Blairand was currently in a period of mental weakness, getting up slightly later than Asui each day. He had originally been lying in bed, resting with his eyes closed, when he suddenly heard the sound of the starship’s hatch opening. Alert, he opened his eyes and saw Ah Sui returning.
Blairand immediately relaxed and asked in confusion, “Weren’t you out practicing swordplay? Why are you back already?”
Ah Sui still carried the chill from outside. He walked over and leaned beside Blairand’s pillow, his nose reddened by the cold wind. He kicked off his shoes and burrowed into the warm blankets, rolling comfortably inside. “Just now, Black Fang returned from Hossburgh. He said the Black Hawk Alliance stole their business, and those interstellar pirates are all clamoring for war. I didn’t know what to do, so I came to find you.”
Seeing Ah Sui burrow into the blankets, Blairand awkwardly shifted to the side. However, he suddenly felt a tight grip around his waist as Ah Sui silently embraced him, just like last night. With a flushed face, he turned to face the imposing figure. “The Black Hawk Alliance? Is that the same group of interstellar pirates that ambushed the camp last time?”
Ah Sui responded with a soft “mm.” “They seem to be stationed near Hossburgh as well, but we don’t have as many starships and weapons as they do, so it’s probably going to be difficult to fight them.”
Blairand asked, “What did Carlos say?”
Ah Sui looked a bit puzzled. “He said to follow my lead, but I don’t know how to fight! I suggested we consult a military strategist and tell them the answer later tonight.”
Military strategist? Isn’t that Xu Cenfeng?
Blairand glanced at Ah Sui. “Then why didn’t you go find him? Why come to me instead?”
Ah Sui hesitated before speaking, “I listen to you first, then to him.”
Blairand couldn’t help but chuckle. “Why’s that?”
Ah Sui’s gaze wandered, but he remained silent. He awkwardly looked away and then, like a little puppy, lowered his head to sniff the fragrance on Blairand. “There’s no reason.”
Blairand knew that Ah Sui was easily embarrassed, so he didn’t tease him any further and began to seriously contemplate what Ah Sui had just mentioned.
Carlos and the others valued wealth above all else. Now that their business had been stolen, they would undoubtedly go to war with the Black Hawk Alliance. The strength of these two pirate factions was relatively equal, and when the fighting started, regardless of who won or lost, both sides would suffer significant losses in vitality, making it easier for the military to launch a surprise attack.
More importantly, if the Klayt Alliance was weakened after the war, the defenses would certainly relax, increasing the chances for him and Ah Sui to escape.
In almost an instant, Blairand’s brain quickly analyzed the pros and cons behind this situation. He looked at Ah Sui and said softly, “There’s no need to wait until tonight. You can go have Carlos and the others prepare the weapons and ammunition right now. The Black Hawk Alliance’s base should be nearby. We can take advantage of the night to launch a surprise attack, which would not only disrupt their business but also rescue those captured males.”
Upon hearing this, Ah Sui’s eyes instantly lit up. “We could even steal back the Black Hawk Alliance’s starships!”
He was still fixated on establishing his own pirate crew. The two shabby starships had always been a deep regret for Ah Sui; he dreamed of having a magnificent fleet.
Blairand found it difficult to understand Ah Sui’s preferences. “Do you really want those starships?”
But even if they managed to steal them, it wouldn’t matter much; they would soon be leaving this place and certainly couldn’t take a bunch of starships back to the Imperial Capital.
Ah Sui nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes! I want them!”
After a moment of thought, Blairand replied, “If you want to steal them, go ahead. Although the Black Hawk Alliance is a bit stronger than before, as long as we come up with a plan, defeating them shouldn’t be too difficult.”
A solution? Ah Sui certainly couldn’t come up with one himself. He instinctively sought Blairand’s help. “Can you help me think of one?”
Blairand teased him deliberately. “What if I don’t help you?”
Ah Sui wasn’t stupid. He pretended to get up from the ground. “Then I’ll go find Brother Cenfeng.”
“Come back—”
Blairand was firmly under Ah Sui’s control. Upon hearing this, he quickly reached out to pull him back, wondering if this male was usually just pretending to be foolish to trick him. He was surprisingly sharp at critical moments. “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t look for any other females besides me?”
Ah Sui flopped back onto the pillow and said with a smile, “But Brother Cenfeng is a male.”
Blairand: “…” Almost forgot.
Blairand lowered his gaze to look at Ah Sui and said softly, “Males are also not allowed.”
Yes, not allowed…
This possessiveness, which quietly grew from the depths of Blairand’s heart, left him astonished yet felt so natural. He didn’t know when it had started, but he seemed to have developed different feelings for the male before him. He could no longer regard this zerg as the cold pirate he had first met. Instead, he felt as though Ah Sui was like a cotton candy—clean, soft, and sweet-smelling.
“Alright.”
Ah Sui readily agreed, then burrowed back into the warm blankets, wrapping his arms around Blairand. Just like last night, he buried his face in Blairand’s neck and kissed him gently. “I won’t look for anyone else, only for you.”
Blairand felt a ticklish sensation from Ah Sui’s kiss and couldn’t help but squirm away a couple of times. “You should go have Carlos find out where the Black Hawk Alliance is stationed first. Once we have that information, we can discuss our plans together.”
Ah Sui lifted his head and asked, “Right now?”
Blairand replied with a “mm.” “The crackdown on interstellar pirates in the north is as strict as in the west. They typically don’t stay in one place for long after their trade is done. If they leave, we won’t be able to catch up.”
Hearing this, Ah Sui reluctantly got out of the blankets and sat on the edge of the bed to put on his shoes. When he turned around, he found Blairand staring at him. After hesitating for a moment, he blushed and leaned in to plant a kiss on Blairand’s cheek. Ever since they had opened up a new world together in the bathroom yesterday, Ah Sui had become a bit addicted to this kind of intimate contact. “Can I kiss you again?”
He always liked to do things in a haphazard manner.
Blairand lifted a hand to touch the wet mark on his cheek, feeling as if he had somehow led this male astray. A hint of amusement flashed in his light blue eyes as he reminded, “You’ve already kissed me.”
Alright then.
Ah Sui could only pick up his sword and head out, preparing to touch base with Xu Cenfeng before discussing plans to encircle the Black Hawk Alliance with Black Fang and the others.
Blairand woke up feeling no trace of sleepiness. Not long after Ah Sui left, he got out of bed to wash up. After the brief release in the bathroom yesterday, his restless mental energy had finally calmed down a bit—just a bit. He covered the heated markings on the back of his neck as he walked to the viewport and pulled up the curtain, unexpectedly discovering that Quike and the others were jogging and warming up in the center of the camp. A hint of worry flashed in his eyes.
If he brought Ah Sui back to the Imperial Capital, the interstellar pirates like Black Fang would be easy to deal with. After all, the fate of criminals was either execution or execution; no one would care whether they died on the battlefield or in prison, nor would any interstellar pirate inexplicably come forward to identify Ah Sui.
However, Quike and the others were undercover agents sent by the military, and they would all have to return to headquarters after their mission. If any of them accidentally revealed Ah Sui’s identity to their superiors, it would be incredibly easy for the military to track down a rare male with black hair and black eyes.
Now, he could only take it one step at a time.
Going to war with the Black Hawk Alliance was already a done deal. Ah Sui’s agreement seemed merely a formality; when he conveyed the news to the subordinate pirate leaders, the entire camp became restless.
“Quick! Load the ammunition onto the starship!”
“The Second Leader has given orders! Leave a small team to guard the camp, and everyone else assemble in the open space for roll call!”
Almost every leader’s team became busy. The interstellar pirates loaded their guns, filled their ammunition, and seemed eager to arm themselves down to the last hair. Only Ah Sui remained still, without making any movement.
He sat on the steps at the entrance of the starship, already dressed in a pure black combat uniform, silently polishing the long sword in his hands, appearing deep in thought.
Seeing this, Quike and the others exchanged glances, not daring to approach or speak. They felt that the chief looked serious, as if he were contemplating some significant life decision, making them even more hesitant to disturb him.
Ah, how awkward.
Ah Sui thought to himself that while the other teams were armed to the teeth, his team had nothing—it looked quite pitiful. He focused on polishing the long sword in his hand, trying to escape reality, but some things couldn’t be avoided.
“Big Boss, the battle is about to start. Where do we go to get firearms and ammunition?”
Logically, males shouldn’t be involved in fighting, but for some reason, Heim and the others were unusually eager, practically itching to get onto the battlefield and try out their newly learned skills. They crowded around Ah Sui, asking excitedly, “I haven’t learned how to shoot yet; I need to grab an extra box of bullets later to make sure I don’t miss.”
A box of bullets?
Ah Sui really wanted to tell him that he didn’t have a single bullet in his pocket, but he didn’t want to reveal the fact that he was broke. Hearing that, he got up and stepped down the stairs, picking up a dry branch from the ground and handing it to Heim with a serious expression. “Guns aren’t reliable; let’s try this instead.”
Heim: “……”
Heim was momentarily stunned. He suddenly remembered that Ah Sui was just a broke guy with only two starships. He swallowed hard, hoping things wouldn’t turn out the way he feared, and stammered, “B-Big B-Boss, you don’t actually not have a gun, do you?”
The battlefield was filled with a group of interstellar pirates who wouldn’t blink an eye while killing zergs! What was the difference between going into battle without a gun and going to the bathroom without toilet paper?! How could they even fight like that? They might as well just run for their lives!
Ah Sui replied, “What’s so great about guns? A stick works better.”
Heim glanced at the branch in his hand. “A gun can shoot bullets. Can a stick shoot bullets?”
Ah Sui retorted, “Why not?”
Ah Sui was getting better at making up lies. After saying this, he kicked at the thick snow piled at his feet, digging out a small stone from within. He then aimed at a nearby dead tree and with a swift motion, struck it, making a hole in one of the branches.
“Crack—!”
Suddenly, a crisp sound echoed from afar as the branch broke apart under everyone’s gaze, causing the snow on top to tumble down and create a small dent in the ground.
Quike and the others, who already liked to flatter Ah Sui, looked on in astonishment and awe. Unable to contain themselves, they began to applaud loudly and cheer, “The boss is amazing!”
Even Heim couldn’t help but gasp in surprise, astonished by Ah Sui’s accuracy and strength. He grabbed Ah Sui’s hand and examined it closely, as if studying a precious treasure, and eagerly asked, “Big Boss, Boss! What was that move you just did? Can you teach me?”
Ah Sui successfully diverted their attention and quietly breathed a sigh of relief. “This move is called ‘Dripping Water Penetrates Stone.’ Your wrist strength isn’t enough; you’ll need at least ten years of practice to master it.”
Heim was taken aback. “Ten years? Then we won’t have time to use it on the battlefield later!”
Upon hearing this, Ah Sui instinctively covered his mouth, realizing he had let something slip. Just as he was stammering and trying to find a way out, Xu Cengfeng returned from a meeting with Black Fang and successfully captured everyone’s attention.
Xu Cengfeng approached Ah Sui, holding a simple terrain map. “Boss, the scouts we sent out have located the Black Hawk Alliance’s encampment. It’s not far from here; we can reach it in about an hour. I just discussed the battle plan with the other leaders and plan to launch a nighttime ambush…”
After pausing for a moment, Xu Cengfeng continued, “But Black Fang and Carlos want us to take the lead as the vanguard.”
Upon hearing this, Ah Sui’s expression changed. He leaned in close to Xu Cengfeng’s ear, lowered his voice, and said anxiously, “Brother Cengfeng, we don’t have any firearms or ammunition. Isn’t it a bit dangerous to be at the front?”
Ah Sui had martial skills and could manage without firearms, but Quike and the others could not. A group of unarmed soldiers rushing onto the battlefield was tantamount to seeking death; no matter how skilled they were, they would inevitably get injured.
At that moment, Blairand happened to emerge from the starship and noticed Ah Sui and Xu Cengfeng huddled together, whispering intimately and seemingly discussing something. He silently approached Ah Sui from behind and suddenly asked, “What are you two talking about?”
“!!!”
Ah Sui jumped in surprise and quickly turned to look behind him. Upon realizing it was Blairand, he let out a sigh of relief. He then stepped closer to Blairand and whispered, “I was just discussing firearms and ammunition with Xu Cengfeng. Black Fang and Carlos want us to be the vanguard, so we need to prepare weapons.”
Blairand glanced at him. “Is it really necessary to be so secretive just to discuss firearms and ammunition?”
They were so close that they nearly kissed.
Ah Sui shushed him, signaling to keep his voice down. He leaned in closer to Blairand and said seriously, “But I have no money and no weapons. Cengfeng said we can’t let the troops know; otherwise, it will shake their morale.”
Blairand fell silent for a moment, then replied, “…But didn’t Quike and the others already know you don’t have any weapons?”
Not just Quike; almost the entire Klayt Alliance knew that their leader was a big-time loser, with all his assets consisting of just two shabby starships and thirty-nine subordinates who spent their days practicing martial arts with big sticks.
Well, and they were all undercover.
Upon hearing this, Ah Sui’s gaze went blank for a moment. He instinctively looked over at Quike and the others, only to see that the group of females had already started searching for suitable weapons in the snow—picking up branches, stones, and even large knives that they had taken from the plump cook during food preparation.
Quike was eager to test his skills on the battlefield, swinging the knife in his hand excitedly. “Big Boss, it’s okay if you can’t fire a gun; we can use sticks! The fat cook has several knives left; that’ll be enough!”
Ah Sui: “???”
He had been trying hard to masquerade as a qualified big boss, so how did everyone know he was too broke to fire a gun?
Julian didn’t appear in the ranks and returned quietly after a few minutes, sneaking to the back. Just now, he had released the signal dragonfly he had prepared in advance, sending out the news that the Klayt Alliance had confirmed its battle with the Black Hawk Alliance.
The camp where the Klayt Alliance was stationed was near Black Rock Cliff, surrounded by mountains, making it easy to defend but also obscuring visibility. The military team had tracked them to the vicinity two days ago, but due to heavy snowfall blocking the mountain passes and losing communication signals, they had been worried about alerting the enemy and had delayed their actions—
Of course, the most important reason was that the undercover agents they had sent out had not yet returned with a response.
“General Aks! Captain Julian and the others have sent back a message!”
A communication soldier discovered the reconnaissance dragonfly in the snow and hurried back to report to the command tent. Inside the tent, dozens of terminal devices used to detect the surrounding terrain were arranged, and a taciturn female major was sitting at the table analyzing the data. Upon hearing the soldier’s words, he finally lifted his head from behind the terminal.
“Where’s the chip?”
The communication soldier skillfully dismantled the abdomen of the reconnaissance dragonfly, retrieved a black chip, checked it carefully, and then handed it to him, saying, “General Aks, the machine code has been confirmed; it’s the same one Captain Julian took with him back then.”
Upon hearing this, General Aks took the chip, directly inserting it into the terminal’s port to input the access code for reading. After ten seconds of decryption, a detailed dossier on the interstellar pirates finally popped up on the screen.
Seeing this, the tense expression on General Aks’s face relaxed slightly. He slid the cursor to begin reading the contents, his gaze swiftly scanning the screen:
Black Fang, Carlos…
These were all “habitual offenders,” and he was already well-acquainted with their criminal records, so he could skip over them.
General Aks continued scrolling down and suddenly caught sight of a blurry photograph, coming to a halt as he began reading the information displayed on the right side:
[Name: Ah Sui.
Gender: Male.
Age: 22.
Criminal Record: Appointed as the new leader of the Klayt Alliance a month and a half ago, involved in the Black Hawk Alliance firefight in the outskirts; other criminal history unclear, not listed on the Empire’s wanted list.
Traits: Combat skills comparable to S-class females, proficient with a longsword, does not smoke, drink, or gamble, has no bad habits, kind-hearted, cheerful, and highly compassionate…
Weakness: Poor]
General Aks unconsciously furrowed his brow:
“…”
If Julian had known that Quike, this brain-dead fan, was responsible for editing the data, he definitely wouldn’t have handed the terminal over to him. As a result, General Aks was now seriously doubting whether the undercover agents he sent out had already been exposed, and whether this messy data was sent over by the enemy.
At the end of the document, there was one last line: Major General Blairand’s life is not in danger. The Klayt Alliance intends to engage the Black Hawk Alliance in battle, with an anticipated surprise attack tonight; it’s time to net the fish.
Thank you [Desuma] for the support~ ʚ(´꒳`)ɞ
