Ch 50 – The Cicada Sheds Its Carapace
“In the legends of the ancient humans, there is a type of spirit called the needle-mouth ghost.”
“They have enormous bellies, but their throats are no wider than the eye of a needle. Because of this, it is impossible for them to eat and drink normally.”
“These spirits suffer from constant hunger. Their limbs are emaciated due to starvation, and their abnormally distended bellies have nothing inside them. All they can do is wail and weep bitterly, day after day.”
Sanjay opened his mouth and looked in the mirror, wanting to see if his own throat was as thin as the eye of a needle.
After a brief look, he closed his mouth and stared expressionlessly at his reflection.
Sanjay’s appearance was remarkably fine.
In an interstellar era where body modification was possible, there were no ugly humans at all. Sanjay’s current appearance was the result of many rounds of modification.
His looks hadn’t been good enough before, and an attractive appearance gave one a greater advantage in social situations.
The modifications were good, but they hadn’t brought him as many benefits as he’d expected. His appearance had also failed to bring him any happy surprises, such as an intimate relationship.
People were afraid of him. They thought his actions were vicious, and didn’t see him as a good person.
But Sanjay found this unfair. Far too unfair.
Who had ever given him a chance to be a good person?
Yu Xi had said that there would always be someone who favored him. Who? His parents? Or the man he once betrayed?
It wasn’t the same.
Kersz had all the luck. Before the deaths of his parents, he was spoiled to the point of becoming a complete fool. He knew nothing, and was foolish enough to actually believe that justice existed in this world.
Sanjay had never been a fool.
He didn’t understand why no one else could comprehend his refusal to give in.
In fact, he knew very well what he should do to give himself a safer life: he should refuse to involve himself in such dangerous dealings.
But how could he resign himself to that?
And on what grounds should he do so?
It used to confuse Sanjay so much. He didn’t understand how people could be so stupid, allowing their own interests to be eroded.
Later on, Sanjay realized that he was the outlier, because he refused to budge in the slightest.
What if he couldn’t continue to live if he missed something?
A good person must be willing to let go of some benefits. They couldn’t just reach out and take whatever they pleased, and couldn’t accept money from every source.
So to what extent should he limit himself? No one had ever told him.
Nobody had ever taught him how one should live, so why did so many people condemn him for not being a good person?
It really wasn’t fair, ah.
“Captain, communication records between you and the Supreme Governor’s family have suddenly appeared on the StarNet!” A subordinate of Sanjay’s rushed through the door.
Sure enough, it had come to this.
“Yara is furious. She’s on the line.”
“She took the risk of communicating with me directly?” Sanjay was amused. “The Supreme Governor must suspect that she’s the one who leaked the information.”
Sanjay had his subordinate bring over a communicator. He opened the interface.
On the other end of the video call was an angry-looking woman in a military uniform: “Sanjay! You’ve really lost your mind!”
Sanjay smiled and offered no explanation: “That Illegitimate you planted by my side…..getting him to open his mouth was really difficult, ah.”
Yara scowled. She didn’t know why Sanjay was changing the subject, but there was no way she could admit to that Illegitimate’s existence.
“But I got pretty lucky, and managed to track down the person that Illegitimate was in contact with. I was so afraid, ah, and willing to cling to any lifeline,” said Sanjay. “That contact wasn’t anything special, but as I followed the network, I came upon even more Illegitimates. Then I uncovered an incredible secret.”
Sanjay burst into laughter and pointed a finger at Yara: “Unexpectedly, the Supreme Governor and the High Lord actually have disabled child! Hahahahaha!”
Yara’s complexion paled slightly.
“I’m not wrong, am I? That woman should be your older sister,” said Sanjay. “For the sake of appearances, your family hired a stand-in to trot out in public. “No wonder. Your talent isn’t much better than your older sister’s. I never could figure out why the Supreme Governor would name you his successor.”
Yara kept silent.
“At first, I thought the child had died, or had been killed when the problem was discovered. After all, neither the Supreme Governor nor the High Lord are exactly decent people. But she still lives…..and has an Illegitimate to look after her.” Sanjay pointed at Yara. “She’s in your hands, isn’t she?”
Yara: “Do you have any idea what you’re saying?”
“Hahaha, of course I do. I’m not like you idiots. I just don’t get why you kept her. Is it because she’s your blood relative? I thought blood ties didn’t matter as much in this interstellar age,” Sanjay said with a smile.
Yara: “…..”
“Sanjay, I can give you a chance to live,” Yara said coldly.
Sanjay glanced toward the door behind him: “I just have to give up some things, right?”
Yara: “This pirate crew must be exterminated.”
“I know, I know. We’re too rotten, and it reflects poorly on you.” Sanjay was completely unconcerned.
Yara: “We did place an Illegitimate by your side.”
Sanjay: “Ha! I knew you were a bunch of consummate assholes.”
“After you disappear, we can make arrangements for you…..”
“No need, I’ve secured my own way out,” Sanjay cut in. “I don’t trust you.”
*
*
“Eat another bite!” Yu Xi said to Tau.
“I don’t want to,” said Tau.
Yu Xi: “I’ll snatch your dad and bring him over, oh.”
Tau: “Whatever makes you happy.”
Yu Xi was somewhat helpless.
Suddenly, the door to Tau’s cell was pushed open.
“Hey, it’s a dinner party!” Sanjay walked in, followed by a man who didn’t look familiar.
That man’s expression didn’t change when he saw the food on their table.
Sanjay sat down of his own accord and picked up a cookie, tossing it into his mouth: “Delicious~”
Yu Xi: …..
“You get to go home today. Doesn’t that make you happy, ah?” Sanjay asked Yu Xi.
Tau stared at the man next to Sanjay.
“You’re letting us go?” Yu Xi was stunned.
“Of course~ We’re completely screwed. Us evil space pirates are about to be exterminated.” Sanjay pinched Yu Xi’s cheek.
He lowered his voice: “If you tell this news to that stupid dog you raised, he’ll bark from happiness.”
“How wonderful, he’s triumphed over evil once more…..argh!!!” Sanjay didn’t get to finish his sentence, because Yu Xi punched him in the face.
Yu Xi grabbed Sanjay and gave him a beating: “You’re the stupid dog! You are a thoroughly stupid dog!” What on earth was this human thinking? He actually insulted Kersz straight to Yu Xi’s face.
When Yu Xi finished beating him, he noticed that something wasn’t right with Tau. He was still staring at that unfamiliar person.
Was there something special about him?
Blood trickled from Sanjay’s nose. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, then smiled.
Sanjay’s smile was especially impudent: “I just find it interesting. Look at how busy he’s been, and what does he have to show for it?”
“Some things never change, ah,” Sanjay said to Yu Xi.
Yu Xi’s brow furrowed.
“I just didn’t expect those bloodsuckers to have someone they actually care about. But that’s a good thing, at least for me.”
“What are you going to do?” Yu Xi asked him.
“Nothing. It’s time for you to go.” Sanjay waved a hand at Yu Xi. “We’ll meet again.”
Yu Xi said nothing else.
Sanjay had someone take Yu Xi and Tau and escort them out.
Yu Xi was a little curious, so he eavesdropped on Sanjay’s conversation with his subordinate.
Sanjay told them that the Supreme Governor had backed down, so they would be able to survive.
The Supreme Governor was going to protect the whole pirate crew? Hadn’t Kersz already sent all of the evidence out? Was the Supreme Governor willing to risk his reputation for these space pirates?
Yu Xi and Tau were left at an exchange site, and once the space pirates left, people from Yara’s side immediately took them away.
The two of them were sent straight to Kersz.
“Why would the Supreme Governor help the space pirates?” Yu Xi told Kersz about the conversation he’d overheard.
“Help? No, the Supreme Governor intends to eliminate them,” Kersz said with a frown. “He’s already making preparations.”
“So Sanjay was lying?” Yu Xi asked Tau.
Tau’s expression was slightly vacant.
“Oh, I forgot. Tau started acting strange a little while ago.” Yu Xi patted Tau on the head. “Tau, do you know that other person we saw?”
Tau nodded: “He’s an Illegitimate. I’ve met him.”
“He’s another one of the Supreme Governor’s Illegitimates?!” Yu Xi understood now. “So you’re old acquaintances?”
Tau nodded, then shook his head: “He and I…..lived very close to each other, but I don’t know anything about who he is.”
“What could you know about him as a person? His character? What kind of character can Illegitimates like you even have?” Kersz asked.
Ah? Right, where would an Illegitimate develop a character or personality?
Tau fell silent.
“Then what’s an Illegitimate doing with Sanjay?” Yu Xi asked.
“He’s a scapegoat, ah.” Facai was the one to respond this time.
The large, semi-transparent dog materialized: “The Supreme Governor hasn’t agreed to help the space pirates. Sanjay is just pacifying his crew first to give himself time to escape.”
Kersz: “What?!”
“There’s nothing you can do right now.” The big white dog smiled. “’Sanjay’ is certainly going to die. It just won’t be the real one.”
“That Illegitimate,” said Tau.
“Correct.” The big white dog raised its head and looked at Yu Xi. “It’s a pity you don’t remember. In our world, this kind of thing actually happened all the time.”
“Where is he?” Kersz asked.
“What? You’re going to deal with him yourself?” The big white dog plopped onto its hindquarters. “But why should I tell you?”
“He has the lives of countless people on his hands!” Kersz’s voice was a growl.
“I see, ah.” The big white dog tilted its head. “So what?”
Kersz: ……
Facai stood back up: “I was bored, so I just came over here to chat. People die every day in this world. It’s nothing unusual. And as for the specific details of their deaths, I’m honestly not interested.”
“Are you deliberately withholding information?” Yu Xi asked him.
Facai didn’t respond.
Yu Xi asked: “What do you want out of this? The thing I planted inside of Sanjay vanished. Why?”
“I did him a small favor,” Facai said.
Kersz: “He’s going to keep hurting people.”
“I told you, I don’t care. I’m just so bored,” Facai explained. “It’s not easy to find a little bit of fun…..Yu Xi, you get where I’m coming from, right?”
Yu Xi narrowed his eyes.
Facai: “Yu Xi, ah, you’ve experienced this kind of loneliness too, ri — woof, woof, woof!”
Facai immediately vanished.
Yu Xi had just pulled Facai’s tail. He glanced down at his empty palm.
Why did it feel like Facai was vulnerable to attack?
On the other side, a passing researcher noticed a problem with Facai’s projection. There appeared to be a bald spot on its tail.
Facai noticed the researcher’s gaze and woof woof woof’d at him.
The researcher fled, and Facai glanced back at the fur on its tail: “That’s going too far…..”
*
*
Yu Xi decided to try grabbing another handful of fur next time.
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Chapter 49 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 51
