"In the past, was there an accident?" Xu Le gawked, staring at Feng Yu. He hadn't suspected anything before, considering the blind letter to be irrelevant. The current tension didn't allow him to think about other matters. Without waiting for Feng Yu's reply, he began to tie him up with a heavy-duty belt he had on his body. Then, he took out a small device from his coat pocket and pressed the switch.
A pale blue light emitted from the metal device, covering a certain range around them, enveloping Xu Le and Feng Yu.
Uncle Feng Yu coughed twice from the smoke and grumbled discontentedly, "Couldn't you have run away without tying me up?"
Xu Le didn't respond to Feng Yu's words. In his mind, he quickly devised a plan and entered the mine tunnel, climbing into the worn-out mine car. He believed that with the help of the strange blue light-emitting device, they would temporarily evade the electronic surveillance network of the entire federation. In half an hour, they could disappear to a distant place, leaving the pursuing soldiers in great surprise.
As if understanding what Xu Le was thinking, Feng Yu smiled behind him and said, "After half an hour, how do you plan to escape? I taught you before that this chip on the circuit board needs to be connected to an electrical outlet to work. If we're just like mice on this star, we can only strive for 30 minutes, which won't make much of a difference."
"Even if it's just for the last few minutes, 30 minutes is better than three!" For some reason, Feng Yu's contemptuous attitude toward death still managed to anger stubborn Xu Le. He lowered his head and scolded in a low voice, "I know you didn't tell me everything. You have your own means to stay hidden within the federation and evade the arrest warrant for so many years. I can only find a way to deliver you to the airport. You have to figure out your own means of escape."
"You're really a foolish little guy... or maybe you're underestimating the reputation of the boss in the federation." Feng Yu's lips curled into a smile. "I can promise you that before the federation captures or kills me, no aircraft will be able to take off from the entire Eastwood Grand District."
Despite these words, Xu Le fell into silence. Facing the overwhelming momentum of the special troops that had pursued them, he could also infer their situation. However, he still clung to a glimmer of hope, not willing to give in... even though they were currently in a hopeless situation.
In the dark mine tunnel, only the sound of the mine car and the railway tracks resonated.
"I know you're very curious about how I managed to escape for so many years... historically, a dangerous criminal like me, either hides in Bermuda or defects to the empire... In the domestic freedom and survival time within the federation, the longest record was only nine days."
"Alright, I can make this chip behind my neck into a dog collar."
Even in the face of desperation, Feng Yu's voice remained indifferent, except when mentioning the chip and dog collar, which carried a hint of taunt and disdain. "Perhaps that's why the broken computer in the Charter Bureau takes the young master's ranking so seriously. It's also my secret."
Xu Le suddenly tightened his grip on the handrail of the mine car, feeling anxious.
Feng Yu revealed the secrets of the remote capital. The central computer in the Charter Bureau had ranked him as a top-level machine repair master without hesitation. However, those higher-level officials in the federation, including the senior chief, weren't aware of the real reasons. What was even more remarkable was that the central computer, bound by certain protocols, hadn't issued this astonishing warning.
This was Feng Yu's secret, a huge secret.
In the ancient times of the federation, there was a saying: If you know the knowledge or truth you want to know early in the morning, then even when twilight approaches, even in death, you can still hold a satisfied intention. At this moment, Xu Le felt a similar feeling. Drops of water hadn't fallen for hours, and under the continuous intense movements and fear, his lips were unusually dry. However, he understood that the reason his mouth was so dry at this moment wasn't solely due to the fear, but because he had heard his boss's biggest secret.
"The first charter is fine. The right to privacy of ordinary citizens is always protected at the highest level. At least in a society with so many crimes and a widening gap between the rich and poor, there aren't too many obvious inequalities."
In a state of infinite shock, Xu Le couldn't help but defend the first charter in his subconscious mind. This was influenced by the historical concepts he had been taught since childhood, as well as his own independent thinking. Especially after hearing about the chip equivalent to a dog collar, he felt a strong resistance within him.
"I never denied that." Uncle Feng Yu's tone was light, perhaps because he knew how difficult it was to find someone who would support him in the federal society. Even his young apprentice, who was fleeing from calamity with him at this moment, wasn't willing to accept it. "But here's the problem: the central computer is still just a computer. It's a tool, and tools... are always operated and used by humans. If one day someone can fully control that cold machine in the Charter Bureau, who knows what that person will do with this tool?"
Xu Le couldn't fully grasp what Feng Yu was saying, but he could sense that he was standing in an infinite dark tunnel, as if he would never see the light ahead. Without any reason, he felt a chill, and the spot on his neck where the chip was implanted started to ache, like numerous small bumps.
Perhaps to dispel the chill in his heart, Xu Le asked in a low voice, "If that's the case, aren't you prepared to use a fake chip to avoid being targeted by the federation again? Why don't you use it?"
Feng Yu's graying hair wasn't very obvious, but his face, seen in the darkness, carried a trace of sorrowful and weary appearance. He touched his hair and said sincerely, "Because I have a leg injury. I believe that this time, the federation won't miss the opportunity to collect my blood sample."
"Aren't you a skilled machine repair master? In the past, you killed tens of thousands of people. How could you be injured and tracked by the police?" Xu Le's words were both an interrogation and an attempt to ease his own tension.
"Because I'm getting old."
Feng Yu's simple reply left Xu Le dumbfounded, and he immediately fell into a state of self-reproach. The young man understood that the federal military had most likely found their location through the electric shock stick and subsequently discovered Feng Yu.