Chapter 001: The Old Thief Who Stole a Starship

"Name."

"Ji Xinghe."

"Gender."

"Male."

"Age."

"65."

"Why would you, at retirement age with a pension, want to steal? And not just steal anything, but a single-pilot starship. I mean, can you even operate it if you got it?"

"I can."

 

The interrogating officer was momentarily stunned. Could this be a retired veteran of the Federation? If so, his interrogation might come to a halt as the Federation had its own military courts.

 

Single-pilot starships were only piloted by space fleet soldiers or retired ones. The New Phoenix City Police Department had some who could operate them, retired soldiers from the space fleet.

 

Although Ji Xinghe was attempting to steal from the New Phoenix City Police Department, the officer couldn't help but wonder... wait, 65 years old? How long had the space fleet been established? How long had single-pilot starships existed? Where did this 65-year-old retired soldier come from?

 

Name, gender, age, fingerprints, and other information were input into the terminal in front of the officer. The officer was not impressed, not because Ji Xinghe's records were too stellar, but because they were incredibly ordinary.

 

Born on January 19, 2022, in a regular family in the Federation's Longzhou region. Attended kindergarten at three, primary school at six, junior high at twelve, high school at sixteen, and university at twenty, where he graduated with an ordinary degree in mechanical maintenance. After graduation, he worked in a large automotive repair factory in his hometown, got married at 31, had a son at 33 (only one child), his wife passed away at 55 due to an accident, and his son, Ji Chenxing, was admitted to the Federation's Longzhou Aerospace Military University (Major in Mech Piloting). He retired in September this year with no criminal record prior.

 

"But how could a mechanic like you operate a single-pilot starship? Did your son teach you?"

 

Upon hearing this question, Ji Xinghe, who had been calm and collected, showed a hint of sadness on his face, quickly suppressing it.

 

"I learned while playing games."

 

"Huh?" The officer was puzzled. "You mean Interstellar Glory?"

 

"Yeah, Interstellar Glory."

 

The officer tapped on the terminal again, bringing up more information about Ji Xinghe. His Federation credit score was 739, a normal value, but it would likely drop significantly after today. He had only one phone number and one social media account. All of these details painted Ji Xinghe as incredibly ordinary.

 

However, in the game Interstellar Glory, Ji Xinghe achieved the title of Glory King for 21 consecutive seasons, with over 2200 points in peak matches for 19 seasons, and had twelve national server heroes.

 

A pro gamer.

 

The officer couldn't help but be amazed. Interstellar Glory had only been out for ten years, and for 99% of players, that meant only twenty seasons. Achieving Glory King for twenty-one consecutive seasons indicated that Ji Xinghe was an early access player.

 

An elite gamer.

 

"Sir, are you addicted to gaming? Interstellar Glory, as realistic as it may seem, is just a virtual reality competitive game. Can your skills in the game match those of real single-pilot starship operators? Let's be honest, you're impressive among amateur players, but compared to professional gamers or streamers, aren't they better than you? How could you have the audacity to claim you can operate a single-pilot starship?"

 

Ji Xinghe fell silent again. He didn't emphasize that he started playing the game at the age of 55, while professional players and streamers peaked around 20. There was no point in emphasizing this; he was 65 now and couldn't go back to his peak at 18 to prove he was better than those top-tier professionals.

 

And the officer was right—games were just games. As realistic as they might be, they were still just games. Otherwise, he should have already taken off in the starship, leaving the Blue Planet behind, rather than being handcuffed in the interrogation room of the New Phoenix City Police Department.

 

"Alright, I won't press further. At your age... Just tell me your son's contact information. It's not listed in your records."

 

After confirming that Ji Xinghe wasn't a retired soldier, the police officer determined that this case fell under the jurisdiction of the New Phoenix City Police Department. Everything had to go through the proper procedures, including informing the family.

 

According to the records, Ji Xinghe had only one living relative, Ji Chenxing, who served in the Longzhou Military Aerospace Force.

 

But Ji Xinghe fell silent again.

 

"Sir? I've told you, this is a serious case. You'll likely go to prison, but the Federation provides every citizen with the opportunity to seek legal aid. Before you're deprived of all your rights, you can contact your family to find a defense attorney. A few years less in prison might matter to someone of your age. Of course, if you pick the wrong lawyer, you might end up serving more time."

 

Ji Xinghe remained silent.

 

The officer seemed to understand something.

 

"Are you embarrassed? Well, your son is out there fighting on the front lines against the Imperial gorillas, carrying the weight to ensure the peace of our Federation, and here you are causing trouble..."

 

Perhaps feeling his tone had been too harsh, the officer paused.

 

Even when facing a criminal, the traditional Dragon Continent virtue of respecting the elderly and cherishing the young was not forgotten. Furthermore, stealing a single-pilot starship, although a serious offense, hadn't resulted in any damage yet. The single-pilot starships provided to the New Phoenix City Police Department, and indeed to all police departments in the Federation, were unarmed and could be understood as patrol cars that could fly into space.

 

During the theft, Ji Xinghe hadn't caused any casualties. It was unclear how he managed to sneak into the police station and get into a single-pilot starship, but before he could even start the engine, the AI detected anomalies, shut down the starship, and locked the hatch. Informed officers promptly apprehended him.

 

A 65-year-old old turtle.

 

"If you don't speak up, we'll just contact them directly."

 

After remaining silent for a while, Ji Xinghe finally spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse. "Officer, there's no need to contact them. I won't defend myself. Whatever punishment is deemed fit, whether it's life imprisonment or sending me to the mining planet, I accept it. Don't contact them."

 

"Wow, you're quite enlightened. Why didn't you think of that earlier? Just think about it."

 

The officer neither agreed nor disagreed. Contacting family was a necessary procedure. After the first round of interrogation ended, Ji Xinghe was detained, and the police began contacting the Longzhou military while investigating other possibilities, including the potential for Ji Xinghe being a terrorist or an Imperial spy.

 

Contacting the military was a tedious process. After several layers of transfers and authorization requests, the New Phoenix City police finally contacted the unit where Ji Chenxing was stationed. After a brief conversation, the police received shocking news.

 

"Ji Chenxing sacrificed himself half a month ago?"

 

"You only informed Ji Xinghe a week ago?"

 

"He told you he wanted to join the military and fight on the front lines, and you refused? Well, he was 65 years old after all."

 

"Oh, Ji Xinghe came to us to steal a single-pilot starship six days ago. Apparently, he listed the front lines as his destination. We're still investigating, concerned he might be an Imperial spy or something."

 

"Huh? You officially rejected his request to go to the front lines six days ago? Then this..."

 

The New Phoenix City police knew—they were dealing with a criminal case, but also a story of avenging a son.