In the Zhanhui Room. Yang Ying watched Katerina intently. "Why are you reluctant to answer one question? Tell me."

Katerina flushed for a moment, then slowly said, "Before I answer that, I should answer the Commander's first question."

Yang Ying nodded. "Good, go ahead."

Katerina seemed to have made up her mind. She said, "Earlier, the Commander asked if I wished for you to contact Miss Wen Jing. I should have answered 'yes'."

"What did you say? You mean you hope I contact Wen Jing?"

Yang Ying hadn't expected the opposite answer. Judging by Katerina's recent demeanor, she clearly held extraordinary feelings for him. He had assumed she was jealous just now.

Katerina said seriously, "Yes, I hope the Commander contacts Miss Wen Jing."

Yang Ying remained silent, just looking at Katerina. Katerina continued, "But the Commander must have seen it too, I didn't want to say this sentence out loud, which is why I asked the Commander if it was an order. If it wasn't an order, then I would be free to choose whether to say it or not."

"You didn't want to say the words: 'I hope you contact Wen Jing'." Yang Ying understood; she really was jealous.

"Yes," Katerina admitted with a nod.

"If that's the case, you could have just said you don't want me to contact Wen Jing. Why take such a roundabout path?" Yang Ying asked.

"Because I cannot say that. My personal feelings cannot supersede loyalty," Katerina shook her head. "Commander, although you are single now, you will eventually start a family, have a wife and children. Therefore, I must hope you interact with other girls often."

"You are a girl too," Yang Ying said.

"No, I am a clone, a clone fresh off the barracks production line!" Katerina declared with sudden intensity.

Yang Ying had never seen her so agitated. Katerina had always seemed gentle as flowing water, never losing her temper, speaking softly like the spring sunshine nourishing all things.

"As clones, our sole purpose for existing is battle. Even if we medics lack combat ability, we exist only to heal the warriors. We are merely tools, Commander. You shouldn't develop feelings for us, otherwise, when you need to use us, you won't be able to harden your heart. That would cause you pain!" Katerina’s eyes reddened, a trace of tears flashing in the corners. She immediately pulled out a handkerchief and wiped them away.

Yang Ying hadn't expected her to utter such words. He couldn't help but stand up and sigh, "Hearing you say that already causes me great pain."

"I apologize, Commander. I lost my composure. I won't do that again," Katerina said instantly.

"This is not your fault." Yang Ying paced a few steps around the room, organizing his thoughts before speaking to her. "I have never viewed you, or Randall, Bryan, or Kalia, as mere tools. So what if you are clones? From genetics to intellect, you are no different from ordinary people. You have your own thoughts, joys, anger, sorrow, and happiness—aren't you the same as normal people?"

"But, our joys, anger, sorrow, and happiness are different from ordinary people's," Katerina shook her head. "From the moment of our development, loyalty was programmed as our primary emotional directive. Serving the Commander is our first, perhaps only, purpose. All other emotions must submit to loyalty; anything that contradicts loyalty must be discarded."

"Is it loyalty that has driven you to this point?" Yang Ying murmured.

"Of course not. Loyalty is what everyone in the base, including myself, cherishes. It is the source of our drive; we are proud of it," Katerina quickly regained her composure, wiping away her tears. "However, the fact remains that we are clones. We did not grow in a mother's womb, but in cultivation pods. We didn't learn through study; knowledge was integrated as we developed. We possess a depth of knowledge far surpassing ordinary people. All of this highlights our difference from them. We are tools, sprung from a production line; this identity will accompany us for life."

Katerina gazed at Yang Ying. "I am not qualified to love, much less to love the Commander. I don't even know if my feelings for the Commander stem from love or loyalty."

Yang Ying suddenly took a step forward and pulled Katerina into his embrace!

Katerina heard the sound of Yang Ying's breath next to her ear and felt herself enveloped in a warm hold. Yet, her eyes were filled with disbelief. She whispered to herself, "Am I dreaming?"

She dared not reach out, dared not return Yang Ying’s embrace, her mind constantly repeating that she was just a tool and should not let emotion gain the upper hand. But loyalty, or perhaps something else that struck her with terror, was preventing her from resisting Yang Ying's action.

After what felt like a long time.

"Do you feel it? My body temperature," Yang Ying asked near her ear.

Katerina nodded mechanically.

"I feel yours too. Very warm," Yang Ying murmured softly. "I can sense the beat of your heart, your pulse, your breathing, the flow of your blood. You are a person of flesh and blood, not some tool. You are even more normal than I am."

A thought flashed through Yang Ying's mind. The drawer of a nearby desk suddenly flew open, spilling papers and pens that began to circle around the two of them, much like planets orbiting a star.

"Ordinary people can't do this," Yang Ying stated.

"Awakened ones are naturally occurring; clones are not," Katerina whispered dazedly, watching the papers and pens glide past her.

Yang Ying was pleased to note that she had regained her usual calm and gentleness. Clearly, that last outburst was merely the death throes of old programming.

"Then there's this." Yang Ying gently released her and held up his left hand in front of her.

On the back of his hand, a small '' character symbol gradually manifested, emitting a faint golden light.

This was the beginning of everything, the source of miracles. The interstellar world held within his palm.

Yang Ying led Katerina back to the Floating Continent, ascending to the apex of the central high tower. Looking out, the lights on the tower were now lit up to the fourth lamp on the second level, burning perpetually.

The four thousand square kilometers of land already exuded an atmosphere of grandeur and burgeoning prosperity.

In the Northern Human Territory, indicator lights on over two hundred barracks flashed day and night, producing nearly twenty platoons of various infantry units daily.

There were few heavy tank factories—only about fifty—due to the limited number of ground battles and the constrained area. The Space Citadel didn't require too many armored units to conquer; even the Orbital Cities could be taken with ease.

There were nearly two hundred airfields. Each airfield could produce one Ghost Fighter, complete with a pilot, every sixty hours, yielding Yang Ying about six platoons of Ghost Fighters daily.

Tech Spheres and Valhalla Class warships required almost a month to construct a single unit, but with various production sequences arranged, they managed a yield of three to four ships per week.

At the heart of the Human Territory stood a solitary Protoss Stargate—the structure used for building Protoss air fleets. However, Human cargo ships ferrying ore now flew in and out of it.

On the other side of the Stargate, within a base hidden in the asteroid belt, lay another Stargate.

Because the Protoss teleportation technology could bridge the real world and the Floating Continent, Yang Ying devised this method: connecting the abundant material resources of the asteroid belt via the Stargate to the Floating Continent, which significantly conserved Silicon usage.

Yang Ying pointed toward the surrounding valleys, grasslands, lakes, and rivers, speaking to Katerina. "This is where you were born. Everyone here shares your identity. However, this Floating Continent is too small. The total land area of one Earth is 149 million square kilometers. In the future, I will lead them to integrate into the real world and step onto the cosmic stage. Many years from now, their numbers might even surpass the current population of the Solar System. At that time, clones won't be the issue; perhaps we'll be worrying about Naturals instead."

"So," Yang Ying continued, "you don't need to worry about the clone issue at all. Let me worry about that."

Katerina nodded softly.

Then the two returned to the real world. Yang Ying used his telekinesis to lift the papers and pens that had fallen to the floor, returning them to the drawer. He then pointed to the '' symbol on his hand. "This is my biggest secret. Tell me, which Natural can share this secret with me?"

"That is for the Commander to decide. I cannot say," Katerina shook her head, for how could she presume to decide such a massive issue for Yang Ying?

"I have already made my decision," Yang Ying stated. "Naturals live in society; they have too many constraints—morality, justice, desire, wickedness. These things make it impossible for any Natural to treat me as you do. Therefore, it is impossible for me to treat a Natural as I treat you. Ever since I held this symbol in my hand, I was destined never to walk alongside another Natural."

Katerina listened quietly.

"You," Yang Ying continued, "only you can walk this lonely path with me. If even you consider yourselves tools, then I truly will be utterly alone."

"Commander, you will not be alone. I, and others, will always stay by your side, as long as you do not abandon us," Katerina stated seriously.

"As for what you mentioned earlier, about loyalty suppressing love—I can solve that for you," Yang Ying said with a smile.

"How do you solve it?" Katerina asked urgently.

"I permit your love to transcend loyalty. But only for me," Yang Ying whispered into her ear. "This is an order."