【Interstellar Contract Magician】Ruyuanke

"Is it me?" I looked at him with a smile, my tone relaxed. It seemed that he was not afraid of anything.

But in fact, the inner tension had already quietly risen.

The commander's gaze swept over me, piercing like a knife, seemingly piercing through my very being. An unspoken sense of oppression instantly filled the air. Although he didn't react immediately, the implicit threat made me hold my breath.

The corners of his mouth rose slightly, as if he was savoring my tone: "Do you know what you are doing?"

I smiled softly, didn't answer, and simply stood there quietly. I knew every second here could mean the difference between life and death, yet I remained calm. After all, I'd long known there was more to this deal than meets the eye.

Nightingale seemed to have seen through the subtle changes in the situation. A trace of alert flashed in his eyes. He stood up slightly, his fingers lightly touching the holster at his waist, ready to respond to any sudden changes at any time.

"If you think there's a problem, you can always check it out," I continued, my voice still relaxed. "But, I'm sure you know that investigating and questioning will only waste time. Do you really want to waste time?"

Although my words were simple, each one carried a playful mystery, hinting that things wouldn't be as simple as they thought. I wasn't sure if these people had seen through something, but I knew that without strong measures, it would be difficult for us to survive in this situation.

The commander still didn't respond, his eyes narrowed slightly, as if pondering my meaning. His fingers tapped softly on the table, making a low sound. Suddenly, as if making a decision, he slowly said, "Drop your weapons."

My eyebrows raised, a slight movement in my heart. Nightingale's fingers tightened slightly, but he didn't react immediately. We both understood that this game was no longer just about who was smarter or faster, but about who could make the most decisive decision in the most critical moment.

"This is not what you think." The commander's voice deepened, and his eyes turned to me again. "I know what you are hiding. You don't need to continue to play innocent."

My heart skipped a beat.

Nightingale tilted her head slightly, a dangerous glint in her eyes: "Are you sure you want to continue?"

The commander did not answer immediately. Instead, he turned around and ordered his men to block the surrounding exits. All the men in black stood nervously in their positions, their eyes fixed on us.

The air grew incredibly heavy. Time seemed to freeze at this moment, and my heartbeat quickened. This moment determined our life or death.

But at this moment, Nightingale raised a meaningful smile, with a hint of cold determination in his eyes: "We are not here just to trade."

I could feel his aura instantly become sharper, and his movements became faster, as if he could calmly deal with any crisis at any time.

"If you don't want to die, you'd better understand that our bottom line is not something you can touch easily." Nightingale's words came into my ears lightly, but I knew that every word was full of deadly threats.

The commander's eyes suddenly became complicated, as if he realized that the person in front of him was not as simple as he seemed.

I kept the curve of my lips, lowered my eyes slightly, as if nothing mattered. At this moment, I seemed to resemble the nightingale—that calm, fearless, even slightly dangerous elegance.

The commander's gaze grew more serious, as if realizing the situation wasn't as simple as he'd imagined. The tension in the air grew thicker, and the men in black around us seemed to hold their breath, daring not to act rashly. We were alone in this silent space, the three of us seemingly commanding all attention.

I didn't rush to speak. Instead, I remained silent, giving them time to think and giving myself some breathing room. Nightingale didn't rush either. I could sense his innate calmness and confidence. He never revealed his true colors easily, but when he decided to act, no one could stop him.

The commander was silent for a long time. Finally, he spoke in a cold, hard voice: "You certainly don't seem to be ordinary people. But, now that things have come to this, do you think you can escape unscathed?"

"Retreat?" I chuckled. "We never came here with the intention of retreating. You may not understand, this isn't a deal, it's a gamble. And we're never afraid of losing."

My voice was filled with an unmistakable smile. A faint tremor flashed in the commander's eyes, clearly not expecting me to be so blunt.

I didn't wait any longer and turned directly to Nightingale. Without a word, he drew two exquisite pistols from his waistband, his movements so swift that there was almost no warning. In that moment, time seemed to stretch, and the tension in the air instantly solidified into an unbearable pressure.

The commander quickly instructed his men to prepare for action, but it was too late—Nightingale's bullets had already flown through the air, hitting their locked targets with unerring precision. In just a few seconds, the atmosphere around them completely changed.

I didn't say anything more, my gaze sweeping across the commander's face, as if examining an opponent already doomed to failure. I knew this game was drawing to a close.

"Nightingale, retreat." I ordered simply, my tone still calm, as if everything was under control.

He nodded, quickly sheathed his weapon, and led me toward the exit, each step firm and powerful.

As I walked out of the heavy door, I heard chaotic footsteps behind me, but they were soon left far behind. On the deck of the starship, there were only the two of us walking side by side in silence, my heartbeat gradually returning to normal.

Nightingale remained calm, but his eyes revealed a hint of approval. "You did a great job."

I chuckled and teased, "I'm just imitating you."

Nightingale raised an eyebrow and smiled, seemingly unsurprised by my answer. "You're very smart. You know when to be patient and when to take action."

I didn't respond, but continued walking down the road from which there was no turning back. Looking back, the place that had made me doubt my identity and future countless times had gradually faded away.

At this moment, I finally understood that both Nightingale and I have found our own place in this cruel interstellar game.

On the return journey aboard the starship, the entire space was silent, the only sound echoing in the air as I counted the "cargo." With the mission over, I felt a subtle sense of relief wash over me. Although this transaction was fraught with uncertainty and unexpected events, the outcome lived up to expectations.

I pulled the quickly stored items from the explosion-proof space one by one, carefully examining each one. These traded items were originally supposed to be "goods" for a commercial transaction, but as the situation unfolded, they were swept into this dangerous game. Ultimately, they now belonged to me.

My computer automatically popped up the task interface, displaying the final mission details. The tiny gray text at the bottom stood out: "If the transaction fails, the person responsible for the handover may be killed, which will be considered mission completed."

We have already completed our mission, regardless of the outcome.

I felt a mix of emotions. I scanned the mission information with a cold gaze, but didn't dwell on it. It didn't mean much anymore—mission completed, cargo in hand, objective achieved. As for how I "completed" the mission, those insignificant details were irrelevant to me.

I turned to look at Nightingale, sitting next to me. He remained calm and composed, taking his time, occasionally glancing up at me, as if aware of the turmoil in my heart. There was no need for further words between us.

"Mission accomplished." I whispered, my tone indifferent, but at that moment, there was an unusual calmness in my voice.

Nightingale raised her eyes, a faint smile on her face. "Don't you feel a little empty? The mission was completed so smoothly, there wasn't even a last-minute suspense."

"No." I shook my head slightly. "I've long been accustomed to this. Whether it goes smoothly or not, once the mission is over, I no longer have any concerns. The only thing left is the next mission."

Nightingale didn't seem to refute me, but just sighed softly. It wasn't that he didn't understand me, but he knew that nothing could truly shake me.

I set my laptop aside, closed my eyes, and took in the starry sky drifting past outside the starship. The vastness and loneliness of the interstellar world, like a vast net, tightly traps us wanderers. No matter where we go, it seems there's no escape. Some say we're free here, free to do whatever we please. But I know true freedom lies not in escaping, but in facing it.

"What do you plan to do after you go back?" Nightingale's voice suddenly broke the silence.

I thought about it for a moment and replied casually, "Let's finish these things first. Once we have accumulated enough merits and points, we can consider other things."

"That's fine." He nodded. "I guess you don't plan to stop. At least for the time being, you still have to continue on this path."

I smiled but didn't answer. Nightingale's seemingly casual teasing actually concealed a deep, "Nightingale-like" understanding. He knew me, and he knew I wouldn't stop easily, whether for my own goals or for some insignificant promise.

The journey passed quickly, and our starship finally arrived at its destination. The interstellar port before us was still bustling with activity, as if the endless universe never stopped. We passed inspection without incident. The cargo was delivered, the mission complete, and the matter came to a temporary end.

"What should we do next?" Nightingale asked casually, putting his hands in his pockets.

I smiled faintly and looked up at the vast starry sky in the distance. "Keep going. Until there are no more explanations needed."