Yang Ming stared intently at the pirate ship directly ahead.
He slightly adjusted the square rudder, pushing it to a slightly larger position—he had to shorten the final few minutes of this voyage as much as possible.
Yang Ming muttered quickly,
"Have your daughter prepare for the jump in advance. We need to burst in the moment before the jump completes, otherwise there's no need to drag them into this."
"Make sure we receive their surrender signal and establish communication. I'll try to hold them off."
Kolev immediately began to look down and operate, reconnecting to his pirate ship via an encrypted channel.
The old man's voice regained its calmness.
"Mimili, I'm remotely controlling the ship now. A military ship has appeared; don't worry, they won't fire easily. Remember our old trick?"
Mimili? Which Mimili? His daughter's name is Mimili?
Yang Ming was suddenly shocked, but he couldn't afford to be distracted at this moment.
"Okay, Dad! I'm not worried, I'm actually quite excited!" Mimili's voice trembled slightly.
"Give me authorization… Yes, that's it."
A three-dimensional projection appeared on the cube glass in Kolev's hands, depicting the hull of the pirate ship ahead.
Sizzle—that was the sound of electromagnetic interference.
A familiar female voice emerged from the maintenance ship's central console.
It was Lina!
"Hanton, I can forgive your impudence, but now you must come back with me, or I'd rather destroy you."
"Is that so, Lina?"
Yang Ming turned his head to look toward the starboard side, pushing the square rudder forward once more; the intense pushback thrilled him slightly.
"I apologize for our intense physical clashes just now, but Lina, both of us know how miserable it would be if I went back with you. I just learned a phrase, Lina."
Yang Ming gazed up at the pirate ship ahead.
Above the pirate ship, on the left and right wings, and on the front deck, a deep blue halo appeared simultaneously, slowly covering the entire pirate ship in a thin film.
Typically, such colored film indicated a low-level protective energy shield.
It seemed the pirates were ready for battle.
But when Yang Ming turned his head to look at Kolev, he saw a growing excitement in Kolev's eyes.
Although Yang Ming didn't know the specifics, he understood—the pirate ship's "protective shield" was something significant. He now had to do his utmost to preserve this ship.
"Don't make me hate you, Lina. Don't harm the new friends I just met."
"Hanton, this pirate ship won't withstand a single strike from our main cannon. That level of protective shield is like a piece of paper," Lina said, "You have no escape, Hanton. Didn't you just learn a phrase? We can talk face-to-face, and I'll hold your hand, forgiving your previous rashness."
Yang Ming pondered for a moment.
He saw the excitement in Kolev's eyes.
With a hint from Kolev's gaze, Yang Ming steered the maintenance ship steadily, slowly turning it sideways to align with the gap opening in the rear of the pirate ship.
The deep blue light film flowed towards the rear like water.
"Lina, I can come back with you."
Yang Ming spoke, "But I need to help my old friend leave. Catching these space pirates means nothing to you, does it, Lina?"
"Of course," Lina said softly, "I'll let them go. This is an official promise. Now, please stop your maintenance craft and have the pirate ship disable its protective shield."
Yang Ming adjusted the position of the small craft, his eyes filled with deep blue light.
Only a little more than a hundred meters remained until the rear, but the maintenance ship had to slow down to avoid hitting the hull.
Kolev kept twirling the glass panel in his hands.
He calculated, ensuring the blue film's spreading speed perfectly matched the forward sliding speed of the maintenance craft.
Thirty meters.
The outer hatch of the rear compartment on the pirate ship began to close in advance.
Kolev signaled Yang Ming to move forward, and Yang Ming gently pushed the operating lever.
A terrible silence fell inside the small craft.
Yang Ming felt as though he could hear someone's heartbeat.
"Hanton," Lina said, "we will send a landing craft to take control of this pirate ship, but rest assured, as long as you cooperate, we won't harm them. Let them conserve some energy, this protective shield is utterly pointless."
"Is that so, Lina?" Yang Ming murmured softly, "Your lips are very sweet. I hope that wasn't our last intimate encounter."
Lina seemed a bit embarrassed but quickly responded with gentle words, "We can have a long time alone together, we won't disappoint each other, right, Hanton?"
"Yes, Lina, I like kissing you."
The maintenance craft slid into the gap of the rear compartment.
The deep blue light film quietly sealed two seconds later.
The outer hatch of the rear compartment closed five seconds later.
Due to its slightly high speed, the maintenance ship was pressed by Yang Ming using the square rudder against the thickened deck of the rear compartment, causing sparks to fly as it scraped against the hull.
Suddenly!
Buzz—
The light around the pirate ship slightly distorted; a lens effect caused arc-shaped starlight to appear around its exterior!
"That's subspace coating!"
In the bridge of the Side Guard Three vessel, several officers stared at the scene in front of them, immediately shouting at Lina on the side projection screen:
"That's not a protective shield, it's a jump coating! They've activated subspace! Damn, how did they do that, mimicking the energy fluctuations of a protective shield!"
"What?" Lina was somewhat taken aback. "Stop them!"
"Side Cannon Three is fully charged!"
"Side Cannon Four is fully charged!"
"Commander, can we shoot them down? Please make a decision!"
"The enemy will initiate the jump in twenty-five seconds."
Shock quickly vanished from Lina's eyes.
Her image appeared on the bridge projection screen of Side Guard Three;
And the projection screen in front of Lina split into two parts, one locked onto the pirate ship with Yang Ming, the other showing the inside of the bridge.
"Twenty seconds!"
The technician turned his head and yelled.
Voices on the bridge became chaotic, then quickly fell silent as everyone's eyes converged on Lina's projection.
In the back seat of the hovercar, Lina was already clutching her hands tightly.
"Fifteen-second countdown! The enemy is about to open the jump channel!"
"Captain!"
"Lina, do you still want to hear that phrase?"
Yang Ming's voice suddenly rose, but the subspace membrane had disrupted the communication, making his deliberately slowed voice sound a bit deep and hoarse:
"A beast that has tasted freedom cannot willingly walk into its own grave."
"Captain!"
Lina was almost breathless; several thoughts flashed through her mind rapidly.
Kigrov's technology, the sole significant result of the Valkyrie Plan, her own nine months of undercover accomplishments...
And yet, her mind was filled with the image of that kiss with the transformed man...
"The enemy has opened the channel!"
On the screen, the nearly disintegrating pirate ship flickered slightly.
"Attack!"
Lina immediately shouted. Side Guard Three's side cannons fired deep purple rays.
The pirate ship flickered suddenly!
The purple rays skimmed past the pirate ship but only hit a slight shimmer of light.
The starry space in front of them returned to normal, and the lens effect on the edge of the subspace disappeared.
Lina slumped into her seat, feeling waves of dizziness assault her once again, her irregular breathing moving her chest.
In that moment, Lina thought of the Kigrov that Hanton had spoken of.
Yes, she too felt hesitation and timidity.
Just like Kigrov facing the Valkyrie.
"Can you pinpoint their landing site?" Lina asked in a trembling voice.
"Unable to track for now, it's a long-distance jump. Pirates always have some jump points we don't know about," the captain of Side Guard Three said, "Cole Port Peace Guard has sent us an inquiry. Our ship has appeared in a restricted zone...you shouldn't have hesitated, Lina, level one intelligence officer. I will recount the whole process honestly to your superiors."
"Um, I know. Thanks for your cooperation."
Lina nodded calmly and didn't say much else.
...
After intense vibrations often came severe gasping.
Yang Ming was relatively fine; during the dozen seconds of the jump, he barely felt a faint tearing sensation.
The pirate ship's jump experience was nothing compared to the comfortable Human Council survey ship.
But Yang Ming turned to see Kolev and was startled.
The old man was gasping heavily, his eyes bloodshot and face turning dark, his body trembling continuously.
Yang Ming immediately realized something and placed his palm on the old man's chest, gently patting it, causing the old man to start vomiting violently.
Soon after, Kolev slumped into the seat, and Yang Ming turned on this maintenance boat's air purification system.
Indeed, the air of freedom was filled with the stench of vomit.
The tail cabin began slowly pressurizing, the air outside still very thin. Yang Ming didn't dare venture out hastily and started examining the overly spacious tail cabin.
The old man beside him swore a few interspace curses, then burst into loud laughter.
"We survived! Haha! Hanton!"
Yang Ming squinted smilingly.
The feeling of escaping death was quite pleasant.
"Relax, we're temporarily safe," Kolev collapsed in the driver's seat, "Why were you so sure your darling Lina would hesitate? Frontline intelligence officers like her are strictly trained personnel. If I can't have it, then no one can—that's always been their principle."
Yang Ming carefreely said, "That's confidence in my kissing skills."
"Cut it out!" Kolev rolled his eyes.
Yang Ming's eyebrows twitched slightly: "Was everything you said earlier true? About your first wife and her lesbian best friend?"
"Oh," Kolev looked regretful, "I always talk too much when I'm old, and I can't believe I told you everything! Yes, but worry not, I was still kind at the time."
"What happened after?"
"I left that city. After taking them to the hospital and contacting the local police, I intended to return to my homeland—a livable Resource Star full of Dunes, I needed a place to lick my wounds."
Kolev sighed, "But on my way back, I encountered pirates and became their captive. Because of my advanced technician certification, they took me back to work as a technical worker, and step by step, I became a professional pirate."
Yang Ming nodded.
"What about your story?" Kolev asked, "Deputy Hanton, we are friends now. It's your turn to share."
Yang Ming pointed to a cabin door that was opening nearby.
Kolev chuckled, "Hurry up, or I won't let you off easily. It's my territory now!"
"I am an officer from the Sherman Empire."
Yang Ming took an interested look at the few elderly people who came running toward them, appearing about the same age as Kolev.
That made sense; after all, Kolev was an old pirate, his pirate group having a few elderly members was quite normal.
Yang Ming continued, "I previously worked on a vile genetic modification research ship, responsible for firefighting. Later, an accident occurred. The research ship exploded due to the rebellion of the Transformed Bodies, and I barely escaped. I underwent basic enhancement modifications and could suppress those half-finished transformed people when necessary."
Several middle-aged men and women appeared behind those elderly individuals, their expressions filled with respect.
"What happened next?" Kolev unbuckled his seatbelt and started operating the maintenance boat's scissor door.
Yang Ming's eyes suddenly sparkled.
He saw the young girl rushing out, her beautiful face and hot figure drawing out a knowing smile on his face.
But as the features of the girl overlapped with scenes from his memory, Yang Ming's expression gradually turned into surprise and disbelief.
He recognized this beautiful face!
He had seen her more than once in "Abyss."
Praise the Ancient Gods… Kolev's daughter was actually this Mimili!