Yu Lian looked at the other man's flaxen dreadlocks, his bright gray eyes, rust-colored skin, and overly sharp aquiline nose. I can't believe I actually fell for it.
...Then again, Gong Xiao surely didn't have Earthling blood alone. But since the man still went by an East Asian-style name and spoke standard Earthling lingua franca, from the perspective of cultural identity, he could only be considered an Earthling.
For example, Ina's ruby-red eyes weren't an Earthling trait, but she was still a war hero of Earth.
Then again, Yu Lian was handsome and distinguished, with the bearing of a fine tree. How could he have an ugly nephew like this? If the guy were a little better-looking, he might have accepted the family tie... The thought filled Yu Lian with disgust. He nearly cut off the call on impulse.
But just then, the Great Pirate King said, "I don't dare trust the big shots from either the Empire or the Alliance. Old hands like us can only trust our instincts. So, General, I know a weakness in the Serpent's Lair. Would you like to hear it?"
...Well, Mr. Gong Ao, Gong Xiao's younger brother and right-hand man, had gone to considerable trouble to get Yu Lian's contact information. He'd personally sailed out to surrender and presented plenty of gifts to the leaders of all three sides. The natural gemstone coral tree he'd given Yu Lian had been sold to King Vellent, but out of courtesy, they'd still had a few pleasant conversations. That was how Gong Ao had gotten Yu Lian's terminal number.
Even so, they'd been very careful to use an encrypted communications code. Out of curiosity, Yu Lian had asked Gold Whistle to check it. He learned that fully cracking it would take at least fifteen minutes, while