The Last Step of the Plan

Kolev wouldn't know what Yang Ming was thinking when he faced the dreadnought in the sky.

But Yang Ming could easily tell how flustered the old man beside him was.

The old man's mouth wouldn't stop chattering, frantically expressing the chaotic thoughts growing in his heart.

"Oh, poor Hanton, we can't escape! This is a dreadnought, an Imperial dreadnought, the second most powerful ship type. It can directly shatter this planet, and they might actually do it."

"No, no, no, that's not right. An elephant wouldn't notice an ant at its feet. They won't find us, right?"

"Thinking about my life, dying under the guns of an Imperial dreadnought would be an honor."

"...I still didn't get to see my daughter get married and start a family, to have a bunch of little pirates."

"Hanton, I can't die like this. I still have so much money I haven't spent, I..."

Yang Ming silently turned off the life support system, pulled a can of formula oxygen from the emergency box under his seat, and then, with the oxygen tank's nozzle, forcefully, precisely, and mercilessly pressed it onto Kolev's mouth.

Why was this old man so noisy!

Yang Ming cursed in a low voice, "Be quiet! If this dreadnought is going to bombard us, I'll volunteer as the experimental subject they're looking for! Being soaked in a tank and eating excrement is definitely better than being blown to bits!"

Kolev blinked. "Does your Empire accept donations for military funds?"

Yang Ming: ...

He continued to crouch on the front seat, closed his eyes, and took a few deep breaths.

Powerful individuals were insignificant in the face of powerful factions.

He, a Lesser Ancient God Lifeform not yet fully mature—even if he could fully mature in the future, he would still be this powerless against the Empire's powerful warships.

Powerful factions and formidable individual strength were both things he needed to strive for.

He had to grasp both!

Of course, all of that was contingent on them escaping this time.

"Han, Hanton!"

Kolev pulled off the oxygen mask and shouted, "They're leaving!"

Yang Ming's head shot up.

The Imperial dreadnought slowly sailed towards deep space.

In the distance, six or seven Imperial warships of various types appeared in the starry sky, forming a combat formation with the dreadnought as they headed towards an area where a stable Warp Jump could be performed.

For a dreadnought to achieve its full combat potential, it needed escort ships, destroyers, and supply ships around it.

This dreadnought had clearly performed a forced Warp Jump to the planet Orhaifu ahead of time.

The most likely scenario was that the Empire had obtained the precise coordinates of that Dawn-class Battleship and pointed its guns directly at the Dawn-class light battleship.

The intelligence systems between countries were mutually infiltrated. Lina had lost to the intelligence organization behind her!

Yang Ming finally started to laugh.

This was so typical of the Empire.

The Imperial fleet disappeared at the edge of the stealth ship's radar.

Molly Two's voice rang out, "Captain, a Warp Jump has been detected. The Imperial fleet has departed."

"Engage! Engage quickly!"

Yang Ming roared, and the stealth ship's engines erupted with a halo of blue light, ascending at a nearly ninety-degree angle to the surface and breaking through the clouds!

"Two is here to pick us up!"

"Understood, Captain."

Yang Ming's voice gradually calmed. "Prepare the energy for the Warp Jump in advance, activate the coating machine and polarizer, and open the tail hatch."

Kolev, having regained his composure, cursed fiercely, "Accelerate, accelerate! Hurry up and run! I don't want to stay here for another second!"

The Feinan completed two Warp Jumps in a short period, hiding the ship behind a small asteroid.

Yang Ming slumped in his seat, covered in sweat, his eyes vacant. He silently pulled out a syringe from beside the seat and injected a dose of Gene Stabilizer into his arm's vein.

Kolev suddenly burst into laughter, unable to catch his breath.

He ran to Yang Ming's side and, with his withered and weak fist, pounded Yang Ming's shoulder at a high frequency.

"Hahahaha! The arrogant Empire didn't even bother searching this planet! Hahaha! That Lina! Damn her, she got her comeuppance immediately! Let her hit my ship again!"

"We escaped! Hanton! This was too thrilling! The Imperial dreadnought was right above us!"

"Ohoho! We're pirates, pirates, pirates!"

Yang Ming frowned, looking at the little old man who was laughing, singing, and dancing, and felt like calling Milili for an interstellar long-distance call to remind her to look after the elderly's mental health.

Kolev opened three bottles of champagne, turning the bridge into a mess.

When the excitement subsided, the old pirate became melancholic again.

"Oh, it's just that my losses were quite heavy."

Kolev sighed, "The Alliance actually used battleships to bully my poor pirate ships! Our plan gathered all the pirate ships together, heavens, it was like five flying targets shaped like ships!"

Yang Ming felt a little guilty; after all, it was his plan.

He hadn't considered this minor detail before, only focusing on their own predicament.

Yang Ming wanted to change the subject, "If Lina figures it out, she might suspect I'm still alive and start re-analyzing... I really have to thank the Empire."

"Thank the Empire," Kolev said, hands on his hips, "I feel much better now."

The old man didn't blame him.

Kolev brought over champagne and clinked glasses with Yang Ming. After taking a sip, they fell silent again.

Yang Ming looked at the starry sky.

Kolev was recovering his mental energy, drained by the dreadnought.

"There's only one step left in the plan," Yang Ming reminded him, "Don't get discouraged, it's time for our cosmetic surgery machine."

Kolev said, "As expected of a former Imperial Soldier, your discipline and execution are always on point."

"This is the yearning for freedom," Yang Ming's smile was full of ease.

From Geglov's research ship to Kor Port, to here.

From opening his eyes in Lina's infirmary a few months ago, to now.

He could finally say it!

Well, the Valkyrie was still alive... alright, it wasn't completely worry-free.

But the danger level had definitely decreased significantly.

And no more tail-chasers for now!

He had also successfully acquired a ship, and Molly Two, the next phase of the plan could proceed steadily!

Leaving the bridge, Yang Ming and Kolev walked, one after the other, to the sealed medical bay not far away. Inside, the cosmetic surgery equipment was their gateway to rebirth.

"Hey, Hanton," Kolev said, "Don't you want to chat anymore?"

Yang Ming turned to look at Kolev.

Kolev leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms.

"You are very powerful, Hanton, and we are the best partners. You have combat power, and I have connections and technology," Kolev's eyes shone, "The two of us can continue to cooperate, and you need a continuous supply of Gene Stabilizers. This stuff can only be obtained on the black market. You are destined to become a pirate."

"The black market isn't just for pirates," Yang Ming said, "Some large, established black markets have anonymous sections. Although the prices are a bit higher, the secrecy is guaranteed."

Kolev could only give a wry smile, "You even know this."

"You taught me," Yang Ming's mind raced through a few thoughts as he asked slowly, "What are your plans? Entering this door means we'll change our identities, pretend not to know each other, and start our own separate journeys."

Confusion flickered in Kolev's old eyes.

He said, "I've always wanted to reclaim the Black Dragon... After choosing the fake death plan, I thought I'd leave the Black Dragon to Milili, and I'd hide behind her and help her. But now, the Black Dragon is gone. All I can leave Milili are useless, dirty coins that are essentially just numbers."

Yang Ming said, "Piracy is not exactly a noble profession. Why not find a scenic place, buy some land, build a manor, and live like a rich old man?"

"Oh, Hanton, that kind of life is terrible," Kolev said with disgust.

"You're over seventy, Kolev. You said yourself that your body is older than your actual age. You should retire and enjoy your twilight years."

Yang Ming raised his hand and patted Kolev's shoulder.

"Of course, this is just advice from a friend. We all have our own paths to choose, and we'll walk them steadfastly. This collaboration has been very enjoyable. I admire your abilities, you are a legendary pirate."

"Me too, it's been very enjoyable," Kolev smiled, "Are you really not considering continuing to cooperate? We'll change our identities, call Milili, and together we'll build the most powerful pirate group in history."

Yang Ming thought for a few seconds.

The image of the Imperial dreadnought shattering the Dawn-class Battleship flashed before his eyes.

"Kolev, I have my own ideals and my own set goals," Yang Ming said seriously.

"That's good. Oh, I know I'm being long-winded. Anyway... um... alright, Hanton."

Kolev was clearly a little disappointed.

Yang Ming said, "You go for the cosmetic surgery first. I'll take the Feinan to the vicinity of Weina Port. You can leave in a ship from the tail cabin later."

"Alright, your new identity has already been given to Molly Two," Kolev said, "A citizen of the Kashi Federation. You just need to submit your new facial information to Molly Two, and she can generate a passport for you, recognized by the Kashi Federation."

"Thank you," Yang Ming said with a smile.

"I should be thanking you, Hanton. I, an old man, have received so much care from you recently. I should have been taking care of you."

Yang Ming didn't say anything more, just smiled and opened his arms.

Kolev frowned, "Hey, don't get all mushy... You're not planning to kill me and silence me, are you?"

Although he said it, the old man still took two steps forward and hugged Yang Ming tightly.

Yang Ming laughed, "Don't worry, for your beautiful daughter's sake, I won't hurt you. She's much more charming than you. Maybe I'll even get to call you father-in-law someday, my dear First Mate."

Kolev silently picked up the wrench he carried.

The old man left.

Just as they had planned.

The third part of Yang Ming's plan was to say goodbye, get plastic surgery, and never see each other again.

Yang Ming piloted Feinan to the vicinity of the designated free port and went to sleep for a long time. When he woke up, he received a reminder from Molly Two.

His old friend had taken the most expensive stealth ship from his tail compartment.

This made Yang Ming add two extra spoonfuls of sugar to his coffee in anger.

Although Kolev had bought it in the first place.

Yang Ming didn't rush to leave. He rested near the free port for a few days, reset the parameters of the cosmetic surgery machine, and began his own plastic surgery plan.

He set his face to resemble his past life by about seventy to eighty percent. After adjusting it back and forth, it looked a bit like his father did when he was young.

Next came general anesthesia, grinding bones, peeling skin, repairing skin... Even though he didn't have the resilient skin of a Valkyrie, Yang Ming went through it many times before he could slowly repair his face. His appearance also deviated slightly from his expectations...

A few hours later, Yang Ming walked out of the cosmetic surgery room, looked at himself in the mirror, and nodded with satisfaction. At least he was still handsome, just a bit more refined.

It was still comfortable to look at this handsome face from Earth's East.

What Yang Ming didn't know was that there was a hidden camera in the corner, which was currently capturing his face.

Meanwhile.

Kashi Federation, the planet next to the planet where Kolev's secret base was located, outer space station.

An old gentleman with a middle part, dressed in a decent suit and leaning on a cane, hummed a local tune as he walked through the dazzling interstellar duty-free zone, looking at the luxury goods whose prices were nothing special.

His watch suddenly vibrated continuously.

The old man looked around, then lowered his head and covered the watch face with his hand, opening the pop-up email.

This was a small design of his.

Before leaving, the old man had installed a hidden camera device beyond Molly Two's control. Now, this device had served its purpose, sending over a face that was completely different from Hanton's.

"Oh."

The old gentleman exclaimed in admiration.

Could someone really actively lower their own attractiveness?

From ten to eight, from rugged and resolute to delicate and handsome, while also concealing a bit of his edge.

Truly a young man who could achieve great things!

The old gentleman stared at the photo for a long time, his eyes showing a warm smile. Then, he deleted the photo and permanently shut down the camera.

'I wish you can freely roam the ocean of gravity, my Captain.'

The old gentleman pulled down his sleeve and calmly walked into a nearby portal.

He was planning to buy a top hat, then buy a piece of land by the sea to build a manor, or a hotel, or, as Milili had considered during their call last night, open a beauty salon, which would undoubtedly make a lot of money.

Around the same time.

"Captain has arrived on the Bridge."

"Number Two, change the setting to permanent virtual avatar."

"Okay, Captain."

Molly Two's figure appeared in the center of the control panel, thirty centimeters tall, dressed in a plaid skirt and white shirt, resembling an electronic figurine.

"Alright, this is good too."

Yang Ming sat down comfortably, gazing at the deep starry sky, and summoned the star map to idly fiddle with it.

He was planning to go to the next port to verify his newly acquired identity – Yang Ming, an ordinary citizen of the Kashi Federation.

There, Yang Ming also needed to buy some food that could be stored for more than a few years, to prevent himself from getting lost in space.

Minx Port could not be found on the current map of the Milky Way.

Yang Ming didn't know what this meant. For the past few days, he had asked Molly Two to search all star systems similar to the Solar System and planets similar to Earth, but he couldn't find any trace of his hometown.

This was somewhat strange.

Therefore, Yang Ming decided to go directly to Mech Twilight and try to find the key at the same location where the 'Chosen One' had found it, thirty galactic years earlier, to obtain the treasure there.

"Number Two," Yang Ming asked, "show me Kolev's post-plastic surgery appearance."

"Okay, Captain."

Molly Two projected two photos in front of Yang Ming, who immediately looked disgusted.

That shameless old guy, he actually got a suave and dashing look.

He even looked more than ten years younger!

"Delete it," Yang Ming waved his hand. "Revoke Kolev's permission. From now on, enter stealth mode and do not retain any records."

"Set."

Yang Ming pressed a series of buttons in front of him. Feinan trembled slightly, and the color of its outer armor gradually changed, giving the ship a silver-gray base tone.

"Coordinates confirmed."

"Coordinates confirmed."

"Self-check complete."

"Self-check complete."

"See you next time, Captain Kolev."

Yang Ming murmured, gripping the square helm with his right hand and pushing it forward smoothly.

Feinan.

Full ahead.