The battle was over!
A tremendous cheer erupted inside the cabin, filled with ecstatic relief at having survived the ordeal.
Not a single person died, and no one was even injured. They had miraculously escaped the nightmare! And all of this was thanks to the young boy before them, who didn't appear particularly strong or robust.
Both the passengers and the crew members inside the starship were filled with indescribable gratitude towards Yuanxi.
Despite the warm atmosphere, Yuanxi's expression remained unchanged. He helped the middle-aged woman, who had fallen to the ground, back on her feet and then handed her over to her husband.
Yuanxi knew it wasn't over yet.
As if to confirm his thoughts, the starship, which had already endured two attacks, was struck once again, and this time the violent shaking was even more intense than before.
The faces of the passengers inside the ship turned pale. At that moment, the captain hurriedly explained, "It must be a patrol ship from the Federation. They don't know our situation inside. Once I establish contact with headquarters and explain everything, we will be able to safely land!"
As soon as he said that, the tense passengers let out a collective sigh of relief.
But Yuanxi's expression remained as serious as ever, even more so than before.
The middle-aged woman had recovered her composure and noticed Yuanxi's expression. She asked with some concern, "Child, do you know something?"
Yuanxi looked at her, hesitating. He wasn't sure if he should reveal what he had seen. The situation outside was far from a rescue. They might have dealt with the criminals, but they were most likely going to die at the hands of their own people.
Seeing Yuanxi's hesitation, the middle-aged woman continued, "Child, my name is Lin Suyun. You can call me Aunt Lin. If you can, you might as well tell me."
Yuanxi looked at Lin Suyun. She appeared to be around forty years old, but she took good care of herself. Only the subtle details in her demeanor and attire revealed her age.
Lin Suyun had black hair, black eyes, and fair skin. Her appearance was beautiful, and the determination in her eyes was no weaker than that of a man. In fact, her earlier act of snatching the weapon had already shown that she had a strong and rational personality.
Yuanxi needed someone to help him think, so he lowered his voice and recounted what he had heard in the conversation between the criminals and Bazi, as well as Bazi's indifference and the subsequent breakdown in negotiations.
Upon hearing this, Lin Suyun narrowed her eyes slightly and then said to Yuanxi, "We can't reveal everything; it would cause chaos that would be uncontrollable."
Yuanxi also thought the same, but he couldn't let these people naively believe they would be rescued. They needed to save themselves and work together to escape the crisis.
Weighing the pros and cons, Yuanxi finally spoke up, "Everyone, please calm down. I overheard a communication between these two criminals and our Federation patrol team. They were unable to reach a successful negotiation, and the criminals forcibly cut off all contact with the outside. Therefore, we have no way of delivering any messages."
Yuanxi explained the situation clearly, but at the same time, he obscured the details of the whole incident, placing all the blame on the two dead criminals. It wasn't that Yuanxi wanted to preserve the reputation of General Feng Yun, but rather, he didn't want these people to despair.
To stabilize their emotions and give them the motivation to fight, Yuanxi lied. This was also his last effort to protect them. Sometimes, the less they knew, the longer they would survive.
However, even so, upon learning that they couldn't communicate with the outside world, many people fell into panic. Without communication, they couldn't convey their current situation, and the attacks from outside wouldn't stop. They were just a passenger ship, unable to escape even with all the energy focused on the shield. They were left with only the prospect of death!
Yuanxi was aware of all this. He suddenly remembered the scene he witnessed in the engine room, that long tube that had bothered him so much!
He quickly retrieved the object. As soon as he held it in his hand, Lin Suyun's pupils contracted. She nudged her husband, saying, "Yucheng, look at this..."
Yucheng, the middle-aged man, followed her gaze and immediately froze. The look in his eyes was no longer surprise but fear. His voice trembled as he said, "This... They actually stole this!"
Although Yuanxi didn't understand, he could tell from their expressions that they must know what it was. After a brief thought, Yuanxi led the couple to the engine room and told them everything he had seen.
Lin Suyun's face changed, and eventually, she said, "Let your uncle explain."
Yucheng was a calm man, even though he was getting older, his features were still handsome and mature. However, he rarely smiled and seemed difficult to approach. He pursed his lips and spoke after a moment, "If it's what I think it is, we might be able to survive this."
After pausing for a moment, he explained in detail, "This is the latest research project from the Federation Research Institute, a concept that surpasses Level 10 warp speed. By utilizing the antimatter inside this energy rod to manipulate space, a distorted space is created, allowing for unimaginable super-high-speed travel. The most important thing is that once we enter this reconstructed space, we can evade all attacks, and currently, there is no defense system that can stop us."
Yuanxi only partially understood, but there was no time for him to inquire further. He knew that as long as they could evade the current attacks, they would have a chance to survive. As long as they survived, there would still be hope!
However, Yuanxi suddenly wondered why the two criminals didn't leave immediately once they had the chance to escape. Instead, they chose to negotiate with the government, and when the negotiations failed, they didn't rush to escape but rather killed the hostages. Wasn't that going too far, even for their deranged minds?
Yuanxi voiced his doubts, and Yucheng explained, "That's because the amount of antimatter in the energy rod is limited. It's not enough to sustain so many life forms simultaneously. The fewer life forms there are, the higher the chances of survival. That's why they decided to kill all the hostages."
"I see..."
Yucheng continued, "This research is not yet mature and poses significant risks. I can guarantee that this entire spacecraft can enter the distorted space, but I cannot guarantee that we can come out of it. Inside that twisted space, we will lose consciousness and can only rely on the ship's intelligent systems to navigate. Whether we can come out of it is uncertain. We may be forever stranded in that distorted space."
Yuanxi was stunned. The risks were much higher than he had expected.
But what else could they do? The attacks outside hadn't ceased for a moment. Feng Yun had disabled their communication system, and they couldn't establish contact with the outside world. They could only wait for death.
One choice offered a chance to survive, while the other meant certain death. It was a choice that didn't require much thought.
Yuanxi looked at Yucheng firmly and said, "Uncle, do you have confidence in successfully operating it? As long as we can evade the current attacks, we will have a chance to live. And as long as we're alive, there is hope!"
There was no time for further hesitation. Yucheng looked straight into the eyes of the young boy before him and nodded solemnly.
Yuanxi took a deep breath and turned to Lin Suyun, saying, "Aunt Lin, let's go to the cabin. Everyone has the right to know about this situation. They have the right to make choices for their own lives!"
Lin Suyun nodded, acknowledging Yuanxi's words.
Yuanxi entered the cabin and filtered out the complex and difficult-to-understand technical terms from Yucheng's explanation, focusing on conveying the final outcome and the chances of survival.
As soon as he finished speaking, complete silence fell in the cabin.
Yuanxi continued, "We don't have much time to think. The shield is on the verge of collapsing, and once it shatters, we will turn into ashes. Now, it's up to you whether you want to take a chance and fight for survival or just sit here waiting to die. I'm waiting for your answer!"
After a moment of brief silence, a resounding "Survive!" filled the air. It spread like ripples in a calm lake, and the voices of "Survive!" and "We don't want to die" echoed one after another. Everyone had made their choice—the only choice.
At that moment, Yucheng approached, instructing the captain, "Channel all the nutrient fluids into the life support system, and everyone should enter the escape pods."
With time pressing, no one objected. Those who understood began to assist with the preparations, while those who didn't understand obediently followed the commands.
Because it wasn't a complicated task, in less than a minute, everyone had entered the escape pods, which resembled coffins.
Yucheng's familiarity with the starship astonished the ship's crew members. A single person managed to outperform an entire crew, and the programs he set up in such a short time were incredibly advanced. He was truly a genius among geniuses.
Yuanxi didn't understand all of it, but he could tell that Yucheng's expertise in operating the energy rod far surpassed that of the two criminals. He could maximize its potential, increasing their chances of survival.
Finally, Yuanxi entered an escape pod himself. Although he felt a sense of fear, he knew there was no other choice. Fear wouldn't solve anything; instead, facing the situation with courage was the way to survive.
The escape pod sealed shut, and Yuanxi felt the familiar pulling force. His consciousness gradually faded away. He knew that Yucheng had successfully operated it.
As his consciousness faded, a small fantasy formed in Yuanxi's mind. What if this were just a dream, and he would wake up back on Earth? Although he would be alone, his life would be fulfilling, busy, and safe...
However, he didn't know that when he woke up, he would be faced with an even more astonishing reality.
When Yuanxi regained consciousness once again, he knew that at least he was still alive. The cover of the escape pod was opened, and a bright light streamed in. Squinting, he adjusted to the brightness.
The first person he saw was Lin Suyun. The small wish of returning to Earth had completely vanished. He forced a smile and slowly surveyed his surroundings.
It seemed they were no longer inside the starship. The room before him was spacious, with walls made of completely unfamiliar material, bearing delicate patterns and a subtle sheen.
Yuanxi felt confused. He looked at Lin Suyun, and she smiled at him, saying, "Child, we survived."
Yuanxi nodded, and as he tried to sit up, he suddenly realized that something was amiss.
Why... Why had he gained so much weight?
Wait a minute, wait a minute... What was happening to his stomach?
Lin Suyun saw that he finally noticed the change in himself and struggled to say, "Xiaoxi, you're pregnant."