Chapter 70 Master and Apprentice plus Old Dog
Exodus TalesExodus Tales
After ending the call, Xia Fei returned to the workshop. He worked like what he did that morning. His face barely betrayed any bit of emotion, showing an expression that was as calm as ever.
Xia Fei was certain that Old Ks men were nearby, watching each move in the factory, so even if he had even the slightest emotion, he knew that he must not show it here.
The universal modification pliers danced in his hands. Boateng and Xia Fei continued to work hard in the workshop, while Old Porter and Lina remained in the design studio, the fabrication of parts progressing as per normal; none of them even slowed their pace of work.
When working with the team of nine, Xia Fei never felt that repairing spaceships was a tiring task. In fact, they would even have time to sit together to brag and bluster, bantering, and killing time as they talked about their partners.
Now that it was just Boateng and him, he finally felt that repairing spaceships was actually a very strenuous job. His arms were beginning to numb, while he could feel his two legs becoming heavy like lead.
He brushed his spatial ring lightly and took out two White Dew, handing Boateng one as he ate the other.
Boateng was an honest man, almost to the point of denseness. He received the White Dew from him and swallowed it without even asking any question. He was delighted when he felt his body recovering strength, flashing a thumbs-up at Xia Fei as he continued to bury himself in their work.
Ever since that grueling fight with Chen Dong, Xia Fei would always bring along a good amount of Snake Eye Berries and White Dew with him wherever he went. Had he not had these items in his possession during the assessment, there was no way Xia Fei would have been able to last for twenty-one days.
Another shuttle appeared in the sky, and it landed on a clearing in the factory compound. A tall and plump dark-skinned man exited it.
This person was essentially a younger version of Old Porter, looking to be in his forties. He was over six foot five and had a rather conspicuous distended belly as well. He even had a slight limp when he walked, but unlike Old Porter, he did not have just one eye.
Xia Fei stopped his work, poured out two glasses of water, and walked toward Boateng.
Nudging Boateng with his elbow, he gestured with his chin in the direction of that large man walking over and asked about the identity of their visitor.
He is masters oldest apprentice, Murray, whispered Boateng.
Xia Fei had already heard about Old Porter actually having four apprentices, but three of them had ultimately chosen to leave for different reasons. Just what was Murray doing here at this time?
Murray waddled to where Xia Fei and Boateng were with his giant beer belly, his two hands rubbing against his hands constantly out of seeming nervousness.
*Slam!*
Boateng placed his glass heavily on a steel plate and, with acold snort, buried his head into his work again, completely ignoring Murrays existence.
Murray balked at his unfriendly actions, sweating non-stop as he stood there like a statue. Many times, he tried to open his mouth but always ended up closing it without saying a word.
In the end, Xia Fei smiled and approached Murray himself, stretching his left hand. Im new here. You can call me Xia Fei.
Xia Fei had no clue about the uncomfortable past these fellow apprentices shared, but seeing this portly man in the factory during its most troubled time clearly showed that this fella still deeply valued the bond between master and apprentices. There was no reason to be overly unkind to the man, so he took the initiative to greet the other.
The new arrivals expression revealed a great degree of gratitude, softly saying, Im Murray h-here to
Xia Fei laughed and patted his beer belly. Amazing. Youre almost about to catch up to Uncle Porter. Hes in the design studio by the way.
Murray hesitated for several minutes before he picked up a pair of universal modification pliers from the ground and joined them in the restoration of the spaceship.
The difference between a skilled mechanic and that of a novice was immediately apparent. Though Murray had only joined in the repairs of this warship just the one time, he had very quickly found work that he could contribute to.
In the eyes of a veteran, there would always be no end to the work that they could do on a spaceship. They would be able to very quickly adapt to the task even when taking over someones work halfway, while a novice would find themselves fumbling about on what they should be doing.
Xia Fei worked even as he observed Murrays actions. His movements were very proficient yet brusque, considered to be the sort that accomplished heavy-duty work. What would have taken anyone half a day to tighten a long-shafted safety screw, Murray only needed a short time to accomplish.
Boateng and Murray were completely different from each other. The latter was the kind that worked slowly, doing everything unhurriedly no matter what the task was just like a tai chi expertcalm and elegant, while the former was like Tongbei fist, quick and efficient.
A good mechanic could work the job of two men, and with Murrays aid, Xia Fei and Boateng had a much easier time doing their respective roles.
It was unknown when Old Porter had appeared in the workshop, his eyes staring at Murray while he was hard at work as a reflective sheen visibly accumulated.
Murray noticed Old Porters presence and quickly stopped his work and stiffened, hiding the universal modification pliers in his hands behind his back.
I-I Murray was tongue-tied for the longest time before he finally managed to finish his sentence. Ive sent my wife and child back to her mothers.
Old Porter was slightly taken aback by this. He eventually slightly nodded, then turned to go back inside the design studio.
Boateng set his tool aside, sighed, and asked Murray, Hows your wife?
The expression on Murrays face went through a series of changes at once; he was abuzz with excitement, glee, and guilt as he nodded deeply. Yes, were expecting another child soon.
Boateng gave a friendly chuckle before resuming his work.
Murray used his sleeves to wipe his eyes and went back to take on this fight beside Boateng.
It was apparent that Murray had first made arrangements for his familys safety when he heard about the troubles at Old Porters factory before resolutely making his return to his masters side in order to help out. This was probably what the saying seeing truth in adversity meant.
What Xia Fei found even more unexpected was that, about an hour later, another shuttle landed on the compound, and a middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap emerged from it, a parted pencil mustache hung on his philtrum.
This man was Old Porters third apprentice, Collins.
Like Murray, he had also taken off his shirt and immediately dove into the work nervously.
The efficiency of the four men working together was evidently much greater than two. Besides, Murray and Collins were great examples of what it meant to be good mechanics. Seeing the two men enjoying themselves greatly as they got their hands dirty, slowly but surely, they were able to make good progress with the repairs until they were almost on par with the parts currently being fabricated.
Before dusk arrived, a frigate landed on the factory company, and a young man with thick eyebrows walked into the workshop, looking to be in his twenties.This was the same person Xia Fei had met before in the black market, Xiao Tianthe youngest out of all Old Porters apprentices.
Xiao Tian was no longer in the line of spaceship maintenance and repair, but he still had the work overalls from when he had been working there, starched and clean.
Wearing it, Xiao Tian joined the other apprentices and very quickly got involved with the work.
In just a day when a crisis happened at Old Porters factory, all four of his apprentices found their way back here.
No matter what their reasons were for leaving back then, the fact remained that, though they had not been around for a long time, their hearts stayed.
Xia Fei and Boateng were sitting on the ground, a glass of water in their hands; of course, Xia Fei also had his lit cigarette as he watched Murray, Xiao Tian, and Collins work.
A rare smile, coupled with an excited look, appeared on Boatengs face.
Even the old dog, Inert Star, which was only inches away from death, had miraculously found vigor as it ambled to the workshop from its den, lying on the ground immobile as the animal stared at the four comrades with its murky eyes seemingly shining in comprehension.
Many years back, Inert Star had also watched the four men work every day, and now that it was at deaths door, being able to witness such a scene from the past should also be something worth being happy over.
The old cripple, Song San, who oversaw cooking, happily brought out a pot of black beverage. Xia Fei had once drunk this before, and it was a type of cooling sweet broth that the locals made, a sweet and sour taste similar to sour plum soup from Earth.
He first gave Inert Star a small bowl, placing it right in front of the dog. The animal had not been eating or drinking anything these past few days, but it was different today. Using its tongue to lap on that bowl of sweet broth, everyone could see it recover quite a bit of vitality.
Come, everyone; have some sweet broth, called Song San with a face-splitting grin.
Murray and Xiao Tian were both smiling as they greeted the old cook, who happily did the same, and they kept talking about the past.
The four apprentices worked together flawlessly, actually managing to finish the days work a short while after sundown. If Xia Fei and Boateng had kept working with just the two of them, it was very likely that they would have been unable to catch up even if they continued with it deep into the night.
Old Porter strolled out from the design studio and gazed at these familiar faces, smiling. Dont go just yet. Lets all share a round or two tonight.
The four men nodded repeatedly.
That was when Inert Star suddenly stood up and dashed toward the north of the factory, barking all the way. It was regrettable that it was no longer as lively as before, so it sounded more like a low whine than a bark.
Everyone was puzzled as they stared at Inert Star, unclear on what had aggravated it.
All of a sudden!
*Boom!* A huge explosion came from the north like a raging blaze shot to the sky!
A spaceship, which had been parked due north, suddenly exploded!
The sound that came as a result of the explosion shattered several glasses in the workshop. Quite a few spaceships on the compound had been knocked over due to the force of the blast.
Everyone hurried over and grabbed fire extinguishers to put out the fire.
Fortunately, the fire was not too large, and it was very quickly extinguished, though the strong burnt smell lingered all around them.
Xiao Tian threw the fire extinguisher in his hands to the ground and ground his teeth while he made a run for his spaceship. This must be Old Ks doing! Hes too much! Ill go and screw him back!
Collins could not stand it, either. Rolling up his sleeves, he followed Xiao Tian while yelling, Im coming with you! Worst-case scenario, well put our lives on the line and fight it out with them!
STOP RIGHT THERE! boomed Porter at the top of his lungs, his face emotionless.
Xiao Tian and Collins froze in place when they heard him, their eyes filled with dissatisfaction.
Its been so long since we last saw one another Lets just talk about all this tomorrow morning, said Porter after a short pause.
Xia Fei was not really listening attentively to what they were saying, for he had noticed that Inert Star was lying on the ground, unmoving.
He quickly approached the old dog and touched its snout. It was cold to the touch, and no longer releasing faint puffs of breath.
Shrapnel from the explosion had pierced its heart, and in the end, this pitiful old hound had died as a result of its loyalty, not getting the peaceful death it deserved.
Giving that almost hairless head of Inert Star a pat, Xia Fei quietly said, Youre already out of strength, so why did you still run over so quickly?
Everyone crowded around its body, silent. Even the introverted Murray quietly wiped away his tears.
Outside the workshop, everyone dug out a grave at where Inert Star usually stayed before, burying it in that spot.
Burying their canine companion, the surrounding atmosphere was stately and solemn.
After the ceremony was over, Old Porter patted Xia Feis shoulder. Lets go; head back to my office.
Xia Fei looked exhausted, rubbing his shoulder. Uncle Porter, Im a little tired today. I think Ill turn in a little earlier.
Porter nodded. Thats good, too. You did a lot of work today, and youve already done well just by holding down the fort.
Returning to his spaceship, Xia Fei took a shower and changed into his Windshade Mark IV combat suit. He then secured the Chasing Light tightly on his left arm.
There were still two hours left until Xia Feis meet-up scheduled with Sonny. He folded his hands behind his head as he lay in bed, looking up at the ceiling as he muttered to himself, Old K, why would you not even spare an old hound which was nearing its death?Chapter 71 Infiltration
Exodus TalesExodus Tales
Under the cover of night, a shuttle activated its stealth function and quietly landed on a hill a hundred meters or so away from Old Porters factory.
Sonny opened the sealed cabin and glided down the shuttle. He did not turn on any of the lights throughout his journey here as per Xia Feis instructions and landed amid this blanket of darkness by relying on the vehicles automated navigation system.
Xia Fei made his way over without making a sound from a spaceship wreckage and spoke in a hushed voice. Sonny, Im over here.
Sonny shuddered and held his hand to his chest. Boss, how are you not making any sound when you move? Youve given me quite the fright.
Xia Fei made his way to the shuttle and boarded it. Lets leave this place before we continue our conversation.
The shuttle silently took off slowly from this spot. Sonny only turned off the stealth function after they got far from Old Porters factory. The shuttles engine let out a series of sputters before speeding off into the night sky.
Where are we going? asked Sonny, somewhat puzzled. He did not know why Xia Fei had asked to be picked up this late at night, and he also had no idea where they were heading to.
Do you know where Old K resides? asked Xia Fei instead.
Sonnys wrists shook, and the shuttle abruptly lurched in the air for a bit. Old K was once a pirate! Hes done stuff which involved murder and smuggling. Though hes since retired from that life, he still has plenty of his underlings at his beck and call. Hes the most powerful person here in the entire warship graveyard; just what are you planning to do?
Xia Fei shook his head. I dont care about what hes done before, or what hes dealing with right now. I only wish to know where hes staying.
The entire population across the warship graveyard knew about Old Porters situation, and Sonny was no exception. He could vaguely guess what Xia Fei was intending to do, but he did not dare to confirm it.
After about half an hour of flight, Sonny activated the stealth function once more and continued to flit across the sky for another twenty minutes before finally landing on the deck of an abandoned warship.
This is as far as I can send you. Old Ks abode is a hundred fifty kilometers due south. His entire residence is lit by searchlights, so you can easily spot it, said Sonny.
Xia Fei observed their surroundings and pointed to a valley in the west. Head over there and wait for me. If Im not back at daybreak, fly your shuttle back home.
Sonny did not dare to ask questions and just nodded his head. Okay, Ill go wait for your return on that spot.
Xia Fei smiled, patted him on the back, and jumped off the shuttle. He kept his body low as he headed south at a speed of 150m/s.
Soon, a well-lit mansion appeared ahead.
In this barren warship graveyard, such a massive structure was undoubtedly unique, with it being entirely made out of white stone blocks and encompassing a land area of twenty thousand square meters.
A sixteen-foot wall surrounded the property; there were towers, built at a measured distance from one another and manned by armed personnel, along this wall.
Dozens of big spotlights not only shone upon the snowy-white interior of this palatial abode, they also swept the perimeter of the wall on a set path.
Xia Fei calculated on his mind and figured out that he only had a 9.3-second gap for the next scanning process of these spotlights. Though the timeframe was very limited, it was more than enough for someone like Xia Fei who had the Speed Ability.
Xia Fei pulled on the full-face mask of the Windshade Mark IV, which left just his mouth and two eyes exposed.
Using the many old and disused warships around the area as cover, Xia Fei began to make his way over the mansion swiftly.
There was no cover around the area in front of the wall, so Xia Fei hid behind a small warship and began to count down the seconds inwardly.
A beam of light swang past just before him, and he darted past when a gap in the scanning lights happened. In the blink of an eye, he found himself right by the wall.
Pressing a button on his waist, hair-thin barbs suddenly extended out his gloves and boots. Like a gecko, Xia Fei deftly climbed the top of the wall and did a quick scan of the inner area.
He saw a large garden teeming with verdant greenery. Several security personnel were lazily patrolling along a path not too far from him, whistling as they made their rounds.
Xia Fei went over the wall and silently got himself in the garden. His one hand held the ground for support as he began to search for an entrance to the mansion.
The pristine mansion had three floors, and the square building had clear and defined corners, with a watchtower constructed on each of these four corners; Xia Fei could make out the presence of a guard on night shift inside.
There were glass doors in the north and south wings of this building. The underground garage entrance was in the east, while an empty clearing was to the west, which had an Amarr Execution-class frigate parked on it.
Pressing a very small button on his full-face mask, a thin, red eyepiece appeared on his left eye. This was the Windshade Mark IV combat suits scanning gadget which also provided the user with a night vision.
The gadget immediately began doing its job and soon projected a faint beam onto Xia Feis retinas which gave an analysis of the situation.
The front, back, and garage doors all had security devices installed, and Xia Fei could very clearly make out a colorful scanning beam moving at high speeds from these entrances. Anyone would be discovered the moment they passed through those.
Xia Fei gritted his teeth, lay in the underbrush and waited patiently.
Time passed.Xia Fei had been in the garden for over an hour when he suddenly spotted a black hover car driving in from the main gate, looking as if it were about to enter the garage.
Xia Fei placed both his hands to the ground as the muscles in his legs tensed up. He kept his crouching position, which was almost lying prone to the ground, like a cheetah ready to run off.
The hover car very slowly moved past the courtyard as it went along the programmed path.
When the vehicle neared the garden, Xia Fei promptly gathered strength in both his legs, then let his body fly out like a bullet, all along maintaining a low altitude!
*Whizz!*
Keeping his body streamlined, he cut through air like a thin blade as his nose maintained barely a one-centimeter distance from the ground.
Xia Fei quickly and soundlessly tucked himself to the undercarriage of the hover car, which was sliding across the ground like a flying saucer.
*Slap!*
He spread his fingers and palms wide and utilized the barbs on his gloves to lightly grab onto the chassis of the hover car, spreading his two legs symmetrically for stability. The sides of his combat boots also had similar barbs, allowing Xia Fei to plaster himself on this vehicles body!
Only microseconds passed as he performed all these actions, and the two people inside the hover car remained unaware of what had just transpired.
The hover car came to a halt right at the garage entrance, and the blond driver poked his head out to wave at the surveillance camera. The garage door slowly opened, while the security devices were temporarily disabled.
The car drove into the garage and parked beside the other luxury shuttles.
The vehicle would abruptly fall in place once the hover system was turned off, so if Xia Fei failed to separate himself in time, the shuttles several tons of weight would likely crush him into a meaty paste.
Xia Fei softly pulled both his hands away as his body did an implausible twist before crawling away from the vehicle without creating a noise, which also happened to be the drivers blindspot.
With quiet footsteps, Xia Fei managed to hide behind the back of another vehicle.
The blond-haired driver turned off the engine and hopped out of the hover car to open the backseat door. Mr. Qin, please follow me. Old K is waiting for you on the third floor at this moment.
A man in his forties stepped out from the back seat. This person, with a portly figure, was wearing a pressed suit. His nose was red from alcohol and his pair of beady eyes were glimmering slyly.
The blond man led Mr. Qin up the stairs, and when the sound of their footsteps faded, Xia Fei studied his surroundings with great wariness, only standing up after he had confirmed that there were no intruder-detection devices installed in this place.
The defense outside of Old Ks abode was near flawless, yet there was hardly any camera of the ilk inside. Most likely the man disliked being watched while in his home, so the internal security of this mansion was rather lax.
Xia Fei went upstairs, sticking his body to the wall with his ears pricked for any movement.
The first floor was the lounge and dining room, and the lights here were dim. There was hardly anyone around, so Xia Fei was able to proceed onto the second floor smoothly.
Xia Fei was still leaning closely against the wall. He pulled out a small mirror from his spatial ring and used it to reflect and observe what was happening in the corridor.
He spotted the blond man idly chatting with an armed guard by the stairwell.
Aside from Old K and Qin Sansui, whos the other guy there? I could sense a vague yet frigid aura coming from him when I walked near that caused all my hair to stand up, curiously asked the bodyguard.
The blond man lightly chuckled before he mimed a gun with his fingers and aimed it at the bodyguards head. Thats on a need-to-know basis. Dont ask too many questions, or youll have to take care of your head.
Youre right. The less I know, the better it is for me.
The blond man wondered aloud, Porters factory should soon be on its last leg, shouldnt it?
Yup. Old K has been putting the screws in them over these few days; Porters workers were all taken care off yesterday, then we sent someone to plant a bomb today. The way I see it, Porter wont be able to hold out much longer.
Actually, we shouldve done this from the start. By sending our men to grab that old b*st*rd who doesnt know any better, this matter wouldve been done and dusted by now; why even go through all the trouble? Say, is Old K having some doubts or something?
The blond man laughed and pointed at the bodyguards head again. Old Wu, why cant you fix this gossiping habit of yours?
Old Wu smiled foolishly as he slapped his head heavily. Ah, d*mn! Im really asking for it with this mouth of mine.
Xia Fei quietly kept his mirror. The stairs to the third floor happened to be blocked off by the presence of the two men. How was he going to get up there?
His eyes shone when he discovered a dumbwaiter diagonally across him. There was always a dedicated chef in huge households and the dumbwaiter would be used to send the food up the stairs once they were done.
An idea came to him almost instantly the moment he saw it.
There was only a short distance of ten meters to the dumbwaiter opposite him, so it would only take Xia Fei .025 seconds to reach the dumbwaiter if he used his top speed. Furthermore, the dumbwaiter was positioned such that it was on the blindspot of the two guards.
Xia Fei took a deep breath and searched for the opportune moment, zipping past and diving into that open dumbwaiter.
It was a small and narrow dumbwaiter, barely enough to fit in a person. Using two hands to prop himself against its walls, Xia Fei quickly climbed up the shaft to the third floor.
Using his fingers to pry open a crack, he took a peek around.
The third floor was not partitioned into separate rooms, like what Xia Fei had seen on the first and second floors, but was an entire chamber itself, instead.
In this brightly lit room, he saw two men sitting on the sofa, having a discussion. Xia Fei was angled somewhere behind them, so all he could see was their backs.
The one in the middle of the sofa should be Old K, as this person only had a sparse tuft of white hair at the center of his head, while that middle-aged man on his right went by the name of Qin Sansui.
Do you understand what Ive just told you? asked Old K.
Qin Sansui nodded his head repeatedly. I thought you had called me over in the dead of night for something important. You couldve just told me this matter over the phone Rest assured; from tomorrow onward, therell no longer be any courier company that can deliver a parcel to Porters factory. The director for the Galaxy Spaceship Authority is my brother-in-law, so as long as I give him a call, I can guarantee that Old Porter can no longer register even one spaceship.
Xia Fei furrowed his brows. It looked as if they were planning to isolate Old Porter completely, limiting him from both inside and out just to force him into submitting.
Old K handed Qin Sansui a thick envelope, and the man was beyond delighted, thanking the former profusely before leaving.
The moment Qin Sansui departed, a man in a black windbreaker stepped out from behind a secret door. This person seemed to be in his thirties and had a very prominent hooked nose as well as eyes that exhibited a quiet ferocity.
This is your plan? That hooked-nosed fella chuckled mirthlessly.
Old K sighed. Mountain Hawk, you dont understand what Porter is like. Theres no use doing things the hard way toward such people. You can only slowly drive his kind to desperation so that he will take the initiative to hand that item over, or else he can simply be more resilient in the face of adversity, potentially choosing to go for a mutual destruction instead, and thats a least ideal result, for the cons outweigh the pros.
The man called Mountain Hawk sat beside Old K and spoke in a placid tone. Perhaps what you said makes sense, but my patience is running thin. I can only wait for three more days. If youre still unable to get me that overclocking chip within these three days, Ill just have to get myself involved in its acquisition.
Old K held a liquor glass in hand and took a sip as he arched his lips. At the end of the day, the warship graveyard is also my territory; theres no need for you to interfere.
Old K showed an old pirates true colors with that veiled threat, countering Mountain Hawk without a hint of regard for the man.
Mountain Hawk was momentarily stunned before he chuckled. Dont be angered Old K. Lets carry on with your plan.
Yes. Old K nodded his head lightly. Ill naturally help you get hold of what you want, but what about what I want?
Mountain Hawk pulled out an exquisitely stitched leather pouch and placed it softly on the table, saying mysteriously, I have it here.
Chapter 72 Hermi
Exodus TalesExodus Tales
Old K stood by the window, watching that man named Mountain Hawk depart onboard his spaceship before he returned to the sofa and took that brown leather pouch in hand. He loosened the drawstrings and looked at the content for some time.
Xia Fei was positioned behind the old man, so he was unable to make out what was inside the pouch.
Standing up and hesitating for a while, Old K walked toward an oil painting in the room. It was a painting of a half-naked woman with ample bosoms and tempting snow-white skin.
He pressed a button cleverly concealed in its picture frame, and the painting suddenly popped open to reveal a hidden safe behind.
Only after placing his right hand on the palm-print identification and a red beam, which had shot out, scanning his irises did the safe open for him.
With such strict security systems in place, I wonder if its something very valuable Xia Fei muttered to himself.
Old K then headed to the bathroom after closing the safe. It did not take long for the sound of running water to be heard from inside.
Xia Fei did not delay. Immediately opening the doors to the dumbwaiter, he shifted to the side of the bathroom and plastered his body as close as possible to the wall.
The bathroom door was opaque, so Xia Fei could clearly see a figure lying in the bathtub inside, face tilted up with a hot towel covering his face.
Xia Fei smiled. He lightly pulled the door open and walked in, placing his Chasing Light under Old Ks neck while using his left hand to remove the towel covering his face.
Unexpectedly, Old Ks face was very composed, his squinting eyes not revealing a hint of nervousness in the slightest.
Xia Fei could not help but respect his calmness. The old coot truly lived up to his name as a notorious ex-pirate for him not to show any reaction despite his circumstance.
He glanced at Xia Fei and asked, Did Mountain Hawk send you here?
Xia Fei shook his head lightly. Nope. It was Inert Star that sent me here.
Inert Star? Old K was baffled, his forehead forming distinct ridges.
He tried to recall who that was yet could simply not. He sighed in the end. Sorry, Ive offended too many people in my life. Its impossible for me to remember all of them.
Indeed, you wont be able to remember, for Inert Star is just a dog, spat Xia Fei icily.
Old Ks eyes exuded a sharp glint that drastically contrasted his age. Youre killing me because of a dog?
His tone was one of skepticism and indignation with his voice betraying a slight tremor. This is ridiculous. Ive lived for seventy years and been in every sort of situation, yet Im actually about to die because of a dog. I simply refuse to believe it.
Xia Fei very carefully appreciated the expression on Old Ks face. You dont have to believe it, but Im truly out to kill you now because of a dog named Inert Star.
Old K heard Xia Feis words and felt that he did not appear to be lying. His wrinkled face went red, then white, before finally settling to green.
A notorious pirate ended up dying because of a dog. Such an ending did not settle well with the prideful Old K.
Theres something very precious in my safe. Will it be enough to exchange for my life? asked Old K in a voice that betrayed his age.
Your life isnt worth anythingjust a dollar at most. Xia Fei beamed. The thing is that Inert Stars life was very precious.
Old K gritted his teeth, lifting his left hand to show a large spatial ring. And if we add this in?
A spatial ring needed a spatial stone inlaid as a medium to connect to the second-dimensional space, and usually, the larger it was meant the purer the rock, which in turn meant it had a stronger link to the second-dimensional space.
After all, anyone who would attempt to access the second-dimensional space needed a spatial stone to create the passage and make the connection. If the passage was unstable, it could very well spell the loss, damage, or doom for an item in the middle transit.
Old Ks spatial ring was evidently far larger than the average spatial rings; its green luster was more exquisite and purer with no trace of other colors.
This ring has over twenty cubic square meters of space. I do believe that you know just how expensive this is. Old K elaborated this with some forlorn desperation.
The price of a spatial ring would usually increase exponentially with every increase in size. A ring with twenty cubic square meters of space would be worth forty, and considering that there would be a seventy-five percent premium for rings over ten cubic square meters, that essentially meant that just the ring alone was worth over seventy billion star coins!
Such a large sum was pretty much enough to buy the whole of Australia, yet Xia Fei remained as expressionless as ever, though he had already been quite surprised upon learning the rings massive storage space.
Alright. I promise not to kill you off too painfully, said Xia Fei very readily.
That was when Old K finally understood that there was no escaping this predicament. He shut his eyes and tried to pretend to be calm, but that heaving chest betrayed his fear in the face of death.
*Shing!*
Chasing Light created a lone flash of cyan, which was aimed right at Old Ks neck, slicing off his arteries and windpipe in one motion.
Fresh blood flowed from the wound and into the bathtub, dyeing this clear bathwater red. Old K shuddered for but a moment before breathing his last.
Xia Fei had just retrieved the spatial ring from the old mans hand when he heard a voice coming from downstairs. Old K? Old K? The control tower said that Mountain Hawk is turning back. Do you wish to see him?
Xia Fei furrowed his brows, kept the ring, and quickly walked out of the bathroom, choosing to hide behind a row of bookcases.
The man downstairs shouted twice, and when he did not get a reply, he gingerly pushed the door open and entered. The blond man from before was standing to the front with the short-haired bodyguard right behind him.
Xia Fei wiped his Chasing Light onto his clothes from behind the bookcase, cleaning off the blood as his muscles tensed, quickly thinking up a plan of escape.
The two men hesitantly made their way to the bathroom; the blond man then reached out to push open its door.
Xia Fei considered it for a while before brushing his spatial ring and taking out his cadet Adjudicator badge.
The short-haired man inspected it for some time, almost laughing as he asked, An apprentice Adjudicator? Did your Adjudicator Union actually send you on a mission?
Xia Fei did not give any indication of agreement or otherwise, keeping his eyes trained on the short-haired man.
That was when the roar of a warp engine could be heard above. Following this, Mountain Hawks Executioner-class frigate descended on the landing apron.
The short-haired man somewhat anxiously glanced outside the window, then somberly said, I dont care what your Adjudicator Union is up to. All I want to know is one thing: Did Mountain Hawk hand a brown pouch to Old K?