Fearing that Mimili might misunderstand, Yang Ming deliberately wore his Empire military uniform and didn't just wander out in a bathrobe.
Although he really wanted to.
Upon opening the cabin door, Yang Ming was pleasantly surprised.
Mimili had changed into a pair of tight jeans and a batwing shirt, with a heart-shaped pendant adorning her snowy neck, and her cute butterfly tattoo visible on her shoulder.
"Uncle," Mimili looked up and assessed Yang Ming's expression, "try these clothes to see if they fit, they've all been steamed at high temperature... May I come in?"
"It's your ship, Captain Mimili."
Yang Ming stepped aside, making a gesture for her to enter, and Mimili's smile instantly grew more confident.
Clearly, she liked being called captain.
Yang Ming intentionally left the cabin door open.
Because they were about to make successive jumps, he fixed the door open with suction cups.
Surveying the rest cabin she hadn't visited often, Mimili perched her pert backside on the edge of the desk and said with a smile, "Father said that you and he took care of Cole Port Prison together."
"That's right," Yang Ming pointed towards the blue-coated window that appeared outside, "you might want to find a place to sit tight, the jump is about to start."
Mimili walked over to the sofa next to Yang Ming, gracefully bringing her legs together as she sat down, then leaned back casually.
"The jumps my father operates are very stable; they won't affect our conversation... Uncle, were you a soldier of the Sherman Empire?"
"I was, before they gave up on me," Yang Ming shook his head, "but from now on, I have to make new plans for my own future."
"The powerful Empire wouldn't feel pain no matter how many soldiers it sacrifices," Mimili's expression showed some disgust, "they use the Emperor's Power to bind individual freedom. I really don't know why in this age there are still nobles as a ruling class!"
A faint light appeared around them, like an added layer of hazy lens, and the sound waves produced by their throats vibrated with a slight deviation, causing the trailing sound to be thickened and stretched.
These were phenomena unique to subspace.
A few seconds later, everything returned to normal, the glowing film turned into flying specks of light that dissolved into the void of space.
The spaceship immediately began a new coating, but this time it wasn't a blue light.
"Does the ship have multiple subspace membrane emitters?" Yang Ming asked curiously.
"Yes," Mimili smiled, "we need to maintain high maneuverability and anti-tracking capabilities. Don't be fooled by the ship's hundred-meter length; actually, sixty percent of the space is jump equipment. Besides that, there's an equal amount of deflection instruments to avoid resonance. The hull material is comparable to those of large military ships... A pirate ship is our second life, Uncle Hanton."
Yang Ming crossed his legs and watched her gem-like pale eyes.
"Mimili, you came to see me while Kolev was managing the jumps, and it must be for more than just expressing his concern. I'm quite straightforward and prefer to cut to the chase."
Mimili bit her lower lip slightly, "My father has spoken highly of your combat skills... I wanted to confirm that for myself."
Was that a way to check the goods?
Yang Ming's eyes held a playful light, "Mimili, I think I can guess what you want to do. That guy named Kimo—your father's former subordinate—he took over your position as the leader of the Black Dragon Pirate Group. You want revenge on him, right?"
"Yes," Mimili's gaze became sharp and filled with hatred, "I want to take back what's mine, and I don't want to rely on my father's help."
Yang Ming said, "You've fallen into a misconception."
"Or rather, Kolev loves you so much that it caused him to misjudge."
Yang Ming picked up the previously sipped distilled water, moistened his throat:
"Pirate groups are made up of rebellious individuals, and succession shouldn't be a matter of father to son, but of capability. Kolev thinks you have that capability, but in reality, you don't, not yet."
"It's Kimo's slander!"
Mimili became agitated, "It was under his influence that I bought those beauty devices, and I didn't know that was the designated fund for purchasing fuel cells! He planned everything!"
She spilled the beans quite easily.
"See, you can't even keep calm, and that's the most basic requirement. You were easily provoked by me."
Yang Ming sighed, shaking his head somewhat disappointedly, "I said temporarily, you don't have it temporarily, which doesn't mean you won't have it in the future."
Mimili's pretty face reddened, glaring at Yang Ming; it took quite a while before she could speak again.
The second jump started, and Mimili took those ten or so seconds to calm down.
"Does Uncle mean, we need mutual proof? I show you that I have the ability to take back the Black Dragon, and you prove to me your superior combat skills, right?"
"Roughly speaking," Yang Ming said, "but there's something else I need to be honest about."
Mimili stood up, silently watching Yang Ming.
"Until you surpass your father, I won't consider becoming your subordinate," Yang Ming warned, "Even if you become better than your father, I won't sacrifice my freedom. At most, we can work together temporarily."
Mimili nodded, not saying anything further, and turned to leave the cabin.
If it wasn't for her kicking the corridor wall on her way out, Yang Ming might have really thought the future Star widow was a docile sheep.
The clothes clearly had been worn by someone else, but they felt soft to the touch, and indeed bore signs of disinfection.
Yang Ming locked the cabin door and examined himself in the mirror on the wall, taking off the Empire's military uniform for the last time.
The jump started again.