“What is this?” Qin Yun muttered. He bent down and opened one of the hatches without much effort. A pale human face with eyes closed was slowly revealed.
“…Corpse?!” Qin Yun was a little frightened, but he quickly calmed down and squinted his eyes to look carefully, “No…it’s a clone…”
Clone… Qin Yun slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the sleeping lifeless but increasingly familiar eyebrows, stretched out his hand and slowly touched his face…
“What are you doing?” Moschery walked around the shelf and said impatiently, “You are not answering no matter what I call you…”
When Qin Yun wanted to close the capsule cabin, it was already too late. Moschery’s eyes were fixed on the clone inside, and the expression on his face instantly became extremely bad. He ignored Qin Yun’s obstruction and opened all the remaining capsules in one go. The cabin looked uglier every time it was opened.
Qin Yun opened his mouth. Just as he was about to say something, his vision blurred. Moschery had already drawn his sword and stabbed the first clone in the head without hesitation.
Notes:
The name Yaya(哑哑) can also mean dumb dumb as in mute
