Li Jiali's hula boy, Gu Hanhan asked and learned that Tony was fine. He only suffered a slight injury and needed to rest for two days, so he was relieved. So, they took another shuttle to the most expensive restaurant in the space orbit. The driver of the shuttle was also an acquaintance of Gu Hanhan - tour guide Uncle Jack.
After ordering food at the restaurant, and taking advantage of the time before the food was served, Aunt Li briefly chatted with Gu Hanhan about how she escaped - with the help of comrades lurking in the Mars flagship of the Temple Liberator Organization, she was able to escape in time. "Glorious Mission", the shuttle barely escaped into the Kuiper belt, and space collapse occurred - but she did not ask Gu Hanhan how to escape.
When the food started to be served, Uncle Jack parked the shuttle and walked in. Li Jiali opened the chair next to her and let Jack sit down. At the same time, she explained to Gu Hanhan, "Jack is a comrade of our organization."
Gu Hanhan was stunned: "There are so many comrades in our organization..."
"It's impossible not to think too much here," Freckles Lengmei smiled sweetly, "What do our great little devils say - 'The oppressed and unjust but unyielding people all over the world will spontaneously gather in the orbit of the earth'."
Gu Hanhan was worried, but when he heard Aunt Li say this, he couldn't help but burst out laughing: "It's really what Teacher Lin said."
"It's not a joke," Li Jiali did not laugh. Instead, she pointed at Jack solemnly and said, "Gu Hanhan, in fact, I invited Jack here today because I want to hear his story."
"Uncle Jack..." Gu Hanhan turned his head in confusion. He was a middle-aged man dressed in cowboys and with a stubble on his chin that smelled of old age.
"I remember my aunt told me on the first day we met that everyone in the space orbit has a story. Although it is unethical to reveal these unfortunate stories, I thought it might be helpful." Freckles Lengmei took out a cigarette and lit it. At the same time, he handed one to Jack, "Tell me, Jack, maybe you can give this confused girl some inspiration..."
"Where to start..." Jack did not rush to light the slender cigarette, but slowly rubbed it in his hand, his eyes gradually drifted away, and he fell into deep thought——
"Let's start with my hometown. The planet Kane where I was born is a beautiful purple planet with lanthanum crystal mines everywhere. Generations of my family have been miners for the mine owner. Originally, life was also It's not too bad, with mining in the spring, refining in the summer, and transportation in the fall. Every year when the mines are buried in snow, it becomes winter. The winter on Cain is so beautiful that there is a cat beast that can leave six paw prints on the snow. It eats meat. Delicious, but extremely cunning, our group of friends often have to hide in the snow for two or three days to catch..."
"When she was seven years old, the youngest sister in the family suffered from Osset syndrome, a bone disease caused by a genetic mutation. First, the joints deformed and she could not stand and walk, then she could not move her arms and hands, and finally the whole body The bones will become misaligned and twisted together, compressing the internal organs and leading to death. It is a common genetic disease on the planet Cain. The planet Cain is 60,000 light years away from the earth, and almost the entire planet is made of lanthanum crystal mines. There are countless genetic diseases. I don’t know, almost every family will have genetic diseases. Now, this misfortune has finally come to our family. Or it is not a misfortune. After all, Osset syndrome is not a terminal disease. As long as you insist on drinking the earth for a period of time, Original cow's milk can control or even improve the disease."
"Milk originating from the ball is available on the black market in Cairn Star. One pint costs 1,200 Earth Reserve rolls. My sister needs six pints. This price is unaffordable, even if all the bones of the whole family are boiled into oil, no, it should be It is not enough to dig out the bones of all the ancestors from the graves and boil them into oil and sell them. Well, there is still hope. The Red Cross ship of the earth lands on the Cain star every quarter. With the diagnosis certificate and prescription issued by the hospital, , you can buy biological medicines and various raw products at a lower price. The standard price of a pint of original milk is one hundred and twenty Earth Reserve Coins. This price is still beyond our reach, but after all, it is not completely desperate."
"My sister is very lucky. The day she was diagnosed was only 6 days before the Red Cross ship landed. We have to collect enough money in these six days, otherwise we have to wait until three months later. But after three months, my sister's feet will never stand up. At home, I took out all my savings. I sold everything I could and borrowed loan sharks. I finally managed to scrape together 720 yuan that day to buy 6 pints of original milk.”
"We waited with hope for our sister to recover, but she died in the end. Either the doctor's prescription was wrong or there was something wrong with the milk. The loan shark came to our door half a month later and robbed three boxes of milk before we could drink it. This was early It was premeditated and officials and businessmen colluded together, which is why there are so many high-priced earth goods on the market."
"The next year after that, the mining equipment at home broke down. The mine owner was reluctant to destroy the mining machine to save it, so my father and dozens of other workers were strangled to death by the spinning gears. The mine owner gave him some money. The money is considered compensation.”
"The money was spent in only two years. Fortunately, my brother and sister have grown up. My brother worked in the mines, and my sister received a scholarship to study at a university in the city. However, the good times did not last long, and it was my brother's turn to suffer from a genetic disease. This time, he couldn't wait for the Red Cross ship to arrive, and even if he waited, we could no longer raise the money to buy medicine. He survived for several months and finally died."
"My sister is going to take her mother and leave Cain. She happened to graduate from college and was very lucky to find a job on a prosperous planet. She said that if she continues to stay on a mining planet like Cain, sooner or later we may not be able to escape. Genetic disease.”
"After we finished my brother's funeral, we set off and exchanged the little money we had for three boat tickets. We were full of longing for the future life, but life played a joke on us. The boat passed through a turbulent place. When they were in the area, they encountered space pirates. All their property was robbed, and everyone on the ship was kidnapped back to the pirates' lair. Those who could pay the ransom within three days were let go, and those who couldn't were sold to Slave market.”
"I don't know where my mother and sister were sold, but they are still alive today. On the way to the slave market, I found an opportunity to escape. First, I worked as a beggar in the Port of Polbona, and then I worked as a trainee crew member on an interstellar merchant's ship. .”
"That year, when I was less than fifteen years old, I couldn't help but have a little romantic feeling in my heart. I always fantasized about boarding a trading ship. It must be extremely cool to sail among the galaxies, experience countless battles and adventures, and meet treasures every day. , princesses and adventures, just like those described in those movies and novels. But when I got on the ship, I realized that all this was wishful thinking and ridiculous."
"I haven't encountered any princesses or treasures. The only people in the universe who have such adventures are superpowers. A boy like this who has neither superpowers nor knowledge nor even professional mercenary training can't even fight." After I got on the ship, I was just the lowest trainee crew member. I had to do all kinds of dirty, tiring and dangerous work, and I could bully anyone, but all I got in exchange was three square meals."
"When I was sixteen or less than seventeen years old, I showed my face to the captain by chance, and then I was transferred to be the captain's servant - our captain is a superpower. I heard that he came from a The ancient superpower family has a strong backing, so no pirate in the fleet universe has ever dared to touch it - they serve the captain wholeheartedly, work like a cow, and do everything. Two years later, he rewarded a The position of a low-level assistant crew member. Although it is only one level higher than a trainee crew member, after all, he is a formal crew member of the fleet. He does not have to worry about being kicked off the ship at any time, which is very satisfying. "
"I worked diligently and diligently as a low-level assistant crew member until ten years later, when I was promoted from a low-level assistant crew member to a senior assistant crew member. At the same time, I finally got genetic cancer, the kind of genetic disease that can never be cured - the universe drifts away in time. As you grow older, you will eventually get better. How can a low-class sailor in a trading fleet like this, who does not get rations of native vegetables, escape? "
"There is no cure for genetic cancer, so we can only wait for death. I don't want to die, I don't want to die. Later I heard that a natural agent produced on earth can inhibit the onset of the disease, and one injection per month can sustain life. But this Injections are not sold on the Red Cross ships at all, and even if they are sold, you can't get a prescription from any doctor. The resources of the earth are so precious. How can you waste it on someone who is bound to die? You can only buy it on the black market, and the price is so expensive that you don't dare to think about the future. . The salary of a trading crew member for ten years plus the rebates that seemed to be accumulated a lot are barely enough to buy one."
"The last time the fleet docked at the Earth, I didn't follow them when they left. I stayed behind. Of course, the Earth within the environmental protection circle couldn't enter, so I had to stay in space orbit. I sold everything I could, one steel coin after another. Earn those precious Earth reserve coupons. Use your money, body and soul to exchange for medicines brought by the space station staff or the natives of the Earth. If you exchange one copy, you can live another month."
A cigarette burned to the end unknowingly and burned Jack's fingers, but he didn't notice it. His deep purple eyes were shining with deep light, and there was some careless ridicule on the corner of his mouth: "I'm very lucky. Although all the relatives Probably all of them are dead, but at least they are still alive. They are luckier than most patients with genetic diseases in this universe. At least they survived to reach the space orbit and can survive here, and most of them have no chance to survive..."
"The story is over." Jack put out the cigarette butt in the ashtray, patted the ashes on his legs, stood up, and turned to leave.
"Wait a minute, Uncle Jack!"
Gu Hanhan was stunned for a while, then ran after Jack and grabbed Jack's hand.
"I think I can help." She said this, and the energy fluctuations penetrated Jack's body along the place where the fingers were connected. Some small shadows disappeared completely with just a slight wave.
"It's all healed now, Uncle Jack," Gu Hanhan told him proudly, "He is a very powerful healer."
