Chapter 262 - 110 Terminator

Just two minutes before the pirates and Zuo Jing turned their attention to Chen Ming.

An urgent communication had already taken place between the two fleets to confirm which path each was on.

Then they discovered, just as Chen Ming had guessed, that they actually knew each other.

They even had certain connections with people both known to Chen Ming.

This person was Shen Yi, who had been taken down by Chen Ming earlier.

The flagship captain of the Pirate Fleet once had a connection with Shen Yi, and it could be described as quite close.

Simply put, much like the previous Pirate Leader who was also eliminated by Chen Ming, they acted against merchant fleets using the intelligence sold by Shen Yi.

He had accidentally encountered the captain of this Zuo Jing fleet several times while looking for Shen Yi, and although not close, they had formed an impression.

And as for the captain of the Zuo Jing fleet, his connection with Shen Yi was simply that they were both under Zuo Jing’s command. It’s completely normal for them to know each other and occasionally cross paths.

So the Zuo Jing captain also had an impression of the pirate captain.

Both sides did not want to engage directly in conflict, and after exchanging information in a relatively peaceful manner.

They realized that the situation was a bit special, so they opened up further to verify each other’s identities.

Eventually, they even initiated a video call.

The flagship captains of the Luder Zuo Jing fleet and the Pirate Fleet appeared before each other’s eyes.

The Zuo Jing captain was the first to speak, "It’s truly unexpected. Since Shen Yi’s death, we’ve lost contact with many people. Are you interested in coming back to work?"

The pirate captain chuckled dryly, "I’d rather not. Recently, the heat’s been too strong. The Fourteenth Legion has suddenly come here, so something major must be happening. I’m planning to take a break after this job, so I won’t be taking any action for now."

The pirate captain declined the Zuo Jing captain’s invitation.

He became a pirate to make money, not to lose his life.

The mission that led to Shen Yi, the Zuo Jing intelligence dealer’s death, clearly wasn’t a normal profit-making mission.

Moreover, he had heard rumors that Shen Yi had a reputation for trickery.

As a result, he was now keeping a respectful distance from other Zuo Jing members, avoiding unnecessary involvement if possible.

"Alright then, I won’t waste your time, but those two ships over there are still watching. I just want to ask you a question: what are you doing here?"

The Zuo Jing captain was not polite to the pirate captain, but the pirate captain didn’t show any dissatisfaction, at least not on his face.

He had just observed the Zuo Jing fleet, noting that they had more ships than the ones he had brought.

Though it couldn’t be said for certain if things would escalate, Zuo Jing’s reputation made him hesitant to provoke them.

So after a moment of thought, the pirate captain decided to directly disclose their objective.

"Did you see that Torrential Rain ship? We had received news and followed it all the way here, intending to find an opportunity to attack a merchant fleet along the way."

"But we couldn’t find a chance; I thought it was impossible, and then the ship was dispatched to its destination and directly headed to a place like the Dark Graveyard where no one is around."

"And only a frigate and an engineering ship followed, so of course we can’t miss this opportunity."

"However, if you’re also after the Torrential Rain, we’ll leave now and let you have the ship."

After the pirate captain finished speaking, he directly ordered his fleet to turn around.

Seeing the Pirate Fleet really preparing to leave, the Zuo Jing captain hurriedly said, "Wait."

The Zuo Jing captain by now almost believed the pirate captain’s words, realizing that their goals did not entirely conflict.

So he began to entertain some ideas in his mind.

He wanted to use this opportunity to pull the pirate captain and his fleet back into the Zuo Jing fold.

Not only because the pirate captain could count as their own before.

But also because the power of Luder Zuo Jing in this Star Realm had indeed waned significantly.

Especially after the last plan to attack the Space Elevator at the Star Realm Capital.

Not only did the mission fail, but they also lost a considerable number of personnel during the mission and subsequently faced severe reprisals from the Star Realm Government.

The government seemed incredibly precise in knowing their locations and carried out irresistible capture operations.

As a result, their overall power had weakened considerably, with many places that had begun building small branches now virtually in paralysis.

That’s why recruitment was something he had been doing recently.

If he could bring back former members, especially capable leaders like the pirate captain of this fleet, it would surely be more convenient than engaging with newcomers.

But since the pirate captain had explicitly refused, the Zuo Jing captain couldn’t say so directly, opting for another approach.

After stopping the Pirate Fleet from turning back, the Zuo Jing captain quickly organized his words and said, "Let’s put it this way, we’re not here for the Torrential Rain; we have no conflict with you."

"We just heard an engineering ship was leaving, and through internal personnel at the Space Station, found out who rented this engineering ship."

"His name is Wu Ping’an."

The pirate captain recalled for a moment and said, "The name sounds familiar."

"It should ring a bell; remember that time with Shen Yi?"

"Among the two people who killed Shen Yi, he was one of them."

The pirate captain nodded in sudden realization and asked, "Who was the other one?"