Opal, wearing a sand bat-skin cloak, attracted attention as soon as he appeared in front of the gates of the Horrens Company headquarters.
"What's the matter?" The security guard's voice came from the communicator under the camera.
In the camera, Opal looked up at the camera and said, "I want to see Hollens."
The security guard said: "Say your name, report your ID number, and explain your purpose clearly."
Opal looked around, the headquarters of Horrens and Heiyan Mining were facing each other, and the door over there was still closed. Could you tell me a word to the person in charge and ask them to see the news about the B-11 star today? Please arrange a meeting as soon as possible, I have very important news."
There was no answer there. Opal waited at the door for a long time. When he was about to leave, the small door on the side opened, and the communicator said: "Come in."
Opal walked into the middle floor of the building. This is the entrance and exit of the staff's private car. Once inside, it was as if stepping into the boundless ocean. Surrounded by fish swimming in the glass wall, strange shapes, many sea creatures have never been seen or heard of.
A robot led the way and brought Opal into the central hall. It was already evening off work. He wore a black cloak and walked through the hall like a traveler from a distance. The staff passing by looked at him with strange eyes. Opal didn't care, thinking about what to say next as he walked. This is obviously what they need, should we cut to the chase, or should we talk about the conditions first
The robot took him into the elevator room in the central hall, turned on the button, and went straight to the 900th floor. Opal was anxious in the center of the speeding elevator, followed the robot through an empty corridor and entered an office.
The office is very large, and behind the desk sits a middle-aged man in a black suit. Behind him is a huge ring-shaped screen full of mineral names and their price per kilogram, which is increasing with every cent. Constantly changing as seconds go by.
The robot leading the way left, and the middle-aged man asked, "Are you from the B-11 star? What's your name?"
Two more robots came over with plates and placed drinks in front of the opal.
Opal said: "Introduce myself, my name is Opal."
The middle-aged man nodded politely, shook hands with him, and said, "Kadir Hollens."
Opal froze in his heart, is this the person in charge of the Horrens Company? It doesn't look like it, he doesn't know what the problem is, and he doesn't know the level of the opponent. He came here with the courage of a newborn calf, and the only chip is the chip in his hand.
"Have you read the news?" Opal glanced at the drink, but didn't drink it.
Kadir nodded and said, "Look, what happened this afternoon, you brought that girl to this planet? Where is your spaceship?"
Opal squinted at him, always feeling a little clueless.
He wants to use mind-reading, which is the first time for him to actively use it. Maybe knowing the other party's thoughts will help decisively... Teacher, I will use it once, only this time. Opal repeated in his mind.
He said: "I'm not actually a resident of star B11, my mother crash-landed on the planet sixteen years ago..."
Opal suddenly noticed one thing, the other party was not looking at him. Kadir's eyes were fixed on something on the table, it was a Pegasus-shaped sculpture, why is this? Shouldn't he look at himself at this time? In order to judge whether he is lying, or for other purposes... Opal's eyes also moved to the small sculpture, both of them stared at the sculpture, Opal suddenly thought of something - he should not be Hollens, and Others are listening in on their conversation.
The other party did not show the expression he should have. Opal can only use that method, he said in his heart: Teacher, let me use it once, only this time.
Opal narrowed his eyes, gathered his mental power, looked into the other's eyes, and said every word to him seriously: "Let me see Horrens."
"What?" Kadir leaned slightly and frowned, "I am."
Opal repeated it again and said, "You are not, let me see your boss, I have something to say to him."
Kadir stared at Opal, his eyes slackened for a moment, as if he was a little shaken.
Opal pressed his hand in front of him, repeated the third time, and said, "If you deceive me, I will leave now. Let me see Horrens and remind you one last time."
Kadir murmured: "Okay, please wait a moment."
Just as he stood up, a secret door appeared on each of the two walls of the office. Six robot guards came out of the secret door, and a voice sounded behind Opal, saying, "You can't be from the B11 star. ."
Opal sat up straight, six robots surrounded his and Kadir's desks, and his approach worked. A young man with red hair walked out from the secret door on the left hand side. He was not handsome, but he was dressed very tastefully. He was wearing a light green shirt and fish-shaped blue metal slippers on his feet. The young man stepped aside immediately, and the real Kadir Hollens sat down in the chair, looking at him with a look on his face like an enemy.
"Please tell me, Star Knight." Kadir's voice was a little unstable: "What is your purpose?"
Opal was only a little startled, and then he understood something.
"You know who I am?" Opal asked.
Kadir said: "I don't like being hypnotized. I promise to listen to you carefully. Everything in the office is videotaped, and the company has properties in many galaxies. I'm not afraid of you."
Opal said: "You look at this first."
He turned his hand and spread his palm, the chip flew to Kadir, Kadir's expression became more serious, his eyes stared at Opal almost without blinking, raised his hand to hold the chip, and the table top of the desk opened A partition, turned out the holographic projector.
"It's an old chip," Kadir said. "It's out of date on the Crimson Star. Where did you get it? Secretary, get a signal converter."
The middle-aged man was sent out, and Kadir said again: "Let A3 send it in, you don't have to come back."
Opal never spoke again. He sat quietly and waited. Kadir said, "Please drink some ice crystal juice and relax. We don't want to be hostile to you. At least we haven't had a conflict so far, right?"
Opal is very strange, Kadir also knows the Knights of the Stars? He seems to be very afraid of Rickett
Opal didn't ask, but said lightly, "Okay."
He suddenly discovered one thing: once he left Lecter's side and wanted to solve something by himself, he would unconsciously imitate his tone, his actions and demeanor.
Rector's confident tone was so ingrained in his heart that Opal made him a model to imitate.
"You know my teacher?" Opal asked suddenly.
Kadir immediately said alertly, "I don't know. I mean... I've heard of him. I don't know what I can do for him, why would you find us?"
Opal's heart is even more strange, Kadir is afraid of Recht
He asked, "How did you recognize me?"
Kadir said, "I guess you're not an official star knight."
Opal nodded and said, "I'm still learning."
Kadir followed Opal's words and said, "I understand. What kind of trial did that gentleman set you up? I think we might get to know each other through this matter. This is a rare opportunity."
Opal couldn't guess Kadir's thoughts at all, but he didn't plan to use mind reading. At this time, the signal converter was sent over, and the office robot connected it to Kadir's stereoscopic projection equipment, and a three-dimensional image appeared. .
Kadir's eyes were full of shock, and the information kept scrolling upwards. Regarding the mine disaster and dumping, he simply glanced at it and stopped paying attention. Finally, he stopped on the record of a certain spaceship docking port.
"Harley Falkter," Kadir said.
Opal remembered that Rickett had also mentioned this person, and immediately said: "The interstellar pirates of the Magellanic Cloud."
The three-dimensional projection was put away, and Kadir's gaze turned from the information record to Opal.
Opal imitated Lecter's tone and said seriously: "I think you may be useful to these materials, so I brought them here. Now I ask for your help, Kadir Hollens."
Kadir seemed to have heard a big joke, leaned back a little unnaturally, and said, "What are the trading conditions?"
Opal said: "No no, this is not a deal. Listen to me, can we talk?"
Kadir looked flattered, he was at a loss for a while, and Opal said again: "Make a friend."
Kadir stepped back again, nearly knocking over his chair, and said, "Is it true? I mean... honored, honored."
Opal was also a little stunned. He got up, stretched his hand across the desk, and shook hands with Kadir. Kadir nodded with a lingering fear, his eyes were a little dull, and he muttered something.
"Wait a minute," Kadir said. "I think we're friends now."
Opal nodded and said, "Of course."
Kadir said, "Would you mind if I invite a few company executives to come over and listen to your terms... no, mutual help?"
Opal thought for a while and said, "Yes, please."
Kadir pressed a button and said, "Mr. Opal, what do you like to drink? I'll have someone prepare it right away."
Opal waved his hand and said, "No, I just ate a hot dog."
Kadir's expression was a little embarrassed. After a while, the office door opened, and six old men came in. Kadir introduced them one by one. He couldn't remember the name Opal, and nodded to them.
"This is Mr. Opal from the B11 star." Kadir introduced.
Opal glanced at everyone and said, "I got this information from the data center of B11."
Then Opal began to talk about his purpose. He first gave a general description of the situation of the B11 star, and then analyzed the current situation of the rhodolite mineral. The audience did not interrupt him.
Opal broke his head when he was talking. Noticing that the atmosphere seemed to be serious, he took the initiative to smile and asked, "What do you think?"
Kadir finally understood his intention and said, "We are very happy to cooperate with you, but I don't know what step you want to achieve?"
Opal said: "I don't quite understand this, it's up to you."
Kadir glanced at several elderly people who were listening, and after thinking for a while, he said: "This incident is enough to cause Black Rock Mining to plant a big one. It is impossible for them to mine the B11 star. According to the report this evening, the Galaxy Police Department has now Send patrol boats to B11 to investigate."
Opal thought, great!
Kadir said: "But Black Rock Mining also dispatched spaceships at this time yesterday. At the time, we didn't know why they left suddenly, but now we finally understand."
Opal narrowed his eyes and said, "They will destroy the evidence?"
Kadir hurriedly said, "It should be like this."
Opal also transcribed another chip, but he was not afraid that they would destroy the evidence, but he didn't know how the miners were transferred, and they had to go back immediately after finishing the work. Kadir added: "To be honest, our company originally intended to bid for the mining rights of B11. At the same time, the information on sparring spar mines to pirates here can also play a big role when necessary. Thank you very much for this chip, Is there anything I can help you with?"
Opal nodded and said: "Then I think... When you are mining the red grain mine, are you still using the same method as the Black Rock Mining?"
Kadir said: "Of course not, Horrens uses robots for underground operations."
Opal nodded and said, "Then 100,000 miners, their destination."
Kadir said: "Theoretically, they are all free agents. Although they are interstellar black workers, they still have the citizenship of the Republic, but if Black Rock Mining wants to destroy the evidence, maybe they will all be destroyed... You know, like Like your teacher... uh."
Opal frowned: "What? I didn't understand."
Sweat slipped from Kadir's eyebrows, and he changed his words: "I mean, maybe they will be transferred to another planet to engage in new mining operations... You want these 100,000 people? But the government already knows This thing, it's not easy to handle... let me think about it."
Opal said: "No no, you misunderstood, what do I want these 100,000 people to do? I hope they can find a new job, get citizenship of the Republic, and have the freedom of choice, like... on the Crimson Star Like most people."
For a moment, everyone's expressions were extremely strange, and Kadir even twitched the corners of his mouth and said, "Sir, are you joking?"
Opal said: "Why am I joking? It has always been my ideal to let everyone live and work in peace and contentment."
Kadir: "… "
Everyone: "… "
"Let me offend and ask." The eldest old man with a steady expression finally said.
Opal turned to look at him: "Please speak."
The old man said, "It was Mr. Cororin who asked you to solve the problem of the B-11 star? I don't quite understand his intention. I urge you to tell us frankly."
Opal frowned slightly, Coroline? Who is Cololin? He had never heard the name. Did they identify the wrong person? Opal finally reacted, and they recognized him as the apprentice of another Star Knight!
Opal said: "No." He decided not to mention the existence of Recht, but he didn't ask who Cororin was, but he knew that Recht must know this person, and he would ask him when he went back.
There was silence in the office, everyone showed strange expressions, no one could guess what Opal was thinking, but Opal vaguely touched the center of the problem, and they really recognized the wrong person.
Another old man seemed to have figured out something and said: "Mr. Opal, I saw on the news that a girl showed up outside Jager Hospital with an injured woman this afternoon..."
"She's a good friend of mine, and her name is Anya," Opal said.
Everyone suddenly realized in an instant, Kadir breathed a sigh of relief, and said with a smile: "So it is."
"She's now...probably at the police station," Opal said.
Kadir said: "I will send someone to investigate immediately. The only thing you need us to provide is the arrangement of these 100,000 people?"
Opal said, "Can you do it?"
Kadir said: "It's a bit difficult to solve it all at once, but there are also a lot of mines in Horrens, and I guarantee that they will no longer be used as slaves. The company plans to recruit some people to check the amount of mines. Some of them work in Crimson Star and can be trained after training. There are also some ground exploration jobs on new planets, which are very well paid, and there is a shortage of miners with certain experience.”
The old man who was the first to speak again said: "After all, you think, the Crimson Star government already knows about this. In the next month, it will be the focus of all the media. As long as we take over, we will definitely be supervised by all walks of life. It has to be properly placed, don't you think?"
Opal said: "That's right, that's it. I also want a private identity certificate. I don't know if you can help me. I will definitely..."
Before Opal's word "return" was spoken, Kadir said cheerfully: "No problem, it's on us. You need to enter the pupil, fingerprint and genetic scan information."
Someone outside asked to come in and respectfully said: "Miss Anya is now waiting in the rescue center arranged by the police station, and another lady named Si Ugo's condition has improved, and she will stay in Yager Hospital for observation. She should be able to be discharged in ten days. "
Opal knew that Kadir couldn't lie to him, and said happily: "That's great. It's not convenient for me to see her."
Kadir nodded again and again: "It's really inconvenient, I can understand."
Opal got up and said: "Then this is resolved, I have to go back to B11 immediately, my friends are still waiting. I hope the galaxy police can get there as soon as possible."
Kadir said, "Miss Anya... needs us to take care of her?"
Opal thought for a while and said, "She has her brother. If all goes well, Aman will be here soon. He has been trying to find a lover for her... Uh, I've said too much, farewell."
The crowd nodded sympathetically.
Kadir said: "Thank you very much for your help this time. If you need any help from us in the future, you just need to go to any branch in Horrens and ask them to notify me."
"What are you talking about?" Opal said goodbye to them, and Kadir personally took him off the elevator and sent him to the door of the central floor. Opal walked through the hall and saw the fish when he came, and said: "This floor is beautifully arranged. ."
Kadir smiled and said, "I have been fond of fish since I was a child. By the way, how old are you this year?"
Opal replied: "Sixteen."
Kadir was stunned, then nodded and smiled: "Really young."
Opal shook his hand and said, "Just send it here."
Kadir stopped, reached out and shook hands with him solemnly, and Opal said, "You will definitely do it, right?"
Kadir said, "Sure, you can supervise me."
"I'm going to get out of here when it's over," Opal said.
Kadir nodded thoughtfully and said, "Because of that girl?"
Opal hurriedly said: "No, you misunderstood, I just want to go to another galaxy by myself and look forward to the next meeting."
Kadir smiled knowingly: "I'll send your ID over there."
Opal made a new friend, and he knew it might be because they had the wrong person. That person named Coroline was extremely important. Who was he? More status than Rector
After walking out of the building of the Horrens Group, it was completely dark, and the crimson star was full of lights at night.
He knew that Kadir didn't really want to befriend him, but mostly he was looking at a star knight named Cororin. And Rickett... By the way, what about Rickett
Opal looked around and found no silver dragon rays.
He walked across the overpass and came to the door of a shop opposite. Rickett was hugging his arms, leaning against the lamppost on the overpass, and said, "How's it going?"
There were not many pedestrians. There were only Opal and Recht on the overpass. The street lights were bright red all around. Opal hurriedly said, "Teacher!"
"Can the energy unit of B11 be used here?" Opal asked.
Lecter said: "No, you need to go to IAU Interstellar Bank to convert to credit points first. There will be opportunities in the future. What do you want to buy? Use my card and go."
Opal took a card and asked, "Where have you just been?"
"Going to see an old friend," Recht said.
Opal asked, "Do you know Coroline?"
Rickett's expression changed immediately, and he said solemnly, "Where did you hear his name?"
Opal holds the card like a kid doing something wrong. Every time he stood in front of Lecter, he was no longer himself. No matter what he did, whether he successfully resolved a dispute or saved 100,000 lives, all his achievements seemed insignificant.
"That's what they said." Opal, intermittently, explained what happened to Lecter once.
Rickett listened quietly, and after Opal finished speaking, the two were silent for a long time.
Rickett said, "Go buy your stuff, and go back to B11 when you're done."
Opal bought three hot dogs in the past, and Rector's silver dragon ray was waiting for him in the parking space on the street, taking him away from the crimson planet and flying into the vast space.
At the edge of the silver dragon ray's cabin, Rickett stood with his hands behind his back, standing in front of the front window, staring at the dark universe and the huge fireball in the distance - the star of the Red Flame Galaxy, the Goddess of Red Flame.
"Teacher." Opal said, "I didn't listen to you... I did it wrong."
Rickett said solemnly: "The teacher's words may not always be right. Today I will teach you the last lesson. You must learn to question and question all the things that are deeply rooted in your soul. What are beliefs? When you When even your beliefs begin to be questioned, you are about to lose your old beliefs, but new beliefs will be reborn from the ashes of the past, a process that the Knights of the Stars call Nirvana."
"Burn one's own soul, ashes, ashes, or usher in a vast new life." Rector's eyes were shining like morning stars, he turned around and stared at Opal's bewildered eyes: "This is self-destruction and sublimation. The way to go.”
Opal frowned and listened, Rector said, "They thought you were Cororin's apprentice, because you used hypnotism, I was surprised, I thought you wouldn't do this, you are much smarter than I thought, Opal."
He put a hand on Opal's shoulder.
Only now did Opal feel more at ease, knowing that Lecter didn't blame him, he seemed to understand something, but he felt even more confused.
"He often uses consciousness control?" Opal grasped the key point and asked: "But you said that the star knight should not use consciousness to control the people around him, or read their hearts..."
Rector headed: "He is a dark star knight who was expelled by the temple. His body and mind have been corroded by dark energy. He excessively indulged his desire for power, causing the remote galaxies of the Republic to fall apart and the empire's jurisdiction. Earth is out of the control of the Lion Galaxy."
"Three hundred years ago, he slaughtered an entire galaxy," Recht said. "Using a conflict between the Empire and the Republic to destroy a star, six planets, and eighty billion living on those six planets. Intelligent life, there are more planets that collapse and disintegrate due to the imbalance of the gravitational field. This disaster involves tens of thousands of light-years of space."
"You think life on B11 is cruel? Life on many asteroids is hell on earth compared to the way he rules."
"The human beings and intelligent lifeforms living on it are always under his enslavement, without freedom or even the right to think. He occasionally goes to the asteroid and uses the power of his belief to read the thoughts of the residents. , as long as someone is dissatisfied with the status quo, he will take extreme measures, killing hundreds of thousands, millions of lives at will."
Opal was speechless for a long time. The most terrifying thing is to have no thoughts. When a person can't even think about it, what's the point of living
Lecter said: "Opal, Horrens is not afraid of you, but of the cruel and powerful shadow behind you. Hypnosis and mind reading have become his symbols, you should not use it, let alone use it. , otherwise the Republic will treat you as his accomplice, and you can imagine what happens."
Opal nodded slowly, finally realizing the seriousness of this matter, and asked, "Why didn't you stop him?"
Rickett said, "I can't do it."
It was the first time that Opal had heard Rickett say these four words seriously.
Rickett said: "I'm not his opponent, do you remember the day my space capsule made an emergency landing on B11? I had a decisive battle with him in a nebula, and I lost a crushing defeat. In the end, all the energy of the Dragon Ray was turned on, and the leap Then I fled to the Chiyan Galaxy. I was almost destroyed by him, completely destroyed."
"So your beliefs are shaken," Opal said.
Rector nodded slowly, and Opal said, "If we are together, add me, you now have a student."
Rickett laughed and shook his head helplessly. Opal said, "You said that the trick to the power of belief is that as long as you believe in yourself, it is enough to destroy the entire universe. Isn't that so? I have enough belief."
B11 has arrived, but the silver dragon ray does not enter the atmosphere. It seems that it is quietly suspended not far from the planet in order not to interrupt their conversation. The light of the red flame star passes through the distant cosmic space and casts it on the barren yellow land.
The rift in the red bedrock is like a huge scar on the planet, clearly visible in space.
"What is belief?" Recht said, "What is Star Knight? These days, I have repeatedly questioned myself, and you have taught me a lot. Thank you, apprentice."
Opal said: "Me?"
The silver dragon ray slowly descended, entered the atmosphere, and stopped on the red rock bed.
Opal has returned to his hometown again, everything has a kind of unreal feeling like a dream, full of desolate mining stars, wind and sand in the vast world, after a while, maybe three days, maybe five days, he is about to leave Here it is.
He and Lecter were standing on the edge of the canyon, the winter was passing, the snow had melted, and the sand was undulating like soft silk.
Rickett said: "Don't stop chasing yourself, fighting, fighting, maybe one day, when you face the knight of the dark star, you can beat him with your faith. But not yet, not even me No, I couldn't disintegrate his fighting spirit, but I was defeated in front of him."
Opal said, "Why did he kill so many people?"
Recht said, "What are you saving people for? What are you living for? What are you doing? Why do you believe in yourself? Where do your beliefs come from?"
Opal couldn't answer, and there were too many questions that could not be questioned. When everything returned to its origin, he discovered that the rules of the universe were unpredictable.
"Forgive me, Opal, I have to go," Rector said.
Opal was stunned for a moment.
"Are you going back?" Opal said in disbelief. He was already prepared for this day, but in any case, when Recht said "I have to go", there was still a kind of pain that he didn't want to accept. with loneliness.
"Now I have a final warning to you, Opal," Recht said. "Everything your teacher taught you, including the power of your faith, you must swear to me that you will not use it to disobey the knight. Code thing."
Opal said: "Okay."
Recht said: "Swear, or after you fall into the darkness, one day, I will come back and personally punish you and make up for the mistakes I made."
"I vowed to control myself," Opal said.
Neither of them spoke. After a long time, Opal said, "Teacher, are you really leaving?"
Rickett nodded and said, "Yes, there are many things that need to be dealt with, and I can't escape anymore, I have to face it."
Opal said, "Can you wait for me? I want to go with you."
Rector didn't answer, and Opal realized he had asked a stupid question.
He was just a stranger who happened to take him out of the rescue capsule. Rickett taught him so much and changed his fate. He has already paid off his love.
Lecter is like a vast sea, while Opal is just a tiny piece of gravel. Lecter is a star knight, and it is impossible to waste too much time on him.
"Teacher." Opal thought clearly: "I wish you..."
His eyes were flushed, and he tried his best to hold back the tears: "I wish you... I wish you... "
Rickett thought for a while and said, "Opal, in your future life, you will meet more people, and the teacher is just a passer-by in your youth. If you want to remember me forever, just follow what I say. Yes, stick to your ideals."
Opal could no longer control his tears and sadness: "My... ideal... is, like you, to be... a star knight. But I can't do it, my life is too short... "
Recht pressed his left hand on his right shoulder, bowed slightly, saluted, and said solemnly, "Thank you for your help during these days."
There were tears in Opal's eyes, and he saluted like Rector - this is the etiquette of a star knight.
Rector touched his head and said softly:
"Then remember to always maintain your humility, honor, sacrifice, valor, mercy, honesty, justice, and faith."
"When you pass countless tests, the hundreds of billions of stars in the universe will guide you and let you come to the Church of the Stars."
"I look forward to that day and never give up."
Lecter turned around and walked onto the silver dragon ray. The silver dragon ray shone with an ancient light, turned into an electric light that traversed the sky and the earth, and rolled and disappeared into the sky.
Opal raised his head, took a deep breath, and shouted: "Teacher! We will meet again! I will work hard!"
"Opal!" Oman's voice sounded in the canyon.
Opal turned and walked across the plain with red eyes, and Locke shouted, "You're back!"
Hugo ran out of the canyon, and several people rushed forward to hug Opal.