Counterfeit Hero

”DE-176 star system, there are a total of three jump points...” Barbarossa pointed at the interstellar map in the base command room and said to Fatty and Chekov, ”Besides the DE and the BU edge channels that you came from, there is also the Mars trade route.”

Fatty focused on the spot Barbarossa pointed on the interstellar map. The star systems connected by the three jump points mentioned by the pirate leader were marked in red. It appeared as though a few drops of red ink had dripped onto a white silk web, rendering a large area.

”The Mars trade route is a B-class route. It is one of the most important routes in the Free World. Centered around Mars Free Port, it connects with the Odin commercial waterway of the Eastern Star Domain. It passes through the main channel between the Suss Empire and the Chuckna Empire, leading to the Northeast Star Domain. From there, it can bypass the Jesus commercial channel to enter the Central Star Domain.”

Barbarossa sighed and continued, ”However, many branches of the commercial routes of the Five Great Free Ports are now being blocked by either the Western Alliance or the Fei Alliance. The situation is similar for other lower-class trade routes; everyone is having a tough time.”

The trade routes mentioned by Barbarossa were common routes with a lower passage level than main routes. If the main routes could be likened to highways, then the trade routes were akin to mountain roads which are less capable and more meandering.

Like land roads, they form a network of passages. Various grades of routes crisscross like river channels. Most of the routes are interconnected, but many edge routes extend to a barren star system with only one jump point at their ends.

The sole difference between interstellar channels and highways is that highway networks connect towns and villages. Interstellar channels, often spanning millions of light-years, may involve dozens of jumps without encountering an immigration planet.

Fatty’s head swam from staring at the interstellar map. He rubbed his brow and pointed at a small blue dot eight jumps away, asking, ”Tell me about Mars Free Port.”

”The current governing alliance at Mars Free Port is the Northern Commerce Alliance,” said Barbarossa. ”They have one year left on their term contract. At the onset of the war, they made some profits as many businesses and refugees from the warring nations flooded in, making it feel more prosperous than before. However, recently due to route blockades, difficulties in goods movement, and the chaos of war, the situation has become quite turbulent.”

”Hmm...” Fatty touched the stubbled jaw he had just shaved. He found Barbarossa’s words amusing. When a pirate leader says a place like Free Port, which has never been normal, is in disorder, it must be truly chaotic.

Due to its unique environment, Free Port has an extremely special social structure.

The police there are more like service personnel than actual police. They generally maintain order, deter civilians without backgrounds, and occasionally help locate missing pets or catch small-time thieves. Other matters are completely ignored.

Not only the police but almost all governmental departments, including the military, operate this way. No one cares about politics—the most powerful faction dictates the rules! If a stronger faction overthrows the previous one, it is equivalent to an election.

Underground forces are the true power. The so-called government on the surface is only the emperor’s new clothes. It doesn’t even qualify as a fig leaf. It exists solely for the administration of civilians.

If there are rumors that a chief executive of a Free Port is the underling of a mafia boss, it wouldn’t be surprising. It would only mean this mafia boss won the bid for governing power.

Free Port has no political parties; only various interest alliances, such as commercial associations, transportation groups, mercenary armies, mafia, and pirates. Governing power is auctioned off by these factions.

Every four years. The winning bidder, after paying a large sum, must also invest in Free Port’s defense and infrastructure. As a return, they receive a portion of Free Port’s tax revenue to offset their investment, and most importantly, they enjoy safety during their four-year term. This is an acknowledged neutral status—as long as they follow the rules in this position, no one will come after them!

Hence, the governing power of Free Port is also referred to as survival power. Many wealthy individuals facing dire situations spend billions just to attain this right, seeking a way out.

Of course, the military and key governmental departments’ personnel and management rights are not under government control. Though it sounds ironic, for Free Port, it is perfectly normal. These departments are managed by underground forces; each faction has its representative in them.

They cooperate on one hand and vie for power on the other.

Within Free Port, betrayal and alliances change continuously, and no one can rule absolutely. Everyone must be extremely cautious to ensure they won’t wake up one day to find everything, including their lives, gone.

It’s a peculiar place. If you have enough wisdom, you can live quite joyfully here.

This place not only offers various get-rich-quick opportunities for the adventurous but also provides a relaxed environment for ordinary civilians—mafia won’t easily harm civilians, and they collect protection fees with more professionalism than the police.