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

Chapter 477 Revealing the Truth!

The enormous cargo ship, resembling a small mountain, rested on the platform. Workers were loading various goods into the ship's cargo hold, including the thirty crates from "Interstellar Logistics."

"Attention all passengers and crew," the announcement blared, "Please line up at the final security checkpoint for pre-boarding security checks."

The crowd began to move toward the security checkpoint.

Luo Wen and Zhang Wei followed the crowd. They could see that the security checkpoint had four lanes, each equipped with sophisticated scanning equipment and fully armed security personnel.

"This is it," Zhang Wei said nervously.

“Take a deep breath and relax,” Rowan reminded her. “Remember, we’re just ordinary freight company employees.”

The procession moved forward slowly. Rowan noticed that several people ahead had been stopped and taken aside for a more detailed examination.

"Why were we stopped?" Zhang Wei asked.

“It could be a problem with his identity information, or abnormal biometrics,” Rowan observed. “It could also be suspicious behavior. Look, that person keeps looking around and wiping away sweat; he's clearly very nervous.”

“Then we must not show any nervousness,” Zhang Wei said.

“Yes,” Rowan nodded, “just treat it as part of your daily work. We’ve done it many times, there’s nothing to be nervous about.”

Finally, it was their turn.

Luo Wen first entered the scanning channel. This channel was much more complicated than the security gates at the port of entry, with various scanning machines arranged on both sides, scanning him from head to toe.

"Please remain still," the system's voice announced.

Blue beams of light swept down over Rowan's body. He could feel that these beams were not only scanning his exterior, but also probing his internal structure, energy fluctuations, and even his heartbeat and body temperature.

"Identification in progress..."

Time seemed to stand still. Rowan could hear his own heartbeat, but he forced himself to remain calm, imagining that he was just an ordinary stevedore, used to these kinds of inspections.

"Mark Chen, identity verification successful," the system finally announced. "Energy level: Ordinary human, Threat level: None. Please proceed."

Luo Wen breathed a sigh of relief and walked out of the scanning tunnel.

Then there's Zhang Wei.

She walked into the passageway and underwent a full-body scan as well. Rowan watched from outside, praying for her in his heart.

"Identification in progress..."

This time, it seemed to take even longer. Luo Wen could see fine beads of sweat forming on Zhang Wei's forehead.

"Lisa Wang, identity verification passed. Energy level: Stellar Tier 2, Occupation: Warrior, Threat level: Low. Please proceed."

Zhang Wei also passed the test. She quickly walked to Luo Wen's side, and the two smiled at each other.

But just then, a voice suddenly rang out.

"etc!"

A security guard came over and stopped the two.

Rowan's heart immediately jumped. Had they been discovered after all?
"Are you employees of Interstellar Logistics?" the security personnel asked.

“Yes,” Rowan tried to make his voice sound natural, “is there a problem?”

"Regarding the shipment you're escorting," the security guard said, looking at his tablet, "one of the boxes seems to have a problem with the seal. We need you to check it out."

Is there a problem with the seal? Luo Wen and Zhang Wei exchanged a glance. Everything seemed normal when they inspected the goods.

"Where?" Zhang Wei asked.

"Follow me," the security personnel led them to the cargo loading area.

Among a pile of crates, workers are inspecting one. The seal on the crate is indeed damaged, and it looks like it has been hit.

"Is this box yours?" the security guard asked.

Rowan walked over and examined it closely. It was indeed a cargo box from "Interstellar Logistics," and the serial number was correct, but the seal was indeed damaged.

“It was probably caused by a collision during transport,” Rowan said. “We can open it and check if the contents are intact.”

“It must be checked,” the security guard said. “It’s standard procedure.”

Luo Wen and Zhang Wei carefully opened the box. Inside were some vacuum-packed food items, all of which looked normal and undamaged.

“The goods are all intact,” Rowan said. “The seals must have been scratched during transport.”

The security personnel checked everything again, and after confirming there were no problems, they nodded: "Okay, you can reseal the box now."

Rowan took out a new seal, resealed the box, and signed the confirmation on the tablet.

"Is it ready?" Zhang Wei asked.

“Alright,” the security guard said. “You may board the ship.”

The two finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly walked towards the boarding gate of the spaceship.

But just as they were about to board the gangway, another unexpected event occurred.

A group of robots suddenly flew over and deployed near the boarding gate, beginning to scan all the people preparing to board the ship again.

"What's going on?" someone asked.

“Routine checks,” a security officer explained, “We have a wanted criminal on the run recently, so we have to increase security checks. Please cooperate.”

Rowan's heart sank. This "routine check" was clearly aimed at them—or rather, at all suspicious individuals.

The robot began scanning one by one. When it scanned a young man in front of it, an alarm suddenly sounded.

"Alert! An abnormal energy fluctuation has been detected!"

The young man's expression changed drastically, and he turned to run. But he was immediately surrounded by more than a dozen robots and unable to move.

"Identity verification failed!" the robot announced. "This person is using a fake identity; arrest them immediately!"

The young man was taken away by security personnel, and the surrounding crowd was talking about it.

When it was Luo Wen and Zhang Wei's turn, both of them were extremely nervous.

But they remained outwardly calm, allowing the robot to scan them.

“Identity verified,” the robot finally said. “Please board.”

The two practically rushed up the gangway.

After entering the spacecraft, they found the cargo crew's rest area and sat down.

"Oh my god," Zhang Wei sighed, "I thought we were done for."

“Me too,” Rowan wiped the sweat from his brow, “I didn’t expect so many unexpected things to happen.”

“But we succeeded,” Zhang Wei smiled. “We really boarded the spaceship.”

“It’s not entirely successful yet,” Rowan cautioned. “We still need to wait for the spaceship to take off and reach the orbital transfer station. Until then, we cannot let our guard down.” Ten minutes later, the spaceship’s announcement came over the loudspeaker: “Attention passengers, the spaceship is about to take off. Please fasten your seatbelts.”

Rowan felt the spaceship begin to vibrate as its powerful engines started. Through the porthole, he saw the ground receding into the distance as the spaceship slowly ascended.

“We really did it,” Zhang Wei said, looking out the window with tears in her eyes. “We escaped.”

Rowan also looked out the window. This city, this planet, had brought him so many experiences these past few days—danger, challenges, friendship, and responsibility.

But now, they are moving toward their next target—the orbital transfer station, where they have the opportunity to uncover the truth.

The spacecraft broke through the atmosphere and entered space. Through the porthole, the beautiful blue silhouette of Alpha X-17 could be seen.

“It’s so beautiful,” Zhang Wei said, “but who would have thought that such a beautiful planet hides such a dark secret?”

“So we must expose it,” Rowan said firmly, “to bring the truth to light.”

The spacecraft continued its journey, heading towards the orbital transfer station.

At the cargo port, Ghost sat upstairs at Old Chen's restaurant, looking at his computer screen.

“They succeeded,” Ghost told Allen. “The ship has taken off.”

“That’s great,” Allen breathed a sigh of relief. “Now we just need to see if they can get the message out from the relay station.”

“Yes,” Ghost said confidently. “I’ve prepared all the tools they need. Once they reach the transit station, they can contact the representative of Virtual Universe Company.”

“I hope everything goes well,” Allen said.

On the spaceship, Rowan took out the encrypted communicator given to him by Ghost and began preparing the message he would send later.

He compiled all the evidence and materials provided by Zhang Wei, including the design documents and test records of the "Heavenly Punishment" weapon, the analysis report of the metal ball, and the investigation materials of the town incident six years ago.

"Is this evidence enough?" Zhang Wei asked.

“That should be enough,” Rowan said. “With so much evidence, Virtual Universe Corporation can’t possibly ignore it.”

After traveling in space for two hours, the huge orbital transfer station finally came into view.

This is a giant space station composed of dozens of modules, resembling a blooming metallic flower. Countless spaceships shuttle around, creating a bustling traffic.

"Passengers, we are about to arrive at the rail transfer station," the announcement said. "Please prepare to disembark."

The spacecraft slowly approached the transfer station and docked on a docking platform.

“We’ve arrived,” Rowan stood up. “Prepare to move out.”

Zhang Wei nodded and gripped the data storage device in her hand tightly.

They disembarked from the spaceship and entered the transfer station.

This place is completely different from the rest of the planet. The transit station is a neutral zone, not controlled by any single power. Representatives from various civilizations and factions conduct trade, exchange, and negotiations here.

"Where is the office of Virtual Universe Company?" Zhang Wei asked.

“It should be in Area A,” Rowan said, examining the map of the transit station. “That’s where the offices of the major powers are located.”

The two walked quickly towards Area A.

Finally, at the end of the corridor, they saw the logo of Virtual Universe Corporation—a vortex composed of countless stars.

“This is it,” Rowan took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Behind the door was a spacious reception hall, with the Virtual Universe Company's flag hanging on the wall. A female staff member in the company uniform sat behind the reception desk.

"Welcome to Virtual Universe Company," the staff member said with a smile. "How can I help you?"

“I want to report a serious violation of the Universal Convention,” Rowan said solemnly, “regarding the Alpha X-17 planetary government’s secret development of weapons of mass destruction.”

The staff member's expression immediately turned serious.

“Please wait a moment,” she said, “I’ll contact the supervisor in charge of this kind of matter immediately.”

A few minutes later, a middle-aged man in a black uniform came out. The badge on his chest indicated that he was the security supervisor of Virtual Universe Company stationed at this transit point.

“I’m Supervisor Li,” the man said. “You say you have important information to report?”

“Yes,” Rowan handed him all the evidence, “here is complete evidence proving that the Alpha X-17 government is secretly developing a weapon of mass destruction targeting stellar-level warriors.”

Supervisor Li took the documents and examined them carefully. His expression grew increasingly grave as he looked at the design documents and test records.

“If this is true…” Manager Li looked up at the two of them, “Do you know what this means?”

“I know,” Zhang Wei said. “This means that Alpha X-17 has violated the highest-level cosmic convention and will face severe sanctions.”

“Moreover,” Rowan added, “if not stopped in time, this weapon could be completed within three months. At that point, hundreds of millions of lives in the surrounding galaxies will be threatened.”

Manager Li paused for a moment, then said solemnly, "I will immediately report this information to the company's senior management. If it is verified, the company will take immediate action."

"Thank you," Luo Wen and Zhang Wei said at the same time.

“You two,” Manager Li looked at them, “would you be willing to leave your contact information? We might need you to provide more information.”

“Of course,” Rowan nodded.

In the office, Luo Wen and Zhang Wei recounted the entire incident in detail—from how Zhang Wei discovered the "Heavenly Punishment" project to how they collected evidence and how they risked smuggling themselves to the transit station.

Supervisor Li meticulously recorded every detail.

"You did something incredibly brave," Manager Li concluded. "You risked your lives to uncover the truth. Virtual Universe Company will never forget your contribution."

Stepping out of the office, Luo Wen and Zhang Wei finally relaxed.

"We did it," Zhang Wei said, tears welling in her eyes. "We really did it."

“Yes,” Rowan smiled, “now it’s up to Virtual Universe Company.”

He looked at the space teleporter on his wrist, which showed that there were only two days left in the countdown.

“I’m leaving in two days,” Luo Wen said to Zhang Wei. “What about you? What are your plans?”

“I…I don’t know,” Zhang Wei said blankly. “I’m still a wanted criminal and can’t go back to Alpha X-17.”

“Perhaps Virtual Universe Corporation can help you,” Rowan said. “If Project ‘Divine Punishment’ is exposed, your arrest warrant will be revoked. After all, you were wanted for revealing the truth.”

“I hope so,” Zhang Wei said.

In a temporary lounge at the orbital transfer station, Luo Wen and Zhang Wei sat on the sofa, waiting for further news from Virtual Universe Company.

Manager Li has submitted the evidence, and the company's senior management is currently verifying and analyzing it. According to Manager Li, this process may take several hours.

"Would you like something to eat?" Luo Wen asked Zhang Wei. "The restaurant at the transit station should have all sorts of delicious food."

“I can’t eat right now,” Zhang Wei said with a wry smile. “Even though we’ve handed over the evidence, I still feel uneasy. What if the government of Alpha X-17 tracks us down here?”

(End of this chapter)