Chapter 681: Chapter 336: Echoes (Part 2)
Farina smiled as she spoke, but as if she suddenly remembered something, her eyes seemed to look into the distance.
"Then joining our Starflower Brigade must align perfectly with your ideal life." Li Ang said.
Farina snapped back to reality and nodded to him, "Yes, indeed."
"I’m an outsider, as long as you all find it good, it works. But the name does sound nice." Meimei said.
"As long as Li Ang likes it, that’s fine." Meluna added.
Li Ang saw Dorothy wanting to say something but stopping herself. When he inquired, the Golden Canary hesitantly replied, "It’s fine, it’s quite artistic. Just hope the Sky Knights don’t read books..."
Li Ang didn’t understand what she meant, but since no one present objected and there was plenty of support, the name ’Eternal Summer’ was more or less settled.
Although Li Ang still had to ask Andasu, based on his understanding of her, she would probably reply, "I’ll go with whatever my master decides."
Tonight, Li Ang still had to return to Wamos Shipyard, as there was unfinished business. But before he left, Zoe, taking advantage of a distracted moment, pulled him into a room.
As soon as they were in the door, the little cat pushed him down, straddling his waist.
"Li Ang," Zoe said with a face full of frustration, "I thought the moves I learned would be very useful, but I’ll just say it straight, kiss me."
"They’re actually quite useful, just the timing might not be very right."
"Then I still have more to learn."
Zoe tried to understand for a moment, then shook her head and lowered herself to press her face close.
...
After washing herself and the sweaty little cat again, by the time they left the Shadow Factory, it was dusk. Li Ang went around seven shipyards to check on the stabilization of the Curse Art on a few people from The Soul Apex, and by the time he got back to the Rowing Team Dormitory, Andasu had already finished a day’s worth of activities and freshened up.
As he conveyed the next plan and the ship’s name to her, the White Wolf’s reply was just as Li Ang expected.
"I don’t have the authority to decide the name of the master’s flagship, it’s up to whatever the master decides."
However, she revered him even more than he imagined, causing a sense of pride to swell within him, almost overflowing.
"I’m very happy with your trust in me."
The Yunxiang Race young girl seized the moment to hug his waist from behind, releasing a refreshing fragrance that seemed like the soft, entwining thoughts of a girl.
"Tonight it’s just the two of us, master."
Li Ang paused, grabbing her slender yet elastic hand.
Was she prepared for it? But in such a place...
As if sensing Li Ang’s emotions, Andasu then held his hand back.
"Tonight, please hold me, and once this affair here ends, we..."
Her elegant face was completely covered by a bashful allure; at this moment, the girl’s affection was as the moonlight diffused within the room, pure and clean.
The moment she truly desired might be one where even the moonlight would hide, a complete dark night for just the two of them. Even now, she was shy.
Such beauty could only be appreciated by Li Ang. He turned and cupped her face, his gaze inching closer to ease a portion of her timidity as her golden eyes began to dodge.
Embraced calmly until midnight, Li Ang rose again.
Phew, compared to the Wild Cat, who was like a small furnace full of vitality, this big dog’s skin was delicate and cool, but her large tail was unusually warm, even half-draped over him, making it even hotter.
Carefully moving the tail aside to prevent waking her.
The beautiful and elegant long tail, like a piece of art, although Andasu allowed him to touch it, was something she found difficult to tolerate in ordinary times unless carried away by emotion.
Li Ang intended to circle the twelve shipyards again, this time in search of the Shadow Factory’s original secret informants.
These Worker Warriors initially intended to investigate and sabotage the shipyard from within. Most of them were located within the Sky Flame Shipyard, but their strength couldn’t stand against the Empire and The Soul Apex, so they couldn’t act after this incident.
Previously, when Li Ang had Crook accompany him on investigations, he left recognizable marks from the Shadow Shipyard at each shipyard, meant to gather the infiltrators. He expected their responses likely tonight.
Standing silently in the shadows near a mark, Li Ang heard the rhythmic sound of stones being thrown. Picking up a pebble from the ground—the roads in the City of the Ship’s Rudder couldn’t be repaired to the perfection of the Holy City, and even in the largest shipyards here, loose stones were always around.
Responding to the stone-throwing, soon he detected weak Magic Power and Spiritual Fluctuation approaching from the shadows, at about Tier 3 in strength, indicating a non-Transcendent Realm human strongman.
"On time for work today." A muffled voice came from the shadows.
"Live well tomorrow." Li Ang replied.
Getting the correct passphrase, the Shadow Shipyard member hiding inside slightly relaxed and approached Li Ang.
"Who are you?"
He scrutinized the young man before him, having no opportunity to recognize Li Ang due to withheld information.
"A collaborator of the Shadow Factory, since I am an enemy of the invaders here, in extraordinary times, I’ve allied with Loken, the Great Engineer."
Li Ang showed the insignia handed over by Loken to gain trust, then explained the events of recent days and their plans.
"...Thus, after we rescue the hostages, we attack simultaneously. When chaos ensues in the shipyards, it opens a window for the workers to escape. Can you mobilize them at that time?"
The infiltrator pondered briefly, "The timing is too tight, I can’t guarantee it, but if I lead some trusted worker brothers into the Machine Core Tunnel for an initial escape, it should set off a leading effect convincing most people."
"What if their families and shipyard leaders helped by calling out?"
"Then the success rate would be ninety percent."
"Alright, follow me."
Li Ang led the infiltrator into the Machine Core Tunnel, where they met the hostages and shipyard leaders, agreeing on specific actions for their escape.
Repeating this seven times, Li Ang encountered infiltrators of various ages, physiques, and personalities, all distinctly different. Whether hesitant or fearful, impassioned or calm, they all maintained an undying fighting spirit.
Seeing Li Ang, who managed the feat of crossing the shipyard blockades with ease, filled them with hope for the rescue’s success.
However, the situation differed at the five shipyards collaborating with the Empire.
Even though the Annihilation Knights guarding the yard paid Li Ang no heed, four shipyards failed to respond to the infiltrators, uncertain whether they were compromised or unable to see the meeting marks due to the Empire’s encirclement.
At the Sky Flame Shipyard, though, there was a responding infiltrator.
"To think I’d finally meet one of us. I thought...even the City of the Ship’s Rudder might entirely perish in this calamity." Seeing Li Ang, the Sky Flame infiltrator said immediately.
"You can be a bit relieved—the reinforcements have arrived. The Order Flower Sword Corps has already surrounded the City of the Ship’s Rudder from afar, and in the heat of battle, the Fellowship of Fortunate Stars might reach in time, along with combat power led by me."
Li Ang finished briefing, the person before him nodded, his previously lifeless expression now full of hope.
"No one has responded from the four shipyards."
"That’s as expected—some have already sacrificed, just like our leader here."
The infiltrator explained that when the Empire first arrived, the leader among them tried using a Communication Device to relay information immediately, not realizing the enemy’s average strength reached the High-level Excellence Realm, able to capture the magical fluctuations from the device, leading to the leader’s immediate sacrifice.
"Within the five shipyards, there are no innocents left—there aren’t many of us left. Feel free to attack." The infiltrator’s eyes burned with flames of vengeance.
"Even so, I still hope you can withdraw through the Machine Core Tunnel."
"I hope so too, as I want to see my family again."
Early the next day, in the Shadow Factory, the returning Li Ang saw the arrayed elite of the Order Flower Sword Corps.
They stood steadfastly behind the leader, Melegon, awaiting the campaign against the Mechanical Creation Furnace.
