Resurrection Empire

Chapter 1443: Chapter 544: Every Life Deserves Respect (2)

Kui Sheng’s lips trembled; he didn’t know what to say.

According to the common knowledge he gained from the Empire, whether it was surrender or a rescue operation, things should have ended by now.

Perhaps as Ren Zhong said, there were still many people not yet rescued, but so what?

Could the lives of pirates possibly be more valuable than the energy cells of a warship?

It’s not scientific, not reasonable, and doesn’t align with the principle of cost management control.

Both the civilians within the Nanxiang Star Cluster and the pirates themselves actually recognize a common notion, that pirates’ lives are worthless, not even worth the time it takes.

Based on the typical behavior pattern of the Nanxiang Marquis or other forces in the star cluster, it’s impossible the precious time and resources would be wasted here.

To end it now and leave immediately is the most cost-effective option.

Understand that due to the different situations of each prisoner of war, the difficulty and cost of resettling them will inevitably escalate with the level of completion.

To rescue each trapped prisoner in sealed chambers or those floating in space in Space Battle Armor requires manpower and resources that are several times greater than receiving personnel in bulk, and the risks are countless times higher.

But Earl Red Blade was clearly not joking; he was serious. He wanted one hundred percent completion.

Filled with indescribable doubt, Kui Sheng returned to the fortress where prisoners of war were being concentrated.

Other pirates flocked to him to ask how things were going.

Kui Sheng first stood at the fortress’s viewing window, watching as multipurpose rescue Flying Devices streamed out like a swarm of locusts. He didn’t rush to answer the crowd’s questions, instead recalling the last words he heard before leaving Ren Zhong’s office.

"The reason we must try our utmost to save everyone is that every life deserves respect."

At that time, Ren Zhong of Earl Red Blade said this in a plain tone.

But in Kui Sheng’s heart, these words struck like thunder, blasting through his understanding.

Even now, Kui Sheng’s mind repeatedly recalls those simple words, trying to discern the truth from the subtle details in Ren Zhong’s microexpressions and tone at the time.

He desperately wanted to understand whether this was truly Earl Red Blade’s heartfelt words or just a tactic to win people’s hearts.

If it were the former, Kui Sheng would feel he had wasted hundreds of years living.

If it were the latter, he would also find Earl Red Blade to be unfathomable and terrifying, because he was genuinely moved at the time.

After a long time, Kui Sheng smiled bitterly and subconsciously shook his head.

He couldn’t figure out the answer.

Seeing Kui Sheng’s behavior, the other pirates were quite frightened and thought something was wrong.

Someone couldn’t hold it in any longer, stood beside Kui Sheng, and turned his shoulder, "Commander Kui, just tell us the truth. Is this surrender nothing but a scam? Is Earl Red Blade planning to gather us for easier killing? When do you think he’ll make his move? What about our families at the base? Is there still a chance for negotiation? What should we do to convince him of our sincerity in surrendering?"

"Yes, Commander Kui, please say something."

"Waiting like this puts everyone on edge, just give us a clear answer."

...

Everyone chimed in, each more agitated than the last.

Kui Sheng looked around, watching their behavior, feeling it was somewhat absurd and laughable, and also felt sorry for Earl Red Blade.

Thinking for a while, Kui Sheng simply pointed to the round viewing window and said, "Do you see those small Flying Devices outside?"

"We see them, what are they for?"

"Is someone still resisting? Are these for cleaning up the battlefield?"

Kui Sheng shook his head, "In the past two days, Earl Red Blade first spent an hour designing a completely new multifunctional Flying Device. This device is based on their high-performance single-pilot fighters."

"Multifunctional? Did he add more weapons? That’s unnecessary!"

"Yes, those fighters are terrifying, every aspect of their design has already reached the pinnacle of material science in the Nanxiang Star Cluster, there’s no room for improvement, right?"

Kui Sheng: "No. These aircraft had their weapon systems removed and were equipped with rapid cutting tools, sealed gel sprayers, integrated first aid kits, high-precision short-range life detectors, and other devices. Now they are no longer killing machines, but multipurpose rescue Flying Devices. Those elite fighter pilots who left us helpless on the battlefield are now Rescue Workers. Over the past two days, the reason Earl Red Blade didn’t have time to meet me was that he was personally responsible for modifying these rescue Flying Devices. He handled everything from design and production management to product acceptance all by himself."