Nuclear Materials

It was a wise choice for Luo Xia to drop Luo Fei off with Matt. Otherwise, as someone who had grown up under the red flag in his previous life, even he might not have been able to endure that forced, painfully awkward indoctrination through revolutionary songs.

The docks weren't very far from the warehouse, less than a kilometer all told. By the time Luo Xia reached them, only two of the four trucks had been unloaded.

Although the containers were carrying people, making the weight distribution somewhat uneven, the person operating the crane didn't care how badly the people inside might get banged around. He lowered the containers roughly.

With that much force, anyone inside who wasn't careful would probably be left battered and bleeding. Luo Xia knew all too well that these Russian gangsters really didn't see the people inside as human beings. To them, they were nothing more than cargo.

Luo Xia didn't make his move yet. Only two containers had been loaded, and the men were split into two groups, some on the ship and some on the dock. It wouldn't be easy to take them all out at once.

He slipped quietly into the water and swam underwater to the cargo ship. Using the magnetic attraction of his Sensor Glove, Luo Xia climbed straight up the side of the vessel.

By the time Luo Xia, soaked from head to toe, climbed onto the deck, the last container had just been secured aboard. The crane shut down and the gangway was pulled up, cutting the cargo ship off completely from the dock.

All it had to do was raise anchor and sail into international waters. Then the women and children inside the containers could be sold off without anyone being the wiser. Unfortunately for them, as the anchor rumbled up, they had no idea that an unwelcome guest had already slipped aboard.

Luo Xia didn't head toward the containers. Instead, he quietly made his way to the captain's cabin.

The journey went smoothly enough, probably because the sailors were all busy with the cargo transfer. So when Luo Xia reached the captain's cabin, he found only a first mate dozing inside.

Luo Xia clamped a hand around his throat. Before the first mate had fully woken, an Alloy Dagger sprang from Luo Xia's wrist and pierced his throat.

His artery was severed, and blood gushed out, blocking his windpipe. Before long, he choked on his own blood and suffocated.

"Violet, can you control this ship?" Luo Xia asked.

Violet shifted into her robot form and crouched over the complicated instruments, driving her metal feelers into the control panel.

After a while, Violet replied helplessly, "Commander, this cargo ship relies more on mechanical controls than on the computer in the captain's cabin. The most I can do is control the anchor and lock the rudder."

"That's enough. I want to make sure this ship can't leave port. And don't lower the gangway. I don't want anyone getting aboard, either," Luo Xia ordered.

"That won't be a problem," Violet replied.

A deafening screech rang out. The anchor, which had been steadily rising, stopped dead, then plunged back down at several times its previous speed, splashing up a huge spray of water.

It was like a signal. The battle horn had sounded.

As the Russians hurried toward the captain's cabin to see what was going on, Luo Xia had already pulled open the cabin door and stepped onto the deck.

The Pulse Pistols in both hands were fully charged, and the Tactical Goggles turned the darkness into daylight. Not a single move those Russians made escaped Luo Xia's notice.

"Li Bai, let's see who can kill more," Luo Xia said with a grin.

"Your subordinate wouldn't dare compare himself to you, Commander. But since you're in the mood, I'll gladly oblige. If I'm fortunate enough to win, could I ask you for a day off?" Li Bai asked.

"Time off? Why?" Luo Xia hadn't expected his robot subordinate to want paid leave. Oh, wait—they all worked without pay.

"Violet asked me to help her buy a set of books called Gintama," Li Bai replied.

Luo Xia said, "Why did you agree to buy her manga? Besides, where are you going to get the money?"

Li Bai said awkwardly, "During a previous mission, though I had no choice, I still took advantage of this young lady. Now that she's asked me for something, I can only do what little I can to help. As for the money, I'd be grateful if you could spare some, Commander."

Luo Xia fell silent.

Did robots care about men and women keeping their distance, too? Or was Li Bai the only one who thought that way? Luo Xia couldn't help feeling that Violet had taken the guy for a ride.

"Fine. If you win, you can have whatever you want." Luo Xia decided not to get involved in the everyday dealings between his subordinates.

Li Bai excused himself, then sprang from Luo Xia's shoulder and disappeared into the thick night.

Even with the help of his Tactical Goggles, Luo Xia could barely make out Li Bai's silhouette.

The next moment, a string of screams rang out. Li Bai had already begun cutting down his foes.

Luo Xia whistled in approval and strode forward. Just after he passed a corner, he swung his gun around and pulled the trigger for barely half a second.

A faint explosion sounded. Three Pulse Energy Blasts flew out, blasting three burly Russians at the corner off their feet. By the time they hit the ground, Luo Xia had already passed through the smoke and, with a quick flick of his wrist, shot two more men dead.

With his Tactical Goggles and Sensor Glove working together, automatic Target Lock let Luo Xia shoot with the skill of the legendary Li Flying Blade. Almost every Pulse Energy Blast hit a vital spot, killing its target in a single blow.

Luo Xia was just like the gun-wielding mutant in Wolverine: a messenger of death, sending these Russian sinners straight to hell with a one-way ticket made of bullets. They didn't get a choice.

There were around fifty sailors aboard the ship. Luo Xia fought his way along the deck from the captain's cabin toward the bow, killing more than twenty in just over ten minutes. He'd thought victory was all but assured, but then the gunfire suddenly began to die down. The final few screams came from the other side of the bow.

Li Bai flew back as a pigeon, flapping his wings. "Commander, I've returned to report. Thirty beheaded, two seriously wounded and fallen into the water. The deck has been cleared."

Luo Xia checked the Tactical Goggles' records. He'd only killed twenty-two enemies, a full ten fewer.

Luo Xia fell silent.

Sometimes, having a subordinate who was too capable could be stressful.

"Fine. I'll give you a day off in a couple of days, and I'll pay for the books, all right?" Luo Xia said helplessly.

At that moment, Violet, who had just scored a major advantage, sent an urgent message: "Commander, I've found the nuclear waste."

Earlier, Violet had discovered that although the Global Consolidated Investment was using the recycling and disposal of nuclear waste as a cover, it was actually engaged in human trafficking. Still, to maintain the cover, they needed to recycle a small amount of nuclear waste to avoid suspicion during inspections.

And as it happened, that nuclear waste was aboard this very ship.