Chapter 10: The Pirate Nebula
Hoffman’s expression was fierce, as if he were about to devour someone. His loud voice and violent presence made him far more terrifying than the bullies Kean had faced as a child.
Kean, though tall and physically strong, had always been weak and timid. He struggled to handle someone as harsh as Hoffman. The more Kean tried to please him, the harder it became.
Kean tried to control his facial expressions. He pressed his lips together, trying to hide his smile and appear normal. However, years of attempting to please others had left his face permanently stuck in a smile. Even when he tried to change his expression, his round face looked mocking, full of contempt. It was beyond his control, and it angered people.
Hoffman became furious, thinking that Kean was doing it on purpose. He grabbed Kean by the collar and shouted, "I’ll give you three seconds to stop that stupid smile! If not, I’ll rip out your eyeball and shove it into your pig brain!”
Kean quickly replied, “Sir, I’m trying, Sir!”
Hoffman shouted, “Hurry up! Now! Immediately!”
Kean closed his eyes and focused hard, trying to change his expression. His voice was weak as he said, “Sir, I’m sorry, I can’t do it, Sir.”
This only made Hoffman angrier. He shouted, “Kneel down now, scum!”
Terrified, Kean knelt on the metal floor with a thud.
Hoffman raised his right hand as if to choke someone and barked, “Choke yourself, Private Fatty.”
Kean obeyed and placed both hands around his neck.
Hoffman scowled. “Idiot, I meant for you to use my hand.”
Kean quickly grabbed Hoffman’s right hand and tried to bring it to his neck. Hoffman slapped his hand away.
Hoffman yelled, “Don’t move my hand around! I said choke yourself! You pig-headed fool, get your neck here and let me choke you!”
The recruits in the 7th Company were silent, stunned by the scene. Over 100 men watched as Kean, struggling to breathe, choked himself with Hoffman’s hand. His face turned red, veins bulging, eyes rolling back as he gasped for air. Everyone wondered if Hoffman was really going to kill him.
Jackson felt a chill. He began to suspect that Hoffman had mental issues.
Hoffman raised his voice, “Have you stopped smiling, Fatty?”
Kean, nearly passing out, weakly responded, “Yes, Sir.”
Hoffman coldly shouted, “I can’t hear you!”
Kean, using his last bit of strength, shouted, “Sir, yes, Sir!”
Xiao Yi, Jackson, and Li Feng exchanged nervous glances, relieved they were not the ones being punished. Hearing Kean’s final, faint shout was disturbing—it felt like hearing someone’s last breath.
Hoffman pushed his hand away and released Kean’s neck. He shouted, “Enough! Get up now! Private Fatty, I’ll keep torturing you from now on.” Then, ignoring Kean, who was still gasping for air, Hoffman walked off to find someone else to torment.
The new recruits spent their second day at the 11th Regiment base enduring Hoffman’s cruel treatment. That night, after the lights went out, the barracks were silent. No one made noise like they had the night before.
Hoffman’s orders were clear: “No talking after lights out! Go to sleep right now!”
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
Jackson started to understand Hoffman’s methods. Without his harsh approach, it would have been difficult to intimidate these young recruits.
----------------------------------------
The Pirate Nebula was once known as the Yunmeng star system, part of the Pan-Hua Empire. At its peak, it had over 500 inhabited planets and more than 7,000 resource-rich planets. It was one of the Empire’s most important regions. The Yunmeng system was also the last to fall during the war. No detailed records remain of the battle, and even the most advanced galactic databases have no information about it.
Today, the nebula stretches over 520,000 light-years, and there are no inhabited or resource-rich planets left. The once-thriving star systems of the Pan-Hua Empire are completely destroyed. Only space debris and dust remain scattered throughout the galaxy.
From other star systems, the Yunmeng system now appears as a misty cloud, almost like fog over a planet. Over time, people began calling it the Yunmeng Nebula.
After the loss of all its planets and resources, the Yunmeng system became irrelevant to other galactic nations. No one wanted to send fleets to maintain order in the area.
As time passed, space pirates began to infiltrate the empty system. They saw an opportunity to raid the abandoned region. The Yunmeng Nebula eventually became known as the Pirate Nebula.
In its final years, the Pan-Hua Empire had invested heavily in the Yunmeng system. It hoped to make the system a fortress, a last stand against its enemies. The Empire sent its resources, wealth, technology, and military equipment to the region, hiding them on remote planets and in asteroid belts, hoping to use them to restore the Empire if needed.
However, after the Empire retreated to Yunmeng, internal divisions began to emerge. Some factions wanted to surrender, while others sought to continue fighting.
Even the strongest fortresses can fall from within. The United Galactic Forces used a brutal strategy—destroying entire stars. Any resistance was met with immediate annihilation of the planet and star. This tactic terrified those who wanted to surrender.
In the end, over 100 planets surrendered, and the Yunmeng system was lost. The United Galactic Forces wiped out the remaining factions. The survivors were scattered across the galaxy, and prisoners were sent to soul prisons in the Solar System, where they were locked away for life.
The collapse of the Pan-Hua Empire left most of its leaders dead. The places where they had hidden resources became mysteries.
With the help of the surrendering factions, the United Galactic Forces discovered some of the hidden supplies, but they eventually gave up. The Empire was defeated, and the remaining supplies seemed unlikely to change anything.
When the Yunmeng system became the Pirate Nebula, a pirate leader named Luo Sanpao discovered a hidden vault belonging to the Pan-Hua Empire on an asteroid. Inside were old artworks and treasures. Luo Sanpao became rich and retired to the United Federation of Beiyute, the most powerful country in the universe. There, he lived in luxury, no longer needing to raid for a living.
One day, while drunk in a nightclub, Luo Sanpao bragged about his discovery. A young man named Peng Yu overheard him.
Peng Yu had an idea. If the Pirate Nebula had once been the Pan-Hua Empire’s final fortress, there might be more hidden treasures. He and his friends formed a company called "Tian Gong Salvage" to search for these treasures.
At first, they had little success. The Pirate Nebula was vast, filled with useless planets, asteroid belts, and wrecked battlefields.
Peng Yu and his team struggled. They were on the brink of closing the company. To survive, they began scavenging abandoned ships and wrecks, selling whatever they could find to stay afloat.
The work was hard, and profits were slim. Peng Yu was ready to give up. But then, his partner Joseph showed him a star map he had found in a wrecked Pan-Hua transport ship.
“Peng,” Joseph said, “Let’s try Ravon B. If we fail, we’ll end this adventure for good.”
Peng Yu hesitated. Ravon B had a dangerous atmosphere, full of violent lightning storms that could destroy their ship’s shields. Still, the star map indicated the transport ship had gone there. Joseph convinced Peng Yu to give it one last shot.
“If we shut down Tian Gong Salvage now,” Joseph said, “the debts will crush us. We’ll be laughed at by everyone. I don’t want to live in shame.”
Peng Yu felt the weight of their 30 million credit loan from Black Flag Bank. Joseph was right. If they gave up, their assets would be frozen, and they would lose everything.
The Firebird ship’s alarm blared. The ship shook violently as lightning flashed outside, threatening to tear it apart.
Peng Yu and Joseph struggled to keep control, dodging lightning bolts and trying to stay on course.
A massive bolt of lightning struck the ship, shattering its shields. The Firebird spiraled toward the ground.
The atmosphere around Ravon B was chaotic, filled with relentless lightning. Anything that entered the air was quickly torn apart.
Inside the ship, sparks flew as energy conduits short-circuited. The air was thick with a foul odor.
“Warning!” the ship’s AI reported. “The shield is destroyed. 32% of the hull is damaged. 48% of the propulsion system is down. 73% of the communication system is damaged. Life support system is destroyed…”
Peng Yu and Joseph fought to maintain control, but the ship was losing altitude. The damage continued to worsen. They had no choice but to push forward, hoping to survive the storm and find something valuable to save their company and their lives.