Chapter Eight: Robbery

As the gates of the base swung open, dozens of figures burst out at breakneck speed, with several massive mechas trailing behind them. The few members of the Kuang family accompanying Kuang Chi hurriedly formed a protective circle around him. In such circumstances, it was obvious to anyone that Kuang Chi was the leader of this group.

From the other side, a tall, thin elder stepped out slowly from among his people. He offered Kuang Chi a noble’s salute before casting a glance around and speaking: “Gentlemen, you must be soldiers of the Third Legion of the Carlo Empire. May I ask, who is your commanding officer?”

Kuang Qingshan looked toward Kuang Chi, who gave a slight nod. Only then did Kuang Qingshan reply, “We are indeed from the Third Legion of the Carlo Empire. This is our captain.”

At this, the elder couldn’t help showing a look of surprise—after all, it was rare for someone as young as a major to serve as a ship’s captain. Anyone could tell he was no ordinary noble’s son. Just then, a man behind the elder hurried over and whispered something in his ear.

The old man gasped in astonishment, then saluted Kuang Chi again. After gazing for a moment at the massive hammer Kuang Chi held carelessly at his side, he said, “Captain, I believe there may be a misunderstanding between you, your subordinates, and us. Our mining team belongs to the Xingzhuo Group of the Carlo Empire. If you doubt my words, you may consult Deputy Legion Commander Gu Karte of your own legion.”

Kuang Qingshan started, then leaned close to Kuang Chi and whispered, “Young master, what should we do? I don’t think they’re lying. Some of our men just confirmed that one of those three mining ships is indeed registered to the Carlo Empire.”

Kuang Chi pondered this for a moment before finally speaking for the first time himself. “You claim to be subjects of the Carlo Empire. Then why are you flying the insignia of the Gill Empire? And why have I heard that all our empire’s mining teams were recalled before the war began—yet here you are, seizing and using Carlo Empire mining vessels?”

The old man’s expression changed as soon as Kuang Chi spoke. It was clear that Kuang Chi was looking for an excuse to seize their assets by force. He quickly protested, “Captain, we truly belong to the Xingzhuo Group. Xingzhuo holds a forty percent share in this mining team. As for the Gill Empire insignia, Gill Empire patrols frequently sweep this planet, so we had no choice but to display their mark.”

Kuang Chi snorted coldly. “Do you take me for a fool, to be deceived by a few words?”

With that, Kuang Chi barked, “Men, move in!”

At that moment, a man behind the elder suddenly shouted, “Wait!”

A middle-aged man stepped forward to stand before the elder. He offered Kuang Chi a perfunctory salute, his voice icy as he said, “Captain, I can vouch for our leader. I am the Xingzhuo Group’s representative here, from the Hyde family. If I’m not mistaken, you must be Kuang Chi, young master of the Kuang family.”

When Kuang Chi heard the claim of Hyde family affiliation, he couldn’t help but laugh in anger. He’d been looking for an excuse to trouble the Hyde family—who would have thought someone would dare claim to be from Hyde right before him?

One of the Kuang family members behind Kuang Chi leaned in and whispered, “Young master, it seems to be true. Xingzhuo Group is indeed a Hyde family business, and that man’s aura is definitely Hyde’s Fury Flame Battle Qi.”

Kuang Chi snorted coldly. “Still trying to fool me? If you’re from the Hyde family, fine, I’ll take you back and let your family come fetch you themselves.”

The man’s face paled.

With a wave of Kuang Chi’s hand, the Kuang family members charged forward. The Hyde family man shouted, “Send the distress signal—these are all Kuang family elites!”

To be assigned to protect Kuang Chi on the battlefield, these Kuang family members were anything but weak.

By Kuang Chi’s command, not a single member of the mining team was left alive. Even the Hyde family man was personally sent to the afterlife by Kuang Chi, his body shredded to pieces by Xiaohua.

After the mine was completely cleared, Kuang Qingshan, his face beaming with excitement, approached Kuang Chi. “Young master, we’ve struck it rich! The ore in that warehouse could fetch at least a dozen billion in the empire.”

Kuang Chi was stunned, incredulous. “Really? That much?”

Kuang Qingshan quickly explained, “There are three veins beneath this site, all rich in precious metals. Judging by the state of the warehouse, the other side was just about to ship them out—everything’s already packed.”

Kuang Chi burst into hearty laughter. “So, what now?”

Kuang Qingshan pondered for a moment. “I hear our family has mining teams on this planet too. I’ll use our family’s special communicator to have them come take over this site. As for the ore in the warehouse—this is the spoils of our mission, naturally it belongs to our warship.”

Kuang Chi nodded with a smile, quite pleased with Kuang Qingshan’s handling of the situation. He didn’t care about a mere billion or so. As an ancient family with thousands of years of history, the Kuang family cared even less.

The next morning, a group of several dozen arrived in a mining ship bearing the Kuang family crest in a conspicuous place, descending slowly into the valley.

The captain of this mining team turned out to be a direct member of the Kuang family—a cousin of Kuang Chi. Their grandfathers were brothers, and the two had met at family banquets before.

Stepping off the mining ship, the cousin laughed heartily. “Young master, you really have a knack for this. The moment you arrive, you seize a treasure trove for the family. I’ve had my eye on this place for years, but the elders always said it was somehow tied to the Hyde family and forbade us from making a move.”

Kuang Chi was curious why his cousin would be here on Planet 55963 as a mining team captain. “Cousin Qiye, how did you end up here?”

The cousin, Qiye, laughed. “All because of you! The family’s been buying up Sky Blue Crystals everywhere for that big hammer of yours, but you can’t acquire them with money alone. All the noble houses with the means to mine precious metals keep them for military use. We had no choice but to come mine them ourselves. I heard this planet was quite exciting, so I volunteered as a mining captain here. And you? What brings you?”

Kuang Chi grinned. “I received a special mission—and ran right into all this.”

Qiye roared with laughter. “Is that all? Those poor souls had rotten luck.”

He glanced around at Kuang Chi’s entourage and then sighed theatrically. “The family head and elders really play favorites. You’ve got so many elite Kuang Martial Hall enforcers with you, while I risk life and limb here and can’t get even a few.”

Just as Kuang Chi was about to reply, Qiye continued, “You’re not in a hurry to leave, are you? There are a few more mining teams nearby. They’ve struck some fine ore recently and never get along with our family. Take this chance to raid them—after all, you’re on a Third Legion special mission, nothing to lose.”

Kuang Qingshan quickly asked, “Which country do they belong to?”

“A mix, but mostly Gill Empire. Why worry? You have the Martial Hall enforcers with you. I’ve seen them before—they’re the best.” He nodded toward the dozen or so Kuang family experts left to Kuang Chi by his father.

Kuang Qingshan turned to Kuang Chi. “Young master, it’s no problem to raid the Gill Empire—they’re the enemy, and killing them means nothing. But as for our own… There’s no precedent for robbing our own mining teams on a special mission. After what we did here, the Hyde family won’t let it go. We really shouldn’t attack any more of our own.”

Qiye, ever the troublemaker, chimed in, “I’ve heard about the Third Legion’s special missions—there’s no rule against raiding our own, is there? They’re acting illegally anyway. No one can do anything to you.”

Kuang Chi laughed. “Exactly, that’s right.”

Over the next half month, the mining teams on Planet 55963 suffered a string of disasters. Any who crossed paths with Kuang Chi’s group—especially those from the Gill Empire—were slaughtered and robbed. Even the Carlo Empire’s teams weren’t spared, stripped bare of their resources.

Half a month later, as the fully loaded 78456 warship slowly turned in orbit to return to the fortress, Kuang Chi, Kuang Qingshan, and ten others remained behind on Planet 55963.

During those two weeks, Kuang Chi had been so busy pillaging that he hadn’t even tasted the local beasts, and he was in no hurry to leave. Especially since he’d promised Xiaohua a few days to indulge in a feast on this planet.

Votes, oh, votes… I’m dizzy… The recommendation numbers just won’t rise… sigh…

Some readers have asked who is accommodating whom. But I wouldn’t dare ask the great readers to indulge me. It’s just that lately, my writing hasn’t felt right—something’s off, and I’m not satisfied with the chapters. Please bear with me a little longer. Great readers, have mercy on me. Honestly, when I’m not in the right state, I’m unhappy with my own plotlines too, and it’s a struggle…