19. The Strategist Enters the Game, Outplaying Heaven by Half a Move (Bonus Chapter 2/3 for Alliance Leader Zi Longyue)
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“Did you sign the confession and punishment acceptance statement of your own free will?”
“Yes.”
“Your educational background?”
“University graduate.”
“Occupation?”
“Archaeologist!”
…………………………
Since Qi Ming had “actively and voluntarily confessed,” he was swiftly locked in solitary confinement pending further investigation.
“Not bad in here.” After entering, Qi Ming looked around and offered his assessment, entirely unconcerned.
In the original series of Ultraman Seven, Dan Moroboshi had also once been framed by Dr. Tashima in much the same way.
Using his X-ray vision, he had caught Dr. Tashima sabotaging the facility and stepped forward to stop him, only to have the tables turned and be sent to prison by his own comrades.
So Qi Ming had simply skipped all the troublesome steps in between and gone straight to the end.
“Why are you here?” The guards in the isolation block stared wide-eyed at Qi Ming.
Qi Ming answered casually, “I summoned a meteor to wipe out the dinosaurs, stamped out Zhuge Liang’s Seven-Star Lamp of Extended Life, crashed an airplane into the Twin Towers, and set fire to Notre-Dame Cathedral.”
The guards immediately sputtered, “That’s impossible!”
Qi Ming said, “Since the charges I’m facing now can be true, I suppose the ones I just mentioned could be as well.”
The guards understood. This young master had stepped forward to take the blame for someone—or something. After all, whenever anything went wrong, someone had to take responsibility.
“Do you have a tablet? I’d like to watch the news.” Qi Ming showed no awareness whatsoever that he was a prisoner.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.” The guard looked troubled. How could they give a prisoner an electronic device with Internet access?
“Then bring me a few of today’s newspapers.”
“That can be arranged.”
Qi Ming’s appearance and bearing were extraordinary, and unlike ordinary prisoners, he showed none of the despair, distraction, or disheveled misery of a man who had lost all hope. The guards therefore did not dare neglect him.
“It happens to be teatime. Bring me a few blueberry mousses as well.”
“All right. I’ll go to the cafeteria.”
“And please replace this chair. It doesn’t quite suit my build.”
…………………………
Meanwhile, in the Victory Team command room.
Emi still felt that something was wrong. “I don’t think Team Member Qi Ming is an alien. This has nothing to do with him.”
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Yamanaka said, “Then why did he step forward and confess? Isn’t it because he knew he couldn’t keep it hidden any longer?”
Even Kishida, who disliked Qi Ming intensely, felt that his “confession” had an unsettling air about it. “Why do I feel… that he did it on purpose? Is he trying to sit back and watch the two sides fight?”
Nagi Saijō, who had been thinking in silence, said, “Kishida, you’re responsible for protecting the doctor, and you’ve had the most contact with him.”
“Before this, the doctor hadn’t even spoken half a word to Qi Ming. Why insist that he be the one to replace the rectifier?”
“Perhaps the doctor also noticed that something was wrong with Qi Ming and wanted to test him,” Yamanaka suggested.
“By sacrificing the radar functions of the entire base?” Emi said. “And didn’t he just claim that he was nothing more than an ordinary human?”
Saijō said, “There must be something wrong with one of them—the doctor or Qi Ming. Where is the doctor?”
Kishida answered, “He’s working in the machinery room. He said he didn’t need an escort and is there alone.”
Saijō sprang to her feet. “Come on. Let’s take a look!”
Yamanaka glanced around. “Where’s the captain?”
Emi said, “Probably gone to find Team Member Qi Ming.”
…………………………
When Moroboshi Dan saw Qi Ming sitting in an ergonomic chair inside the cell, reading the newspaper and eating dessert, he was overcome by a profound sense of disillusionment.
Are you sure you came here to serve time? You’re only missing a beach umbrella to make this a vacation!
“You two, leave. I’ll interrogate him alone.” Moroboshi Dan found an excuse to send the guards away from the door.
He entered the cell and, after holding back for a while, asked, “Why?”
Qi Ming replied in a teasing tone, “Since nobody trusts me, I might as well let them do as they please. It saves me the trouble of working hard only to receive no thanks.”
Moroboshi Dan was angered by his willingness to abandon the team for such a reason. “You’re being far too emotional! You should have stood up and argued with Dr. Tashima, exposed his conspiracy, and used the opportunity to win everyone’s trust.”
Qi Ming suddenly burst out laughing. “I’m only teasing you. I’m doing this to lure the snake out of its hole.”
Moroboshi Dan thought to himself that the base radar was already down, and the enemy’s next move would probably come at any moment. How could Qi Ming still have the leisure to joke around?
Qi Ming said, “They know my situation, so they deliberately targeted me. Once I took the bait, they would dare to make their move. Otherwise, they’d have to remain constantly on guard against me.”
Better to eliminate him as soon as possible, before he became entangled in some other dangerous incident.
At the same time, he intended to retreat in order to advance, using this incident to establish unquestioned authority within the team.
…………………………
Meanwhile, Nagi Saijō led the other team members to the machinery room.
The guards at the entrance blocked their way. “Please stop. Dr. Tashima has ordered that no one be allowed inside.”
Kishida said, “I’ve been appointed as Dr. Tashima’s guard. Surely that doesn’t apply to me?”
The guard shook his head. “Dr. Tashima specifically emphasized that no one was to enter.”
Saijō stepped forward. “We’ve received word that an alien has infiltrated the base and intends to assassinate Dr. Tashima. Staff Officer Kiriyama has ordered us to reinforce his security. Open the door.”
The guard hesitated. “But… I haven’t received any such notice.”
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At that very moment, inside the room, Dr. Tashima was adjusting the equipment parameters, attempting to shut down the seabase’s mainframe.
Alien Vira said, “Excellent work, Dr. Tashima. While the radar is disabled, our space fleet has already assembled, and all preparations for the final assault are complete. Hurry and throw everything into chaos so that we can break through in one strike.”
Dr. Tashima nodded.
The two guards outside remained utterly unmoved. Even Yamanaka’s warning that they would be held responsible if anything went wrong failed to sway them. Left with no choice, Saijō reported the matter to Staff Officer Kiriyama and asked him to come over.
As Emi waited in boredom, a thought suddenly occurred to her: If that arrogant Team Member Qi Ming were here, he would probably kick the door open. And if the guards tried to stop him, he would kick them too.
Before long, Staff Officer Kiriyama arrived and ordered the guards to open the door.
Although Kiriyama had little real authority, his rank and identity were enough to make the guards wary of offending him. Reluctantly and at a painfully slow pace, they obeyed.
Then, in the very next moment, everything changed.
The bright main lights went out, and dim emergency lights came on.
A mechanical announcement echoed through every corner of the seabase:
“Mainframe system: functions suspended. Mainframe system: functions suspended. All systems ceasing operation. Self-protection system disengaged. Main control system shutting down.”
Naturally, this was Dr. Tashima’s “masterpiece.”
“It really happened!” Saijō gritted her teeth. She had sensed that something was wrong, but they were still too late!
Kiriyama shouted, “Open the door!”
The guards’ faces were bloodless. “We can’t! The buttons aren’t responding!”
With the shutdown of the main control system, every machine ceased to operate. The seabase, once a crystallization of human ingenuity, had become nothing more than an iron shell.
Meanwhile, inside the cell, Qi Ming heard the commotion outside. He lifted his head without surprise.
“It’s finally begun.”
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Thanks to Zilongyue for the alliance leader support!
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