Bi Yu’s decision to concede had undoubtedly saved lives, but losing four warships would surely tarnish her reputation. The two warships vanished into thin air leaving behind no traces of them ever being there.

The sea of stars stretched endlessly, a breathtaking backdrop to the aftermath of a fierce battle. Four warships, battered and broken, hovered amidst the vast expanse, their twisted hulls and scattered debris silently bearing witness to the violence that had transpired.

Among the wreckage, the Blood Hound held its position, victorious yet enigmatic. Its black hulls and skull emblem gave off an eerie vibe making one want to run in the opposite direction.

Luo Muchen sat in the captain’s chair on the bridge, his gaze fixed upon the damaged warships before him, his thoughts unknown. The atmosphere in the Blood Hound was cheerful and boisterous which was a big contrast to the mood in the damaged warships.

The Zeden Coalition soldiers were left defenseless with all their weapons deactivated. There was no use in putting up a fight. They had prepared themselves for the inevitable boarding, the taking of hostages, and the plundering that often followed such clashes. But Captain Luo was never interested in the spoils of war. It was the army that provoked him first and he had put them in their place.

As the tension thickened, an air of bewilderment washed over the beleaguered soldiers. The Blood Hound began to shimmer with an otherworldly glow. It appeared as though the ship itself was being consumed by spectral energy before it went into warp speed.

With mounting disbelief, the Zeden Coalition soldiers watched as the Blood Hound vanished before their eyes, leaving them unharmed and bewildered. The warship’s disappearance was as swift and inexplicable as its victory, leaving only echoes of the battle behind. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Bo Ailun turned to the captain about to ask him about their next move when Luo Muchen stood up and with a dark expression he said, "Follow me."

"Yes Captain," replied Bo Ailun as they left the bridge. His face etched with a scowl Luo Muchen strode down the dimly lit passageway of his warship his boots echoing with each step.

Bo Ailun followed close behind sensing the captain’s foul mood. A foreboding aura surrounded Luo Muchen, making Bo Ailun tread cautiously. He didn’t know what the captain was more upset about. It was either about how the coalition army found them or how Qie Xieling fired without authorisation. Either way, he was the one who was going to bear the brunt of Luo Muchen’s anger.

"How did they find us?" Luo Muchen asked feeling a little flustered. He didn’t like engaging with the army to avoid hurting his people. They rarely crossed paths with the army which was why he wanted to know exactly how they found them.

Trying to keep his composure, Bo Ailun replied, "We are still trying to figure that out, Captain. It seems like this was the work of an insider. They haven’t caught up with our technology yet."

When they entered the resting area on the upper deck, Luo Muchen’s imposing figure settled into a grandiose chair, exuding dominance. Bo Ailun quickly poured a glass of water, hoping to ease his captain’s tension. For a moment the room was filled with an eerie silence that was until Luo Muchen asked a very bizarre question out of the blue.

His fingers rubbing against his upper lip he asked "Why does Qie Xieling call you Bo Bo? Are you two so familiar?" his eyes piercing through Bo Ailun. The question caught Bo Ailun off guard, and he stiffened, unsure of how to respond. Even he didn’t know why Qie Xieling had bestowed upon him that peculiar nickname. It irritated him too but for some reason, there was a sense of familiarity like he was used to being addressed like that by him.

Luo Muchen leaned forward, his gaze intense, waiting for Bo Ailun’s answer. Bo Ailun placed the glass of water on the coaster and said, "I don’t know why he calls me that. He is after all a psychopath."

Luo Muchen looked away and could see some truth in Bo Ailun’s words. Qie Xieling was very unpredictable. "What did Lee Ya want with him?" He asked again and Bo Ailun who had no idea the captain had been snooping on Qie Xieling through the security feed of the warship answered casually.

"She said she needed some things moved but in my experience that is code for something else. Maybe Lee Ya just wanted to chat with him. She seems truly interested in him."

Luo Muchen sneered. Qie Xieling’s ability to seduce people was quite impressive. He felt sorry for whoever fell in love with him. They would be constantly swatting away their love rivals.

Qie Xieling had no idea that he had been branded with the scarlet letter "A". He was feeling incredibly annoyed about missing his chance to get back at Bi Yu.

He angrily stabbed at the cheesecake in the cafeteria with his head lowered. Mauve patted his shoulder and reassured him. "Why such a long face? You are the MVP today and everyone is praising you. Don’t worry about that general. You will get back at her next time."

Qie Xieling sighed wondering when the so-called next time would be. "But why did my station stop working abruptly? It can’t be that it was a coincidence, right?" he asked and Mauve answered,

"Take it up with the man upstairs. He is the only one who has that kind of power."

Qie Xieling, "WTF!"

First, they were flirting with each other and now Luo Muchen was actively protecting her. Qie Xieling knew he was being irrational but he refused to be reasonable. He was allowed to get mad too and he couldn’t vent out his anger on the person he wanted to vent it out to.

That’s because Luo Muchen was quite determined not to see him. He was putting in so much effort to make sure that it didn’t happen. Just when he thought he would have to fight his way to the upper deck an announcement came through the entire warship.

"Recruit Qie, please report to the upper deck to see the captain, I repeat... please report to the upper deck to see the captain."

Qie Xieling was so excited that he even abandoned his cake heading for the elevator. By the time Mauve turned around Qie Xieling was gone. Mauve had never seen anyone this enthusiastic about meeting up with the captain.