Yang Ming lounged comfortably on the sofa beside the porthole, holding the coffee delivered by the butler robot. As he gazed at the starry sky outside, he wantonly enjoyed the highest privileges of being Captain while planning how to repay one million New Federation credits.
Now that he had a ship, even if he took up hauling and transport work, earning one million within three years would not be a major problem.
Of course, Yang Ming had an even better career plan.
For example, robbing pirates, raiding pirate bases, and stealing the batteries from the merchant ships of major capital groups.
Oh, it was time.
Yang Ming said in an elegant voice, "Molly Two, report the ship's various indices."
"All right, Captain..."
"Stop! Stop it! Hanton!"
Kolev roared, "That's the sixth time you've listened to the report in the past hour!"
Yang Ming held his porcelain cup and smiled with raised brows. "An excellent Captain should always keep an eye on his adorable little ship. We just went through a Continuous Jump, and I'm worried that some of the armor modules might have come loose."
"Listen, that's absolutely impossible. Jumping is even more stable than ordinary travel. During ordinary travel, you can still crash into dust and debris. During a jump, what could you crash into? A higher-dimensional life-form?"
Kolev said helplessly:
"You can come over and help me look at the star map. I just got some intelligence, Captain Hanton. The situation is extremely bad."
"Coming, First Mate."
Yang Ming dropped his joking manner and walked behind Kolev with his hands behind his back.
He looked over the bridge, which had become somewhat spacious thanks to its high level of integration and auxiliary piloting system. He planned to set up a gym here so he could work out his muscles while watching for enemy ships approaching.
Kolev brought up a three-dimensional star map.
"I've compiled and compared the information from several intelligence brokers. There isn't much we can confirm at present.
"Gimo and the others have been looking for us for two months. They also took the opportunity to rob two merchant ships. Of the six ships in the Black Dragon Group, three are currently stationed at Point One—right here, inside this Asteroid Belt. It's a perfect place to hide... I developed it.
"The other two ships are at Point Two, and one is in a repair yard. Damn it, I developed all of these!
"Guka is at Point Two, and Gimo is at Point One."
Yang Ming said, "They've actually split up."
"Yes." Kolev chuckled. "None of those fellows is willing to submit to the others."
"Wouldn't that make it more convenient for us to act? We can directly raid their base, Kolev." Yang Ming's eyes gleamed. "Maybe one raid will be enough for me to pay off my debt!"
But Kolev said, "I told you, the situation is terrible. Why do you think the fish are hiding in their nest instead of daring to move around?"
Yang Ming cooperatively asked, "Why?"
"Because of it."
Kolev swiped his finger rapidly, and a military vessel with a streamlined, teardrop-shaped hull and completely curved surfaces appeared before Yang Ming.
"A shark is prowling nearby, and it's already set its sights on them. Your little lover Lina's ship—a Dawn-class Battleship, eight hundred meters long."
"That's a real headache."
Yang Ming folded his arms and gave a soft tsk. "I somewhat regret not showing her mercy back then."
"That's not your fault. It's hard for a normal person to bring themselves to kill a companion with whom they've shared hardships," Kolev said. "Especially since she didn't display much of a threat at the time."
Yang Ming stared at the Dawn-class Battleship for a while.
"You could find a way to sleep with her," Kolev sincerely suggested. "Use your masculine charm to turn a senior intelligence officer. It'll bring you unexpected benefits."
Yang Ming was just about to object when he suddenly thought of something.
Mind Control from Valkyrie.
During the previous three months, whenever Yang Ming was alone, he had tried every possible way to understand himself and had performed some physical tests, such as determining the longest interval between injections of Gene Stabilizer.
Sometimes, Yang Ming would enter a state similar to sleepwalking while in light sleep. When he opened his eyes, the world before him was filled with a hazy feeling.
Sometimes, Yang Ming seemed able to hear what other people were saying in their hearts, but it was like a series of demonic whispers that quickly made him dizzy.
The result was... he had not found any "powerful skills," and the rate at which his physical strength increased had slowed considerably as well.
If he had Valkyrie's Mind Control, his future actions would become much simpler.
"Where's Lina's ship?" Yang Ming asked.
"Near Gimo. That Battleship has its eyes on that Asteroid Belt. Your little lover probably thinks she can find us by keeping close watch on Gimo," Kolev said. "The Dawn-class Battleship is one of the best-performing models among eight-hundred-meter-class Battleships, with a powerful weapons system."
The old man paused, then said in a low voice:
"All six of my ships combined wouldn't be a match for it."
"Is it easy to breach its hull?" Yang Ming asked, stroking his chin.
"Almost impossible. And I have no information on how thick its armor actually is," Kolev said with a shrug. "Forget it. This kind of military vessel can't possibly have an obvious weakness. We have to find a way to avoid it, or we won't be able to act at all."
Yang Ming stared carefully at the star map before him for a long while.
"Kolev, do you think..."
"Hmm?"
Yang Ming suddenly said, "Is it possible that Lina is currently bribing this group of subordinates of yours?"
Kolev froze, then tightly furrowed his brows.
Yang Ming briefly explained, "Lina was originally the ship's doctor aboard an Empire experimental ship. I escaped with her, and then I was imprisoned in Kor Port Prison. She transformed into an intelligence officer of the Guer Alliance.
"Now that I think back, many things about her behavior were suspicious. I suspect the Humanity Association's ship was deliberately lured here by her... She's especially skilled at infiltration and espionage."
Yang Ming stared slightly blankly at the Dawn-class Battleship on the screen.
Kolev sighed. "The way you put it, I feel my plan is riddled with loopholes. They're everywhere. We need to find a way to avoid this Battleship."
Yang Ming pondered for a few moments. A somewhat audacious idea surfaced in his mind, and he murmured, "Or perhaps we should deal with this ship."
"What?" Kolev wondered if there was something wrong with his ears. "Deal with a Battleship?"
"Sounds crazy, doesn't it?"
"Hanton," Kolev said in a low voice, "I've always avoided asking you these questions... but if we're going to carry out such a dangerous operation, I have to know exactly how strong you are. What gives you the confidence to think you can deal with a Dawn-class Battleship? This is simply a fantasy."
An ancient god.
Yang Ming answered in his heart.
After thinking it over, he decided to reveal part of his true strength to Kolev.
"Come with me to the gym... My ship is here. Will there be any danger?"
"We're hiding in the wilderness between the stars. There's absolutely no need to worry."
"Come on, Kolev, my loyal First Mate. You'd better prepare a First Aid Capsule."
They began with a demonstration of strength.
Kolev sat woodenly atop a small mountain of metal plates.
As Yang Ming squatted and stood while lifting the plates overhead, the old man kept going up and down as well.
Next came a demonstration of speed.
Yang Ming stepped onto a treadmill with adjustable gravity coefficients and set it to three times standard gravity. His enormous feet raced forward, trailing afterimages. Kolev stared blankly at the Sherman Empire numerals on the treadmill, which were equivalent to "fifty-five kilometers per hour," and for a moment he could not close his mouth.
Finally came a demonstration of shooting.
Kolev stood in front of the shooting target with a stupefied look, an almond balanced on his head. Yang Ming confidently raised a Laser Gun with its auto-aim disabled...
"Oh! Stop! Enough! I understand! Your strength is astonishing!"
Kolev shouted in a trembling voice.
Yang Ming lowered the Laser Gun, full of regret.
He had been completely confident.
Kolev hurriedly tossed the almond aside and walked back, trembling all over as he stared at Yang Ming like he was looking at a monster.
"What monster genes did you fuse with? How is this possible... Your strength and speed are both far beyond those of ordinary Modified People, yet you don't even have exaggerated muscles."
Yang Ming spoke solemnly, using the excuse he had prepared long ago: "This is the technological might of the Sherman Empire."
"Oh, this powerful Empire. Does it really want to conquer the entire Milky Way Galaxy?"
Kolev thought carefully, then shook his head.
"But even this isn't enough. Forget the fact that you can't breach the Battleship. The internal defense systems that must exist inside a Battleship alone are enough to stop you—there will definitely be some Laser Cannons with restricted power installed at checkpoints throughout the corridors, to prevent internal unrest. You won't be able to deal with them.
"Unless I can get you an extremely expensive set of symbiotic armor. But the circumstances don't allow for that right now. The moment I show myself, they'll inevitably notice me."
Yang Ming thought of the Laser Cannons that could pierce Valkyrie's body, as well as the red armor on the complete Valkyrie.
"Is it possible to get some electronic viruses for the Alliance's ship?" Yang Ming asked.
"Are you questioning the talent reserves of the four great powers in the Milky Way Galaxy?" Kolev said with a laugh. "The little bit I have can only bully those small countries without a complete education system."
"Looking at it this way, we really have reached an impasse." Yang Ming pretended to wipe away nonexistent sweat.
"Relax. There will be a way." Kolev patted Yang Ming on the shoulder.
The two left the gym and hurried back to the bridge through the corridor.
Kolev said, "The one thing we need to make clear now is that both of us are facing a survival crisis. My crisis comes from my former subordinates, while yours comes from your former lover."
"Lina isn't my mistress," Yang Ming explained. "She used to be an old friend of mine... Now I have to resolve this problem once and for all."
Kolev said slowly, "Killing her won't solve your predicament, Hanton. After you entered Kor Port Prison, she must have already reported your information to the Guer Alliance."
"I have to wipe out the entire Alliance?"
"Or make the Alliance believe that you're already dead."
Yang Ming froze, stopped walking, and fell into thought.
Kolev did not disturb him. He simply returned to the bridge and began pondering over the star map.
Half an hour later.
"Captain has arrived at the bridge."
Molly Two's electronic voice was filled with the vigor of someone who had just eaten their fill.
Yang Ming practically ran into the bridge. The excitement on his face made Kolev feel somewhat uneasy.
The sudden inspiration of a young man was often the beginning of a disaster.
"Hey! Kolev!"
Yang Ming spoke with great excitement:
"I have a plan! A plan that kills two birds with one stone! It can solve both of our problems at once!"
Oh, heavens!
Kolev covered his already uncomfortable heart.
Before you continue