After the cargo ship lifted off, Ji Changqing stood in the captain’s room and asked him with a faint smile, “How about it?”

The captain had already been shocked when he received the orders, so now he was much calmer about Ji Changqing’s prophetic ability.

He simply assumed she was well-informed because of her connection to the third-in-command. “Does the Third Boss have some kind of arrangement?” he asked, his expression excited. He was like a down-on-his-luck middle-aged man who had lost all hope of turning his life around, only to suddenly be told someone would make him rich enough to afford fast cars and a life of luxury.

“Why would the Third Boss have an arrangement?” Ji Changqing had basically taken the captain’s pulse. He valued profit over principles, bullied the weak and feared the strong, and was insatiably greedy. “Have you ever seen anyone who, after making a name for themselves, would still be at someone else’s beck and call?”

The excitement in the captain’s eyes and the thrill on his face gradually faded. The fury deep within him surfaced in his pupils. He leaned forward slightly, trying to pressure the person before him. “Are you playing me?”

“Hm? Playing you?” Ji Changqing looked over with a puzzled expression, her gaze bone-chillingly cold.

Forced back by that icy stare, it was as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head. The captain’s mind cleared instantly, and his eyes couldn’t help but dart toward her unconsciously twitching fingers.

His forward-leaning body quickly bent into a bow. He forced a dry laugh and raised a hand to lightly slap his own face. “A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. With your divine strategy and masterful planning, it’s hard for us brutes to grasp it all at once. We’ll listen to you, we’ll listen to you.”

Anyone who became a space pirate was no soft touch. But this one? When she got rough, she’d even cut down her own people. He must have lost his mind for a moment to even think of questioning her.

Wasn’t it good to be alive?

Serves you right for running your mouth!

Compared to the distant second and third bosses, the killer right in front of him was far more terrifying. Besides, what she’d just said made perfect sense. These bosses were used to holding all the power, calling the shots, and being in charge. Would they really come running back to lick the boots of their former backers and obediently hand over their authority?

Heh, putting himself in their shoes, even as the captain of a small cargo ship, he was always docile and obedient in front of the superior who had promoted and supported him. But if that superior came aboard his ship and started ordering him around, he wouldn’t be happy either! Let alone these bosses.

Any space pirate crew that managed to grow and thrive always had intricate ties to some major power; otherwise, they would have vanished into the sea of stars long ago.

But if the power behind the scenes wanted to step out from the shadows and take over, the leaders at the top would surely pay lip service while secretly defying them.

With this crucial background knowledge, he had a sudden epiphany, and many things became clear. Why the transaction was canceled at the last minute, why they were ordered to land on a desolate planet, and why people were being selected from the “cargo”…

Heh heh, it must be because the big boss behind the scenes also understood these worldly dynamics. They wanted to keep more people for themselves so that if they couldn’t take over the core group right away, they could still pull together a new team. That would buy them time and give them the confidence to slowly wear down the other bosses. And who knew, as they wore them down, a new opportunity might arise.

He was even clever enough to grasp the killer’s unspoken intentions.

If this boss’s boss was capable and reliable, then my oh my, wouldn’t they become part of the inner circle? The glory the other bosses enjoyed now could be theirs in the future!

As for the risk? This line of work was always a gamble with your life. What difference did it make who you worked for?

This was a deal worth making!

After the captain had bowed and scraped and showered her with a torrent of flattery, Ji Changqing finally showed mercy, and the coldness on her face gradually thawed.

The captain asked cautiously, “Even if we’re pulling together a new team, we don’t have an advantage.”

His gaze drifted to the monitoring screen showing their surroundings, clearly referring to the two warships. In terms of combat strength, those two ships had over three thousand people combined. How could they, the lowest-level grunts who just transported cargo, possibly compete?

His attitude was much better than before. While not yet completely deferential, he was somewhat obedient, clearly trying to flatter Ji Changqing as if she were his direct superior.

“Don’t worry. We have one major advantage,” Ji Changqing said, looking completely confident.

“What advantage?” The captain was baffled. They were already at the bottom of the food chain. What advantage could they possibly have to be proud of?

It couldn’t be that they were especially good at surrendering, could it?

“We have more people,” Ji Changqing sighed. When pioneering new territory, “strength in numbers” was never just a slogan. “There are nearly seven thousand people on this ship, twice as many as they have combined! With some careful selection, pulling together a team of three to five thousand will be a piece of cake.”

The captain’s eyes lit up, and he looked at Ji Changqing with even greater fervor. He shamelessly continued to sing her praises, and after he was done, he revealed his true intentions. “Then we’ll be counting on you for everything.”

Having twice the manpower as the others sounded wonderful, as if he could pull together a team in minutes and reach the pinnacle of his life.

But did having people automatically mean you had a team?

Not necessarily.

More often than not, they would just be a disorganized mob, a burden that would drag you down.

Training troops, leading soldiers, coordinating, managing—all of it was easier said than done.

Most people were the type to think, “I get it just by watching,” but then fail miserably when they tried it themselves.

In any case, he knew he wasn’t capable, so he passed the buck without a second thought.

Of course, he knew that if this succeeded, he wouldn’t be the biggest beneficiary. But what did that matter? Who wouldn’t want to take a step up from where they were?

As long as Ji Changqing didn’t overstep her bounds and try to usurp his position, he was more than happy to cooperate.

Ji Changqing saw through him but didn’t expose him. After all, this was what she wanted too. In this mission, the higher their position, the safer they would be and the easier it would be to stir up trouble.

As for selecting people and forming a team, Ji Changqing wasn’t in a hurry; the current situation didn’t allow for it. There were nearly seven thousand people on the cargo ship. Even with two resupplies, the food on board wasn’t even enough to keep everyone from starving before they safely reached Wendeli Planet.

When you couldn’t even solve the problem of food, who would follow you?

Therefore, having reached a consensus with the captain, Ji Changqing rose and took her leave.

Next, she and Saiweiyala each used their own methods to look up information on Wendeli Planet.

In the vast sea of stars, connecting to the star-net wasn’t always possible, especially on a space pirate’s cargo ship. More often, only specific communication bands were kept open to ensure a channel of contact with the outside world, preventing them from getting lost in space.

Much of the information on the ship was pre-downloaded and stored, but accessing it required the proper authorization.

The information about Wendeli on this cargo ship wasn’t extensive, but it was surprisingly a little more than what the other two warships had.

The data on the cargo ship was mostly related to trade on Wendeli Planet—information about shops, the origins of merchants, the scarcity of certain goods, and their corresponding prices.

But it made sense upon reflection. They probably ran the route along the border between the Alliance and the Empire often. While Wendeli wasn’t their usual trading planet, it wasn’t too far off, only a few days’ journey. A single trip was a lot of effort, so naturally, they would take the opportunity to make some extra money on the side.

The information on the two warships, however, was much more high-level. It covered the planet’s topography, culture, geography, defenses, and garrisons, and even the intricate web of relationships behind several high-ranking officers in the current garrison.

Of course, this information, especially the relationship charts of the garrison officers, had been specifically sent over not long ago.

When the three ships traveled together as a team, they would open their local area networks to each other. Saiweiyala had quietly slipped in and obtained this unexpected prize.

A full five days passed. The captain, as their new partner, was growing restless waiting for the next move. Only then did Ji Changqing lazily suggest that it was time to bring over the candidates they had been observing for a look.

The captain, with a look of understanding, readily had his subordinates summon the people.

Back then, to avoid the chore of disembarking, they had picked 100 people as laborers. Due to various accidents, fourteen had died, leaving only 86, with He Qingzhi naturally among them.

Ji Changqing didn’t do much. She just threw the group into the ship’s modest training room and made the men, who had been starving for days, begin a day of high-intensity basic training.

Eighty-six people had to run five kilometers within ten minutes. The gravity in the running area was set to match Wendeli Planet’s. One lap was one kilometer. After completing five laps, they had to enter a two-meter-diameter circle for one-on-one combat. Each person had to win five matches to finish the running exercise.

There were only six combat circles, and each match was limited to one minute. It was first come, first served. A win earned you a ten-minute rest.

The reward for winning five times was a full meal.

The reward of a full meal wasn’t actually that motivating. Most would rather continue lying around on one meal a day than eat their fill after such intense exercise.

But no one dared to disobey, not even to slack off. Because anyone who didn’t follow her instructions would earn a brutal beating.

Everyone had seen the four corpses she had cut down, and no one wanted to be the fifth. A quick death was one thing, but a savage beating from a psychopath would make you wish for death a hundred times over.

Ji Changqing sat and watched this grueling game for a whole day, circling nineteen names on her list.

The monotonous, repetitive, but physically draining timed run tested their stamina, endurance, and willpower. But with only six combat circles, whether you could grab one and who your opponent was tested your judgment. Winning the one-on-one fights came down to strength and skill.

These 86 people had essentially been pre-screened. Of course, the previous screening had been rather superficial, based only on their level. Ji Changqing tormented this group for a day. Sixteen people managed to win five times. The other three she circled hadn’t won enough matches, but they never stopped, gritting their teeth and running until the very end.

These three either understood the meaning behind this test or were simply good at following orders. Either way, their persistence was worthy of a second look.

During his ten-minute rest after winning a match, He Qingzhi quietly exchanged intelligence with Saiweiyala.

Saiweiyala told him their destination and gave him a concise summary of Wendeli Planet’s unique characteristics. He Qingzhi gave her a list of people he had observed who could be useful. This group would be prioritized for assessment and close observation.

Ji Changqing established a routine of bringing in 100 new people each day to play her running game. Of course, some would rather die than run. Whenever she encountered such an idiot, Ji Changqing would beat them without batting an eye and then hang them in the training room as a public example. Her rule was to hang them for only three days. If they were still stubbornly alive after three days, she would have their external injuries treated and throw them back.

After several people who dared to challenge her authority had died, no one else dared to cause trouble.

Smoothly, before arriving at Wendeli Planet, she completed the preliminary selection—picking out over seven hundred people for the next round of assessment.

What was the next round of assessment?

The seven hundred-plus people who had been summoned to assemble before the ship also wanted to know.

The two warships landed first, and their crews were the first to disembark. When they saw the cargo ship’s captain leading his two hundred-odd crew members down, one of them spoke with a look of disdain that was also tinged with entitlement. “Hand over that batch of cargo and the weapons. Follow our arrangements, or don’t expect us to protect you while you live here for the next six months.”

Hearing such a moronic statement, the captain, who had been subjected to their unreasonable treatment many times, suddenly felt a wave of satisfaction. He grinned brightly, waved for his men to form neat ranks, and said cheekily, “Oh, I can’t make that decision.”

The man who had just spoken froze for a moment. Had this guy grown a spine? Back on the desolate planet, hadn’t he always been bowing and scraping, only capable of saying “yes, yes, yes”?

He sneered, “A weakling should know his place. Of course you can’t make the decision. You know what Wendeli is like better than I do. You got a death wish?”

“It’s because he wants to live that he can’t make the decision,” a cool female voice drifted over.

The man clapped his hands. “Well said!”

Only after clapping did he belatedly realize that the speaker wasn’t from his own camp.

Following the voice, he trembled reflexively before forcing himself to remain calm. “Zhao Qingci, what is the meaning of this?”

Ji Changqing thought to herself, Alright, it seems everyone has done their homework.

The Klopp family deeply understood the principle of “not putting all your eggs in one basket.” The cargo ship belonged to the space pirate crew, while the two warships belonged to mercenaries.

Dirty work like abducting people and selling them as cargo was naturally handled by the pirates. The mercenary group, on the other hand, were respectable people—they only took on missions for money, and their business scope included escorting merchant and cargo ships.

As for what kind of business those ships were engaged in, how would they know? Even while escorting a pirate cargo ship, the mercenary group could still maintain their image as a pristine white lotus.

Of course, if they encountered another pirate crew trying to plunder their charge, they could engage in some dog-eat-dog action and instantly transform into avatars of justice.

The captain thought sourly, You talk a big game, but you’re already scared. Your current posture is like a startled kitten, back arched and fur on end, completely tense and ready to strike back at any moment.

But this guy had been so arrogant in front of him, so he was quite happy to see him taken down a peg. With a petty sense of triumph, he explained in a respectful and considerate tone, “It means we all listen to her. She’s in charge.”

The other man shot him a hateful glare. Look at you, running your mouth. You weren’t this talkative before, were you? No one would think you were mute if you just kept quiet!

He didn’t dare act presumptuously in front of Zhao Qingci; after all, he couldn’t win against her. But on second thought, maybe he didn’t need to be so afraid of her. Times were different. She was a commander without an army now; her original crew was completely wiped out. No matter how formidable she was, without people or resources, what kind of trouble could she possibly stir up?!

Just as he was about to puff out his chest, he saw a surging crowd of people emerge one by one from behind Ji Changqing, flowing around her like water around a boulder and splitting to flank her on both sides.

The breath he had just gathered instantly deflated.

“We haven’t even settled in, and you already want to start with infighting? Are you that stupid?” Ji Changqing leisurely smoothed her sleeve and swept her gaze over the people from the two warships. It seemed they didn’t think much of the original captain, as only a few hundred had disembarked. “There’s no need for a full-blown fight just yet. Same old rules. How about you have your boss come down, and we’ll have a go?”

Who wants to fight you?!

Seeing nearly a thousand people standing there menacingly with Ji Changqing at their head, the two leaders on the warships, who had been sitting pretty, knew their scheme had failed.

As long-term friendly partners, they were well aware of the formidable figures within the space pirate crew, even if they hadn’t dealt with them directly.

Previously, Zhao Qingci had neither competed for the top spot internally nor shown her face externally, so they had no idea she was there until she cut down four people and hung their bodies from the ship’s gate as a warning.

After that, it was impossible not to know.

Their first act upon arriving at Wendeli was to send a subordinate to intimidate the captain and take control of his men. It was merely a probe.

The best-case scenario would have been for Zhao Qingci to remain a silent lone wolf while the captain stayed in charge. That way, everything on the cargo ship would have been easily theirs.

The next best was for Zhao Qingci to seize power but be too slow to grasp the meaning behind the mid-journey diversion to Wendeli. If she didn’t understand, then given the cargo ship’s limited facilities and two hundred-odd crew, they could have taken it by force without much trouble.

But the probe revealed the worst possible outcome.

Not only did she understand, but she had also decisively organized a team.

Theoretically, since both warships belonged to the same mercenary group, they still held an absolute advantage in terms of combatants and equipment. But at a critical moment like this, who wouldn’t want more chips in their hand? And the two warships didn’t have the same commander.

Starting a large-scale internal conflict was suicidal. A three-way standoff, perhaps, wasn’t so bad?

The two leaders from the warships soon came down as well and held a brief three-way meeting.

“Zhao Qingci. The people on this ship listen to me,” Ji Changqing said, shamelessly using someone else’s name as she proactively extended her hand.

The other two men were momentarily confused, but she set the pace, and they fell into the ritual of polite greetings.

“Ming Zixing, commander of this warship.”

The other man, who hadn’t been quick enough to shake Ji Changqing’s hand first, could only glare from the side. If you’re going to introduce yourself like that, am I supposed to say I’m the ‘commander of that warship’?

His internal complaints were off the charts, but he maintained a calm exterior. “Jixin.”

Ji Changqing smiled, pretending not to notice the silent argument in their eyes.

“Everyone understands the current situation. This is just the first step. What will happen after we enter the Empire is still uncertain. Shall we come up with a plan first?” Ming Zixing and Jixin exchanged glances for a while before Ming Zixing finally took the lead and got to the point.

“Cooperation benefits us all; conflict harms everyone.” Ji Changqing was very direct, even more so than the other two. “I know you want people.”

Ming Zixing and Jixin, having had their intentions exposed, were thick-skinned enough not to show any change in expression. They even cheerfully admitted it and threw in a compliment. “You’re a perceptive one.”

Being called “perceptive” elicited no reaction from Ji Changqing. She continued on her own accord, “It’s hard to say what the future holds, but one thing is certain: in the eyes of others, we’re definitely seen as a single group.”

She was tying them all together first, no objections accepted.

Ming Zixing and Jixin showed hesitation, seemingly not too keen on being bundled with notoriously infamous space pirates.

Ji Changqing chanted as if casting a spell, “Do you want people?”

Ming Zixing and Jixin immediately nodded, affirming her previous statement. “You’re right. We’ll rendezvous in the Empire in six months. We’ve traveled together for nearly a year and even negotiated the distribution of manpower. No one would believe us if we said we weren’t a team. So how can we disappoint their expectations, right?”

Yes, everything you say is right.

Ji Changqing wore an approving expression and continued without any pressure, “These people are like rootless duckweed in the Empire. Their lives are entirely in our hands. You won’t find anyone more useful. After all, even if we establish a foothold in the Empire, any new recruits we take in might be spies for someone else.”

It was unclear whether her series of brainwashing points about “cherishing these people, as at least they aren’t spies sent by others” was effective on Ming Zixing and Jixin, but she wore an expression that said, “I don’t care if you believe it, I do.”

In order to get their share of the manpower and accumulate more bargaining chips, the other two played along, helping her create a few more talking points until they almost started to believe it themselves.

Finally, amidst the mutual brainwashing and commercial flattery, Ji Changqing very generously announced that she had already selected a group, leaving forty-five hundred people. They would split them three ways, fifteen hundred each, and she was even willing to let them pick first.

Getting people was no problem, and picking first was also fine. The only issue was that they had to trade weapons for them.

This was an internal exchange, and everyone understood the game. Selling the people was out of the question, but the crew of the cargo ship alone couldn’t protect this “cargo” on Wendeli. Only after an internal transfer would the warship crews treat the “cargo” assigned to them as their own people.

Ji Changqing stood to the side with a faint smile, speaking with Ming Zixing and Jixin as she watched the scene of weapons being exchanged for people. She looked clear-headed and cold.

As an Alliance soldier, she should be actively rescuing Alliance citizens trapped in dire straits.

But as a Star Hidden operative on a mission, she needed to understand what it meant for a little impatience to spoil a great plan.

Like Ming Zixing and Jixin, she would treat them as consumables, forging them into soldiers through combat. The dead would be buried in a foreign land, while the living would gradually become people who would do anything just to survive.

By the time they left Wendeli, a planet ruled by the law of the jungle where order was nonexistent, most of the survivors would probably have grown accustomed to having blood on their hands without a second thought.

Prioritizing the bigger picture has always been a term as rational as it is cruel. For the benefit of the majority, it crushes the unfortunate few caught in its path.