A shuttle boat bearing the Space Station Administration’s emblem landed about a dozen meters away from the hardware store entrance.
The hatch opened quickly, revealing two fully armed individuals that looked like the Space Station Patrol Team inside the shuttle boat.
Chen Ming retreated slightly with caution, ready to retreat back into the hardware store at any moment.
However, a head soon peeked out next to the shuttle boat’s hatch—it was Lao Wu’s head.
He was also dressed in very professional tactical gear, but it completely contradicted his usual demeanor, making him look somewhat out of place.
Lao Wu, however, was completely unaware of this as he waved to Chen Ming and said, "Xiao Mu, why are you dressed like that? Never mind, come quickly, we have to go." Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⚑𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⚑𝙣𝙚𝙩
Meanwhile, over the still-connected phone line, the manager also confirmed the identities of those on the shuttle boat.
Chen Ming had no more hesitation, greeted the store owner, and stepped out briskly, boarding the shuttle boat.
Throughout the process, Chen Ming didn’t feel any increase or decrease in the constant sense of danger, unaware whether the military had lost track of him or were just biding their time.
But that didn’t matter; as long as he could reach the Administration Building, safety would be assured.
Unless the military completely fell out with the Space Station, there was absolutely nothing they could do to him.
Chen Ming was pulled aboard the shuttle boat by two patrol team members.
The hatch closed instantly, the engines fired up immediately, and the shuttle boat soared vertically into the sky.
The pilot turned the shuttle boat’s nose, heading straight for the Administration Building located at the center of the Space Station.
Lao Wu found a place inside the shuttle boat for Chen Ming to sit, allowing him to easily take in the interior environment.
However, the shuttle boat itself wasn’t large, and the interior resembled a troop transport helicopter, without much of interest.
Instead, the outside was more worthy of Chen Ming’s attention.
The ascending shuttle boat had just passed through the
door of Space Arm No. 2 in less than half a minute, arriving steadily and swiftly at the edge of the Space Station’s internal city.
Within three to four minutes at most, they would reach the Space Station Administration.
However, Chen Ming hadn’t forgotten about the military; they had already been watching him and wouldn’t just let him leave like that.
Just as Chen Ming suspected.
As soon as the shuttle boat flew into the airspace over the city, it suddenly shook violently, and red emergency lights flashed inside.
The sense of danger Chen Ming felt suddenly became very apparent.
And the pilot’s voice came immediately from the front of the shuttle boat: "The shuttle boat has malfunctioned, the operating system has failed, I can’t control it anymore."
"And it’s still flying in another direction without crashing."
The pilot was seen desperately trying to regain control of the shuttle boat, but with little effect.
"The communication device is also malfunctioning, I can’t get in touch with the Administration."
"Our shuttle boat has been hacked."
Chen Ming immediately lowered his head and found that his communication with the manager had also been cut off at some point.
Not only were the shuttle boat’s communication devices affected, but the terminal’s network was also completely cut off.
"Damn it, they really dare to pull such a stunt on the Space Station."
Everyone on board looked grim, quickly checked their gear, and prepared for a possible conflict when they landed.
Chen Ming watched their actions and asked, "Is it just the few of us?"
Lao Wu, who was checking a gun equipped with an automatic locking system that he had spent quite a bit of money on, responded to Chen Ming, "How could that be? This is our Space Station."
"The Guard unit has already been contacted in advance, but without a real incident, it’s hard for them to determine the exact target, so they are on standby."
"Once we fire, they will come to our aid at the first moment."
"From our current position, they’ll arrive in at most three minutes."
"If we hold out for three minutes, they’re finished."
As the shuttle boat slowly deviated from its intended course.
At the farthest direction of the shuttle boat’s deviation, inside an unoccupied vacant house.
All five members of the military team were gathered here.
Xia Chao was now huddled next to the team member responsible for electronic equipment.
Watching the shuttle boat wobbling towards them outside, he said to his team member, "Your electronic warfare skills are as good as ever."
But his team member responded impatiently, "Good? If I were good, would I have been assigned here?"
"At least it’s good enough for now."
The captain coughed slightly at this moment to interrupt the chat among the team members and said, "Get ready, once the shuttle boat lands, take the people down directly, and be prepared for an armed conflict."
Sitting in the corner, Chen Ming watched the other team members preparing somewhat anxiously, as the shaking of the vessel increased constantly, causing him to frown.
But as if he had remembered something, he suddenly reached out with his left hand and fiddled with his wrist, removing the hand armor of the exoskeleton armor.
Then he pressed his left hand, wearing only a protective suit glove, against the shuttle boat’s hull.
In Chen Ming’s mind, an option to control the shuttle boat appeared, which hadn’t been there when he first boarded.
"This... is really nerve-wracking."
Chen Ming had thought that the shuttle boat wasn’t on the same level as a frigate, and thus not controllable.
It turned out it was merely due to the gap between the hand armor and the shuttle boat’s hull that the panel hadn’t detected his contact with the shuttle boat.