Counterfeit Hero

Mars Free Port is a pale blue planet.

In many ways, the four major ports of the Free Port and the origin of humanity, also the center of the Free Port, God’s Domain — Earth, are very similar.

The same blue planet, the same abundant water resources, overexploited and abandoned alike, and similarly a gathering place for pirates, mercenaries, adventurers, black society, and the Free Merchant Group.

The only difference, perhaps, is the location of the Five Great Free Ports.

Mars Free Port is the center of the Mars Commercial Waterway, located in the Southeast Star Domain. Whereas the Odin Free Port, controlling the Odin Commercial Waterway, is located to the northeast. It connects south to the Mars Commercial Waterway and north to the Jesus Commercial Channel.

Through the Jesus Channel, circling to the central region of the human interstellar map, it leads to the core star domains where numerous nations and superpowers are situated. God’s Domain (Earth) and the God Channel controlled by it are located within this core.

Another free port, Allah Port, is not connected to these four major free ports; it stands independently in the far west, surrounded by neutral commercial alliances and small countries. Relatively speaking, the most stable current situation is at Allah Port.

Mars Port is bustling at the moment.

In the space port densely packed in the planet’s orbit, countless large and small cargo ships, passenger ships, and armed vessels are coming and going incessantly. At the harbor terminals, various colossal containers are piled up like mountains. Rows of giant mechanical arms, resembling behemoths, rotate and flex continuously, loading and unloading goods and containers. Behind them, rows of freight rail cars wait in line. They will transport the cargo to distribution yards or warehouses outside the docks, where densely packed freight mechas handle the next steps of unpacking, moving, and storing the goods.

On the surface, the war seems to have no impact on the Free Port. On the contrary, it appears more prosperous now than before the war.

However, only those living here know that their lives have been thoroughly and profoundly altered by the smoke of war enveloping human society.

In the passenger port, the shuttles from the space port carry landside groups of refugees with their families in tow. Among them, many are Leray people and Gazalin people, along with some Saleria people, Ryan people, and Naga people, as well as a few Tatania, Suss, Jiepeng, and Chuckna people.

This is not the first time the Free Port has encountered such a situation. Many of the current residents of the Free Port are descendants of those who settled here to escape past wars. Yet, such an almost frenzied influx of refugees is a first-time sight.

The major cities of the Free Port are overcrowded. The hotels and lodgings are already filled with wealthy refugees. The slums surrounding the cities are equally packed. The original residents have mostly rented out their spare rooms, earning a substantial income. Some have even moved their entire families to farms and smaller towns, renting out their houses entirely.

Even so, it still can’t accommodate the continuous influx of refugees.

Batch after batch of refugees pouring into the Free Port, having experienced the initial disappointment in the cities, have gradually started to migrate toward the remote towns and agricultural enclaves.

Along the highways crisscrossing the planet, there are endless streams of walkers on both sides. They carry suitcases and bundles, holding children and carrying the elderly, trudging along under the scorching sun. There are no longer enough vehicles to get them to their destinations. In the city transportation centers, whether it’s airliners or buses, ”sold out” signs hang every day, and private transport vehicles have already been filled with people.

Many can only choose to trek on foot. Whenever a hovercar or truck passes by, they pause, casting hopeful glances and waving their hands. But usually, all they encounter is the wind stirred up by the speeding hovercar.

Desperation comes not only from finding no place to stay or no transport to take. In this world, there are also robberies, scams, abductions, and murders.

Such crimes happen every day, and how many one encounters along the way depends on one’s luck.

There is no war here, but this is the Free World!

Along the highway to Bering Port, a luxurious Bonaparte wide-body hovercar is steadily speeding.

On the roadside, a crying woman sitting on scattered luggage flashed past in the car window.

”We should restrain them a bit,” an old man inside the car frowned slightly and said indifferently, ”Too harsh tactics won’t benefit us. Slaughtering the hen to get the eggs might be exhilarating at times, but tell them not to go too far.”

”Yes,” the middle-aged man beside him responded respectfully.

The old man’s name is Su Kezhou. This name is seldom known among the common people of the Free Port. However, if asked in a survey among the heads of various major forces in the Free Port, the name Su Kezhou would undoubtedly be in the top five of the most notable names.

Even if some might not know who Su Kezhou is, just telling them that the man behind the Longxing Chamber of Commerce is this thin, small old man would suffice... no need to say a word more.