Section Thirty-Five
“Boss, do you think they might’ve gotten it wrong?” a burly man with a face full of thick, menacing flesh asked in a low, rumbling voice.
“Who knows?” The one-eyed boss had one foot propped up on the armrest of his chair, eyes closed, blissfully taking a drag from his cigar. His expression was one of pure ecstasy. This was the good stuff—completely natural, processed by a master, not something you could just buy for a few hundred credits from any random shop.
“Boss, I’m afraid things might’ve taken a turn!” Standing respectfully beside the one-eyed boss was a man as thin as a stick, his shifty eyes darting around incessantly. Clearly, he was the cunning strategist of the group.
“What do you mean by that?” The one-eyed boss remained lazily reclined.
The thin strategist lowered his voice. “Boss, think about it. Our inside contact hasn’t sent any news for six days. I’m afraid it’s likely bad news! Besides, we’ve been waiting here for so many days. If everything were normal, they should’ve arrived by now.”
“Hmm!” The one-eyed boss nodded approvingly. “You’re right! So, what do you think we should do? Are we supposed to return the deposit we already took?” He looked pained at the thought.
The thin strategist smirked slyly. “Heh heh, Boss, no need to worry about that. That guy wouldn’t dare leak this. He’s even more afraid of others finding out than we are. If this gets out, we’d just lose a bit of reputation in the underworld. But for him? It’d mean complete ruin! Since we’ve already taken the money, let’s not even think about spitting it back out!”
The one-eyed boss laughed heartily and patted the thin strategist on the shoulder. “Good, good! You’re a sharp one! So, does that mean we’re done here now?”
The burly man interjected anxiously, “Boss, going back empty-handed is bad luck! The brothers are going to complain again!”
The one-eyed boss stroked his chin, deep in thought. “You’re right. Returning empty-handed would hurt morale!” Just then, a young lackey rushed in, panting heavily, his face excited. “Boss! There’s a fat lamb up ahead! And a really big one at that!”
The one-eyed boss threw his head back and laughed. “Haha! Looks like when luck comes, you can’t stop it! Tell the brothers to get ready!”
※※※
Ye Zhong and the other two sat inside the room.
Gu Shaoze glanced at the door, his face full of worry. “What do we do now? They’re not going to keep us confined here, are they? Why post guards? It’s not like we’re prisoners!”
No. 2, seeing the young master so distressed, felt a pang of sympathy and comforted him, “Don’t worry, Young Master. They’re just doing this because they’re suspicious of our identities. Until they confirm things, they won’t dare do anything to us.”
Ye Zhong couldn’t be bothered with the two of them. He kept his eyes closed, conserving his energy. In an unfamiliar environment, Ye Zhong never let his guard down for a moment. His body was in a subtle state, ready to deliver a fatal blow to any enemy at any time.
As for the two guards at the door, Ye Zhong didn’t take them seriously at all. He didn’t believe they posed any threat or could restrict him in any way.
Ye Zhong had always found it strange. The people he encountered seemed to have very fragile bodies. How odd. With such weak physiques, even a slightly strong impact would probably shatter them! Didn’t they know that the body was the foundation of everything? It was truly baffling!
Gu Shaoze looked at Ye Zhong, admiring his composure but also feeling curious. He really wanted to know what Ye Zhong had done before!
The two guarding the door were high-level Mech Pilots. The captain’s instructions still rang in their ears. They had always trusted the captain deeply. Although they felt that using two high-level Mech Pilots to guard three youngsters was a bit of a waste, they still carried out the order meticulously.
Suddenly, a few commands came through the communicators in their ears. Both of their expressions changed dramatically. They exchanged a glance, and one of them opened the door, speaking gravely to the three inside, “Everyone, please do not leave this room arbitrarily. Otherwise, we cannot guarantee your safety.”
No. 2 asked urgently, “Sirs, what exactly is happening?”
The other guard hesitated for a moment before saying, “We’re under attack by space pirates! It seems to be the Red奇鹰 Pirates!”
“Red奇鹰?!” Gu Shaoze and No. 2 exclaimed in unison, their faces instantly turning deathly pale.
The reaction of the two before them was exactly as the guards had expected. One high-level Mech Pilot said, “We need to go fight now. Please rest assured, we will do our utmost to fight with all our strength!” His final words carried a sense of resolve, hinting at a do-or-die determination that commanded respect.
“We’re leaving! Be careful!” The two rushed out, leaving the three alone in the room.
“Red奇鹰? How is that possible?” No. 2 muttered dazedly, his face filled with deep despair. Gu Shaoze was also distraught and panicked. Only Ye Zhong remained as calm and composed as before.
“What is Red奇鹰?” Seeing how terrified the two were, Ye Zhong asked curiously.
They looked at him as if he were an idiot. “Are you even human? How do you not know about Red奇鹰?”
“Are they very powerful?” Ye Zhong asked.
“Oh my god! How can anyone ask such an unacceptable question now?” Gu Shaoze looked as if he were about to faint. Combined with his pale face, he resembled someone suffering from severe anemia.
No. 2 forced himself to explain, “Red奇鹰 is an extremely powerful pirate group. I don’t know if they’re the strongest, but they’re undoubtedly the most famous. And compared to other pirate groups, they’re even more brutal. Almost no one they capture survives.”
Ye Zhong tilted his head thoughtfully and asked, “So, that means they’re definitely going to breach our ship?”
No. 2 nodded. “Without a doubt.”
Ye Zhong suddenly stood up, startling the other two.
Gu Shaoze panicked. “What are you doing? Don’t do anything reckless! They’re ruthless killers!” Suddenly, he paused, remembering that the person before him was also a ruthless killer.
“I need a mech. Do you know where I can find one?” Ye Zhong asked calmly.
No. 2 found this person truly unfathomable. Faced with such overwhelmingly powerful enemies, he could still remain so calm and battle-ready. Perhaps it was the fearlessness of the ignorant.
“In the warehouse on the lowest level, there are usually a few reserve mechs. They’re for situations where a pilot’s mech suffers temporary, irreparable damage and loses combat capability. A merchant fleet with as many pilots as this one is bound to have a few spare mechs.” Although No. 2 didn’t think such a struggle would achieve anything, he still held onto a sliver of hope. If Ye Zhong succeeded, the young master might be saved.
“How do I get to the warehouse?” At the mention of mechs, Ye Zhong’s eyes suddenly blazed with intense light.
The warehouse door was tightly locked. Opening it required a password.
There was no time to find someone and ask for the password. Ye Zhong took a deep breath. Instantly, his chest expanded like a bellows, and the muscles all over his body seemed to fill with a scorching, fiery current, burning like flames. Ye Zhong sank into a low stance, bent his elbows, clenched his fists, and slowly pulled his arms back. His entire body resembled a divine bow being drawn slowly, accumulating every bit of strength!
As he reached the end of his breath, the heat throughout his body made him feel swollen and uncomfortable. The bow was now drawn to its limit!
Without hesitation, Ye Zhong let out a thunderous roar. His right fist, like a violent hurricane, accompanied by the low whistle of friction with the air, slammed heavily into the very center of the warehouse door!