Super Gene Optimization Fluid

“Allen, where can I buy parts? My ship needs fixing,” asked Xia Fei.

Allen pointed to a huge spotlight outside the window. It was completely dark inside the asteroid, so it served as an artificial sun to differentiate between day and night.

“It’s about to go dark. We have a rule here at Red Rock Base; everybody must be home when it’s dark, and nobody must loiter around outside. If you wanna go shopping, you’ll have to wait for tomorrow at the earliest,” said Allen.

“Curfew?” Xia Fei asked curiously. “Isn’t this a free port? Why is there a curfew?”

Allen laughed. “Free? There’s no freedom in this place. Red Rock Base is known as a free port because anybody and everybody can do business here. Regardless if one is a wanted man, pirate, drug addict, et cetera, all are welcome.

“That doesn’t mean that there are no restrictions here, though. The Ning familial clan makes the rules around here, and whoever disobeys them will be punished. The Nings had a bit of a fight with this guy called Owl. Dozens of lives have been lost because of that, so they’ve been patrolling every night and are especially strict when it comes to new faces.”

Xia Fei nodded. “Even though only a handful of lives have been lost, I still think the atmosphere feels normal. People are continuing to work and eat as usual with nothing out of the ordinary.”

……

At dawn, Xia Fei was walking along the streets of Red Rock Base with Sarah by his side.

They went to the dock to check for the damage on his Lunar Eclipse first. Xia Fei knew what was wrong on the inside, but he had to confirm the damage sustained by the armor and the components on the outside.

The previously dazzling Lunar Eclipse now looked like a horrendous wreck; it had turned from a soaring, young eagle to a drenched chicken in the rain.

After dragging the ship into a hidden warehouse, Sarah wiped off her sweat using her sleeve. “It must’ve been a vicious battle. It’s a miracle that your ship survived.”

Xia Fei nodded. It was always a crazy idea to go toe to toe against a destroyer with a frigate. Naturally, the consequences of such an action were dire.

“I need to help someone deliver a slave in the morning; I should probably be home before lunch,” said Sarah.

“Slave?” Xia Fei was curious.

Sarah replied indifferently, “Those bugs really like young human boys and girls. In an insectoid-controlled region, a slave can fetch ten grams of Heart of Spirit. It’s really quite profitable.”

Xia Fei did not say anything. He could imagine the ‘importers’ scouring the Alliance for young boys and girls to sell them in cages like animals.

Slaves still existed in a few savage planets in the Alliance. Although the humans who lived in space managed to gain powerful allies, the gaps between them were still substantial.

Humans had always been a race of chaotic contrasts, with countless religions, cultures, and practices. They might all share the same appearance on the outside, but they would all be completely different on the inside.

Sarah had been living in the Wild Star Region since she was young, so everything that happened here seemed normal. She did not have a concept of good or evil, just whoever was stronger sat at the top. This was the only law in the Wild Star Region.

“I’ll lock the door; this way, nobody will interrupt you. I’ll come and get you by noon,” said Sarah as she left.

Xia Fei produced a can of peach, tossing it in her direction. “Eat it on the way.”

“Fruit!” Sarah held onto the can with glee, turning around at Xia Fei with a sweet smile before scurrying outside.

The Chinese had always emphasized on courtesy and reciprocity. Xia Fei had discovered that giving gifts was a tried and tested move that had great results even in the universal society.

Money, women, and violence were the three greatest weapons in the universe. If someone had control over these, they could get anything they wanted and do anything they pleased. This would work anywhere there were humans.

Xia Fei held the checklist of damages as reported by the self-assessment system in his hand, giving the Lunar Eclipse a once over, inside and out.

The self-assessment system was incredibly advanced and errors were incredibly rare. However, Xia Fei would only be satisfied after checking it himself. It was a warship cruising in space after all, not some paddle boat for lovers on a lake.

Flying out in the dangerous cosmos where crises could rear their heads anytime, Xia Fei wanted to make sure he understood every nook and cranny of his ship; not a single screw could be out of place when traveling the galaxy.

When noon came along, Xia Fei had a sixteen-page-long maintenance checklist. The first four pages were parts that needed to be swapped out immediately, and the rest could be left until he got back.

Xia Fei then sat on the ground and went through a few cigarettes. When he extinguished the fifth, Sarah opened the door to the warehouse.

“Well? Can your ship be fixed?” asked Sarah with a chip on her shoulder; it appeared that her job had been quite successful.

Sarah had a strand of yellow on the edge of her mouth, and Xia Fei knew immediately that it was liquid from the canned peach. She looked like a wild kitten that had not eaten in ages, and three-fifth a box of canned peaches could satisfy her for a long time.

Xia Fei helped to wiped off the peach juices using his sleeve before passing her the sixteen-page checklist.

“My goodness! This many?” Sarah exclaimed.

Xia Fei shook his head. “Not all of it is necessary. As long as I gather the things on the first four pages, it should be enough to get me home.”

Sarah furrowed her brows. “The Wild Star Region cannot compare to where you’re from. I think it’ll be difficult to gather all the parts on the first four pages. If you absolutely need it, you can try your hand at salvaging those parts from ancient battlefields.”