Grey Bear Fourth Fleet Flagship - Bridge
"What's going on? They're still not making a move?" Sun Li sat in the captain's chair, her voice laced with urgency as she addressed the secretary officer beside her.
The secretary officer shook his head and said, "The Qing Yuan Fleet has been hovering outside the M11 satellite ever since they entered the vicinity of MM1. There are no obstructions in their path, and we have a clear view of their fleet movements through the imprint.
It's been over 24 hours and they haven't made a single move."
Sun Li furrowed her brows, "What are they up to? They're already here, so why aren't they going to the designated planet to make the exchange?"
The location was decided by her while the timing was set by Sun He.
But it had already been 24 hours, and they hadn't shown any sign of activity.
Most importantly, the Qing Yuan Fleet was in plain sight and didn't show any sign of trying to escape.
"Have we tried contacting them?" Sun Li asked.
"I've contacted them three times already, and each time they said to wait. Apparently, their light carrier, the Qing Yuan, has engine problems and they're currently fixing it," the secretary officer explained.
"Engine problems?" Sun Li muttered, her eyes narrowed.
"Their Qing Yuan light carrier is an old ship that has been in many battles. It's been involved in several battles recently, so some mechanical issues are bound to arise.
They probably want to take this time to do a thorough inspection. Once the transaction is complete, they can leave without any problems," the secretary officer speculated.
Sun Li scoffed, "Leave without any problems? They have no capital to leave. This star region is the grave I chose for them."
Sun Li raised her hand, opening the star map that displayed the locations of all her fleet's starships.
"Did you inform everyone about the arrangements?"
The secretary officer, with a serious expression, responded, "As per your instructions, we have stealthily deployed several of our starships behind the surrounding satellites.
We've also discreetly contacted some mercenary fleets, tasking them with intercepting any escape attempts.
Once the exchange begins, just give the order, and the Qing Yuan Fleet won't stand a chance!"
A sly smile played on Sun Li's lips as she toyed with a card holding two million units of crystal ore.
"Excellent. Not only will I get the data for the fighter, but those two million units of crystal ore will be mine as well."
At that moment, Sun Li could almost see herself rising to the heights of power.
A lord!
A captain with hundreds of starships!
She would become a more powerful entity than the Grey Bear Lord.
Hong Xiu Lian would be nothing more than a mere pawn in her eyes.
Beep, beep, beep.
The communicator beside her buzzed, and the secretary officer immediately checked it.
He then said with excitement, "It's a message from the Qing Yuan Fleet. They've set the exchange for 24 hours later. Both of our fleets must leave this star region around MM1.
Furthermore, only Captain Sun He and Captain Sun Li will be allowed to board their respective transports to M31 satellite. The transaction will be terminated if any extra lifeforms are found on the other party's transport.
No weapons are allowed on the transport. Violation will result in the termination of the exchange."
"They're quite cautious." Sun Li was even more certain that the other side was genuinely interested in the two million units of crystal ore.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have made such careful arrangements.
"Captain, what if this is a trap? It's too dangerous for you to go alone. I'm willing to go in your place!" The secretary officer volunteered enthusiastically.
"Hmph, I can handle this myself. Besides, both transports and the individuals will be under each other's surveillance.
Even without weapons, I can still take care of a single person. Just follow my orders and attack the Qing Yuan Fleet when I tell you to."
Sun Li glanced at the secretary officer, rejecting his proposal.
The main reason was that she couldn't allow anyone else to gain possession of the data. She could tolerate sharing half of it previously.
But this time, it was the complete fighter data, and it was crucial to her future. She had to secure it with her own hands to feel at ease.
"Yes." The secretary officer lowered his head, saying nothing further.
Although they had to wait another 24 hours, having a timeframe made a world of difference.
Captain Sun Li felt relieved and began to anticipate the final hours.
Soon… very soon…
She would start a new chapter in her life.
…
24 hours later.
After a brief communication, the two transports departed from their respective starships and entered the airspace of M31 satellite.
Neither of them landed immediately, instead they activated scanning equipment to analyze the other's transport.
They confirmed that no weapons were loaded on the other transport.
"Captain Sun He, I come with good intentions. I wouldn't do anything to break our agreement, so rest assured and just give me the data for the Xiaolong class interstellar fighter." Sun Li's voice, gentle and soothing, reached Sun He's transport.
"We must follow the proper procedure. This is for everyone's safety. However, I'm willing to believe that Captain Sun Li is a woman of her word." Sun He's voice responded.
In the cockpit of her transport, a wicked grin spread across Sun Li's face.
Foolish man.
Promises?
They were nothing compared to a dazzling future.
Sun Li felt her heart thrumming with anticipation. She could barely contain her excitement.
Stay calm, Sun Li.
You need to stay calm and not reveal any flaws.
Sun Li suppressed her emotions and began to pilot the transport, slowly descending towards M31 satellite.
Sun He's transport followed suit, landing approximately 500 meters away from hers.
Both transports landed on barren terrain, allowing them to clearly see each other.
Sun Li, clad in a tight-fitting spacesuit with a thin face mask, stepped out of her transport.
M31 satellite didn't have an oxygen environment suitable for humans, so it was necessary to wear equipment to walk around.
However, spacesuits in this era were no longer bulky like they were in Sun He's previous life.
From the appearance, they looked like tight-fitting jumpsuits, with transparent and lightweight motorcycle helmets covering their faces.
This kind of "spacesuit" allowed soldiers to fight more easily in such an environment.
Sun Li raised her head, looking towards the other side. The man, also dressed in a similar black spacesuit, appeared on the ground.
Their eyes met, and they began to walk towards each other.
"It's almost here, it's almost here. I'm about to achieve my future!" Behind the transparent face mask, Sun Li's lips twitched uncontrollably, but she still managed to control her emotions.