Chapter Thirty-Two

The main control room was in utter chaos, littered with fragments and broken parts scattered across the floor—testament to how fiercely Mu had battered the starship.

Once Number Two fully realized that Ye Chong had no interest in the young master's life, she began to cooperate. Now, all three were stranded, and without unity, their chances of survival were vanishingly small. Faced with Ye Chong’s overwhelming and asymmetrical strength, Number Two had no choice but to lower her guard.

The young master had been in a daze ever since seeing Mu, muttering incomprehensibly under his breath. Number Two felt helpless; the young master was amiable and unpretentious, but when it came to his field of research, he’d sink into it in an instant. He cared nothing for family affairs—his sole passion lay in the study of mecha, where he demonstrated astonishing talent. His ideal was to become a mecha engineer, but the eldest lady opposed him fiercely. As the family’s legal heir, the young master ignored worldly matters and devoted himself to his research, leaving the eldest lady to shoulder family responsibilities alone for years.

He had snuck out this time without her knowledge, hoping to escape the wearying life he abhorred. Fate, however, had other plans: not only did an accident occur, but they encountered a formidable expert. Number Two bitterly regretted not stopping the young master from leaving home.

She forced herself to discard such useless thoughts that would only sap her morale.

Ye Chong understood nothing about starships and would have to rely on the experts.

“What should we do now?” Ye Chong asked.

Number Two fiddled with the instruments for a moment, then turned to face him. “Our situation is dire. The propulsion system is completely disabled, the hull is severely damaged with multiple cracks, and, most critically, the pulse signal transmitter is broken. We can’t send distress signals or contact other starships for help. We're about 118,000 kilometers from Zuo Yu Floating Base. Under normal flight conditions, it would take only eight days to reach it—but our escape pods are damaged as well. If they were intact, we could have used them to reach Zuo Yu directly. Unfortunately,” she paused, seeing both men listening intently, and continued, “the Zuo Yu patrol only covers a five-day radius around the base. So our only hope is for a passing starship to discover us.” Her calm and methodical explanation made Ye Chong reevaluate the ‘weak’ woman; she clearly was not without merit.

The young master soon recovered and began inspecting the main control room. He truly was a mechanical prodigy—within moments, he commenced repairs. His nimble hands moved like a magician, parts fluttering between his fingers with a unique rhythm. Number Two watched him, utterly entranced.

Ye Chong was equally surprised; he hadn’t expected this frail youth to be such a mechanical genius. Ye Chong himself was half an expert in this field, but compared to the young master, he knew he was lacking.

There are always greater talents in this world, Ye Chong thought. The old men back in “Aurora” had been right. He hadn’t considered that he’d only been studying for a little over a year, while the young master had been nurtured since childhood, with resources far beyond anything Ye Chong had experienced on his impoverished home planet. It was only natural that the young master was superior, especially given his family’s close ties to mecha engineering.

Ye Chong observed the youth’s repairs closely, testing his own knowledge and gaining much in the process. Gradually, he became noticeably more courteous to the other two.

Unfortunately, the starship was too badly damaged; the propulsion system was beyond hope. Thankfully, the air and heating systems, though not fully restored, could meet their basic needs. The ship’s stores of food and water were plentiful, so all they could do now was wait.

The three began to chat, tactfully avoiding personal histories. The young master’s name was Gu Shaoze, and his maid’s name—strange as it was—was Number Two. Ye Chong felt no curiosity about this. He politely introduced himself.

Conversing with Gu Shaoze was a delight; they shared common interests and grew more animated with each exchange. Number Two smiled, watching them, though her gaze lingered mostly on Gu Shaoze.

Ye Chong respected Gu Shaoze deeply; the youth’s knowledge far surpassed his age and rivaled the elders in “Aurora,” perhaps even surpassing them in certain areas.

Gu Shaoze, in turn, regarded Ye Chong with newfound appreciation. He had never expected this supposed brute to possess such profound expertise in mecha mechanics—keen insight, precise comments, and solid theoretical foundations, almost equal to his own.

If only he knew that Ye Chong’s practical experience was nonexistent!

Their conversation grew warmer, a sense of mutual admiration blossoming. Gu Shaoze, usually a courteous gentleman, harbored a touch of pride—rarely did he meet someone he truly respected. As for Ye Chong, this was the first time he’d communicated with a peer whose abilities he genuinely esteemed.

Number Two sat gracefully nearby, smiling softly as she watched their lively exchange—who could have guessed that less than an hour ago, the three were locked in mortal conflict?

In the vastness of space, a convoy of more than thirty cargo ships cruised steadily.

Boss Jing Mo sat in the command chair, deep in thought. In eight or nine days, they would arrive at Zuo Yu Floating Base. Provided nothing went wrong, the profits from this trip would be considerable, and he’d earn a hefty contribution medal—perhaps even enough to upgrade his merchant qualifications, allowing him to trade in mecha. Few merchants held such qualifications, and the profits dwarfed those of ordinary goods.

This shipment had traveled from the Tianluo Sector to the Faer Sector over five months, encountering several bands of space pirates. Fortunately, his hired pilot squad was strong enough to ensure safety. He congratulated himself for spending lavishly to employ a renowned pilot group; without them, he’d have lost the cargo—and perhaps his life.

Ten days left! He prayed nothing would happen in that time. Eyes closed, Jing Mo silently hoped for smooth passage.

Suddenly, an alarm shattered his prayers. Jing Mo’s eyes snapped open, his heart tightening in apprehension.