A shuttle boat bearing the Space Station Administrationâs emblem landed about a dozen meters away from the hardware store entrance.
The hatch opened quickly, revealing two fully armed individuals that looked like the Space Station Patrol Team inside the shuttle boat.
Chen Ming retreated slightly with caution, ready to retreat back into the hardware store at any moment.
However, a head soon peeked out next to the shuttle boatâs hatchâit was Lao Wuâs head.
He was also dressed in very professional tactical gear, but it completely contradicted his usual demeanor, making him look somewhat out of place.
Lao Wu, however, was completely unaware of this as he waved to Chen Ming and said, "Xiao Mu, why are you dressed like that? Never mind, come quickly, we have to go."
Meanwhile, over the still-connected phone line, the manager also confirmed the identities of those on the shuttle boat.
Chen Ming had no more hesitation, greeted the store owner, and stepped out briskly, boarding the shuttle boat.
Throughout the process, Chen Ming didnât feel any increase or decrease in the constant sense of danger, unaware whether the military had lost track of him or were just biding their time.
But that didnât matter; as long as he could reach the Administration Building, safety would be assured.
Unless the military completely fell out with the Space Station, there was absolutely nothing they could do to him.
Chen Ming was pulled aboard the shuttle boat by two patrol team members.
The hatch closed instantly, the engines fired up immediately, and the shuttle boat soared vertically into the sky.
The pilot turned the shuttle boatâs nose, heading straight for the Administration Building located at the center of the Space Station.
Lao Wu found a place inside the shuttle boat for Chen Ming to sit, allowing him to easily take in the interior environment.
However, the shuttle boat itself wasnât large, and the interior resembled a troop transport helicopter, without much of interest.
Instead, the outside was more worthy of Chen Mingâs attention.
The ascending shuttle boat had just passed through the
door of Space Arm No. 2 in less than half a minute, arriving steadily and swiftly at the edge of the Space Stationâs internal city.
Within three to four minutes at most, they would reach the Space Station Administration.
However, Chen Ming hadnât forgotten about the military; they had already been watching him and wouldnât just let him leave like that.
Just as Chen Ming suspected.
As soon as the shuttle boat flew into the airspace over the city, it suddenly shook violently, and red emergency lights flashed inside.
The sense of danger Chen Ming felt suddenly became very apparent.
And the pilotâs voice came immediately from the front of the shuttle boat: "The shuttle boat has malfunctioned, the operating system has failed, I canât control it anymore."
"And itâs still flying in another direction without crashing."
The pilot was seen desperately trying to regain control of the shuttle boat, but with little effect.
"The communication device is also malfunctioning, I canât get in touch with the Administration."
"Our shuttle boat has been hacked."
Chen Ming immediately lowered his head and found that his communication with the manager had also been cut off at some point.
Not only were the shuttle boatâs communication devices affected, but the terminalâs network was also completely cut off.
"Damn it, they really dare to pull such a stunt on the Space Station."
Everyone on board looked grim, quickly checked their gear, and prepared for a possible conflict when they landed.
Chen Ming watched their actions and asked, "Is it just the few of us?"
Lao Wu, who was checking a gun equipped with an automatic locking system that he had spent quite a bit of money on, responded to Chen Ming, "How could that be? This is our Space Station."
"The Guard unit has already been contacted in advance, but without a real incident, itâs hard for them to determine the exact target, so they are on standby."
"Once we fire, they will come to our aid at the first moment."
"From our current position, theyâll arrive in at most three minutes."
"If we hold out for three minutes, theyâre finished."
As the shuttle boat slowly deviated from its intended course.
At the farthest direction of the shuttle boatâs deviation, inside an unoccupied vacant house.
All five members of the military team were gathered here.
Xia Chao was now huddled next to the team member responsible for electronic equipment.
Watching the shuttle boat wobbling towards them outside, he said to his team member, "Your electronic warfare skills are as good as ever."
But his team member responded impatiently, "Good? If I were good, would I have been assigned here?"
"At least itâs good enough for now."
The captain coughed slightly at this moment to interrupt the chat among the team members and said, "Get ready, once the shuttle boat lands, take the people down directly, and be prepared for an armed conflict."
"Yes."
On the shuttle boat.
Sitting in the corner, Chen Ming watched the other team members preparing somewhat anxiously, as the shaking of the vessel increased constantly, causing him to frown.
But as if he had remembered something, he suddenly reached out with his left hand and fiddled with his wrist, removing the hand armor of the exoskeleton armor.
Then he pressed his left hand, wearing only a protective suit glove, against the shuttle boatâs hull.
In Chen Mingâs mind, an option to control the shuttle boat appeared, which hadnât been there when he first boarded.
"This... is really nerve-wracking."
Chen Ming had thought that the shuttle boat wasnât on the same level as a frigate, and thus not controllable.
It turned out it was merely due to the gap between the hand armor and the shuttle boatâs hull that the panel hadnât detected his contact with the shuttle boat.