Chapter 46: Lord Leader

His heart beat violently.

Xie Jili stared blankly at the photograph, unable to calm the turmoil in his chest.

He knew that the gift he had given was not precious enough, entirely unworthy of Nian Tu. It was already a blessing that she had been willing to accept it, and he felt deeply content.

He had never dared to fantasize that Nian Tu would actually wear the necklace.

"Is this your female?", a gentle voice suddenly echoed.

The previously chaotic lower-class cabin instantly plunged into a boundless silence.

Everyone lowered their heads in respectful awe, not daring to lift their eyes, filled with both reverence and dread for the newcomer. "Lord Leader."

For this mission, Jiao had come in person. It was already the utmost honor for minor grubs like them to share a spaceship with Lord Jiao. Why had Lord Jiao condescended to come down to the lower deck today?

Jiao’s figure was like a phantom; in just a split second, he appeared behind Xie Jili, looking at the photo on his optical computer with keen interest.

Xie Jili tensed his spine, dodging away from his prying eyes.

"!"

The exchange between the two was too swift. The subordinates were startled, only then realizing that someone else was present.

Despite possessing an arresting, handsome face, this man could manage to leave zero presence, indicating that his strength far surpassed theirs and that he excelled at concealing himself.

Since when did their pirate crew harbor such a character?

For a moment, the gazes directed at Xie Jili were filled with wariness.

"This is my newly appointed second-in-command," Jiao chuckled softly, introducing Xie Jili to the others in a gentle voice. "You may call him... Black Mamba."

A pirate crew never cared about seniority; it was always a place where the capable ruled. Xie Jili’s ability to repeatedly emerge victorious in life-or-death combat at the underground arenas already demonstrated his strength, not to mention that, as a top student from the Imperial Military Academy's Command Department, his capabilities extended far beyond what he had displayed.

Jiao always had a sharp eye for talent, and he believed Xie Jili would bring him surprises.

The surrounding wary glances instantly transformed into envy, awe, and flattery.

Xie Jili maintained a poker face, bowing his head slightly toward Jiao. "Do you have any orders for me, coming here?"

As the notorious and terrifying leader of the interstellar pirates, Jiao was nothing like the vicious fiends of the rumors. Instead, he possessed a face of unearthly, exquisite beauty and wore soft, luxurious robes, resembling some pampered grand aristocrat.

Yet Xie Jili knew very well that Jiao’s infamous reputation was by no means groundless.

Beneath that seemingly gentle, approachable, and gorgeous exterior lay an erratic and volatile temperament. Anyone who dared to slight him would undoubtedly meet a gruesome end.

Out of a protective instinct, Xie Jili had no desire to discuss Nian Tu with Jiao.

His evasion was interpreted by Jiao in an entirely different light—

"That female... does she dislike you?"

Jiao slowly sized Xie Jili up, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You are quite handsome. Why does she dislike you? Is it because your beast form is a snake? Or because you are penniless and devoid of power and influence?"

His words carried a slightly seductive nasal tone, spoken slowly and gently, picking apart Xie Jili until he seemed utterly worthless.

Snake-type beastmen were traditionally the most despised entities among females—not only fierce and terrifying, but freezing cold to the touch and even venomous.

Sharing the identity of a snake beastman, Jiao put on a sympathetic front, gently patting Xie Jili's shoulder. "Females are all terrified of our snake forms, but it is nothing to make a fuss about."

"In the future, you can easily adopt a powerful and influential false identity—a high-ranking official, a wealthy merchant, anything. Then she will be willing to become your female."

After all, females were creatures devoid of mercy, driven purely by ruthlessness and greed...

A fleeting trace of obscure disgust flashed across the depths of Jiao's eyes.

"If you desire her so badly, you can simply invite her to be a guest at our place," he said with a light, breezy smile.

As for whether "violence" would be employed during the "invitation," and whether she would be allowed to leave easily after becoming a "guest," went without saying.

Xie Jili responded with a cold refusal.

Seeing his guarded expression, Jiao was not angered; the faint, elusive smile remained on his face.

He had seen many males like Xie Jili.

Males thoroughly brainwashed by the Empire were always like this, treating females as priceless treasures. He believed that once Xie Jili woke up, he would realize that females were nothing more than a greedy, pleasure-seeking lot, completely unworthy of sincere devotion.

There was no true affection in a female's heart. While a male could engage in a mutual exchange of needs, if he were to offer his genuine heart to a female, he was bound to be battered and bruised beyond recognition.

Jiao disdainfully shifted his gaze to Xie Jili's optical computer, fixing his eyes on Nian Tu's photograph.

Let him see... what kind of female could possibly command such fierce protection from Xie Jili?

As his eyes landed on Nian Tu's delicate and exquisite face, Jiao's expression remained indifferent. But when his gaze dropped to Nian Tu's neck, his pupils suddenly constricted.

Since when... would a female ever wear such a cheap necklace?

The material was passable, but the crude craftsmanship alone screamed that the price was under one hundred thousand star coins. Resting against the little female's fair and tender skin, it looked glaringly out of place.

Females pursued only the absolute best in food, clothing, and utilities. For them to even accept such a cheap gift was already a massive display of grace; how could they possibly wear it in daily life?

In the photo, the little female faced the camera, generously displaying the necklace around her neck.

Finding it utterly unbelievable, Jiao felt a wave of absurdity.

If the necklace wasn't worth loving, then only one conclusion remained—this little female deeply loved the male who had given it to her.

"Did you give her this necklace?" It wasn't hard to guess, especially since very few males with tight finances like Xie Jili ever had the fortune of crossing paths with a female.

Xie Jili remained silent, neither confirming nor denying.

"...Hah." Jiao's expression slowly darkened as he lowered his gaze.

No one could tell what he was thinking, but merely standing near him caused the surrounding temperature to plummet.

When he raised his eyes once more, he had reverted to his gentle and warm demeanor, giving Xie Jili his assignment before turning to leave.

Long after Jiao had departed, the cabin finally came back to life, resuming its boisterous noise.

Someone attempted to cozy up to Xie Jili, only to be blocked by a pair of massive, fan-like hands.

Brother Bear fended off the various disturbances for Xie Jili, squeezing his way to his side. "What kind of mission did Boss Jiao assign you?"

Xie Jili lowered his gaze. "Blow up the munitions depot."

Brother Bear clicked his tongue. "He's starting you off with a big one right out of the gate!"

Once a munitions depot blew up, it was bound to cause a massive commotion. After it was done, the Empire would undoubtedly investigate; he just wasn't sure whether Jiao wanted to clash with the Empire this time or simply blow things up and run.

"Right, next time, absolutely do not look at pictures of the little female in front of Boss Jiao, and don't bring her up either!"

Brother Bear lowered his voice. "I heard Boss Jiao utterly detests females..."

With Nian Tu involved, even though Xie Jili had no interest in the leader's gossip, he still frowned at Brother Bear, signaling him to elaborate.

"Sigh, actually I don't know much either, I just heard it might be related to Boss Jiao's mother..." Mid-sentence, Brother Bear remembered that Xie Jili's mother was also a piece of work. His voice trailed off as he cautiously glanced at Xie Jili's expression. Seeing no sign of anger, he continued, "Anyway, he has zero mercy for females. If you discuss females in front of him, he's very likely to fly into a rage."

"Boss Jiao's runaway index is already extremely high. If it were any other star pirate leader, they would have long since abducted a female to enjoy mental soothing. But it seems out of sheer disgust, he doesn't even want to touch one, always relying on chemical injections to cope."

Substances like those injections were merely quenching one's thirst with poisoned wine; they could never truly replace a female's mental soothing, and a brief period of stability would only be followed by an even more violent loss of control.

Jiao's erratic and volatile temper was directly tied to his runaway index.

"You don't need to worry too much, though," Brother Bear comforted Xie Jili with absolute certainty. "Boss Jiao isn't interested in females. He probably just asked casually a moment ago and won't take Nian Tu to heart at all."