Sampo sailed his ship straight into the city. Garbage City had now been torn apart, and the spacecraft sat on one of the larger patches of flat ground.
He ordered the sailors to haul the spacecraft aboard, then hurried off to ingratiate himself with Chu Mu.
But even after searching every cabin, he found no sign of Chu Mu.
I saw him come aboard with my own eyes!
When Sampo finally found Chu Mu outside the cabins, he saw him talking to someone.
The man wore a black robe and a hood, his head lowered so that his face was hidden.
"Have you thought this through?" Chu Mu sighed. "As the Governor here, this is precisely when your people need you."
"But my child is crying out to me for help!" Luwan's voice was hoarse. "I have to leave this place and find him!"
After a pause, he continued:
"I've already sacrificed far too much for this city. If I hadn't been so busy with official duties back then, I wouldn't have ignored what my child was thinking.
"I once planned a wonderful future, too. You knew about my plans, didn't you? But when the catastrophe came, those plans became a joke. With the Black Sun overhead, how many more years can civilization on Deep Blue Star survive?
"Chu Mu, I gave this city ten whole years, and this civilization my entire life. But now, I'm already very old. I want to leave what time I have left to my child."
Hearing this, Chu Mu said softly:
"I respect your wishes. But, Mr. Luwan, once you make certain decisions, there's no turning back."
"I understand, but I have no regrets!" Luwan said earnestly.
"You can board the ship." Chu Mu nodded.
Luwan gave Chu Mu a grateful look, then tugged