Previously, a plague had broken out on a colony planet.
To win people's hearts, Jiang Ye distributed medicine to the sick free of charge.
Among the patients was one with the ID "Dong Yong." He didn't recover after taking the medicine. Before he died, he reminisced about his past with Jiang Ye.
He claimed to be a captain with a glorious career, owning territories on many planets, but had fallen to a colony planet due to complex reasons. Before breathing his last, he also asked Jiang Ye to help find his daughter in the future.
The man's real name was Ji Fa, which was very easy to remember, and Jiang Ye had never forgotten it.
After passing by more than ten rows of bestsellers and self-help books, and then a few rows of children's books, he finally found an entire row of bookshelves labeled "Biographies."
Jiang Ye squatted down and began searching from the bottom row, one book at a time.
Most biographies were self-explanatory, like "The Biography of XXX," "The Complete Biography of XXX," or "Autobiography of XXX."
For the few books whose titles didn't reveal the subject, such as "My Childhood," "My Struggles," or "My Marriage," Jiang Ye would pull them out and glance at the content. If it wasn't about Ji Fa, he would immediately put it back.
The bookstore was so quiet that one could hear their own breathing.
One book, five books, ten books...
Fifty books, a hundred books, two hundred books...
Five hundred books, seven hundred books, a thousand books...
Jiang Ye's legs had gone numb from squatting, his vision blurred, yet he still couldn't find "The Biography of Ji Fa."
He even started to doubt if the person with the ID "Dong Yong" had been telling the truth.
Could he have been bragging before he died?
However, Jiang Ye still tended to believe that what a dying person says is often sincere. The other person probably hadn't lied to him, so he continued searching.
In such a large bookstore, he couldn't believe he wouldn't find a biography.
"What book are you looking for?" a pleasant female voice suddenly asked.
Jiang Ye was squatting on the ground, completely unaware that someone had approached. He instinctively turned his head and first saw a pair of long legs.
Long legs in black stockings.
The legs were beautifully shaped, slender and well-proportioned, quite sexy.
Jiang Ye looked up and was stunned on the spot.
A tall young girl stood beside him, leaning on the bookshelf. Her face was almost unrealistically beautiful, her skin flawlessly fair and tender, her eyelashes distinct, and her eyes as lively as a little deer emerging from the woods.
Her top was made of a smooth fabric, similar to silk, her chest visibly full, her waist slender, and her figure exceptionally good.
"I am the store manager, Cen Yemeng. I see you've been looking for an hour. Are you searching for a particular book?" she asked again, her tone very gentle. "I can help you find it. I remember the approximate location of all the books here."
"Yes, I'm looking for, looking for, looking for..." Jiang Ye stood up, momentarily at a loss for words. Seeing such a beautiful woman unexpectedly, he hadn't fully recovered from his shock.
Cen Yemeng tilted her head, looking at him, and then suddenly smiled brightly. "Is the book title hard to remember? Don't worry, take your time to recall it."
Jiang Ye clearly felt his heart skip a beat. He suddenly understood why King You of Zhou lit the beacon fires just to make Bao Si smile.
He didn't know why, but he had seen many beautiful women before. Ju Lanlan, Isabelle, Tian Rao – none of them were unattractive.
But honestly, none of them were as captivating as the proprietress in front of him.
"I'm looking for a biography, titled 'The Biography of Ji Fa'," Jiang Ye finally calmed down.
Cen Yemeng's expression changed slightly, but she maintained her smile. "There are three famous Ji Fas in history: King Wu of Zhou, Ji Fa, who conquered Zhou; Ji Fa, the arms dealer during the Third World War; and the contemporary one. Which person are you looking for?"
"The contemporary one, the one who was a captain," Jiang Ye said.
Cen Yemeng's smile vanished. She lowered her hands from the bookshelf and crossed them over her chest, staring at Jiang Ye with a hint of apprehension, as if he had mentioned some dark, forbidden topic.
"That book isn't available," Cen Yemeng first glanced towards the store entrance, then shook her head slightly, saying in a low voice, "This store does not sell banned books."
"Banned books?" Jiang Ye was stunned. "How could it be a banned book?"
Cen Yemeng narrowed her eyes, her expression conveying a mixture of "Do you really not know, or are you pretending?"
From her expression, Jiang Ye deduced:
First, Ji Fa was a very famous figure, known to everyone.
Second, Ji Fa was severely blacklisted to some extent, to the point where his biography had become a banned book, similar to Hitler. Anyone who dared to buy "Mein Kampf" in a European bookstore would be immediately taken away by the police. Da Feng Novel
"It's like this, let me explain," Jiang Ye took a deep breath and looked her in the eye sincerely. "I'm not a modern person. I'm an ancient person and don't understand the situation in this era. This Ji Fa died on my planet. I just want to know who he was, out of simple curiosity."
"You're an ancient person?" Cen Yemeng's expression was peculiar.
"Cryonics technology. I had a terminal illness, and the doctor said they had to freeze me until a cure was found in the future. After being frozen and thawed, I somehow ended up here," Jiang Ye explained as concisely as possible.
Cen Yemeng's eyes widened, and she looked him up and down with surprise.
"Is that true?" she asked, half-believing.
"It's true. Every word I say is true. If it's not true, may I be hit by a car or a spaceship when I leave!" Jiang Ye swore an oath.
Cen Yemeng stared at him for a long time, then suddenly reached out. "Can I touch your face?"
"Ah?" Jiang Ye nodded blankly, not understanding why.
Cen Yemeng cautiously extended her hand, her movements as careful as if she were touching an alien or a priceless antique.
Her hand was cold. She gently placed it on Jiang Ye's face and then quickly withdrew it.
"Oh my, I touched an ancient person!" she exclaimed with a delighted smile.
Jiang Ye's forehead broke out in a cold sweat. He felt like a Terracotta Warrior.
"Ji Fa was originally a positive figure in the military, an Air Force second-class hero. Four years ago, he brazenly launched a rebellion, which quickly failed. He committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against the Galactic Empire. He is an A-class war criminal, and his influence is still significant. It is said that many of his followers and cronies are still lurking and active on various planets, preparing to fight again. Now, a death order has been issued to clear all information related to Ji Fa, including books, articles, and oral communication. The investigation is very strict; anyone involved will be imprisoned," Cen Yemeng said seriously, her face darkening, her voice lowered.
"So, you shouldn't inquire about him everywhere. This is a forbidden topic. If plainclothes officers hear about it, you'll be in big trouble. Rest assured, I won't reveal that you came looking for a book."
The amount of information was overwhelming. Jiang Ye was stunned for several seconds, then broke out in a cold sweat.
No wonder Ji Fa had died of illness on a colony planet.
He had been exiled!
"Thank you so much. I really didn't know the situation. Then I won't look for it," Jiang Ye bowed to her solemnly.
"It's okay. Are there any other books you're interested in?" Cen Yemeng resumed her smile. "Novels, perhaps? I can recommend some for you."
Jiang Ye politely declined. The shocking secret about Ji Fa had made him a bit uneasy, his mind buzzing. He wanted to go back and lie down to recover.
He left the bookstore, feeling dizzy all the way, walking unsteadily back to the hotel.
Ji Fa's dying wishes and Cen Yemeng's words replayed in his mind.
He entered his room and collapsed straight onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Is it really like this?" he murmured to himself.
He still remembered Ji Fa giving him all the money in his account before he died.
He remembered every word of his last testament.
How could such a kind person, a hero who had risked his life in the military, become a war criminal?