Chapter 313: Interstellar Pirates (Five-in-One)
by SunflowerSu Ming looked around at everyone. At this moment, his mind was momentarily dazed, as if he had returned to the past, leading an army of thousands, ready to set out for battle.
However, he quickly regained his composure and clapped his hands, saying:
“Alright, while the mechs are being transferred, everyone follow me to that open space in the corner. We’re holding a meeting!”
Su Ming waved his hand and said to the many students.
“Okay!”
Everyone immediately followed Su Ming towards the quiet corner nearby.
When they arrived at the corner, Su Ming signaled for everyone to sit in a circle on the ground, ensuring that everyone could hear what he was about to say.
Rhine and the others cooperated fully and sat down.
“We have now arrived at Black Flame Star, and it is relatively safe here. But once we leave Black Flame Star and go outside, regardless of which Neutral Countries it is, to put it bluntly, they are all lawless zones. We must change our identities. Being a student of the Royal Court Academy is certainly very useful within the Federation, but it is nothing outside. We must ensure our own safety; otherwise, if something really happens, there will be no help from above or below.”
Su Ming said very seriously.
“Understood!”
Rhine and the others replied.
“Therefore, after we leave, you must put away your kindness and remain vigilant at all times. After all, we are not from the same system as them!”
“Okay!”
“I am now starting to group you. Five people to a squad, divided into 10 squads.”
Su Ming immediately began calling names to form groups.
Elu and the other squad leaders noted down their group members.
Soon, Su Ming had assigned the group members and continued.
“From now on, our mechs must be guarded in shifts, with at least one squad on guard duty at all times. We absolutely cannot let anyone steal our mechs. Rhine, you are responsible for arranging this!”
“Don’t worry, I guarantee there won’t be any problems. If anything happens to the mechs, I’ll pay with my life!”
Rhine patted his chest in assurance.
“Cut it out, don’t say such unlucky things. You need to know that once we go out, the mechs are the only weapons we can rely on.”
“Yes!”
“Also, I will emphasize this one more time: no one is allowed to leave the team at will. If something comes up, you must report it! And Rhine, as the vice-captain, if I need to leave the team for any reason, you will be responsible for the entire group. You must know how to adapt to changing situations!”
Su Ming then instructed Rhine.
“Understood!”
Rhine replied, feeling quite a bit of pressure.
“Now, let’s arrange the next steps. First of all, we won’t be staying in hotels. Everyone will have to bear with it and make do by staying inside the mechs! Although Black Flame Star is relatively safe, we need to enter our state of readiness early.”
“Okay!”
“Zhang Yi, take a squad to purchase food. Elu, take a squad to purchase emergency medicine. Remember, the food should primarily be compressed rations; the storage space in the mechs is limited!”
Su Ming ordered.
“No problem, but didn’t we already purchase a batch before we set off?”
Zhang Yi asked, somewhat confused.
“It’s not enough! I’ve thought about it. Just in case, from now on, we should eat the food we brought with us as much as possible to avoid any pitfalls. Things like this have happened before.”
Su Ming explained the reason to Zhang Yi and the others.
“Squad leader, you know so much!”
Elu and the others said with admiration.
“It’s just basic operations. Right, Zhang Yi, when you go to buy food, pick up 50 grey cloaks as well. Later on, everyone will wear them to cover up the second-generation exoskeleton armor made of rock steel on our bodies.”
“Okay!”
“Then let’s start moving separately. Sun Lu and Ankajia, come with me to find a ship. The rest of you stay in the hangar.”
Su Ming added immediately.
“Okay!”
Zhang Yi and the others left one after another.
A moment later, the three of them were walking in the underground passage, and Ankajia curiously asked Su Ming.
“Squad leader, how are we going to find a ship to Tasji Neutral Country · Feimanke Base City? After all, we aren’t familiar with the people or the place here.”
“When you aren’t familiar with the place, if you want to find a ship, you either search online or find an agent! But the network here on Black Flame Star isn’t well-developed. Besides, when I got off the ship, I tried searching, but there was very little relevant information, and a lot of it was phishing. So, we have no choice but to find an agent.”
Su Ming explained simply.
“An agent? I feel like this Black Flame Star is exceptionally shady. We don’t know any reliable agents. What if we find a shady agent? They might scam us out of a huge sum of money.”
Sun Lu said, feeling a bit uneasy.
“Don’t worry, anyone who works as an agent here is basically a shady agent.”
Su Ming said calmly.
“Oh, ah?”
Sun Lu and Ankajia were both stunned upon hearing this.
“Alright, it doesn’t matter if we get scammed out of money; it’s just a bit of a loss. But the ship itself must be reliable. The qualifications and reputation must be good. If we end up on a black ship, that’s the real big trouble.”
Su Ming smiled and told the two.
“Oh, oh, then where are we going to find an agent?”
“I’ve checked. There is a row of agent storefronts in the underground transfer and dispatch area here. Let’s find a larger one!”
“Mm-hmm, let’s go quickly then!”
Sun Lu and the other heard Su Ming say this, and immediately felt more confident.
Forty minutes later.
The three of them arrived at the underground transfer and dispatch area. The entire area looked like a small commercial street, and at a glance, it was full of agent shops.
And whether it was because the rent was very expensive or for some other reason, the shops here were all very small.
The entrances to the shops were plastered with various exaggerated advertisements.
“Conscientious agent, departure for as low as 0 federal currency.”
At this time, many customers wearing different clothes were looking for suitable agent shops.
“There are so many, which one should we choose?”
Sun Lu and the others said, surprised.
“Look, whichever shop has a slightly larger area and doesn’t have such exaggerated advertisements on the door, that’s the one we’ll choose.”
Su Ming led the two of them inside while telling them how to choose.
“That makes sense! How about that one?”
Ankajia’s eyes suddenly lit up, and she pointed to an agent shop not far ahead called “Fortune Connect” and asked.
Su Ming took a look. This agent shop was slightly larger, and there weren’t many exaggerated advertisements on the door. It was just plastered with a pile of newspapers, so he agreed.
“Alright, let’s go in and take a look!”
“Okay!”
Ankajia and Sun Lu followed Su Ming over.
Soon they arrived at the entrance of the shop. At this moment, a middle-aged man wearing a white shirt and black suspenders, with a somewhat greasy, flamboyant appearance and a rather fat figure, greeted them with a smile.
“Gentlemen, is there anything you need? I handle all kinds of business here, I have everything!”
Su Ming walked in, looked the middle-aged man up and down, and said.
“We need to find a ship to Tasji Neutral Country · Feimanke Base City!”
“Oh my, you’ve come to the right person!”
“Don’t speak so soon.”
“You guys are from the Inner Stars, right! Feel free to ask around; who on this entire street doesn’t know that I, Feinan, am the best at finding ships? Just state your requirements.”
Feinan said confidently.
“Our group has a total of 50 people, and we are also carrying fifty mechs.”
Su Ming briefly explained the situation first.
When Feinan heard Su Ming’s words, a look of surprise appeared in his eyes. A big order!
However, he wasn’t too overjoyed, but said cautiously.
“Gentlemen, smuggling mechs is a serious crime, especially at this critical moment.”
When Su Ming heard Feinan’s words, his eyes narrowed. He was 70% sure that this guy in front of him had definitely smuggled goods before.
He seemed to be kindly reminding him, but he was actually leaving room for negotiation.
However, the other party probably guessed wrong this time.
Su Ming said to him very straightforwardly.
“We have formal procedures. Black Flame Star will definitely let us pass. You don’t need to worry about these aspects.”
“Formal procedures? Really? This isn’t a joke. Can you show it to me? Of course, don’t worry, I understand the rules of this trade, and I will definitely keep it confidential!”
Feinan asked with great surprise.
Su Ming didn’t waste any words and took out the pass issued by the Royal Court Academy.
No matter which agent he found, when it came time to declare for departure, the other party would definitely want to see this, so there was no need to hide it.
Feinan took it and only glanced at it before immediately revealing a brilliant smile, thinking to himself.
“A pass issued by the Royal Court Academy. These people are not only masters from the Inner Stars, but also students of the Royal Court Academy. This is truly a fat order.”
He returned the pass to Su Ming very politely and said with a chuckle.
“No problem, with this document, there is absolutely no problem.”
“Since that’s the case, let me state the requirements for the ship!”
“Go ahead!”
“First of all, the ship we are looking for must be a Level 4 ship. Whether it is a mothership or a battleship, it doesn’t matter; there are no requirements for that!”
“No problem, anything else?”
“Also, the ship undertaking the mission must have formal procedures, a good reputation, and good qualifications!”
“That is also no problem.”
“Also, our time is limited. It would be best if we could leave tomorrow, and at the latest, it cannot exceed three days.”
Su Ming stated the final requirement.
“Uh, that’s a bit difficult. You also know that the situation has been very tense recently, and there are very few ships departing.”
Feinan rolled his eyes, immediately putting on a difficult expression, preparing to fleece the fat sheep.
As a result, after Su Ming heard Feinan’s words, he retorted in a very calm tone.
“You don’t need to try to fool me. I know the situation clearly. Every day, a large number of ships leave Black Flame Star for the Neutral Countries. If you can’t do it, I’ll find another shop!”
Feinan was also taken aback, thinking: “This fat sheep from the Inner Stars is not easy to fleece! He looks very seasoned and has plenty of experience!”
So he said with a smile.
“I can find one, it’s just the price…”
“Regarding the price, I won’t push you too hard, but don’t be too outrageous either.”
Su Ming was very clear that the current prices on Black Flame Star had risen to a very outrageous level.
“Of course, I am famous for being fair to all! But look, you have fifty people, you need fifty rooms, right? Food and other necessities will also cost quite a bit of money.”
Feinan picked up a pen and paper to calculate it for Su Ming.
“Stop, we don’t need rooms, and we don’t need the ship to be responsible for our food and drink.”
Su Ming directly interrupted Feinan.
“Ah? Then where will you live? What will you eat?”
“We will stay in the mechs and bring our own food. Just give us a place to wash up.”
“Impressive, you’re an expert!”
Feinan couldn’t help but think more highly of Su Ming. This guy was so vigilant and had such seasoned experience.
“Be straightforward, give me a price!”
Su Ming said to Feinan.
“20,000,000 federal currency, not a cent less!”
Feinan quoted to Su Ming.
“So expensive?”
Sun Lu’s face darkened when he heard this quote. The ten-day journey from the Third Planet to Black Flame Star only cost them 5,000,000 federal currency with the Polaris Club, and that included food and accommodation.
The journey from Black Flame Star to Tasji Neutral Country · Feimanke Base City was about the same ten-day distance, yet it cost 20,000,000, and it included nothing!
“It’s not expensive, it’s the lowest price!”
Feinan explained helplessly.
“Fine, 20,000,000 it is! When can we leave!”
Su Ming pondered for a moment and agreed.
The price given by the Polaris Club was actually lower than the market rate. Now that prices had risen so much here, 20,000,000 was acceptable.
“Sign the contract and pay now, and I’ll take you to see the ship tomorrow!”
Feinan guaranteed directly.
“Fine, pay half now, and pay the other half before departure!”
Su Ming picked up his bank card and said.
“Good, truly straightforward. Let’s sign the contract!”
Feinan replied, smiling from ear to ear.
The next morning.
Su Ming and the others all put on grey cloaks and organized the food, medicine, and water stored inside the mechs.
The items they had purchased twice were enough for them to last for over 60 days, which should normally be enough.
Just then, Su Ming’s phone rang.
He picked up his phone and took a look. Seeing it was that shady agent Feinan calling, he answered.
“Hello!”
“Mr. Su Ming, the ship has been found. Are you free now? I’ll take you to see the ship.”
“Alright, we’ll come find you right now!”
Su Ming hung up the phone after saying that.
“Squad leader, has the ship been found?”
Rhine and the others asked impatiently.
“Yes. Ankajia, Sun Lu, and Elu, you three come with me to see the ship. The rest of you wait here for news!”
Su Ming said simply.
“Okay!”
Rhine and the others nodded in response.
Su Ming took the three of them to find that shady agent Feinan.
One hour later.
Feinan was leading Su Ming and the three of them, walking in the underground passage.
He complained to Su Ming.
“Mr. Su Ming, you don’t know, I didn’t sleep all night yesterday. It was very difficult to finally get in touch with this ship.”
Su Ming ignored Feinan’s words the whole time.
If he believed that guy’s nonsense, his brain would have to have been kicked by a donkey.
However, that guy kept babbling on, and Su Ming said, a bit annoyed.
“You didn’t sleep all night yesterday; I’m afraid you were in some chick’s bed, weren’t you?”
“Uh, how did you know?”
Fenan was stunned for a moment and hurriedly touched his cheeks. He had clearly washed his face; there shouldn’t be any lipstick on it!
Su Ming glanced at him sideways and said.
“Don’t bother touching it. There’s no lipstick, but there’s a faint scent of perfume on you, and there’s a long hair on your collar.”
“Impressive!”
Fenan replied awkwardly, then obediently shut his mouth.
Soon, they took the elevator to the surface of the Interstellar Airport, and a massive ship came into view.
“Uh, this isn’t the ship we’re supposed to be taking, is it?”
Sun Lu’s face showed a look of extreme shock, and he said with a stutter.
“Of course it is.”
Fenan said with a grin.
Su Ming looked at the ship in front of him, and his face turned dark.
Docked before them was a 4th-level ship 30 kilometers long, but this ship was neither a battleship nor a mothership; it was a transport ship.
Of course, that wasn’t the main point. The key was that this ship was simply too old and dilapidated.
On the massive ship, there were various repair patches everywhere, and many welded seams were rusted.
“This is way too dilapidated. Can this ship really perform faster-than-light flight? Don’t let it fall apart halfway!”
Ankajia also said in a daze.
“No, this ship won’t do. If you had brought a transport ship to fool me, I wouldn’t say anything, but this ship is too broken. Change the ship!”
Su Ming said to Fenan without any politeness.
“Oh my, Mr. Su Ming, you are judging a book by its cover. This ship may look a bit old, but it’s still going strong! It’s a ship I carefully selected for you! The captain of this ship is the owner, with excellent qualifications and a very good reputation in the industry! Furthermore, he has extremely rich sailing experience, with a full 200 years of piloting experience, and there is also a professional security team that will easily and safely take you to your destination.”
Fenan praised with a silver tongue.
“Less nonsense, change the ship!”
Su Ming said to Fenan, suppressing his anger.
Just then, a very polite voice came over, interrupting the conversation between Su Ming and Fenan.
“Excuse me, sorry to interrupt.”
Su Ming turned his head to look. He saw an elderly man with rough skin, white hair, and a face full of wrinkles, wearing a captain’s uniform, walking over with a graceful, pretty young woman wearing a gray plaid skirt.
“Who are you?”
“I am the captain of this ship, Haggart, and this is my granddaughter, Miffy. You must be Mr. Su Ming!”
“Yes.”
“I just heard your concerns. I want to say that although the Pangdun is quite old and dilapidated, it is very reliable and will not have any accidents. Moreover, we have been running this route for over a hundred years.”
Haggart explained desperately, wanting to close this deal.
“Mr. Su Ming, my grandfather is not lying to you. There are so many people on our ship; if something happened, we wouldn’t survive either.”
Miffy said sincerely.
Hearing this, Su Ming was also a bit conflicted.
At this moment, Fenan coughed and said to Su Ming.
“Brother, let me tell you the truth. If you really change ships, it will be troublesome! Don’t look at how many ships are setting sail every day! They all belong to various major factions, and they won’t take you. Don’t think about leaving anytime soon.”
“Su Ming, what should we do?”
Ankajia and the others were also a bit undecided and looked at Su Ming one after another.
“Alright, let’s go with this ship!”
Su Ming asked Haggart.
“Thank you so much.”
Miffy and Haggart said with great gratitude.
“When can you depart?”
Su Ming immediately asked the two.
“After you board the ship, we can depart immediately.”
Haggart said without a moment’s hesitation.
“Fine. Sun Lu, you arrange for the mechs to be transferred onto the ship. I’ll go pay the final balance!”
Su Ming didn’t say anything more.
“Okay!”
Sun Lu and the others replied one after another.
Three hours later.
Inside the hangar of the Pangdun.
Mechs were being transferred up one by one and locked into fixed, old-fashioned parking bays.
Su Ming and the others stood in front of the mechs and looked around the entire hangar.
They saw that the surrounding walls and metal frames of the hangar had already been eroded by time and were covered in rust.
The operations and equipment displayed around looked very old, with surfaces covered in oil stains.
“Damn, what a dilapidated ship. Su Ming, are you sure there’s no problem?”
Zhang Yi and the others looked at these ancient facilities and asked Su Ming in a daze.
“Rest assured, no problem!”
Su Ming replied, feeling a bit guilty.
“That bastard, he took our 20 million and found us this ship. If time wasn’t so tight, I’d want to beat him up!”
Ankajia and the others kept complaining.
Actually, it was no wonder they were so angry. The price was four times that of the Polaris Club, and it didn’t include food or lodging. Plus, the ship was ridiculously broken; anyone would be annoyed.
At this time, Su Ming and the others also heard exclamations.
“Wow!”
“Did I see that right? The latest Iron Guard!”
“And a Third Generation Mecha · Gun Knight.”
“Not only that, over there is another advanced Third Generation Mecha of an unknown model!”
Su Ming and the others looked over in confusion. They saw several personnel wearing old first-generation exoskeleton armors, the Iron Shells, looking at Su Ming and his group’s mechs in amazement.
“Who are these people?”
Zhang Yi asked curiously.
“They should be the security personnel on the Pangdun.”
Su Ming replied simply.
“Wait, the mechs parked over there, could those be theirs? They promised a professional security team, and they use these mechs?”
Rhine said in a daze.
Su Ming followed Rhine’s gaze and saw that on the distant parking bays, there were these very old Iron Heads parked, some of which had all the paint peeled off.
“No way, they use first-generation old-model Iron Heads? Isn’t the minimum requirement for space combat second-generation mechs?”
Anqi and the others said in shock.
“Look closely, the back thrusters of those Iron Heads have all been modified, and the power has been increased.”
Su Ming saw the problem at a glance.
“That’s still reckless. The performance of the Iron Head is simply not suitable for space combat.”
Ankajia shook her head and replied.
“It’s very normal. The standard that space combat requires second-generation mechs was set by the Federation. The reason the Federation can define it this way is because they have money. Other countries aren’t that wealthy; being able to have modified first-generation mechs is already quite good! The rebel group we encountered last time wasn’t some wild bunch; to put it bluntly, they were the elite troops of the Abyek Kingdom.”
Su Ming briefly explained the situation to Ankajia and the others.
“Oh, I see.”
Everyone was suddenly enlightened.
At this moment, the broadcast sound rang out.
“Attention everyone, the ship is about to set sail. Everyone, take your respective posts.”
“It’s setting sail.”
Su Ming said to Ankajia and the others. He didn’t expect this group to be quite efficient.
“Forget it, let’s just make do!”
Rhine and the others saw that the ship was about to set sail and stopped complaining.
However, when the ship began to lift off, Su Ming and the others immediately heard the creaking, ancient friction sounds coming from the ceiling and surrounding walls of the hangar.
Su Ming and the others listened to the strange noises, feeling a bit uneasy, but they didn’t complain anymore.
About an hour later, the broadcast sound rang out again.
Captain Haggart spoke.
“Attention everyone, the Pangdun is about to enter faster-than-light flight. There will be some turbulence, but this is a normal phenomenon, so don’t worry.”
After hearing the broadcast, Su Ming took out his phone to check the time. It was now 6:10 PM.
If there were no accidents, they should be able to arrive at their destination about eight days early.
However, at this moment, the Pangdun began to increase power input and started the faster-than-light flight device.
Instantly, the entire ship shook violently.
Su Ming found it hard to stand and tried his best to steady his body.
The moment the Pangdun entered subspace and performed faster-than-light flight, the surrounding walls seemed to be squeezed, visibly deforming, and at the same time, the strange noises from the ship’s hull suddenly amplified threefold.
“Damn, such loud strange noises.”
“Will this ship be able to withstand faster-than-light flight? It won’t disintegrate, will it?”
Zhang Yi and the others were scared by the sound. When had they ever ridden such a ship?
“It should be fine. If it really doesn’t work, you can stay inside the mechs.”
Su Ming sighed.
“Rest assured, the Pangdun is absolutely fine. We have lived on this ship for nearly a hundred years.”
At this time, a strong, bearded man walked over and said.
“Who are you?”
Su Ming asked, looking at the big man in front of him.
“My name is Johnny, the security captain of the Pangdun. Nice to meet you!”
Johnny extended his hand to Su Ming.
“Su Ming!”
Su Ming extended his hand to shake hands with Johnny and introduced himself simply.
At this time, Miffy also walked over and greeted them very politely.
“Mr. Su Ming.”
“Miss Miffy, is there something?”
Su Ming looked at Miffy with some surprise.
“It’s like this, thank you very much for choosing the Pangdun. To show our gratitude, we would like to invite you to have a meal.”
Miffy said to Su Ming with great gratitude.
Rhine and the others turned to look at Su Ming, seeing how he would arrange it.
“Alright, Rhine, you guys stay here. Sun Lu and Ankajia, you come with me to accept Miss Miffy’s invitation.”
Su Ming thought for a moment and agreed.
“No problem.”
Rhine and the others agreed immediately.
“This way, please.”
Miffy very politely led the three of them away from the hangar.
Not long after, the three of them and Miffy arrived at a simple canteen.
Su Ming looked around and found that although this was a 4th-level transport ship, the internal facilities were really old.
The style of the metal tables and chairs in the canteen was from decades ago.
“The conditions are a bit simple, please forgive me, Mr. Su Ming.”
Miffy said apologetically.
“It’s fine.”
Su Ming didn’t care about this.
Soon, the four of them walked to a spacious dining table, and several middle-aged women wearing work uniforms brought up five plates of dishes, including three plates of meat and two plates of vegetables.
At this time, several crew members walked past them. When they saw the dishes on the table, each of them couldn’t help but make a swallowing motion.
Su Ming keenly noticed this detail and showed a thoughtful look.
“Wow, so rich!”
Ankajia and the other looked at the table of food and said quite happily. After all, since yesterday, they had been chewing on synthetic compressed biscuits.
“The ship’s conditions are limited; I hope you don’t mind.”
Miffy asked politely.
“How could we?”
Ankajia and Sun Lu replied hurriedly.
“Then eat more!”
Miffy entertained them warmly.
Ankajia and the other looked at Su Ming, and Su Ming nodded slightly.
“Then we won’t be polite. The taste is not bad!”
Ankajia and Sun Lu immediately picked up their chopsticks, picked up the braised pork and small green vegetables, and started eating in big mouthfuls.
Su Ming watched the two of them eat quietly.
At this time, Miffy saw that Su Ming hadn’t touched his chopsticks and asked in confusion.
“Mr. Su Ming, why aren’t you eating?”
“I’m not very hungry, I’ll eat later!”
Su Ming shook his head and replied.
Hearing this, Ankajia and Sun Lu stopped one after another and looked at Su Ming with confused eyes.
Seeing that Su Ming had no intention of touching his chopsticks at all, their hearts skipped a beat. Could there be a problem with the food?
Su Ming looked at their stunned expressions and then laughed.
“Why are you looking at me? Keep eating, it’s fine!”
“Whew!”
Ankajia and the other breathed a long sigh of relief.
In fact, Su Ming was just teasing them. Judging from Miss Miffy’s words and actions, Su Ming felt that there shouldn’t be any problems with her, and the probability of her trying to harm them was not high.
Besides, only three of them came to the appointment, and Rhine and the others were in the hangar. Unless someone had severe brain damage, it was impossible to act against them at this time.
“Mr. Su Ming, would you like something to drink?”
Miffy asked, seeing this.
“Beer.”
Su Ming replied simply.
“Okay.”
Miffy got up and brought a few bottles of beer. She opened a bottle of beer and poured a glass for Su Ming, the others, and herself.
“Gentlemen, I propose a toast to you.”
Miffy raised her glass very politely.
The three of them picked up their glasses, clinked them with Miffy’s, and all four drank the wine in their glasses.
At this moment, Su Ming asked with some curiosity.
“Miss Miffy, judging from your clothing and appearance, you don’t seem to be from the Federation, right?”
“Yes, we are from the Tasji Neutral Country, and our ancestors have been shipping goods for generations. That Mr. Fen didn’t actually exaggerate; my grandfather has indeed been running ships for 200 years.”
“Since that’s the case, why don’t you spend some money to change to a better transport ship, or give it a complete overhaul?”
“We don’t have that much money. Business is incredibly difficult right now. We were barely getting by before, but ever since the Imperial Army attacked the Neutral Countries, the situation has become extremely volatile, and business has plummeted. Yet, behind this ship, there are over fifty thousand people to support. If we don’t open for business for even a short while, we won’t be able to put food on the table.”
“With the situation tense, shouldn’t your business be better?”
Su Ming looked at Miffy with great confusion.
“It’s not like that. After the situation became volatile, the Federation raised its security level. Ships from the Neutral Countries are not allowed to dock at Black Flame Star without a permit, which essentially means the shipping route between the Federation and our country is in a state of semi-paralysis. Among all the shipping routes, the Federation line is the safest and most profitable; the others are basically useless! The only reason we were able to come to Black Flame Star to deliver goods this time was because we begged so many people to get this order with a temporary permit. But the price was pressed very low, and we basically didn’t earn much, so we thought about taking on another order to subsidize it. I didn’t expect to actually get one.”
Miffy explained to Su Ming.
“I see.”
“5,000,000 federal currency is enough for us to pay a portion of the wages for all our employees. You don’t know how happy my grandfather and I were at that time.”
“Wait, how much?”
“5,000,000. Mr. Feinan said that seeing as we were in such difficulty, he wouldn’t take his cut this time. Is there a problem?”
“No, how is the situation in your country now?”
Su Ming took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart.
He had still underestimated these unscrupulous middlemen.
“It’s not good. You have to understand that people like us who run ships are struggling just to make ends meet, let alone those below us. Moreover, due to the invasion by the Imperial Army, the Tasji Neutral Country has also increased taxes by quite a bit and invested all the money into military equipment. Things down there can be described as a mess. I don’t know when these turbulent days will end.”
Miffy sighed and said.
Looking at Miffy’s sorrowful expression, Su Ming could tell as much.
Most people in the Neutral Countries didn’t like war from the bottom of their hearts.
However, some things were not for them to decide. In this era, just being able to survive was a stroke of luck.
“Sorry, I was a bit uncomposed for a moment; I complained too much.”
Seeing that Su Ming didn’t speak, Miffy quickly said apologetically.
“It’s fine. I think it’s good.”
The reason Su Ming agreed to have a meal with Miffy was actually to understand the situation in the Neutral Countries.
“Mr. Su Ming, this is my business card. If you need to use a ship in the future, you can consider us. We will definitely give the lowest price.”
At this moment, Miffy took out a business card and handed it to Su Ming.
“Okay!”
Su Ming took it.
Seven days later.
Inside the central control room of the Fatty.
Captain Haggart commanded calmly.
“Prepare to end the superluminal flight. Check the status of the ship’s main circuits and power units.”
“Checking now. Everything is normal.”
Miffy and the others quickly responded.
Su Ming stood quietly in the back, watching them operate.
After spending these few days together, although their relationship couldn’t be called very good, they had become a bit familiar with each other.
“End superluminal flight.”
Captain Haggart immediately issued the order.
Miffy and the others began to operate, accompanied by a violent tremor.
The Fatty successfully ended the superluminal flight and appeared in a sea of stars.
Su Ming immediately looked at the star map on the operation screen to confirm the ship’s progress. The reason he came here was to ensure that the route had no issues and to see how long it would take to reach the destination.
At this moment, Miffy turned her head and said to Su Ming.
“We have already covered seven-tenths of the journey. We can definitely arrive at the destination on time.”
“Good!”
Su Ming nodded in satisfaction.
However, just at this moment, a red warning box suddenly popped up on the operation screen.
“Warning, ship has been locked on!”
“Oh no!”
Seeing the red warning box, Miffy’s expression immediately tensed up.
The next second!
A beam of light struck, hitting the Level 4 transport ship directly.
Boom!
Accompanied by a violent explosion, the ship shook violently.
A prompt immediately popped up on the operation screen.
“External V233 armor damaged!”
At this moment, an operator shouted with a solemn expression.
“Captain, scanned a Level 3 battleship. It’s the Viper Interstellar Pirates. They are right behind us!”
“Don’t panic. Adjust the ship by +2.7 degrees, start backup power engine No. 3, and accelerate to shake them off!”
Captain Haggart issued the order very calmly.
“Yes!”
The operator executed it immediately.
The entire transport ship immediately accelerated forward, starting to pull away little by little from the interstellar pirate ship trailing behind.
Su Ming was a bit surprised to see them so composed.
At this time, Miffy turned to explain to Su Ming.
“Mr. Su Ming, sorry, we’ve encountered a bit of trouble. But it’s okay, we can shake them off very soon.”
“You encounter interstellar pirates quite often, don’t you?”
Su Ming asked with interest.
“Yes. Actually, the reason why the Fatty has so many patches is that they were all caused by interstellar pirates.”
“I see. I was wondering how this ship ended up like this. Is it okay to take a hit now?”
“It’s fine. The Fatty isn’t that delicate; it won’t affect the subsequent flight. It’s just that we need to spend some time to shake off this group of interstellar pirates called Viper.”
Miffy explained to Su Ming.
“Alright!”
Seeing that they were so confident, Su Ming didn’t say anything else.
However, just at this moment, a noisy communication signal forcibly broke in.
“Old man Haggart, stop for me, otherwise you’ll see what’s coming!”
Haggart directly ignored the other party’s threat.
“Damn, are you deaf?”
“Picado, we will not stop. You had better give up early.”
Haggart replied in a deep voice.
“Is that so? Don’t get cocky too soon!”
Picado said with a sinister laugh.
Just at this moment, a red dot suddenly appeared on the scanning radar, and red warning boxes popped up one after another.
“Oh no, a Level 3 battleship has appeared in front. We are blocked!”
Miffy said, feeling very nervous.
“Stop advancing!”
Haggart’s heart sank as he said.
Su Ming carefully looked at the image captured by the optical device. Blocking their front was a Level 3 battleship, 5 kilometers long, with a narrow hull, covered entirely in gray metal armor, and densely packed with rows of launch ports and interception artillery.
“Haha, run! Aren’t you good at running? Didn’t expect it, did you? I actually bought a new Level 3 battleship.”
Picado said very arrogantly.
“Picado, you’ve intercepted our ship time and time again; don’t go too far.”
Haggart replied, suppressing his anger.
“Haha, getting anxious, are you! Old man, if you want me to let you off, it’s not impossible. Just obediently send your granddaughter over, and by the way, send some dowry. Once we become in-laws, I will naturally let you live and ensure your journey is smooth and unimpeded.”
Picado said to Haggart excitedly.
“Dream on!”
Haggart said through gritted teeth.
“Captain, the other side has released a lot of mechs.”
Numerous operators reported very nervously.
Su Ming looked up at the image captured by the optical device. He saw that in the starry sky ahead, that Level 3 battleship had released over a hundred modified, old-fashioned Iron Head mechs.
At this time, Security Captain Johnny also led over fifty modified Iron Heads and flew out from the Fatty.
However, at this moment, that old Level 3 battleship in the rear also caught up and simultaneously released over a hundred Iron Head mechs, among which were several Second Generation Iron Guard Mechs.
Instantly surrounding Johnny and the Fatty.
“Haggart, I told you long ago to surrender early. Is there any point in making futile resistance? Relying on those decrepit mechs in your hands isn’t enough to satisfy my men.”
Picado clamored arrogantly.
At this time, Su Ming picked up his phone to check the time, walked forward, reached out, and pressed his hand on the shoulder of Captain Haggart, who was about to speak, and then said in a deep voice.
“I’ll give you one minute. Immediately move your ships and men out of the way. Don’t waste my time!”
“Who the hell are you? Who do you think you are, daring to speak to me like that?”
Picado was also taken aback, then directly cursed.
After listening to Picado’s cursing, Su Ming looked at the types of mechs released by the other side. He immediately entered commands into the console, connected to Rhein’s mech, and said.
“Rhein, the ship has encountered a group of interstellar pirates. You take people and wipe them all out. Just consider it exercise!”
“Understood!”
Rhein immediately responded.
Immediately following, the exit of the Fatty opened, and one Iron Guard Mech after another rushed out at high speed.
Suddenly, Su Ming and the others heard a panicked voice coming through the communication signal that Picado had broken into.
“Boss, the other side has released many Second Generation Iron Guard Mechs, and they seem to be new models!”
“Damn, where did this guy get so many high-level mechs?”
“Then what do we do?”
“What are you afraid of? Let the underlings go! We have more numbers than them; we can just swarm them to death.”
Picado said irritably.
At this time, Miffy said with some concern.
“Mr. Su Ming, the other side has many men. Will your people be…”
“It’s fine. If they can’t even handle this, they might as well go bang their heads against tofu and die, and we can just pack up and go home.”
Su Ming said calmly with his hands behind his back.
At this time, those interstellar pirates, controlling the Iron Heads, rushed up.
As a result, Zhang Yi and the others directly scattered to meet the attack. They turned their shoulder cannons, locked onto the enemies, and blasted them with one shot!
Rumble~
In an instant, 48 of the enemy’s modified Iron Heads were blown up.
Immediately afterward, Elu and the others accelerated and rushed up, swinging their alloy blades to slash.
Crack!
One Iron Head after another was slashed and exploded.
This group of interstellar pirates was like paper; they collapsed as soon as they touched Elu and the others.
At the same time, Anqi led two groups and charged directly toward that brand-new Level 3 battleship ahead, swarming it.
“How could this happen?”
Picado was dumbfounded, completely unable to believe it.
Just at this moment, Rhein, controlling the Gun Knight, rushed toward that dilapidated Level 3 battleship at high speed.
“Quick, intercept him!”
Seeing the enemy’s Third Generation Mecha coming at him, Picado panicked immediately.
The old Level 3 battleship opened rows of launch ports, and missiles were fired out one after another.
As a result, Rhein didn’t care about those missiles at all. He cranked the power to the maximum and accelerated directly toward it.
The entire Gun Knight turned into an afterimage, passing directly through the gaps of the incoming missiles, charging straight at the Level 3 battleship.
Picado hurriedly activated the ship’s energy shield and turned on the interception artillery.
Seeing this, Rhein controlled the mech to lift its left arm, activating the concealed beam cannon. While dodging the attacks from the interception artillery, he fired beams of light at the energy shield!
Zzz!
These beams of light hit the energy shield precisely, causing certain ripples.
Immediately afterward, he controlled the Gun Knight and stabbed the energy shield hard with a spear!
Crack!
In an instant, the energy shield of the entire Level 3 ship shattered with a boom.
“So strong! Mr. Su Ming, are you all regular troops of the Federation?”
Miffy and the others were dumbfounded when they saw this scene.
“No, we are students of the Royal Court Academy.”
Su Ming watched Rhein and the others fighting and replied very calmly.
“Royal Court Academy? Are you nobles within the Federation?”
Miffy and the others said with extreme shock.
“Not really, we are just a group of students.”
Su Ming shook his head and replied.
At this time, Picado’s panicked voice begging for mercy came through the communication channel.
“Master, spare me! I won’t dare to do it again!”
Hearing Picado’s words, Su Ming pondered for a few seconds, then pressed the communication button and said to Rhein and the others.
“These are interstellar pirates. Wipe them all out! Don’t let a single one escape!”
“Understood!”
Rhein and the others replied with murderous intent.
In fact, the battle had reached this point, and this group of interstellar pirates had already collapsed.
However, Su Ming didn’t intend to let them go. It wasn’t because the other party had cursed at him, but because he wanted Rhein and the others to adapt to killing; this was an indispensable step.
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