Namei had stolen from plenty of people.
Pirates. Merchants. Drunk sailors who deserved it. Even a few minor Haijun officers, when the opportunity was too good and the risk felt manageable.
But she had never*never*imagined that the "target" she'd chosen this time would be a man with an eight hundred million Beili bounty on his head.
Eight hundred million.
Just thinking about it made her scalp go numb.
Along, who ruled over Kekexiya Cun like a knife pressed to the villagers' throats, was only worth twenty million Beili in the eyes of the world. Twenty million was already enough to terrify normal people. Enough to make a village feel like a cage.
So what did eight hundred million mean?
It meant that if Luoqi decided to kill her, no one in Donghai would even have the courage to write her name on a gravestone.
Cold sweat seeped down Namei's forehead as she sat there, stiff as a statuestill perched on top of that suitcase like a mouse sitting on a tiger's tail.
Across from her, Lufei tilted his head, curiosity pure and bright.
"Really, Luoqi," he asked, "is there really an Emo Guoshi in your box?"
Luoqi's expression was relaxed. Too relaxed. Like he was watching a fish thrash in a bucket and finding it entertaining.
"Yeah," he said simply.
Before Namei could react, Luoqi's hand returned to her waist. He didn't tug roughly, but the strength beneath the touch was undeniablehe moved her like she weighed nothing.
He lifted her just enough to slide the suitcase out from under her and set it in front of them. Then he popped it open right there, in full view, as if he were showing off a toy.
The moment Namei saw the inside
Her fear cracked.
Stacks and stacks of crisp Beili bills filled the case, white edges glaring in the light.
Her eyes instantly lit up, a greedy gold flickering at the pupils.
For one poisonous second, the money almost pushed the terror of the bounty out of her chest.
Luoqi watched her reaction and smiled like he'd expected it.
"This suitcase has a hidden compartment," he said, voice calm, as if he were explaining the features of a travel bag. "Inside are two Emo Guoshi I picked up after robbing a Shijie Zhengfu ship."
Namei's breath caught.
Two.
Even one Emo Guoshi could change someone's entire life.
Luoqi opened the false layer of the suitcase, revealing the compartment beneath. Two bizarre, patterned fruits rested inside like cursed treasures.
"One is a Chaorenxi Paopao Guoshi," Luoqi said. "The other is a Dongwu Xi Niuniu GuoshiChangjinglu Xingtai."
Lufei leaned forward, eyes wide, studying the fruits with the same fascination he gave meat.
"Woah… they really look like the Xiangjiao Guoshi I ate," he said, awed.
Then he looked up at Luoqi, honest curiosity again.
"Luoqi, you've got two Emo Guoshi," Lufei said. "So… are you an Emo Guoshi ability user too?"
Luoqi shook his head.
"No," he said. "Those two are too ordinary. I'm not interested in giving up swimming for them."
His tone was so casual it almost sounded like he was refusing a bland snack.
Namei's heart jumped.
A man with eight hundred million Beili… talking about Emo Guoshi like they were "ordinary."
Who the hell *was* he?
Luoqi's gaze drifted back to her, amusement deepening as he watched her inner strugglethe fear, the greed, the calculation.
"Speaking of Shijie Zhengfu," Luoqi said lightly, "I should tell you something, Lufei."
He leaned back, one arm resting on the table like he owned the room.
"I used to work for them," he said. "I stayed inside their machinery for a while. But later… I left."
His eyes flashed faintly, something cold passing through them.
"I couldn't stand the Tianlongren."
Namei's throat tightened. Her hands clenched unconsciously in her lap.
Luoqi continued as if he were making small talk.
"These two fruits were something I happened to get while leaving."
Lufei's attention bounced between the fruits and Luoqi's words, then he leaned even closer, practically drooling. His hand twitched toward the compartment.
Luoqi didn't stop him yet. He let the temptation hang there for a moment, like bait.
Then Luoqi turned his head slightly and looked directly at Namei.
His voice became almost playfultoo calm, too knowing.
"While I was there," he said, "I heard some interesting intel."
Namei's spine went rigid.
"In Donghai," Luoqi went on, "there's an island controlled by a group of yurenthe Elong Haizei Tuan."
At the mention of Elong, Namei's blood went cold again.
"And inside that yuren crew," Luoqi said, "there's a human girl."
He watched Namei carefully, eyes sharp and bright, like a knife hidden behind silk.
"She made some kind of agreement with the Elong Haizei Tuan. For years, she's been stealing on the outside… running around collecting Beili."
Luoqi tilted his head, smiling.
"Tell me," he said softly, "am I right, Namei nüshi?"
Namei jerked back so fast her chair scraped the floor.
For the first time since she'd entered the room, the money didn't shine. It didn't matter. Not when his words were that accurate.
He knew.
He even called her name.
Namei's mouth openedthen closed again. Her brain scrambled for excuses, but every lie felt useless in front of a man whose bounty alone could drown a sea.
What Namei didn't knowcouldn't possibly knowwas that Luoqi's "intel" wasn't really intel at all.
It was memory.
A story he had once read in another world.
But none of that mattered now. In Namei's reality, Luoqi was simply someone who knew too much.
Luoqi lifted a hand, palm open, a gesture that looked almost gentle.
"Don't be nervous," he said. "Just because I'm wanted for eight hundred million Beili doesn't mean I'm a bad person."
Namei's lips twitched. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Luoqi continued, tone steady.
"I'm not planning to do anything to you," he said. "On the contrary… I can help you."
He patted the seat beside him, inviting her like this was a friendly conversation between equals.
"Come," he said. "Sit."
Namei hesitated, frowning.
Every instinct screamed at her to run.
But where could she run to? In front of her was a man who could capture Taotu Zhiyuansomeone the Haijun considered a Dajiang houbu. Next to him was a rubber-bodied lunatic who could stretch his face like dough and eat enough for ten people.
If they wanted her dead, she wouldn't even reach the door.
So Namei swallowed hard and sat down slowly beside Luoqi, body tense, eyes sharp.
Luoqi's smile returned, as if pleased by her "cooperation."
"Namei nüshi," he said, "I know you're an excellent hanghaishi."
Namei's fingers tightened. She didn't answer.
"I'm guessing," Luoqi continued, "you stayed with the Elong Haizei Tuan because they wanted your navigation talent."
His voice remained calm, almost conversational, but each sentence hit the exact center of her secret like a spear.
"And you've been stealing all over the place because they offered you a price," he said. "You're trying to use Beili to buy back your hometown. Am I right?"
Namei's breath caught.
Luoqi didn't wait for her reply. He spoke on, as if he were gently dismantling her defenses one by one.
"Don't look so surprised," he said. "Back when I was doing 'work' for Shijie Zhengfu, I learned a lot. Combine that with what I've seen here… it's easy to deduce."
He leaned forward slightly, voice lowering.
"And I can tell you this clearly: even if you gather enough Beili to go to the Elong Haizei Tuan… you won't achieve what you want."
Namei's eyes widened. "What…?"
"They kept you because you're useful," Luoqi said. "A crew like that won't let a valuable tool walk away."
He paused, letting the truth sink in.
"Also," he added, "I know the Elong Haizei Tuan has ties with a Haijun officer hereLaoshu Shangxiao."
Namei's face went pale.
Pirates and Haijun… working together?
That was her nightmare. That was the invisible chain she'd never been able to break.
Luoqi's voice was quiet, but it pressed down on her like the sea.
"Tell me," he said, "if haizei and haijun are cooperating… do you really think you can escape the Elong Haizei Tuan's grasp?"
As he spoke, Lufei's hand finally darted toward the fruits again, eyes sparkling with interest.
Luoqi slapped the hand away without looking.
"Don't touch," he said lazily, then snapped the compartment shut and closed the suitcase.
With the fruits out of sight, Lufei's attention drifted back to the food, as predictable as the tide. But his eyes kept flicking toward Namei now and thencurious, thoughtful, as if he could sense something important happening even if he didn't fully understand it.
Namei leaned back in her chair, shoulders slumping.
In that moment, she looked like a balloon that had been stabbeddeflated, exhausted, and cornered.
"You…" she whispered, voice rough. "What are you trying to tell me?"
Her eyes lifted to Luoqi's.
"And what do you mean by… 'cooperation'?"
Luoqi raised one finger, smiling as if the answer was obvious.
"It's simple," he said.
"We'll help you deal with the Elong Haizei Tuan."
He tilted his head, the smile sharpening.
"And you…"
"…join my and Lufei's haizei crew."
"Become our hanghaishi."