10 Going Home

"Resetting source code... changing commands... initiating manual override... updating flight path..."

Bu Hui muttered under her breath, her eyes fixed intently on the screen. During the monotonous hours of space travel, she had been studying this ship. More advanced equipment meant more complex commands, and she had lost count of how many times she had tried.

Her fingertip tapped the final red button.

"Click."

"Command modification successful, data refreshed."
"Would you like to modify the flight path?"
"...Yes."

Bu Hui clicked confirm.

The news of Xin Chi’s prison break had been suppressed with extreme secrecy; even now, the entire network remained silent, with not a single whisper leaked. Having initially been excited to return home, she gradually realized that the official silence over the past few days meant they were deliberately concealing the news.

If that was the case, if she appeared and were mistaken for a pirate, wouldn't she be finished if they just blew her up without a word?

"..."

Damn pirates! she cursed daily.

With about three or four days left in the scheduled journey, before entering Federation space, Bu Hui thought of a good plan. She was determined to try her luck and see if she could hitch a ride on a merchant ship, using this ship in her possession to trade for a chance to go home.

Bu Hui chose a remote, opposite flight path, intending to drift along the outer perimeter of the official Federation routes for a day.

She activated the communication system, reclined in the sleep chair, and prepared to close her eyes for a nap.

Waiting for a fateful encounter.

...

The warm, peaceful sleep lasted for about four hours. The ship had been drifting off-course for a long time, but unfortunately, there was no news from any merchant ships.

When bored, Bu Hui gnawed on meat strips. The ship was stocked with more than enough food; there was no need to ask—it was clearly He Yin's doing.

She was idly flipping through a technical manual to pass the time when the communication system suddenly lit up.

It indicated an incoming request.

Bu Hui’s eyes brightened. Could it be a merchant ship!

The moment the connection was established, before she could even express her sincerity, a stuttering, stern warning came through: "...Who are you! Identify yourself immediately! You are surrounded, do not make any sudden... uh, that is to say, don't move!"

Static suddenly erupted from the other end of the communication system.

"...Your protocol is wrong..."
"Tsk, then you say it! Stop dawdling..."
"We should report this to Mr. Wen first!"

Bu Hui, whose head was aching from the noise, said, "...How about we talk in person?"

There was silence on the other end.

Ten minutes later, Bu Hui was detained by several men claiming to be bodyguards and boarded a small patrol vessel. She was pointed at by several pitch-black gun barrels, but before she could feel afraid, the young students holding the weapons were already trembling. Their shaky aim was even more terrifying than professional weaponry.

They were just junior interns from a military academy, sent out to protect a high-profile figure. On the surface, it sounded impressive, but in reality, they were just here to kill time and add a nice entry to their internship records.

They had wandered off the path, and unexpectedly, by a stroke of blind luck, they had run straight into Bu Hui!

...How unlucky.

Bu Hui quickly grasped their identities through their fragmented remarks.

"I am a civilian," she said earnestly.

"N-nonsense! That's what all villains say!"
"What civilian could fly a combat ship into a military zone? Don't try any more tricks!"
"Are we going to be awarded a third-class medal for this?"

Their panicked responses were completely off-base. Bu Hui sighed, closed her eyes in resignation, and waited patiently to be delivered to their superior before explaining.

...

They soon arrived near a space station. They must have reported it somehow, because when the hatch opened, a flood of guards poured in. The scene was incredibly crowded, almost causing a man-made trampling disaster for Bu Hui.

"Where are the criminals?!"
"How did they disappear?"

Exclamations followed one after another. Bu Hui pressed herself against the silver-white wall, trembling as she called out, "I'm here! Could you please make way, please?"

The guard unit fell silent. A young man surrounded by others stepped through the door, his gaze landing precisely on the "criminal" described in the reports as "brutal, terrifying, and a lone wolf."

Small, beautiful, and looking terrified. It made them look more like the thugs.

"..."

The students broke into a cold sweat after receiving a chilly glare, scratching their faces in embarrassment.

"Check the ship's configuration."
"Everyone, withdraw."

The man was wrapped tightly from head to toe. After issuing a few brief orders, he signaled for them to disperse, then strode toward Bu Hui and stopped in front of her.

He scanned Bu Hui’s identification while looking her up and down. His cold, dark green eyes were lowered, frosted over, making him appear cold and unapproachable.

"...Is it you?"

The man froze, his gentle voice melodic, the tail end of his sentence slightly lifted.

He took off his mask.

His fluffy blonde hair spilled out in a messy state, and his handsome young face was filled with a pleasant vitality, a stark contrast to his cold image from moments ago. He looked as kind and friendly as a wealthy heir experiencing life.

Bu Hui was also stunned.

Of course, she recognized the man in front of her.

He was a celebrity reported on by the magazines in Huimin City, once the dream lover of every unmarried woman in the city, and in the future, very likely the next mayor of Huimin City.

Wen Boxi, the son of the Mayor of Huimin City.

Instead of running into the Alliance Army, she had bumped into a big shot.

"You remember me?" Bu Hui pointed at herself uncertainly, her expression slightly awkward. "It wouldn't be because of those articles I published on the internet, would it?"

"Do you not remember three years ago? I was the one who followed the army to pull you ashore," he smiled.

Bu Hui certainly remembered, but she hadn't been sure that such a high-profile figure would remember the tiny, dying, emaciated girl among a group of alien strays.

Three years ago, Wen Boxi was still a student. While following the army on a patrol, he had discovered her small drifting craft and pulled her from the depths of space.

It was he who instructed the household registration department to arrange Bu Hui’s housing and work. It could be said that everything Bu Hui possessed was thanks to that random act of kindness.

"Come to think of it, I should thank you, too," Wen Boxi said kindly.

At that time, his father, the mayor, was in the midst of a re-election campaign. His small, unintentional act of helping an alien stray settle down had been enthusiastically reported by the media. Everyone had praised him, helping his father win many votes.

"I should be the one thanking you. It’s a good thing I ran into you today, otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to explain myself," Bu Hui said with an awkward laugh.

Noticing her subtle, embarrassed expression, Wen Boxi couldn't help but laugh heartily.

"You really should thank me. It just so happens to be lunchtime; your meal is taken care of."

Steaming bread, smoked meat, a small cup of grape juice, and a small piece of fluffy, soft cake. Bu Hui observed that this meal was standard; Wen Boxi was eating the same rations as them.

Wen Boxi chewed a couple of bites and said, "This area has been blockaded by the Federation Army. You would have run into them no matter where you went. Since you ran into me, your luck is decent enough to avoid dealing with them."

Bu Hui: "..."

That guy, Xin Chi, must have anticipated this all along! He let her modify the flight path, just enough to leave traces for inspection, and the ship had plenty of good supplies to prove she wasn't part of that pirate crew.

Wen Boxi keenly sensed her poor complexion and smiled, changing the subject: "You haven't told me what you've been through."

Bu Hui nibbled on her bread, reciting the script she had prepared.

How she, weak and pitiful, had been abducted by vicious pirates in the middle of a business trip, the hardships she had endured along the way, and how she had taken advantage of their distraction to steal the ship and race back home day and night.

Her tone was sincere and choked with emotion. The patrolling guards confirmed that the ship's commands had indeed been modified as she described, and the hardships she recounted almost moved them to tears.

...

Wen Boxi was also moved.

Holding his water cup, he listened to the exaggerated, exciting adventure she described. He gazed at the gesturing Bu Hui, his dark green eyes sparkling with fascination.

"Don't worry, I will explain the situation to my superiors and take you back."
"Then thank you so much!"

The heavy stone in her heart finally dropped, and Bu Hui silently breathed a sigh of relief.

"By the way, the two people being held, they are your colleagues, right?"
"...Eh?"

...

The temporary prison at the space station was actually a crude little compartment converted from a ship, housing a group of suspects yet to be processed. Bu Hui followed him anxiously down a long, dim corridor, finally seeing her two long-lost colleagues at the end.

Wen Lu'er and Leite.

The two were slumped on the floor in a sorry state, their clothes tattered and dirty, their eyes filled with despair.

The moment they saw Bu Hui, their dull expressions froze, and then they stumbled toward her as if they had seen a savior.

Wen Lu'er wailed through the electric fence: "Wooo, you finally came! I knew you would save us!"
Leite’s eyes were also red: "I thought you were dead! You jerk!"

Bu Hui looked at Wen Boxi, bewildered: "...Why are they being held here?"

"The stationed soldiers were all killed. They were unarmed, yet not only did they survive, they even hacked a military ship ahead of time to escape disaster. It’s hard to explain."

"I have been investigating for a long time, and this trip back was to report the situation," Wen Boxi signaled to the soldiers nearby to open the cell door. "With your testimony and evidence, we have figured out what happened. I will take you all back with me tomorrow."

Thank goodness.

"But, Captain..." the soldier following behind said hesitantly.

"No matter. I will personally take them back and explain to my superiors," Wen Boxi said, his handsome face stern.

The next day.

Bu Hui and her group boarded Wen Boxi’s ship to return to Stan Star.

She counted the events of this trip and couldn't help but sigh. Not to mention the wasted time, the incredibly troublesome follow-up would require a lot of time to coordinate with the government.

She hadn't earned a single cent; this was a huge loss.

Damn pirates! Bu Hui cursed silently once more.

She couldn't sleep, tossing and turning on the hard bed, starting to rummage through her tool kit to polish her tools as a distraction.

"Huh."

A small black card inlaid with exquisite silver patterns suddenly fell to the floor. Bu Hui picked it up, scanned it in confusion, and the results on the smart-brain screen shocked her.

It was actually an unlinked, high-value savings card!

She logged into the website, entered the information, and her own identity details popped up.

Name: Cunning Blue Starer (Cannot be changed within one year)
Transfer Memo: Business trip expenses

Bu Hui: "..."

She had never seen a pirate so petty!

However, seeing the amount, she couldn't help but beam, carefully hiding the savings card.

She decided to curse Xin Chi again tomorrow.