Picking Up An Alpha On Garbage Star - Chapter 61

Pei An finally slept well. He slept deeply, for more than ten hours straight. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Xie Yu sitting by the bedside, handling work with one hand.

 

He was pleasantly surprised. Xie Yu had returned, back by his side.

 

But then he wondered, why was Xie Yu using only one hand for the work?

 

He curled his fingers, but didn’t move them, because Xie Yu was holding his hand from the back.

 

It was a warm touch.

 

“Do you want some water first?” After Pei An woke up, Xie Yu set aside his work and brought over a cup of water that had been prepared earlier.

 

Pei An sat up, lowered his head to drink the water. Xie Yu always held the cup at the right angle, ensuring Pei An could drink without spilling.

 

His throat was dry and parched. With Xie Yu’s assistance, Pei An drank most of the cup.

 

“Are you hungry?” Xie Yu wiped the water stains from Pei An’s lips. “Shall I go to the restaurant and prepare something for you to eat?”

 

Pei An held onto Xie Yu’s hand tightly. “I want to go with you. I want us to stay together.”

 

“Then let me get your clothes for today, and you can wash up, alright?” Xie Yu whispered softly.

 

Pei An nodded very slowly, and with Xie Yu guiding him, he got out of bed and went to the bathroom.

 

His reactions were slow now. Xie Yu had already squeezed toothpaste onto the toothbrush for him and prepared mouthwash.

 

“Be good, okay?” Xie Yu patted Pei An’s hair, which had grown quite long from lack of trimming.

 

Pei An mechanically brushed his teeth, washed his face, and applied lotion. Even changing clothes after leaving the bathroom seemed absent-minded.

 

He knew this state of mind wasn’t good, but he couldn’t control himself.

 

Just give him a little more time. He promised he would recover quickly.

 

He wouldn’t collapse. Never.

 

Xie Yu helped Pei An into clean clothes and led him out of the room.

 

People who saw them didn’t come up to offer condolences or say anything about mourning. They just greeted them briefly, as if nothing had happened.

 

Unlike before, Pei An couldn’t talk much with Xie Yu on their way. He was still trying hard to recover, with no extra energy to spare for conversation with Xie Yu.

 

Even though he really wanted to, desperately wanted to talk with Xie Yu.

 

Now wasn’t the time for meals. There weren’t many people in the restaurant, and Xie Yu seated Pei An in a secluded spot where they wouldn’t attract attention.

 

“Avoiding oily and spicy foods, shall I cook some porridge with jerky for you?” Xie Yu touched Pei An’s forehead lightly, catching his attention.

 

Pei An pursed his lips and softly murmured, “Mm,” in response. Only then did Xie Yu head into the kitchen.

 

Considering the need to feed many people, the kitchen robots were efficient. Unlike household pots that took a long time to cook thick porridge, the robots could do it in just a few minutes.

 

Jerky could be stored for a long time and was one of the main meat products supplied on the main ship. Xie Yu sliced some and added it to the porridge, selected the appropriate mode, and then waited for the robot to finish cooking the meal quickly and conveniently.

 

A dozen minutes felt quite long, so Xie Yu returned to Pei An’s side.

 

Perhaps finally coming to his senses, Pei An started talking to Xie Yu, though his voice was quiet and faint. “They still haven’t caught that group of interstellar pirates. They escaped too fast.”

 

“They’ve been caught. I caught them personally, not a single interstellar pirate was let go.” Xie Yu held Pei An’s icy-cold hand, warming it between his palms.

 

Pei An’s eyelashes trembled slightly. “Are they all dead?”

 

“They’re all dead. I took care of it personally.”

 

Pei An thought to himself, this was good news—using the blood of interstellar pirates to comfort the millions of souls underground, it couldn’t be better.

 

“I plan to build a monument on Anmo Star. Once the situation stabilizes, I’ll invite professionals to address the contamination issues there. When Anmo Star reopens its doors to visitors, I hope every traveler can visit the monument.”

 

War brings nothing but disaster to humanity, and everyone should remember this.

 

Xie Yu: “Not only that, we can also include the Anmo Star incident in educational materials, so everyone can be informed.”

 

Pei An thought it was a good idea.

 

After about fifteen minutes, Xie Yu brought the cooked porridge over to Pei An. Pei An slowly drank it with a spoon.

 

The porridge cooked with jerky was delicious, with the aroma of meat jerky, unlike plain porridge which lacked flavor.

 

Of course, the deliciousness of the porridge was also thanks to Xie Yu’s skillful hands.

 

Having been hungry for a long time, Pei An quickly finished three bowls of porridge. After the warm porridge filled his stomach, he felt much warmer and his eyes regained some liveliness.

 

But compared to before, he still felt lacking.

 

Xie Yu finished the porridge that Pei An hadn’t eaten and cleaned up the utensils. Then he led Pei An out of the restaurant.

 

The two major generals who came to assist in the Luoshui Galaxy this time were named Han Jingshan and Saloyang. After Xie Yu fed Pei An, he received a communication from them.

 

“Commander Xie, something big has happened. Please come aboard the Changyuan.”

 

Xie Yu piloted a fighter from the Blaze to the Changyuan. The Changyuan served as a temporary command post, so Han Jingshan and Saloyang were temporarily stationed there.

 

“What happened?” Xie Yu pushed open the meeting room door and entered. Han Jingshan and Saloyang both had grim expressions.

 

Han Jingshan projected a document onto the screen. “Commander Xie, Mr. Pei, the interstellar pirates simultaneously raided several star systems and declared… independence.”

 

Pei An’s eyes widened upon hearing this news. He immediately turned to look at the notice displayed by Han Jingshan, which was the declaration of independence issued by the interstellar pirates.

 

“A bunch of thieves dare to talk about independence!” Pei An’s gaze turned cold, forcibly pulling back his emotions that had been immersed in loss.

 

Xie Yu looked at the list of star systems controlled by the interstellar pirates on the notice and showed a similar expression to the other two major generals.

 

Just how deep had the interstellar pirates infiltrated within the Liet Empire’s borders to have enough strength to capture ten star systems all at once?

 

The battles they had fought with the interstellar pirates in the past now seemed like child’s play in comparison.

 

“Now that we’ve all seen this notice, the Central Star will naturally see it too. How to respond depends on the outcome from the Central Star.” Xie Yu said this, but in reality, he wanted to immediately organize a team to reclaim the star systems occupied by the interstellar pirates.

 

“No, we can’t afford to wait.” Pei An turned around, facing Han Jingshan and Saloyang, stating his viewpoint. “I believe at this moment, we must take the initiative and strike against the interstellar pirates first, and it must be a decisive victory.”

 

Han Jingshan and Saloyang, being major generals, were not people who couldn’t distinguish between urgent and non-urgent matters like Antonio. They had to admit that Pei An was right.

 

Regardless of what decision the Central Star made later, there would be a time delay, and during this period, the people of the Empire would inevitably have various speculations if the country took no action. This was detrimental to the stability of the country and would also boost the arrogance of the interstellar pirates. If the interstellar pirates seized on this and made a big fuss, controlling public opinion, the consequences would be unimaginable.

 

The people would think that the Empire and the military were no longer reliable, and public opinion would be scattered. This was absolutely fatal to the Empire’s efforts to recapture the star systems occupied by the interstellar pirates.

 

After Pei An finished speaking, Xie Yu immediately checked which military units were confronting the interstellar pirates face-to-face.

 

Good news: the First Army Group, Second Army Group, and Third Army Group all have forces near the star regions occupied by the interstellar pirates.

 

“I’ll immediately transmit messages to nearby military units to assemble and engage the interstellar pirates in battle,” Xie Yu said without hesitation, pulling out his smartbrain to message Lika, urging her to activate the strongest signal immediately and link up with the military units closest to the enemy-occupied zone.

 

The interstellar pirates were unusually audacious, propagating their anti-human ideologies in their declaration, boasting of their invincibility in battles, and were soon advancing toward more star systems, causing panic among neighboring star systems.

 

Some were already planning to flee with their families to avoid waking up the next day as slaves of the interstellar pirates.

 

“Xie Yu, we’re heading to the front line immediately, squatting at the doorstep of the interstellar pirates. I’d like to see why they think they can take over more star systems!” Despite making such bold statements, Pei An wasn’t afraid of stirring up trouble.

 

Except for those necessary to remain in the Luoshui Galaxy, all personnel from the Third Army Group gathered under Xie Yu’s summons aboard the flagship, with escort ships closing in, preparing to jump to the front lines.

 

Only Han Jingshan and Saloyang among the supporting troops had the authority to mobilize troops at any time; other officers had to seek permission from higher-ups and wait in place for orders.

 

Han Jingshan and Saloyang also mobilized their troops to accompany Pei An to the front lines.

 

As long as they blocked the front line, the interstellar pirates would not be able to advance their occupation range.

 

Thieves dare to declare independence; it goes against all reason. They deserve to be fought back!

 

The massive fleet sailed through space, each flagship jumping towards the front line.

 

Meanwhile, the bustling Central Star held a grand assembly attended by the Emperor of the Empire, the Speaker of the Parliament, some parliamentarians, officials from each department, and the commanders of the eight army groups under military jurisdiction.

 

This was only the second time such a grand assembly had been held since the founding of the Lyte Empire.

 

Focused on the matter of the interstellar pirates’ declaration of independence.

 

The Emperor, dressed in regal attire that represented his status and position, sat at the head of the conference table. His hair was meticulously groomed, looking neat and tidy, as if he were attending a banquet in the palace.

 

The usually refined Emperor now wore a grim expression. He had ruled the Lyte Empire for decades, believing that under his reign, the people of the empire lived peaceful and happy lives. However, reality had slapped him hard.

 

“Everyone, I assume you’ve all seen the interstellar pirates’ declaration of independence. Let’s skip the pleasantries and discuss how to handle this.” Today, he had no patience to listen to people bickering and squabbling.

 

“There’s nothing to discuss; we should just attack,” Xie Rao, who had seen the Emperor in the palace during his last visit, had grown more dissatisfied with him. He had often hoped that the old man would descend from heaven and drag his unworthy descendants to hell.

 

Xie Rao proposed to initiate military action, naturally meeting opposition from a member of parliament. This parliamentarian had been intimidated by Xie Rao wielding weapons during a prior intrusion into parliament, and recently had also been subjected to a scare by Xie Yu, indicating a deep-seated feud with the Xie family.

 

“Commander Xie, it’s easy for you to say. Does war cost nothing? Each cannonball gleams like a bright coin. Where does the empire find so much money for war?” The parliamentarian’s defiant gaze earned him a cold stare from Xie Rao, sending shivers down his spine.

 

“Everyone present, who among us doesn’t enjoy immense wealth? In times of national crisis, is it so difficult to spare some funds?” Xie Rao’s blunt words caused many in the room to shift uncomfortably.

 

It was clear that Xie Rao was indirectly criticizing them.

 

Gu Yuanyang immediately stepped forward to support Xie Rao’s viewpoint: “Some people have estates so grand and opulent, the value of one estate could match that of a small star. Are we really lacking funds? Impossible, isn’t it?”

 

Those with displeased expressions struggled to maintain composure, including the Emperor seated at the head.

 

They simply couldn’t bring themselves to sit down and discuss matters with Gu Yuanyang, a mud-smeared figure who had crawled out of the dirty depths.

 

Of course, they looked down on Gu Yuanyang’s humble origins, just as Gu Yuanyang scorned their hypocritical behavior, which was nauseating.

 

“If we have money, it belongs to our family. Why should we use it for military expenses?” someone grumbled discontentedly.

 

The commander of the Sixth Army in the sixth episode was a young person who had only taken over the Sixth Army from her father’s hands a few years ago. Compared to Xie Rao and Gu Yuanyang, who had endured the garbage heap for a long time, she was even more direct.

 

This young commander accurately threw the water cup in front of her at the parliamentarian who had just spoken, right in front of the Emperor.

 

“If you don’t understand the basics that having a country is more important than having a family, and yet you managed to become a parliamentarian, it truly shows that leaving the influence of your family makes you utterly useless!” she exclaimed.

 

“What are you doing, Song Han?” The Emperor’s temples bulged as he spoke. To act so boldly in front of him was simply outrageous.

 

With a lazy salute to the Emperor, Song Han replied, “I apologize deeply, Your Majesty. It’s just that this gentleman couldn’t speak without uttering nonsense, and I couldn’t control my impulse.”

 

Her apology was perfunctory, lacking any real respect.

 

While Song Han was indeed out of line, she wasn’t the instigator. The Emperor wanted to reprimand her, but doing so would surely stir up even more dissent among the attendees.

 

He could only vent his anger on the parliamentarian who couldn’t keep his mouth shut: “What are you here for? You’d better figure it out! If you can’t, you can leave the assembly right now!”

 

The parliamentarian, nursing a large bump from where Song Han’s cup had struck him, dared not voice his anger and sat fuming in his seat.

 

Seeing this, Song Han sneered under her breath.

 

Idiot.

 

Her father had taught her not to curse, and she regretted not following his advice.

 

“The nation faces crisis, and it’s natural for all of us to contribute to defending it. I hope everyone can maintain a proper attitude and not treat this meeting like a marketplace,” the Emperor said calmly.

 

Representatives like Xie Rao scoffed at the Emperor’s casual remark. Was that all he had to say? If it were the late Emperor, that parliamentarian would have been kicked out of the meeting room long ago. Could he even attend meetings?

 

Amidst the ensuing silence, the Minister of Finance stood up.

 

Though not young, he was the oldest among those present. Adjusting his glasses, he bowed deeply towards the military section.

 

“Here, I want to apologize first for my ignorance and foolishness.”

 

He had deliberately made things difficult for the military on numerous occasions over military expenditure issues. He believed that a peaceful country didn’t need such heavy military spending or such a large army. Therefore, he consistently advocated for downsizing the military. The Empire’s control over the military was not strict, and the military might turn against the Empire at any time. Thus, he had been unwilling to allocate funds to the military, and even the military funds were delayed every quarter.

 

As a result, he had clashed with the military more than once.

 

But his views changed after Xie Yu knocked on his office door with a promissory note and a high-energy particle cannon on his shoulders.

 

Xie Yu explained the origin of that promissory note to him clearly and convincingly, accompanied by detailed records of energy oil procurement.

 

The old man was somewhat stooped with graying hair, but he sincerely apologized.

 

He had thought that controlling military expenditures was for the good of the empire. However, in the end, he made the empire’s generals chase after promissory notes, which was undoubtedly a humiliation to the empire’s face that he had always upheld.

 

The promissory note brought back by Xie Yu hit him hard, and for the first time, he heard Xie Yu speak sincerely.

 

“While interstellar pirates can eat canned food and drink alcohol, our empire’s soldiers can only get nutritional supplements. Yet they are constantly squeezed. Do you really treat the military like a sponge? Squeezing them here and there?”

 

After Xie Yu left, the Minister of Finance pondered alone for a long time. He realized he was wrong, especially after discovering that the Xie family had invested a lot of money into the military, all to improve their living conditions a bit. Finally, he understood why the military’s dedication was not to the empire, but to their commanders.

 

Because the empire did not care enough for them, did not treat them as family, but as tools. Thus, the empire paid them salaries, and the military patrolled the empire’s territories, nothing more.

 

Even for soldiers who died in battle, the empire had never paid out pensions; all pensions were paid by their commanders.

 

The Minister of Finance, who had now deeply understood the distant relationship between the empire and the military, stood up amidst the bewildered looks of his colleagues and old nobles.

 

“Your Excellency, I will reorganize personnel to compile military expenditure projects and improve the treatment of military personnel. Personally, as a member of the empire, I am willing to donate my private property to contribute to military expenses.” The Minister of Finance looked at Xie Rao and for the first time found him agreeable, even giving him a slight smile.

 

“May the brave soldiers defend the dignity of the Empire.”

 

With the Minister of Finance leading the charge, those who wanted to speak out for their personal interests at the meeting could no longer find the words. Regardless, they couldn’t openly tear into the military.

 

Although the military of the Lyte Empire had evolved over the decades and was no longer as pure as before, most of its power still lay in the hands of the new aristocracy. The greedy old aristocrats had not yet managed to consolidate more power under their control. The uproar caused by the interstellar pirates had forced their plans to be put on hold.

 

Without the strength to counter the opposing forces, there was no point in thinking about tearing faces and starting a fight.

 

However, with the Minister of Finance standing up to support the military, many found ways to avoid going to war with the interstellar pirates.

 

“Your Majesty, perhaps the actions of the interstellar pirates should also prompt us to reflect,” said a member of the Mondray family, representing them in the council. “Since entering the interstellar age, our expansion has been too rapid. Governing such a vast empire is not an easy task. The occupation of ten star systems by the interstellar pirates fully illustrates this point.”

 

Countless sharp gazes locked onto this Mondray family council member.

 

Undeterred by the scrutiny, he continued, “The Empire is incapable of governing such a vast country. It would be better to take this opportunity to reduce the Empire’s territories and lighten its burden.”

 

This council member became the second person to have a package smashed over his head, this time by Gu Yuanyang.

 

“Bullshit!” Gu Yuanyang slammed the table and cursed.

 

The territories of the Lyte Empire were fought for day and night by them and the late emperor. Who are you to suggest giving up just like that?

 

Nevertheless, this Mondray family council member had much stronger combat ability than the one smashed by Song Han. Ignoring the swelling on his head, he stubbornly expressed his views, “For the interstellar pirates to sustain long-term development, they naturally cannot mistreat the people. After all, without the people, their nation would cease to exist. Therefore, those people only need to endure a period of turbulence, and they can still live well in the future. We can also establish diplomatic relations with this new nation, positioning them between us and the Desai Republic, relieving our fears of the Desai Republic.”

 

The Desai Republic was also a human power, standing on equal footing with the Lyte Empire as a major power. However, after entering the interstellar age, they had been busy with construction and had never bothered with their neighbors.

 

In the words of the former chairman of the Desai Republic, “My home is too far from the palace of the Lyte Empire. It takes months of jumping to get there. What’s the point of contacting them?”

 

Therefore, the Mondray family’s attempt to make the brutal interstellar pirates a buffer between the two countries was unbearable nonsense to anyone.

 

“Mondray council member, I am deeply disappointed by your proposal. Always remember, you are a council member of the Lyte Empire.” The emperor maintained his composure, grateful for his years of restraint. He was the emperor of the Lyte Empire. If the Lyte Empire lost ten star systems under his rule, it would be recorded in the history books and mocked by many.

 

Maybe even if he died, someone would want to dig up his grave and drag him out to flog him.

 

Xie Rao chuckled sarcastically, his laughter unrestrained.

 

Then Xie Rao said directly, “Whether you agree or not, it will not affect the military’s decision to go to war with the interstellar pirates. If we lack money, we will raise it; if we lack equipment, we will seize it from the interstellar pirates.”

 

Xie Rao put on his military cap and adjusted it. The silver pentagonal star on the military cap glittered under the lights. “Excuse me for not staying longer.”

 

As Xie Rao stood up to leave, Gu Yuanyang also stood up, along with many senior military commanders. Except for close old aristocrats, everyone left the venue, giving the emperor no face at all.

 

They had all been humiliated by the interstellar pirates, what face was there left to save?

 

The Minister of Finance also left with these senior military commanders. However, before he left, he said goodbye to the emperor. He said, “Your Majesty, the old man is going to raise military funds, so he won’t stay here for long. Goodbye.”

 

He straightened his increasingly crooked back and walked away without looking back.

 

The emperor’s face turned iron-blue. It was the first time in decades that he had been so humiliated!

 

The furious emperor slammed the water cup on the desktop. The people who were still whispering all fell silent.

 

Opposition! Everyone was starting to revolt!