Chapter 25 Chapter One

The Hang Merchant... The Hang Merchant has long been the vanguard of the base's political hegemony, expanding outward among the sparse stars on the far rim of the galaxy.They usually go out for months or even years before returning to Terminus again.Most of the spaceships driven by Hongshang were refitted from second-hand goods by themselves, or they used crude means of transportation made temporarily.Their virtues cannot be considered noble, but they are all courageous... The "empire" they built with these resources is far stronger than the Four Kingdoms in the name of false religion and despotism...

The stories of these strong and lonely merchants are too numerous to enumerate.Half earnestly, half jokingly, they all took as their motto one of Harding's admonitions, "Don't let your morality stop you from doing what's right!" It is almost impossible to distinguish which is true and which is false in the story about the merchants, but it is certain that there are inevitably some exaggerations... —— "Galaxy Encyclopedia" Lima Pennyacks was covered in soap scum when she received the call.This proves the old adage that long-distance communication and showers have always been inseparable, and the same holds true in the dark and desolate outer rim of the galaxy.

Fortunately, this personal space merchant ship is not full of goods, and the "bathroom" part is quite spacious and comfortable - in a small space of two feet by four feet, it is equipped with hot shower facilities.It was about ten feet away from the console of the driver's seat, so Pang Yates could clearly hear the "click, click, click" sound of the receiver. He rushed to wash away the soap suds, let out a growl, and then walked out quickly to adjust the intercom.Three hours later, another space merchant ship approached, alongside him.Then, a young man with a smile came over from the air corridor between the two ships.

Peng Yaci immediately pushed the best chair over, and sat on the swivel seat of the driver's seat himself. "Gorm, what are you doing?" He asked unhappily, "Did you chase me all the way from the base all the way here?" Les Gorm took out a cigarette, shook his head firmly, and said, "Me? At the time, they just received this email the day before, so they ordered me to chase it and give it to you." Gorm handed Pyates a small shiny sphere, and then said, "This is a classified document, super-secret. I think that's why it can't be passed using sub-ether or something like that. At least, this It's a private envelope that no one can open but yourself."

Peng Yicci looked at the little ball, showing a displeased expression: "I can see it, and I also know that this kind of email has always reported worries rather than good news." He opened the small ball in his hand, and a thin scotch tape slowly unfolded, and Peng Yates quickly scanned the words on it—he had to do this, because when the last part appeared, the previous tape had already Discolored and deformed.Within a minute and a half, the tape turned black, and then decomposed into countless molecules and scattered all over the place. Peng Yeci deliberately murmured and complained: "Oh, my God!"

Les Gorm asked softly, "How can I help? Or is it really so secret that you can't tell me?" "It's okay to tell you, anyway, you are a member of the guild - I have to go to Ascon." "To that place? Why?" "A peddler was arrested and imprisoned there, but you can't tell others about it." Gorm's expression turned angry, and he cried, "Arrest and jail! That's a violation of the convention." "But interfering in internal affairs is also a violation of the convention." "Oh, did that guy really do that?" Gorm thought for a moment and said, "What's the name of that peddler? Do I know him?"

"No!" Peng Yaci's answer sounded very serious, which made Gorm know that there was something hidden in it, so he wisely stopped asking. Peng Yates stood up, stared at the picture plane with melancholy eyes, and said a few words firmly to the hazy lenticular part that formed the main body of the Milky Way in a low voice, then raised his voice and said: "What the hell! It's a mess, and my sales quota is already behind!" Gorm seemed to have thought of something suddenly: "Hey, old friend, Ascon is a closed area for trade." "Yeah, you can't even sell a pencil sharpener in Ascon, and they won't buy any nuclear power units. I have so much in stock and sending me there is killing me .”

"Can't you not go?" Peng Yaci shook his head absent-mindedly: "I know the guy who was arrested. I can't let my friend die. Otherwise, what should I do? I live in the embrace of the Holy Spirit of the Galaxy, and wherever it tells me to go, I have to ask for it." Gladly accepted." Gorm let out a bewildered "Oh!" Peng Yaci looked at him and smiled softly: "I forgot, you have never read 'The Complete Book of the Holy Spirit', have you?" "I haven't even heard of it," Gorm replied simply. "If you've had religious training, you'll know."

"Religious training? You mean priestly training?" Gorm was taken aback. "I'm afraid that's the case. This is a secret and a shame that I have never been willing to disclose. At the beginning, the masters thought I was too difficult to discipline, so they expelled me from the sect, and then I began to receive ordinary education at the base. Oh, I have to leave quickly , how is your quota sales this year?" Les Gorm stubbed out his cigarette, straightened his hat, and replied, "There's only the last one left, and I'm sure I'll sell them all."

"Lucky guy." Peng Yates said in a frustrated tone. After Les Gorm left, Pennyack continued to meditate and remained motionless for several minutes. It turned out that Esk Grove was in Ascon, and in jail!That's too bad!In fact, the situation is much worse than it appears.Just now, in order to dismiss Gorm, a curious young man, Pang Yates told him a little vague outline, and said it lightly on purpose.But the real situation that will be faced is completely different. Because the merchant chief Esk Gorov is not actually a merchant, his real identity is a spy of the base.There are only a few people who know the inside story of this matter, and he-Lima Pennyaz happens to be one of them.