Picking Up An Alpha On Garbage Star - Chapter 69

Pei An had let the consolation team rest for the night. The next morning, he had someone go door-to-door, waking up these nobles who were sore from sleeping on hard beds. None of them were spared.

 

Used to soft, comfortable beds, they found the hard beds unbearable. With dawn not yet breaking, the disturbance made them feel like they were on the brink of collapse.

 

“Why are you disturbing our rest so early?” Austin glared at the officer who had come to wake him, his tone harsh. “Do you know who you’re disturbing?”

 

The officer ignored him, maintaining a blank expression. “We’re heading to the Komo Star System today. If you don’t want to spend the night without sleep, you should get up now.” With that, the officer turned and left, looking quite composed.

 

Austin slammed the door shut and tried to vent his frustration by throwing something, but the room had nothing to throw. It was a military dormitory, not a luxurious hotel, so there were no decorative items—just beds, pillows, blankets, and cabinets.

 

Fuming, Austin went to freshen up.

 

Breakfast was still in the cafeteria, and today, Ye Xiuzhe didn’t come to see them off. Instead, a female omega major, Rong Mulan, was in charge of taking the consolation team to the Komo Star System.

 

She also needed to bring the heads of the Armaments Department, the Finance Department, and the Infrastructure Department—these were the people who truly knew how to demand money.

 

It’s always difficult to ask money from family who raised you, but from these pretentious nobles—bring it on!

 

They had been tortured for two days straight. By the time they reached the Galley Star System, they were exhausted and wanted nothing more than to return to Central Star, to their own homes.

 

But it wasn’t that simple. They hadn’t given prior notice of their departure, so they couldn’t just leave whenever they wanted.

 

“Hello, everyone. I’m Rong Mulan, a major. Today, I will escort you to the Komo Star System,” Rong Mulan said as she led them to a familiar bus. “Please get on the bus.”

 

Austin led the way onto the bus, which drove them to the spaceport.

 

At the spaceport, the ship they were supposed to board wasn’t as comfortable as the one they had taken from Central Star; it was a military ship.

 

“What happened to our ship? Where is it?” They panicked when they couldn’t see their ship.

 

Rong Mulan remained calm. “We had our ship sent for maintenance by professional technicians, and it’s not finished yet. So, we’ll have to wait two days for it to be returned to the spaceport.”

 

Austin was filled with doubt. He didn’t believe that Pei An and Xie Yu were this kind-hearted. After being so badly treated by them over the past two days, he would never trust them again, not in a lifetime.

 

Whether he believed it or not didn’t affect Rong Mulan’s polite insistence that they board the military ship.

 

Military ships weren’t as comfortable as their private ships. There were no luxurious suites, no bathtubs or massage facilities, just simple rooms.

 

Giving them single rooms was already the biggest concession Pei An had made, considering their usefulness. Otherwise, they would have been shoved into the same quarters as ordinary soldiers. Single rooms? Dream on.

 

“How long will the journey to the destination take?” Austin was terrified of the thought of being unable to sleep on the ship, so he asked Rong Mulan in advance.

 

Rong Mulan smiled. “It will take eight star hours to reach the destination.”

 

“Isn’t this a military ship? Why does it take eight star hours? Is this the speed of a military ship?” Austin questioned, looking displeased.

 

“If His Highness Prince wants to speed up the trip to the Komo Star System, that can be arranged,” Rong Mulan said, dialing a number on her smart device. The call was quickly answered. “Major, do you have any instructions?”

 

Rong Mulan gave Austin a smile that sent chills down his spine. “His Highness Prince thinks the ship’s speed is too slow. Please increase the speed.”

 

The captain on the other end of the line smirked. Dare to complain about their speed? Fine, I’ll speed it up and see how you like it!

 

Immediately, the ship’s speed was doubled, racing through the stars.

 

Rong Mulan remained composed, unaffected by the sudden acceleration, but Austin was different. The increased speed made him dizzy and disoriented, and his vision darkened.

 

“No, no, no! Slow down! Slow down!” Austin couldn’t even stand and had to cling to the wall for support.

 

Other nobles were also in bad shape, disoriented and struggling to cope with the sudden increase in speed. They felt like their lives were in danger.

 

Rong Mulan’s voice remained calm, though it sounded like a ghost speaking to Austin at that moment.

 

“Didn’t His Highness say the ship’s speed was too slow? Now it’s fast enough. Why is His Highness unhappy?”

 

Austin fought back the urge to vomit. “Change it back! To the previous speed!” If the ship maintained this speed all the way to the destination, he would die on board.

 

Rong Mulan expressionlessly informed the captain, “Return the speed to the previous level. His Highness can’t handle it.”

 

She looked down at the relatively handsome alpha with deep disdain and murderous intent in her eyes.

 

Did you ever think about being toyed with when you were playing with others?

 

Before Xie Yu sent someone to deal with the consolation team, he had confided to a few trusted subordinates about how Austin had secretly harmed their comrades. If it weren’t for revenge and not wanting to cause trouble for the Independent Military, they would have shot Austin on sight upon meeting him, to honor their fallen comrades.

 

But killing wasn’t an option now. However, cleaning up was necessary. Playing with people’s lives was a serious moral lapse. Austin’s current situation was purely self-inflicted.

 

“His Highness should return to his room and rest for a while. When we arrive at the Komo Star System, I will come to escort His Highness off the ship,” Rong Mulan said calmly, floating away.

 

“Rong… Mulan…” Austin glared at her departing back with a vicious look.

 

He absolutely had to get rid of that damn omega!

 

…

 

The spaceship transported the aid delegation to the Komo system, and with the absence of Austin, Pei An’s mood improved. He then received some good news—Claude had returned and brought him a gift.

 

Claude held a high rank within the Star Organization, though he lacked experience in combat. He had been diligently learning with the army and had spent several months working on defense lines. He had managed to make some notable progress.

 

“Secretary-General, I seized a resource planet from the rebel forces—it’s a mining planet with some beautiful gemstones. I managed to extract a couple of pieces; would you and Commander Xie consider using them for wedding rings?” Claude presented a large box and opened it, nearly blinding Pei An with its brilliance.

 

Pei An replied earnestly, “Claude, this is not just acceptable; it’s valuable.”

 

Claude had managed to bring back two large pieces of star crystal. Star crystals, before the advent of starfire stones, were the most expensive gemstones, always in high demand but rarely available.

 

Unlike starfire stones, which Pei An marketed through promotional tactics, star crystals were genuinely beautiful. Even uncut, they were clear and shimmering, reflecting light in a dense, fragmented manner, resembling twinkling stars in the universe.

 

The two pieces Claude brought back were likely of top quality; otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen such large pieces.

 

Pei An thought silently about how much jewelry could be made from these star crystals and sold for a high price. He planned to cut them down for processing and sell some, despite his lack of personal desire for such items.

 

He was focused on making money, especially given the high costs of war. With the profits from starfire stone jewelry sold at inflated prices, he had recently invested in a new munitions factory in the Komo system.

 

“By the way, Secretary-General,” Claude, now addressing Pei An formally, continued, “in addition to seizing a resource planet from the rebels, I also had their shortcut destroyed.”

 

Pei An took the star crystals Claude had gifted him and sat on the couch, pouring Claude a glass of water. “Tell me more.”

 

Claude drank the water quickly and wiped his mouth before speaking, “The rebels’ main fleet is technologically inferior to ours, with slower updates and energy sources that can’t match ours. They’ve been using a natural wormhole in space to create a shortcut. The wormhole has jump points set up on both ends, and if we hadn’t stumbled upon it by accident, we wouldn’t have discovered this hidden path.”

 

Pei An thought deeply, resting his chin on his interlocked hands.

 

The rebels were technologically inferior to them, thanks to the Empire’s Academy of Sciences and the research data from the Bright Goddess, which provided a strong technical foundation. The rebels had developed covertly over the years and were naturally at a disadvantage in talent compared to them.

 

However, the fact that they had managed to develop so much under the Empire’s nose was impressive. It seemed that the rebels also had their share of clever individuals, creating conditions to suit their needs.

 

Pei An sent a message to Xie Yu, asking him to come to his office.

 

“Claude, I’ve called Xie Yu over. Please explain everything to him in detail.”

 

Claude nodded, “Understood.”

 

In the universe, wormholes are quite common. Some wormholes can compress space-time significantly, which is like a godsend for the rebels who are technically disadvantaged. If they can utilize these wormholes, the rebels’ forces could conduct large-scale, rapid operations and strike unexpectedly. If Claude hadn’t discovered the rebels’ shortcut, the rebels might have surprised the Independent Army, striking swiftly and retreating before anyone could react.

 

“I will organize personnel to conduct a thorough search of all Independent Army-controlled star systems. We cannot allow the rebels to sneak up to our doorstep,” Xie Yu said after listening to Claude’s explanation, immediately calling an emergency meeting.

 

The overall situation was currently favorable for the Independent Army. Even though the great victory had passed some time ago, the news of it was still widespread online, with many netizens creating highlight reels of the battle, which was very uplifting.

 

However, if the rebels suddenly launched an attack, catching the Independent Army off guard, they would boast about their achievements, aiming to undermine the Independent Army’s prestige.

 

“Immediately enter a level-two alert status and be prepared for any sudden rebel attacks,” Pei An announced to all star systems in his capacity as Secretary-General. The hard-earned rest time was abruptly interrupted by this discovery.

 

“Well, Secretary-General, Commander, I’ll go take care of my own tasks now,” Claude said, having other responsibilities to attend to, and did not linger.

 

Pei An pinched the bridge of his nose and handed the two star crystals Claude had brought to Xie Yu. “Claude sent these. Since we’re always busy with work and haven’t had a wedding, at least we should make the rings.”

 

Xie Yu was taken aback. “I thought that when we exchanged necklaces, it was like exchanging rings.”

 

To Xie Yu, pheromones were more private and significant than rings, so wearing necklaces that represented each other’s pheromones was equivalent to exchanging rings.

 

Pei An was also surprised. He almost forgot that as an omega, Xie Yu, an alpha, placed greater importance on pheromones.

 

“Rings do signify identity more explicitly, but it’s better if I prepare the rings myself,” Xie Yu said, not planning to use the star crystals Claude had given him. He didn’t want to appear useless as an alpha.

 

“An An, my father stored a piece of jade in the bank’s safe for me. He told me that jade is a national treasure, and a gentleman should be as upright and refined as jade,” Xie Yu said, leaning in close to Pei An and touching his nose to Pei An’s.

 

“Would you be willing to wait for me to carve that jade into a ring for you?” Xie Yu asked.

 

Pei An lifted his head and placed a very light kiss on the edge of Xie Yu’s lips. “Sure.”

 

Pei An had noticed that Xie Yu’s family followed some old Earth customs, which seemed outdated in the current interstellar age. The Xie family, who cherished jade over sparkling gemstones, was indeed unique.

 

However, they didn’t have the time to focus on rings now. They were just happy with the small moments of intimacy they had, like hugs and kisses.

 

It was hard to believe that since they confirmed their relationship, they had only had intimate moments twice!

 

Twice!

 

This was far from meeting the needs of an alpha in terms of intimacy.

 

Xie Yu: feeling numb and distressed.

 

But Pei An was always exhausted. Though Xie Yu had the energy, he couldn’t ignore Pei An’s well-being.

 

Xie Yu wistfully thought that a normal married life with Pei An might have to wait until things settled down.

 

…

 

The aid delegation’s spaceship arrived at the Komo system, and Rong Mulan took them to a planet undergoing post-war reconstruction.

 

During its occupation by the rebels, the planet had been shamelessly plundered. The rebels had demolished many of the residents’ homes, forced them into mines as laborers, and provided them with minimal food—only two tubes of nutrients a day. Those who stopped working were whipped or beaten, resulting in many deaths.

 

After reclaiming the Komo system, the Independent Army’s first priority was to resettle the displaced residents and repair the damaged houses. The military was currently assisting with construction, and many people were ill, leaving the medical staff overwhelmed.

 

“This place is really in poor condition,” someone in the aid delegation complained, still unable to control their mouth even after several days.

 

Rong Mulan replied coldly, “If Central Star had been occupied by the rebels, it would be the same as here.”

 

You are just luckier than the residents of Komo.

 

“Central Star could never be occupied.” The person muttered, not daring to speak loudly to Rong Mulan.

 

Rong Mulan was too lazy to care, as it was now the time for the Director of Finance to shine.

 

The purpose of bringing the aid delegation to the Komo system wasn’t to let them criticize the poor conditions but to smoothly ask them for money.

 

The Director of Finance led the charge, immediately starting to beg for money from the aid delegation.

 

Members of the aid delegation: “…Don’t come any closer!”

 

Kauff Mondrei thought that since Pei An had agreed to return to the Mondrei family, helping Pei An would position him favorably as a future prominent figure in the family. Holding onto this unrealistic fantasy, Kauff chose to support the Independent Army and demand money from Austin and his group.

 

Rong Mulan also subtly suggested that if they were unwilling to give money, she would leave them stranded here.

 

The Komo system had been occupied by the rebels. Who knew if there were still rebels hiding here? They weren’t suicidal, so many people, eager to return safely to the operations center and then quickly back to Central Star, reluctantly handed over their money.

 

Juliana could no longer tolerate it. Seizing an opportunity when no one was paying attention, she approached Rong Mulan. “Major Rong, as long as you help me return to Central Star, feel free to ask for anything.”

 

Rong Mulan looked at the anxious and irritable Juliana, finding it somewhat amusing.

 

She wouldn’t give a penny for the people of the Lite Empire but would go to great lengths to get money for herself to leave the front lines and return to her comfortable home.

 

Seeing Rong Mulan’s lack of reaction, Juliana urged, “Major Rong?”

 

Rong Mulan slightly nodded and opened her smart device. “Actually, I’d be very happy to be friends with Miss Juliana.”

 

She added Juliana as a friend.

 

To show her sincerity, Juliana immediately transferred 50 million to Rong Mulan. “This is a down payment. Once we leave the Komo system, I’ll give you another 50 million. And another 50 million when I leave the front lines. Is this price satisfactory?”

 

Was Rong Mulan satisfied? Absolutely.

 

Juliana’s actions seemed almost like a legal extortion.

 

Perhaps making these people pay a “ransom” and then letting them leave the front lines to return to Central Star was a good idea. These people were stingy with others but very generous for themselves.

 

Indeed, they were rich; 150 million was like pocket change to them.

 

“Miss Juliana, rest assured, I will ensure your safe and swift return to Central Star,” Rong Mulan said.

 

Juliana sighed with relief. “Thank you, Major Rong.”

 

She couldn’t stay on the front lines any longer and would never return. It was all Austin’s fault for trying to show off in front of the Emperor and dragging her into this mess.

 

She would tell her mother never to support Austin’s rise. It would be best if this detestable person just blew up.

 

Rong Mulan watched as Juliana rejoined the aid delegation and leisurely sent a message to Xie Yu.

 

[Commander, I’ve found a profitable opportunity that guarantees huge returns.]

 

Rong Mulan detailed how Juliana had bribed her and proposed hinting to the aid delegation that as long as they paid enough, they could leave the front lines and return to Central Star.

 

The aid delegation members would be very interested in leaving this tormenting place. Even the slightest chance was worth pursuing.

 

After reviewing Rong Mulan’s plan, Xie Yu: “…”

 

“An An, we have a business genius who’s more imaginative than you,” Xie Yu said, handing the smart device to Pei An.

 

Pei An took the device and read through it: “…”

 

He sighed, “How about moving Rong Mulan to the finance department? It seems like a waste of talent to keep her in her current position.”

 

According to Rong Mulan’s plan, extracting ten billion from the aid delegation would be no problem.

 

Ten billion!

 

“Let’s proceed as she suggested.” Pei An could already see ten billion beckoning him.

 

“Just make sure the others can leave, but Austin and the Mondrei family’s representative should stay forever.”

 

Author’s Note:

 

Commander Xie, with only two intimate moments, is quite unsatisfied.