At this very moment, in the private room adjacent to Yang Ying and Yusuf’s, two people were conversing.

The middle-aged man, whose temples were streaked with white, spoke, “This Thirteenth Fleet actually found two Awakened Ones, and they actually dared to come to Vorrel to slap the Alliance in the face. I fear their objective goes beyond this mere exercise.” “Teacher, are you referring to those two commanders and deputy commanders from just now?” the young man beside him, perhaps fifteen or sixteen years old, inquired. “Who else would I be referring to?” “But, in my observation, although their marksmanship was decent, it didn’t surpass the limits of an ordinary person. Why do you say they are Awakened Ones?” The youth was confused. “When observing things, you cannot look only at the surface.” The middle-aged man patiently explained, “If you had observed their movements closely, you would have noticed that even though they didn't use psychic power, their reaction time when firing was too fast. Apart from psychic power, reaction speed is one of the ways to identify an Awakened One. No matter how thoroughly a regular soldier trains, they must adhere to the sequence of seeing the target, followed by the brain’s reaction, and only then firing at the target. The stronger the warrior, the shorter the brain’s reaction time. It can almost become an unconscious reflex. However, no matter how fast their reactions are, they cannot react before the target even appears.”

The middle-aged man paused, seeing the look of comprehension dawn on his disciple’s face, and then said, “Now, complete the rest of the explanation.” “Yes, Teacher.” The young man replied, “We Awakened Ones are different from ordinary soldiers. An Awakened One’s sixth sense is abnormally developed; they can sense things that are about to happen but haven't yet occurred. Therefore, an Awakened One can take action before the event even takes place, making them much faster than ordinary people who only react after the event has already happened.” “You are absolutely correct.” The middle-aged man nodded. “Those two Special Forces commanders, during the exercise, repeatedly shifted their muzzles before the targets even showed themselves. By the time the targets appeared, they were precisely shot dead. If they hadn't sensed the targets’ appearance using their sixth sense, they could not have achieved such speed.”

In the next room, Yang Ying ultimately declined the invitation to be a guest at the award ceremony. He had no interest in it, and furthermore, Qingfeng and Mingyue from the Taiji View, particularly Qingfeng, had a past conflict with him, and he had also stolen something from the Taiji View.

Because of this, Yang Ying harbored a lingering reservation and did not wish to appear before them at this particular juncture.

The commotion inside the white tent was quickly suppressed. The mercenaries who had been blocking the tent entrance, harboring intentions toward the White Card, hadn't even caught sight of a single Ghost Agent, thus failing to translate their intentions into action.

Those outside the tent were relatively fortunate. Everyone inside the tent, regardless of whether they had made any aggressive moves, was escorted by the Mercenary Alliance’s security detail back to the security bureau.

Most of them would be charged with attempted robbery. Since their target was the lately ascendant Tarrant Mercenary Group, the officers handling the cases absolutely dared not show any partiality.

Among these people, unless they had deep-seated backing to bail them out, they were certain to have a miserable time at the security bureau.

Seeing this, Yusuf asked Yang Ying, “Commander Yang Ying, I wonder if Your Excellency has any specific requests regarding the handling of these mercenaries? After all, they coveted your wealth; only you possess the ultimate right to decide their fate.”

This was one of the commonly accepted rules in the power-centric environment of the Asteroid Belt. If such an incident had occurred in Yang Ying’s territory, Gray Harbor, no one would have questioned him even if he had executed these mercenaries on the spot.

However, this was Vorrel, the headquarters of the Mercenary Alliance, not Yang Ying’s domain, so some matters could not be handled too severely. “Handle it according to the Mercenary Alliance’s rules,” Yang Ying replied. “Follow the rules exactly; do not wrong the innocent, nor let a single culprit escape.” While Yang Ying would not appear overly harsh, he would not exhibit any sign of weakness either. These people had brought trouble upon themselves; if they were not sufficiently punished, more troublemakers would surface in similar situations later on. “If that is the case, there isn't much more to do,” Yusuf stated. “I will send a message to the security bureau, informing them that we are paying attention to this matter.” After speaking, Yusuf stood up. “This exercise concluded quickly, and the time is still early. But since there are no other arrangements, I must ask Your Excellency to return to the barracks for rest.” “I rested enough at noon,” Yang Ying also stood up and smiled. “I am quite interested in the Alliance’s administrative center. Could you allow me to see it first?” He pointed his finger out the window at the egg-shaped building in the city center. “That…” Yusuf hesitated for a moment before saying, “I fear my authorization is insufficient to grant that request, Commander. To enter the Alliance’s administrative premises, aside from representatives stationed there by the major mercenary groups, everyone else requires a series of approvals and must apply at least three days in advance.” “Then never mind,” Yang Ying waved his hand, dropping the subject. He understood clearly that if the leaders of the three Super Mercenary Groups had arrived, the Mercenary Alliance would have rolled out the red carpet for them. But the Tarrant Mercenary Group had not yet reached the status of a Super Mercenary Group, meaning that although Yusuf, as a representative sent by the Alliance, treated him with utmost respect, he would not extend absolute deference. “Perhaps Your Excellency could take a tour of Vorrel,” Yusuf suggested. “While this place isn’t famous for tourism, the continuous barracks and the soldiers found here are sights unmatched elsewhere.” “That won't be necessary. The barracks in Vorrel are all the same. If I want to watch soldiers drill, I can just wander around the barracks where I am currently staying,” Yang Ying refused the minor suggestion.

As the group exited the private room, two figures also emerged from the adjacent room—the master and disciple who had earlier identified Qingfeng and Mingyue as Awakened Ones.

Upon seeing them, the middle-aged man walked over with a smile and greeted them, “Commissioner Yusuf, I am truly delighted to see you here.” “Commissioner Haines, hello.” Yusuf replied with a smile.

After greeting Yusuf, Haines turned to Yang Ying and extended his hand. “This must be the current newsmaker, Commander Yang Ying. Hello, my name is Haines. I am the representative stationed at the Mercenary Alliance for the K-Sword Mercenary Group, and one of the commissioners on the Alliance Committee.”

His temples were white, and his attire was exceedingly simple: a plain, gray-white linen robe enveloped him from neck to ankle. He wore a pair of brown long boots, their color slightly dull but polished so cleanly they bore no dust.

The only item of significant value he possessed was an antique gold ring worn on his right middle finger. The bezel was not set with a gemstone but featured a fiery red crest.

In the eyes of those around him, Haines appeared to be just an ordinary middle-aged man, but in Yang Ying’s sight, Haines emanated a golden radiance—bright and pure, like the sun itself.

It was evident that Haines was a master at the level of a High-Tier Psionicist!

In the Holy Light Knights, a High-Tier Psionicist corresponded to the rank of a Senior Knight. Below this were Intermediate Knights and Junior Knights, and then there were Apprentice Knights, equivalent to Psionic Apprentices.

The young man beside Haines was precisely an Apprentice Knight.

“Mr. Haines, hello.” Yang Ying understood from Haines’s gaze that his identity as an Awakened One was no secret to this Senior Knight, yet he did not mind. He had no grievance with the K-Sword Group, and moving against him offered no benefit to them, considering the backing Yang Ying likely possessed—possibly ranking first among the large mercenary groups.

The handshake was conventional; Haines made no probing movements or displayed any hostile actions.

Suddenly, the communicators worn by Haines and Yusuf both chimed, with only a minuscule gap between them, almost simultaneous.

They excused themselves separately and returned to their respective rooms to answer the calls.

Shortly thereafter, they emerged, both wearing grave expressions. “I’m afraid I cannot personally see Your Excellency out now,” Yusuf stated. “A major event has occurred.” “What major event is it? May I know?” Yang Ying inquired. “Of course, it’s not a secret, and this news will spread quickly,” Haines interjected. “After the exercise concluded just now, that Special Forces team submitted a formal document to the Alliance during the award ceremony, officially announcing the Thirteenth Fleet’s full deployment into the Asteroid Belt.” “It seems that Special Forces unit was sent here to give us a show of force,” Yusuf added. “The Alliance Committee is now convening an emergency meeting of all commissioners to discuss this matter, and we have all received notifications to attend the meeting.”

At this moment, another group of people walked down the corridor.

Leading them was a man around thirty, handsome and debonair, with blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in a black suit. As he walked, nearly every step covered the exact same distance, his every gesture elegant and natural, every movement reflecting a noble heritage accumulated over a thousand years.

“Oh, Haines, Yusuf. We are heading to the committee meeting anyway, let’s go together.” The man with the aristocratic bearing slowly scanned the crowd with his eyes before focusing on Yang Ying. “It’s Commander Yang Ying of the Tarrant Mercenary Group. I am Andre Caesar of the Caesar Mercenary Group. I did not expect to meet Your Excellency here. I must apologize on my own behalf for my subordinates' inappropriate remarks due to my lax discipline.” Although Andre possessed an air of aristocracy, he exuded no arrogance or condescension; his presence was comforting.

Yang Ying thought inwardly, Impressive. No wonder Yusuf said this man has extensive connections. He makes everyone feel at ease when speaking with him. Coupled with the formidable Caesar Mercenary Group behind him, how could anyone refuse to befriend him?

“Greetings, Andre. That petty matter hardly warrants notice; it was merely some insignificant character causing a ruckus,” Yang Ying replied. “Since Your Excellency views it that way, I am relieved. I’m sure we will have plenty of opportunities to cooperate in the future. Time is pressing, so I shall take my leave now.” Andre departed with elegant strides.

Subsequently, Haines and Yusuf also bid their farewells.

Three o’clock. Finally done compiling everything.