Chapter 128: Green with Envy

Chapter 128: Covetousness

"How much longer?" Liu Shaoyu had been drifting in space for five minutes. He hadn't bothered to argue against the unanimous decision of Thomas, Xu Meng, and the others, because they were right: if they dismantled this ship's hatch, where would they find a replacement?

Thus, he had to wait for this so-called high-tech bypass. Liu Shaoyu couldn't understand why this warship, which looked like it just had exceptionally thick armor, also possessed such a stubborn operating system.

"Theoretically, it will take another three minutes and twelve seconds." Thomas was running at full processing capacity. While this wasn't enough to fully breach the enemy command system, they weren't relying on the 'Republic's Glory' network anymore, allowing the universal information net to provide Thomas with much more data.

Coupled with the 'Dragon Voyager's' super-processor, the speed was what it was. However, Liu Shaoyu didn't care about the technicalities; he only cared about how long it would take to crack this turtle shell. Thomas’s overclocking was making his own head feel feverish. Fortunately, his armor provided some relief, otherwise, Liu Shaoyu estimated he would be in even worse shape.

"Hey, Xu Meng, why don't you take this job next time? This head-heating sensation is just wonderful." Liu Shaoyu rolled his eyes at Xu Meng on the display screen. Only now did he understand why Xu Meng had been making that pained, drug-addled expression earlier.

"Oh, come on. Those who can should do more, right? It’s not like our computers have your processing speed," Xu Meng replied, feeling quite glad his personal computer wasn't as intelligent as Thomas.

Inside the warship, Huang Xuan was not having such an easy time. Through the monitors, he could see the scene in space, and he remembered clearly who that armor belonged to.

"Liu Shaoyu!" Huang Xuan spat the name out through gritted teeth. Even a stranger could tell he was furious, but this was no time for temper. The warship's control system was under constant assault, and command of the vessel was hanging by a thread. Huang Xuan had to make a rational decision.

"All hands, evacuate." After giving the order, Huang Xuan used the central control system to authorize the release of the escape pods. Fortunately, he wasn't so deranged as to force his crew to go down with the ship. At the very least, he believed he could still escape.

Though giving up his beloved warship was agonizing—and who would do so willingly?—survival was the ultimate truth Huang Xuan lived by. He lived up to his reputation; when it came to running away, he was a seasoned expert. He was the first to bolt from the command center. The first mate recalled that it was the fastest he had ever seen Huang Xuan run in his life.

Liu Shaoyu was growing bored with the long wait when Thomas’s voice cut through.

"Operation detected. Escape pods are about to be released." Thomas dutifully reported every move.

"Escape pods?" Liu Shaoyu wondered. He wasn't a professional pirate, but letting these people escape could lead to future trouble. Still, thanks to his armor, his identity remained hidden, and as for the *Dragon Voyager*, there was no way for them to track it in this chaos. There was an unwritten rule in the universe: do not destroy disabled escape pods. Most factions followed this, as you never knew when you might be the one floating in one.

"Xu Meng, they’re using the escape pods. If there’s no issue, let’s ignore them. We still have a mission." Liu Shaoyu decided to inform Xu Meng, who was the de facto captain of the fleet, to maintain his authority. Besides, not all escape pods had thrusters, let alone weapons; there wouldn't be any major trouble.

"Captain, they aren't stopping us. It looks like they just wanted the ship," the first mate reported, sticking close to Huang Xuan.

"Hmph, those bandits. Whatever they take today, I will reclaim twofold later! Did you memorize their ship? I want to see how far they get with my ship on my territory. And Liu Shaoyu, next time we meet, I’ll make sure you have no place to be buried!" Huang Xuan growled, plotting his revenge, conveniently forgetting that he had been the one to covet their ship in the first place.

Liu Shaoyu’s goal was simple: take the ship and continue the mission. Although the *Dragon Voyager* was large, once they passed through the star gate and initiated a jump, they wouldn't fear retaliation. He only worried about sabotage at the gate.

After some thought, Xu Meng decided to consult Liu Shaoyu.

"I think we should detain them. Once their pods are launched, it’s better to tow them into the *Dragon Voyager*. Just in case—and I mean just in case—they have reinforcements, we might have trouble at the star gate," Xu Meng suggested.

Liu Shaoyu considered this and agreed. It seemed he had been away from the captain's chair for so long that he stopped looking at problems with a commander's perspective.

"Alright, go ahead. Tell Arisa. I’ll handle the operating system," Liu Shaoyu said, instructing Thomas to seize control of the escape systems.

Thomas had a heavy workload, but since the main command system was already cracked, the escape systems were easily compromised. The only fear was manual intervention, as escape pods were designed to be operated manually. But upon learning this, Liu Shaoyu didn't worry. If they wanted to run, could they outrun him?

For Huang Xuan, this news was a bolt from the blue. "Damn it! The escape system is under attack too! Hurry, let's go! These bastards want to silence us!" Huang Xuan quickened his pace. If he could reach a pod, he could override the control. As for the others? Huang Xuan wasn't noble enough to care about them when his own life was at stake.

Time ticked by, and Liu Shaoyu prepared to intercept any fleeing pods. The *Dragon Voyager’s* jump interference was active, preventing the pods from forcing a jump.

"Bypass complete. Authority transferred," Thomas announced. Liu Shaoyu felt his feverish head begin to cool. His personal interface confirmed he now held supreme authority over the warship.

"Let’s see what we have here. Ah, the *Yellow Dragon*. Ha! We're practically relatives, eh?" Liu Shaoyu frowned. The first name on the crew list looked familiar. Since he was now the captain, he could see the full manifest. The previous captain was listed separately for administrative convenience. If Huang Xuan hadn't been singled out, Liu Shaoyu might have missed him among the hundreds of names, but now, he was impossible to overlook.

"Hmph! Huang Xuan, is it? What a coincidence. Since you’ve fallen into my hands, don't blame me for settling all old and new scores," Liu Shaoyu thought. Even if he killed him now, no one would be able to trace it back to him.

"Long Ruyuan, look at this. Guess who it is?" Liu Shaoyu sent the discovery to Long Ruyuan.

Long Ruyuan, who was bored, opened the message and saw Huang Xuan's name.

"I didn't expect his family to dump him here. That means this territory belongs to them. Interesting. What do you plan to do?" Long Ruyuan wasn't surprised by the man, but by the implication of his presence. He knew he had the clearance to know about such things.

Liu Shaoyu hadn't decided. Killing him was too simple. Given that the Huang family was sparing no effort to protect him, he clearly held status. Alive, he was worth more than dead.

"Lock him up for now. Keep him well-fed," Liu Shaoyu said.

Long Ruyuan agreed; keeping him alive was more profitable. If Liu Shaoyu insisted on killing him, he would support that too, as they were on a mission.

Huang Xuan’s good days were over. Just as his pod launched and he tried to jump, the interference proved too strong. Before he could think of another plan, his pod was snagged by the tractor beam of the massive warship.

The cleanup went smoothly. All escape pods were hauled into the *Dragon Voyager*. As for the crew members who hadn't reached the pods, Liu Shaoyu simply locked them inside the *Yellow Dragon*.

"Let’s get through the star gate first; we’ve been delayed enough. Also, bring that first mate to see me," Liu Shaoyu ordered.