Chapter 286: Angel of Death
“May I ask a rude question?” Nan Guo de Xue pondered for a few seconds before finally asking, “Did you ever meet the Executive Officer in person when you were on the colony ship?”
“Never,” Charlotte replied without hesitation, shaking her head.
“Hmm—we all believe you, but you know, that doesn’t sound logical.”
Charlotte’s eyes darted around as she considered what she could say and what was still inconvenient to reveal.
“At that time, all of us gene-adjusted individuals spent our lives before the age of 15 in secret training facilities within the company, and then strictly followed the plan, participating in corporate internships.”
“When the Executive Officer boarded cangyuan one, I was already in hibernation on the ship, and after that, I was never awakened—”
Ha, what a shame...
The players, who enjoyed watching drama, now seemed to possess telepathic abilities, and the same thought popped into their minds with great tacit agreement.
So much less melodrama!
“But you must have seen him in the media, right?” Ye Xing keenly raised his doubt, “He is your Executive Officer, after all.”
The other party still shook her head.
“The Executive Officer was only 23 when he boarded the ship. He was an extremely special talent, genetically edited and educated by Cangyuan Future Technology specifically for the interstellar colonization project. The company never publicly disclosed his existence.”
The players exchanged glances.
It seemed that in the current universe, apart from the players, probably no one knew the Executive Officer’s true appearance.
No wonder the Emperor had previously referred to Charlotte as the “Executive Officer’s daughter.”
Besides fabricating a non-existent “hereditary succession” to the public, according to the common sense of most people, anyone who could become the Executive Officer of a universal mega-corporation would have to be at least 45 years old.
A father-daughter relationship was indeed more age-appropriate.
Who would have thought, ahem...
Too dramatic!
“But why wasn’t it made public? Wouldn’t that reduce the company’s publicity effect and affect subsequent financing?” Qun Qing asked.
Charlotte’s expression was a little downcast.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know that either. The company’s top executives never directly answered that question. However, given Cangyuan’s strength at the time, it no longer needed to attract more investment through hype and publicity.”
Rich enough to rival a nation, huh?
“—Alright. So, what you just said, that very important thing, wouldn’t it be to continue with our Executive Officer—”
Next to him, Male God silently extended his right index finger, forming a zero with his left hand, about to make some unspeakable gestures, but was promptly slapped away by Qun Qing next to him.
Everyone fell silent, eager to hear the answer.
Charlotte propped her hands on the sofa cushion, leaning forward intently, scrutinizing Lu Yuan for several seconds.
“I’m truly sorry, my mission is very clear and does not apply to everyone bearing the title of ‘Cangyuan Executive Officer.’ At least, until I re-board cangyuan one and verify the life or death of Executive Officer, my mission objective will not change—”
She took a deep breath and sat up straight again.
“What I have to tell everyone today is far more important than that!”
Next, Charlotte first explained the reason for her appearance in the post-apocalyptic era, spanning a thousand years.
Nine months ago, a Super Democratic Empire scientific research vessel, while pursuing a “ghost ship,” salvaged her hibernation pod from space and awakened her.
Soon after, Charlotte’s identity as a colony ship crew member was confirmed, and the Empire thus learned that the “ghost ship” was actually cangyuan one, launched 1,100 years ago. Charlotte was immediately sent to the capital, Morning Star, for a secret meeting with Emperor Constantine V.
The Emperor immediately granted Charlotte Imperial citizenship, stating his willingness to do everything possible to help her retrieve the cangyuan one colony ship and rebuild Cangyuan, while also inviting her to provide assistance.
The promise of “rebuilding Cangyuan” raised Charlotte’s vigilance because she knew it conflicted with the Empire’s interests. The Emperor must have been treating her as an easily deceived child, with ulterior motives.
Charlotte cooperated while trying to obtain other sources of information.
Eventually, she made contact with an underground organization opposing the Emperor within the country and learned that the Emperor, who presided over the salvage operation of cangyuan one, and the Congress, indeed had other intentions.
Charlotte and the underground resistance organization failed to acquire enough intelligence.
They only knew that finding and salvaging cangyuan one was part of a national-level transaction; the Emperor needed this ancient colony ship to exchange for a 【promise】 from an unknown powerful force.
Afterward, Charlotte knew that her meeting with the underground resistance organization could not be kept secret forever. Before the matter was exposed, she managed to escape with the help of the resistance organization.
She was isolated and helpless in this era that did not belong to her, but her personal abilities, especially her adaptability, were quite formidable. After a long journey, she could only turn to the “New Cangyuan” within the Star Alliance, which claimed to inherit the legacy of the old family and whose actions seemed very reliable.
“Phew—”
Charlotte finished speaking in one breath, then drank some water to moisten her throat.
“In short, the Emperor has invested a lot of energy and resources in salvaging cangyuan one. I guess he must have very bad intentions secretly!”
“Hmm—” Lu Yuan, who had been silent all this time, spoke up, “So the Emperor recruited you because your genetic data can awaken cangyuan one?”
“Yes, I am a semi-senior executive of the company, with A3-level authority, capable of opening most of the access controls and the main computer’s quantum encrypted locks on the colony ship.”
“But Imperial agents must have already obtained my DNA, as well as voiceprints, gait, iris, and other data from my residence on Morning Star, so they can now too!”
Lu Yuan nodded.
“Good, thank you for the reminder. So, assuming we can find cangyuan one before the Empire and bring it back to a safe area, but the Executive Officer from the past is confirmed dead, what are your plans then? Is there anything else you want to tell me?”
Others might not realize it, but Lu Yuan, possessing the highest mental attribute in the entire game, could sense that Charlotte had held back a lot in her previous statements.
Her thoughts and cunning were far deeper than what her physiological age suggested.
“I will only tell you these things on the way to find cangyuan one,” Charlotte said with a stern attitude.
“Because I must first determine your stance. If you have enough courage and conviction to embark on this journey and do your utmost to recover this precious legacy, then I can tentatively consider you a qualified corporate manager.”
“If it is later confirmed that Executive Officer has unfortunately perished, then my mission, if truly necessary, might not be impossible to be transferre—”
“Transferred to what?”
Charlotte secretly glanced at Lu Yuan, her voice almost inaudible.
“Transferred to—you—”
Alright, alright, sister, you can stop there!
Transferred to me? Taking everything, aren’t we? Truly loyal to the company, I admire that, I admire that—
Lu Yuan realized that his previous question, “What are your plans then,” might have caused a serious misunderstanding.
It’s as if I’m demanding something!
“Cough! Alright!”
He cleared his throat.
“Then, I formally pledge to you that I will dispatch a scientific expedition team to do everything possible to recover cangyuan one before the Empire or any other force. I myself will also accompany the ship. Along the way, please guide me.”
No—if I agree so easily, will it worsen her delusions?
Sure enough.
Charlotte looked at Lu Yuan with a meaningful gaze, with a hint of small triumph after her charm had been acknowledged, and actively shook his hand.
Alright, you’re really pleased with yourself.
“Mm! I’m glad we reached a consensus! When will the fleet depart?”
“Soon.”
Lu Yuan snapped his fingers at Ma Lou, who understood and connected a hard drive to the smart coffee table in the center of the room.
Whoosh!
Old Jia’s previously drawn star map was displayed as a holographic projection.
“This—”
Starlight reflected in Charlotte’s eyes.
“You drew this!? It’s very accurate!”
“It was drawn by an excellent adventurer currently working for Cangyuan. We call him Old Jia; he’s a good person.” Lu Yuan didn’t take credit for others’ work, “I think this star map should give us some advantages.”
He turned to Charlotte: “However, whether we can safely reach there still depends on how much additional information you can provide.”
“Mm!”
The other party nodded vigorously twice, her golden hair bouncing, her mental state quite cheerful.
“No problem, I can definitely help! The Imperial side’s calculated route is similar to yours, but the arrival time varies from a few days to several weeks. I know the locations of their supply points. As long as your algorithm is more accurate, you can optimize a path to avoid the Imperial main force performing the salvage mission!”
“But still be careful,” Anya reminded, “The no-fly zone designated by His Majesty the Emperor is the most turbulent and least explored sea area in the entire Star Alliance. Not to mention pirates, the natural environment is also very harsh.”
“Many Jump Points are near young black holes and neutron stars of unknown origin, star systems are dense with asteroids and dust, and mysterious electromagnetic and gravitational storms often rage.”
“In addition, there are some unidentified flying objects that do not belong to any faction, which are said to fire indiscriminately at everyone. How about this, I’ll have my assistant compile a document as soon as possible for you to take before you depart.”
“Thank you!”
Lu Yuan sighed softly.
It looked like a journey of trials full of difficulties and obstacles...
The players, however, were very happy, especially those who had already signed up for the long-distance mission. “I still have one question, Charlotte, do you truly know nothing about the force that made a deal with the Empire?”
Charlotte stared into Lu Yuan’s eyes, pondering for a few seconds.
“I only know their name, 【Azrael】.”
“Hmm, I’ve heard of them. They appeared in the Star Alliance in the last ten years or so, and very few people have heard of them,” Anya confirmed, subtly hinting to Lu Yuan that Charlotte didn’t seem to be lying.
“However, as far as I know, Azrael has not yet reached the scale of an interstellar power; it’s just a secret organization. They act low-key and mysterious; even I haven’t fully investigated their background, and I don’t even know the meaning of this strange name ‘Azrael.’”
“Azrael—if I’m not mistaken, the more accurate pronunciation should be Azrea.” Lu Yuan said in a deep voice.
“Oh!?” Charlotte looked surprised.
As an Earthling born in 2078, she naturally knew this more “authentic” pronunciation.
She should be the only one in the entire Star Alliance who knew!
“Azreal,” Anya mimicked Lu Yuan’s pronunciation, “This is—”
“In ancient Earth, the common Angel of Death in the three Abrahamic religions,” Black Smoke, who had been silent until now, explained on behalf of his Executive Officer.
Charlotte’s face was instantly filled with disbelief.
“No—you, why do you know knowledge that should have been lost a thousand years ago?!”
“Just normal knowledge reserves,” Lu Yuan said lightly, tapping his temple.
“Oh—hmm—” Qun Qing pouted, looking at the other players in thought, then opened internal communication, switching to Chinese.
“Don’t you think the spelling of the word Azrael is too similar to a certain country in the real world?”
Black Smoke looked at her, nodding silently.
Jubian, who had also been silent until now, spoke up.
“Everyone, is anyone currently live-streaming?”
Everyone shook their heads.
If there wasn’t an exciting scene, players wouldn’t always be live-streaming, otherwise they would have to interact with the audience, affecting their immersive experience.
“Good, please do not post the conversation that just happened here online in any form, I beg you!”