"So, you're asking me to pull some strings and assign you to the flagship as part of the lady's guard unit?"
Inside the cabin, a deputy general leaned back in his seat, a playful grin on his face as he toyed with a gold coin.
The pure gold coin gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight. Qin Ming stood below, nodding vigorously.
"Exactly! Everyone says you're well-connected and resourceful, so I came here to ask for your help!"
"Oh? So you're quite well-informed, aren't you?"
"Not really, I just know a lot of people, that's all."
"Which unit were you with before?"
"Centurion Zuo Quan's unit."
"Zuo Quan? Didn't he already die?"
"More than just him! Practically the whole squad got wiped out. I was just lucky to be in the latrine at the time, otherwise, I would've been hacked down by that Zhao Yun too!"
Hearing this, the deputy general paused, then chuckled as if he'd just figured something out.
"Oh, no wonder you want to be stationed on the lady's ship as a guard. Got scared of fighting, huh?"
"Uh-huh."
"But Zhao Yun is currently hiding somewhere on one of our ships, and his target is precisely the lady's flagship. Aren't you afraid of running into him there?"
As he spoke, the deputy general squinted, a sharp glint in his eyes as he stared at Qin Ming.
"Come to think of it—most of your centurion's squad was wiped out, but you survived and now you want to board the flagship? Plus, you're offering a gold coin? Isn't that a bit too much of a coincidence? You wouldn't happen to be Zhao Yun, would you?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Qin Ming's eyes widened in shock.
Before he could explain himself, the deputy general, who had risen with a fierce expression, suddenly eased back into his seat, shaking his head.
"No, that's impossible. Zhao Yun is said to have thick brows, starry eyes, and a handsome face that even the lady's personal guard can't stop talking about. They all secretly swoon over his looks. But you... you don't fit the bill. No way you're Zhao Yun."
Hearing this, Qin Ming instinctively grinned in relief.
Then he realized something was off, and his smile immediately vanished, replaced by a look of dissatisfaction.
What did this guy mean by that? What was wrong with his looks? How was he inferior to Zhao Yun?
Zhao Yun was a Five Tiger General! He was a Fubo General!
Zhao Yun was a man! So was he!
Sure, Zhao Yun might have won the hearts of countless maidens with his dashing looks...
But Qin Ming had also won over...
...Kasumigaseki Emi? No, that was a summoned companion with a maxed-out affection level—didn't count.
...Mai Shiranui? That was from risking his life; he even broke an arm. Nothing to do with looks. Didn't count.
...Blue Mary? That was purely because they shared similar tastes, plus he saved her life. Still unrelated to looks.
Alright! Fine! Maybe his looks were just a little inferior...
But he had rugged masculinity!
And sure, the Zhao surname might have produced countless heroic figures, but the Qin family wasn't exactly lacking in legendary figures either!
Like Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China...
Or... that infamous official Qin Hui... uh...
Expressionless, Qin Ming stared at the deputy general, contemplating whether he should kill the man on the spot and take back his gold coin.
Unaware that his life was hanging by a thread, the deputy general grinned at Qin Ming and tapped the coin on the table.
"So, brother, what's your name?"
"L... Zhao Ming!"
"Ah, Brother Zhao Ming. I do have some connections with the higher-ups. But you know, getting a post on the lady's ship isn't easy. You can't expect to grease the wheels with just one coin..."
The deputy general trailed off, tapping the coin against the table meaningfully.
Seeing this, Qin Ming sighed heavily, then abruptly tore open his shirt, revealing nine gleaming gold coins tucked inside.
The deputy general's eyes lit up as he reached for them, but Qin Ming swiftly closed his shirt and spoke with a stern face.
"General, about that favor I asked..."
"Of course, it's doable! Consider it handled! But about the money..."
"I'm actually from a merchant family. My father sent me to the military hoping I'd secure a government position. That was my original plan too, but the battlefield turned out to be far more dangerous than I imagined. I've given up on becoming an officer — I just want to survive and go home. If you can get me assigned to the safer flagship, all these coins are yours!"
The deputy general finally broke into a bright smile.
Nodding vigorously, he suddenly furrowed his brow and asked, "Brother Qin, aren't you afraid that Zhao Yun might storm the flagship and run into you?"
Qin Ming grinned. "The flagship has tight defenses, loads of soldiers, and even crossbows and traps. You think he can handle all that by himself?"
"Huh, good point! All right, I'll take care of it! Wait for the good news!"
The deputy general stood up and walked toward the cabin door.
He never seriously suspected Qin Ming was Zhao Yun, despite the timing of his appearance being rather coincidental.
The reason was simple: Zhao Yun had just been spotted on another ship, and the deputy general had seen him from afar. He looked nothing like this kid.
Besides, with Zhao Yun's skills, would he really need to bribe anyone with gold coins? If he wanted something done, he'd probably just put a sword to someone's neck.
This kid was clearly just a cowardly grunt scared out of his wits — nothing to worry about.
And even if he did cause trouble, how could one man possibly fight an entire ship's crew?
Moreover, the position he arranged for Qin Ming didn't give him any chance to stir up trouble anyway...
Half an hour later, after spending a thousand points' worth of gold coins, Qin Ming finally boarded the flagship where Sun Ji resided, gaining a somewhat "reasonable" position.
That position? Logistics soldier. His primary duty? Cleaning latrines.
Standing beside a latrine, a bucket in his left hand and a mop in his right, Qin Ming's face was expressionless.
At that moment, he deeply regretted not staying on the previous ship and strangling that scamming deputy general on the spot.
Damn it! Ten gold coins — for this job?!
If it weren't for the mission, he would've drowned the bastard in the very latrine he assigned him to clean!
Dark-faced, Qin Ming stood stiffly like a telephone pole beside the latrine.
Nearby, a soldier exited the latrine, adjusting his trousers as he walked out.
Spotting Qin Ming standing there motionless, the soldier frowned and kicked him.
"What are you standing there for, idiot? It's almost full! Hurry up and clean it!"
Still expressionless, Qin Ming slowly turned his head, his gaze cold and detached.
Seeing him unmoved, the soldier grew angrier and raised his leg to kick him again.
"You dare glare at me, you—!"
Crack!
Five seconds later, with a crisp snapping sound, a soldier was left headfirst in the latrine, completely motionless.