Chapter 17: White Terror, Section 1

“Hehe, Mr. Blackhair, I’m just a child. How can I dare answer your questions? You suddenly ask for compensation—this… this… I just got up… I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet…” Under everyone’s gaze, Betty, who had always seemed so composed in Blackhair’s eyes, suddenly showed the shyness of a little girl.
“Pfft…” Caught off guard, Blackhair spat out a mouthful of red wine. Then he was surprised to see a plump little hand appear in front of him, holding a snow-white handkerchief.
“Not used to it? You’ll get used to it eventually… I went through the same thing back then…” Little boy Richard looked at Blackhair with pity and said jokingly.
“Alright… alright…” Blackhair nodded and took the handkerchief to wipe his face.
“I understand. But friendship is one thing, and business is another. I can give the five major families two extra tons of ore, but as for the price…”
“The price isn’t a problem…” Hearing Blackhair’s words, Betty suddenly flashed a radiant smile. “It’s just 5,000 warriors and equipment, right? We can afford it.”
“It’s not all at once—each family gets that amount,” Blackhair corrected seriously.
“Got it, got it. Beth has no problem, and Richard too. But for the rest, I need to go back and consult. But I wonder if every family really needs two extra tons of ore?” Betty became more demanding. But when she saw Blackhair’s expression darken, she quickly stuck out her tongue like a frightened rabbit and fell silent.
At that moment, the boy in the basket shirt who had remained silent all along suddenly spoke up.
“Mr. Blackhair, though I hate to interrupt you, I must remind you. What you did just now crossed the line of fairness. Therefore, the Warriors’ Association protests.”
“What?” Blackhair rolled his eyes. “Do I even need your approval for my personal gifts? Since when has the Warriors’ Association started meddling so much?”
“Well…” The boy was speechless.
“Hmph, now that you mention it, I do remember. The Warriors’ Association, right? If I’m not mistaken, I’m still wanted by you, am I? Remember? My name is Blackhair.”

“Oh, that warrant was revoked a long time ago. Dear Mr. Blackhair, please forgive our rudeness back then. We had no intention of conflicting with such a distinguished guest as you. What happened last time was just a misunderstanding, yes, a misunderstanding.” Seeing Blackhair about to bring up old matters, the boy in the basket shirt panicked and hurriedly explained.

Joking aside, he had just witnessed the brutality of this man firsthand. It was an old grudge, yet he had kept it in mind until he gained enough strength to act. It would be tragic if the Assassin Guild offended someone like this and perished. He now represented the Warrior Association and couldn’t make the same mistake.

“If it’s a misunderstanding, then let it be,” Blackhair said, unwilling to press further upon seeing his surrender. He shrugged generously. “Enough talk. I’ve already set my price. You can take my ore whenever you provide the resources. Until then, I’ll stay on Silver Star. But don’t say I didn’t warn you—my time is precious. If I don’t get what I want within a week, the ore will never belong to you again. Anyone got any objections?”

“No!” Little Betty and little boy Richard replied in unison, their cute faces showing satisfied smiles. In contrast, the representatives of the Warrior Association and Hunter Guild hesitated.

“I have no issues, but regarding the time, Mr. Blackhair, could we get two more days? Our Warrior Association’s storage warehouse is still some distance away. Adding in the time needed to mobilize warships and prepare our personnel, a week might not be enough,” the boy in the basket shirt asked cautiously.

“No. I still have many things to do. I can’t delay indefinitely. One week, not a minute more. Time is of the essence,” Blackhair said firmly, with no room for negotiation. Seeing his attitude, the boy in the basket shirt could only nod helplessly.

As for the Hunter Guild, the situation was different.

To be honest, in terms of reach, the Hunter Guild might be the largest, with branches in almost every human settlement. But when it came to actual combat strength, things were awkward. As a guild organization, they focused mostly on communication and services among hunters, leaving them with very few actual armed forces. So when they heard Blackhair’s demands, the representative of the Hunter Guild—a pretty girl—shivered slightly without anyone noticing.

“What, have you given up on this deal?” Blackhair sensed something was wrong with her and asked softly.
“No, of course not.” The delicate girl shook her head violently and gritted her silver teeth. “Mr. Blackhair, I understand. In a week, we will definitely deliver what you want.”
“Very good.” Blackhair nodded and suddenly raised a finger. “But you don’t really need to rush. I understand your difficulties. If you agree to one condition of mine, I can waive the share of three thousand men and equipment for you.”
“Really!?” Not only the delicate girl but everyone present was curious about Blackhair’s sudden proposal.
“I have a companion who was once a member of your hunters’ guild. But I heard that she signed a perpetual contract with you due to debt problems. Well, I guess I don’t need to explain further, right?” Blackhair smiled slightly and glanced at Lily behind him. At that moment, the beautiful girl stood there stunned, her expression indistinguishable between crying and laughing.
It had to be admitted that although Blackhair was selfish and cold-hearted, he was an excellent leader for his companions and subordinates. Though Lily was in a master-slave relationship with him, he never looked down on her. In fact, as soon as they left Hell Planet, Blackhair had ordered Sulei to secretly investigate Lily’s background. He knew that this seemingly strong girl was actually just a pitiful person forced to sell herself to pay off her father’s debts. No matter how famous Hunter Lily was, 80% of what she earned from the perpetual contract had to be donated to the guild, leaving her barely enough to make ends meet.
Help might not always come in the form of money. For this seemingly strong girl, Blackhair never wanted to humiliate her with filthy money. Solving her contract problem would undoubtedly be the best gift for her.
“I understand. I’m glad I can help you solve this problem. Please tell me your companion’s name. As long as she’s not one of our first-level members, I can give you an answer right now.” The delicate girl was also quick to respond, only showing brief surprise before answering.
“Her name is Lily.” Blackhair smiled and pulled the still dazed girl behind him forward. “There, that’s her.”

“Lily? A hunter with a mecha’s name as her nickname?” The delicate girl glanced at the black-haired woman and frowned slightly. She reached into her bosom, took out a small terminal, typed quickly a few times, then looked up. “Found her. Lily, real name Sina, a Level 2 hunter in the guild. She has excellent records and was originally on this year’s list for Level 1 hunter. Her home planet was Habile, but she signed a perpetual contract due to owing 1.36 million crystals to the guild. Good, the contract is now revoked.”
With a few taps, the delicate girl pushed the terminal firmly in front of the black-haired woman. “Please have her press her fingerprint here. From now on, she’s free. As for the debt she owes, it’ll be covered by the guild.”
“What a straightforward decision. I admire you.” The black-haired woman smiled even more proudly. Then she gently pulled the dazed Lily aside and wiped the tears from her face—rarely showing her tender side.
“Stop crying, will you? Isn’t this the day you’ve long awaited? Come, my obedient maid, for your freedom…”
“Ugh… ugh… Master…” Lily obediently let the black-haired woman pull her hand to press the fingerprint on the terminal, then threw herself into her arms and cried loudly. Her tears soaked the black-haired woman’s shoulders. Her fair arms clung tightly to her back, refusing to let go no matter what.
From the moment she signed the perpetual contract, Lily had never thought she’d ever be free again. No matter how fierce the battles or how indulgent her life, it was just a way for her to numb herself. Perhaps only when her mecha turned to ashes in the gunfire would she close her eyes amidst the brilliant flames.
The queen who played with men, the fearsome hunter Lily—fuck them all… At this moment, there was only Sina, a free Sina…
Sina with black hair.
On the other side, the little girl Suley hid behind Baroka’s plump back, secretly watching the suffering Lily with a complex expression—unable to decide whether she was happy or sad.
Just then, a hesitant voice suddenly rang out.
“Um… hehe… Leader Blackhair… I know I shouldn’t disturb you now… but… but there’s that matter from our Pirate Alliance… you see…”
Everyone turned to glare at her. The once ferocious bearded man was awkwardly rubbing the back of his head, his face red.
“You bastard!!! Die!!!”

Countless tables, chairs, benches, cups, lights, pots, pans, fists, feet, books, newspapers, swords, spears, mechs, warships, planets, and the universe all flew toward this poor bearded man…