Apologies, I was quite busy today, so I'm late. The next chapter won't be ready until midnight, so please don't wait up; read it tomorrow instead.

A few minutes later, Zhong Yun finally shattered the suffocating silence, speaking up, "Everyone except you can leave now."

Hearing his words, the others stirred, and every gaze shifted toward a man standing beside Wang Jingze—the Second Officer, the highest-ranking person remaining besides Wang Jingze. He was now their de facto leader.

Yu Daoqing paused, her expression slightly anxious, seemingly wanting to speak, but catching a cold glint in Zhong Yun's eyes, she swallowed her words back down.

Wang Jingze’s face turned ashen, and he said mournfully, "I should have thought of this long ago. Since you've already committed slaughter in the main control room, I suppose you wouldn't need any piloting crew."

Zhong Yun offered no reply. Even though, in his eyes, Wang Jingze was already a dead man, caution dictated that he wouldn't reveal all his trump cards.

"I have activated all the escape pods. Go back to where you came from," Zhong Yun commanded their departure. "And tell your master this for me: from now on, your people are never to appear before me again, nor should they set their sights on my woman. Otherwise..."

Zhong Yun uttered four words from his mouth: "You face the consequences."

The Second Officer glanced at Wang Jingze, then looked back at his subordinates, grit his teeth, and finally made a decision. "Everyone, listen to my orders! Form groups of twenty and gather at the escape pods."

"My apologies, Mr. Wang, but I must be responsible for the lives of my men," the Second Officer bowed to Wang Jingze.

"If you leave like this, your superiors won't let you off easily either," Wang Jingze sneered.

"That is my affair. Mr. Wang should worry about himself first," the Second Officer retorted, then turned and led his people away. He had long been dissatisfied with Wang Jingze’s blatant disregard for his comrades' lives. Had it not been for a direct, fatal order from his superior, he would have turned hostile long ago. Now that withdrawal was imminent, he certainly wouldn't pander to Wang Jingze's moods anymore.

Once they were far away, a mocking smile suddenly touched the corner of Wang Jingze's lips. "They are so naive. They actually believe you'll let them leave alive."

Zhong Yun’s expression remained unchanged, his gaze merely drifting toward the crew members rushing toward the escape pods. There were over sixty of them left, boarding four separate pods, and they successfully launched and departed.

Watching the spaceship shrink into the distance, every face in the escape pods was etched with sorrow. When they set off, they numbered three hundred in total; now, four-fifths of their brothers were lost, leaving only sixty-odd survivors.

"We must have revenge." This was the unanimous sentiment echoing in their hearts.

Although Zhong Yun hadn't killed them and had allowed them to leave in the escape pods, they felt no gratitude. He had killed so many of their own; this debt of blood could never be forgiven.

"Zhong Yun—" Every one of them seared this name into their memory. The pain he inflicted upon them today would, one day, be repaid tenfold, a hundredfold. This was their shared, unspoken oath.

"A mere little Davao Republic—how can it possibly protect you?" The Second Officer's lips curled into a cruel smile.

"I assume you aren't foolish enough to actually let them go?" Seeing Zhong Yun remain silent for so long, Wang Jingze said with feigned surprise.

"You'd be so kind as to look out for my interests? I suppose killing them would bring me considerable trouble," Zhong Yun finally spoke.

"Hahahaha..." Wang Jingze laughed until tears were nearly streaming down his face. Perhaps realizing his imminent death, he had completely let go. "You aren't that naive, are you? Do you really think letting them off means they'll be grateful?"

Zhong Yun shook his head. "They were, after all, your companions. How can you not only fail to plead for them but actively urge me to kill them?"

Wang Jingze’s face contorted into madness. "I know you won't spare me. Since I'm going to die, why should they get to live?"

Zhong Yun remained silent. Just as he suspected, this man was not only capable of forbearance but possessed the venomous cruelty of a viper. He could understand ruthlessness to achieve a goal. But he deeply disapproved of Wang Jingze’s self-defeating spite.

Insect Bee No. 2 and No. 3 had already positioned themselves outside the spaceship. He had lost the patience for pointless talk with Wang Jingze. "You just stay right here..."

A sudden warning flashed through Zhong Yun’s mind. Instinctively, he dodged aside, and a piercing pain shot up his left forearm. A dart from an injector was embedded there, its toxin already coursing into his body.

"Hahahaha..." Wang Jingze erupted in wild laughter. "Enjoy the taste of an Ability Reversal, won't you?"

Yu Daoqing reacted with lightning speed, yanking the injector from Zhong Yun's forearm and tossing it away. Three red dots arranged in a triangle were revealed, identical to the small wound on the Captain's forehead.

Zhong Yun acted decisively, clamping down hard on the joint of his left arm, trying to halt the toxin's spread. Below the joint, his limb felt as if scalding oil had been poured into his veins; the flesh and blood seemed to combust, turning an unnatural, cooked-shrimp red.

"Zhong Yun, are you alright?" Seeing his arm turn so gruesome, Yu Daoqing’s face paled, and her voice trembled with near tears.

"Wang Jingze, hand over the antidote," she suddenly stood up, radiating a murderous intent more intense than ever before, her tone as chilling as the arctic wind. "Otherwise, I will make you wish for death, yet be unable to achieve it."

Wang Jingze's face twisted. "Are you heartbroken? Does seeing him suffer make you suffer? Do you want to kill me?"

Yu Daoqing’s chest heaved as she forcibly suppressed the surging killing intent. "Produce the antidote, and I won't kill you."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Wang Jingze shook his head, a look of mockery on his face. At this moment, he finally held bargaining chips for a comeback. "Missy shows too little sincerity. Whose life is worth more, mine or his? Weigh it yourself."

"And a reminder: your little lover’s time is running out."

A flash of terror crossed Yu Daoqing's eyes. "Tell me, what do you want?"

"I want you," Wang Jingze said lightly, a depraved, lustful expression spreading across his face.

"Dream on," Yu Daoqing choked out, her face turning deathly pale, wishing she could tear the owner of that repulsive face to pieces.

Wang Jingze roared with laughter. "Just one night with me is enough. Sleep with me once, and I save your little lover’s life. It’s a bargain, isn't it?"

"Don't take too long to consider; Zhong Yun can't hold on much longer." Following this, he burst into another bout of maniacal laughter.

Yu Daoqing glanced down at Zhong Yun. He was half-reclining on the floor, his face devoid of color due to the pain. The abnormality on his arm had already spread to his shoulder.

"I..."

Seeing this foolish woman actually about to agree, rage flared in Zhong Yun’s heart. Mustering a sudden burst of strength from an unknown source, he lunged upright, kicking the operation console to shut off the monitoring video. He turned to look coldly at Yu Daoqing, speaking in a voice distorted by pain, "I... do not need you to sell... your body... to save me."

After saying this, Zhong Yun seemed to have expended all his energy, leaning heavily against the console, panting, his face as white as paper.

Yu Daoqing felt as if her heart had been struck by a massive hammer; her face turned as pale as Zhong Yun’s.

In the main control room, only Zhong Yun's ragged gasps echoed. After a while, his weak voice finally sounded, "Help me... to the airlock."

Yu Daoqing wiped away a tear that had fallen without her noticing and moved to support him. His tall frame pressed against her shoulder. Half an hour ago, this body had been so strong and vigorous; now, she had to hold him up just to walk. The realization brought another fresh flow of tears.

Seeing the monitor shut off, Wang Jingze's expression darkened momentarily before he broke into laughter again. "Zhong Yun, Zhong Yun, no matter how powerful you are, you still fell into my trap! I am the one who laughs last. Hahahaha..."

His laughter grew more frantic, echoing through the empty passageway as if releasing fifteen years of pent-up emotion.

Wang Jingze was supremely patient; the fact that he could infiltrate Yu Daoqing's side for fifteen years undetected testified to this. Like Zhong Yun, he too had concealed his ultimate trump card.

His Ability was telekinesis, known throughout the base, but no one knew he could perform ultra-long-range control. As long as it was a location he was familiar with, even if separated by hundreds of meters and shielded by obstructions, he could control an object. The maximum range was one thousand meters, and the object’s size was limited to under 0.5 cubic meters.

Coincidentally, his current location was only eight hundred meters from the control room, and the box containing the syringe that caused Ability Reversal was placed right behind the captain's chair.

All his previous rambling was merely a tactic to distract Zhong Yun while he secretly initiated the ultra-long-range control, opening the box and retrieving the syringe.

Zhong Yun and Yu Daoqing were momentarily careless, leading to his ambush succeeding and achieving a major turnaround.

This man's cunning patience was truly terrifying.

As Wang Jingze’s laughter subsided, he calmed down instantly. He needed to leave this spaceship immediately, while Yu Daoqing was still preoccupied with Zhong Yun. Otherwise, facing a raging, desperate Level Ten powerhouse, he didn't believe he stood a chance.

Although the forward passage was sealed, as Captain, he naturally knew the password to the rear exit. It took him only a moment to open it. He headed straight for the room adjacent to the control room—a huge risk, as it meant walking into a potential trap if Yu Daoqing was monitoring him.

But he had to take the chance, for here was an escape pod reserved for key personnel, far superior to the standard models.

Wang Jingze boarded the escape pod without Yu Daoqing appearing. It seemed his assumption was correct: she couldn't spare attention for him now. He smiled faintly, thinking to himself, "Yu Daoqing, I will be back. You are mine."

The escape pod pulled away from the spaceship, speeding off into the vastness of the cosmos.

P: Asking for monthly tickets please…………………… The gap has widened again; urgent plea for support.