Zheng Yi had originally served in the 113th Legion. He had gone on an expedition with the military several years ago and had only returned to Tianlan Star three months ago.
He hadn't even had time to set foot in his home before learning from his father, Zheng Henian, that his son had been murdered.
That night, if Zheng Henian hadn't done everything he could to stop him, Zheng Yi would have lost control right there at the Military Base.
He had thought that after several months, the turmoil had temporarily died down. But he hadn't expected to run into them again aboard the Dawn, on the eve of the "Spirit Slaughter" operation.
Just as Gao Zhan felt a surge of alarm, Zheng Yi suddenly stepped out of the crowd and approached him, lowering his voice.
"Didn't expect me to show up here, did you? Don't worry, I won't lay a hand on that kid while we're aboard the starship. I'll let him live another year or two. Once we reach Carro 9 Star... I hope you can keep him safe."
With that, he turned and walked straight toward the 116th Legion's Living Quarters.
Watching Zheng Yi's retreating figure, Gao Zhan's expression instantly turned cold.
He could roughly guess that Zheng Yi must have pulled some strings to join this expedition.
And he was right.
More than two months ago, Zheng Yi had formally submitted a request to Headquarters under the pretext of "contributing to the Jinzhou Military Region," asking to lead his Night Owl Squad in the "Spirit Slaughter" operation.
His true purpose was simply to travel aboard the Dawn with Gao Zhan and the others, waiting for an opportunity to act.
Once the starship reached Carro 9 Star, he planned to kill Lu Feng on that distant battlefield and avenge his son.
The plan had actually come at Zheng Henian's urging.
Lu Feng's family was now under the Military Region's protection. If Zheng Yi attacked him by force at the base, he wouldn't just ruin his own future—he would drag the entire Zheng Family down with him.
At that moment, Lu Feng had no idea what was going on, much less that his enemy was already close at hand.
He followed his teammates from the Skyfire Club into the Living Quarters. The entire place was filled with technology so advanced it was breathtaking.
Following his expedition number, Lu Feng found his room. Its door bore his personal number: 1227.
He lightly touched the hatch-opening button on his Communicator. The white door slid open silently, revealing a capsule-like living space of about five square meters.
The walls were made of seamless matte metal, smooth and unmarked under ordinary conditions.
When Lu Feng pressed the "sleep" button, a single bed smoothly slid out from the wall. When not in use, it retracted flush with the wall, leaving the entire floor space clear.
A silver sanitation unit stood in the corner, combining a foldable sink with a vacuum toilet.
After each use, the system automatically cleaned and disinfected it.
When he wasn't sleeping, Lu Feng could also use his Communicator to make a foldable desk rise from the opposite wall.
A huge flexible screen lit up across its surface. It could be used to contact comrades in the same legion, and also supported entertainment such as movies and games.
"This is incredible!"
Lu Feng couldn't help exclaiming. He pressed the sleep button and eagerly lay down.
The bed was only 1.2 meters wide, but it even came with a massage function.
As soon as he settled in, two mechanical arms quietly extended from beneath the bed and began relaxing his entire body, from forehead to feet.
The mechanical fingers were made of soft silicone. Their pressure was firm yet comfortable.
Lu Feng could even watch a movie on the flexible screen in front of him while enjoying the massage.
"Dear 1227, it's time for a late-night snack. Would you like to visit the dining hall for a meal? After the late-night snack, the Dawn will depart, leaving Tianlan Star for the Carro Galaxy, 1.8 light-years away."
A gentle female voice suddenly spoke beside him, making Lu Feng pause in surprise.
"Who's speaking?"
"I'm Luo Lin, the Dawn's intelligent butler. As long as you're wearing the starship Communicator, you can talk to me at any time. If you need anything, please feel free to let me know."
"The Dawn's butler?"
Lu Feng understood. This was the starship's Artificial Intelligence system, responsible for reminding crew members about their schedules and meals, and answering all kinds of questions.
"Where's the dining hall?"
"The 115th Legion's dining hall is at the end of the Living Quarters and can seat six hundred people at once."
"Okay, thank you, Luo Lin."
"You're welcome. Enjoy your meal."
As soon as Lu Feng stepped out of his room, he saw other members of the 115th Legion emerging from their own quarters.
It seemed that everyone had received Luo Lin's reminder about the late-night snack.
"How's it feel?" Hong Kun and Yang Qian came over to him. They chatted as they headed for the dining hall.
"Not bad. The technology here really is beyond anything I imagined."
Once they entered the dining hall and sat down at an empty table, serving robots promptly brought each of them a standard nutritional meal.
Just then, Gao Zhan and the tall female member of the Chasing Wind Squad walked over carrying their trays.
"Lu Feng," Gao Zhan said, stopping beside him, his voice low. "The ship's due to depart in half an hour. Maybe... you should get off after all."
At his words, the members of the Skyfire Club who were eating all looked up at once, their eyes fixed on him.
Lu Feng also looked up, staring intently at Gao Zhan.
He didn't understand why Gao Zhan would suddenly say something like that now.
The female teammate beside him quietly explained, "We ran into Zheng Yi earlier... He's on this ship too."
"Zheng Yi?"
Lu Feng froze for a moment before remembering that Zheng Yi was Zheng Tong's father.
Clearly, the man was after him.
"I'm not afraid of him."
After saying so softly, Lu Feng lowered his head and continued eating.
Gao Zhan and the female teammate exchanged a glance but said nothing more.
They both understood that at this point, it wasn't really possible to get Lu Feng off the ship.
At midnight sharp, a deep, steady hum sounded from deep within the starship.
"All passengers, please take note. The Dawn is about to depart. Please close your Living Quarters doors and fasten your safety restraints."
Luo Lin's announcement rang clearly throughout every living compartment.
Lying on the bed, Lu Feng reached over and fastened the safety belt. The starship began to tremble faintly as its two massive engines started up.
As the enormous starship slowly rose, Lu Feng noticed a transparent observation window suddenly appear in the solid metal wall of his room.
Through it, he watched the starship steadily climb higher, its speed gradually increasing.
The Starry Sky Station below rapidly shrank before his eyes.
In the blink of an eye, he had left Tianlan Star, where he had lived for eighteen years.
The view outside shifted, transforming into the boundless darkness of space and a brilliant river of stars.
Far away, Tianlan Star gradually became a floating blue gem, quietly radiating a gentle glow.
"Hello, Luo Lin."
Lu Feng suddenly called for the starship's intelligent butler.
"Dear 1227, how may I help you?"
"About how long will it take us to reach the Carro Galaxy?"
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