Emergency Interrogation, 0456

Ship 01 flew through the vast universe at superluminal speed.

Lu Mi sat in the cockpit at the front, wearing a control helmet on his head.

Dozens of finger-thick mechanical tubes extended from the top of the helmet and connected to the ship.

The Brain-Integrated Control Helmet was a new creation Cang Qi had developed not long ago.

As the only pilot recognized by Ship 01, Lu Mi did not even need to move; he could issue commands to Ship 01 directly with his mind.

On the enormous screen ahead, the coordinates of Z60 Abandoned Planet drew steadily closer. Lu Mi took a deep breath, raised his right hand, and lightly touched his left chest.

Yu Tu's vine mark was branded there.

The Partner Mark could only be removed through special means. Otherwise, it remained until death.

Lu Mi's gaze darkened, bloody waves gathering within it. After a long while, he lowered his hand.

Ship 01 accelerated once more and headed for Z60 Abandoned Planet!

North of Calamity Planet.

A blizzard arrived without warning.

The temperature in Ghoststone Forest, battered by snow and howling winds, plummeted.

Yu Tu had received special consideration from Cang Qi and Zhang Jiao. While the other serious offenders only had one thin cotton quilt, he had three.

Three days ago, the wind in this area had become distinctly different from usual, cold enough to cut like knives. Based on the experience of the prison officers stationed outside, Cang Qi sent Yu Tu another seven quilts just in case.

To keep warm, Yu Tu wrapped himself in all ten quilts like a silkworm cocoon, leaving only his head exposed. Even so, he still felt freezing, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.

Even the illusion before his eyes changed because of it.

Before this, Lu Mi had dragged Yu Tu into passionate, heated exercise.

But today, Lu Mi was still dragging Yu Tu into exercise, except the exercise had become—

"Baby, look at this endless frozen landscape, the snow drifting everywhere. Come on, let's strip down together, smash through the ice, and go winter swimming. What do you say?"

Sob, sob... So scary, so scary!

Yu Tu's face went pale with fright. Shivering, he shrank deeper into the quilts.

"No, no, Lu Mi, I don't like this kind of exercise! It's too cold—I'll die!"

Lu Mi gave a wicked smile. "How could that happen, baby? Come on, I'll demonstrate winter swimming first."

In the illusion, Lu Mi stripped down until he was wearing nothing but his underwear, then jumped into the icy river without another word.

Once in the water, Lu Mi moved like a tiny electric motor. In the blink of an eye, he had swum there and back.

Then, like a mermaid breaking the surface, he suddenly emerged from the water and grabbed Yu Tu's foot. "Come down, baby!"

Yu Tu closed his eyes and shook his head as he trembled.

The door to the confinement room suddenly opened.

Yu Tu immediately stopped shaking his head. He opened his eyes and looked toward the door, pretending to be calm.

"Commander Yu Tu, are you all right?"

Cang Qi walked in wearing two thick padded coats.

He was afraid of the cold too. If Lu Mi's words before leaving had not provoked him, he could have slept for ten days and nights straight in weather like this.

Yu Tu secretly let out a breath of relief.

"Little Cang, it's you."

"The blizzard outside is already knee-deep. Commander Yu Tu, today's illusion hasn't made you uncomfortable, has it?"

"...It's very uncomfortable." Yu Tu pursed his lips. "Lu Mi isn't kissing me anymore. He wants to drag me out winter swimming."

...What kind of ridiculous illusion was that?

Yu Tu glanced at the wall. On one side, he had scratched six little bean sprouts into it with his nails.

Lu Mi had punished him in Ghoststone Forest for a full six days already.

"Little Cang, I miss Lu Mi so much."

"Although this Lu Mi is very impressive, I know he's fake. I like the real Lu Mi."

"The real Lu Mi gets backaches, complains that he's tired, says no more, no more, and even praises me for being very fierce."

"This Lu Mi doesn't have that liveliness..."

"He's just a heartless exercise machine."

"The colder I get, the more I miss him. I really want him to hold me. The quilts aren't as warm as his embrace."

Cang Qi: "..."

His poor hamster ears had been defiled!

Wait, no—Prison Warden Lu said, "No more, no more"?

Prison Warden Lu praised Commander Yu Tu for being fierce?

Had he gotten their positions wrong?

Could it be that Lu Mi, who usually loved wearing a cold expression and had a terrible temper, was actually... a housewife type?

Cang Qi raised a hand and fiercely slapped his forehead.

Oh no, Cang Qi, now wasn't the time to think about that.

"Commander Yu Tu, Ghoststone Forest is just like this... If it's winter swimming, then it's winter swimming. Bear with it a little longer. If nothing unexpected happens, Prison Warden Lu will definitely come back for you!"

"What if something unexpected happens?"

"If something unexpected happens, Prison Warden Lu asked me to tell you something."

"What?"

Cang Qi took out the small notebook he carried with him. He cleared his throat, his babyish face trying hard to stiffen into Lu Mi's usual expression.

"Prison Warden Lu asked me to tell you—Lu Xiaojiu will always love his commander."

The moment his performance ended, Cang Qi's eyes reddened.

"Oh my god, sob, sob, sob! I don't know why, Commander Yu Tu, but I find those words so touching!"

Yu Tu tilted his head. "I think my heart feels a little bitter too. So, Little Cang, who is Lu Xiaojiu?"

"I don't know." Cang Qi thought for a moment. "Maybe he's Prison Warden Lu's younger brother? They share the surname Lu, after all."

"Then why tell me?"

"I don't know..."

Cang Qi raised a hand and scratched his hair.

"My CPU is about to burn out! Who exactly is Lu Xiaojiu? So annoying! I have severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. If no one tells me the answer, I definitely won't be able to sleep!"

As soon as he finished speaking—

Hurried footsteps sounded in the corridor outside.

Then Zhang Jiao's voice rang out.

"Warden Ming, 0456 is a serious offender of our First Prison. He is currently being punished in Ghoststone Forest for violating the First Prison Rules. You do not have the authority to bypass Prison Warden Lu and interrogate 0456!"

The footsteps stopped, and Ming Qiuxue's voice was icy.

"0456 used Source Power to kill someone in First Prison. The higher-ups have just issued orders for me to urgently interrogate 0456.

"Zhang Jiao, this is an Interrogation Order. Even if Lu Mi were here, he could not defy it.

"Now, I order you to step aside!"

Cang Qi's expression changed, and he hurriedly turned to go outside.

In the corridor, prison officers in black uniforms and prison officers in white uniforms stood facing each other in two clearly divided camps.

Ming Qiuxue, with golden hair and golden eyes, stood at the head of the white-uniformed group. His gloved fingers held a tablet as he showed Zhang Jiao the "Interrogation Order from the higher-ups."

This order had been sent directly to Ming Qiuxue by the higher-ups, so Zhang Jiao had known nothing about it.

But beneath the Interrogation Order were the handwritten signature and seal of Deputy Director Tian of the Blue Star Prison Directorate.

This Interrogation Order was genuine.

Zhang Jiao could only turn to look at Cang Qi.

"Deputy Warden Cang..."

Ming Qiuxue handed the tablet to the deputy warden beside him and smiled at Cang Qi.

"That's how it is. Cang Qi, you're a smart man. Now that Lu Mi isn't here, I think you know what choice to make."

Chestnut eyes and golden eyes collided in midair.

Ming Qiuxue's stare made Cang Qi break out in a cold sweat.

He recalled Lu Mi's words before leaving and took a deep breath.

"Since Warden Ming has the Interrogation Order in hand, then I will not stop Warden Ming from taking 0456 away."