Entering a new labyrinth, Zhou Tianming realized his opponent wasn't overconfident - they'd prepared countermeasures in case of infiltration.
But unfortunately for them, they were dealing with him. Drawing from previous experience, though it took slightly longer this time, he eventually navigated to the endpoint.
Instead of rushing forward, he meticulously studied the labyrinth's structure this time.
After spending half an hour fully analyzing it, he proceeded along the data stream.
What awaited him next was a labyrinth nested within another labyrinth, with data so chaotic it dazzled the eyes.
Yet as Zhou Tianming anticipated, every variation had its origin.
Through careful examination of the labyrinth's patterns, he'd uncovered traces of logic, solving each layer faster while maintaining greater stealth.
When the Black Tortoise gently halted at the 1000-unit mark, Zhou Tianming had completely deciphered the opposing system and traced it to its source.
Exhaling deeply, Zhou Tianming stretched his arms.
"You've located the enemy?" Natarle's voice came from behind.
With a smile, he swiveled his chair and flashed an 'OK' gesture.
"Perfect timing. I found it too."
His arm froze mid-air as surprise crossed Zhou Tianming's face.
Natarle's violet eyes sparkled with competitive spirit: "White Rabbit."
The bridge lights dimmed as thin beams projected from various points, forming a 3D hologram at the center displaying the formation of over 200 spaceships.
Their fingers danced across keyboards simultaneously.
...
"Huh?"
"What?"
Two ships lit up in completely unrelated positions within the fleet formation.
Both blinked in confusion.
Natarle spoke first with conviction: "I stand by my analysis."
Though her expression remained neutral, Zhou Tianming sensed her quiet triumph.
Still such a child, he mused internally before adopting a serious tone: "I'm equally confident in my findings."
As Natarle opened her mouth to respond, Zhou Tianming raised a finger to his lips: "Hear me out."
She closed her mouth and waited attentively.
"I trust my judgment, and I trust your capabilities."
Natarle's ears grew warm, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"But this discrepancy means we've both overlooked something. This isn't a game - we must eliminate all errors."
The blush faded from Natarle's face as her competitive gleam softened. She nodded, regarding Zhou Tianming with earnest focus.
Witnessing this, Zhou Tianming felt genuine admiration.
Only as a transmigrator could he maintain such composure - the result of accumulated experience and maturity from his past life.
But Natarle was only 14 years old.
Truly worthy of becoming a future captain—her caliber was evident.
Zhou Tianming said, "I traced the signal endpoint through their control system and found it originates from this ship."
He pointed to a rectangular spaceship near the center of the holographic projection.
Natarle responded, "I've compared the current ship formations with their previous exhibition positions. Among them..."
Her fingers swept across the projection, revealing several red arrows.
As Natarle's fingers moved, the arrows shifted to different surrounding positions.
"These arrows represent attack vectors. Five ships can only attack from two directions, two from one, and this last one..."
She pointed to a spindle-shaped ship positioned slightly lower and toward the rear of the central formation.
"This location is close to the Copernicus firmament below. Though surrounded by other ships on all sides, its precise positioning—half a ship's height above the rest—allows its main gun and visibility to remain completely unobstructed."
Her fingertip glided through the projection, animating the ships.
"The only blind spot is directly above, but if the ship overhead advances just slightly..."
The formation shifted, blocking the top but exposing a gap at the rear.
Natarle dragged the ship along a simple arc, demonstrating how it could effortlessly weave through the fleet.
"Like this. It can use other ships as shields against attacks from any direction while maneuvering freely."
Clap clap clap—
Zhou Tianming couldn't help applauding. "Brilliant! Such professionalism!"
He studied Natarle with curious eyes.
The gap between ordinary people and prodigies was really...
Without cheats in this life, he'd never match these geniuses.
Natarle's face flushed crimson as she shot him an embarrassed glare with her violet eyes.
Zhou Tianming hastily stopped, clearing his throat with a fist to his mouth, feigning solemnity.
"Back to business."
His exaggerated seriousness made Natarle burst into laughter. "You sound like an old man."
"Ms. Badgiruel!"
She turned away, gaze lowered. "Natarle. Just call me Natarle."
"Oh, Natarle."
A sidelong glance showed Zhou Tianming's casual demeanor, prompting a displeased huff from her.
He rolled his eyes.
Women. She's after my body, and I'm only eleven.
"Natarle—"
"Call me Badgiruel, thank you."
"..."
Tch—women.
Zhou Tianming's expression flattened.
The previously harmonious atmosphere grew subtly tense.
Despite the odd mood, their work continued uninterrupted.
Through their back-and-forth, clues gradually fell into place.
By combining their insights, they soon identified a new target—a flat, triangular spaceship.
"Never expected it to be here."
Zhou Tianming marveled at the ship stationed at the formation's center.
The position seemed prestigious at first glance, but in reality, it was a trapped arrangement—visibility obstructed, movement restricted, "protected" yet caged.
This confirmed the perpetrators had prepared an exit strategy, never intending to flee.
Beside him, Natarle frowned, gesturing absently while muttering, "Why here? What's the strategic intent? How would it coordinate with other ships if attacked..."
Zhou Tianming noticed the girl was spacing out and quickly stepped forward, grabbing her shoulders to shake her. "Natarle! Natarle! Snap out of it."
Coming to her senses, Natarle exhaled and turned her head away sheepishly. "Sorry, I just can't figure it out."
"Now that we've located the enemy mothership, the only question is how to deal with it. Any ideas?"
Natarle stared at the densely packed formation of spaceships, pondering for a long moment before shaking her head.
Seeing this, Zhou Tianming turned to the holographic projection, thinking of the sole weapon loaded on the Black Tortoise.
The range wasn't an issue, but...
Suddenly, he recalled the Spirit Command [Sure Hit]. Though precognition was powerful, it still fell slightly short compared to the rule-based certainty of a guaranteed hit.
If only they could replicate the in-game effects, they could snipe the enemy mothership.
Beside him, Natarle noticed Zhou Tianming frowning and zoning out. "Did you think of something?"
Turning back, he shook his head. "I was considering whether we could take it down remotely, but the hit rate is a problem."
"Won't work," Natarle rejected the idea outright. "Even if you could hit it, what about the aftermath? The explosion and falling debris—the other ships wouldn't have time to dodge."
"Right."
Staring at the projection, the two fell into deep thought once more.
...
Sam's Ship, Bridge—
"How's the money collection going?" Sam asked Ding Yu. "Are the accounts secure? Don't let them get frozen at the last minute."
"80% have already transferred the funds. The rest are haggling, but it's manageable," Ding Yu replied without looking up, fingers dancing across the keyboard. "I've dispersed the money across thousands of dummy accounts. Even with some loss from multiple transfers, the final amounts will be clean and untraceable."
"Good, good." Sam's expression darkened. "Those who still refuse to comply... let's make sure they never get another chance."
"Once the money's handled, we need to prepare for extraction. Be ready."
"Understood."
Black Tortoise, Bridge—
Natarle suddenly spoke up. "How long would it take you to free all the ships from the system hijack?"
Zhou Tianming looked over. Natarle's eyes were gleaming.
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