Marvel: The other side of the double-passing door is Devouring the Stars

Chapter 389 The Clearing Operation Begins

“Oh, right,” Rowan suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Luo Feng, “Although I can’t go back to Earth with you for the time being, I have a small request.”

"What request?" Luo Feng asked curiously.

"If it's convenient, could you prepare some local specialties from Earth for me when I contact you after I've finished my business at the company?" Rowan said somewhat shyly. "Especially those unique delicacies; I want to taste the flavors of my hometown again."

“Of course, no problem,” Luo Feng readily agreed. “I know what you like best. Remember? You used to love Longjing tea and those traditional Suzhou-style mooncakes, right?”

"Haha, you have a great memory," Rowan said happily. "Indeed, the fragrance of Longjing tea and the delicate taste of Suzhou-style mooncakes have always been the epitome of the flavors of my hometown."

“Then I will definitely prepare the best for you,” Luo Feng said earnestly, “Qingqian Longjing tea from West Lake, and handmade mooncakes from Suzhou’s time-honored brands—I guarantee they will all be the most authentic.”

“Also,” Rowan added, “if possible, bring some local specialties from other places. Like Tianjin's fried dough twists, Nanjing's duck blood soup, and Chengdu's dan dan noodles. I want to experience the flavors of different regions again.”

"It seems you really miss Earth's food," Luo Feng chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll make you a detailed food list, including the most representative specialties from various regions."

“Then I look forward to that day,” Rowan said expectantly. “Imagine how pleasant it would be to work in the Virtual Universe Corporation office while enjoying hometown cuisine.”

“But you have to be careful,” Luo Feng joked, “don’t let your colleagues know you have all this stuff, or they’ll be green with envy.”

"Haha, maybe I can share some with them," Rowan laughed, "letting them experience the charm of Earth's culture too."

The spaceship slowly docked at its designated spot, and the two began packing their belongings. Although they were about to part ways, they weren't overly saddened; instead, they were filled with anticipation for the future and longing for their reunion.

“Remember our promise,” Rowan said as he prepared to leave the spaceship. “After we’ve finished dealing with company matters, let’s go back to Earth together and enjoy the warmth of home.”

“I will never forget,” Luo Feng nodded earnestly, “I will wait for you on Earth, with all the surprises ready.”

“Then I look forward to that day,” Rowan said, extending his hand. “May we both achieve something on our own paths, and then reunite in our hometown.”

"May our friendship last forever, and may our hometown remain beautiful forever," Luo Feng said, shaking Luo Wen's hand. "I look forward to our reunion on Earth."

Rowan quickly contacted the Virtual Universe Company's transportation department in the transit station's upscale business district and arranged a dedicated spaceship for his return trip. As a core member of the company, he enjoyed high-level treatment, and the company specially dispatched a high-grade escort ship to pick him up and take him back to headquarters.

"We expect to arrive in three hours," the captain's voice came through the communicator. "Mr. Rowan, please wait at the designated location."

“Received. I will arrive at the boarding point on time,” Rowan replied, then turned off the communicator.

He still had some time, which was perfect for dealing with the spaceship he'd seized from the Black Shark Mercenary Group. While the ship was quite capable, as he'd analyzed before, keeping it might cause trouble. The best course of action was to hand it over to the transit station's security department and let them handle the matter.

Rowan arrived at the security management office of the transit station, which was responsible for handling the registration, inspection, and dispute resolution of various vessels. When he explained his purpose, the security officer on duty was clearly very interested.

"You said this ship was obtained from a mercenary group?" The security officer, a middle-aged blue-skinned alien who seemed very experienced, asked, "Could you elaborate on the situation?"

"Here's what happened." Rowan briefly recounted their encounter in the Misty Forbidden Zone, omitting some sensitive details, only saying that they were attacked by a mercenary group and captured the spaceship in self-defense.

"The Black Shark Mercenary Group?" The security officer frowned. "We do have records of this organization; they are suspected of multiple robberies and assaults. If this is true, your actions are entirely within the bounds of self-defense."

"And this ship."

“We will conduct a detailed investigation. If it is confirmed to be spoils of war, it will be handled in accordance with the relevant provisions of universal law,” the security officer explained. “You can entrust us to handle it on your behalf. We will deduct a certain handling fee and transfer the remaining value to you.”

“Then I’ll have to trouble you,” Rowan agreed to the plan, since he hadn’t planned to keep the ship anyway.

After completing the formalities, Rowan waited in the transit station's rest area for the Virtual Universe Company's pick-up spaceship. This rest area was well-equipped, offering various entertainment facilities and dining services, as well as stunning views of the universe through huge observation windows.

Time ticked by, and Rowan sipped his drink while contemplating his plans upon returning to the company. He needed to first report to his superiors about the situation he had been in during this period, and then return to his research. Although this adventure hadn't yielded any inheritance from the ancient civilization, the experiences he had gained had still been enlightening for his cultivation approach.

"Sir, your spaceship has arrived," a waiter announced politely.

“Okay, I’ll be right there,” Rowan said, paying his bill and leaving the rest area before heading towards the designated boarding point.

However, just as he stepped out of the rest area, his keen senses alerted him to something amiss. Several people in the crowd were clearly following him, and their actions were highly professional, indicating they were not ordinary travelers.

"Could it be..." Luo Wen's heart tightened, and he immediately quickened his pace. Although he and Luo Feng had been very careful, they had obviously been discovered.

Sure enough, as he rounded a bend, three familiar figures suddenly appeared ahead. Leading them was Karl, his gloomy face filled with anger and hatred. Beside him were Old Wu and another team member, all seemingly survivors who had escaped from the Misty Forbidden Zone.

“Rowan, we meet again,” Karl said with a sneer. “This time you don’t have the mist and ancient mechanisms to help you.”

"Karl? What are you doing here?" Rowan feigned surprise, but in reality, he was quickly analyzing the situation in his mind.

"Stop pretending," Old Wu said viciously. "You think we'll let you off so easily? From the moment you 'accidentally' appeared in our group, I felt something was wrong. Now it seems you were after the treasure from the very beginning!"

“I’ve said it many times, we haven’t taken anything from you,” Rowan explained patiently. “We haven’t touched any of the treasures from those ancient ruins.”

"Still trying to deny it!" Karl roared. "We found nothing in the ancient ruins. Who else could have taken the treasure if not you? And you even stole our spaceship!" "That spaceship was an act of self-defense during your pursuit," Rowan said calmly. "And I just handed it over to the transit station's security department."

"What? You handed our spaceship over to the security department?" Karl's face darkened further. "Damn it, there's important data on that ship!"

This statement further confirmed Rowan's judgment: these mercenaries were definitely suspicious. Normal mercenary groups wouldn't care about some equipment loss, but if there was something shady going on on the ship, that was a different story.

“No matter what, you must pay the price for your actions today,” Karl said through gritted teeth. “We’ve lost so many brothers in the Forbidden Mist; this debt must be settled!”

"This is a public place, what do you want to do?" Rowan looked around. Although this passage was relatively remote, it was still inside the transfer station.

“Don’t worry, we won’t make a move here,” Karl sneered, “but you’ll have to leave eventually, won’t you? We have plenty of time to wait.”

Just then, hurried footsteps came from the other end of the passage. Rowan looked in the direction of the sound and saw a team of uniformed security personnel rapidly approaching. It seemed that the report he had made to the security management office had worked.

"Damn it, the security team is here," Old Wu said nervously. "What do we do now?"

"Retreat first, then strike again when the opportunity arises," Karl decisively ordered. "There are too many people here; it's not a good time to move."

The three quickly dispersed and disappeared into the crowd. Rowan breathed a sigh of relief, but knew this was only a temporary relief. The fact that these mercenaries had managed to track him here meant they had sufficient resources and connections and wouldn't give up easily.

"Sir, are you alright?" The head of the security team approached. "Someone reported suspicious activity here."

“There were indeed a few people following me, but they've left,” Rowan answered truthfully. “They might be related to the mercenary group I reported on earlier.”

"We will increase patrols. If you find any suspicious activity again, please contact us immediately," the captain said, leaving his contact information before leaving.

Rowan continued toward the boarding point, remaining highly vigilant the entire way. Sure enough, as he approached his destination, he again felt the sense of being watched.

The Virtual Universe Corporation's transport ship was already parked at the designated location. It was a streamlined, high-end frigate, painted in the company's signature blue and white colors. The hull emitted a faint glow of energy, indicating its powerful capabilities.

“Mr. Rowan? I am the captain of this ship,” a middle-aged man in a company uniform approached. “It is my pleasure to serve you.”

"Thank you. Can we leave now?" Rowan asked, eager to leave this troublesome place as soon as possible.

“Of course, all preparations are complete,” the captain replied. “Please follow me.”

However, just as Rowan was about to board the spaceship, an unexpected event occurred. Several laser beams suddenly shot out from behind the bunker in the docking area, aiming directly at Rowan's position.

"Watch out!" the captain shouted, immediately activating the frigate's protection system.

A blue energy shield instantly deployed, blocking the laser attack. At the same time, the alarm system in the docking area began to sound loudly, its piercing siren echoing throughout the entire area.

"Damn it, they actually dared to attack here!" Rowan said angrily while dodging attacks. These mercenaries had clearly gone mad, daring to launch an attack in such a public place.

"Everyone, cease attacking immediately and lay down your weapons!" The security forces at the transit station quickly arrived at the scene, but the Black Shark mercenary group clearly had no intention of surrendering.

"Kill him! You must kill him!" Karl's voice rang out amidst the roar of the laser cannons. "Today, even if it costs us our lives, we will avenge our fallen brothers!"

A full-scale battle erupted in the docking area, with flashes from various beam weapons illuminating the entire region. Although the transit station's security forces were well-equipped, the Black Shark mercenaries were clearly no ordinary foe, and the two sides quickly engaged in fierce combat.

“Mr. Rowan, please board the ship immediately, we need to leave right away,” the captain shouted from behind his shield.

However, at this critical moment, spatial fluctuations suddenly appeared in the outer space of the docking area. Immediately afterwards, three enormous warships appeared from nothingness; they were the main warships of the Virtual Universe Company, each exuding an awe-inspiring pressure.

"This is the Seventh Combat Fleet of Virtual Universe Corporation," a powerful voice boomed across the region, "all hostile personnel are warned to cease their attacks immediately, or face the full consequences!"

Upon seeing the sudden appearance of the Virtual Universe Company's main fleet, everyone engaged in combat ceased their actions. No one, including the Black Shark Mercenary Group, dared to continue provoking a warship of this caliber.

"Impossible! How could Virtual Universe Company's fleet be here?" Old Wu exclaimed in shock. "Our intelligence doesn't indicate any military activity in this area."

"Damn it, just who is this Rowan?" Karl was also shocked by the situation. "Anyone who can get the Virtual Universe Corporation to send out warships is definitely not an ordinary person."

In fact, the appearance of the Virtual Universe Corporation's warship was no coincidence. As a core member of the company, Rowan's safety had been constantly monitored. When the system detected that he was under attack, the nearest fleet immediately received a support order.

"Attention all units, commence clearing operation," the warship commander ordered. "Arrest all hostile personnel involved in the attack."

Dozens of fighter jets swiftly launched from the three warships, flying in perfect formation and rapidly surrounding the entire berthing area. Simultaneously, the warships' teleportation systems activated, transporting a large number of fully armed company troops directly to the scene.

"Damn it, we've been ambushed!" Karl realized the situation was dire and immediately ordered a retreat. "Get out of here! We can't let them catch us!"

But it was too late. The Virtual Universe Company's army was well-trained, well-equipped, and had an overwhelming numerical advantage. The Black Shark Mercenary Group members were quickly surrounded.

(End of this chapter)