"Of course, who doesn't yearn for freedom? But it seems not bad here too?"
Kolev spread his hands, seemingly trying to convince himself:
"Look, we have superior conditions here. Except for not being able to connect to the internet, I can do whatever I want, and they will ensure my safety.
"I am old, my child, I am seventy-two years old. My time has passed, and I just need to wait quietly for death to come.
"Not many pirates live to my age.
"Yes, I don't want to leave."
Yang Ming:...
This guy can really hypnotize himself.
"Alright, go back to sleep, young man. It's unethical to disturb old people's rest."
Kolev waved his hand, smiling, "If you want to learn some professional pirate tricks from me, I can teach you a few secrets considering our relationship as cellmates."
"Sorry to disturb you."
Yang Ming turned around, swiped the electronic lock, and coldly repeated as he left:
"A beast that has tasted freedom can never walk into his grave early."
Kolev's expression looked constipated.
...
Yang Ming lay on his single bed in cell 624, listening to the pacing sounds coming from the adjacent cell.
During the conversation with this elderly pirate, Yang Ming had quickly noticed that there was something extraordinary about him.
Those small eyes were very wise; standing in front of him, it felt as if he saw right through him.
But everyone has weaknesses, and this old man was no exception.
Unfortunately, when Yang Ming played "Abyss," he had not heard of Kolev. The world of "Abyss," or rather, the world before him, was too vast, and each player could only explore a very limited range; Kolev was not one of those famed pirates across the Galaxy.
Then, how to conquer Kolev?
Carry him away by force?
That wouldn't work, as what he needed was a ship to leave Cole Port and head to the Intelligent Mechanic Dusk; it's not hard to see that Kolev is a proud guy, and forcing him would hardly achieve his purpose.
Use bribery?
The savings Hanton had prepared to marry a noblewoman were not even enough to buy half of the smallest warp-capable ship, and such a great pirate must be immensely wealthy.
"Ugh," Yang Ming changed his position.
Just like Kolev, who kept pacing, Yang Ming himself was getting restless.
The great pirate was right in front of him, the channel to get a spaceship was right in front of him; Yang Ming might even be able to secure a supply route for the gene stabilizers through the pirates' black market trade.
Yang Ming was very aware of the predicament he was facing.
On one hand, Gulipa and Bairin's behavior today had made him realize the imminent crisis.
On the other hand, being the sole success of the Imperial Martial God Plan, this identity was particularly deadly.
Although currently, only Lina's side knew he was a transformed man, both the Empire and its rivals considered his performance at the next court session to be his only value.
But normally, the intelligence systems of all major powers penetrate each other.
And the longer he stayed in this prison, the greater the risk of exposure; a single blood test would spell disaster.
If it really came to that, the Four Great Rogues of the Galaxy—the Sherman Empire, the New Federation, the Free Federation, and the Guel Alliance—would spare no effort to acquire this transformation technology, and his chances of escape would be slim.
Thus, this great pirate Kolev was Yang Ming's perfect opportunity to break free!
'I must take a gamble.'
Yang Ming figured that if Kolev was to act, he would surely come looking for him; he closed his eyes and started shallow sleeping.
—He was already able to control his state while sleeping.
When he opened his eyes again, it was 'morning' by Galaxy Time, and Cole Port had entered 'daylight' mode, the outer protective shield had turned transparent, and that M-type Constant Star was once again suspended in the starry sky.
This day seemed particularly long.
Yang Ming forced himself to sleep through the entire day to conserve energy for the night's operation.
He waited until the same time in the middle of the night as the night before.
Yang Ming put on the Empire uniform neatly, and his freshly washed hair appeared particularly refreshing.
He leaned against the door, listening carefully. Outside, it remained silent. The seven or eight guards who were supposed to be on duty at the sixth level were now nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly,
Thud, thud thud.
The walls emitted a subtle vibration; Kolev seemed to be tapping on the wall.
Yang Ming pondered slightly — he actually suspected Kolev was part of a trap.
"We have to try."
Yang Ming gently tapped back a few times on the walls.
Bang, bang bang!
The other side fell silent.
Yang Ming was not in a hurry.
After about three or four minutes, the wall noises resumed.
Thud, thud thud thud.
Yang Ming gave a calm smile and responded.
This game continued for quite a while.
Just as Yang Ming felt that he and the quirky old man had reached an understanding, he heard the electronic lock on the neighboring cell click. A few seconds later, his own cell's electronic lock was also unlocked, and Kolev rushed in, slamming the door behind him.
"Hey!" the old man glared at Yang Ming, "What did you just say?"
"What?" Yang Ming was somewhat puzzled.
"I was communicating with you using Logan's code! Logan's code! Don't you know that as a military man? I asked you whether we should act tonight. You answered me, 'open fire, open fire.' I asked you if you had backup. You answered me, 'oh, you're so provocative.'"
Kolev's bushy beard was trembling:
"Nobody, nobody has ever dared to call me provocative! That's sexual harassment, oh my! My daughter is even the leader of a pirate group, and you, you actually!"
Yang Ming, a little embarrassed, quickly said, "Hey, Kolev, didn't you know? We in the Empire now use Morse code."
Kolev frowned and glared at Yang Ming, but finally, his anger seemed to subside a bit.
"Should we act tonight?" Kolev asked.
"It's a trap," Yang Ming crossed his arms calmly, "as you said."
"Yes, it's a trap," Kolev chuckled coldly, "I can almost see the sinister expression of that balding warden right now. He must be hiding behind the screen in the control room watching us."
"So, how should I trust you?" Yang Ming asked. "I've just arrived here, but you've been an old hand around here."
"That's a risk you'll need to take, kid. You have to make your own judgment."
Kolev, still with a sharp gaze, fiddled with a black card in his hand, sneered:
"This card, they're insulting me, you understand? They're insulting me.
"If I could leave the cell freely and do nothing, it would make me the laughing stock of our profession. The reputation I've built up over forty years would be destroyed in an instant.
"The warden probably wants to play a game of break-out and gun-down, but they don't realize who they've pissed off."
Yang Ming said, "You mean, we collaborate?"
"You could become my first mate," Kolev tilted his head up slightly, "Temporarily, of course. Once we are out of here, the agreement automatically dissolves."
Yang Ming smiled, "I agree to cooperate, but you need to be my first mate, and you must follow my orders."
"That's impossible!" Kolev became aggressive, "Before I decided to retire, I had command over seven warships, seven! I could directly demand protection money from those small nations! And you, kid, looking at your rank, oh, a captain?"
Yang Ming said, "How about this, we collaborate temporarily and decide later who is the captain and who is the first mate."
"You'll need to conquer me," Kolev squinted his eyes and smiled, "This just got interesting. Let's go, first mate, let's head to Hangar Six. Our actions are under their surveillance, but we'll find a way to turn the tables."
"Alright, first mate."
"Oh, stop the mischief, my first mate."
"I should walk in front, you're too old and slow to react, first mate."
"Of course, the captain needs to be in charge. I'll follow behind you, first mate."