"Yes, Commander. I don't know if the assembly will be useful now, but I'll do my best!" Although Katerina's voice lacked conviction, the determination within it was resolute.

"Good."

How stubborn was the First Emotional Directive? Yang Ying wasn't sure if one command could make it self-contradictory, but even if it couldn't be resolved immediately, as long as Katerina stayed by his side, there would be ample time and opportunity to resolve the knot in her heart.

"We'll take it slow," Yang Ying reached out, grasping Katerina's hand, and gradually drew closer to her.

"Commander, what are you doing?" Katerina turned her flushed cheeks away, leaning slightly backward.

"Love is a two-way street. I won't just stand by and watch you struggle alone to overcome the emotional directive. I have to help you out too." Yang Ying pressed a kiss onto her cheek.

Katerina’s heart was pounding wildly, but then she felt her hands being released.

"Let's stop here for today," Yang Ying said.

"Yes, Commander." Katerina was overwhelmed with emotion, and her legs felt weak, so she reached out to steady herself against a nearby table.

She felt something under her hand.

Turning her head, she saw Yang Ying's communicator. The contact number sent by Randolph was still displayed on it.

Katerina picked up the communicator, clutching it in her hand, and asked Yang Ying, "Commander, what about Miss Wen? This contact number..."

"Contact Wen Jing?" Yang Ying paused in thought. "It's better not to for now. I’m still unclear about what she’s thinking. Contacting her rashly might cause misunderstandings."

"But, maybe, Miss Wen is waiting for your call right now," Katerina murmured, her voice barely a whisper.

"What did you say? I can’t hear you clearly." Yang Ying mischievously leaned his ear closer.

Katerina instantly grew shy and spoke even more softly, "I said, what if Miss Wen also likes the Commander?"

"Say that louder." Yang Ying leaned in even closer.

"I won't say it!" Katerina, her face bright red, shouted directly into Yang Ying’s ear.

Although it was a shout, her voice was gentle—just a little louder than a normal speaking voice.

Yang Ying pulled back slightly and said, "Now I hear you clearly. Wen Jing's attitude is indeed an issue."

"What exactly did you hear?" Katerina felt a wave of exasperation mixed with amusement.

"If she is expecting me to contact her, then I absolutely cannot do it. As I said before, I cannot accept a natural person sharing my secrets. Wen Jing is a natural person." Yang Ying obscured the contact number on the communicator screen and re-clipped it to his waist.

"Perhaps, Commander, you should make things clear with her," Katerina said softly.

"Make things clear? How? What if she's not interested in me?" Yang Ying shook his head. "If I contact someone who isn't interested in me specifically to say, 'Give up, I won't like you, I have a girlfriend,' wouldn't that just be asking for a beating?"

"That's quite possible. After all, a girl has her pride too," Katerina nodded, feeling a sweet warmth inside upon hearing Yang Ying mention having a girlfriend.

"So, we’ll shelve it for now. We can talk about it later," Yang Ying concluded.

Silence fell between them for about ten seconds.

"Commander, shouldn't we open the door now?" Katerina gestured toward the command room door, which had been firmly shut for a long time.

"Indeed. I just returned from Voriel. Quite a few matters have piled up at the base; it's time to get back to work."

Yang Ying said with a smile, then returned to his desk and began reviewing the documents Kalia had brought into the command room earlier.

Katerina, driven by shyness, quickly smoothed out all the wrinkles in her uniform, checked the command room to ensure no trace of their earlier intimacy remained, and then went to the control panel beside the door and pressed the open button.

As the door opened, Katerina saw three people standing outside: Kalia, Randall, and a young man in an officer’s uniform.

The rank insignia on this man indicated he was Major General Howard, Captain of the Jùshòu-class battlecruiser.

However, since the Jùshòu-class battlecruiser had not yet entered production, Howard was currently only commanding a heavy cruiser.

Although Katerina knew perfectly well that the command room doors had excellent soundproofing—nothing short of an explosion could be heard outside—her heart still hammered wildly, afraid that the people before her would mock her.

But nothing of the sort happened; Randall and Howard entered without a word. Seeing the door open, Kalia quietly slipped away.

Yang Ying saw Randall and Howard enter and asked, "What is it?"

As a Major General, Howard held a rank two steps above Colonel Randall, so he spoke first. "Report, Commander. The crews for the three heavy cruisers have completed their training. The three heavy cruisers are ready for immediate deployment. I have input the crew lists into the computer for your review at any time."

"I see. Is there anything else?" Yang Ying inquired.

"Yes," Howard said in a steady tone. "Based on the performance tests of these three heavy cruisers, we believe their combat potential can still be unlocked. However, if we encounter a major enemy force in a broadside engagement—for instance, if the enemy's firepower exceeds ours by more than double—they might struggle to prevail."

"The battlecruisers aren't finished yet, so making you use heavy cruisers is a bit of a hardship, but for now, this is all we have. You’ll have your battlecruisers in eighteen months," Yang Ying first offered Howard some comfort, then smiled, "If the enemy firepower is more than double, that means the enemy would need at least six heavy cruisers, correct?"

"That is correct. Given the combat quality of my crew, we have an eighty percent chance of defeating enemy ships in the asteroid belt at a one-to-two ratio," Howard confirmed.

"That is already a very good result," Yang Ying stated with satisfaction. "We never expected the heavy cruisers to carry the main load. If there is combat, we will try our best to arrange for the Ghost Fighters to handle it. The situation where you would face more than six heavy cruisers is almost impossible."

"Thank you, Commander. I will take my leave then," Howard said.

"Go ahead," Yang Ying replied.

Howard snapped a salute and turned to leave.

"What about Randall?"

"The situation is this..."

After Yang Ying and Katerina’s relationship was confirmed, neither of them publicized it intentionally, nor did they deliberately conceal it. Because they had become much more intimate in their daily interactions than before, people noticed it quickly.

The people at the base were all products of the cloning production lines, and they were genuinely happy about the development of the relationship between the Commander and Katerina. During this time, Katerina’s appearance in the base guaranteed her a near 100% turn rate. Especially the medical personnel under her command, who would surround her the moment she appeared, asking questions that made her too embarrassed to answer. Initially, she was shy, but within a few days, she gradually got used to it.

A week later, the investigation team dispatched by the Mercenary Alliance arrived at Gray Port, intending to audit the promotion qualifications of the Tèlǎn Mercenary Group.

Due to the recent military conflict, the population flow in Gray Port had dropped by about half, making the docks appear much emptier.

A Union official spacecraft gradually docked at the pier. After it settled, an enclosed gangway connected to the hatch. Then the door opened, and thirty or so people wearing Mercenary Alliance uniforms disembarked.

The leading figure, a white-haired old man, addressed the people behind him: "Remember what I told you: just be perfunctory this time. Completing the mission safely is the most important thing. Don't be as harsh as you are with those mediocre mercenary groups. I know some of you have the old habit of shaking people down for bribes, but this Tèlǎn Mercenary Group is not a soft target. They wiped out five major factions on a whim. If you mess up and fall into their hands, the Alliance won't be able to protect you. Understand?"

"Understood," the group replied listlessly.

The white-haired old man frowned, then raised his voice, "Pay attention! Show some spirit! Answer me again, understood?"

"UNDERSTOOD!" Their voices grew louder.

Although the white-haired old man was still dissatisfied, he couldn't do anything else. He shook his head and walked toward the outside of the gangway, thinking to himself, I hope these guys don't stir up trouble. I'm just a high-ranking official; I don't have the seniority or power of the Commissioners. If they cause trouble, I might get caught in the crossfire.

Toward the back of the group, a burly man grumbled softly, "What rotten luck. I got assigned to this place—a place with no real profit to be made, or rather, where profit is strictly forbidden. That’s more frustrating than having no profit at all."

"Shh, do you want to die?" said a short man next to him. "You think you can skim profits here? Didn't you think about how the Five Great Factions were wiped out? Wasn't it because they tried to squeeze Gray Port for profit! Old Barrow, Isaac, Three-Eyes—they were all big shots who dominated the asteroid belt for decades, and they all died outside Gray Port. Do you think you have the ability to do what even they couldn't?"

"Old Barrow, Isaac, Three-Eyes..." The burly man shuddered at the mention of those names that once shone like stars.

The short man wouldn't let up. "Especially Old Barrow. Even the joint fleet of Somali and Kill-the-Wolf couldn't stop him from escaping, but he still died at the hands of the Tèlǎn Mercenary Group. And all the other factions, big and small, operating outside Gray Port—not even a single fly escaped. They were all finished. Think about how terrifying this mercenary group must be."

A fat man standing nearby added conspiratorially, "I heard they have the strength of a Super Mercenary Group. Just think about it: Somali is a super pirate gang, and Kill-the-Wolf is the strongest among the large pirate gangs. Even their joint fleet couldn't finish off Old Barrow, letting a portion of the Blood Skull escape. But the combined fleet of the Five Great Factions outside Gray Port was even stronger than the original Blood Skull. A group capable of wiping them all out couldn't possibly be just a large mercenary group."

The short man nodded. "If you ask me, they should just be promoted to a Super Mercenary Group immediately."