Heart of the Brave

"Beep! You have a new task notification, please check it!"

Just as the two brothers were expressing their deep sympathy for the patrol officer, the Xiaolang Robot "Task Dispatcher" in the eldest brother's arms made a sound.

The two brothers' expressions tightened. They quickly found an empty alley, took out the Xiaolang Robot, and bowed to it, "Greetings, Boss!"

A silver light flashed in the eyes of the Xiaolang Robot, and in an instant, its entire body became agile. The consciousness of Nie Yun, who was thousands of miles away, had descended!

It shook its head to adapt to its body, then paused for a moment, instantly browsing through the pair's performance over this period.

The Xiaolang Robot had numerous camera and sound recognition devices inside; Nie Yun only needed to scan its memory to know everything the two had been doing during this time. It was effectively an all-weather, no-blind-spot surveillance device.

"Ugh, mothers-in-law really are terrifying creatures!" This was the first sentence Nie Yun said after regaining clarity, and the two brothers nodded in deep agreement.

"Ahem! I am basically satisfied with your performance on this mission. Next, I am going to give you a more arduous task. Do you have the confidence?" The little robot paced back and forth in front of them with its hands behind its back, looking every bit like a leader giving a lecture.

"Yes!" This time, the two answered without hesitation.

"Good! I look forward to your performance!" The Xiaolang Robot revealed a strange, inscrutable smile before its eyes dimmed, and then a synthesized electronic voice came through.

"Beep! New task issued!

Main mission one, completed!

Main mission two initiated.

Task description: In half an hour, an Aquarius ten-thousand-ton freighter will depart from the port for Indonesia. Your task is to board this ship before it leaves the port, by any means necessary! Then, stand by!

Task failure penalty: You know what!

Task success reward: Heart of the Brave!

Task friendly tip: Please make good use of your backpacks!"

The two brothers were stunned for a moment. The task didn't sound too difficult, but what was this "Heart of the Brave" reward? Did it sound like some kind of game item?

"Boss, what is this 'Heart of the Brave'?"

"Who are you asking? How would I know! But I guess it must be some kind of physical enhancement item. For example, replacing our hearts with a warrior's heart, and then our strength would increase greatly. You know, alien technology has always been this unfathomable!"

"Ah? Replace our hearts? Then are we still human?"

"Are you stupid? There are so many people getting heart transplants now; does any of them look like they aren't human?"

"Oh, that's true! Then wouldn't we become supermen?" The third brother was quite excited.

"Stop talking nonsense. Don't forget what you're wearing around your neck. If we don't complete the task, we'll be dead men before we become supermen! We only have half an hour!"

"Oh, right, right! Let's go quickly!"

Twenty minutes later, at the Aquarius ship boarding point.

"Captain, sir, our brothers just want to experience the joy of sailing on the sea. We aren't getting off the ship, and we are definitely not stowaways! Besides, who would stow away to a ghost place like Indonesia! Look, can you make an exception?"

A slightly chubby middle-aged man in a white captain's uniform looked suspiciously at these two "travelers" who wanted to board. Both had backpacks on, and they really did look like tourists.

"Then why not take a yacht?"

"Hey, that thing is too sluggish. It doesn't have that feeling of a sailor battling the waves at all. It's not exciting!"

The captain nodded to show he understood, but still refused: "We are a Riyao Group freighter with a transport mission. According to the rules, we cannot take on strange passengers during the voyage! So, I'm sorry, I cannot agree."

The eldest brother wasn't anxious upon hearing this. He smiled and took two stacks of cash from his pocket, quietly stuffing them into the captain's hand.

"I understand, I understand. We won't make things difficult for you, Captain. These are just some local specialties we brought on the road. I hope you'll accept them! Hehe!"

"This... this is against the rules!" The captain squeezed the "specialties" in his palm, feeling tempted.

"Hehe, rules are made by people, aren't they!" As he spoke, the eldest brother smiled and stuffed two more stacks into his hand. The third brother beside him looked pained, and his gaze toward the captain became somewhat unfriendly.

"This... alright! But for safety's sake, you cannot run around on the ship. I won't be responsible if something happens!" The captain shoved the money into his coat.

Success! The two brothers looked at each other, a flash of joy passing through their eyes.

"Of course! Of course! You can be absolutely assured of that, Captain!"

Although they were allowed on board, they were still checked. They only had one backpack each, and there were no dangerous items inside. The two successfully boarded the ship just before it set sail!

The two stood at the bow, looking at the sea, and began to fantasize about the wonderful feeling of becoming supermen.

"By the way, Boss, what was the meaning of those two things the Boss put in our backpacks?"

"Hmm, the task tip also mentioned it. Let us make good use of the backpacks. The Boss must have a deep meaning in this! We'll play it by ear when the time comes. Don't let the backpacks leave your side!"

"Understood, Boss! I just took a look. Aside from a pile of steel, there's nothing on the ship. Why do you think the Boss wants us to board?"

"...Do I look like an alien to you?"

"Hm? What do you mean?" The third brother didn't quite react.

"I'm not an alien, how would I know what an alien is thinking! Idiot!"

"Oh, okay, Boss! But Boss, the Boss doesn't look like an alien either. Why do you think these aliens look like humans..."

"Shut your mouth!"

"Toot!" The steam whistle blew the horn of departure, and the Aquarius began to slowly leave the port, sailing toward the vast, boundless sea.

The ocean, after all, is always full of surprises and wonders...

"Ah..." Nie Yun stood up and stretched, watching the setting sun dip toward the horizon, a flash of amusement crossing his eyes.

"Well then, it's time I let certain people know that no one can covet my wealth or try to harm my friends on my turf!"

He had said these words during the yacht kidnapping incident, but saying them now, they carried a much more murderous intent!

He took a deep breath and suddenly shouted toward the empty sea for no apparent reason, "Come out! Sea Wolf!"

The sound didn't travel far before being scattered by the sea breeze, yet the words acted like a magic spell; a dark shadow suddenly appeared directly beneath the dilapidated fishing boat.

The shadow grew larger, and the sea began to churn with waves, as if an ancient behemoth were about to leap from the depths!

"Splash!" "Thud!" With a spray of water, the hull of the fishing boat suddenly jolted, lifted several meters into the air by the beast beneath the waves.

As the water gradually calmed, the beast finally revealed a portion of its true form—it was the true body of Nie Yun's Sea Wolf! Only a small part of the silver-white hull was visible, plated in a brilliant crimson by the afterglow of the setting sun, looking magnificent and colorful.

The seawater had just barely submerged the deck of the Sea Wolf, and it hovered silently on the surface, while Nie Yun and the fishing boat had been placed entirely upon the Sea Wolf's flat, silver deck.

"Clack!" Nie Yun jumped onto the deck of the Sea Wolf and walked toward the captain's cabin, while the fishing boat behind him shifted, turning into a pool of silver-white liquid that gradually merged into the deck of the Sea Wolf and disappeared.

As Nie Yun's figure entered the captain's cabin and the hatch closed, the Sea Wolf began to submerge, finally vanishing into the afterglow of the setting sun.