"Alright, get out of here," Feng Mo said to the black-clad men, his tone authoritative. "Relay a message to your Baron Liu: I'm taking these succubi. If there's any problem, he can come find me."
Feng Mo didn't give his name, but he was confident that Baron Liu would be able to figure out who he was. After all, with the right connections in the military, it would be easy to check the docking records at the spaceport.
He also knew that once Baron Liu found out, he would likely drop any further investigation. After all, pressing the matter could have deadly consequences.
Upon hearing Feng Mo's command, Ai Er waved her hand. The black-clad men dropped to the ground like dumplings falling from the sky, groaning in pain. The middle-aged man let out a sigh of relief and quickly helped his subordinates up, retreating hastily.
Feng Mo turned to Laila, one of the succubi. "This is Ai Er Plan, your fellow succubus and now the Vice Commander of Storm Fleet. If you wish, you can join my fleet as reserve ship captains. Rest assured, bullying won't be tolerated, and that goes for both directions—you won't bully anyone either."
At his offer, the five smaller succubi and Laila all looked at her with hopeful eyes. Laila stepped forward, her voice steady yet full of gratitude. "Commander, Ai Er is a hero to our kind. We, Laila and Lacey, are willing to serve you."
Feng Mo chuckled. "Excellent! Ai Er, report this to the Federation and get them proper identities. From now on, they are reserve captains of Storm Fleet. Let's head back; it's time to set off."
Feng Mo and the succubi boarded the maglev train and returned to the spaceport. At Dock 8, a portly middle-aged man in a white embroidered robe, marked with the emblem of a white eagle, waited anxiously.
The man's eyes lit up when he saw Feng Mo and his group approaching. With a fawning smile, he hurried over and clasped Feng Mo's hand. "Ah, Viscount Feng Mo! I've been waiting for you. Please forgive the previous misunderstanding. I'm Liu, here to apologize personally."
The man's ingratiating smile reminded Feng Mo of a sly fox. This must be Baron Liu—a cunning man with quick reflexes and a well-connected network. He had likely rushed to the spaceport as soon as he heard the news.
"Hello, I'm Feng Mo," he replied coolly.
Despite Feng Mo's aloof demeanor, Baron Liu maintained his smile, knowing that in matters like this, one must be flexible and humble. "It was all a misunderstanding," he said, laughing nervously. "My incompetent subordinates acted rashly and offended you. I've come to make amends. I heard you're planning a stellar exploration, and while I'm not wealthy, I'd like to offer ten thousand Star Coins as a token of support. What do you think?"
He looked at Feng Mo with hopeful eyes.
"Fine," Feng Mo replied. "Let's leave it at that, then. Baron Liu, my fleet needs to set off. Farewell."
With that, Feng Mo and his group boarded Storm, the flagship. Accepting the money was strategic; it reassured Baron Liu that Feng Mo wouldn't hold a grudge.
From Dock 8, Baron Liu watched Storm Fleet's departure. Even after the fleet vanished into the distance, he remained there, staring. His steward approached him cautiously. "Baron, the fleet is gone. Shall we return?"
"Yes, let's go back," Baron Liu said, sighing. "What a shame I couldn't forge a stronger connection with him. If only I had, the Liu family could've risen even higher."
The steward slapped himself lightly, then asked curiously, "Baron, who is this person that commands such respect?"
"Ah," Baron Liu lamented, "Feng Mo Viscount is a prodigy of the Federation. At just 22, he's a Viscount of the Yunshan Empire, commanding a T3 fleet of his own design. Even our limited connections in the Empire told us that his T2 designs are selling like hotcakes. If we could get a licensing deal with him, our family could reach new heights."
---
Onboard Storm-Class Battleship, Bridge
"The coordinates are set for the U3 Star System," Ai Er reported. "We'll travel through the Aokelan Star System's stargate, which will take us into U3. Total estimated travel time is four hours and twenty minutes."
Feng Mo listened as Ai Er outlined the flight plan. "Initiate fleet-wide radar sharing and activate secondary warp engines. All first-tier gene warriors, enter Deep-Sea Mode. Those second-tier and above, remain at your stations."
Deep-Sea Mode was necessary to protect weaker warriors from the strain of warp travel.
"Course preset. Initiating synchronized warp in three minutes," Ai Er announced.
To accommodate the twelve T2 Black Bear-class frigates, the fleet would use secondary warp speed. Storm's power efficiency allowed it to maintain energy supply even while warping.
Storm Fleet was ready for its first stellar exploration. With a command from Ai Er, the warp engines engaged.
---
"Warp travel complete. Fleet is now in auto-navigation mode," the system announced.
At Aokelan's stargate, Feng Mo's fleet joined the queue. Thanks to the Federation's infrastructure, most major systems had gates to ensure seamless travel and strategic control. U3 was no exception.
An hour and a half later, with Ai Er presenting the necessary identification, the fleet passed through the gate, emerging into U3.
---
U3 Star System
The Federation had secured 83% of U3, but the rest remained wild and uncharted, teeming with opportunity and danger. Over the years, the area had become a hub for adventurers and explorers. Many had sold newly conquered planets to noble families, using the funds to expand their fleets and delve deeper into the unknown.
Feng Mo's sights were set on the unexplored eastern edge of U3, where Ai Er and Laila recalled their homeworld might be.
Years ago, Ai Er had deleted all navigational data before fleeing her old fleet. After escaping the Demon Star System, she wandered into a remote sector, only to be captured by a slaver.
"Commander," Ai Er reported, "our radar has picked up activity ahead. A star pirate fleet is attacking a smaller group."
After a twenty-three-hour journey, Storm Fleet arrived at the U3's eastern fringe, where no planetary data existed on the map. On the radar display, over ten T2 ships were besieging a convoy of five T2 ships. A T2 battleship, marked with a flaming insignia, loomed nearby.
Feng Mo observed. The convoy bore three emblems: the Federation, Snow Eagle, and the surname Chen—likely a family fleet.
"It looks like they've been pursued from deeper within the sector," Feng Mo said, "and our map has no records of the area beyond. Perfect, we'll get some information from them. The fee? Well, sparing their lives should suffice."
In the Chaos Star Sea, ideals like mercy and honor held no currency. Kindness only invited more trouble and danger.
"Ai Er, relay orders. Dispatch Hua Qin's T3 Mantis One and Silia's T3 Mantis Four, along with eight T2 frigates," Feng Mo commanded. "It's time these new captains saw some real action. As for the star pira
te leader, I want him captured. The Chen fleet's leader, too—bring him in for a chat."