7 Sister-in-law?
In the vast expanse of the universe, a colossal black warship surged forward at high speed. This was a massive 100-ton class behemoth, sleek and fierce in its lines, its presence arrogant and unrestrained, like a ferocious beast roaming freely through the interstellar void.
Behind it, over a hundred warships silently executed multiple jumps, encircling and closing in, shifting formations in preparation to launch an attack.
Despite being so tightly surrounded and blockaded, the warship maintained a steady course. Its smooth black wings reflected specks of starlight. Equipped with laser turrets and missile launchers ready to unleash, the main cannon at the prow had already unlocked. Beneath the ship’s belly, over a hundred small assault weapons targeted the rear. Every weapon was poised for battle, the air thick with lethal intent, as if shouting a challenge.
The hundred warships hesitated, not striking immediately.
“General, we are about to enter firing range. Are we not engaging yet?” In the control room, several young men clad in black and blue military uniforms were brimming with excitement.
“Wait a little longer.”
The man standing at the center, his hair white as snow but his spirit sharp as ever, spoke with a commanding voice.
His eyes darkened as he stared at the display screen.
The news of Xin Chi’s prison break had reached the highest authorities instantly. The Marshal was furious, reportedly throwing a cup in anger and vowing to hold every layer accountable.
The warden was already dead; now the blame was set to fall on him.
He had accompanied the prisoner throughout the transfer, and political rivals were angrily accusing him of harboring ill intentions, claiming he had allowed Xin Chi an escape route.
He remained silent.
Indeed, he had conducted a private interrogation of Xin Chi, driven solely by the desire to uncover a hidden secret.
The Marshal had ordered that the prisoner be kept alive, though the reasons were unknown to him. He only knew that if he let the tiger go now, his own brilliant political career could plummet into an abyss at any moment because of Xin Chi.
He would not allow that possibility.
Fatigue crept in.
Bu Hui’s head nodded drowsily, the warm, dry interior spreading a comforting ease through her body, lulling her near to sleep.
Suddenly, the kitchen alarm blared.
Startled awake, Bu Hui snapped to attention.
What was happening outside?
The metallic corridor echoed with alarms. Crew members busied themselves, clenching their fists and rushing about, preparing to launch a counterattack as ordered.
Bu Hui pressed against the window, gazing out at a scene that would etch itself into her memory forever—a dense swarm of silver-white warships filled every inch of sight like a cloud of insects.
At the forefront were lightning-fast light fireships and frigates, followed by various heavy assault and support ships. At the very center of the encirclement hovered the Federation fleet’s aircraft carrier, the Conqueror. Every warship she had seen—or never seen before—was arrayed behind this single ship.
This was a bombardment on a scale of annihilation.
Was the Federation intent on hunting down these pirates?
Bu Hui’s heart skipped, though she felt no great fear.
A criminal of Xin Chi’s caliber could not simply be killed; he had to be captured alive to control his scattered remnants and dismantle them piece by piece.
Capturing alive meant abandoning the idea of attack outright. The threat of force was more likely.
“Boom—”
Brilliant laser particle cannons rained down like countless shooting stars. Suddenly, a transparent energy shield blazed to life around the warship before her. Turrets mounted on the wings shot out like streaks of lightning, ferocious and swift, striking at the attacking ships within range.
The silent void of space hummed ominously.
Explosions erupted violently, turning the vast darkness as bright as day, pain stabbing the eyes.
The ship trembled fiercely; Bu Hui grabbed the railing to steady herself.
Inside, red warning lights flashed sharply.
[Level 2 alert, Level 2 alert.]
[Unknown object impacting the hull.]
Bu Hui was speechless.
This scene was not at all what she had expected.
The ship shook violently again. The alarm warned of deck atmosphere leakage, ordering all personnel to assemble in Section C.
With her deep knowledge of the warship’s internal layout, Bu Hui knew that if this continued, everyone aboard would perish.
After much inner struggle, she pried open a door amidst the alarm, and her dog stealthily slipped out in the chaos.
---
She was in the living quarters; going upward led to the bridge—the ship’s highest and most vital command center and communication hub. Downward lay the armory and fuel depot, where reserve fuel and small warships were stored.
Heading straight to the stern brought one to the medical bay and engineering compartment, intended for combat treatment and immediate defense.
If only she had a pass card, she could reach the engineering bay directly.
Boom—
In the command area of the bridge, senior officers gathered around Xin Chi, their faces darkened with fury.
“These bastards are so brazen, pushing their luck beyond limits!”
“We gave them a chance, and they don’t cherish it. If they want to die, so be it!”
Xin Chi observed the battle calmly. Such a large-scale siege had to be the work of a private militia—no doubt whose handiwork it was.
He understood perfectly well that they wanted his life.
So arrogantly provocative, treading precisely on the pirate leader’s most sensitive nerve.
He sneered coldly: “If that’s the case, let’s see whose life is bigger.”
Whoever kills first wins.
The main cannon turret slowly rose, aiming directly at the aircraft carrier opposite.
The general’s face changed. What was Xin Chi trying to do?
He was throwing away his own life, ignoring the fire from countless small warships, focusing all firepower on the general himself?!
Was this man insane?
A white beam erupted like a beast long lurking, scattering into countless glowing points and shattering the silence of the darkness as it charged straight at the Federation’s aircraft carrier!
Hum—
Boom!
The control room barely managed to raise a protective shield before the terrifying barrage struck. The speed and power shocked every soldier on the battlefield.
They were stunned.
The Federation had never seen such a fearsome weapon before. How had these pirates acquired it?
Chaos and screams erupted in the aircraft carrier’s command center. Several soldiers fell to the ground, instinctively shielding the general.
He steadied himself, his dignified face now slightly disheveled.
Gritting his teeth, he issued a new order: “Full double-round attack!”
He refused to believe, refused to accept, that this warship could still hold so much firepower in reserve. Even if they resorted to overwhelming numbers, they would board Xin Chi’s ship and take his life!
Two captains exchanged a hesitant glance.
“General… our orders are to capture alive…”
“There are many lives onboard. Destroying the ship would be a scandal…”
The general narrowed his eyes fiercely at them. “I am in command here! What did you learn on your first day at the military academy? Recite it for me!”
The two were startled, straightening their legs and saluting crisply.
“All actions follow the highest wartime directives!”
A concentrated volley of fire surged toward the black behemoth. The once steady warship began to shake violently. Before the general could even smile, countless small unmanned warships burst from the belly of the ship, decisively charging at him!
This time, the general truly panicked.
He wanted to destroy Xin Chi but had no intention of perishing alongside this madman.
He still wanted to live!
“Activate defense mode! Frontline warships, withdraw! Regroup around me!”
The ordered ships abandoned their attacks and retreated urgently, reforming their formation around the aircraft carrier in a defensive stance.
Sweating coldly, the general glared venomously at the still-shaking ship on the screen.
Time was running out. These pirates were usually arrogant, but few knew ship repair. Even if he did nothing, they would struggle to reach another star system.
A cornered enemy must not be pursued. This was a timeless truth.
The general gritted his teeth and issued the command.
“Return to base!”
---
“They’ve withdrawn!”
“What cowards, ridiculous—they’re still afraid to die.”
Compared to the embarrassed retreat of the soldiers, the pirates treated death lightly, already popping champagne in celebration.
Bai San licked his lips unwillingly. “Just let them go just like that?”
The strategist, Pei Xius, smiled mysteriously. “The boss even sent them a little gift.”
Several ghost ships silently attached themselves to the aircraft carrier’s hull, where the reserve ships, fuel, and nearly all food supplies were kept.
The metal connection suddenly jolted, spewing a corrosive substance that clung to the hull like saliva, corroding most of it within seconds.
The ghost ships vanished swiftly.
The aircraft carrier’s alarms blared, and the control room descended into chaos.
The general would soon prefer to forget those days: how he communicated embarrassingly with other space stations while starving, how his comrades mercilessly mocked him, how seven-tenths of reserve fuel and warships vanished without a trace, a devastating loss!
Damn Xin Chi!
The pirates were yet unaware of what the future held.
The ship’s alarms had yet to stop. Though they had won this battle, part of the machinery had been sabotaged by treacherous villains. All efforts now focused on repairing the warship.
The pirates, used to winning, were rarely stymied. Usually experts in raids, most mechanics were stationed at their base.
Repairs progressed slowly; the leaking fuel loss would make the return journey perilous.
Xin Chi said calmly, “Concentrate power at the console. Repair as much as possible. Prepare for emergency landing.”
Compared to his composure, Pei Xius was heartbroken over the losses. “Who else can repair the warship? Heavy rewards!”
The confused crowd—mostly burly men—scratched their heads in silence, unable to answer, much to Pei Xius’s frustration.
At that moment, a hand rose high, pushing through the crowd.
“I can.”
It was Bu Hui.
Her gaze fixed firmly on Xin Chi. “I can repair the warship.”
Several subordinates were stunned, appraising the small, unfamiliar woman who looked like a lamb among tigers, sensing something vaguely familiar about her face.
The more they looked, the more recognizable she seemed.
They vaguely recalled a night when a colleague had sent a link from the Stellar Network for them to watch.
The content had sparked a lively discussion.
Wasn’t this...?
Several voices spoke in unison:
“The Widow?!”
“Sister-in-law?!”
Bu Hui was silent.
Xin Chi was silent.
It seemed they had been quite idle during his absence.
He scoffed coldly.