The next day, the first thing Chi Yao did when he woke up was to feel his hair.

Still as long.

Then it’s fine, back to sleep.

“Why haven’t we switched back?”

His own voice sounded from behind him, which made Chi Yao feel very awkward.

Chi Yao dragged out his sleepy voice, “The sleeping position was wrong. If you were lying in my arms—”

Before he could finish, a gust of wind suddenly rushed past his ear.

Chi Yao quickly rolled inwards, and with a reverse grip, caught the fist coming at his face.

Jing Xi struggled free, picked up the jacket on the floor and put it on, his expression cold. “You can even bring yourself to attack yourself?”

Chi Yao sat up, a suggestive smile on his face, “I’ve always wanted to try the experience of sleeping while holding myself.”

Jing Xi put away the capsule and walked out. “I’m afraid you’ll have a nightmare.”

Chi Yao: “…”

---

It was still dark outside. Jing Xi followed the mountain path back.

Suddenly, he heard an extremely faint rustling sound from behind.

He quickly hid behind a tree, and almost at the same time, the muffled sound of a gunshot exploded by his ear.

It was an A8 heavy sniper rifle with a silencer.

He subconsciously looked at the surveillance device in mid-air.

The breathing light was off. It wasn’t in sleep mode, but had been turned off.

Crack!

Another shot hit the tree trunk.

Jing Xi quickly hid behind another tree, pulled out his pistol from his thigh holster, and racked the slide.

Were they assassinating Chi Yao?

With a personality like Chi Yao’s, who never took anyone seriously, it was normal for him to be hunted.

But after this thought came out, he quickly denied it.

This was closer to the new recruit group.

It might be aimed at him.

In a flash, a hundred thoughts turned in his mind.

Two gunshots were enough for him to lock onto the opponent’s position.

He quickly surveyed the terrain, fired a shot in the opposite direction, and then immediately moved towards the assassin’s direction.

The sniper missed four shots in a row and decided to retreat first.

But just as he got up from the branch, something hard was pressed against the back of his head.

“Daring to chase me all the way here, you’ve got some nerve.”

Hearing that it was Jing Xi’s voice, the assassin was stunned. He silently put down his gun and raised his hands.

His eyes darted around a couple of times, and he whispered, “Major General Jing, I-I was sent by the higher-ups to kill Chi Yao.”

“Oh, so you were killing Chi Yao, not me, huh?”

The assassin was facing away from him and couldn’t see his expression at all. He could only hear the laughter in his voice.

It seems he’s been fooled. The assassin secretly breathed a sigh of relief, his right fingers slightly bent.

“You’re a Major General, how could I possibly kill you?”

Feeling the object pressed against the back of his head move back, the assassin’s eyes changed. A sharp spike suddenly shot out from his right sleeve, stabbing backwards.

Bang!

“Ah—!”

The assassin clutched his wrist, which had been shot through, his face contorted in pain.

Chi Yao stood on the branch, the muzzle of his gun pressed against the assassin’s forehead, a lazy smile on his face. “Isn’t a Major General more valuable to kill than a star pirate leader? What, you look down on me?”

The assassin was about to faint from the pain and couldn’t understand what he was saying at all.

“Major General Jing, I’m from the military. I have my ID!”

As he spoke, the assassin was about to open his terminal to show his identity.

Bang!

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. A hole blossomed on his forehead, and he fell straight from the tree trunk.

When Jing Xi arrived, he happened to hear this sound.

Looking up, he saw “himself” on the branch, looking at him.

Jing Xi: “…What are you doing here?”

Chi Yao jumped down from the branch and squatted next to the assassin, checking his carotid artery. “I sensed that my body was in danger.”

Jing Xi: “…”

The assassin had been killed with a single shot.

Chi Yao turned off the biological mask on his face and scanned it with Jing Xi’s terminal.

[Zhang Bo, 32-year-old male Alpha, formerly a garrison soldier on Aquarius X4120, discharged from military service a year ago for organizing high-stakes gambling.]

Chi Yao swiped his finger to view the person’s detailed file.

“What’s going on?” Jing Xi looked at the information on the virtual screen and frowned. “What have you been doing these past few days?”

Why would a garrison soldier who had been discharged from military service and had no connection with him want to kill him?

Chi Yao stood up and looked down at him with a smile.

“Guess?”

---

At 6:30 in the morning, the round-faced instructor’s loudspeaker rang on time.

Li Yuan was afraid he would have to fold quilts again the next day, so he placed the neatly folded quilt at the foot of his bed like an offering to an ancestor. His one-meter-ninety-something frame was curled up like a mantis shrimp.

After a night’s sleep, his whole body was sore, as if he had been beaten several times.

Walking out of the tent, he saw that everyone in the star pirate crew was dispirited.

Upon asking, hmph! They were all the same as him.

Chen Sheng yawned and went over to greet him, “Guess what the boss is playing today?”

Li Yuan thought for a moment and refused to answer.

What couldn’t the boss do? What if he jinxed it with a poisonous prediction? Who would be to blame then?

Jing Xi changed his clothes and walked out of the tent. His peripheral vision noted the surveillance device above. The breathing light was flashing steadily; the machine had been turned on again.

He silently gestured for the star pirates to assemble.

The star pirate crew reacted quickly and immediately formed up.

Three seconds faster than yesterday.

Jing Xi was very satisfied.

“Before we officially start the specialized training, I need to see if your basic skills are solid.”

The members of the star pirate crew were bewildered.

Basic skills? Horse stance or something?

Jing Xi: “Today, we will begin the first combat test. Everyone must listen carefully to my requirements—”

---

In the new recruit group next door, everyone looked at Chi Yao at the front of the line, holding their breath.

Chi Yao had a smile on his face, his tone easygoing, “After a day of training, everyone is very tired. Today, I’ll let you relax.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed they wouldn’t have to stand at attention again today.

The round-faced instructor couldn’t help but ask, “Sir, do you have any arrangements?”

Just as he finished asking, cheers erupted from next door.

They couldn’t help but look over.

The star pirate crew was looking at them with burning eyes, as if looking at meat on a chopping block.

The new recruit group: “…”

Something’s not right.

Soon, Li Yuan and Fang Liang led the star pirate crew to run laps around the valley.

When they passed the new recruit group, they even whistled at them.

The round-faced instructor’s heart was pounding. He was already starting to get scared.

Could it be that Extreme Shadow was finally going to make a move?!

Chi Yao said with a smile, “Today, we’re playing eagle catching chicks.”

The new recruit group: “???”

The passing star pirate crew: “???”

Jing Xi, who had just run over: “…”

What game rules has he added without permission?

After Chi Yao said those few short words, there was no more detailed introduction.

The new recruit group followed the two instructors to run laps, their hearts itching with curiosity.

The eagle wouldn’t represent Extreme Shadow, would it? And the chicks were them?

Holy crap!

The new recruits started their morning exercises. Chi Yao prepared to go back to catch up on sleep.

Just as he took two steps, he was grabbed by Jing Xi and pulled forward.

“You run too.”

Chi Yao turned to leave, “Not interested.”

Jing Xi grabbed his collar and pulled him back, lowering his voice, “This is my body.”

If he didn’t exercise at all, by the time they could switch back, he might be fat and out of shape.

For a moment, their noses were almost touching.

Looking at his own face at such a close distance, Chi Yao almost threw a punch.

He really would have nightmares.

He smiled, “Last night’s soy-braised pork knuckle was really good. I accidentally ate several pounds.”

Jing Xi’s expression turned cold.

Several pounds?

Chi Yao: “It went perfectly with beer.”

Jing Xi: “…”

He even drank alcohol?

Teasing people was more interesting than going back to sleep.

Chi Yao reluctantly ran along with him, “I’m craving roasted suckling pig—”

Jing Xi glanced at him and beckoned to Li Yuan.

Li Yuan jogged over and asked with a smile, “Boss, what’s up?”

Jing Xi: “Prepare a bucket of lard for tonight.”

Li Yuan: “What for?”

Jing Xi: “I suddenly feel like drinking it.”

Li Yuan: “…!”

Is he trying to kill himself?!

Chi Yao smiled, “Don’t come crying to me if you shit yourself inside out.”

Jing Xi’s voice was chilly, “How do you know that when you wake up tomorrow, I will still be me?”

Chi Yao: “…”

Li Yuan’s gaze shifted back and forth between the two, a subtle feeling in his heart.

Was it his imagination? Why did their relationship suddenly get better?

Before he could figure it out, he suddenly heard a collective roar from the new recruit group.

“Brothers, we’re running ten thousand today!”

“Oh!”

Li Yuan instantly gave up thinking and shouted at the star pirate crew, “We’ll do fifteen thousand!”

The star pirate crew roared back even louder, “Oh!”

During squats—

New recruit group: “We’ll do a hundred!”

Star pirate crew: “We’ll do one hundred and fifty!”

During push-ups—

New recruit group: “We’ll do two hundred!”

Star pirate crew: “We’ll do two hundred and fifty!”

Chi Yao: “…”

They just refuse to use their brains when they go out. How embarrassing.

---

At 8:00 AM sharp, everyone set off for the mining area, fully equipped.

Tie Xiong sat on the guard dog’s back, carrying a silver gun and a slingshot.

“Let me hold this gun for now.” Jing Xi, afraid it was too heavy for him, reached out to take it.

“I can carry it!” Tie Xiong held on tightly.

“There’s a wild pheasant over there!”

Someone shouted, and everyone, including the dog, looked in that direction.

Bang!

A baby-faced Beta from the new recruit group ran over, holding a wild pheasant with a smug smile.

“First blood!”

Dark clouds hung over the star pirate crew.

“What the hell, you couldn’t see such a big chicken?”

“If you saw it, why didn’t you shoot?”

“Brothers, stay steady. We’re only one point behind. There are plenty of wild pheasants!”

As they were talking, another gunshot was heard.

A tall, thin Alpha from the new recruit group returned with a wild pheasant.

“Double kill.”

The star pirate crew: “…”

Jing Xi looked at Chi Yao through the crowd.

Originally, he wanted a confrontation between the two sides, which could both expose Extreme Shadow’s weaknesses and gauge the current strength of the new recruit group.

But now Chi Yao had changed it to the two groups hunting wild pheasants, with the one with the most winning.

Wild pheasants were mostly first-level mutated species. Even if a second-level mutated one appeared, it would only be a bit larger, not too dangerous.

Finding simple targets in a dangerous place could both reduce the danger and ensure the difficulty of the mission.

Chi Yao had rarely done something so humane.

Over there, the new recruit who had shot the pheasant excitedly shouted at Chi Yao, “Sir, a pheasant!”

Chi Yao nodded lazily, “Whichever group loses today will be responsible for roasting chicken for everyone tonight.”

“Okay!”

The new recruit group’s morale soared, and they shot a provocative look at the star pirate crew.

—See? The officer has great confidence in us!

Jing Xi: “…”

He has confidence in his own group.

---

The deeper they went into the mining area, the more mutated beasts there were.

Under the same intensity of radiation, minerals and mutated beasts almost coexisted.

The rarer the mineral, the stronger the mutated beast.

In just one hour, they had already encountered several herds of wild boars.

Wild boars had sharp tusks, thick skin, and fast attack speed. They were a fairly powerful type among the second-level mutated species.

Chen Sheng looked through his scope, the muzzle of his gun following the wild boar.

Bang!

The wild boar was startled and ran away.

The wild pheasant behind the wild boar was shot and fell to the ground.

“Nice!” Chen Sheng roared, walking out from behind the bushes, picking up the pheasant and throwing it back.

Two people opened a sack, and the pheasant landed smoothly inside.

“Over here!”

Hearing the sound, they opened the mouth of the sack in another direction, and another pheasant flew in.

Li Yuan, carrying his gun, looked at the new recruit group and sneered, “Let them see, your granddaddy is still your granddaddy!”

Chen Sheng and a few others laughed and cheered, “Oh!”

The new recruits: “…”

After encountering more mutated beasts, the new recruit group’s record gradually declined and was soon surpassed by the star pirate crew.

While they were still aiming, the other side had already fired several shots. There was no comparison.

The round-faced and dark-skinned instructors watched anxiously.

Extreme Shadow’s strength was there for all to see. The new recruits could only rely on luck to win.

Seeing the group’s morale gradually waning, the two of them formulated a new combat strategy for them, with two to three people as a team, jointly targeting one objective.

The hand speed of three people should be able to beat the hand speed of one star pirate, right?

At this time, a big dog slowly walked past them. Besides carrying a child, it also carried two connected pockets.

At this moment, the pockets were already full of wild pheasants.

“Guard dog, go over there.”

Tie Xiong took out a steel ball from the small drawstring pouch around his neck, placed it in his slingshot, and pulled back. “Biu!”

A scream and a rustle came from the grass.

The big dog walked over, picked up the stunned pheasant, and threw it back, accurately landing it in the pocket.

Watching the big dog walk away, the round-faced and dark-skinned instructors: “…!”

Even a four-year-old’s accuracy is this high?!

How the hell are we supposed to play this?

Chi Yao: “Is that all you’ve got?”

The round-faced instructor said with a pained face, “It’s too hard to win.”

“Not necessarily.” Chi Yao stepped on a tree trunk and jumped onto a branch in a few steps, taking out a small bag from his thigh pouch.

All the new recruits looked up, their eyes shining.

The officer is finally making a move!

Then, they watched as Chi Yao poured out a handful of rice.

The new recruits: “???”

Chi Yao sprinkled it in the grass and smiled, “This is rice sprayed with mimetic pheromones. It’s more likely to attract mutated beasts, especially since pheasants love to eat rice.”

Mimetic pheromones were artificially synthesized pheromones, widely used. But before today, no one knew they could be used to spray on rice.

As if to prove his words, there was constant movement in the grass.

The new recruits were excited.

The officer was personally helping them lure prey. If they still didn’t win, they would be letting him down!

Chi Yao leaned against the branch, bored, playing with the rice in his hand.

Isn’t a one-sided victory very uninteresting?

Jing Xi looked around and subconsciously searched for Tie Xiong.

Seeing the prey filling the bags on the big dog, he shook his head, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

A child raised in a star pirate crew was indeed different from an ordinary child.

Would he also have learned many combat skills since he was young?

As he was lost in thought, the torn screams of many wild pheasants suddenly came from ahead, followed by the terrifying low growl of a beast.

Jing Xi fixed his gaze and looked over.

It’s behind Tie Xiong!

Tie Xiong killed a pheasant and was bending down to get a steel ball from his pocket when his vision suddenly went dark. He looked up in confusion.

A several-dozen-meter-high, long-bodied mutated beast shot up in front of him, its huge mouthparts and sharp claws less than three meters away from him.

Tie Xiong raised his hand and counted seriously, “One, two, four, five, so damn many legs.”

“Fuck!”

“Xiong Bao, run!”

“It’s a fourth-level mutated centipede!”

“Everyone, scatter! Scatter!”

Cries erupted from all around, their formation thrown into chaos by this sudden turn of events.

Jing Xi simultaneously drew two guns, fired several shots at the centipede’s mouthparts, and rushed over there at high speed.

But someone was faster than him.

Everyone only saw a blur, and a person had jumped onto the centipede’s head.

“Sir!”

“Be careful!”

Chi Yao grabbed the centipede’s horn and pulled it back forcefully, drew the military knife from his lower back, stabbed it into the gap between the body segments, and sliced horizontally.

“Roar!”

The centipede, in pain, fell back, its body contracting violently.

Bloody mucus splattered.

Chi Yao turned sideways, perfectly avoiding it.

He took the opportunity to jump to the ground, lifted Tie Xiong off the big dog, and turned him around in front of him.

Tie Xiong was stunned for a moment, then his body began to squirm in the air, “What are you doing? Let go of me!”

Chi Yao: “Checking if your hands and feet are still there.”

Tie Xiong obediently looked down at his hands and feet and grinned, “Still there!”

Chi Yao: “…”

Silly boy.

Both the new recruit group and the star pirate crew were dumbfounded.

A one-shot kill of a fourth-level mutated species! Who could match this reaction speed?

__

Author’s Note:
Star pirates: Holy crap! He’s on par with the boss.
New recruits: The officer is so cool!
Chi Yao: Showing off with my rival’s body, what a loss.
Jing Xi: Then shall I show off in return?