Chapter 161
Hearing the liaison officer’s request, Li Sinian frowned deeply.
On one hand, their journey to Prison Star was urgent, and a detour would cause further delays. On the other hand…
“I just received word that the situation on Prison Star is already dire,” Li Sinian said in confusion. “Why would anyone send a child there now?”
In his view, they should be figuring out how to evacuate the children from Prison Star to safer locations. No child’s life should be put at risk for any reason!
Faced with Li Sinian’s sharp and almost severe expression, the liaison officer stiffened. Even through the screen, the young marshal’s commanding aura was palpable.
After a brief pause, the liaison officer explained, “Marshal Li, you misunderstand. This request comes from the child’s parents.”
Li Sinian’s frown deepened into a sharp furrow, his expression darkening instantly.
Having lost both of his own children years ago, hearing that parents would willingly send their child into such a dangerous situation filled him with anger and resentment.
“I thought the nursery on Prison Star only took in children without any living blood relatives?” Li Sinian asked in a low voice.
“This child is… a special case,” the liaison officer stammered, struggling under the weight of the marshal’s presence. “You can speak with the child’s parents directly once you arrive on Monda Star to understand the details.”
“I’ll consider it,” Li Sinian replied curtly, then ended the call.
He had no desire to stop at Monda Star. Their mission was already urgent, and with the critical situation on Prison Star, how could he justify personally delivering an innocent child to such a perilous place?
When he returned to the cabin, he said nothing, but Yan Ya immediately sensed something was wrong from the look on his face.
After some prodding from his wife, Li Sinian relayed the situation, venting his frustration and anger.
“What kind of parents do something like that?” he growled. “If… if…”
He bit his lip, swallowing the rest of his words. But the redness around his eyes made it clear to Yan Ya—he was thinking about the two children they had lost.
Her own eyes welled up as she reached out to embrace her husband.
Through countless difficult days and nights, it had been their mutual support that carried them to where they were now.
Yan Ya understood her husband’s feelings all too well, but she also recalled details she had learned from the director of the Capital Star Nursery about Prison Star’s nursery.
The children sent there were often those suffering from the effects of their bloodlines, with no family able to help them manage the burden.
Could the parents in question have had no choice but to send their child to Prison Star’s nursery? If financial struggles were the issue, perhaps she could offer assistance…
As a mother who had lost her own children ten years ago, Yan Ya could not bear the thought of such tragedies resulting from desperation and necessity.
“How long would it take to reach Monda Star?” Yan Ya asked.
Li Sinian, having calmed down somewhat, immediately understood her intent. After a brief pause, he answered, “Monda Star is on our direct route, and we were already planning to stop for resupply along the way.”
Given the resource scarcity on Prison Star, they had packed a spatial storage device for the journey. However, their departure had been rushed, leaving them with limited provisions. He had already compiled a list of items to purchase during the journey.
While the chosen stop wasn’t initially Monda Star, it wasn’t far off, and switching to Monda Star as their supply point was entirely feasible.
Looking at his wife, he felt conflicted but ultimately told her the truth. “Stopping there to take a look wouldn’t delay us much.”
Yan Ya let out a sigh of relief.
Although she wanted to help the child, her priority was still their daughter, Xue Wei. If the detour would have caused significant delays, she might have chosen to postpone visiting Monda Star until their return trip.
“In that case… why don’t we go see what’s going on?” Yan Ya suggested. “That poor child… How could there be such heartless parents in the world?”
Li Sinian sighed. He wasn’t surprised by his wife’s decision but didn’t regret telling her about it either.
After all, it really wouldn’t take too much time.
The warship from the Tes Empire adjusted its course slightly, heading toward Monda Star.
About a week later, the ship landed on Monda Star.
As supplies needed to be procured, Li Sinian and Yan Ya took a small shuttle to the location provided by the Star Alliance liaison officer.
Following the coordinates, they arrived at a small, standalone house with a garden. Though it couldn’t compare to the grandeur of the Li family estate, its appearance and decor made it clear that the family wasn’t financially struggling.
Noticing this, Li Sinian felt another surge of anger, while Yan Ya frowned slightly.
Still, she refrained from jumping to conclusions, deciding it was better to ask questions before forming any judgments.
Their shuttle landed in the open space in front of the house. As they disembarked, a woman appeared in the garden. She walked toward them, opening the small gate and nervously looking at the marshal and his wife.
“Hello…”
The translation function on their communicator rendered her words into the Tes Empire’s language, ensuring smooth communication.
Yan Ya studied the woman, noting her haggard appearance. Her sorrowful eyes and pale complexion spoke of hardships.
“Hello, I’m Yan Ya, and this is my husband, Li Sinian,” Yan Ya said warmly, stepping forward and gently taking the woman’s hand.
Caught off guard by the sudden gesture, the woman, Wen Yan, appeared startled. Though clearly uneasy, with her cheeks flushing slightly, she didn’t pull her hand away.
“I… I’m Wen Yan,” she stammered. “The Star Alliance liaison told me about you. Thank you for agreeing to take us…”
Yan Ya immediately caught the odd phrasing. “Us? Besides the child, there’s someone else…?”
“Myself,” Wen Yan replied, trying to steady her nerves. She took a deep breath and continued, “In addition to the baby, I’m going to Prison Star too.”
Yan Ya blinked, glancing back at Li Sinian.
The marshal, who had maintained a cold expression, now looked visibly shocked. He scrutinized Wen Yan’s frail and timid demeanor before asking, “You’re going to Prison Star? Do you understand what kind of place it is?”
“Yes, I understand,” Wen Yan nodded. However, as soon as her gaze met Li Sinian’s, she quickly lowered her head again.
She didn’t want to appear so withdrawn, but the years she’d spent raising her child alone—especially after her child’s bouts of berserk episodes led to expulsion from daycare—had left her largely isolated.
She had no job, no social life, and her relationship with her family was strained. Spending most of her time at home with her child, she had grown unaccustomed to interacting with strangers.
Fortunately, her husband’s pension and their savings meant she wasn’t financially destitute.
Her decision to go to Prison Star had required significant courage and determination. She was lucky to have encountered this couple heading to the nursery there; otherwise, who knew how long she might have had to wait to make the journey?
“I have a child care certification,” Wen Yan explained. “I’m going to Prison Star to apply for a position as a caretaker at the nursery.”
“But more importantly, I hope that the nursery will provide my child with a better environment to grow up in, and…”
Her voice trailed off, leaving the rest of her sentence unfinished.
The planet she spoke of was where her husband—the father of her child—had passed away. All these years, she had never visited him there.
She had always been running away, convincing herself that as long as she didn’t go, she could believe he was still alive—just like before, serving in the military, fighting on the front lines, and unable to contact her and their child.
But now, she couldn’t avoid it any longer.
As her father had once said, the ones who have departed are gone forever, and those left behind must continue living well.
Her words left Li Sinian and Yan Ya completely stunned.
“Prison Star? A better environment for growth?”
“Madam, are you sure you’re not mistaken?” they both asked, their voices filled with disbelief. It was hard to imagine anyone viewing Prison Star as a suitable place for children to grow up.
“That planet houses the most heinous interstellar criminals. Not only is it severely lacking in resources, but recently…” Li Sinian paused before continuing, “The situation there has become increasingly dire. It’s not a good place, and it’s certainly not suitable for children.”
He spoke firmly, “If you’re not planning to abandon your child, I urge you to reconsider this idea immediately.”
“We’re not here to take you to Prison Star. We came here to persuade you not to go,” Yan Ya added, gripping Wen Yan’s hand gently but earnestly. “We’re heading to Prison Star to bring children out of that awful place. Has someone misled you into thinking it’s a good idea for you and your child to go there?”
Wen Yan looked at the couple in stunned silence, their confidence causing a flicker of doubt in her mind.
But she quickly shook her head.
“That’s impossible. It was my father, the child’s grandfather, who suggested it. He would never do anything to harm us.”
She then opened her communicator and showed them a video she had watched countless times, replaying it for Li Sinian and Yan Ya. “Have you seen this video? It was released by an inspector at Prison Star’s nursery.”
Wen Yan pointed to the screen and asked, “Which one of these children is the one you’re planning to take back?”
The video displayed a scene from a cafeteria.
The cold, metallic room was filled with young children seated around two large tables. Every one of them bore distinct beast-like traits—
Some had animal ears and tails, others had antlers sprouting from their foreheads, and one child had fully transformed into a young tiger, sitting at the table in complete beast form.
These children, deemed by orphanages as uncontrollable due to their bloodline berserk tendencies, were now sitting together harmoniously.
They carefully used small spoons to eat their meals, occasionally chatting and laughing. Even the young crimson flame tiger, fully transformed, quietly sat in its place, eating without any disturbances.
The warmth and camaraderie of the scene softened the cold, metallic atmosphere of the cafeteria, making it feel welcoming and full of love.
On the tables, alongside the standard nutritional gel packs, there were also vegetables, meat dishes, and, notably, each child had a large, perfectly round Star-chain Fruit.
The Star-chain Fruits looked to be of exceptional quality—the kind not commonly found even in ordinary households.
Li Sinian and Yan Ya were stunned. Even the aide standing behind them couldn’t help but marvel, as he was familiar with soldiers stationed on Prison Star and had been gathering intelligence on its conditions.
“This video…” the aide said, “Could it be staged or artificially composed?”
“It’s not artificial,” Wen Yan replied firmly. “Many people, including myself, have verified it. If you’re still skeptical, you can investigate it yourselves.”
“No… no need to check…”
Tears welled up in Yan Ya’s eyes, but she smiled. “That’s my Wei Wei. I’m sure of it. This video isn’t staged, nor is it fabricated.”
She gazed at the little girl with rabbit ears on the screen, noting her rosy complexion and the brightness in her eyes. For the first time in days, the heavy weight in Yan Ya’s heart eased slightly.
Thankfully, her child wasn’t suffering as she had feared. And the nursery on Prison Star didn’t seem to be as dreadful as they had imagined—
Even though Xue Wei had already assured them in video calls that she was doing well at the nursery, how could Yan Ya and Li Sinian believe her?
They assumed their daughter had lied to keep them from worrying.
But now, after watching this video, they realized Xue Wei had been telling the truth all along. She really was doing well at the nursery.
However…
Yan Ya quickly recalled the troubling comments made by the director of the nursery on the capital planet, leaving her with lingering doubts.
She asked Wen Yan for a copy of the video and then inquired, “Can you explain this to me? What I’ve heard about Prison Star doesn’t match what I’m seeing here…”
Wen Yan’s understanding of the situation was limited.
“All I know,” she began, “is that the nursery on Prison Star recently got a very capable caretaker. Not only has he taught the children well, but he also seems to have found a way to address their bloodline berserk tendencies.”
The destructive power of berserk children was something only those with firsthand experience could truly grasp.
When Wen Yan first learned that the nursery had taken in so many berserk children—many of whom had no surviving relatives—she had genuinely wondered if the people behind this decision were insane.
Her daughter, Qian Qian, was usually mild-tempered, but the moment Wen Yan left her side, the child would begin tearing the house apart.
Only when Wen Yan returned would Qian Qian regain some semblance of control, though even then, during occasional outbursts, Qian Qian had accidentally hurt her.
Wen Yan vividly remembered one such incident when Qian Qian snapped back to her senses mid-outburst. The look of shock, guilt, fear, and sorrow on her daughter’s face was something she would never forget.
Since then, Wen Yan had taken great care to conceal her injuries, but deep down, she knew this situation wasn’t sustainable.
As her daughter grew older, her outbursts became stronger. Wen Yan, as an ordinary person, often wondered how much longer she could continue to care for her.
If Qian Qian was already this challenging, Wen Yan couldn’t begin to imagine what it must be like for the nursery on Prison Star, with so many berserk children in one place.
Wouldn’t putting them all together only amplify their issues and make things worse?
That question had been answered.
The berserk children had indeed gone through a period of severe instability. Before making the decision to take her daughter to Prison Star, Wen Yan had conducted extensive research.
Her father had been a significant help.
Beyond the video she had shown Li Sinian and Yan Ya, her father had also sought out the inspector at the nursery, gathering a wealth of information.
It was only after seeing the children’s transformations with her own eyes that Wen Yan made her final decision.
Li Sinian and Yan Ya were deeply shocked. Wen Yan, however, said no more and instead asked them to wait. She then turned and headed back into the house to bring her daughter out.
The aide followed her inside to help with the luggage.
Li Sinian was about to offer assistance as well when he noticed Yan Ya repeatedly watching the video Wen Yan had shared. Her expression grew increasingly serious, and her brows furrowed deeper and deeper, as if she had spotted something troubling.
