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

Chapter 474 Stop this conspiracy!

"Sit down," Zhang Wei said, pointing to a chair. Then she took out a first-aid kit from the cabinet and began to treat the wound on her arm.

Luo Wen sat down and watched Zhang Wei skillfully clean the wound, apply ointment, and bandage it. Throughout the entire process, she didn't utter a single cry of pain; she simply gritted her teeth and persevered.

“Let me do it,” Rowan said. “I have some medical knowledge.”

“No need, I can manage on my own,” Zhang Wei shook her head. “This injury is nothing. I’ve had much worse injuries before.”

After treating her wound, Zhang Wei sat down opposite Luo Wen and looked at him intently.

“Now we have time,” Zhang Wei said. “Can we talk in detail? Who exactly are you? Why did you attack the police station?”

Rowan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to tell part of the truth. After all, they were in the same boat now, and mutual trust was important.

“I am a martial artist from the Virtual Universe Corporation,” Rowan stated simply. “The raid on the police station was a training mission assigned to me by my mentor. He wanted me to learn how to survive in complex environments.”

"Virtual Universe Company?" Zhang Wei's eyes lit up. "I've heard of it; it's one of the four major powers in the universe. Your mentor must be a big shot, right?"

"Sort of," Rowan said, without revealing the Blood King's identity. "Anyway, this training will end in a few days. After that, I will leave this planet."

“I see,” Zhang Wei said thoughtfully. “No wonder you dared to attack the police station so boldly. With Virtual Universe Company as your backer, there’s really nothing to worry about.”

“But you’re different,” Rowan looked at Zhang Wei. “You said you discovered a government secret. What exactly is it?”

Zhang Wei remained silent for a moment, seemingly considering whether to reveal everything. Finally, she took a deep breath and said, "Since you saved me, and you're also from Virtual Universe Company, then I'll tell you the whole truth."

She stood up, walked to the laptop, and turned it on. The screen displayed a dense array of data and files.

“I was originally a data analyst in a government research department,” Zhang Wei began, “responsible for analyzing data from various research projects. Three months ago, I accidentally discovered a highly classified project—codenamed ‘Divine Punishment’.”

“Divine punishment?” Rowan frowned. “It doesn’t sound like anything good.”

“That’s not true,” Zhang Wei pulled up a document. “The goal of this project is to develop a weapon capable of destroying stellar-scale life forms on a large scale.”

Rowan's expression changed: "A stellar-scale weapon of mass destruction?"

“That’s right,” Zhang Wei nodded. “According to some of the information I’ve obtained, this weapon utilizes a special energy resonance principle, allowing it to simultaneously attack all life forms below the stellar level within a certain range. If successfully deployed, a single attack could cover an entire city, or even an entire continent, causing the deaths of hundreds of millions of people.”

Rowan gasped. He knew the power of weapons of mass destruction, but this kind of weapon, targeting a star-level target, was far more dangerous than ordinary weapons.

"This kind of weapon... shouldn't it be explicitly prohibited?" Rowan asked.

“Of course,” Zhang Wei said, “According to the Universal Convention, any weapons of mass destruction targeting living beings are strictly prohibited. Weapons capable of threatening martial artists at the stellar level or higher are especially forbidden, classified as the highest level of taboo. Once discovered, the entire civilization would be subject to sanctions by cosmic-level powers.”

"Why would the government of Alpha X-17 risk developing such a weapon?" Rowan asked, puzzled.

“Because of ambition,” Zhang Wei said coldly, “Although Alpha X-17 is a Type III civilization, it’s not considered powerful in this star system. There are several surrounding planets that are stronger than us in terms of both resources and military strength. The government leadership has always wanted to expand its territory and occupy more resource-rich planets.”

She pulled up a star map and pointed to several marked planets: "Look, this is Beta-4, rich in energy resources. This is Gamma-9, an important trade hub. And this one, Delta-12, a fertile agricultural planet. These are all targets that the Alpha X-17 government wants to conquer."

“But these planets all have their own defenses,” Zhang Wei continued, “especially against stellar-level warriors. Under normal circumstances, Alpha X-17 wouldn’t be able to conquer these planets. But with the ‘Heavenly Punishment’ weapon, it’s a different story.”

Luo Wen understood: "One attack can wipe out all the enemy's stellar-level warriors; the remaining ordinary troops will be utterly helpless."

“That’s right,” Zhang Wei nodded. “Moreover, because of the weapon’s unique principle, the attack won’t leave any obvious traces. To outsiders, it will look like a sudden plague or natural disaster. The government can take advantage of this to enter under the guise of ‘humanitarian aid’ and then occupy the territory.”

Rowan's expression grew increasingly grim. If this conspiracy succeeded, countless innocent people would perish.

"So how did you discover this secret?" Rowan asked.

“While analyzing a batch of energy consumption data, I discovered an anomaly,” Zhang Wei said. “One research facility’s energy consumption was far exceeding normal levels, but according to official records, that facility was just an ordinary materials research institute. I found this strange, so I investigated further and discovered the ‘Divine Punishment’ project.”

She pulled up several documents: "These are some of the materials I risked copying. Although incomplete, they are enough to prove the existence and purpose of this project."

Rowan carefully examined the documents. Although he didn't understand many of the technical terms, he could tell how terrifying the weapon was from the descriptions.

"Based on this information, the weapon's development has entered its final stage," Zhang Wei said. "It will be completed in at most three months. Then, a disaster will strike."

"Did you release these materials?" Rowan asked.

“I tried,” Zhang Wei said with a wry smile, “but the government’s internet control is too tight. I was just about to post it when it was discovered. Then, I became a wanted criminal. Moreover, the government altered my information, saying I was a spy who stole classified information to sell to hostile forces.”

"So, you're the only one with this information now?"

“Yes,” Zhang Wei nodded, “I’ve been looking for an opportunity to pass this information to a cosmic-level power, such as Virtual Universe Corporation. But as a wanted criminal, I have no way of contacting anyone in the company.”

She looked at Rowan, a glint of expectation in her eyes: "But things are different now. You're with Virtual Universe Company; you can take this information back and let the company's higher-ups know about it. With Virtual Universe Company's power, they can definitely stop this conspiracy."

Rowan fell silent.

He now understood why Zhang Wei trusted him so much and was willing to tell him all her secrets. Because she needed his help; she needed him to take these documents out of the country.

"Are you sure this information is real?" Rowan asked cautiously. "And not false intelligence deliberately released by the government?"

“I swear on my life,” Zhang Wei said earnestly, “this information was obtained from the government’s core database. Moreover, I have other evidence.”

She went to the corner, moved a loose floorboard, and took out a small box from underneath. Opening the box, she found a metal sphere about the size of a fist. "What's this?" Rowan asked.

“This is a core component of the prototype of the ‘Heavenly Punishment’ weapon,” Zhang Wei said. “During my investigation, I risked infiltrating the research facility and stole this. Although it’s just a small prototype, it’s enough to prove the weapon’s existence.”

She carefully picked up the metal ball and handed it to Rowan: "You can have the experts from Virtual Universe Company examine it; they'll confirm the danger of this thing."

Rowan took the metal sphere and examined it closely. The surface of the sphere was covered with complex energy circuits, and it seemed to contain some kind of unstable energy inside. Even just holding it in his hand, he could feel a subtle sense of pressure.

"This thing... won't explode, will it?" Rowan asked cautiously.

“No,” Zhang Wei shook her head. “This is just a core component; without an energy supply, it won’t activate. But if it’s connected to an energy source and coupled with a specific resonant frequency, it can generate a deadly energy fluctuation.”

Rowan put the metal ball back in the box and fell into deep thought.

He now faces a choice.

On the one hand, he came to this planet only to complete his teacher's training mission and shouldn't get involved in such a complex political conspiracy. He'll be leaving in a few days and could easily ignore this matter.

On the other hand, if what Zhang Wei said is true, then the Alpha X-17 planetary government is plotting a conspiracy that could kill hundreds of millions of people. As a person with a conscience, and as a member of the Virtual Universe Company, could he sit idly by?
“You’re hesitating,” Zhang Wei noticed Luo Wen’s inner conflict. “I understand. This matter is dangerous, and it’s not directly related to you. If you don’t want to get involved, I won’t blame you. After all, you’ve already saved me once, and I’m already very grateful.”

“It’s not that I’m afraid of danger,” Rowan shook his head, “I’m just thinking about how I should help you if I really want to.”

"You're willing to help me?" Zhang Wei's eyes lit up.

“I need to confirm a few things,” Rowan said. “First, you said the weapon won’t be ready for another three months, so where is the research facility?”

"In the mountains west of the city," Zhang Wei pulled up a map, "this is the secret base codenamed X-37. Ostensibly an energy research institute, it's actually the core facility of the 'Heavenly Punishment' project."

"How's the defense?"

“It’s extremely well-protected,” Zhang Wei said. “There are twelve layers of defense systems around it, including energy shields, laser turrets, and automated defense robots. Furthermore, the base is garrisoned by at least five hundred elite soldiers and ten stellar-level martial artists.”

Luo Wen frowned. With his current strength, dealing with ten Stellar-level martial artists would be somewhat difficult. Moreover, if the commotion was too great, it would definitely attract more reinforcements.

"If we don't attack the base directly, are there any other ways to stop this plan?" Rowan asked.

“Yes,” Zhang Wei said. “If we can pass the evidence to a cosmic-level power, they will intervene in the investigation. Once the ‘Divine Punishment’ project is exposed, international pressure will force the Alpha X-17 government to abandon the plan.”

"But you said you were blocked when you tried to post the information."

“That’s because I was trying to send it through the planet’s internal network,” Zhang Wei explained. “The government controls all communication systems, and any sensitive information will be intercepted. But if it can be sent from the outside, it’s different.”

"external?"

“Yes,” Zhang Wei nodded, “there’s a space transit station three thousand kilometers from Alpha X-17. It’s a neutral zone with representatives from various factions. If we can send information there, we can break through the government’s blockade.”

“But how do we get into orbit?” Rowan asked. “We’re having trouble even leaving the city, let alone going into space.”

“I have a way,” Zhang Wei said. “There are many cargo ships traveling between planets and orbits at the cargo port east of the city. I used to have a friend there who can help us smuggle ourselves onto those ships.”

"Smuggling?" Rowan shook his head. "Too risky. Cargo ports definitely have tight security. How could two wanted criminals like us possibly get through?"

“So we need to disguise ourselves,” Zhang Wei said. “And it’s not just about disguising our appearance; we also need to alter our identity records.”

"Modify identity records?" Rowan suddenly realized something. "You mean, hack into the government database again?"

“That’s right,” Zhang Wei said. “Although my hacking skills aren’t as good as the top experts, they’re enough to handle most security systems. I can create temporary identities for us, valid for only a few hours, which will be enough for us to get through security and board the spaceship.”

Rowan pondered. The plan sounded feasible, but the risks remained high. If discovered, they would face pursuit by the entire planet's army.

But if we don't do this, the "divine punishment" weapon will be completed, and countless innocent people will lose their lives.

“I need to talk to my friend,” Rowan said. “He’s also on this planet and knows a really good hacker. If we can get their help, the chances of success will be much higher.”

"You have friends here?" Zhang Wei asked in surprise.

“Yes,” Rowan nodded, “someone who helped me before. I believe he would be willing to help.”

"That's great," Zhang Wei breathed a sigh of relief. "The more people help, the better our chances of winning."

“But I need to confirm one thing first,” Luo Wen looked at Zhang Wei seriously, “Are you sure these documents and evidence are genuine? Are you hiding anything?”

“I swear on my honor,” Zhang Wei said solemnly, “every word I have said is true. If there is even half a lie, I am willing to bear any consequences.”

Luo Wen looked into Zhang Wei's eyes, trying to find any sign of lying. But all he saw was determination and sincerity.

“Okay, I believe you,” Rowan finally said. “Then let’s do something big. Stop this conspiracy and reveal the truth.”

"Thank you," Zhang Wei said, her eyes welling up with tears. "Thank you for believing in me and for helping me."

“You’re welcome,” Rowan said. “If I can prevent a disaster, that’s a good deed. Besides…”

(End of this chapter)