Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 245 - 165: The Girl and the Treasure

Chapter 245: Chapter 165: The Girl and the Treasure

If one were to look at the social system on Mechanical Star, Ling Long would be considered an aristocrat.

Only an aristocrat could manage to steal the national treasure of Mechanical Star amidst the raging civil war.

The plan was originally flawless.

With the powerful support troops from Shanqi Commerce Association, the defeat of the rebels was inevitable. The nobles within the Mechanism Throne only needed to indulge in pleasure daily and simply send out a distress signal to the Chamber of Commerce in their leisure time to easily quell the rebellion.

What followed was the handling of the rebels.

Regarding the execution of all the rebels, the rulers of Mechanical Star had already reached a consensus with the envoys of the Shanqi Commerce Association, but there were disagreements about the rebels’ families, friends, and the towns and villages they lived in.

The rulers believed that this unprecedented rebellion demanded more than just executing some rebels to quell their anger and to etch fear and awe into every inhabitant of Mechanical Star. They needed a set of even harsher measures to ensure that potential rebels would never entertain the thought of resistance again.

They thought this era of terror should last five to ten years, letting the rodents at the very bottom of society denounce and tear each other apart until they were utterly depleted.

But this would affect the reputation of Shanqi Commerce Association, after all, the entire rescue fleet had come with an attitude of "mediating the conflict."

At least at that time, the Shan Clan People still cared a lot about their reputation in the eyes of the outside world.

Therefore, after a series of negotiations, both sides eventually reached a consensus—execute all the rebels and exile everyone related to the rebels, even if you were just neighbors with the rebels, or had spoken a few words before the outbreak of war, you would be included on the list.

Those exiled would never be allowed to return to the territories of Mechanical Star.

This gave Ling Long’s parents a glimpse of opportunity.

With the right timing, once they had stolen the secret treasure of the Mechanism Throne and mixed in with the refugees on the evacuation flagship, they would be able to leave the planet forever, their latter lives guaranteed to bask in endless glory and wealth.

However, "flawless" is just like "invincible," a debuff.

In the process of stealing the treasure, they had a falling out with their companions, which alarmed the guards during their escape. They could only temporarily hide the treasure and eventually, under a planet-wide manhunt, had no choice but to disguise themselves and mix with those being exiled on the evacuation flagship.

Thus, from the very first day Ling Long became sensible, she was instilled with an inescapable mission. Her parents had already planned out her life path—becoming a top student to enter higher education institutions under the company, working for the company after graduation and earning recognition from senior management due to her excellent performance, which would lead to a transfer to the headquarters.

According to company policy, Ling Long would have the opportunity to apply for an overseas position after working for a certain number of years.

All these plans were for one single purpose.

——to go to Mechanical Star as an employee of Universe Company, to retrieve the grand secret treasure that should have belonged to them under the guise of an inconspicuous identity.

Ling Long’s parents had charted every node of her life for her, and she would ultimately have to use Universe Company as a stepping stone.

After Ling Long finished her story, Tang Qianqian and Duan Mingyuan felt conflicted.

They had originally thought Ling Long was one of the refugees expelled from the planet, but they didn’t expect that her parents were wanted for stealing the national treasure and that their plight was entirely self-inflicted.

"What exactly is this great secret treasure they spoke of?"

Tang Qianqian asked.

"I don’t know."

Ling Long shook her head and said earnestly, "But I will find it. Once I have found the great secret treasure, I’ll pay you back for the ship tickets."

"But so much time has passed since they escaped from Mechanical Star, maybe the stolen treasure has already been found by someone else."

"Then I’ll steal it again. In any case, I will certainly pay you back."

How stubborn this young girl is!

It seems she was thoroughly brainwashed by her parents, willing to gamble her entire life for a nebulous treasure.

"But why? You are the top student at City Number One Middle School, and if you continue on this track, you could have a job many people can only dream of. You don’t need to find the secret treasure to live well."

While persuading, Tang Qianqian was already considering whether or not to report Ling Long’s parents, these grand national thieves.

After fleeing their home planet, they not only failed to repent but also tried to groom their own child into a thief!

"It’s to repay their kindness in raising me."

Ling Long’s gaze suddenly became very determined. "Once I hand over the secret treasure to them, my life will no longer be under their control."

For a very long time, she had felt like a marionette, with everything in her life predetermined.

That was until she encountered a turnaround in a wild dream.

No longer just a pre-designed tool, she existed as herself.

She began looking forward to dreaming every single day.

Dreams were more colorful than the real world, with companions, tutors, and even if she played devious pranks, there would be no severe criticism.

But every dream has a moment of awakening.

Every time the dawn’s light entered her room and she opened her eyes, the heavy burden would once again rest on her shoulders.

"Ling Long, your thoughts are very problematic."

Tang Qianqian never thought she would one day admonish others like a senior, and she spoke seriously, "If you need help, we can communicate with your parents, instead of indulging you in becoming a thief!"

"No!"

Ling Long hugged her knees and lay down on the ground, "I won’t go back, even if you don’t take me there, I will find another way."

"Based on my experience, a child who has run away from home might need some time to be alone, and a journey through the stars could have a pleasant effect,"

Duan Mingyuan said.

"Senior!"

"But there’s a condition beforehand, once we’ve reached Mechanical Star, you’re not allowed to steal anything."

"Alright."

Ling Long agreed without any hesitation.

"Moreover, if you want to board the ship, you need to seek the captain’s consent."

In front of the two of them, Duan Mingyuan dialed the Third Prince’s number, and when the call connected, they seemed to also hear Cai Die’s voice.

"What? You’re saying a ship spirit appeared on the Ranger? Let me see!"

The Third Prince was eager, especially after hearing that Ling Long was a black-haired schoolgirl in uniform, his voice sounded as if he couldn’t wait to leap through the screen to see for himself.

However, following a "slap" noise, the other end of the phone fell into a brief silence.

Duan Mingyuan seemed to also hear a "whimpering" sound, but it was gradually moving away from the microphone, until after a minute passed, Cai Die’s voice came through, "The Third Prince has some official duties to attend to and is currently unable to speak. Regarding the acceptance of new crew members, Mr. Mingyuan, you can make the decision."

The call ended.

The Third Prince ultimately didn’t get his wish to see the black-haired schoolgirl in uniform he’d been longing for.

Silence spread through the cramped space, and after a long while, Ling Long finally broke it.

"What are they doing?"

Her bright red eyes were innocent and uncorrupted by the ways of the world.

She knew the captain of the Ranger was the Third Prince from the Imperial Court, and one of the most distinguished individuals on Blue Star, but this brief first impression left her puzzled.

The Third Prince seemed to have been hit by something.

And his mouth seemed to have been gagged.

It sounded as if he was experiencing some unlawful harm.

Ling Long asked with concern, "Is he alright? Do we need to call the police for him?"

"He’s fine,"

Duan Mingyuan said, and felt that he had been somewhat inconsiderate.

It was late at night, a time for rest.

Rest time was often a time of freedom, and the Third Prince was even more free than others on this planet. It was his call that interrupted the Third Prince’s entertainment.

"Now that the captain has spoken, you are also a member of the Ranger crew. You shouldn’t be staying in a place like this,"

Duan Mingyuan spoke up, glancing at his phone.

The "Rest Reminder Assistant" at home was very unhappy with him for working out late at night and sent several unread messages.

As the deputy captain, he handed over the task to Tang Qianqian, the logistics officer, "You handle the room arrangements for her and also show her around the Ranger’s facilities."

After Duan Mingyuan left, only Tang Qianqian, Li Hua, and Ling Long remained on the Ranger.

Once they confirmed that there were no evil spirits on the Ranger, Tang Qianqian felt much more at ease. On the bright side, having a black-haired schoolgirl on the ship was definitely better than a grisly monster.

Although Tang Qianqian didn’t understand why Duan Mingyuan left Ling Long on the Ranger, as the saying that circulated online goes, "Don’t question, just trust."

The senior was a visionary; many of his decisions may only be understood long after they were made.

She initiated the conversation, "What was with that secret door? Are you a Power User?"

"No, it’s this."

Ling Long took out a rolled-up piece of paper from her school uniform pocket, spread it out, and on it was a simple drawing of a door, "It’s called an Anywhere Door, a gadget from Mechanical Star."

As she spoke, she stuck the piece of paper on the wall of the corridor. When she removed it, a door that hadn’t been there before appeared on the wall.

Tang Qianqian was astounded; she brought her arm up and passed it straight through the newly opened door.

Ling Long also took out a compass and a marker from her pocket right in front of her, "If there’s no space on the other side of the door, you need to use these tools. The Reclamation Instrument can create a small area... Although the people of Mechanical Star don’t have Life Energy or Strange Gates and Devious Techniques, they are skillful and have created many incredible gadgets."

Tang Qianqian looked at Ling Long and the pockets around her waist.

It was obvious that the thin layer of the school uniform pocket couldn’t possibly hold so many things.

"Could it be that your pocket also...?"

"Yes, it’s called a Space Compression Bag; it actually has about three cubic meters of storage space."

"I understand now, I completely understand!"

Tang Qianqian stood her ground and excitedly declared to the world, "Doraemon, truly exists!"