42: Do you think that you can come and go as you please here?

On the sea, the Longxiang Fleet formed a standard semicircular attack formation.

Over a dozen warships aimed their dark muzzles at the Natural Selection, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and killing intent.

"Fire!"

Longyuan's command echoed throughout the entire fleet.

Boom, boom, boom—

Deafening cannon fire erupted instantly, and countless shells rained down on the Natural Selection.

The small shells from the S-class frigates struck the electromagnetic shield, creating ripples of blue energy.

[Under attack, shield value -50, remaining durability 199950 / 200000]

[Under attack, shield value -50, remaining durability 199900 / 200000]

The primitive cannons of those A-class sailboats were even laughably weak.

[Under attack, shield value -10, remaining durability 199890 / 200000]

[Under attack, shield value -10, remaining durability 199880 / 200000]

Lin Mo sat in the captain's chair, calmly watching the numbers flicker on the panel.

This amount of damage didn't even count as a tickle.

Only the main cannon of the flagship posed a slight threat.

Boom—

After a loud explosion, a specially made shell fired by the flagship slammed heavily into the shield.

[Under attack, shield value -500, remaining durability 199380 / 200000]

"That's it?"

Gu Zhixia sneered, her face full of disdain.

"Are they giving us a massage?"

Gu Nianqiu peered out the porthole, her big eyes curiously watching the cannon fire outside.

"Wow, so many fireworks!"

Lin Mo's lips curved into a cold smile.

Since the other party was so enthusiastic, it was time for him to return the favor.

The energy beam module instantly charged.

A blinding white light descended from the sky, accurately hitting the nearest S-class frigate.

Boom—

A huge explosion echoed across the sea, and a massive hole was blasted through the frigate's hull.

[Dealt 100 damage to the Longxiang Fleet, remaining durability 198900 / 200000]

"Continue."

Lin Mo's voice was frighteningly calm.

The white death ray fired again, and another frigate was hit.

[Dealt 100 damage to the Longxiang Fleet, remaining durability 198800 / 200000]

[Dealt 100 damage to the Longxiang Fleet, remaining durability 198700 / 200000]

Laser weapons barely needed cooling, and Lin Mo controlled the Natural Selection like a harvester, continuously whittling down the enemy ships' durability.

On the other hand, for the Longxiang Fleet, apart from the flagship's main cannon, which required reloading and charging after each shot, the attack frequency of the other warships, though not low, was truly at a tickle level of power.

"Boss, we're almost out of shells!"

A crew member reported anxiously.

Longyuan's face grew increasingly grim.

This exchange ratio was essentially a death wish.

Every attack from the opponent could deal 100 damage, while a volley from their dozen or so ships could only chip away a few hundred points from the opponent's shield.

The crucial point was that their shield was still automatically recovering!

Time ticked by, minute by minute.

More than ten minutes later, the situation on the battlefield was clear.

Under the automatic recovery mechanism, the Natural Selection's electromagnetic shield still maintained around 180,000 durability.

In contrast, the Longxiang Fleet's shared durability had dropped from 200,000 to 160,000, a loss of over 40,000 points.

Every ship in the fleet was scarred, and some even had shocking large holes in their hulls.

The deck was littered with damaged equipment and collapsed masts.

"Boss, this can't go on!"

Thunder Tiger wiped sweat from his brow, his voice tinged with obvious panic.

"We're almost out of ammunition; if this continues, we'll be bled dry!"

Longyuan's temples throbbed; every time the fleet was attacked, the excruciating mental backlash felt like steel needles piercing his brain.

He gritted his teeth, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

If this continued, even if the fleet didn't sink, his mind would collapse first.

"Connect communication!"

Longyuan spoke with difficulty.

"I need to talk to them."

The communication request was sent quickly.

Lin Mo looked at the blinking communication signal, a playful smile on his lips.

"Connect."

The screen lit up again, and Longyuan's face appeared in the frame.

He had lost his previous spirited demeanor, his face pale, his eyes full of fatigue.

"Young captain."

Longyuan's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"I have to admit, I underestimated your strength."

He took a deep breath, a flicker of unwillingness in his eyes.

"This time, I have lost."

"We will leave now and promise never to bother you again."

"How about it?"

Gu Nianqiu immediately jumped up excitedly.

"That's great! The bad guys surrendered!"

She tugged on Gu Zhixia's sleeve, her small face beaming with happiness.

"Sister, they admitted defeat!"

Gu Zhixia also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the Natural Selection held an absolute advantage, this high-intensity confrontation still made her incredibly nervous.

A peaceful resolution was naturally the best outcome.

However, Lin Mo's next words completely stunned everyone.

He leaned back comfortably in the captain's chair, speaking slowly in an almost flippant tone.

"Do you think this is a place you can come and go as you please?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the relaxed atmosphere that had just risen in the cockpit.

Gu Zhixia spun around, her eyes wide with shock.

Gu Nianqiu's smile instantly froze on her face, her big eyes looking at Lin Mo in confusion.

Longyuan, on the other end of the screen, instantly turned ashen.

"What do you mean?"

Lin Mo smiled.

It was a cat-and-mouse smile, full of mockery.

"Nothing much."

He extended a finger and tapped it in the air.

"You came here aggressively, firing cannons and making threats, and you scared my crew."

He pointed to the petrified Gu Nianqiu and Gu Zhixia beside him.

"So, you have to compensate us."

"For emotional distress."

Longyuan's pupils contracted sharply.

"What do you want?"

"Not much."

Lin Mo's tone was understated, but what he said made Longyuan's eyelids twitch wildly.

"I want all the upgrade materials and rare items on your ships."

"Consider it a way to calm my crew's nerves."

He leaned forward slightly, the smile on his face vanishing, replaced by a coldness that could freeze the soul.

"Otherwise, none of you will leave here alive today."