Chapter 23: Bait (Part 1)

“All right, all right! You’ve beaten me, I really don’t get what’s so special about that shabby knife of yours, but fine, I’ll help you look for it.” Muttering to himself, Rambo dashed out. Sure enough, when he returned after a short while, he was dressed head to toe as a cowboy: a leather belt at his waist with an ostentatious plastic dagger hanging from it, a cowboy hat perched on his head, his entire being exuding a wild, frontier aura. In his hands, he held another set of gear, and with a hearty laugh, said, “Since you like playing cowboy, little Le, let’s both be cowboys today.”

Le Kai accepted the gear in silence, and once again mercilessly shut the door in Rambo’s face.

“What an uncivilized wild child, doesn’t even know how to say thank you,” Rambo grumbled, though inwardly he was pleased. Let’s see you outshine me now, kid—under my rugged, bold manner, your delicate airs don’t stand a chance. Finally, I get to reclaim some dignity. Cool!

Feeling smug, Rambo fiddled with his cowboy hat, spread his legs, and struck a pose as if drawing a gun, a faint, confident smirk on his lips.

“The clothes are a bit big, but I suppose they’ll do. Let’s go!” The door opened, and Le Kai, frowning, adjusted his outfit, clearly not too pleased—especially with that curved blade, its handle wrapped in faded rags, hanging at his waist, looking all the more primitive and untamed. Compared to Rambo’s getup, Le Kai’s appearance was even more striking, boldly embodying the cowboy’s unrestrained spirit.

Through gritted teeth, Rambo forced a smile. “Brother Le, isn’t it a bit risky to let your knife hang out like that? What if you accidentally cut yourself? How about I help you find a sheath for it? Oh right, I just remembered—my dad loves collecting antiques. Last time I was in his study, I think I saw a knife sheath that looks similar to yours. Let’s check if it fits.”

Rambo really did recall that there was such a sheath in Lankas’s study, and it seemed a good match for Le Kai’s blade.

Upon hearing this, Le Kai’s eyes lit up. “Great! I was just worried about how ugly it looked without a sheath. If you can find one, that would be perfect. Thank you, Rambo.”

This knife had been left to Le Kai by his father, and he cherished it deeply, but had never found an appropriate sheath due to its unusual design. With his skills, it was impossible to make one himself. Now, hearing there might be just what he needed here, how could he not be delighted?

Rambo chuckled awkwardly, not wanting to admit his real reason was that the knife made Le Kai seem all the more imposing, which irked him.

While Lankas and the professor chatted in the living room, Rambo slipped naturally into Lankas’s study—clearly not his first time there, judging by his confidence. The study was filled with precious calligraphy and antiques, exuding an ancient charm. Entering, one felt as though stepping back in time, into another era; the atmosphere inspired an involuntary sense of reverence. Even the mischievous Rambo was subdued.

After some rummaging, he emerged with delight, clutching an extremely old sheath. “Try this—I think it matches.”

At first sight, Le Kai practically snatched the sheath away, his usually calm eyes brimming with excitement.

This was it—a sheath, no question about it!

Like the blade, the sheath bore a winding dragon motif. Yet compared to the knife, the sheath was even more ancient and unassuming, looking like a piece of rotten wood left to age for centuries, mottled and worn. Le Kai, trembling with excitement, slid the curved blade inside—there was a barely audible click as the knife fit perfectly.

“This is the sheath! It really is! Thank you, Rambo, I owe you one.”

He fastened the battered sheath to his belt, beaming with joy.

Rambo, too, was pleased: with the blade sheathed, Le Kai’s weapon looked far more ordinary—almost shabby, in fact—bringing down Le Kai’s aura a notch, and making Rambo seem all the more extraordinary by comparison.

Both boys, flushed with excitement, headed out. With the matter of the sheath resolved, Le Kai’s slight wariness toward Rambo faded away, and with Rambo’s overt friendliness, the two quickly became good friends. Seeing them so chummy, Lankas was undoubtedly the happiest, offering a few words of advice before letting them go.

After they left, Lankas pressed a button on his wristwatch and spoke in a low voice, “Third squad of the security team, listen up. Deploy immediately and protect the young master and his friend from the shadows. No mistakes are permitted—use any resources necessary. First, second, fourth, and fifth squads remain on standby, ready for action.”

Listening to Lankas, the professor asked mildly, “Which side is making trouble?”

Lankas frowned. “For now, it looks like the rioters, but on second thought, things aren’t that simple. Though they’re second-class citizens, the Empire isn’t harsh on them—they’re not true slaves, and every conscription is voluntary, with high pay. Compared to their old lives, it’s a paradise. Except for a few extremists, the rest are quite content.”

The professor grunted, pondering for a moment. “If things are so dangerous, why let Rambo go out? Are you trying to draw them out and catch them all at once?”

Lankas gave a wry smile. “These people are cunning and fearless, often attacking city government offices. If we don’t wipe them out in one go, it’ll undermine our authority. If they succeed in inciting the masses, all our years of effort will be wasted.”

The professor observed, “They don’t even realize their second-class status is thanks to your efforts. Life may be comfortable now, but they’re vulnerable to agitation. This doesn’t seem like the work of mere rioters. It looks like the Li family still doesn’t trust you.”

Lankas replied, “It’s all about interests. Currently, except for Central China City, East, South, West, and North China are all under the direct control of Li family heirs. They’ve discovered a mineral-rich planet in a remote corner of the galaxy and need manpower for mining. Who wouldn’t want to use ready resources? Last month, they even filed a joint petition with the committee to impeach me. If the old man hadn’t stepped in, you wouldn’t be seeing me now.”

The professor frowned. “You’re the Li family’s son-in-law and only govern a small colonial district. Surely that’s not enough to provoke such envy?”

Lankas gave another helpless smile. “The old man’s health has been poor lately, and he dearly loves his youngest daughter.” That youngest daughter, of course, was his wife—Rambo’s mother, Li Lan.

The professor sighed softly. For the sake of power and profit, so-called family ties are worth nothing.

Lankas had always practiced benevolent rule—even on conquered planets, he never resorted to force, preferring gradual assimilation and eventual unity. But others didn’t see it that way. They wanted resources, profits—nothing more. A planet’s worth of free labor could create untold wealth.

Only a romantic idealist like Lankas would embark on such a losing venture.

As for Lankas using Rambo and Le Kai as bait, the professor had no objections. For Le Kai, it was a rare trial. Besides, if even his own son was part of the scheme, what more was there to say? If you can’t bear to risk the child, you’ll never catch the wolf.

“This is a flyer,” Rambo said, pointing at the spindle-shaped aircraft before them. “Way faster than those cars you have on the ground—the top speed can reach a thousand kilometers an hour. It’s a real thrill.” The craft was about ten meters long, silver all over, looking like an enormous bullet, quietly waiting for them on the terrace.

Le Kai examined the flyer with curiosity, following Rambo aboard. His intense interest made him somewhat awkward and gawky, much to Rambo’s delight, who eagerly began to introduce everything.

“This is the control stick, this is the brake, this is the accelerator, this is the 3D auto-navigation system—just enter your destination, set the speed, and it’ll fly itself. This is the weapons system: press this button and boom! Even if the building across doesn’t collapse, it’ll have a big hole blasted through it—”

“Whoa, young master, careful! Don’t press that under any circumstances!” The pilot, nearly having a heart attack, hurriedly intervened. The shields would protect the distant building, but if the blast rebounded, everyone here would be vaporized.

“What’s with the nerves, you think I’m stupid? Stop dawdling and get us to Sky Amusement Park—now!” Rambo withdrew his hand, grumbling impatiently.