Evolution - Chapter 119
Chapter 119
Based on the laborers recruited over the past half-month, even after kicking out and beating up over a hundred people, the number remaining was still around six hundred.
At this rate of recruitment, by the time they left Wendeli, this place would have at least four or five thousand people. Add in daily training and leaving behind some weapons, and they would have the means to protect themselves and get by safely. But if internal chaos gave outsiders an opportunity, they would be a fat piece of meat ripe for the slaughter.
Ji Changqing carefully reviewed all the problems that had arisen among the newly recruited personnel over the last two weeks, contemplated the underlying reasons, and thought of many solutions.
Finally, she let out a long sigh. She suddenly understood why so many politicians tended to opt for superficial fixes rather than addressing problems at their root.
Time was tight and the task was heavy. To make their political achievements look good, they didn't have the luxury of solving problems from the ground up, one step at a time. They could only treat the symptoms as they appeared, taking decisive but crude action. As long as it looked good on the surface, it was fine.
They didn't care about the hidden dangers brewing underneath, nor how many people's interests were harmed by this approach of only solving surface-level issues without addressing the fundamental cause.
There was no other way. Time simply didn't allow for it.
It was just like the situation Ji Changqing now faced. Her stay was short, and she wouldn't look back once she left. There was no need to establish a base for long-term development. The current situation was like catching a rabbit while gathering grass—a side task, so expectations shouldn't be too high.
The only requirement was that they not cause trouble for her! Simply put, they just had to be obedient. If they wouldn't listen, they could get lost. She didn't need to care if the sky fell after she was gone.
She swiftly drafted a set of regulations, successfully restraining her inner desire to be comprehensive and limiting the rules to under ten articles.
For example: compensation based on labor, daily morning and evening drills, no private fighting—disputes were to be settled on the dueling platform, and those who bullied others would be expelled from the camp.
There was only one rule that stipulated the offender would be killed before being thrown out: betrayal.
After drafting the regulations, she took stock of Zhao Qingci's original assets, picked out some valuable but now useless items to sell, counted the money she had recently saved up, and cheerfully prepared to go broaden her horizons at the "den of gold."
Ming Zixing was on duty for this auction. He watched as Ji Changqing and Jixin, each with their own entourage, successively boarded the hovercars sent by the auction house.
His expression was gloomy, his eyes resentful.
Ji Changqing paid him no mind, completely ignoring his sour face and bluntly twisting the knife in his heart. "Hey, you're only missing a few trips. If you want to go wild, you can just go in a couple of days, can't you?!"
She laughed after saying it, feeling particularly pleased with herself. These were the exact words Ming Zixing had used the day she'd had her showdown with them and announced she would no longer be covering his shifts.
Ming Zixing was helpless against her. He shot her a sideways glance, snorted, and let it go.
Jixin felt rather resigned. After Ji Changqing refused to cover any more shifts, Ming Zixing had tried to get him to do it.
But he felt it was completely unnecessary. The next auction date was his turn to be on duty, and he couldn't possibly miss two in a row. After all, there were always certain things one acquired to use as trump cards, things that were inconvenient for others to know about.
He patiently reasoned with Ming Zixing, "I can swap shifts with you. You go this time, and I'll go at the end of the month. How about it?"
Ming Zixing fell silent for a moment, a flash of displeasure crossing his mind.
He actually wanted to go every time, but as soon as the thought formed, he realized it was impossible. Ji Changqing was no longer willing to bend over for money, and neither he nor Jixin had ever covered shifts for each other. Now that things were out in the open, it was even less likely.
"Forget it! I'll go next time." He had only been testing the waters. Failing to get the result he wanted, he could only leave in disappointment.
He didn't notice the profound look in Jixin's eyes as he turned away.
To put it bluntly, their fragile alliance had previously seemed quite harmonious. They came and went together, appearing much closer to each other than to Ji Changqing.
But once Ji Changqing turned on them, not only refusing to cover shifts but also baring her fangs and delivering the deepest psychological shock, things were different.
The realization that Ji Changqing possessed the individual combat capability to kill them at any time caused their sense of insecurity to skyrocket.
So what if the two of them joined forces? They still couldn't beat Ji Changqing!
Even more terrifying were the several possibilities that branched from this.
If they didn't team up, they would be even more thoroughly suppressed with no chance of turning the tables.
If they did team up, what if the other guy secretly sold him out?
Even if the other guy didn't sell him out, now that the opponent they originally wanted to team up against was too tough to handle, would their partner turn on them instead?
Not teaming up was also fraught with hidden dangers.
...
There were too many variables. Everyone looked like an enemy. Every day, their minds were filled with thoughts like, "Are these treacherous subjects trying to harm me?"
The inability to break the stalemate was incredibly anxiety-inducing.
Ji Changqing couldn't be bothered with their inner drama. This time, she followed Jixin's example and brought twenty people as an escort, with He Qingzhi naturally among them, plus Saiweiyala as an extra.
The hovercar arranged by the auction house was a luxury model. Behind the cockpit was an area similar to a first-class cabin, furnished as a small reception space with a low table laden with fruits, snacks, and drinks. It was fully equipped and well soundproofed, perfectly meeting the needs of anyone who needed to work or hold meetings.
If one wanted to lie down for a comfortable nap, that was also possible.
Jixin and Ji Changqing naturally entered the first-class cabin, while their respective entourages stayed in the back.
After they took their seats, Jixin took the initiative to extend an olive branch, briefly explaining the situation to Ji Changqing. "Most of the items the auction house acquires itself are sold at a fixed price. A small portion is selected for bidding. However, many outsiders choose to come and trade only during these few days of the auction."
Ji Changqing understood immediately. "A private trading session?"
A smile appeared on Jixin's face. "Yes. They can't stay for long, so they time their visits carefully. Many of the shops in the commercial district are only open during these few days as well."
Ji Changqing nodded and tactfully asked, "It seems like you need certain qualifications to enter these places. What are your plans, or rather, what are your requirements?"
Jixin remained very composed. "We are companions."
"Naturally," Ji Changqing said with a slight smile, not elaborating further. She had said she wasn't interested in their positions as core leaders and only wanted to stir up trouble, but whether they believed her was another matter.
Since he was making a gesture of goodwill, she would accept it.
The hovercar was fast, but the journey still took time. With nothing better to do, Ji Changqing decided to display the gossipy heart and friendly affection befitting a "companion."
"Speaking of which, you're all quite outstanding." She stroked her chin, choosing her words carefully. "How did you, um, end up in this situation?"
The faint smile on Jixin's face froze instantly. He lowered his eyes, his expression suddenly turning grim.
Ji Changqing understood this change of mood well. It was probably like an older single person being asked, "Why don't you have a partner yet?"—that feeling of having a sore spot stepped on and one's privacy invaded.
She shrugged nonchalantly. "You should all know my story." She let out a derisive snort. "I've managed to kill off some of those idiots over the years. As for the remaining few, well, I'm about to go back and get my revenge, aren't I?"
Jixin looked up and stared at Ji Changqing for a few seconds before slowly curving his lips into a smile. "Are you telling me you know nothing about our affairs?"
Ji Changqing reacted with lightning speed, covering her eyes. "Don't smile like such a pervert! You look like a villain!"
The smile on Jixin's face froze again. A frantic stream of thoughts flooded his mind:
You're the damn pervert! You're the villain!
This woman is definitely doing this on purpose!
And yet, seeing how she was so nonchalant about her own tragic past, even expressing a ferocious desire to kill another wave of people as soon as she got the chance, left a strange taste in his mouth.
In front of such a simple, crude, and vengeful powerhouse, he felt like an idiot by comparison.
He pressed his lips together firmly, suddenly envious that this woman's enemies were in the Empire. "You don't know. The Alliance has extremely strict controls."
The difficulty of infiltrating it was at least several times that of the Empire.
Hearing this, Ji Changqing's interest was piqued. She had recently, without any instruction, mastered the skill of sowing discord and twisting the knife. Embracing the excellent atmosphere of being in an enemy camp, she felt free to stab whoever she pleased, knowing she wouldn't accidentally hurt an ally.
She turned her head to the side. "Those people didn't die at home. Is it that hard to lure them out before killing them?"
Of course, she had no idea if that was how Zhao Qingci had operated, but that didn't stop her from spouting nonsense.
Under the banner of revenge, she could placate Jixin and the others. As for who her enemies were, she could figure that out later. Whoever she wanted to kill would be her enemy—she could make up whatever story she wanted!
A flicker of emotion crossed Jixin's eyes. He poured himself a glass of wine to steady his nerves and, without hesitation, elevated the status of his own enemies. "My enemies are all in the major military districts of the Alliance."
Ji Changqing clicked her tongue twice. "As if my enemies aren't soldiers from the Imperial military districts."
They had all attended military academies. Ninety-nine percent of the enemies one could make were either soldiers or military cadets. Who didn't know that?
Furthermore, because the Empire still retained a nobility system, Imperial nobles possessed special privileges, which was completely different from the network of connections the so-called "prominent families" in the Alliance had. One was a legitimate privileged class whose rights were granted by law, while the Alliance's prominent families merely had connections—people might do them a favor, or they might be completely ignored.
On that basis alone, Zhao Qingci's enemies were clearly of a higher caliber.
Jixin gently set down his wine glass and said, half-jokingly, half-seriously, "You're right. You're more formidable than I am!"
It had to be said, Ji Changqing's bantering and nonchalant attitude had cheered him up. It made him feel that the past events, once so shameful and painful, were actually not such a big deal and could be spoken of easily.
Jixin's tragic story was, in fact, a very old and unoriginal plot. His father, a military officer, was suddenly sent to a military tribunal on charges of selling military equipment and colluding with smugglers, with the evidence being irrefutable. Because the accused staunchly refused to plead guilty and maintained his innocence, a special investigation team from the Alliance was dispatched to review the case after an internal military inquiry. The result was that they dug up even more evidence of other crimes, even implicating other members of their family.
After getting exactly what they'd asked for and then some, Jixin's family—a minor one that had only achieved some success because of his outstanding father—was uprooted and purged from the military. Jixin, who was studying at a military academy at the time, was naturally kicked out.
When a person rises from the bottom, the path is lined with applause and flowers. But when a person falls from a great height, all that swarms in is ridicule, harassment, and all sorts of malice.
After his father was formally sentenced, his mother's career was obstructed at every turn and plummeted. Mother and son were like trapped beasts, growing more desperate the more they struggled.
At that time, he was only depressed and unable to speak of his pain, but he was still a normal person. At most, he secretly resented his father for taking such risks when things were going so well. It wasn't until his mother, who had always believed in his father's innocence and had been running around trying to find evidence to clear his name, died in an accident that he suddenly realized she might have been right.
His father might have been in someone's way, or someone might have framed him to be a scapegoat. And his mother's death, which looked like an accident—who could guarantee it wasn't meticulously planned by someone else?
Not long after his mother's death, his father died in an accident at the facility where he was serving his sentence.
Then came the story of the young Jixin's descent into darkness, his struggle, and his eventual discovery by someone with a discerning eye for talent. Now, he was a successful man with a fleet under his command.
Ji Changqing blinked and muttered, "Why does this plot sound so familiar? An accident at the prison leading to an 'accidental' death?"
Jixin let out a sneer. He wasn't an idiot. "I checked. He really did die in an accident."
He hadn't been secretly replaced, with a chance of still being alive somewhere.
"No way! You've done this sort of thing so many times yourself, and you still believe in accidents?" Ji Changqing stared at him in astonishment, her eyes wide. "Staging a little accident, making sure the right people die, and then kidnapping a batch to sell for money—isn't that standard procedure?"
Jixin lowered his gaze, a storm of thoughts raging in his mind. Looking at his refilled wine glass, he asked in a soft voice, "If it were you, what would you do?"
Ji Changqing rolled her eyes. "Still trying to get a revenge plan for free? You've got some nerve!"
Jixin chuckled softly and, knowing the rules, took a small box from his person. "A thank-you gift."
Ji Changqing opened it, took a look, and pondered for a moment. "I suppose it's not out of the question."
"When it comes to revenge, there are some things you absolutely must do yourself. You can delegate the investigation to others or have your subordinates handle it, but the crucial steps must be taken by you. Did you confirm the identity? Did you see the remains? Did you personally oversee the verification? The information others found for you, did you cross-check it? Did you have the people involved brought back for personal interrogation?"
"Once I had the chance, I captured the few obvious culprits one by one and interrogated them myself. No matter how great the benefits or how deep the loyalty, it all wavers in the face of one's own life. Through repeated interrogations and cross-referencing their confessions, I dug out a few more of those cowardly idiots."
Ji Changqing got carried away as she spoke, taking a sip of water to wet her throat.
Jixin watched her, lost in thought.
She never seemed to drink anything other than water. Was it because she was afraid of being poisoned?
Ji Changqing continued to show off her glorious achievements. "These idiots usually act all high and mighty, and a few of them were tough. But so what? I had their flesh sliced off piece by piece, cooked it, and stuffed it into their mouths. After a few rounds of that, they confessed."
Jixin suddenly felt a sour taste rise in his throat, a nauseating urge to vomit.
He took a sip of wine to suppress the feeling of revulsion. Interrogation by torture was what it was; everyone had probably used all sorts of methods. It was just that this person described it so vividly, creating such a graphic mental image that it caused a psychological discomfort.
"The information from a commissioned investigation might be false. The tasks you assign to subordinates might be handled carelessly. It's just a lack of diligence. But when you interrogate someone yourself, the things they spit out on the brink of death, when they can be corroborated with others' confessions, are almost certainly true."
"For over a decade, you've been investigating, but all you've gotten is trivial information. To this day, you haven't laid a hand on a single one of your enemies. Is it because the pain wasn't deep enough, or is it because, in your eyes, climbing to a high position, achieving success, and indulging in a life of luxury is more important?"
"Staying alive is what's most important." Jixin gazed out the window, his eyes distant, and sighed inwardly. "You brought this topic up on purpose. What are you trying to say?"
As he spoke, he stared intently at Ji Changqing, not missing the slightest change in her expression.
"Oh." Ji Changqing paused for a moment, then rolled her eyes at him. "I hold a grudge like no other. I can't stand not getting revenge. I was just a little curious about people like you who can bury their hatred so deep and focus on living a new life."
"Are you mocking me?"
"Just curious. After all, you people don't believe that my desire for revenge outweighs my ambition for power and profit." Ji Changqing met his gaze with a smile.
Their eyes clashed in a battle of wills.
One was deep and veiled, the other casual and unconcerned.
"If I wanted to make a move on you, killing you directly wouldn't be too difficult, right?"
Jixin's presence gradually weakened.
Although he didn't want to admit it, the folded page of the book he kept by his bed at night was proof enough.
She had the ability.
If she killed them and then purged their subordinates, wouldn't she be the sole authority? With only her left, even if her superiors didn't fully trust her, could they afford not to use her?
Between him and Ming Zixing, they had just over two thousand people. Even if she killed them all, she could still scrape together a few thousand by picking from the former "cargo."
"Yes." Jixin swirled the wine in his glass, clinked it against the water glass Ji Changqing had placed on the table, and asked again, "By deliberately bringing this up and stirring the hatred in my heart, what are you trying to imply, my companion?"
Ji Changqing blinked, flicked her water glass with a finger, and offered a half-hearted compliment. "You're so smart."
"Seeing as you're willing to share access privileges with me, I'll give you a little reminder. Among the people who framed me back then, there were some from the pirate group. I found them out. Since you think staying alive is what's most important, you might as well do some digging yourself."
Jixin's pupils contracted sharply, and the wine in his glass trembled slightly. He slowly set the glass down, his body unconsciously leaning forward. "What do you know?"
"Go find out yourself." Ji Changqing refused him coldly, her tone impatient. "You expect others to do everything for you? Are you a giant baby? I don't know anything. I'm just giving you a possible lead based on my own experience."
The fact that she said nothing more actually lessened some of Jixin's suspicions.
He knew in his heart that these people were ruthless in their pursuit of power and recruitment of followers. There was nothing they wouldn't do.
Previously, he had thought it was a coincidence that he was recruited into his current team after becoming a mercenary. It was only after he gradually rose through the ranks and entered the core leadership of a fleet that he discovered this mercenary group belonged to the Klopp family.
But for people like them, whose futures in the Alliance were already ruined, it was a joke to say they were law-abiding and loyal to the Alliance. Having a powerful backer was a good thing, so why worry about the details?
Thinking back on it now, however, it felt unsettling.
The Klopp family had never suffered any persecution from the Alliance or had their futures destroyed, forcing them to flee.
Once the seed of doubt was planted, it would grow on its own.
Ji Changqing was a master of saying just enough, and she didn't continue to fan the flames.
The two sat in silence until the hovercar came to a stop and staff from the auction house came forward to greet them.
After getting out of the car, Jixin's attitude toward her was much more sincere and earnest than before. The turmoil in his heart didn't affect his smooth actions in the slightest. He walked beside her, occasionally leaning in to explain things, and would take the initiative to make introductions when they encountered people they might need to deal with.
The group first went to the item appraisal area. Perhaps because of their large and imposing group, or perhaps because Jixin and the others had built a reputation, the auction house specially arranged a VIP room for them.
But when Jixin saw the "thank-you gift" he had just given her also placed on the table for appraisal, the corner of his eye twitched.
This woman was truly unpretentious and single-mindedly focused on money.
He was sitting right there, and she was brazenly having his gift appraised for cash.
Jixin felt this woman might be toxic. She was cashing in his gift right in front of him, yet he somehow didn't feel like he had lost face. Instead, he found her quite frank, unlike those hypocritical, seductive vixens.
The appraiser valued the items one by one and asked as a matter of routine, "One of the items is of auction-grade quality. Would you like to put it up for auction?"
"No, just give me the cash at a discount."
The rule here was that if you sold directly to the auction house, you received the appraised value, which was about eighty percent of the market price. If you auctioned it, the appraised value became the starting bid. After the sale, the auction house took a 10% commission, and you also had to pay a 5% appraisal fee.
The auction price could indeed be higher than the market price, but that depended on luck. If the item failed to sell or if there were few bidders, you could very well end up with less money than if you had sold it directly at its appraised value.
With the money in hand, Ji Changqing was delighted. She hadn't expected space pirates to be so profitable. These items were just a fraction of the scraps left over after Zhao Qingci's spending sprees, yet they were worth so much.
Ji Changqing was like a profligate heir selling off the family estate without a second thought, her heart filled with the joy of a farmer after a bountiful harvest.
Jixin, on the other hand, felt a pang of regret. He secretly wondered what other good things she had and whether he should take the opportunity to trade for some.
"Is there anything you particularly want? That auction-grade item could actually be bartered at a private trading session."
Ji Changqing gave him a rather strange look. "Everything we need right now can be bought with money."
What are you thinking, little brother? We just need to buy some military/arms/munitions, personal weapons, and some defensive equipment.
We have no use for these valuable and rare items.
"You could still keep a little, right?" Jixin hesitated, then reminded her in a low voice, "What you keep is your own. The equipment you buy with the money you spend won't belong to you."
Equipping their subordinates was the boss's job. What did it have to do with them?
Before, everyone had emptied their pockets to subsidize the group in order to survive and increase their future prospects.
But hadn't they solved the problems of food and shelter now? And hadn't they successfully bared their souls and confirmed they were companions? There was no need for a military/arms race, was there?
Ji Changqing's eyes flickered. This guy had changed his tune way too fast. Was he reminding her to save money?
Was he being sincere, or was he trying to maintain their military/arms advantage?
Forget it. It was too tiring to think about.
In any case, even if she spent all her money, she couldn't keep up with their military/arms.
Besides, she wanted the money, but more importantly, she wanted to have a wild time in this den of gold and see what it was all about.
This planet was strange and unsettling, always making one feel uneasy.
"We do need to get some equipment, but mostly, I just want to have fun." Ji Changqing's eyes darted around. She nudged Jixin with her elbow and winked. "You've been here several times. Have you played in all the places inside?"
This wasn't exactly a classified secret, so Jixin answered every question. "Pretty much. Only the Beast Fighting Arena is left."
The Beast Fighting Arena had the highest entry requirement. It was said that the fights didn't involve ordinary exotic beasts, but beastmen.
He looked down and checked their cumulative transaction and spending amounts. "If we spend all the money we just got today, we'll be able to get into the Beast Fighting Arena."
Ji Changqing was satisfied with this.
The VIP card they currently held was based on the entire camp's cumulative transaction and spending volume. When they first arrived, everyone had emptied their pockets to buy so many things just to qualify for an auction invitation.
Later, with so many people constantly selling things for money and then spending it here in a haze of indulgence, it had taken three months to barely unlock access to all the consumer venues.
Thinking about it, Wendeli's den of gold was quite interesting.
It even used a tiered access system with entry requirements to raise its own prestige.
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