216: Pretending to be a ghost

On the frigid, eternal snow-covered wasteland of the fourth planet in the Sirius system, human engineering robots were busy working around the white ship named the [golden feather].

At the ship's entrance, the self-proclaimed "Attendant of the Divine Throne," Gabriel, floated in mid-air. The pair of pure white wings behind him flapped slightly in the cold wind, emitting a faint golden halo that shielded him from the surrounding snow.

His eyes were tightly shut, his hands pressed together in prayer, and he muttered under his breath as if performing some profound, mysterious ritual to guide the flow of energy.

In reality, he was cursing up a storm in the team's internal channel.

"The energy these humans use is too violent! Is this how antimatter is supposed to be used? Damn it, my converter is about to overload! Sara, hurry up and adjust the frequency of the psionic filter, don't let the engine explode!"

"Boss, I'm adjusting it! But these guys' interface standards are so strange; it's completely brute-force cracking!"

Despite his inner panic, Gabriel maintained his compassionate, charlatan-like appearance on the surface.

Finally, with a low, ethereal hum, the hull of the [golden feather], which had been dormant for three years, suddenly shuddered.

On the originally dull white hull, golden patterns lit up like a rhythmic breath, flowing along the body of the ship and finally converging at the thruster nozzles at the rear.

Boom—

A stream of golden plasma surged out, instantly melting thousands of tons of hard ice behind it. Then, the entire ship slowly levitated under the influence of a psionic field, breaking free from the glacier's shackles.

"Praise the True God!"

Gabriel snapped his eyes open, raised his arms high, and wore an expression of perfectly measured joy.

"The Wings of Light unfold once more! The Divine Vessel has awakened!"

Watching this scene, the surrounding human crew members couldn't help but erupt into cheers.

Regardless of the motive, being able to personally help an advanced alien civilization repair their ship was something worth bragging about for a lifetime.

Commander Zhao Gang stepped forward, looking up at the "Angel" with a respectful tone: "Lord Gabriel, it appears your ship's power system has been restored."

Gabriel slowly descended, tucked away his wings, and gazed at Commander Zhao Gang with eyes like molten gold.

[Mortals, your kind deeds have been witnessed by the stars.]

His voice resonated directly in Commander Zhao Gang's mind, carrying a deep echo.

[Though your technology is crude and lacks spirituality, the courage and sincerity contained within are enough to compensate for the material deficiencies.]

Commander Zhao Gang scratched his head somewhat sheepishly (though through his helmet); he naturally didn't know the other party was complaining about the simplicity and crudeness of human technology.

"Then, My Lord, where do you plan to go next?" Commander Zhao Gang asked. "Do you need us to escort you back to your homeland? Or contact your people?"

This was originally a standard courtesy.

According to normal logic, the first reaction of a stranded alien after repairing their ship would definitely be to go home.

But Gabriel did not answer immediately.

He turned around, looked at the [golden feather] behind him—which, though repaired, still looked somewhat worn—and then at the group of humans before him who were looking at him with worshipful eyes. His eyes shifted slightly.

Within the mental network of the Angel people, a heated debate was taking place.

"Boss, the ship is fixed, let's get out of here!" a female crew member named Sara said urgently. "This place is too damn cold, and the way these humans look at us is weird. I feel like we're some kind of rare animals."

"Leave? To where?" Gabriel snorted coldly in the mental link. "Back to the Empire? Don't forget why we ran away! We're smugglers with warrants out for our arrest! Besides, I heard some sectors of the Empire are still at war and in total chaos. Going back now means either walking into a trap or being drafted as cannon fodder!"

"Then where to? We can't just stay on this godforsaken ice ball, can we?"

"You idiot!" Gabriel cursed, exasperated. "Look at these humans! Look at their eyes!"

"That is awe! That is worship! It's blind superstition toward higher lifeforms!"

An uncontrollable greed surged in Gabriel's heart.

In the Empire, he was just a low-level smuggler living in the shadows, risking his life on the edges of war zones for a few energy coins.

But over the past few days with the humans, what kind of treatment had he enjoyed?

Offerings fit for an emperor!

The humans provided him with the best food, the most expensive materials, and even obeyed his every word. Just because he had wings and could perform a few impressive-looking psionic tricks, these unsophisticated hicks treated him like a god!

"This is a massive market!" Gabriel's mind raced. "I've already scouted it out—a virgin land with a population of tens of billions that has just stepped into interstellar space and knows almost nothing about the universe!"

"If we leave now, at most we take some antimatter batteries and special alloys."

"But if we stay, go to their home planet, to that place called Earth..."

"We can become gods!"

"We can receive their offerings, enjoy their resources, and even establish our own cult on their planet, becoming true elites!"

This crazy and tempting idea instantly hit the weak spot of the other four crew members.

Greed is a common ailment of intelligent beings, whether they have wings or not.

"But... what if we're exposed?" Sara asked with some concern. "That political entity called the Human Federation doesn't look like an easy target. I've seen pictures of their fleet; their warships are quite large."

"What's there to fear?" Gabriel said dismissively. "Their warships are just big tin cans with no spirituality to speak of! As long as we avoid direct conflict, maintain an air of mystery, and occasionally show off some 'miracles,' these materialistic natives who worship technology will never see through us!"

"Fortune favors the bold! Let's do it!"

"Let's do it!"

Having unified their thoughts, Gabriel turned back around, his face once again displaying that compassionate and holy expression.

He gave Commander Zhao Gang a slight smile, which looked exceptionally sacred against the backdrop of the ice and snow.

[Brave Captain, we are in no hurry to return to the Divine Kingdom.]

[The True God has given me a revelation in the unseen; He tells me that this encounter was no accident.]

[In this young star system, a blue planet is calling for the guidance of light.]

[We wish to travel to your home, to see that place called Earth.]

[We are willing to grant the blessings from the distant starry sky and a portion of knowledge regarding the truths of the universe to your compatriots as a reward for your kindness.]

Hearing this, Commander Zhao Gang's eyes instantly lit up, brighter than Sirius.

An alien envoy was going to visit Earth!

And it was an envoy from an advanced civilization that looked just like an angel! They were even going to impart knowledge!

This would definitely be a monument in the history of human diplomacy, and he, Commander Zhao Gang, was the founder of this monument!

"This... this is our honor!" Commander Zhao Gang was so excited his voice was trembling. "I believe the Earth Council and all of humanity will welcome you all with incredible warmth!"

"I will contact headquarters immediately! We will arrange the highest-spec reception for you!"

...Earth, Interstellar Affairs General Bureau.

Lei Wen received the report sent by Commander Zhao Gang to the foreign affairs department of the Interstellar Affairs General Bureau. As he read it, a playful smile never left the corners of his mouth.

"These guys really don't know how to spell the word 'death'."

He had originally thought these swindlers would slink away after the ship was fixed, but he hadn't expected their greed to exceed his expectations to the point where they dared to proactively ask to come to Earth to "preach."

"Father, should we expose them?" white flower asked.

"No, as I said before." Lei Wen waved his hand. "Since they want to act, let's give them the biggest stage possible."

"Notify the Earth Council to approve this visit and prepare the highest-spec welcoming ceremony."

"Furthermore..." A flash of cunning gleamed in Lei Wen's eyes. "Leak this news to the official Angel Empire diplomatic mission that is currently en route."

"Tell Princess Filura that a group of smugglers has arrived on Earth and is posing as their clergy to swindle people."

"I imagine that scene will be quite spectacular."

...One month later.

Under the escort of the magellan, the golden feather crossed the distance of 8.6 light-years and finally arrived at the outskirts of the Solar System.

As the white ship passed through the Oort Cloud and entered the heart of Human Civilization, Gabriel and his crew were slightly shocked by the sight before them.

In the busy shipping lanes, countless ships trailed blue engine flames as they bustled about. Giant mining ships towed asteroids, moving slowly, while further away, the Babel Space Station orbiting Earth shone like a brilliant ring in the sunlight.

"Is... is this really a primitive civilization?" Sara leaned against the porthole, looking at the magnificent space structures, a trace of unease rising in her heart.

Engineering capabilities of this scale could only be seen in some core star systems even within the Angel Empire.

"Don't panic!" Gabriel forced himself to remain calm. "This is just a crude accumulation of matter! Without the infusion of psionic energy, these things are incredibly fragile! Look at those ships; their design has no sense of beauty at all, they're completely products of an industrial assembly line!"

"Remember, we are an advanced civilization; we must maintain the air of an advanced civilization!"

He straightened his robes and once again applied a layer of holy light special effects to himself.

The ship slowly approached Earth.

To welcome this "distinguished guest," the Human Federation provided the highest level of courtesy.

All external channels of the Babel Space Station began broadcasting welcome messages. Thousands of drones formed a massive welcome array in space, and countless media reporters had already set up their cameras and equipment in the VIP docking area of the starport.

When the golden feather slowly docked and the hatch opened.

Gabriel was the first to step out.

The wings behind him were fully spread, his entire body radiating dazzling golden light. He stepped onto the void, "floating" toward the waiting crowd step by step.

Behind him, the four crew members also struck solemn poses, each holding mysterious-looking props.

"Wow!"

The scene erupted with gasps of amazement and the sound of camera shutters.

Countless people on Earth saw this scene through live broadcasts. It had to be said that the appearance of the Angel people was far too impactful; countless devout Christian believers were moved to tears.

The current rotating chairperson of the Earth Council, Azara, stepped forward with a warm smile.

"Welcome to Earth, noble envoy!"

[May the radiance shine upon this place.]

Gabriel looked at the mortals before him with a compassionate gaze, his voice entering their minds directly, full of charlatan vibes.

[We have crossed the sea of stars to find a lost friendship.]

He thoroughly enjoyed this feeling of being the center of attention. This sensation of being worshipped as a deity made him feel like he was walking on air; he could almost see endless wealth and power beckoning to him.