"I recall we had an understanding, a mutual agreement to maintain some privacy. Why insist I remove my scarf?" Qingniao turned, approaching Yang Ying.

Yang Ying countered, "Previously, we were in a client-mercenary relationship. It's a mercenary code not to probe a client's privacy. But now that the arrangement is dissolved, and since you are playing host, you are treating us as friends. Why conceal your face from friends?"

Qingniao listened, tilting her head up slightly, silent, as if lost in reflection. "Truthfully, when I walked the streets of Kussen, I was dressed the same way. Otherwise, an incident might have occurred."

Then, Qingniao deactivated her voice modulator, speaking in her real voice: "That's true. Since I'm back, there's no need for these evasive maneuvers."

The voice was crisp and ethereal, like a cool cup of tea amidst the clamor of the world under the summer sun.

Indeed, it was 'she' and not 'he.' Yang Ying had harbored a suspicion for some time. He first suspected it when Qingniao declined being addressed as 'Mr. Qingniao,' and the suspicion deepened as Qingniao displayed increasingly feminine mannerisms during routine communications as the fleet neared Kussen. Now, the suspicion was confirmed.

Qingniao reached up to her head, unwinding the scarf layer by layer. A cascade of sapphire-blue hair first tumbled down. Then, she peeled away a layer of rough, artificial skin around her eyes, revealing smooth flesh beneath, and removed the colored contact lenses, unveiling a pair of deep, azure eyes.

In the 22nd century, following advances in biotechnology, a wave of genetic cosmetic surgery swept Earth. Many parents opted for genetic alterations for their children starting at the embryonic stage; changing a Black person to a White person was achievable, and altering eye and hair color was child’s play. These genetic changes were inheritable, leading to the current solar system where humans with all spectrums of hair and eye colors were not uncommon.

Once Qingniao revealed her true appearance, she removed her gloves and extended a hand toward Yang Ying. "Let us reintroduce ourselves. My name is Christina Baches."

The moment Yang Ying saw Qingniao’s true face, he knew who she was. Through endless rote memorization, coupled with a slightly superior memory capacity, Yang Ying had already imprinted the preliminary intelligence of the various factions in the Asteroid Belt onto his mind.

Christina Baches: the only daughter of Commander Baches of the Kussen Corps; the Kussen Corps' representative to the Mercenary Alliance; a certified Sword Master. For the daughter of a mercenary commander, all these credentials were somewhat expected. What was unusual, however, was that she was also the Kussen Goodwill Ambassador and an honorary member of the International Red Cross Committee, enjoying widespread acclaim across the globe, dubbed the 'Kussen Princess' by the media—her fame even surpassed her father's.

"It is a great honor," Yang Ying replied, reaching out to clasp her hand. "Miss Baches, on behalf of the Tran Mercenary Group, I wish to express our deepest regrets for the unfortunate losses suffered by the Kussen Corps today."

As the daughter of the Kussen Corps Commander, she couldn't possibly remain unmoved by the day's events. Yang Ying hadn't known before, but now that he did, a gesture of condolence was necessary.

"The souls of our warriors will surely rest in peace in the heavens. We who remain must take up the cause they left unfinished; thinking of that makes it easier to bear. Furthermore, please just call me Christina."

Christina offered a serene smile to Yang Ying and his two companions, her tone earnest.

"Alright then, Christina, you are truly beautiful. This scarf was certainly lucky to be able to cloak such a beauty," Katerina added with a smile, extending her hand. "Now we are truly acquainted. If you have any missions in the future, don't forget us."

"Katerina, you too..."

The two women chatted animatedly for quite some time, until Yang Ying lost track of the details.

Next was Liliya. She was more direct, shaking hands and saying simply, "Goodbye for now; we will meet again."

"We certainly will meet again. I hope we can cooperate with Captain Liliya once more," Christina replied. There seemed to be unspoken words lingering behind her expression, yet her face remained perfectly composed, giving away nothing of her inner thoughts.

Sensing that Randall should be returning soon, Yang Ying took Katerina and Liliya and bid farewell.

At the port, just as they reached the exterior of the Valkyrie, Christina had already wrapped her face back in the scarf and was pursuing them with her bodyguards. "Before you all depart, there is one final matter I hope to entrust to you."

"Please state it," Yang Ying turned back.

Christina shook her head. "Please, let us discuss it aboard my freighter. It is best to avoid too many ears here."

Yang Ying and his companions exchanged glances, finding no objection. After a brief, tacit agreement, they followed her onto the cargo vessel.

"Now that you're in Kussen, aren't you going to visit the Corps headquarters?" Yang Ying asked, his eyes ceaselessly scanning the interior terrain and possible escape routes of the freighter. This reconnaissance might prove useful in an emergency, though such incidents were rare. Observing one's environment upon arrival was a deeply ingrained habit for Yang Ying—one he couldn't, and didn't want to, change.

"I have been away for over half a month now; a few more hours won't matter. Moreover, the Kussen Corps has a great deal to handle right now. My return alone would be fine, but if the contents of this freighter were discovered, it would only add to the Corps' burden. Let us wait until tomorrow," Christina replied with a smile.

The group arrived before the cargo hold door. Christina used a four-factor authentication—voiceprint, iris scan, palm print, and DNA—to unlock it.

As the hatch opened, a blast of cold air hit them. The hold temperature was about ten to twelve degrees Celsius. Inside, more than ten rows of shelving held neatly arranged wine bottles.

Yang Ying scanned the contents but detected nothing extraordinary.

After leading everyone inside, Christina closed the hatch and stopped beneath a rack. She lifted a floor tile about the size of her hand, revealing a control panel, where she skillfully entered a code.

Immediately, the central two rows of wine racks slid open sideways. Then, a section of the floor in the center of the hold, about three meters square, rose upward, revealing an underground vault beneath. The chamber was enclosed by dense, airtight alloy walls, with only a single, visibly thick door facing the newcomers. The vault rose with a low hum, reaching the ceiling.

"The walls, floor, and ceiling of this chamber are composite structures, with a thirty-millimeter layer of lead internally to isolate any emitted energy," Christina explained briefly to the group before stepping forward to turn the handle and pull the door open. They could see a faint purple glow emanating from the gap—as if a twenty-watt purple light bulb were inside the vault.

When the door was fully open, they saw blocks shaped like gold bricks, emitting a pale purple fluorescence, stacked neatly inside the chamber, arranged in the shape of a pyramid.

Yang Ying felt a jolt of surprise; he had seen these before. There were some aboard the Valkyrie.

"Energy Concentrate Ingots!"

Energy Concentrate Ingots—or 'E-Ingots'—were the common term. These golden blocks were vastly more precious than actual gold; they were absolute strategic resources. They served as fuel for warship reactors, manufactured using technology provided by extraterrestrials. They radiated an energy similar to light sabers, harmless to the human body. A single small block could power an average small warship for a year, fetching about ten million credits on the open market.

Yang Ying calculated that there were over two hundred ingots here, totaling a value exceeding two billion. What was Christina’s purpose in showing him this?