Picking Up An Alpha On Garbage Star - Chapter 30 Old Stories

Pei An settled on the Divine Ghost ship. Following the doctor’s advice to rest, Pei An decided to stay on the Divine Ghost ship for a day.

Li Chengrui received Pei An’s message, temporarily handling some less important matters. Li sent a congratulatory message to Pei An, expressing the organization’s satisfaction with having someone like Pei An infiltrating the military to learn technology openly.

In response, Pei An replied to Li Chengrui with a series of ellipses.

With many people on the Divine Ghost ship, it was challenging to find a suitable room to accommodate an esteemed guest like Pei An. Since Xie Yu, the captain, rarely received visitors and didn’t have a room suitable for guests, he vacated his own room for Pei An.

Pei An’s pheromones were still calming down, and Xie Yu’s room seemed perfect for soothing activities. Xie Yu led Pei An back to his own nest.

While using pheromones to alleviate Pei An’s tension, Xie Yu mentioned the grudges between the 258th and 286th legions.

“The 258th Legion belongs to the Third Joint Army, and the 286th Legion belongs to the Fifth Joint Army. The commander of the Third Joint Army, my father, came from humble origins. Contrarily, the Fifth Joint Army is a typical army of the wealthy. Most officers have family backgrounds, like the person we encountered today.”

Pei An, annoyed, said, “They are all part of the Imperial army; why differentiate based on background?”

Xie Yu explained, “The Imperial system is like that, with complex networks of relationships and interests. Nobles look down on commoners, and the wealthy disdain the poor.”

Pei An asked, “So how did you become enemies?”

Even though they belonged to different factions within the Empire, there shouldn’t be such deep enmity between them.

Xie Yu looked out the porthole at the countless stars. “Several years ago, the influence of interstellar pirates was much greater than now. They dared to confront the military head-on. If they didn’t have a flagship, they would attack like hungry tigers, recklessly engaging with the Imperial military until death.”

Interstellar pirates, ruthless and bloodthirsty, victimized countless powerless individuals. Xie Yu recounted the time when he was newly promoted to lieutenant colonel and took command of the 258th Legion.

“At that time, my subordinate, a captain, was an outstanding and beautiful girl. Although she entered the military due to family connections, she proved herself with her abilities in physical fitness, marksmanship, piloting ships – excelling in every aspect. She earned her promotion to captain through hard work. During her promotion ceremony, I personally awarded her the rank of captain.”

Pei An’s eyelashes trembled as he felt a sense of sorrow. “Her death is related to the 286th Legion.”

Taking a deep breath, Xie Yu continued, “Yes, she had only one escort ship, outnumbered by interstellar pirates. The 286th Legion was nearby but did not come to her rescue.”

Xie Yu vividly remembered that day when many had planned to celebrate after the successful operation. On the way back, the young captain, with only one escort ship, was surrounded by interstellar pirates – two main ships and over ten escort ships. She sent a distress signal to Xie Yu, but no legion from the Third Joint Army was close enough to rescue her.

“That legion was the 286th Legion.”

Representing the so-called “new nobility,” those who rose through the military ranks with iron and blood, had a longstanding conflict with the “old nobility” represented by the Mondre family. Expecting trouble from the 286th Legion, Xie Yu was ready, thinking that as long as they were willing to rescue, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

After all, they were all part of the Imperial army.

However, the commander of the 286th Legion, a member of the Krum family, mocked Xie Yu in the communication.

“Xie Yu, are you out of your mind? Your person got surrounded, and you actually begged me for help? I should celebrate seeing you suffer! Besides, facing a large group of interstellar pirates, is it worth it to save a single escort ship? Oh, I know, that girl is your lover, right? Hahaha!”

With a grim expression, Xie Yu abruptly ended the communication, ordering all units of the Third Joint Army to rush there as fast as possible, even if it meant depleting their energy sources.

However, they couldn’t make it in time. When they arrived at the battlefield, all that remained was the wreckage of the escort ship.

The military technicians repaired the recording left by the courageous captain.

“Commander, before I left, you told me to bring everyone back safely. I’m sorry; I couldn’t do it. I… will lead everyone to their deaths.”

Behind her were many officers and soldiers shouting, “We fear no death!” Their voices were loud, vowing to shake even the heavens.

“Our ammunition is exhausted, and all we have left is this escort ship. I will pilot it to face the enemy. Old Jack won’t have a chance to scold me for needing repairs after every battle.” The captain displayed a wide smile. “Tell Old Jack not to worry too much about me!”

Old Jack was a professional military repair technician who had served in the 258th Legion for many years. Numerous officers and soldiers had dealt with him. He always smoked an electronic cigarette during repairs, not out of addiction but for the cool appearance.

“Commander, remember to apply for an honorary medal for me!” After saying this, the brave captain grasped the control lever with both hands, activated the last energy reserve, and charged towards the enemy.

The courageous captain and her soldiers turned into stardust in the explosion of energy in the vastness of space.

In the vastness of the universe, tiny beings returned to the embrace of the infinite.

When Xie Yu and his team arrived at the battlefield, they only salvaged the wreckage of the escort ship.

“At that time, although I harbored grievances against Krum, it wasn’t to the extent of considering the 286th Legion as mortal enemies. I had a mission to return to the Central Star and happened to be home for the New Year. There were many banquets to attend during the New Year, and even if I didn’t like it, I couldn’t skip them. It was at one of these banquets that I overheard Krum talking.”

It couldn’t be considered entirely accidental. Xie Yu still held resentment towards Krum. Originally, he intended to ambush Krum in a secluded place, beat him up, and vent his anger. After all, alphas were strong, and a beating wouldn’t kill him, at most, he would need some time to recover.

However, Xie Yu happened to overhear Krum talking with another noble.

“I saw Xie Yu just now, with that dying look on his face, as if he had just crawled out of a coffin. Isn’t she just a woman? Is it worth having a feud with me for a woman?” Krum held a glass of red wine, chatting and laughing with someone.

“Humph, this is the outcome for offending me! I bet she only became his lover because of her looks. After sleeping with me, she still wants to be a mere captain? She didn’t want it; she claimed everything today was earned by her efforts. What a joke! If her family didn’t have some connections, could she have risen from a second lieutenant once she entered the military?” Another noble remarked.

Xie Yu, hidden in the shadows, endured the pain caused by nails piercing his calloused palms. He resisted the urge to burst in and drag the two out for a beating.

“Your Highness, don’t be angry. Who knows, that woman might be Xie Yu’s kept lover?” Krum shook his wine glass, signaling the other person to clink glasses.

The person picked up the glass and clinked it with Krum. “You’re right; she’s likely Xie Yu’s lover. If she slept with Xie Yu, I wouldn’t want her.”

The captain died in battle, and Xie Yu personally applied for an honorary medal for her. It was personally delivered by officials from the highest administrative bureau to her family, sparking discussions on the star network.

The citizens of the Empire wouldn’t know that the hero admired by everyone on the star network died due to a calculated plot and was insulted to this extent.

At that time, Xie Yu wanted to kill those two, but he forcibly restrained himself. He left no trace of pheromones and kept this information to himself. Not even his father and his mate knew about it.

Though Xie Yu didn’t often stay on the Central Star, it didn’t mean he was oblivious to the complex relationships there. Talking and laughing with Krum, hearing an esteemed hero treated as trivial gossip, was the seventh prince of the Emperor.

As an alpha, Xie Yu’s nature was not inherently mild. However, he always focused on controlling himself, rarely leaking pheromones, and never being impulsive.

That day marked the first time Xie Yu lost control. He locked himself in the training ground at home, smashing many training tools and leaving the place in chaos, requiring a long time for the household robots to tidy up.

His father, the commander of the Third Joint Army and an Imperial General, already had an illustrious background. Yet, Xie Yu lacked the courage to seek revenge for his subordinates.

While Krum’s actions were forgivable, what about the seventh prince? How could Xie Yu deal with the seventh prince’s plot against a captain for personal gain? The Emperor would only lightly reprimand his son and wouldn’t go through the trouble of investigating a matter involving only a captain. The secrecy of the act made it even more difficult to trace. The Emperor wouldn’t exert the effort for just a captain.

Planning to assassinate a prince was a grave crime, enough to drag the entire Third Joint Army into the abyss. Xie Yu couldn’t let his momentary anger harm the entire Third Joint Army.

Thus, after destroying his home’s training ground and injuring himself all over, Xie Yu endured the pain.

After returning to the military, Xie Yu went on a frenzy, relentlessly chasing after interstellar pirates, regardless of their involvement in the previous battle. As long as he caught a tail of an interstellar pirate, he would lead a massive force to apprehend them.

If you surround a main ship with many and few, then I will use my superior force to eliminate you.

In war, there was never anything unfair.

At the same time, Xie Yu no longer showed any goodwill towards the 286th Legion. The grudge from the calculated betrayal was deep and irreconcilable.

He kept this secret for several years, defeating interstellar pirates effortlessly, and instilling fear at the mere mention of his name. Despite relentlessly confronting the 286th Legion, what good did it do? The person was gone, and he couldn’t bring back the past.

He was a coward, a timid person who admired those who acted recklessly.

So, on DS009, a small asteroid ignored even by the Empire, when Xie Yu saw Pei An gather a group to charge into Jin Feng for an omega he had encountered by chance, and although it was a dark night, Xie Yu saw the brightest light.

Illuminating the long night.

Later, he learned that Pei An personally funded an orphanage, witnessed Pei An providing the best treatment for those rescued from Jin Feng, and even saw Pei An promoted in the administrative bureau.

Xie Yu was certain that no star could shine brighter than Pei An.

“I am truly weak; I don’t even dare to seek revenge for my subordinates.” Xie Yu deeply self-blamed, burying his head in his hands.

He aspired to move towards the light but felt unworthy of such qualification.

Pei An bent down, pulling Xie Yu up. “Xie Yu, you’re not weak. You’re an excellent commander and leader.”

Today, they seemed to have achieved mutual consolation. Xie Yu soothed the pheromone chaos caused by Pei An’s stress, and Pei An wanted to comfort Xie Yu’s tormented soul over the years.

“You have never been defeated, you consider your officers and soldiers as brothers, you still want to seek justice for the innocent subordinates who died, you sneaked into Jin Feng Hotel’s basement alone, and you watched together with me as Hila Mondray’s warship exploded. Xie Yu, you are not weak; on the contrary, I think you are brave.”

If he was truly weak, why would Xie Yu bother with the Jin Feng incident? At that time, Xie Yu didn’t know he would lead people to raid Jin Feng Hotel. If he were weak, he wouldn’t have stood on the same front line as himself.

Pei An leaned in closer, squeezing into Xie Yu’s embrace. Both had pheromones flying around them, but at this moment, they had no impure thoughts. They didn’t consider each other as destined mates with high pheromone compatibility; they were simply embracing, comforting each other, supporting each other, and licking each other’s wounds that were hard to erase.

They not only had high pheromone compatibility.

Their souls resonated.

“Pei An, thank you.” Xie Yu confessed his secret for the first time, feeling much better. His pheromones became light and cheerful, without extreme self-blame and sadness.

Wind and rain bring spring, and flying snow welcomes spring.

Xie Yu’s pheromones never felt freezing to Pei An; they always signaled the imminent arrival of spring.

A bright future, limitless prospects.

“Xie Yu, you better get up and wash your face quickly. If your subordinates see you like this, they might think I bullied you.” Pei An teased.

Xie Yu smiled helplessly, “When have you seen an omega bullying an alpha?”

Pei An laughed but didn’t say anything. Why not? Haven’t you been my caretaker for so long, working tirelessly?

Pei An occupied Xie Yu’s room. Xie Yu wasn’t shameless enough to squeeze into bed with Pei An, and besides, the rooms on the warship were equipped with only a single bed, 1.2 meters wide. If he really squeezed in with Pei An, wouldn’t he squash Pei An into a pancake? After helping each other alleviate their emotions, Xie Yu swiftly moved into the command room. The command room had a small room with a single bed and a bathroom.

Lika helped Xie Yu bring over a pillow and blanket. Normally, this place was never used, so there were no three-piece bedding sets. Xie Yu, who had come to stay temporarily, had to move things around.

“I say, Commander, in this romantic setting, don’t you want to do something?” Lika thought the Commander might take this opportunity to develop a relationship with Mr. Pei.

Xie Yu raised his hand and gave Lika a playful knock on the head. “What do you want me to do? Take advantage of someone’s vulnerability?”

Lika covered her head where she got knocked. “Taking advantage of someone’s vulnerability? Do I look like that kind of person? What I mean is, you can spend more time with Mr. Pei.”

“Do I have nothing else to do?” Xie Yu glanced at Lika.

Lika sighed in frustration. Why couldn’t he catch the hint?

“Commander, don’t tell me you’re not interested in Mr. Pei. We’re both alphas; who doesn’t understand each other?”

Xie Yu pushed Lika, who wouldn’t stop talking about it, out of the room. “Don’t block me from making the bed.”

Lika turned around and leaned against the door. “Commander, seriously, with Mr. Pei’s looks and charisma, if you don’t act quickly, he might be chased away by someone else. Really, back in military school, there was an omega in the medical department, just like Mr. Pei, an extraordinary beauty. People queued from the cafeteria to the lecture hall to pursue him!”

Xie Yu efficiently made his bed and, leaving the room, grabbed Lika by the collar. “Are you bored or something? Do you want me to arrange something for you?”

Lika waved her hands repeatedly. “No need, no need. I think my current job is just right.”

You, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, why don’t you stop me from talking about it if you have the ability? Lika didn’t have the courage to say this in front of Xie Yu, fearing he might send her a deluxe training package.

“Okay, Commander, I’ll leave now.” Lika had nothing else to do, so she didn’t need to stay in Xie Yu’s place.

“Keep an eye on Hila Mondray. Make sure no messages can be sent from the ship’s AI.” Xie Yu instructed.

Lika restrained her playful expression. “Understood.”

Xie Yu planned to make a move with Hila Mondray, and he couldn’t allow any chance for her to send messages to the outside. By keeping Hila Mondray on the ship, he had more control. As for Hila Mondray’s people, with the ship’s propulsion system destroyed, they were stuck and couldn’t go anywhere. Xie Yu also arranged for someone to intercept signals. When Hila Mondray led his team into the Moran Galaxy, whether they went forward or backward wasn’t something he could decide.

Hila Mondray’s mission to the Moran Galaxy was a fact. The collusion between Fan Wen and this administrative officer with interstellar pirates was also a fact. The question worth discussing was whether the 286th Legion, represented by Hila Mondray, had any connection to the pirates. And what stance did the Fifth Division behind the 286th Legion take?

Xie Yu had decided to target the 286th Legion for revenge on the innocent subordinates who died. It was time to stir up some waves.

In this regard, he was not as adept as Pei An. Pei An was meticulous and fearless, never knowing fear. Let the storm rage, and I will stand unwavering. Xie Yu needed to learn from him, apply what he learned, and send those who needed to go, on their way.

“Bang, bang, bang.”

Lika returned shortly after leaving. “Commander, Zuo Jiwen wants to see you. Quite unusual.”

Zuo Jiwen also got in through family connections, though Zuo Jiwen truly had more of a scholarly temperament. Xie Yu wouldn’t assign such a person to a combat position. Instead, he sent him to manage logistics. Zuo Jiwen’s work was average, but during his time managing logistics on the ship, he never sought personal gain. That’s why Xie Yu felt comfortable putting Zuo Jiwen in charge of logistics. Zuo Jiwen usually didn’t see Xie Yu unless there was an organization for family visits. So Lika found it “unusual.”

“Let him in.” Xie Yu temporarily turned off the 3D projection, a matter of military secrecy. Zuo Jiwen wasn’t qualified to view it.

“Yes.” Lika went to call Zuo Jiwen into the command room.

“Commander.” Zuo Jiwen saluted.

Xie Yu returned the salute. “Speak up, what brings you to me?”

Zuo Jiwen approached, projecting records from the AI onto the screen. “Commander, is it true that you asked for VC+ Healing Gel?”

Xie Yu nodded. “Yes, I asked for it. What’s the issue?”

Zuo Jiwen, who was actually older than Xie Yu by one generation, but lacked the same imposing manner, frowned, making his wrinkles more prominent. “Commander, we are soldiers, and following orders is our duty. But you cannot give a command without any rhyme or reason, especially when VC+ Healing Gel is so precious, as you are well aware. How can you just say you want it and expect to get it?”

“Do you want to know the reason?” Xie Yu tilted his head, his aura intimidating. “The reason is that these twenty-two tubes of Healing Gel can save the lives of eleven people.”

Those eleven omegas who shouldn’t have been on DS009, whose lives were ground down to half by constant torment.

After hearing this, Zuo Jiwen didn’t back down and asked, “Commander, you must clarify whom you want to save. Precious military resources cannot be used arbitrarily.”

Xie Yu discovered that perhaps his lenient military governance had been too lenient.

The author has something to say:

Remember the question about how Old Xie fell in love with An An before? The answer is here.