In Lei Hengbang’s study, the door was shut.
Lei Tiandu stood at the door. He listened carefully. He wanted to know who his father was talking to and why he, as the future leader of the group, was not allowed to know.
The servants noticed his behavior.
“Stop staring. Go back to work. If you don’t, I will make you slaves!” Lei Tiandu shouted.
The Yinglong Pirate Group had an unclear structure. The Panhua people were commoners. The other ethnic groups, who had been captured, were treated as prisoners or slaves.
The servants ran off quickly, scared.
Inside the study, Lei Hengbang’s screen showed a hologram of Radho, leader of the Teuton Pirate Group.
“My old friend, I heard about your troubles. I came to check on you!” Radho said with a smile.
“Hmph! Radho, you always know what’s going on. Stop pretending. Just tell me what you want. I’m busy!” Lei Hengbang replied.
“Come on, Lei Hengbang. We’ve been classmates for years, and we know each other well. You’re not so busy. The Yinglong Pirate Group has nine leaders. Your job is just a small part. You’re not the one doing all the work!”
Radho mocked him.
Lei Hengbang blushed. It was hard to keep up his image in front of an old friend.
Sighing, he said, “Radho, you didn’t come here to mock me, did you?”
“I didn’t! You turned down my offer last time. But things are different now. I think you’ll agree today!” Radho said confidently.
Lei Hengbang and Radho were childhood friends. They later went to the University of Allemann together. In the pirate star system, the three strongest pirate groups cooperated and competed.
There was little to fight over in the system. The groups kept peaceful relations.
The children of the groups often became friends. This helped the "Win-Win Treaty" stay intact.
Radho and Lei Hengbang built their friendship in this environment.
At university, they went to a place called HAPPY. Lei Hengbang got drunk and revealed the inner workings of the Yinglong Pirate Group.
That night, Lei Hengbang criticized the other leaders. He vowed to become the true leader of the group.
The next day, he regretted his words. He began to distance himself from Radho. He didn’t want anyone to know his true thoughts.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Recently, when Radho’s deputy, Akum, reported a mission to a military planet, Radho realized the Teuton Pirate Group didn’t have the resources to carry out the mission.
He thought of Lei Hengbang and decided to ask for his help.
Knowing Lei Hengbang’s thoughts, Radho asked for help.
Before he could explain, Lei Hengbang rejected him, leaving Radho frustrated.
Radho’s dream of joining the Mansur Officer Corps depended on completing the mission. If it failed, his dream would be ruined.
Soon after, the Yinglong Pirate Group received some good news. Zhang Lian, the head of the Unified War Bureau, had died. There was a large petition from the people.
Radho saw an opportunity and contacted Lei Hengbang again.
“If I help you with this mission, what do I get in return?” Lei Hengbang asked directly.
Radho was surprised by the question. He had planned to convince Lei Hengbang with different arguments, but now those were not needed.
Three hours later, Lei Hengbang left his study, smiling. No one knew what kind of deal he had made with Radho.
As he left, he saw his eldest son, Lei Tiandu, standing outside, listening. When the door opened, Lei Tiandu almost fell.
Furious, Lei Hengbang shouted, “What are you doing? Didn’t I tell you to stay in your room for three days?”
Reluctantly, Lei Tiandu left.
Lei Hengbang watched him go and shook his head. He thought, “Lei Tiandu is proud, sensitive, and narrow-minded. He lacks the ability for important roles.”
On Taibai Star, a first-level life planet in the Chang Geng star system, the climate was pleasant. It stayed between 18 to 25 degrees Celsius all year.
Many large companies had their headquarters or branches there. The Kamen Trade Group, a well-known company from the Kabas Empire, had a branch on Taibai Star. It also operated a large logistics center that sent food supplies to military bases.
Li Wuchang was a transport ship captain for the Kamen Taibai branch. He had been a destroyer captain in the Kabas Empire fleet before retiring and joining Kamen Trade Group.
One morning, after breakfast, Li Wuchang was about to leave when his five-year-old daughter, Tuan Tuan, ran up and hugged his leg.
“Stinky dad, today is my birthday! How could you forget? Come back early tonight for my party!” she said cheerfully.
Li Wuchang was surprised. He had been so focused on other matters that he forgot his daughter’s birthday.
He bent down, picked her up, and spun her around, making her laugh. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back early and bring you a big gift!”
“Okay, I trust you. No tricks!” Tuan Tuan replied happily.
At that moment, his wife, Meng Jiang, came out of the kitchen.
“Tuan Tuan, let go of your dad. He has work to do. Don’t keep him,” she said.
Meng Jiang helped adjust Li Wuchang’s jacket. “Hurry up. The empire is getting stricter with us Panhua people. You’ll be in trouble if you’re late.”
“It’s fine. I’ve been working here for a long time,” Li Wuchang said with a smile as he prepared to leave.
“Be safe!” Meng Jiang called after him.
“Dad, come home early!” Tuan Tuan shouted as he climbed into his hover car.
Li Wuchang waved at them. “Yes, ma’am!”
Once out of his wife and daughter’s view, Li Wuchang’s smile faded.
In addition to being a transport ship captain, Li Wuchang was a member of the Dark Dragon Society.
The day before, he received his first mission. It was a simple task: drop a metal box labeled “Hope 2” and a tracked robot on a target planet.
Li Wuchang had already loaded the items into the airdrop module and was preparing to drop them from his ship.
Despite the simple task, he felt uneasy. It seemed like something was wrong. This feeling had caused him to forget his daughter’s birthday.
Li Wuchang arrived at the Kamen Taibai logistics center, a vast complex with hundreds of transport ships ready to deliver food.
He parked near his transport ship, the LWC-C15825, and walked toward the landing pad.
“Captain Li, you’re just on time! If you were three minutes late, your salary would be cut by 10%! The center’s flight supervisor, Karima, passed by and probably hoped you’d be late so she could pocket your salary!” joked Wei Zhongping, the ground team leader.