Chapter 148: The Laborers Tricked by Liang He

Chapter 148: Chapter 148: The Laborers Tricked by Liang He

"Why would I hate you?"

Silver Shuttle actually didn’t look very old. He was probably even a bit younger than Liang He.

"You were only deceived by the Rebel Army into taking the mission to kidnap me. You never actually did anything to hurt me," she added. To Liang He, he seemed more like a mischievous kid who had made a mistake. Since he was genuinely remorseful, there was no need to hold a grudge.

"Do... do you really mean that?" Silver Shuttle asked, slightly surprised. His eyes were red as he sought confirmation.

"Yes, but you can’t keep aiding and abetting the bad guys anymore."

Though Silver Shuttle didn’t fully understand the exact phrase she used, he could guess its general meaning from the context.

"I swear! I’ll never be a bounty hunter again, let alone take missions from the Rebel Army!" Actually, Silver Shuttle had long regretted running away from home to become some damn bounty hunter just to prove himself. His so-called one-hundred-percent mission success rate was nothing but a gimmick bought with money. Whenever he couldn’t complete a mission, he had to pay out of his own pocket to hire someone else to do it, then claim the credit once it was finished.

"Thank you, Liang He." Her magnanimity made Silver Shuttle realize even more how ridiculous his childish behavior had been, and how much trouble he had caused others.

"If you really want to thank me, why not stay at the Seventh Service Area and help me out until your family arrives? I’m the stationmaster; I can look out for you."

Although Silver Shuttle had been long-winded when boarding the private jet, he had previously told Liang He that he wanted to seek refuge at her place. At the time, she hadn’t agreed directly, as the Tianyao Star Protection Zone ultimately answered to Huo An. But since Huo An had allowed Silver Shuttle to return to the protection zone with them, it meant Liang He had enough authority to help him out.

"Really?!" Compared to Huo An, Silver Shuttle clearly placed much more trust in his former mission target. Hearing Liang He say this, he stopped hanging his head, and his whole demeanor perked up significantly.

"What good would it do me to lie to you?"

The fluffy animals lined up for head pats. Liang He had just lowered her hand from petting the Mengji Snow Leopard when the Canglan Hunting Eagle immediately stepped up to take its place. As for the Platinum Giant Lion—who had sneaked along with Liang He to the Greenfield Star—he had long been squeezed into a corner, staring at them pitifully. Things had happened so suddenly before that the fluffy animals hadn’t realized the lion’s transgression. Now that they had collected themselves, they had secretly beaten him up and collectively ostracized him to ensure he recognized his mistake.

"Okay! I’m willing to help!"

Watching Liang He successfully soothe Silver Shuttle, Hoder silently gave her a thumbs-up. Before this, he had been worried that Silver Shuttle might pull some stunts or try to run away to hide from the people of the Silver Wing Temple.

"Liang He, you’re such a good person!"

Just as Hoder had suspected, Silver Shuttle had indeed considered finding an opportunity to escape before they reached the Sky Shining Star. Now, after being successfully "persuaded" by Liang He, his trust and affection for her skyrocketed. Helping out felt more like a way to make amends, so he definitely wasn’t going to run away. Besides, Liang He had said she would look out for him, giving him even less reason to flee. After everything that had happened recently, he believed his family would be willing to give Liang He some face and let him off the hook!

"Alright, it’s a long journey. Everyone get some rest and recharge your energy in case the Rebel Army launches another sneak attack." Huo An, acting as the final speaker, concluded the conversation.

Having witnessed the Rebel Army’s shamelessness firsthand, Silver Shuttle deeply agreed with his words. He obediently closed his eyes to rest, determined not to cause any more trouble for the group.

Just as Liang He was about to put on her sleep mask and take a nap, she suddenly felt a cold sensation on her wrist. Looking over, she was surprised to see Little Black, who had been missing for a long time.

"You’re back." Liang He raised her wrist and spoke softly to Little Black. She gently stroked him with her fingertips, noticing that the horn on his forehead had grown quite a bit. She didn’t ask where he had been all this time, nor did she make a fuss. Perhaps he had just been hiding in the luggage, hibernating. "Rest well, and don’t run off again."

Feeling Liang He’s gentle touch, Elias narrowed his eyes in comfort. His dear brother Elitier had ordered a strict inspection of all traffic in and out of the Greenfield Star. Originally planning to leave right then, Elias had no choice but to return to Liang He’s side and continue being her Little Black. Though he told himself he had no other option, Elias inexplicably felt that his once-drifting, anchorless heart had suddenly settled into a state of contentment the moment he saw her.

"Mhm... finally home!"

After a day and a night of travel, they finally arrived smoothly at the Tianyao Star Protection Zone. This was the great thing about private jets—they could land directly inside the protection zone without the need for transfers.

"Brother Hao, I’ll take Silver Shuttle and the fluffy animals back to the Seventh Service Area first. Shall we have dinner together tonight?" Liang He had rested well on the plane and was in high spirits, ready to treat her stomach to a good meal that evening.

"Alright. Hoder and I have some business to attend to. We’ll be there a bit later."

Having agreed to meet for dinner, Liang He borrowed a large aircraft from the Main Service Area, spacious enough to accommodate all the animals, and conveniently picked up some food from the cafeteria.

"Previously, supplies were delivered to the Seventh Service Area on time every day. Since we’ve been gone for ten days or so, they probably didn’t purchase any rations for us. We’ll just have to make do for today," Liang He explained. The protection zone’s supplies were usually bought the day before and delivered fresh the next day. Since the cafeteria had plenty of leftovers, Liang He decided not to trouble the logistics staff.

"There are toiletries in the warehouse. I’ve been wanting to hire an additional breeder, so there’s a vacant room in the dormitories. We just need to tidy it up, and you can move in."

Long before Lan Zhuo arrived at the protection zone, Liang He had suggested to Huo An that they needed a dedicated veterinarian and a breeder. When the animal dormitories were being rebuilt, Liang He, anticipating the arrival of new staff, had specifically added living quarters above Hoder and the others. They were essentially small suites.

"Hoder’s primary role is as a bodyguard, and Lan Zhuo is the veterinarian. It’s more convenient for them to live on the first floor in case of emergencies, so you’ll have to make do with the second floor."

"It’s no hardship at all!" Silver Shuttle was already thrilled that Liang He was willing to take him in. Furthermore, the "hardship" she mentioned didn’t exist in his eyes. A 1.8-meter king-size bed, an en-suite bathroom, and even a small balcony—it was absolutely perfect! "Then I’ll go tidy up my room first, and I’ll come down to help you later!"

Silver Shuttle was a little excited. It felt like he had scored a premium job—the perks were far better than being a bounty hunter!

"Alright, no rush." Seeing that he wasn’t forcing a smile and was genuinely happy, Liang He felt relieved. She went downstairs, preparing to check on the fluffy animals’ dormitories.

"Liang He, you’re back." Lan Zhuo, who had just walked out of the medical room, happened to hear the noise upstairs. He had assumed it was Xu Yi or someone else, and certainly hadn’t expected it to be Liang He.

"Yes. Have you been doing well recently? Thank you for taking care of the Silver Moon Wolf and the others." The fluffy animals had all followed her to the Greenfield Star, but the Silver Moon Wolf, the wolf cubs, and the baby panda couldn’t leave with them, so she had to entrust their care to Lan Zhuo.

"I’ve been fine. It was no trouble." After briefly greeting Liang He, Lan Zhuo intended to leave. But suddenly remembering a message his teacher had sent him, he turned back and caught Liang He’s sleeve. "I want to ask you a question."