Chapter 33: The Merry Crew
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The trio had waited for five days.
Unlike planets inhabited by humans, space was quiet, and the deafening silence tested one’s strength of will to the limit. Many were unwilling to go sightseeing in space as they were unable bear with the silence. Experiencing extended periods of complete silence could make one vulnerable to mental breakdowns. The vastness of the universe further increased the psychological pressure of quietness on people. Hence, while it was now technically possible for solo space travel, none had tried.
This issue was not something particularly troublesome for Ye Chong. On the trash planet, he had lived alone for years, and solitude had become second in nature. Instead, if he was subjected to a crowded environment, he would feel uncomfortable. In the depths of his heart, Ye Chong had mixed feelings about his future life – curiosity, fear, anxiety, yearning…
However, the silence was a trial for Gu Shaoze and Number Two. Ye Chong shut his eyes to rest, and while he was not fully conscious, he was still vigilant. Since Ye Chong seemed to be asleep, Gu Shaoze chatted with Number Two instead, as if the words would overcome the horrifying silence.
An odd ring began resonating.
Ye Chong immediately opened his eyes and stood upright. Gu Shaoze and Number Two stopped their conversation and looked towards the bridge.
The display screen showed a huge fleet of starships.
Gu Shaoze and Number Two could not help but gasped in surprised, but quickly became overjoyed. Gu Shaoze even hugged Number Two out of excitement, and her graceful face hidden under golden locks of hair blushed in response, the redness creeping to her snow-white nape.
Ye Chong was not so moved, but observed the starships closely. It was a pity that he did not know much about starships, and therefore could not make much out of them. However, from the mechs flying out of the port and starboard of the starships, it seemed that the other side had seen them.
Gu Shaoze let go of Number Two and smiled at Ye Chong. “That alarm sounds terrible, I shouldn’t have used it!” The laser radar was heavily compromised, and remarkably, the damage was in its interior parts. However, Gu Shaoze’s exceptional capabilities meant that the radar was still rudimentarily restored. The alarm unit was broken, so Gu Shaoze had to replace it with a speaker from somewhere else, but the sound was truly horrible, and that was why Gu Shaoze had complained thus. Perfectionism was his nature!
Number Two raced to the bridge and activated the laser lights, rapidly firing flashes that communicated a distress signal.
Upon seeing the distress signal, the other party’s mech pilots picked up their speed, but in spite of that, their battle formation was still intact, indicating the great extent of their training.
Ye Chong asked coolly, “Are we armed?” This was Ye Chong’s habit – no matter the circumstances, he hoped that he would be in control of the situation instead of passively going with the flow.
Gu Shaoze and Number Two were stunned.
“Best if we have mechs!” he added.
Number Two shook her head. “No white mechs, and the mechs owned by victims of the crash were tailored specifically by their respective families. Only by sending the mechs back to the families and performing a special ID recalibration could they be used again!” White mechs were mechs that were not locked to specific pilots.
Ye Chong could not hold back his disappointment.
Gu Shaoze suddenly remembered something, and ran to a corner to search for something. After a moment of ransacking, he returned, eager like a child. “This was a dagger that I made for fun. Usually I use it as a tool!” He then passed his invention to Ye Chong, already regarding him as a friend!
Ye Chong accepted the dagger. It was black all over, and the laser-processed edge was very sharp. The anti-slip treatment made it easy to handle, and its resilience was impressive.
Ye Chong nodded. “This dagger is quite resilient, but the stiffness is horrible!” As he finished, he held the tip of the dagger with one hand and the handle with the other, and bent the dagger easily to an arc. He then released the dagger’s tip, and with a swish, the dagger recovered its former shape, undamaged by the strain.
Gu Shaoze gaped, and upon hearing Ye Chong’s comment that the stiffness was horrible, replied reflexively, “You’re quite strong. That dagger was just something I made during my spare time. I didn’t really think it through!”
Number Two was not surprised by the demonstration, since she had personally experienced Ye Chong’s strength. He was truly a dreadful monster, not like a human at all.
Number Two made to put on a miniature mech, but Gu Shaoze stopped her. “Your mech is too garish. It’s alright if we’re at home, but out here it’s really not appropriate. Besides, wearing that mech is like putting on an exoskeleton, how uncomfortable. Mm, you’re so beautiful. It’s a pity if you’re stuck in that shell!”
Number Two lowered her head bashfully, feeling butterflies in her stomach.
Jing Mo looked at the trio before him – a young master, a female attendant, and a guard.
Jing Mo focused mostly on Gu Shaoze. Gu Shaoze had the charisma of an aristocrat, and was very modest and well-spoken, all signs of an outstanding upbringing. However, he was without the typical aristocrat’s conceit, indicating that he most likely came from a family with a long historical standing. Only those from affluent long-standing families would behave thus, unlike the overnight nouveau riche with unbridled arrogance.
These aristocratic families rose and declined in the long river of history, and have had their moments, but all had survived to this day. Many families that were once as glorious as them were now lost in a passage of time, leaving no traces of their existence today.
Extensive networks and a continuous succession of capable heirs had kept the families alive. Being reserved without flippancy had also won them the acceptance of society.
However, the status of an aristocrat was not self-designated, but acknowledged by the public. Aristocratic families today were scarce, perhaps even countable with the fingers on one hand.
If one could develop a good relationship with an aristocratic family, it would mean welcoming an endless flow of money and a bright future. Jing Mo’s eyes twinkled at the thought.
Jing Mo spoke to Gu Shaoze warmly, and even though they had no common interests, he still responded respectfully. The alluring features of Number Two had the whole starship’s crew eyeing her discretely, occasionally murmuring something under their breaths. Eventually, some even deliberately went to the bridge to peek at her.
Number Two, who had never experienced anything like this, was distressed.
Amongst the three, Ye Chong was now the most insignificant individual. His looks were average, and lacked Gu Shaoze’s demeanor or Number Two’s unrivaled beauty. When Gu Shaoze introduced him as a guard, Jing Mo had even scrutinized him suspiciously; for how can someone scrawny like him be a guard?
Ye Chong was far from scrawny; “balance” would be a more appropriate adjective. However, compared to the other guards with their muscular build and alarmingly thickset limbs, it was no wonder that Jing Mo would think of him as scrawny.
Only the leader of the mech pilots’ squad eyed him a few times, looking as if deep in thought.
Without a doubt, Jing Mo was a master in engineering the atmosphere – upon seeing Number Two’s predicament, he roared at his employees and ordered them away; he then continued chatting with Gu Shaoze in an engaging manner for he knew what young people were interested in, and boasted about his adventures during his youth in an outrageous manner. The three newcomers were deeply engrossed in his stories about the various customs and practices from all over the universe, and could not help but be captivated by his narratives, including Ye Chong.
Inside the bridge, laughter filled the air, and the atmosphere was lively.
No one could have guessed of the dangers that awaited them ahead!