Chapter 258
In the stillness of the night, the light projected from the open Spaceship hatch revealed countless pale faces looking up at them.
"..."
"?"
"!"
Seeing this, everyone on the Spaceship went on high alert, their emotions racing, and the atmosphere tense.
"Good news, we were wrong before. Qin Su didn't mean for us to fight each other with Class 6). Bad news, we might be fighting with Modified Humans whose numbers far exceed our group's. I dare not open my eyes. I hope it's just my imagination. I really want the group leader to turn the Spaceship lights off and on again to see if they disappear, even if that would make us look like we know nothing, which would be very embarrassing."
"Is saving face more important than life...?"
Before the new team member could finish speaking, he suddenly heard Qin Su's voice and immediately fell silent.
"Open bays E2 to E19." Qin Su only had one pair of eyes, and fearing he wouldn't be able to see everything and miss anything, he had pre-sorted the arrival times of each Spaceship according to the timeline. Seeing that Sophia's group, which was closest to Balenman, had arrived at its destination first, he temporarily blocked communications for the other groups, only speaking in Sophia's group's channel, "Let them in, immediately close all bays, and do not open them without my permission."
Each team's Spaceship was specifically modified for today's events, and the walls of each cabin were filled with weapons designed to Modified Humans, ensuring the safety of the team members until the Modified Humans were brought back to Balenman.
Sophia stood at the very front. Although she still wasn't sure what the purpose of their trip was, her doubts were similar to those of the new members, though she didn't show it on her face. When she heard Qin Su's voice coming through the channel, she quickly composed herself and listened attentively. After Qin Su finished speaking, she immediately replied, "Okay, Class Monitor, I understand."
"Um."
Qin Su spoke in channel Group 16, his eyes already fixed on the next destination, Group 92, which was about to arrive. He didn't have time to linger and quickly switched to another Group Communication Channel after finishing speaking.
After Qin Su's voice faded, Sophia waited a second before confirming with her group members, "Did you all hear that?"
"I heard you."
"Um."
"Zong Ling, you and Aide... stay on the Spaceship." After arranging the layout from the Spaceship hatch to the E-module, Sophia looked at the remaining six people, "The rest of you, come with me."
"Yes!"
The six followed Sophia toward the crowd that had been watching them.
After Sophia left, those left on the Spaceship whispered to their comrade on guard duty, "How did Qin Su manage to get them to agree to come with us?"
"I don't know." The speaker looked towards the faint light in the distance. "All I know is that the Military District don't want normal soldiers to come into contact with Modified Humans, because they habitually build Modified Humans bases far from populated areas. From today onwards, they should deeply regret this habit."
"... That's true. Down here... hiss, Qin Su has basically emptied out Modified Humans in the entire Military District, hasn't he?"
"Be confident, it's a bag."
The people waiting outside the base looked up and saw the huge shadow hovering above them, as well as the faces of the Class 6 members in the open hatch. Their feelings were complicated.
At first, they didn't believe the information on the link at all, thinking it was another sting operation by the Military District targeting them.
To their surprise, when the time on the 'notification' arrived, the previously closed cubicles opened. They waited for a while, but the patrol personnel who would usually appear with weapons to supervise them at the slightest disturbance did not show up. Even now, fearing another test, no one left their cubicles until Qin Su's voice came through the base's broadcast system.
Faced with Military District that used them as 'weapons' when needed and treated them like Prisoners when not, they stepped out of their cubicles, briefly discussed the matter, and unanimously chose Qin Su.
Although the Military District rarely allowed them to communicate with each other and restricted their access to the outside world, their long-term detention led them to develop communication methods unknown to the guards.
People who go out and obtain information will try to spread it privately when they return. Even if the amount of information they can pass on is small, it's better than nothing.
In this way, although they themselves were not sure what the consequences would be if they got close to Qin Su, they knew that, apart from Class 6), many people who had briefly followed Qin Su had gained certain benefits.
More importantly, Qin Su promised them that those they cared about would be properly resettled and would no longer be threatened by the Military District. In addition, Qin Su's selection of them from so many Military District was a recognition of them. Such an opportunity was rare for Modified Humans in any Military District, and they were willing to cherish this rare opportunity and take the risk.
Besides, they were a collective "defection." Even if Qin Su abandoned them and returned them to the Military District, due to the initial investment in them, the success rate of their transformation was consistently less than 20%. The Military District couldn't possibly execute them all.
That would greatly weaken the Military District's combat capability against other Military District.
"Hello." Facing the Modified Humans of cyborgs, Sophia glanced around, composed herself, and feigned calmness. "Let me introduce myself. I am a member of Fourth Military Academy Class of 26 Class 6. You can call me Sophia. Our Class 6 Monitor, Qin Su, sent me to meet you."
"We know." Facing the familiar face of Sophia that Qin Su had shown them beforehand, the leader of the Class 6 group looked at Sophia and the three familiar, unmodified faces behind her, "Qin Su has shown us the faces of the four of you."
"But who are the other three?" The leader looked at the unfamiliar faces whose bodies had been modified like theirs, but who were equipped with weapons designed to Modified Humans.
"They just joined us, just like you." Sophia deliberately emphasized the word "just," making empty promises to those who could hear her, to ensure the mission's success.
Hearing Sophia's words, the three newcomers were coaxed, nervously but unconsciously raising their heads.
'Without comparison, there is no harm. Compared to them, according to Class 6), the group that joined later on the other side is second-to-last, even lower than them.'
[Oh dear, I wonder who was gossiping behind their backs when they first heard the term 'second-class' before, and now they're all comparing themselves to each other. Anyone chosen by Qin Su to join must have something special about them, like some kind of eccentric way of thinking or something.]
[What's this? The feng shui of Class 6 will surely make you become strange without you even realizing it (laughing and crying)]
The Modified Humans in front looked at the three of them with surprise upon hearing this.
Newcomers? They'll be assigned by Qin Su to meet them?
I understand. This is Qin Su trying to reassure them, implying that they will be treated the same way in the future. Other aspects are uncertain, but at least they can go out together as a group of people, receiving the same treatment as Class 6).
"We understand." The lead Modified Humans turned his gaze away from the three.
Sophia: "...?"
"He understands what? He understands?" Many guesses flashed through Sophia's mind. Uncertain, she outwardly gestured to the Spaceship Warship diagonally above, "Without further ado, let's..."
The leader replied, "Let's leave now."
Now that things have come to this, they don't want to be taken back by the Military District before they've even experienced life under Qin Su's command.
Hearing what she wanted to hear, Sophia nodded. "Okay."
During this period, through layers of communication, Sophia's words to the leading representative evolved into:
"Going back with the people from Class 6 means you can fly around with them on missions, instead of being locked up in a cubicle for months or even years?"
"Damn, once I leave, my benefits will be the same as Class 6? What kind of benefits did Class 6 get?"
"From today onwards, I'm a member of the Fourth Military Academy. After graduating many years ago and undergoing countless reforms in the Military District, am I seeing the light of day again and becoming a student once more?"
"What? We are the only chosen ones selected by Qin Su, and Qin Su is going to lead us to change the world?"
As the news spread, a group of people entered the Spaceship and looked at the people standing on either side with prying eyes, trying to gauge their future treatment from their observations.
Seeing that the task was so easy, and that even normal people like Class 6, who didn't need to wear the highest level of protective clothing, were wearing the highest level of protective clothing, everyone felt a sense of certainty and a faint expectation for the future.
Right? Why are there so few people coming to meet them? According to the news from those who went out, there are 999 people in Class 6), and there are only a few here. Where are the other Class 6) students?
"Could it be that Qin Su thinks... we are not as important as we imagine, and only deserve to be picked up by so few (Class 6) people?" Inside the cabin, inquiring discussions arose.
Is it possible that the other members of Class 6 were assigned to pick up people like us from other Military District?
"This... hiss, what exactly is Qin Su trying to do?!"
--
Once everyone was aboard the Spaceship, the new members who obeyed Sophia's orders to retreat couldn't hide their shock.
"Although we guessed wrong again, how could it have gone so smoothly? We didn't even need to fight. Is our deterrent force that powerful?"
"They're already waiting here. They were planning to go with us... no, with Qin Su anyway. Whether it goes smoothly or not is none of our business. Don't flatter yourselves. The most important thing for us now is that so many Modified Humans have suddenly come in. Our competition has become fierce. Sigh, relying on outstanding performance to get Qin Su's special attention is not a viable path... no, we don't even have a chance to perform!"
Upon discovering this chilling truth, the new members of Group 16 were filled with melancholy.
"Thinking back to how nervous we were before we came, I feel like a clown. Qin Su arranged everything. Were we just here to gain experience, or did Qin Su know we were driven crazy by being locked up and give us a chance to get some fresh air? Even so, I still don't understand. Since it was decided from the beginning that we wouldn't have to fight, why did Qin Su have the people from Class 6 teach us those weapons that were designed to target us?"
"Perhaps... it's to make us realize that Class 6) possesses a weapon that is deadly to Modified Humans, and so powerful that even if we learn it, it wouldn't matter, warning us not to act rashly... cough cough, team leader." Seeing Sophia, the person who spoke quickly seized the opportunity to inquire, "Team leader, as a member of Class 6), did you already know it would go so smoothly?"
"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask." Sophia skillfully masked her own ignorance with indifference. "Just keep a close watch on your E-17 cabin."
Apart from Qin Su, no one knew what had happened to make the people here willingly step onto the Spaceship.
"... All right."
I understand now. This must be a secret between Qin Su and Class 6), and the new recruits are not qualified to know it.
After watching everyone leave, Sophia glanced at the faint light in the distance before the hatch closed.
From the beginning until now, the surrounding light has not changed at all, and no alarm has been sounded.
She had a strong premonition that, at least for now, none of the Military District that Qin Su targeted were aware of what he had done. If conditions allowed, she really wanted to see with her own eyes what the faces of the Military District would look like when they discovered this.