The small-boss looked in dread at this woman officer surnamed Chu before him.
Even were their Black Fox Society's boss standing here, one word from this woman could grind the whole Black Fox Society to powder and scatter it to the winds.
"The matter is this… we were, before, trying to catch a batch of succu— …but this gentleman happened to get there first. We didn't know, before, that this gentleman was your friend; if we've given offense, I'm willing to answer for it with my life. I ask only that you not involve the others." The small-boss steeled himself, and drew his laser pistol outright.
The very instant he drew it, in fact, several of Chu Xuan's guards fixed on him; had he made the slightest move threatening Chu Xuan, before he ever got the chance, this small-boss would be dead past dying.
And the young lady carried, besides, a trump card enough to keep her alive in any circumstance whatever.
The small-boss handed the laser pistol to Chu Xuan, deferential as a lapdog.
It left even Zhao Chen, off to the side, looking at Chu Xuan with some surprise.
By the look of it, this woman's standing was something to shake heaven and earth.
Consider it — a one-star brigadier answered her every word.
And what was a one-star brigadier's station?
Muster out in the ordinary way, and one could be enfeoffed a baron, even a viscount, outright — a rank without question higher than Zhao Chen's!
Chu Xuan looked to Zhao Chen at her side, plainly asking his wish.
"Get lost," Zhao Chen bit out — one word.
Were the crates not still being hauled in, this business would already have robbed him of a dozen-odd minutes of new-ship-building time.
"I'm in a fine mood today; I have no wish to see blood. Your own affairs, settle yourselves. You need only be clear on one point: this man is a friend of mine, Chu Xuan's." A faint smile played on Chu Xuan's face.
The small-boss let out a long breath; his little life, at least, was spared.
But since the young lady had bidden him settle it himself, he'd have to make some show of an attitude, whatever else.
As for that attitude…
The small-boss looked toward the dazed Wang Qiang beside him.
His face grim, he walked over and, without the least ceremony, set to raining fists and kicks on the man.
"You dare disrespect Miss Chu's friend! I'd say you're begging to die!"
The words were curses, but in his heart he could have hacked the man to 1,000 pieces; it was only that Miss Chu had just said she'd no wish to see blood.
So he couldn't dispatch the fellow on the spot.
"Big brother… big brother… stop hitting me… I… I know I was wrong…" Wang Qiang begged on the ground.
"Someone — take this fellow away and deal with him by our harshest punishment." the small-boss said coldly.
Sacrifice one core man to appease Miss Chu's anger — the trade couldn't be more of a bargain.
Never mind him standing here; even were the Black Fox Society's own boss here, he'd do it without a moment's hesitation.
He might even have killed every last underling present, purely to lift Miss Chu's spirits.
Hearing the small-boss's words, Wang Qiang's face went white on the instant, his whole body trembling; he crawled, dog-like, toward Chu Xuan and Zhao Chen. "I know I was wrong… I truly know I was wrong… don't… don't kill me! I… I have a three-year-old… mother at home to see through her old age, and below, an 80-year-old… wife and… babes in arms depending on me…"
Begging for his life, Wang Qiang's words came out in a tangle.
But watching it, Zhao Chen was unmoved.
Even were it true as the man said, Zhao Chen believed that among those who'd once suffered and been bullied under his hand, there'd be no shortage worse off than he.
This was only his comeuppance.
In the end, Wang Qiang was dragged off by the small-boss's men.
As for that Wang Qiang — word was he was later tortured to death, his body turning up days on in a refuse yard within Arctic Fox Starport.
The small-boss hadn't dared show one face and keep another.
Just as the Black Fox Society was leaving, that guard called Xiao Song, gone earlier, returned.
Old Chen's face, at this moment, was a ghastly white, his eyes full of terror, his legs trembling as though they'd give out any second.
"How did it go?" Chu Xuan asked.
Xiao Song shot Old Chen a glance, killing intent brimming in his eyes.
"The nav data aboard his interstellar transports was all deleted — but he likely didn't reckon on this: at the very bottom layer of the ship-system processor there's a backup dataset, and I pulled it out. In the data is his order to the transport fleet to slack off the mission and delay going to asteroid P331."
Hearing this, Old Chen dropped to the floor as though he'd come apart at the joints, all the spirit fled from him.
"Our imperial-navy soldiers, on the battlefield, fought without a thought for their lives to buy time — and you, safe behind them, went and squandered the precious minutes of the rescue and evacuation." Chu Xuan looked at Old Chen, ice in her gaze.
This time it was not for Zhao Chen's sake she stepped in, but wholly out of the fury in her own heart.
What she loathed most were those who said one thing and did another — those selfish enough, for their own gain, to sacrifice others, and above all to harm the soldiers of the imperial navy.
This Old Chen had well and truly crossed her line.
"I was wrong… I was wrong… I… I'll surrender all my property…" Old Chen begged without cease.
"Xiao Song — send him before the military tribunal," Chu Xuan said coldly.
"No… no… no… I won't go before the military tribunal… I… my cousin's husband is the lord of the Arctic Fox star system… you can't do this to me…" Old Chen wept and pleaded. He knew well that once this woman surnamed Chu sent him before the military tribunal—
—even were he innocent, he might not leave it alive.
The more so with the evidence of his crime laid bare! He was a dead man beyond doubt!
"The lord of the Arctic Fox star system? If he thinks I've done wrong, then let him come find me himself." Chu Xuan gave a cold snort.
"Our young lady dislikes noise. Quiet down." Xiao Song stepped up and, with a seemingly idle punch, dislocated Old Chen's jaw outright.
"Mmgh… mgh-hraa…" Old Chen wanted to speak, but no words would come.
Then he was hauled off under guard by the other soldiers, his end easy enough to imagine.
Afterward, the lord of the Arctic Fox star system divorced Old Chen's cousin straightaway, and came to Chu Xuan bearing thorns to beg forgiveness;[1] mercifully, Chu Xuan laid no punishment on him.
As for Old Chen, he was put to the extreme penalty by the military tribunal.
Chu Xuan looked to Zhao Chen, well pleased with herself. "Well? I've cleared all this up for you — how do you mean to thank me?"
"Thank you? Do I owe you a favor?" Zhao Chen said, his face unchanging.
Chu Xuan was taken aback. She pointed at Lilith beside Zhao Chen, then at the spot where the Black Fox small-boss had stood a moment ago. "Hey — don't you go turning your face and disowning the debt. Had I not stepped in, there's no telling what the Black Fox Society might have done to you today!"
"If a mere Black Fox Society could frighten me, then I'd not have gone off with just two ships to kill bugs in the first place." Zhao Chen gave a slight smile, then said, "And even if this business counts, at a stretch, as your having helped me — then at most we're square, neither owing the other. Don't forget: the matter of Old Chen was a lead I handed you; and had my fleet not spotted his slacking back then and fired a warning, the later battle would never have let asteroid P331 evacuate so quickly."
"You… you…" Chu Xuan was left stammering by Zhao Chen's words.
Chu Xuan remembered the aim in her heart, drew a deep breath, and squeezed out a smile. "Then let's set this matter aside for now. We're comrades who've fought shoulder to shoulder, after all — how about I treat you to a meal?"
"No time." Without so much as a backward glance, Zhao Chen walked into the ship workshop, and, the crates now all unloaded, shut the great door outright. He still had a T2 Black-Rhino-class Interstellar Heavy-Assault Frigate to hurry off and build.
He paid no mind whatever to the Chu Xuan left behind him, frozen-faced, never in her life treated so.