Chapter 53: You’ve Been Robbed

Winding their way through the ship’s corridors, Han Feng kept a careful watch on everything around him. The situation aboard this vessel matched his expectations: nearly all the armed personnel who could launch an assault against the Taurus-class had already left, leaving only noncombatants behind. Not even a single low-grade superhuman remained, which was a relief to Han Feng. If another enemy as powerful as Tradon Viller were to appear, their current state would make things extremely difficult.

He exchanged quiet glances with his companions, all of whom relaxed a little. Without a strong opponent present, these noncombatants posed no real threat. The reason they hadn't acted yet was simple—most starships had central control rooms equipped with self-protection measures, and entry required proper authorization. If they eliminated the people around them now, they would risk alerting the rest of the crew and activating the ship’s defensive systems, which would bring unnecessary trouble.

The best course was to follow the group into the central control room and seize control there, thus gaining command of the entire ship.

Soon, they arrived at the control room of the Hydra-class destroyer. Five or six crew members were busy at their stations, but the sudden influx of people caused them to pause and look up with concern.

Mouse swaggered into the control room, feeling triumphant. Tradon Viller’s subordinates were nearly wiped out, and only a handful of battered survivors remained. Mouse believed his position was now more secure than ever, especially since he had already won over many in the division through his efforts.

While Mouse lacked fighting ability, he was generous with resources, adept at managing affairs, and skilled at gathering support. For pirates, profit was paramount. Tradon Viller, on the other hand, inspired fear with his C-rank powers but was less skilled in networking and distributing gains, which had allowed Mouse’s influence to quietly grow.

Unknown to Mouse, however, he was celebrating far too early.

He hummed a tune, nearly dancing in glee. One could only imagine what a human-sized rat might look like performing a jig.

“Hey, you two, knock these women out and lock them in my cabin—don’t let them escape! When things are settled, I’ll interrogate them thoroughly!” Mouse barked, pointing at two lightly wounded “pirates.” His lecherous grin was unmistakable, and a trickle of drool ran down his chin.

Mouse then turned to “Tradon Viller,” saying, “Oh, dear Captain Viller, please don’t mind my direct orders to your men. This matter is critical—I wouldn’t want any mishaps. I trust you won’t object.”

“Hey, why haven’t you moved yet?” Mouse snapped at the two “pirates,” who stood motionless, clearly irritated.

“They won’t do as you say, big rat,” Han Feng suddenly replied, casually breaking free of his shackles.

“You—you—how did you open the cuffs? Captain Viller, grab him! Don’t let him escape!” Mouse shrieked in panic, unable to string his words together. He knew what Han Feng had done to earn Brandon Arthur’s attention; Mouse himself was a helpless ordinary man, terrified Han Feng might use him as a shield.

With a gesture, Han Feng signaled the hunter warriors disguised as pirates, who quickly raised their weapons and fired at the crew. Blood splattered across the ship’s control consoles, and Mouse collapsed to the floor in terror.

Tifa and Sun Fei also freed themselves from their restraints, glaring at Mouse with murderous intent. Mouse had spent the entire journey leering at them, his sleazy demeanor barely concealed, nearly making them sick.

Mouse was petrified, his pants soaked through. He was a coward at heart, terrified of death; otherwise, he wouldn’t have fled at the first hint of danger.

“D-dear Captain Viller, you—you’ve betrayed us?” Mouse stammered, trembling as he looked at “Tradon Viller.”

“Who’s your Captain Viller?” Mitchel Fran produced a pistol, pressed it to Mouse’s head, and reverted to his true form.

The transformation spell cast by Jordan Piris could not be maintained during combat; as soon as the fighting began, it automatically dissipated.

Mouse stared at the scene before him, utterly hopeless. Moments ago, he thought himself on the cusp of glory, even fantasizing about replacing Brandon Arthur. But before his dreams could begin, he was plunged into hell. He was certain he would die.

“Don’t—don’t kill me! I can pay you—a lot of money! Just spare my life!” Mouse pleaded, suddenly articulate in the face of mortal danger.

“Oh? How much do you have?” Han Feng asked with a cold smile.

“F-fifty million!” Mouse stammered, though a cunning glint flashed in his eyes.

“So your life isn’t worth much. Fran, finish him,” Han Feng said, shaking his head.

“Wait—wait! One hundred million! I’ll pay you one hundred million for my life!” Mouse immediately amended.

Han Feng and Mitchel Fran exchanged glances, both surprised by the rat’s wealth.

Han Feng shook his head and said coldly, “Shoot him.”

Mitchel Fran raised his gun, and Mouse screamed, “Three hundred million!”

“Three hundred million? Are you sure you can pay that much?” Han Feng’s brow furrowed; the sum truly startled him.

“Yes—yes, it’s everything I have. In the past few years, I managed Brandon’s underground operations, siphoning off a lot of money. I was a corrupt official to begin with; I’m good at this sort of thing,” Mouse explained cautiously. “And all the money is clean—I promise it won’t cause any trouble!”

“Congratulations, Mr. Rat—you’ve just been robbed,” Han Feng said with a smile. Pirates truly were wealthy, and he felt no guilt at all relieving them of their fortunes.

“Here, use this account. Start the transfer,” Han Feng instructed, handing Mouse an account number.

“You have to let me go first!” Mouse screeched, thinking he had regained some leverage.

“You have no right to bargain—live or die!” Han Feng’s cold laughter made Mouse shudder; he was certain the man would kill him if he refused.

“Alright, alright, I’ll transfer it,” Mouse replied, utterly defeated, his fingers trembling as he sent his entire fortune to Han Feng’s account.

Ding!

[Mouse Handsome (nickname) has initiated a transfer, processing.]

[Transfer successful. Your account has received three hundred million starcoins. Current balance: 304,950,000 starcoins.]