Strategic Retreat

After Kolev confirmed they had shaken off their pursuers and made two Continuous Jumps, the rust-streaked spaceship stopped near a star, unfolded its thin charging wings, and remained there for ten hours before continuing deeper into space.

Yang Ming had no idea of their current coordinates. Ever since the jumps began, Kolev had been the only one left near the control console.

Their next destination was Kolev's secret base, and also Kolev's only chance to turn things around with his daughter. His caution was entirely understandable.

—The resource planets developed so far in the Milky Way Galaxy accounted for less than one ten-millionth of all planets. There were plenty of places to hide in this starry expanse.

After waking up, Yang Ming spent half the day in the gym, finally working up a bit of sweat.

He picked up a heavy metal rod and began recalling the Lightsaber techniques he had learned.

That was still far from enough.

The Valkyrie's rate of evolution was astonishing. He had to improve even faster.

"Uncle Hanton, may I come in?"

Milili's voice came through the ultra-thin speakers embedded in the wall.

Yang Ming casually pulled on a tank top and smiled. "Come in."

Milili seemed to be fond of suspenders. Even her hot pants came with suspenders, and as her long, fair legs swayed back and forth, Yang Ming nearly failed to keep his gaze in check.

She brought over a fruit platter. The injuries from their earlier fight had already vanished without a trace.

"Uncle, are you practicing Lightsaber techniques?" Milili asked.

"Want to learn?" Yang Ming smiled. "I can teach you a few tricks."

"Really?"

The delight on Milili's face was impossible to hide.

She looked toward the rack nearby and tried to lift a metal rod like his, only to find that she could not even raise her wrist.

"Use your baton," Yang Ming said with a smile. "Everyone has techniques and styles that suit them. You have no advantage in physical strength, but you're agile enough. Long weapons don't suit you either."

"Okay, Uncle." Clearly a little discouraged, Milili obediently took out her stun baton.

A stun baton was, simply put, an electrified club. Its principles were a little more complicated, but it could make anyone struck by it go numb.

Yang Ming said, "Let's take a look at your current ability first."

Milili lightly bit her lower lip, tied her long hair into Twin Tails that were more convenient for movement, gently blew at her bangs, and began bouncing lightly on quick feet.

Naturally, she did not press the button on her electric baton.

"Uncle, here I come."

The instant Milili finished speaking, the smile still lingering at the corner of her lips, she darted forward like a nimble cat. Her baton came straight down at Yang Ming's shoulder.

Too slow.

Yang Ming could not help having that thought.

But objectively speaking, Milili's attack could already be called fierce by ordinary standards.

He raised the metal rod in his hand. At the moment it met her baton, he redirected the force downward, reducing some of the recoil for Milili. Then he feinted a forward swing with the rod, and Milili jumped awkwardly to the side, nearly crashing into the barbell rack.

She seemed a little angry. She glanced at the metal rod in Yang Ming's hand, then spun and charged at him again.

Another fierce assault, only to be easily forced back by Yang Ming.

Milili's temper flared. She stopped holding back, relentlessly targeting places like Yang Ming's shoulders and outer thighs, areas that would not cause serious injury.

Yang Ming simply placed the metal rod behind his back and moved with elegant footwork, effortlessly dodging Milili's baton.

A few minutes later, Milili was utterly dejected.

She panted heavily, completely unaware of how alluring she looked at that moment. She merely stared stubbornly at Yang Ming, who remained completely unscathed.

The unwillingness on her face gradually turned into frustration. Then she shrugged and said with a smile, "I guess I don't have the talent for this."

"Do you remember those thugs? The ones I arranged into a human centipede?" Yang Ming asked. "How strong do you think they were?"

"They were fairly capable pirates," Milili replied.

Yang Ming smiled. "Mm. I can train you until you can easily defeat two or three pirates at that level."

"Really?"

Milili was overjoyed.

Yang Ming smiled. "But before that, you need your Father's permission. He doesn't seem to like the idea of you charging into battle."

"Who cares about him!" Milili said. "Teach me now, Uncle Hanton!"

"Then I'll teach you a lifesaving ultimate move first..."

"Hey! Can't you two come over here and help?"

Kolev's shout came through the speakers.

"I'm practically drowning in work over here! Hanton! Don't think I can't see what you're doing just because you covered the camera! Don't forget what you promised me!"

Milili made a helpless face, clearly rather reluctant.

"Let's go," Yang Ming said with a smile. "Your old man is about to hand over his secret base, his most closely guarded treasure, for you to manage too."

Milili blinked. "Is that so?"

"Of course."

Yang Ming smiled. "That little old man always liked to say one thing and mean another. When I was with him, the thing he was proudest of was having a daughter hundreds of times prettier than himself... You need to find a way to understand these bad-tempered, awkward old men. He cares about you more than you think."

Milili snickered, set her baton aside, and waited by the door for Yang Ming to put on his trench coat. Then, copying his posture, she clasped her hands behind her back and walked shoulder to shoulder with him down the long corridor.

"Uncle Hanton, have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"Oh, no," Yang Ming said. "But I had two temporary mistresses. On Imperial ships, you can understand it as a social necessity for adapting to the environment."

"Were they both pretty?" Milili asked.

Yang Ming smiled. "Beauty is a rather abstract concept. They were able to spark my interest. One was an intern navigator who later betrayed me. The other was an inspector who monitored engine conditions; she was transferred to another ship during a shift change half a year ago."

With her eyes shining, Milili asked, "Can you tell me their stories?"

"Better not," Yang Ming said. "Our topics are only suitable for fighting techniques, or how to become an outstanding pirate. You understand, Milili."

"Why do we have to care about what he thinks?" Milili muttered, pouting.

Yang Ming sighed inwardly.

This was killing him!

This captain without a ship was starting to feel like throwing away his respect for First Mate Kolev.

While Yang Ming and Milili dawdled through the pirate ship's corridors, Lina had run into a new problem.

"Ma'am, we can't find Kolev's jump coordinates. This pirate leader is extremely cunning. He traveled in complete silence, and the spatial fluctuations generated during the jump were too faint to capture. They may already have appeared on the other side of the Milky Way Galaxy."

Lina stood before the porthole, deep in thought.

Soon, she spoke.

"Change the current target to the Black Dragon Pirate Group. Use every means available to infiltrate them.

"Classify Kolev as a covert wanted target. If he wants to reclaim his pirate group, he'll inevitably become active again."

"Yes!"

Meanwhile, on the pirate ship's bridge.

"Hanton, if your ideal is to travel alone while piloting a ship, an assisted driving system is indispensable. This ship doesn't have one, but I'll give you practical training later."

Kolev stood before the driving Control Panel, his right hand resting on the back of the leather chair Yang Ming sat in.

Milili sat obediently on the other side, listening carefully to the lesson.

In her memory, her father rarely taught others so seriously.

Kolev continued, "But even with an assisted driving system and a full set of maintenance robots, you still need to know how to operate manually in an emergency. You must understand these basics in case they're ever needed."

Yang Ming asked with a smile, "Is there some kind of book?"

"Pirates pass down their skills by word of mouth," Kolev said with a grin. "All right, when we get there, I'll help you look through the warehouse. There should be books like a general spacecraft operation manual in there. For now, listen to me... I don't need to fill you in on some physics knowledge, do I?"

"Of course not. I can understand it all."

Yang Ming silently added, Probably.

Kolev gestured with his hands.

"The basic operational logic of a spacecraft is mainly divided into five parts: normal travel, overload travel, jump travel, energy allocation and management, and how to send an interstellar distress call.

"This row of Control Panels in front of you is found on almost every vessel over a hundred meters long.

"Shipyards under different powers have different styles, but the logic inside is largely the same. They group together buttons with related functions, forming six main sections—self-diagnostics section—without running self-diagnostics, the ship can't be started; radar section—the ship's eyes; direct Engine Room connection section—throttle and brakes; navigator section—which is really just looking at the star map; onboard control section—the highest authority there is deciding the air-conditioning temperature; and energy allocation section—switching the shields on and off..."

Kolev went on at length for quite a while, and Yang Ming only felt his head growing dizzy.

Yang Ming muttered, "Why can't they just universally adopt assisted driving systems?"

"Oh, Hanton, your lack of common sense is giving me a headache," Kolev said, never passing up an opportunity to mock him. "It's because of the intelligent machine crises. There have been six such crises in the last three thousand years, causing several powerful factions to weaken beyond recovery. Each time, tens of millions of humans were killed or injured, and once, an entire star system was even blown up... That's why ships now leave the factory forbidden from having any automated operating systems. Assisted operations are restricted as well; it must be ensured that humans are the ones operating them."

Milili added, "And I think the treaty banning intelligent machines in various countries is largely meant to protect jobs too. Otherwise, big capitalists could easily get laborers several times more efficient than humans, tireless, incomparably precise, and most importantly, ones they don't have to pay."

Yang Ming smiled and nodded.

They seemed to be almost there.

Looking at the emerald-green planet on the Projection screen, Yang Ming couldn't help asking, "First Mate Kolev, where have we arrived?"

"A small country with only three Administrative Planets."

"Then where exactly is this?" Yang Ming asked. "On the outskirts of which major power?"

Kolev smiled. "Every major power pours enormous military resources into its borders and core Administrative Planets. But in their non-core regions, in vassal colonies like this one, their defenses are pitifully weak. This is merely a place where they dump inferior goods. There isn't any substantial fleet stationed here at all, so security is extremely lax. But Hanton, you'd better brace yourself for what comes next."

Yang Ming was somewhat confused. Then he saw a string of information appear in the corner of the Projection screen.

Kashi Federation.

Guer Alliance colony.

Damn.

They had walked right into the trap.