Wait just a moment, I'll be right there," Yang Ying said to Caelia before clicking off the communicator.

The matter of the little girl remained unresolved, and delaying the Caesar family for a few hours wouldn't significantly alter the grand scheme. Of course, Yang Ying had no intention of delaying that long.

Although Katerina’s earlier description of the little girl as being in a vegetative state was inaccurate, being conscious while unable to see, hear, or speak was a fate far crueler than being truly comatose.

Katerina held the little girl's hand tightly. Even though they hadn't exchanged a single word, it didn't lessen her profound pity for the child. Since understanding the girl’s plight, her brow had remained deeply furrowed.

Seeing Yang Ying switch off the communicator, Katerina pressed the little girl's hand against her own chest and spoke in a soft yet firm tone, "Poor child, who knows how much suffering she endured in that research facility." She turned to Yang Ying, "Sir, we must restore her sight, hearing, and ability to speak."

The medical expertise at the Caesar Group’s Bio-Research Center stood at the forefront of medical science throughout the entire solar system. If these symptoms were easily treatable, the researchers there would have cured the little girl long ago. Since they hadn't, it meant that the solar system's current medical capabilities were insufficient to address her condition.

However, the medical corps under Yang Ying’s command possessed knowledge that surpassed the rest of the solar system. If Katerina dedicated her full efforts to treating the little girl, there was a significant chance of a cure.

Just then, Yang Ying sensed the little girl's thoughts echoing in his mind: Wow, so warm, and so soft. It’s pulsing on my hand, like it’s about to melt.

Simultaneously, Katerina gasped, "Oh! This little one, she just grabbed my chest. Has the anesthetic worn off?"

"Heh heh, she says your chest is very soft and warm," Yang Ying teased Katerina playfully, while simultaneously sending a mental message to the girl, "Your hand is resting on a big sister’s chest. That feeling you sense is her heart beating."

Looking at Katerina, she was now radiating an aura of maternal affection, pressing the little girl’s hand even tighter. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she said to Yang Ying, "Sir, what are you thinking? Do you wish you could be like this little girl too?"

Yang Ying’s eyes brightened at her bashful expression, and he nodded without hesitation, affirming, "Yes."

Seeing Yang Ying press his advantage, Katerina immediately pouted, "Sir, the battle isn't over yet! We need to be serious." With that, she gently placed the little girl’s hand back into the medical pod and softly smoothed down her pure white strands of hair.

"Now's the chance!" Yang Ying completely abandoned any pretense of seriousness, swiftly moving behind Katerina. Before she could react, he slipped his arms around her flanks and embraced her chest from the front, savoring the exact sensation the little girl had just experienced.

Katerina’s legs nearly buckled. Her face crimson, she managed a few pleading murmurs, wanting him to let go, all while anxiously glancing at the door of the command center, terrified someone might walk in at that precise moment.

Yang Ying threw his head back and laughed, whispering near her ear, "Isn't there a saying about viewing the enemy with contempt strategically? I am demonstrating my disdain for the Caesar Group through direct action."

Katerina struggled weakly, murmuring in a voice as faint as a mosquito, "That saying doesn't mean that. You're twisting the words."

"Twisting words if I am. Such things rarely need justification," Yang Ying declared with righteous conviction.

However, as the plan was still in motion, Yang Ying knew where to draw the line. After a brief moment of familiar liberty, he released her.

There was another reason. He pointed a finger toward the little girl, "This little one is crying now. She seems distressed because she can no longer feel your heartbeat."

Yang Ying could perceive that ever since Katerina had returned her hand to the medical pod, the little girl’s mood had shifted instantly from sunny to overcast. She had complained a few times, trying to reclaim the feeling of the heartbeat, but upon not receiving a response from him, the mood had descended from overcast to a light drizzle, with signs that the rain would only intensify.

After all, she was just a child, seeking reliance. The emotions of children were instincts forged through millennia of human evolution.

Katerina let out an "Ah," and looked down at the medical pod, where the little girl’s hand was grasping and snatching at the air, as if trying to catch something intangible.

She immediately retrieved the girl’s hand and pressed it back against her chest. But that wasn't enough; she carefully lifted the little girl out of the pod and held her, rocking and soothing her gently.

"You will be a wonderful mother someday."

Yang Ying checked the time; nearly ten minutes had passed. He addressed Katerina, "I need to go finalize the Judgment Plan. I leave this child in your care. Take her back to the medical staging area and arrange for her treatment."

Katerina nodded, then paused. "Sir, could I borrow a translator? I can’t hear the language of the mind."

"Understood." Yang Ying raised his hand and summoned a female Templar—Protoss also possessed gender—and assigned her to Katerina for the work of translating telepathic communication.

He then bid Katerina farewell and proceeded to the operations hall.

The squad of Ghost operatives had been waiting for some time. As soon as Yang Ying appeared, they snapped to attention, saluting and calling out, "Sir!"

Yang Ying nodded to them, surveying the roomful of personnel. "The battlefield is a place where steel and tenderness intertwine. Only by knowing when to relax and when to be tense can one maintain a sound mentality. You have enjoyed a brief period of rest; I thank you for your patience."

While the words sounded somewhat grandiloquent, they were all his own people, so he figured they wouldn't mind.

Caelia immediately reported the latest situation: "Sir, Phase Three of the Judgment Plan is nearing completion. Approximately one-fifth of the Caesar family's core personnel have fled into space and are now being intercepted by the Ghost fighter squadrons. Another fifth have futilely hidden themselves across the globe and will be dealt with by the Ghost ground operatives. The remainder, led by Gaius XIII, are consolidated at the Julian Fortress."

Yang Ying nodded. "Excellent. Everything is proceeding according to plan."

The Julian Fortress was the Earth branch of the Caesar Mercenary Corps and the most impregnable fortress complex in the Atlantic. The bunker facilities within the fortress were extraordinarily robust, capable of withstanding even a nuclear strike.

Meanwhile, in the fortress’s core sector, Gaius XIII, the patriarch of the Caesar family, was explaining the reason for gathering the elders in a conference room.

Gaius had already perceived that someone was operating behind the radicals, systematically assassinating every figure on the list. After all, even the most powerful terrorist organization couldn't eliminate so many named individuals in such a short span, let alone mere radicals.

Those killed were high-ranking, even core, members of the Caesar Group. Their personal guards consisted of at least Tier 8 mercenaries, a level equivalent to elite military special forces or seasoned intelligence agents.

As for Tier 9 mercenaries, they were already combat experts beyond common comprehension, whom even elite special forces could not approach—superlative masters second only to Psions.

The fact that even these formidable mercenaries could not halt the trend of high-ranking personnel being assassinated meant the enemy lurking behind the scenes was terrifyingly unprecedented, utterly incomparable to some radicals.

The enemy’s objective was clearly to eradicate everyone on the list, showing zero inclination for negotiation or compromise; their action was a fight to the death from the outset.

Under normal circumstances, the best way to prevent the total annihilation of those on the list would be to scatter and hide everywhere, saving as many as possible.

But under the current circumstances, that strategy was impossible. The whereabouts of every member on the list were completely known; they would be hunted down even if they fled to the ends of the earth. The enemy’s gaze was clearly omnipresent, and dividing their forces now would only lead to them being picked off one by one.

Gaius had no choice but to concentrate his strength, relying on this supposedly indestructible fortress to counter the enemy’s pervasive assassination campaign.

"Gaius, as the patriarch of the Caesar family, you have brought such a formidable enemy upon us, and now you don't even know who they are! This is all your fault," an elder roared, pointing an accusing finger at Gaius’s nose.

Gaius waved his hand, his face impassive. "It is too late to discuss fault now. With so many dead, the entire operation of the Caesar Group has stalled. Rumors about human experimentation continue to spread, and with every passing moment, more people align against us. On top of that, the schemers hiding in the shadows are continuously inciting the masses. The paramount concern now is survival!"

Another elder sneered, "According to our intelligence, several hostile families are beginning to incite the masses against us, clearly sensing our current inability to strike back. Are we simply going to let them step all over us and trample the glory of the Caesar family?"

Gaius paid him no mind, speaking slowly, "Only by surviving is there glory; those who die leave only tombstones. One must be capable of yielding to achieve greatness."

Gaius had clawed his way to the top of the Caesar family; his abilities in all aspects had been honed to a razor's edge. His voice was magnetic, carrying an almost seductive power.

However, the elders in the conference room were hardened stones; convincing them was not easy.

"When will the military support arrive?" an elder seated further back inquired.

"The military will dispatch two naval fleets to the Julian Fortress within twelve hours," Young Gaius replied.

"Two naval fleets? Are they sending us alms?" The elder was clearly dissatisfied.

"Our reputation is currently worse than that of beggars. According to my contacts in the Ministry of Defense, the military's recent major defeats at the front lines have had a terrible impact, leaving their reputation abysmal. They had only just salvaged some goodwill through the Jupiter withdrawal work. If the enraged populace learns they are helping us, that anger will immediately transfer to the military. Those cowards fear that all their previous efforts will be nullified. I had to use blackmail—leverage over compromising sexual scandals and economic corruption—to compel them to send those two fleets."

Gaius, too, felt extreme dissatisfaction that the military would not stand firmly by them at this critical juncture.