Him and their stars.

Chapter 2213 Miss you

Based on the experience of a veteran sailor, Yu Lian could basically guess that the original ship was a rather old Cygnus-class cruise ship.

This is a classic entry-level cruise ship model, perfectly catering to customers who aspire to own a cruise ship and project an image of high society, but whose wallets are ultimately limited. In short, it's for the elite of the middle class. They often feel that with a little more prestige, they can infiltrate the circles of the ruling class, and thus have certain additional needs.

Thus, entry-level cruise ships like the Splendor-class came into being.

Its compatibility is roughly equivalent to that of a broken 911 dishwasher from a past life. Yu Lianxiang.

Of course, although its appearance still retains a little bit of the streamlined, rounded outline, it has long been completely altered by the pirates. The hull is covered with all sorts of patches of varying sizes, shapes, and dubious origins, some even colorful, like voodoo dolls sewn together from scraps of old cloth.

The rough weld marks are distributed along the seams on the body, as if a centipede button had been sewn onto a proper Ming Dynasty Hanfu.

The thickest armor plates were clearly taken from other ships and forcibly fixed with large rivets and several layers of magnetic locks, with jagged edges that were sticking up.

Presumably, there was no other armor plating to attach to the vital sections of the ship's midsection, so they simply wrapped several layers of peculiar rock armor around it—yes, those things were clearly made of stone, obviously taken from some shattered meteorite.

The exposed wiring harnesses hanging from the engine compartment glowed with a dangerous red light, looking at it like a hemangioma exposed on the surface of a body.

In short, it's a very typical wasteland greenskin style, or perhaps a raider greenskin style.

However, it must be admitted that, precisely because it is a green-skinned car, although it looks tattered and as if it would fall apart after running for two hours, the important parts are still very sturdy.

For example, the main bearing shaft, the partition plates of the core section, the armor of the gun compartment, etc., all appear to be exceptionally sturdy, obviously reinforced repeatedly by the pirates using military materials obtained from who-knows-where.

Although the sublight speed engine and warp engine were also handcrafted, with various parts clearly sourced from black market channels, the craftsmanship was done to the best of its ability.

Yu Lian felt that, based on this near-perfect craftsmanship, the pirate group's shipwrights were qualified to be "ship modification masters." Who says the underworld has no talent?
"In short, this is our Gray Panda," Yu Lian said to the robot lady.

"Although I really don't understand what gets you excited, it can't be because of me, right?" Little Grey said.

"As for names, the more auspicious the better. Some names might even influence the laws of causality in history, which would give me immense emotional value during dangerous voyages."

Little Grey still didn't quite understand what the other party was so smug about, so he just smiled and said, "However, I must remind you, this is only a small ship after all. No matter how much I reinforce it, crossing the Abyss Nebula alone is still an extreme operation. Any unexpected situation encountered along the way could cause structural damage to the ship, which could then trigger a vicious cycle."

"Kill line?"

"Yes, the kill line. Hmm, it feels like this gaming term could be used to address social issues."

This is so sociological. Yu Lian shrugged: "Let's modify it again. It's better than physically traversing the nebula."

"You can actually give it a try. Maybe once you actually traverse the most dangerous Abyss Nebula Passage in your physical body, you'll naturally reach the ninth ring."

To be honest, Yu Lian did consider this possibility, but considering that the ship he had was a gift from the kind-hearted Chief Taka, it would be a waste not to use it.

So, Little Gray quickly scanned the entire ship. The limited number of nanobots penetrated deep into the hull and began to reinforce some vulnerable joints as much as possible, expand the stability and continuity of the energy lines, and also made some adjustments to the ship's central control system.

After all the modifications were completed, Yu Lian's spiritual sense also detected the mass fluctuations that were flashing at the edge of the galaxy.

An Imperial support fleet consisting of three cruisers, six destroyers, and two light carriers arrived in this system. Before the entire fleet had fully exited the warp portal, more than ten fighters glided out of the carrier hangar, propelled by gravitational waves, and headed straight for the wreckage of the outpost and the border patrol fleet.

It is evident that the Empire's mobile fleets across the country are phasing out vulnerable assault ships, flimsy arsenal ships, and cumbersome frigates, and are increasing the deployment of light carriers.

This is similar to the information that Yu Lian obtained from the Heavenly Domain.

Yu Lian sat in the captain's seat and felt the newly calibrated operating system. He felt that the gray Panda cruise ship, which had been converted into a cruise ship, was like a single-soldier fighter jet, and he could operate it nimbly and gracefully all by himself.

In reality, it was, after all, a proper pirate warship, and theoretically, there should have been at least five or six crew members.

Yu Liangang realized the problem and saw the crew members sitting upright in the positions of the co-pilot, communications officer, observer, and navigator next to him.

They wore modified armor made of composite materials, hoods and goggles, and carried high-powered pistols at their waists, each dressed like a well-trained thug.

Of course, they all have the exact same face. Little Gray's face.

Well, the robot lady's AI face is as beautiful as ever, so this scene is not only not embarrassing but also quite pleasing to the eye.

"Then! Let's set off immediately!" Yu Lian placed his hand on the control panel, feeling the sensitive touch that could provide almost real-time feedback on the ship's status.

“Target route locked.” Navigator Xiao Hui reported in a calm, pleasant voice: “Entrance to the third unstable gravitational tunnel, 1.7 light-seconds away.”

Lookout Xiao Hui also began to report: "The Imperial Vanguard fighter group has entered the effective range of the sensors, at a distance of 0.3 light-minutes, identified as the Monkey-Eating Eagle 3 sub-light speed interceptor."

"Warm-up complete. Shield reconstruction in progress. The automatic turrets can launch counterattacks," the vice-captain, Little Grey, continued to report. Several optical interfaces flashed rapidly in front of her, and her fingers danced across them with dazzling speed.

...But what's the point? What's the point of having a robot here performing keyboard typing?
"The mass reaction at the rear has intensified, and the Imperial light carriers are releasing a second wave of fighters. Light cruiser No. 1 has broken away from the main formation and entered first-level charge mode. The possibility of releasing a warp interference field cannot be ruled out," Lookout Little Grey continued to report.

"They've discovered us and want to pin us down. They're really elite!" Yu Lian's gaze swept across the star map, his brain rapidly calculating various variables, then he slammed his hand on the table in annoyance: "Is this fun?"

The first mate, Little Grey, blinked seriously and replied, "Understood. As ordered by the captain, execute the Alpha-3 disengagement tactic. Main engines will be subjected to intermittent overload. The entire fleet will enter sprint mode within 5 seconds; prepare for impact!"

What kind of tactic is this Alpha 3? When did we formulate it?
"Protocol loading. Overload module ready," the little gray dogs responded simultaneously.

Okay, this scene is a little off-putting.

The Gray Panda's thrusters suddenly spewed out a much denser stream of ion energy than usual. The ship began a series of level maneuvers without any amplitude or fluctuation, heading straight towards the gravity well.

"Shield pre-activation. Enemy fleet, move away! Repeat, enemy fleet, move away! We have left the warp interference range," said Weapons Officer Gray.

It wasn't that they were far away; rather, the enemy fleet on the other side never even came close.

Navigator Xiao Hui suddenly raised his voice, but his tone remained flat and monotonous: "Main engine, 100% overload, for 15 seconds! Path calculation initiation. Navigation computer initiating emergency jump calculation."

"Overload activation! Path correction!" Vice-Captain Little Gray reported: "Warning: Space folding is in progress... Gravity shadow coordinates have been entered. Warning: The space in this area is severely folded, and the failure rate of conventional warp jumps is 13%."

At this point, she turned to look at Yu Lian. Although her face was expressionless, her beautiful golden-gray eyes were indeed sparkling: "Where is Xu Ke?"

"It's quite a ritual," Yu Lian thought, then said solemnly, "Let's do it."

Like an old horse whipped with a lash, the Gray Panda suddenly lurched forward, its speed increasing dramatically as it brushed past the vast and endless dust of light at the edge of the galaxy.

Immediately afterwards, the stars outside the porthole suddenly stretched out and turned into dazzling streaks of light, and a not-too-violent tremor transmitted into the cabin, making Yu Lian feel a long-lost sense of turbulence.

Well, no matter how much it's modified, it's still just a small boat. And the experience of crossing the Abyss Nebula in such a dilapidated green boat is something from a past life.

It's true that it's hard to go from extravagance to frugality.

But at that moment, the Imperial fleet and the dilapidated outpost were instantly left behind, disappearing into the distance in the blink of an eye.

A few seconds later, the jump ended. The view outside the porthole was no longer a clear starry sky, but a chaotic nebula filled with various colored spots. Ominous dark red, eerie deep purple, and oppressive dark green filled the boundless space, dominating every visible corner. Huge columns of gaseous dust shimmered at the boundaries of the different colored spots, their ends seemingly extending billions of miles, like the trees forming this terrifying dark forest. Occasionally, clouds illuminated by the afterglow of the stars gleamed with an eerie light, much like the cold, fierce glint in the eyes of a predator in the forest.

This is Yu Lianzhong's Abyss Nebula. The most famous natural labyrinth and lawless place in the galaxy.

It must be acknowledged that the scenery here is magnificent. Entering from different star systems, one can see different views.

"Let's proceed with the original voyage plan," Yu Lian said. "Also, we can try communicating with the Silent One now."

"Roger that, Captain," the little gray crew on the bridge replied in unison.

The vice-captain, Little Grey, added, "Of course, communication is a mystery. I'll try my best, but it's a mystery. You also traversed the Abyss Nebula along this route eight months ago, so you should know the environment here."

I also know that it's the Bell era.

"...Weren't you keeping in touch with the main body all along?"

“You said it yourself, it was before.” Little Grey shrugged: “Our current vessel is this dilapidated ship, so its performance is limited.”

The steady rumble of the engine still entered the cabin in a leisurely manner, creating a soothing, slight vibration.

At that moment, Yu Lian felt as if she were sitting in a massage chair, and immediately let out a pleasant sigh.

"The aft section of this ship originally had a sauna and a mastiff. Now it's been converted into an armory and barracks. If you'd like, they can help you restore it," the vice-captain, Little Grey, wagged his finger, glanced at his expressionless companions, and chuckled, "They can even arrange for a technician like Little Grey."

"...Just now I asked you to modify the engine of this Gray Panda to be neutrino-type, but you refused."

"That would seem like taking sides too much, and it would be exhausting."

"But you're willing to turn the armory back into a sauna."

“This is so much fun!” she said matter-of-factly.

It's definitely dangerous for boys to wander the world. We've been wary of evil capitalists, feudal nobles, and now we even have to guard against robots?

The moment Yu Lian decided to stop communicating, the Gray Panda slowly sailed into the depths of the nebula.

Those peculiar and unpredictable routes—if they can even be called routes—are riddled with visible plasma dust belts, indescribable high-radiation star systems, and turbulent gravitational disturbance zones. They not only test the ship's structural strength and navigation system, but also constantly put their already rudimentary communication arrays to the test.

So, just as Little Grey said, most of the time, the communication channel only contained static and a quiet energy echo. It was the echo of the entire universe.

Yu Lian suddenly realized that if he were a true literary master, he might be able to create a great work in this environment.

But having little education, he could only reminisce about the past in this almost isolated state, where "travel and mail were slow," so "a lifetime is only enough to love one person"...

However, since travel by carriage and mail are slow, doesn't that mean everything is valid? Even if a master of balance has built countless nests, there's no need to worry about things going wrong.

Yu Lian felt that once he figured out the problem, he could still figure out the strange facts.

Of course, compared to that, Xiao Hui's condition seems quite delicate.

Although she didn't say anything, Yu Lian could sense that the limited nanounits were keeping the Gray Panda's only gravity detector running continuously, keeping this rudimentary radar, which looked older than itself, in a full-range, full-band, full-power alert mode.

"You're not trying to protect yourself from the Void Crown's spying, are you?" Yu Lian said.

Yes, they could all vaguely sense that when they entered the Abyss Nebula, the Noble Phantasm from the Forbidden Matters School followed them once more. Its will seemed to have become the nebula itself, capable of appearing from any dimension at any moment. Its gaze also constituted an indescribable cosmic radiation, omnipresent yet elusive.

Normal people would be driven crazy by this kind of invisible pressure.

However, considering that this thing has been going on since the great war, Yu Lian has gotten used to it.

"As I said, the only redeeming quality of that mentally challenged person is their persistence. Of course, I can't prevent them from spying on the screen, but I'm just worried you might get a shock."

"You scared me?"

"I told you, it's a persistent artificial idiot." Little Grey smiled knowingly.

Yu Lian glanced at the smiling, meaningful-looking vice-captain, Xiao Hui, then at the other expressionless crew members, and felt that the scene was even more saccharine.

In any case, under the current circumstances, they did not find a way to get rid of that treasure. Fortunately, it was temporarily harmless in a worldly sense, so they all tacitly chose to ignore it.

After the gray panda had been cruising in the Abyss Nebula for more than a week, and it was almost mid-June, Yu Lian finally returned to reality from his secluded state of silence.

It was midday on June 8th. On the edge of an old star system that was barely clinging to life, and as Yu Lian was using his physical body to resist the equivalent of space radiation a thousand times greater than that of a normal star system, while sailing towards the other side of the gravity well, the Grey Panda's communicator did indeed detect an extremely weak gravitational wave disturbance.

"This is definitely not a natural phenomenon," said Communications Officer Xiao Hui expressionlessly.

"The code band matches, and we're still 1200 light-years away from Great Freedom City," Navigator Little Gray added without batting an eye.

After the communications officer, Xiao Hui, entered a password, the gravitational wave frequency band that had disappeared became clear again.

Yu Lian roughly understood something, and piloted the Gray Panda off course, passing through another gravity well tunnel and entering a star system he had never been to before.

The stars here are also in their twilight years, but they look healthier than the previous one, and the overall celestial configuration is much more stable.

Yu Lian casually drove the Gray Panda towards the signal source and quickly spotted the gravitational wave beacon on the shadow side of an icy asteroid. It was continuously emitting gravitational ripples carrying encrypted information at extremely low power.

“It’s the marking protocol of the Silent Signal.” Communications Officer Xiao Hui completed the signal analysis and reported, “It is a Class 3 high-order directional beacon with a very short effective range but extremely strong penetrating power. It is specifically used for offline information retention and friendly guidance in such complex environments.”

Navigator Xiao Hui added, "By relaying through the intelligence station in Da Zizai City, a stable data link can be established. There will be a delay, but we can try to connect."

You guys really have a sense of ritual. Yu Lian thought.

"Tonight's dinner is Set Meal A. Now that things have come to this, shall we eat first?" the technician, Xiao Hui, asked.

Yu Lian pretended not to see it and began making the communication call.

It took the little gray creatures a full half minute to finally re-establish a stable, albeit slow, data link with the Silent One.

When Fei Fei's holographic image flickered slightly blurry on the screen after being adjusted and decoded, Yu Lian could clearly see the relief that flashed between her eyebrows, even though they were separated by the Abyss Nebula and thousands of light-years.

"I missed you." Fei Fei smiled radiantly, her peach blossom eyes crinkling into crescent moons, and she even held up two fingers to make a heart shape.

"Me too, I miss you so much." Yu Lian replied with a heart emoji.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Little Gray roll its eyes. The robot seemed disgusted, its expression turning into one of utter distaste.

(End of this chapter)