Chapter Thirteen: Wealth and Poverty, Section One

“Bang!!”
A sharp triangular military dagger suddenly pierced through the table in front of the Vice President. The hard firewood surface was as fragile as tofu in front of this dagger, sinking deep into it. Under the dim light of the hall, the blade of the dagger emitted a misty black glow.

On the handle of the dagger, Blood-Eyed’s long fingers gently stroked it. When he saw the Vice President’s terrified expression, the corners of his mouth curled slightly, revealing his snow-white teeth.

“Vice President, our leader is currently talking to the President. I hope you can keep quiet, would you?”

“…” The entire room fell dead silent. No one expected the companion by Black-Haired’s side to have such audacity as to threaten a Vice President of the alliance council, a high-ranking official. Everyone was stunned, unable to react for a long time. The guards on duty immediately rushed over, surrounding the three of them, their guns pointed at them. The atmosphere became unusually oppressive.

Unfortunately, amidst such tension, the culprit seemed completely unaware. Black-Haired continued to stare intently at the President, while Blood-Eyed smiled as he stroked the dagger in his hand. Only Lily, who had remained silent since entering, lifting her head to cast a cold glance around. Her icy face suddenly showed a hint of disdainful laughter. With a flip of her hand, two pocket-sized ladies’ pistols appeared in her grasp. Without saying a word, she pressed the gun barrels against the Vice President’s temples.

“Fatty, tell your men to calm down. Making such a fuss over such a trivial matter—how dare you call yourself a guard? You’d be better off going home and holding your kids.” Lily’s voice was full of mockery, but no one around dared to move. Their angry eyes fixed on the three people in the room, as if trying to melt them.

It was only then that the President finally reacted. This shrewd old man glanced deeply at the three of them before shaking his head and slowly sitting back down.

“Young man, I must admit, you’ve surprised me once again. If my ears aren’t deceiving me and my nerves are functioning properly, are you saying that mysterious warship that nearly destroyed the Blaze Team and routed my rescue fleet is, um, yours?”

“That’s right,” Black-Haired nodded affirmatively.

“Very good. Then don’t you think you should tell me something?” the President asked with a smile.

He couldn’t help but smile. Because at this moment, he truly realized that the dark-haired man across from him was by no means the brute force-oriented thug he had imagined—it was someone just as ruthless. Though such a person was extremely difficult to control, it was obvious that in these extraordinary times, only someone like him could provide greater support.

What a blessing—to have a new leader with a powerful, mysterious warship, and moreover, one who was on one’s side. Surely that fat Soso must be furious by now? In secret, the chairman had elevated the dark-haired man’s status by countless notches and was determined to help him clear his name at all costs.

What’s the big deal about a low-ranked team and a few Salmon-class ships? If they can’t even defeat a single warship, what’s the point? Even a fool could tell which side was more valuable.

So now his attitude was extremely kind, like that of a benevolent elder.

The dark-haired man across from him also sensed the change in the chairman’s attitude. Yet he remained expressionless, merely shrugging helplessly.

“I also want to tell you what exactly happened. But unfortunately, I got separated from them during a battle. There was no communication, and I only just learned that they appeared here.”

Damn, lying? The leaders around him all rolled their eyes, filled with disbelief.

“Oh, I see…” The chairman pondered for a moment, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, producing a rhythmic, crisp sound.

“Then can you also figure out what’s going on inside the warship now?”

The dark-haired man understood the chairman’s meaning—he was asking if he could still control Li Feng. Unfortunately, even though he could remotely control some functions of Li Feng, he really had no idea what was going on inside it. After all, it was he who had caused Baroka’s fate, and he had said that as long as given the chance, Baroka could attack him at any time, in any situation.

Never mind. The dark-haired man took a deep breath, his gaze growing sharper. Facing the chairman’s hopeful look, he nodded firmly.

“No problem.”

“Great!! Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go greet our new leader’s flagship.” The chairman stood up with a smile, patting the dark-haired man’s shoulder before turning and leaving the room. Behind him, all the leaders stood there, their expressions blank, like puppets.

Just… that simple? they thought in confusion.

That simple!

The skies above Hell Planet had never been so bustling—over 300 warships of various sizes covered the entire sky. Their massive hulls reflected a cold glow under the sunlight. Whether they were the smallestneedlefish-class ships or the largestsea beast-class vessels, they all aimed their cannons skyward.

In the direction those cannons were pointed, a bright spot gradually grew brighter. Then, as if by teleportation, it suddenly transformed into a huge warship.

“God!” All the pirates exhaled in awe.

What kind of warship was this? Its hull, stretching several kilometers long, was already larger than several warships in the Pirate Alliance put together. The armor on its surface was bulged, and just by looking at it from afar, one could tell how formidable its defenses were. But none of that was the most important. What mattered most was that at the front of the ship, right at the bow, a huge, sharp ram made of unknown material protruded far out. Arcs of electricity flashed on it, and anyone who wasn’t blind could tell just how terrifying it was.

If hit by the ram on such a giant warship, the pirates simply couldn’t bear to imagine the consequences…

To their surprise, they couldn’t see any weapons on the surface of this ship. How could it have torn the Blaze Team and the rescue fleet to shreds? Was it really just by ramming?

In confusion, the pirate warships in the sky immediately parted to reveal a wide control corridor in the middle. The massive ship descended slowly to the surface of Hell Planet, surrounded by numerous pirates. As its huge hull landed with a thunderous crash, the ground was instantly compressed and deformed, with rocks around it exploding. The intense vibration was like a minor earthquake.

The council president and many leaders standing not far away were caught off guard and quickly crowded together, unsteady on their feet. Their eyes met, filled with horror.

Just the weight of it caused such severe effects—what could this ship possibly withstand in battle? What kind of technology could power such a massive warship? Didn’t they need to consider the terrifying mental pressure it would exert?

“Black Hair, are you sure this is your flagship?” The Speaker gazed at the colossal vessel before him with a complex expression—mostly one of surprise. Though he had long known of this warship’s power, it was only upon seeing it with his own eyes that he truly grasped its terrifying nature. No, not just terrifying—it was an aura of dominance, a pressure that only existed above supreme military force. Compared to this ship, his own proud Sea Beast-class vessels could almost be considered children’s toys. “That’s right. There’s no need to doubt, Speaker.” For the first time, a faint warm smile appeared on Black Hair’s cold face. Seeing the majestic figure of Li Feng, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride. Look, this is the warship from the distant Huaguo—a powerful weapon embodying the lifetime wisdom of countless high-tech experts from Huaguo. In this world, no one understood better than he did the significance of this ship: thick armor, fierce firepower, and powerful engines. This was Li Feng—a symbol of unyielding faith and an indomitable spirit. “Then why haven’t you ordered them to open the hatch and let us in??? Black Hair, what exactly do you mean?” The Vice Speaker’s annoying voice suddenly broke the tense silence. His fat face was filled with jealousy, envy, hope, and lustful glances. Hearing his noise, all the leaders frowned slightly, their looks toward him tinged with disdain. After all, Black Hair was still a new leader and not well-acquainted with everyone. To demand to board someone else’s ship without even making prior arrangements—wasn’t that a bit too presumptuous? Yet, the request was indeed tempting… Sensing the gazes of the leaders around him, Black Hair shook his head with a bitter smile. You damned fatso, Vice Speaker. You’re always so annoying. It seems my tolerance toward you before was a mistake. Perhaps getting rid of you early is the best decision. Unseen, a cold glint flashed in Black Hair’s eyes. “Click…” At that moment, the hatch on Li Feng’s side suddenly opened. As the massive armor plates parted, figures appeared behind them—thirty Silver Star guard mechs, fully armed to the teeth. Each mech was painted a blood-red color, with a dark wolf head prominently displayed on their chests. Their sharp fangs protruded from their mouths, adding to the fierce aura of the mechs. Black Hair smiled.

It was the Baroque Children, coming to welcome their own…
A synchronized soft sound. As soon as these thirty bright red and dazzling mechs appeared, they quickly formed two lines at Li Feng’s entrance, stretching all the way to the black-haired man, with a wide passage left in between. Then, all the mechs raised their guns in unison as a salute. Their movements were so swift and coordinated as if they were controlled by a single person. All the leaders present immediately felt an overwhelming sense of pressure, their faces turning pale.
What a well-trained group of technicians! Just from the synchronization of their movements, it was clear that these thirty bright red mechs were elite units that had withstood countless battles—completely different from ordinary pirates!!
Who exactly was this black-haired man, and how could he possess such an elite force?
While the pirate leaders were in shock, another massive mech appeared at Li Feng’s hatch. Unlike the others, this mech’s wolf-head emblem on its chest was even more elaborate and finely crafted. Its weapon system wasn’t a regular machine gun but a huge two-handed sword. As soon as it appeared, it quickly moved toward the black-haired man, to the astonishment of the surrounding pirates…
It knelt on one knee.
“Captain, welcome home,” the sword-wielding mech said loudly.
“Captain, welcome home!!!” The thirty mechs echoed in unison.
Their unified shouts and formidable presence—just the voices of thirty mechs sounded more powerful than an entire army. In an instant, a fierce aura that seemed capable of devouring the world surged forward, causing all the pirates to tremble slightly. Several leaders who had been watching these mechs stared in awe, their eyes gleaming with desire.
God, what formidable subordinates! If only they could have such men and such armaments… Oh, let the Interstellar Fleet go to hell! They could rob them right in front of their faces!!
Yet no one noticed that at that moment, a sinister look flashed across the vice-chairman’s fat face as his right hand moved behind his back. Immediately afterward, nearly a hundred mechs of various shapes surged out from the surrounding pirate ships, quickly surrounding Li Feng and encircling all the leaders and the bright red mechs. These pirate mechs held their guns horizontally, with blue lights indicating that the safes were disengaged.
“You!?” Shocked by this sudden turn of events, all the leaders’ attention turned to the vice-chairman. One of them even pointed at him.

“What do you mean by this!?”
“Nothing much. It’s just a small welcome ceremony for friends who have come from afar.” Seeing his subordinates take control of the situation, the vice-chairman suddenly smiled. His small eyes almost disappeared in his fat face, with only occasional glimmers of silver light visible.
“Alright, gentlemen and ladies. Um, and also the new dark-haired gentleman. I’m glad everyone is staying calm. Well, how should I put it? There’s been a small issue with this welcome ceremony. This problem might require everyone’s help to resolve. Of course, to ensure smooth communication, please hand over control of your fleets first, okay?”
Seizing power!!
The dark-haired man narrowed his eyes slightly and reached into his pocket to take out a cigarette…