If he had a combat ship of his own waiting at the dock, he’d feel more at ease in general.
As for why he didn’t bring the Warrior Level, it was because the Warrior Level modified by Speed Particle Technology was a bit too flashy.
The Warrior Level is a type of ship that’s somewhat iconic for the military. This modified Warrior can easily be spotted as heavily altered, potentially causing some unnecessary trouble.
So the Warrior Level had to be temporarily left here.
After spending as short a time as when he came, Chen Ming was once again standing on the floor of the Space Station.
Upon his return, the first thing Chen Ming did was stroll around the maintenance shop and found Old Wu squatting in the corner, smoking.
Tian Jiwen was next to Old Wu at this time, and when he saw Chen Ming, a complicated expression appeared on his face. Without a word, he turned and left.
Only Old Wu was left being caught slacking off, but he didn’t feel embarrassed at all, even reaching into his pocket to offer Chen Ming a cigarette.
However, Chen Ming directly declined, "No need, I don’t smoke."
Old Wu shrugged, flicked away the cigarette butt from his mouth, lit a new one for himself, and after a satisfying puff, he asked Chen Ming, "What’s the matter you came to find me for?"
"Well, I want to buy some special items. You have wide connections, so I came to ask you. The brokerage fee won’t be missing from you."
An opportunistic smile appeared on Old Wu’s face as he casually placed a hand on Chen Ming’s shoulder, saying, "Hey, we’re so familiar, why so formal?"
Chen Ming extended five fingers and said, "This amount."
Old Wu’s smile broadened, "No problem, what do you want to buy? I have connections to help you find it."
Old Wu’s expression turned slightly more serious, "What kind of information?"
"Information about pirates with bounties on them, I need their bounty amounts, their recent whereabouts, and the general composition of their fleets."
"What are you planning to do?"
"Find a target to test the performance of my modified spaceship."
Old Wu squinted his eyes, stared at Chen Ming for a moment, then said, "Alright, follow me."
Old Wu led Chen Ming into the city within the Space Station and to the bar they had visited together last time. The source of thɪs content is noᴠelfire.net
He greeted the bartender very familiarly and led Chen Ming directly to the back of the bar.
After passing through two rooms in succession, Chen Ming and Old Wu found themselves in a small enclosed room.
On the desk here was a computer, with an additional touchscreen display connected opposite to it.
Seated behind the desk was a somewhat idle-looking person.
This person dressed scholarly, with glasses, looking like an ordinary employee.
Upon noticing Old Wu entering, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Old Wu, coming to chat without a drink?"
Old Wu chuckled, "Hey, we’re not here to drink today."
"Oh, so you’re here to buy something? Is it this gentleman who wants to buy?"
The man with glasses directed his gaze towards Chen Ming standing beside Old Wu.
Before Chen Ming could speak, Old Wu said directly, "Yes, he wants to test the performance of his modified spaceship, and he’s looking for the intel on some pirates with bounties."
While saying this, Old Wu leaned forward and whispered inaudibly to Chen Ming, "Try to find some easy targets, this lad can’t just get lost out there."
The eyeglass-wearing man didn’t say a word, but his eyes clearly reflected a sense of reassurance.
He motioned for Chen Ming to sit on the chair opposite him, right where he could reach the touchscreen.
"I’ve compiled a list of available intel, with rough descriptions for each. You can browse through, and if you want more detailed information, payment is required."
Chen Ming nodded, sliding his hand across the screen, choosing suitable targets.
His purpose in troubling pirates was to potentially get a permit for armed ships in the future.
Thus, when selecting targets, those pirates who only operate within a single Star Zone aren’t ideal for him.
They must be pirates that show signs of activity throughout an entire Star Realm; only after dealing with them could he possibly leave an impression with government officials.
However, after reviewing the brief information on the screen, Chen Ming found the list filled with small fry.
The highest bounty was just a little over two million, with a fleet of four Frigates, barely fully equipped with military subsystems, eliminating them would be meaningless.
Without finding an appropriate target, Chen Ming looked up at the man in glasses and asked, "Do you have any more formidable pirates?"
The man clearly remembered Old Wu’s request, saying, "Those ones could be quite dangerous, if you’re just testing your spaceship’s performance, targeting these should suffice, right?"
Chen Ming slightly frowned and said, "Not enough."
Before the man in glasses could respond, Chen Ming suddenly heard a familiar voice behind him.
"In business, it’s all about open arms, why not sell what’s available?"
Chen Ming turned his head and saw the hardware store owner, Old Wu, had somehow appeared there.
And the man in glasses suddenly stood up and respectfully called out, "Boss."
Old Wu gave a glare at Old Wu and waved to the man in glasses, saying, "List out all the sellable intel."
Old Wu, who was glared at several times, could only helplessly stand aside, after all, he wasn’t the one in charge of this bar.