Counterfeit Hero

Oliver shrunk his head, cautiously looking around before quickly crossing the street.

Born in the slums of Mars Free Port, the small-framed Oliver stood at less than 1.6 meters and weighed under 50 kilograms. This always made him frustrated. Due to his frail build, he couldn’t join others in the gang to fight his way to better treatment. He was merely a thief—a peripheral member of the gang who had to hand over half of his daily earnings.

However, Oliver’s life was much better compared to other thieves. After all, he had a beautiful sister. And his brother-in-law was a small boss in the Gray Wolf Gang.

With his brother-in-law’s care, Oliver’s business was much easier to conduct than other thieves. On the streets under his brother-in-law’s control, no other thief dared to compete with him. As long as Oliver set his eyes on a target, he would typically succeed. His superb skills combined with the priority rights to some bustling commercial streets gave Oliver a steady income.

Oliver was always content. His daily earnings, aside from what he handed over to the Gray Wolf Gang’s collector, were all saved. Oliver knew that despite his brother-in-law treating him and his sister well, he led a risky life, licking blood from the blade’s edge. One never knew what might happen. So Oliver wanted to save some money. Just in case that day ever came, at least he could still take care of his sister.

Walking ahead along the central garden of Waltz Avenue, Oliver carefully hid himself in the dense foliage. His brother-in-law had already warned him not to do any business today. Oliver always heeded his brother-in-law’s words; he didn’t want to cause trouble on such a chaotic day.

Initially, he didn’t want to go out. But his sister had fallen ill. The hospitals in Free Port were not places people from the slums could go to. Their consultation and medication fees were exorbitantly high. Oliver was now seeking the doctor who usually treated his family. While this doctor didn’t have a medical license, his skills surpassed those of many certified doctors. Spending a little money, getting some herbal concoctions, and the sickness would be cured. Such doctors were seen as saints in the slums.

The doctor lived on Tango Street, which was his brother-in-law’s territory.

However, to reach Tango Street, one had to pass through Waltz Avenue. This bustling avenue was not a safe place. The Fierce Bear Association and Gray Wolf Gang had clashed several times to control this street without a clear winner. Neither could take full control, so to gang members, this was a battlefield.

Oliver quickened his pace. He decided that once he reached Tango Street and got the doctor, he would head east and have his brother-in-law help flag down a taxi at the intersection. He’d rather spend some money to take a big detour on the highway than come back via Waltz Avenue.

Free Port had never been as tense as today. Oliver felt that Free Port was like a powder keg about to explode at any moment. Many businesses on the once-bustling Waltz Avenue had already closed their doors. They must have heard the news of the Sect Federation’s negotiation breakdown.

Walking briskly through the shadows of the garden trees for over 200 meters, Oliver quickened his pace again. The deserted street gave him an eerie feeling.

After crossing the garden lawn and jumping over a low decorative hedge, Oliver reached the intersection of Waltz Avenue and Tango Street.

Emerging from the tree shade, the first thing Oliver saw was his brother-in-law.

His tall brother-in-law stood under the streetlight at the corner, accompanied by several members of the Gray Wolf Gang.

”Brother-in-law!” Oliver’s tense heart finally relaxed, and a slight smile appeared on his pale face. He lightly jogged off the curb and ran toward the opposite street.

Across the street, his brother-in-law was frantically waving at him.

Oliver slowed down when he reached the middle of the street. He was suddenly puzzled, not understanding why his brother-in-law was waving so desperately. Why was his brother-in-law, usually fearless, looking so tense and terrified at this moment…

A tide of people surged past Oliver.

Amidst the fierce sounds of fighting, the small-framed Oliver fell like a lonely and helpless sapling in a torrent. His blood was trampled into countless messy footprints in the middle of Waltz Avenue.

Oliver was dead. A thief, an insignificant character, died just like that.

At the same time that Oliver fell, the commercial ship Audrey at No.7 Space Port in Mars Free Port had completed its docking registration.

Dozens of heavy-duty trucks, each carrying long containers, silently left the port terminal.

Moments later, dozens of crew members from the Audrey, with arms around each other, noisily headed to the shuttle station directly connecting the space port to Central City.

Dock workers looked enviously at these smugglers.

They knew that waiting for these crew members were the pretty girls and strong liquor in Central City’s red-light district. These men, whose hormones had surged throughout an entire lonely interstellar journey, were about to indulge in a night of revelry back in the human world.