Chapter 497, Go, Strike Him Twice
"Won't let me go? Is that the exact wording? Sounds like something from a cartoon."
Xiaoxiao circled overhead and said, "That's the gist of it~!"
Wu Heng said, "Come, let me see!"
Xiaoxiao nodded and directly entered his body.
The scene from earlier was shared in his mind.
Deputy Commander Liu clearly didn't want this matter to affect the relationship with their side. Meanwhile, the middle-aged man named Qi Anrong represented Boss Huang.
It was mentioned that Boss Huang only had one son and wouldn't let this matter rest.
That must have been the source of Xiaoxiao's words about not letting him off.
This Huang father and son seemed to have considerable luck; at least, they both survived the early days of the apocalypse.
Most other survivors had lost their families during the initial outbreak.
Wu Heng quickly analyzed the situation in his mind.
The rescue team evidently didn't want a conflict with his side, as they were dependent on their grain supplies.
At most, Boss Huang might mobilize personal forces to create trouble.
"As long as they don't damage the factory, the rest isn't a big deal."
With Wu Heng's current methods...
Even if someone was hiding inside an armored vehicle, it wouldn't be hard for him to kill them.
Confirming that the opposing party had left and posed no immediate threat,
he stood up, opened the dimensional gate, and walked through.
...…
Emerald Sea.
Ships bearing the banner of the Savage Lion Pirate Crew fled in disarray.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
One of the ships to the side suddenly exploded.
Shattered debris rained down into the sea.
The ship began sinking into the water.
Pirates who fell into the sea screamed for help.
Behind them, a ship flying the flags of Gold-Silver Island and the Guild was in pursuit.
Its weapons spat tongues of flame.
Amidst the dense explosions, shouts like "Die, you bastards!" and "Shoot them to hell!" mingled with wild laughter.
It was like madness unleashed.
Soon, only one ship from the Savage Lion Pirate Crew remained, fleeing at the front.
The captain, Joachim, with his golden explosion of hair, stood on the deck, veins bulging on his forehead, repeatedly shouting, "Faster, speed up! Avoid those weapons!"
As he spoke, he cut his finger with a dagger.
He smeared the blood onto the forehead of the mermaid figurehead at the bow. In an instant, the ship's speed increased further.
It began pulling away.
Just then, a green-feathered parrot flew in first, perching on the railing.
It looked at Joachim and spoke in human language, "Joachim, dumb bird."
Joachim's face darkened.
During the last battle at Gold-Silver Island, he had managed to survive by staying at the rear of the fleet.
After painstakingly rebuilding a new fleet, this lunatic had found him again.
Joachim glanced back.
The artillery fire behind had ceased as the distance between them increased.
It seemed unlikely they'd catch up now.
Relieved, he turned back to the parrot.
Phillipa was surely using her beast-taming skills to watch him.
Gritting his teeth, he said, "One day, I'll find you. I'll break every joint in your body and hang you on the mast to dry into jerky. And even if I can't find you, I'll hunt down everyone around you and make them die because of you."
The parrot stared at him with wide eyes and screeched, "Big dumb bird!"
Flapping its wings, it flew back into the sky, away from the ship.
Meanwhile, the lookout on the mast shouted, "Captain! There's something strange on the starboard side!"
Joachim squinted and quickly moved to the right side to check.
Beneath the surface, a giant shark formed of seawater seemed to be following the ship.
Suddenly, the shark swished its tail and slammed into the hull.
Bang!
A violent impact rocked the ship, sending pirates tumbling.
"Attack it, quick!"
The pirates began firing into the water.
Arrows and bolts pierced the shark's form but caused no harm.
The shark leaped over the ship, sweeping many pirates into the sea before splashing down on the other side.
Then came relentless impacts,
preventing the ship from maintaining its speed.
Meanwhile, Phillipa stood on the pursuing ship's bow, in front of a powerful weapon, closing in rapidly.
The parrot flew off her shoulder.
Phillipa aimed the cannon.
"Die already."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The intense barrage tore apart the Savage Lion's ship, leaving it in pieces in moments.
Debris floated on the surface, with the broken vessel belching black smoke.
...…
The battle ended.
Phillipa ordered her crew to salvage the spoils and haul up the bodies and surviving pirates.
The bodies would be handed to Wu Heng for conversion.
Pirates typically weren't low-level, and they had decent swimming skills.
Among the bodies,
a few wounded but lucky pirates had survived.
Phillipa scanned them, then approached Joachim. She smacked his face hard. "Joachim, you're one lucky bastard to still be alive."
Phillipa recalled how she had once been tricked into going to the pirate island by him, where she was nearly executed.
Now, their roles were reversed. Kneeling before her was Joachim, the 15th-level captain of a large pirate crew.
"Phillipa, you're the daughter of pirates. Do you think the Guild truly accepts you? You'll never escape your identity, and they'll abandon you sooner or later." Joachim tossed his hair aside, speaking coldly.
"Bullshit! I'm the Guild's Whisperer. Your whole family are pirates. Anyway, you probably don't even know what a Whisperer is." Phillipa retorted disdainfully.
As for his claim that the Guild would abandon her,
Phillipa wasn't worried at all.
Her relationship with Wu Heng was solid.
"Hmph!" Joachim sneered, showing no sign of fear. "If you're so bold, don't kill me. Let's see who's more afraid in the end."
"Now that you've said that, I'm actually a bit uneasy." Phillipa responded.
Joachim's eyes narrowed, his expression darkening further.
Phillipa ordered two 15th-level skeletons to guard him and moved to inspect the other captives.
When she reached the fifth one,
she stopped abruptly, frowning at him. "Lift your head."
The kneeling pirate cautiously raised his head, his eyes evasive.
Phillipa frowned. "Babuci, you're alive? Wait, I mean, how did you end up with them?"
Babuci, captain of the Flying Fish Pirate Crew.
Babuci awkwardly raised his head and said, "Joachim said I was your accomplice, so he locked me up in the cabin for days."
Phillipa glanced at a nearby Guild salvage team member and nodded slightly.
"Damn that bastard." Phillipa stepped forward, untied Babuci, and pulled him to his feet. "You're my only friend. Come on, I'll help you vent your anger."
Babuci stood up with her help, still looking somewhat bewildered.
He followed Phillipa to stand in front of Savage Lion Joachim.
Phillipa drew a curved blade from a skeleton's waist and handed it to Babuci. "Here, give him two strikes. If you kill him, no big deal."
Babuci's eyes narrowed as he stared at Joachim's glaring eyes, hesitating. "This…."
Phillipa shoved the blade into his hands. Babuci hesitated for a long time but eventually walked toward Joachim.
"Babuci, she's with the Guild. If you dare kill me, the sea will punish you." Joachim bellowed, his face twisted with rage.
Babuci's eyes hardened as he coldly replied, "The era of big pirate crews is over. You can't scare me."
With that, he drove the blade directly into Joachim's body.
Then came a second strike, and a third.
Blood splattered everywhere.
Phillipa nodded and waved her hand.
The skeletons executed the remaining surviving pirates, slitting their throats.
Their bodies convulsed on the deck before going still.
Once all the pirates were dead, Phillipa continued, "Wrap all the bodies in straw mats. After salvaging the spoils, we'll set sail for home."
The crew got to work.
Phillipa turned to Babuci and said, "Bear with it for now. Once we're back on the island, I'll plead on your behalf."
Babuci handed the blade back to her, then was led to the ship's cabin by a skeleton for temporary confinement.
...…
Island Lord's Manor.
Wu Heng left his study and walked toward the room for the artificer skeletons.
The skeletons were incredibly efficient.
Unlike living beings, they didn't need rest or lights at night and could work in the dark to sort blueprints.
Wu Heng checked in on their progress.
The blueprints for bullets and grenades had already been sorted and labeled.
They were now working on organizing the designs for composite bows.
Wu Heng called two 15th-level skeletons over and said, "Finish sorting the blueprints you have now, then reorganize the designs for these shells. I've placed the rest of the blueprints in the room next door. You can refer to them when needed, and remember to keep everything safe from fire."
The artificer skeleton glanced at the blueprints,
placed them aside, and resumed working on the composite bow designs.
Wu Heng observed briefly before leaving the room.
He went downstairs to chat with Minnie for a bit.
Afterward, he joined Andviel for dinner.
Returning to his room, he rested for the night.
...…
The next morning.
Wu Heng transported the engineering vehicles he had gathered to the construction site.
The expansion of the island's outer area began.
When the gnome engineers and other biological engineers saw the engines roaring, easily moving large rocks and flattening roads,
their eyes widened in amazement.
"My lord, if these machines can keep running, I guarantee the project will be finished in half the expected time. In less than three days, we'll complete the drainage system and begin constructing buildings and shops," the gnome said.
"Good. I'll also assign skeletons to assist with transportation, speeding up the process. Prioritize building the second port," Wu Heng instructed, feeling reassured by the smooth operation of the vehicles.
The progress was even faster than the gnome anticipated.
After all, the skeletons could work through the night without disturbing residents due to the site's distance from populated areas.
"Understood, my lord."
Wu Heng patted the gnome's shoulder. "Do a good job, and I'll establish a dedicated research department for you. You'll oversee all the island's designs in the future."
The gnome froze for a moment, then enthusiastically thanked him, "Thank you, my lord! I'll give it my all to complete the work and not disappoint you."
Wu Heng nodded and left the gnome to manage the project.
After checking in with Minnie back at the manor, he entered his study and opened the dimensional gate to the zombie world.
...…
Stepping through the gate, a chill engulfed him.
Gold-Silver Island was hot, while here it was winter.
If not for his enhanced constitution, the temperature shift might have made him catch a cold.
Exiting the room,
Qi Hancai approached him.
She said directly, "The others and the photovoltaic equipment are on the way. They should arrive tomorrow."
"Good. Once the solar panels are here, let's see if they can power one or two production lines to resume manufacturing."
"Understood!" Qi Hancai nodded.
Wu Heng continued, "Has there been any word from the rescue team?"
"Nothing so far. It seems they've given up. Our quick combat speed left them with no concrete evidence. Suspicion alone won't get them anywhere." Qi Hancai seemed more relaxed now.
Based on yesterday's conversation,
it seemed the rescue team wasn't planning to pursue the matter further, leaving only the possibility of Boss Huang acting independently.
"We can't fully trust them yet. Stay vigilant."
"Got it."
Wu Heng asked, "What about the surrounding area? Have we scouted it thoroughly?"
Qi Hancai pulled out a map. "There are a few more factories in this direction."
"Organize a convoy. Let's clear the way as we go."