Chapter 218: Negotiation!
Translator: ryuxenji Editor: H2dH2mr
Ling Lan's bleak gaze once again swept across the crowd, and the frustrations bottled up in the cadets' hearts were unleashed. Someone roared, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Ling Lan's words had ignited the flames of their rage, along with the pride in their hearts. No one could just calmly accept the senseless humiliation that had been heaped upon them — they had just been riddled with doubts before this. After all, they were on the other's home ground, and there was a great gap between their capabilities, so the cadets had had no choice but to tolerate. But now, everything was different. Their doubts were gone. Ling Lan had given them a chance to reclaim their pride — of course they would not let it pass ...
Fight! All of the cadets' discontentment coalesced into this one word. They shouted it out in unison, causing the expression of the crew members by their sides to pale. Even the expression of the formidable captain could not help but shift.
The youth on the screen was very adept at using words to fuel the indignation of the young. Some of those new cadets who had initially still been a little hesitant no longer retained their reservations, swiftly joining Ling Lan's party. Their eyes were trained vigilantly on the crew members beside them, their entire body on the defensive ...
At every location on the ship, as long as it was an area cohabited by cadets and crew members, the atmosphere became tense. The two sides faced each other with strong fighting spirits; the entire situation was like a powder keg waiting to blow.
Standing in the cafeteria, the captain abruptly recalled Qi Long's sudden escape from their fight. He instantly realised that that brat must definitely be in cahoots with the youth on the comms channel. He almost spewed blood in his rage, and could not help but stomp his feet in anger. "Godd*mmit! This bunch of brats! I've bloody been had!"
With a quick turn of his feet, the captain disappeared like a gust of wind from the cafeteria!
Although Qi Long and the other two had reacted with godlike speed, escaping at first notice from the cafeteria, who was the captain? While fighting with Qi Long, he had long logged Qi Long's aura into his memory. Even though there were countless auras of other people on the ship, it was still an extremely easy matter for him to seek Qi Long out among all of them.
The captain's personality may be a little rough and unpolished, but he still knew that he would need some trump cards to negotiate with the cold youth in the captain's room. For that purpose, Qi Long would undoubtedly be the most valuable one, so he definitely could not let him go.
Completely showcasing his strength as captain, he only needed several seconds to catch up to the fleeing Qi Long and company. Seeing the furious and somewhat savage-looking captain on their tail, Qi Long and the others knew they were in trouble. They had not expected the captain to have such a high hate value towards them ...
Sure enough, in the next second, the captain flew at them, his hand reaching out towards Qi Long in an attack.
Luo Lang and Xie Yi running by Qi Long's side saw Qi Long in danger and instantly stopped and turned to help. Without prior arrangement, the two of them attacked the captain at the same time, shouting as they did so, "Leader, go find Boss!"
Only Boss Lan would be able to resist the captain. In their minds, Ling Lan was the greatest — there was nothing he could not do.
"Too naive!" huffed the captain. He waved a hand each at the two attacking boys, sending an invisible energy surge each at Luo Lang and Xie Yi respectively.
Luo Lang and Xie Yi felt themselves thrown back by a powerful wave of Qi-Jin, and they crashed heavily into the metal walls of the spaceship! Due to the captain's rage, the strength behind his blows was obviously a little stronger than he intended. The two boys threw up a mouthful of blood!
The captain was taken aback by this and paused momentarily. Qi Long, who had managed to run a distance away in the meantime, saw Xie Yi and Luo Lang get injured, and with a clench of his teeth, he actually turned back to leap at the captain, throwing his best killer punch.
He, Qi Long, was not a coward who would abandon his companions!
The captain saw Qi Long choose to return and rescue his friends, launching an attack against him, and a trace of approval flashed through his gaze. He shouted, "Good!"
This time, he no longer held back his strength, unleashing the full force of his aura. Qi Long's fist had barely gotten close to the captain when he felt as if he had become entrapped in a quagmire, actually finding it extremely difficult to move ... this feeling was very familiar — it was just like when he had first fought against Boss Lan!
Qi Long's expression changed slightly. Experienced from fighting against Ling Lan, he knew that this move of his was absolutely useless in this scenario. Unwilling to give up just yet, he immediately switched attacks. He swept his right leg out in a savage kick at the captain. This was an ultimate move Ling Lan had thought him as a last resort —— Total Annihilation 1 !
Total Annihilation was a foot technique Ling Lan had developed out from her research based on the One-Inch Punch — it too had the ability to stack up Qi-Jin to achieve a multiplying effect on strength. At present, Qi Long could only stack up to four levels, allowing Qi Long's attack to leap up in a flash from beginner level Qi-Jin stage to advanced level Qi-Jin stage. This horrifying technique which allowed Qi Long to cross two ranks in an instant was Qi Long's most powerful offensive attack at the moment.
However, this kicking technique also had a side effect. Its feedback force was also very high, so it was a move which harmed oneself by 800 while dealing 1000 damage to the other. Except in cases when his life was in danger, Ling Lan had banned Qi Long from using it during normal times. Because if this move was overused, it would leave long-lasting latent issues within Qi Long's body.
But right now, there was only one thought in Qi Long's mind. Even if he was wounded grievously by the great feedback force, he was determined to give the captain a certain degree of serious injury. Qi Long knew very well that the captain's next target would definitely be Boss Ling Lan in the captain's room. If he could injure the captain seriously here, Boss Lan would not have to fight so hard in the upcoming battle.
Qi Long had not forgotten that Ling Lan's body was still not fully recovered. Thus, even if he had to use all his strength, he would protect his Boss Lan!
Qi Long's aura which suddenly leapt up by two ranks made a trace of astonishment flash across the captain's face. However, Qi Long's had still miscalculated in his idealistic plan ... this was because he had misjudged the captain's strength. The captain's level was much more terrifying than he had imagined.
The captain's aura rose once more, and the sudden pressure that descended caused Qi Long to hover, frozen in the air temporarily. The captain's hands danced, drawing layers of afterimages in the air ... it was perhaps only a second or two, or perhaps it was just a blink of the eye — Qi Long suddenly fell from the sky and before he could touch the ground, a pair of large hands scooped him up and held onto him ..
The captain then immediately threw Qi Long over a shoulder and swiftly began running towards his room. Right now, he was most worried about the captain's room — had the other truly taken control of the mainframe? And what of his sworn brother, his good military adviser — had he suffered a bad outcome? At this thought, the anxiety in the captain's heart flared, and his speed as he sprinted towards the captain's room increased once more.
Lying on the ground, Luo Lang and Xie Yi saw the captain disappear between blinks with Qi Long hefted over his shoulder. The two of them struggled to their feet as quickly as they could, shared a glance, and shouted out in unison, "After him!"
Just as Qi Long was unwilling to give up on his companions, they too would not give up on a companion. Even if they would all be lost by chasing after the enemy, they would not cower.
********
The captain ran desperately all the way. Observing that not a single sentry appeared in the passage where they had been stationed in hiding, he knew that these people must have all been cleared away by the cadets. Right now, his only hope was that their head would be merciful and not cause too many casualties. Otherwise, he had no idea whether he would be able to hold his temper and stop from turning this spaceship into a sea of blood ...
The captain charged without stopping straight into his room, and instantly saw his sworn brother, the military adviser major, staring back at him with a wry smile. The captain instantly let out a breath of relief. From the looks of things, the situation was not beyond salvaging. Meanwhile, in his exclusive seat, a black-attired youth was sitting there with a frigid expression, as if waiting for him.
"Captain, I've been waiting!" said Ling Lan coldly. The captain's shift in expression as he came in, though minor and fleeting, had still been caught by her. Inspiration flashed through Ling Lan's mind, and an idea took form. Perhaps she would not have to fight the captain.
Ling Lan was not afraid to fight, but she would also be very happy if she could avoid fighting. Ling Lan was a girl, and did not really like all this fighting and killing ... Um, you don't believe that? Well, alright, she actually just found it troublesome and tiring. So, if she could avoid it, of course she would avoid it.
"Hand over the administrative rights of the ship and I'll pardon you all," said the captain brusquely, not at all concerned by the threat Ling Lan posed.
The captain believed that even if the other had temporarily taken control of the ship, he would still be able to snatch it back with his capabilities. Moreover, there were still other brothers of his free to move around on the ship; he was not fighting a lone battle.
Of course, he had the confidence to back him up also because he knew the mainframe of his ship was definitely unlike those robotic existences tied to their programming — he did not believe that Ling Lan had really taken full control of the ship.
"What are you using to negotiate with me?" Ling Lan pointed at Qi Long on the captain's shoulder, and said calmly, "Him?"
At this moment, Qi Long was flushed red. He had not expected that he would be so useless, being taken down in one move by the captain, even ending up as a bargaining chip against his own boss.
"Is he not worthy enough?" sneered the captain, "A Qi-Jin stage comrade, and you're willing to sacrifice him?"
Ling Lan tapped on the mainframe lightly, and the crew members locked up in the sealed room appeared on the screen of the captain's room. "Then what about these people? Are you also willing to sacrifice them?"
Seeing this, the captain almost bit hard enough to crack his teeth. As expected, all his sentries had already been captured by the other. He asked darkly, "Are they still alive?"
"Just like my companion on your shoulder, they are alive and well!" Ling Lan said airily, "To negotiate with me, that one on your shoulder is not enough."
Right then, Luo Lang and Xie Yi finally arrived, breathing heavily. The captain's level exceeded theirs by too much — even though they had chased after him desperately, they had still dropped behind by a large margin. The moment they entered the captain's room, they were faced with this standoff ...
The captain began laughing. He pointed at the two of them and said, "And if I add the two of them?"
At these words, Luo Lang's and Xie Yi's expressions paled. They had not expected their arrival to add to the bargaining chips the opponent had against Boss Lan. At this moment, they somewhat regretted their impulsiveness. They should have been more cautious, figuring out the situation before deciding their next step.
Seeing the remorse and frustration in the gazes of the two youths, Ling Lan silently chuckled in her heart. In fact, Ling Lan was very glad internally that they had not chosen to abandon a companion, chasing after the captain fearlessly to attempt a rescue — however, their way of doing things was indeed rather brave but foolish. It was good to let them feel a little frustrated to teach them not to be so reckless all the time and cause real problems in the future.
Ling Lan sighed lightly and said, "Your bargaining chips have indeed increased. Now I'm troubled."
At these words, the remorse and frustration in Luo Lang's and Xie Yi's eyes deepened. They were just about to speak when they saw Ling Lan's cold gaze sweep over them. This penetrating gaze made them shut up in a hurry, patiently waiting for Ling Lan's negotiation with the captain.