Chapter 49: 035 This damn sense of ceremony
When Kimo learned that all three of his ships had malfunctioned, he almost flipped his delicious intestine over rice.
This was his assurance of reaching the pinnacle of life!
A large group of pirates left the cozy Space Port, donned their protective suits, and rushed back to the three pirate ships, then… they stared blankly at the screens filled with strings of gibberish.
Kimo’s nearly six-foot sturdy frame imposed immense pressure on the surrounding pirates.
“Where are those damn technicians?” Kimo asked as gently as he could.
“Boss, do you mean… those two guys you threw into space last time because they got icy? You thought they were overpaid and did no substantial work, just drinking tea on the ship and flirting with women…”
Kimo’s nostrils flared uncontrollably, “The new technicians, oh, the newly hired ones where are they?”
“They’re over there, saying the system is auto-updating, telling us not to panic.”
Kimo glared and roared, “Can’t I tell the difference between a crash screen and an auto-update? Another freeloader! Bring him to me!”
Two young pirates with scholarly looks had their legs go soft.
Suddenly, all the screens began to shake, and an old face appeared everywhere.
Kimo paused, then clenched his fists.
“My lads! Hello there!”
It was Kolev’s doing!
“It’s Captain Kolev!” a pirate exclaimed in surprise.
“What captain,” someone immediately corrected, “he’s a greedy vampire, a capitalist pirate exploiting us, Kolev!”
Yet Kolev’s voice was full of calm, melancholy, and tenderness.
He looked affectionately at everyone and said softly;
“Are you surprised to see me now? This is a little program I hid in the systems of each ship, triggered after my heart stops beating.
“Yes, getting old, you have to prepare for the future, especially in our line of work.
“Today is my sixty-fifth birthday, and I’ve felt my body might not be up for it anymore, after several intense healing sessions; I’ve aged faster, ah… I wish I could continue causing chaos in the Galaxy with you all.”
Kimo frowned, “Can we turn this off? This old man disgusts me.”
“Leader, we’re already pressing the button but… um, physically, they’re unresponsive.”
Just then, Kolev spoke up:
“Don’t shut the video off. This is a will, I’m leaving half my wealth as a reward for your loyalty. The other half goes to Mimili.
“When my heart stops beating, this message will appear before you. I hope you won’t panic or fall into disarray from the potential shock. If you feel you can’t continue spacefaring without my leadership, take the wealth I’ve left for you—I mean, every one of you who can see this video, and find a remote place to settle down.
“Of course, if you want to keep sailing, I recommend Guka, this little guy who’s been my second mate for many years, to continue leading you. My daughter is still too young. But I hope Guka will train her as the next leader. Guka, you can do it, right?
“Oh, making a will is really a sad affair.
“I hope this thing will never be used.
“Go find my treasure, let the squadron leaders split up, supervise each other, and nobody think about hogging it all, it’s left for you. — I’ve converted it into Federation Coins electronic keys.”
Several photos flashed across the video.
“The location is here, a place you are familiar with, but wouldn’t expect.”
The video focused on the backside of the Olhaif Planet, a deserted city in an uninhabited area.
“Go search for the treasure I hid.
“Don’t fight among yourselves, remember, only by unity can you continue to be invincible.”
The video disappeared from all the screens, showing the normal system interface.
A deathlike silence fell over the pirate ship.
Everyone was looking at Kimo, and everyone’s gaze gradually became animated.
“This is a trap,” Kimo said gravely, “I may not like thinking, but this is obviously a trap Kolev wants us to fall into.”
A confidant whispered from the side, “But, leader, we haven’t received any external signals. Also, according to the feedback from Guka’s side, they saw the same thing on their ship. It’s a will, and Kolev looks just like he did ten years ago.”
Kimo murmured, “How did this old man manage this.”
Suddenly, a call came from the corner.
“What? Are you serious? The bank?”
Kimo frowned and looked over.
“Lea—leader, Kolev is dead… Half an hour ago, he was held hostage by that young man who cursed you as brainless, in a standoff with Olhaif police, and the police shot Kolev, the hostage…”
“Leader! I’ve also received news, it’s from a spy!”
“Oh, here are the video and pictures!”
“That young man also wants your wealth, leader, amassed over decades, the major assets of the Black Dragon…”
“The old leader was right, it belongs to us! To every member of the Black Dragon.”
“That damn Kolev, he dared to decide on his own, leaving half to that idiot Mimili alone!”
The pirates became restless.
Kimo narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly burst into laughter, the ferocious expression making the surrounding pirates stop their discussion.