Taking a deep breath, Peipei accelerated and crashed into her brother’s space armor in the escape capsule.

“So, brother—”

Peipei bit her lips. “You are still determined to kill Shanuya, aren’t you? After it risked its life to save everyone, you didn’t hesitate at all?”

“Forgive me.”

His brother’s voice was shaking. He seemed to have closed his eyes in the space armor and managed to say, “We have no other options for survival.

“For survival? How hilarious.

“Even if we can survive for a while in such a way, what kind of people will we become? Cruel, ungrateful, bloodthirsty bad guys, just like the ‘Forty Thieves’ in the story!

“Brother, I remember that you were not like this in the past. When you were a child, you liked to listen to stories as much as I did. You listened to the stories where the good guys defeated the bad guys and the heroes defeated the devils. You praised Ali Baba’s kindness and good luck. You worshipped Sinbad’s courage. You swore that you would be an indomitable hero like the protagonist in the story. You would help the good guys, strike the bad guys, and do the right thing.

“Since when did you become like this? You’ve become the ‘Forty Thieves’ in the story. You’re a bad guy from head to toe! Is this really you? Is this really you? What are you doing exactly? Do you still recognize your current self?”

“It doesn’t matter, Peipei. In the face of survival, good and bad, right and wrong are meaningless.”

His brother said in pain, “Even if I become one of the ‘Forty Thieves’, it will be enough as long as I can survive.

“No. It’s not enough. It’s far from enough. Not only do we have to live on, we have to live on like good people and heroes. That is the real life, the real civilization!”

“If we turn ourselves into the ‘Forty Thieves’ for survival, turn the fleet into a nest of bandits, break all the rules, and step on all the bottom lines, will the people who are alive really be happy? Will they be united for a long time to overcome the difficulties together?

“You don’t understand…”

His brother said.

But before he could finish, he was interrupted by Peipei:

“It’s true that I don’t understand. I don’t understand what you adults are doing at all. To be a good person, to be a hero, to defend your home and justice, to fight against darkness and evil. Isn’t that what you adults teach all your children in your stories?”

The girl cried, “Good will be rewarded, and evil will be punished. As long as you have a kind heart and uphold the rules of justice, you will be able to overcome all the difficulties and defeat the strongest enemy when you treat your friends warmly. The prince and the princess will live a happy life together. Isn’t that what the stories say? Isn’t that what the adults taught the children so that the children will believe everything without any doubt?

“Why did everything change when the story jumped to reality and the child turned into an adult?

“Tell me, who is wrong? Is it the story that you adults wrote for the children or the adults themselves?”

“Maybe we were wrong.

His brother sighed softly. “But I still can’t let you go there.”

“Why?”

“Now that you know you were wrong, why don’t you try to change it, stop it, and redeem yourself? There’s still time!”

“You don’t understand.”

His brother replied, “It’s complicated. I had no choice.”

“Why does everything seem ‘complicated’ to you? Can’t you just follow your heart and do what is right, what is right, and what is good?

Peipei shouted, “You have a choice. Just make way for me!”

“No.”

His brother said, “No.”

“Then, then—”

Pepe took a deep breath. “Destroy me. Destroy my escape capsule just like you planned to kill Shanuya!”

“Impossible.”

His brother said, “I won’t attack you, but I can’t stand by and watch you tell the Void Hunters everything so that they might kill everyone.”

“Then believe me.”

“I will not let you kill Shanuya, but I will not let Shanuya kill you, either.

“That’s impossible.”

His brother said, “Even you cannot predict and control the behavior of the Void Hunters.

“I know, but I’ve figured out a way.

“Lower the likelihood of danger to the minimum—I repeat, I will not let it hurt you, and I will not let you hurt it.”

“What is it?”

His brother was slightly dazed.

“I can’t say it now. It won’t work if I do.”

Peipei pleaded, “Brother, believe me. I can do it. Give me a chance to try. Give the thing you’re guarding a chance. Give the stories of heroes and good people a chance!”

His brother was silent.

The space armor was shivering violently, as if it were under tremendous pressure from inside.

“Do you still remember the games that we used to play when we were kids? I played the role of Markina, and you played the role of Ali Baba. But none of the kids were willing to play the role of the Forty Thieves!

“There are a hundred fleets in our civilization. If ninety-nine of them choose to be the ‘Forty Thieves’, at least one of them should try to be ‘Alibaba’ or ‘Malkina’, right, brother?”

His brother remained silent.

The universal armor stopped trembling. It floated in front of Peipei like a statue of contemplation.

“Believe me, brother. I can save everyone. Save everyone!”

Peipei screamed, “Please, believe me!”

When the escape capsule passed by the space armor, his brother still did not say anything, but he did not stop it, either.

The escape capsule continued accelerating. It was getting further and further away from the space armor and closer to the Void Hunters.

His brother still made no movement, as if the space armor was empty.

“Brother?”

Peipei was both surprised and delighted. She called softly in the communication channel.

“I’m here.”

His brother finally spoke. His voice was as low and bitter as if he was about to collapse. “Pepe, right now, everyone’s life is in your hands.”

Not far away, several shining rays of light darted close.

It was Li Yao’s father and the other four guards, who were also wearing space armors.

“Where is he?”

His father asked solemnly.

“Just now.”

His brother replied calmly.

“Bastard, what’s going on? Go after him!”

His father roared and waved his hands, leading the four guards to chase after Pepe’s escape capsule.

However, the moment they were activated, a sharp alarm came from the space armor.

The scorching aura from his brother turned into magma in the sea of stars and wreathed them.

“What the hell?”

His father was greatly shocked and roared, “Are you crazy?”

“I… don’t know.”

His brother smiled bitterly and opened his arms, blocking the five space armors. “Maybe.”

“Lei Qi!”

His father was dumbfounded. “What are you doing exactly?”

“As a warrior.”

His brother was silent for a long time. Then he said, one word after another, “Fight for what we’ve been protecting.”