Chapter 49: The Last Warrior, Section 2

Setting Stury’s surprise aside for now, Hei Fa seemed quite at ease. So many people had boarded the shuttle at once, making it a bit crowded. He simply went to the front cabin and took on the role of pilot. After all, the guys from Hei Yu Zong were trustworthy. They arrived just in time—as soon as they took off, a terrifying sandstorm swept in with a fierce howl, enveloping the shuttle instantly. Yet it didn’t shake the shuttle even slightly. Countless flying sand particles struck the cabin’s exterior like bullets, producing a storm-like noise, but inside, everything remained eerily stable. The entire craft rose very steadily.

Seeing this, the dark-skinned giant Stury’s eyes widened in shock. Having spent years in the world, he had seen enough to recognize value—even if he had never eaten pork, he had seen pigs run. From this simple takeoff alone, Stury could tell this shuttle was of extraordinary value. It was likely beyond the reach of ordinary people. Not even the great lords who ruled entire star systems necessarily possessed such a thing.

This meant the man who had saved him must be someone of great importance—perhaps even the son of a great lord. Could such a person be Uncle Bie’s friend? Whether others believed it or not was unknown, but Stury himself didn’t believe it. But what could he do if he didn’t believe? Since Hei Fa wasn’t willing to tell him, further questioning would likely yield the same result. In this world, no one could force Hei Fa to reveal anything against his will.

Outside the window, the sky had long disappeared, replaced by a murky, yellowish hue that even turned darker over time. Stury knew this was a sign that the shuttle was moving deeper into the heart of the sandstorm. Soon, they would be completely surrounded by it.

But at this point, there was nothing for them to fear. Since the mysterious man said there would be no problem, he must have a solution. Miracles were common in this world. Perhaps the terrifying sandstorms of Xie Ke Xing meant nothing at all in the eyes of that man.

In fact, Hei Fa indeed seemed relaxed. Sitting in the front cockpit, he even whistled, his eyes half-closed, lost in thought. Seeing this, Stury had nothing to say. He could only find a corner in the cabin, sit down, and close his eyes.

The speed of the shuttle was indeed fast. In just a moment, the outside view became clear, and they once again emerged from the ravages of the sandstorm. Five minutes later, the outline of the town of Kukare appeared before their eyes.

Hei Fa opened his eyes and was immediately shocked.

Was this still the Kukare town he remembered? That ruined town covered in dirt?

What lay before him was a large city spanning nearly a hundred square kilometers. Skyscrapers stood densely everywhere; it was impossible to count them at a glance. The city was surrounded by thick walls hundreds of feet high. The massive city gates resembled the gaping maws of ancient beasts, constantly swallowing streams of vehicles.

With just a brief glance, he saw dozens of puppet insects coming in and out of the city, which clearly showed how prosperous Kukare had become. No, to be precise, it was no longer a town but a very famous industrial city in Xieke Xing.

As a representative of an industrial city, its pollution was terrifyingly severe. Even from hundreds of kilometers away, Hei Fa could clearly see the thick plumes of smoke.

It must be hard for those living in the high-rise buildings. With such severe pollution, how could there be any pleasure in the upper skies? Kukare’s path of development was truly unusual. Hei Fa smiled bitterly inwardly and lowered the shuttle’s altitude.

Like an eagle descending from the sky, the sudden landing of the large shuttle made the guards at the town entrance nervous. Several combat mechs that had been waiting nearby stepped forward and quickly arrived beside the cabin. But when they saw that those coming down were a group of dirt-covered scavengers, all the guards were stunned.

What was going on? Seeing the sophistication of the shuttle, almost all the guards thought high-ranking officials from Kukare had arrived. Who would have thought it was actually these scum from the bottom of society? Everyone was momentarily stunned. Fortunately, they were all experienced people and didn’t panic. After exchanging glances, they began the routine inspection. Each scavenger was taken to a nearby vehicle for a thorough body scan.

“What’s going on? Why wasn’t this here when I last came?” Seeing this, Hei Fa was puzzled. He turned to ask Sturi beside him.

“Oh, this only started in recent years,” Sturi replied in a low voice. “It’s because the town of Kukare has been developed. There are more and more people coming here. So the planetary government is afraid of diseases spreading here and has arranged these inspections. But don’t worry; these inspections are only for us scavengers. For distinguished guests like you, there’s no issue.”

“Oh,” the black-haired man nodded. He immediately felt disdain for this interstellar government. Such discrimination—what was the difference from slavery on Earth in the past? In the eyes of those government officials, these hardworking scavengers must already be regarded as slaves. No, even slaves were considered superior to them. At best, they could be classified as livestock.

What kind of discrimination was this? It was simply dividing people into different classes!! The so-called disease checks were just an excuse. They were clearly checking whether the scavengers were hiding anything!

It was a true insult to human dignity. The black-haired man silently stared at the arrogant guards across from him, then glanced at the armed mechs beside them. He let out a soft sigh and unclenched his fists.

He wasn’t some savior. He had come here just to relax. So such matters were not something he should get involved in. And even if he could help this time, what about next time? Or the time after that? He couldn’t spend all his time on this desolate planet.

Without saying another word, he watched coldly as the inspections continued. Only after all the scavengers who had disembarked from his ship were checked did he slowly step forward. He went over to Sturi, who had just come out of the inspection booth, still not fully dressed. Seeing the black-haired man standing in front of him, he was momentarily stunned.

“Hm? Sir, why didn’t you go in?”

“I don’t know the way,” the black-haired man replied calmly. “If you don’t take me to Old Bek, I’m afraid I won’t be able to find him.”

“Oh? Didn’t you say you were his old friend? How could you not find him?” Sturi asked, pretending to be surprised.

“I left the planet of Shek a few years ago. Things here have changed too much. I need a guide. Oh, right—this should be called hiring. Well then, Sturi, since I only know you now, can I hire you as my guide? Just give me a price.”

“Ah? No way!” Stury was instantly shocked and quickly grabbed the black-haired man’s hand, which was reaching for money. “You just saved all of us—you’re our savior. How dare I accept your money? Stop joking. If BossBuick finds out, he’ll kill me. Alright, alright, sir. I can take you to see him. But first, you have to tell me your name. I don’t want to get scolded by him.”
“Oh, I see. I’m really sorry then.” The black-haired man realized he had indeed forgotten to introduce himself. It wasn’t that he was truly forgetful; it was just that over the years he had only interacted with cunning people who would investigate you thoroughly before you even had a chance to introduce yourself. So he lacked the habit of introducing himself.
“My name is Blackhair. Nice to meet you,” said Blackhair, extending his hand with a smile.
“Stury,” replied the dark-skinned man formally. He wiped his large hand on his pants before shaking Blackhair’s hand gently.
“BossBuick’s factory isn’t far from here. Mr. Blackhair, please allow me to show you the way.”
“Thank you,” Blackhair replied with a smile.
As Stury had said, Blackhair encountered no obstacles when passing through the security. Those who usually had fierce expressions around the scavengers didn’t even glance at him, as if he didn’t exist at all. After parking the shuttle at the designated airport, Blackhair followed Stury to the streets of the town of Kukare.
Unlike his last visit, Kukare was much cleaner now. Although it still couldn’t compare to the big cities on other planets, it still had a decent appearance. The sewage and trash that used to flow in the streets had been replaced by smooth, solid surfaces, and the prostitutes who used to solicit customers everywhere were nowhere to be seen. On both sides of the street, there were all kinds of shops, and there were many pedestrians as well.
Stury walked quickly, leaving little time for Blackhair to observe the town’s current state. Following the dark-skinned man through several winding streets, they arrived at their destination: a very spacious factory building.
“BossBuick is inside. Mr. Blackhair, please wait a moment. I’ll go inform him right away.” Stury returned, clearly more enthusiastic, and said with a smile. Seeing Blackhair nod, he turned and ran inside the factory.
Watching his back, Blackhair smiled and nodded.

“Not bad, young man. Seems quite capable. I really wonder where Old Buick found such a good helper. What an amazing guy. Tsk tsk, look at this factory—it’s not even in the same league as before. It seems Old Buick is living well; my visit this time might be unnecessary.”
“Is that so? Then why did you come? You’re not welcome here!” Just as the dark-haired man was smiling to himself, a voice suddenly came from behind him.