※The girl was very clingy, and while Eagle and Katerina stayed with her until very late, they had to leave. Though the girl desperately wanted to leave the hospital with Yang Ying and Katerina, she still had numerous examinations and rehabilitation therapies to undergo and couldn't leave, so she could only bid them farewell with tear-filled eyes.

As night fell, Yang Ying waited in his room. He produced a fourth-tier Rubik's Cube, levitated it with his psychic energy, and began meticulously restoring the scrambled faces to their original configuration.

This was a common exercise for practicing concentration among Psions. Yang Ying had grown accustomed to using this game to pass the time; after several months of practice, while he might not surpass seasoned Psions, he certainly wasn't lagging behind.

The cube spun and twisted in the air. The single colors on each face became more numerous and aligned until, with a soft click, it snapped back into its original six-sided, six-colored state.

Yang Ying put the cube away. A faint smile touched his lips as he looked toward the door and called out, "Come in. What are you hesitating for?"

He had sensed Katerina arriving at his door while he was manipulating the cube. She had approached the door multiple times, only to retreat at the very last moment.

Outside the door, Katerina had just showered and changed into a pristine white dress, yet she stood frozen, unable to advance or retreat. Her heart was churning. Hearing Yang Ying's voice, she instinctively pushed the door open, but her feet felt cemented to the floor, heavy as lead.

Finally, she forced herself to take two steps and entered the room, hearing the soft swoosh as the door closed behind her.

Yang Ying moved to her side and whispered close to her ear, "Don't act as if I'm some villain. If others saw you like this, they'd think I used some despicable means to coerce you."

Katerina twisted her hands together, her face flushing crimson. "I'm sorry." Had Yang Ying’s hearing not been far superior to that of an ordinary person, he would never have caught that tiny whisper.

She took two deep breaths, and her composure gradually settled.

A smile spread across Yang Ying's face as he drew her into his embrace. He initiated a long kiss, lasting a full minute, which melted all the tension from her body.

Then, the two of them collapsed onto the **, their kiss deepening as clothing was tossed aside, before they joined together and did what needed to be done.

In the dead of night, the streets of Gray Harbor bustled incessantly. A solitary figure traversed the avenues.

She was dressed in civilian clothes, but her movements were sharp and efficient, betraying the rigorous training she had undergone. A gust of night wind swept by, and she raised her head, revealing a pair of resolute eyes.

"First, I have to find Yang Ying," Wen Jing encouraged herself.

She glanced around and pulled out a handheld navigator, linking it to the Gray Harbor City Navigation System. She quickly located the position of the Gray Harbor Liaison Office building and started walking in that direction.

As she drew close enough to see the building, Wen Jing’s pace slowed. A torrent of thoughts erupted in her mind: Would he look down on me if I just showed up? He's at the Tran Mercenary Group's secret base; will the people at the Liaison Office even direct me there? Should I contact him first, establish some rapport?

Lost in thought, Wen Jing halted. She laughed bitterly to herself, "Indeed, mere hot blood won't accomplish anything. To come to Gray Harbor with absolutely no preparation—I truly am a fool."

She looked up at the top floor of the Liaison Office building, where Colonel Blade’s office was located.

"Colonel Blade and I have only met twice. The first time was when I chased off a few thugs on the streets of Gray Harbor, and the second was during that morale performance. A mere acquaintance of two meetings—asking him for the location of a secret base seems like a long shot. But he's the only one in this building who can help me."

Wen Jing took two more steps, feeling that her plan could still use further refinement.

"When did I, Wen Jing, become so hesitant and indecisive? Can love, this thing called love, really make a person this foolish?"

Wen Jing shook her head vigorously, trying to calm her mind. The sound of raucous hawking reached her ears. She glanced sideways and saw a bar, its entrance gorgeously illuminated by lights that made it look like a portal to a magical world. Various holographic displays, strikingly lifelike, captured the eye instantly.

These illuminated signs were as common as the electronic billboards from five centuries ago—ubiquitous and unremarkable. But Wen Jing, in her state of internal conflict, saw them and thought, "Perhaps having a drink to bolster my courage will give me the nerve to walk into that building."

She rarely frequented bars, but today was different. Before she realized what she was doing, she found herself standing inside the establishment.

"Fine, just one drink, then I'll leave," Wen Jing decided, approaching the bar counter.

"A beautiful young lady, what will you have?" the bartender asked, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her.

"Surprise me. Something that gives courage," Wen Jing replied. She wasn't familiar with drink names, let alone the mixed concoctions the regulars ordered.

The bartender immediately recognized her as someone unfamiliar with bars and nodded gravely. "A drink for courage, certainly." He began mixing the strongest liquors he had, thinking the stronger the drink, the more courage it would impart—that logic couldn't be wrong.

The bartender was skilled. Soon, a mixed spirit, appealing in color and aroma, was placed before Wen Jing.

Wen Jing took a delicate sip. Her tongue registered no harshness, only a faint sweetness. As it went down, a warmth rushed up her throat, and she felt her mettle begin to rise.

Driven by her anxiety, she downed the potent drink in one go.

A beauty like Wen Jing inevitably draws attention wherever she goes, especially in a place dedicated to observation like a bar. Soon, at a table in a corner, a group of shifty-eyed young men exchanged glances and rose, making their way toward the bar.

The leader intended to use his best opening line to engage her in conversation, but suddenly he felt his entire body go numb, followed by a searing pain in his abdomen that instantly knocked him down.

"Boss!" his companions exclaimed in shock. Their leader hadn't uttered a single word before collapsing face-down at the beautiful woman's feet.

Only the young man closest to the "boss" witnessed the sequence of events: before the leader could speak, the beauty had lightning-fastly produced an electro-baton from her sleeve and struck him squarely in the stomach. Then, the boss crumpled to the floor as if struck by a violent seizure.

"You wicked bitch! How dare you ambush my boss!" the young man yelled, pointing accusingly at Wen Jing.

Wen Jing was instantly filled with regret. A situation that could have been handled quietly had now escalated dramatically. She wasn't normally one to lose her temper, but her agitated state of mind, combined with the strong liquor—she rarely drank—had muddled her judgment, causing her to neglect the consequences.

"Take her down!" the group's second-in-command roared. Their boss was now foaming at the mouth and clearly incapacitated.

Choosing the initiative, Wen Jing, realizing things had spiraled out of control, cast aside her last shred of reason. She swung the electro-baton down hard onto the lower abdomen of the nearest young man. Although her physical combat prowess didn't match that of a Special Forces soldier like Yang Wen, as a female military officer, her self-defense training held significant expertise.

The young man let out an ear-splitting scream from the depths of his throat, a sound so terrifying it seemed capable of shaking heaven and earth, causing the movements of the others to freeze momentarily. A sense of shared misfortune and empathy gripped them.

With one man down and a momentary lull in the action, an escape route opened before Wen Jing. She sprang up and dashed out of the youths' circle. However, after running just two steps, the effects of the alcohol made her stumble, causing her to lose balance and crash into a table. Thankfully, she didn't fall completely, only staggering a couple of steps.

The bartender shouted, "If you're going to fight, take it outside! If you break anything, the boss will skin me alive!"

But both sides involved were too deep in the fray to heed him.

Seeing Wen Jing somewhat intoxicated, the young men’s spirits rallied, and they rushed her anew. Wen Jing evaded one young man's grappling attempt and delivered a sharp jolt with the electro-baton, taking him down.

Then, relying on the clutter of tables and chairs to break up her assailants, she ensured she only had to deal with one or two opponents at a time. It had to be said, Wen Jing was a capable military mind; even in her drunken state, she chose the most advantageous tactics. Soon, two more fell under the crackle of her baton.

Although these young men carried stunners, firing a weapon at such a beautiful woman would have been terribly poor form, and worse, if someone were killed, the Tran Mercenary Group, which governed Gray Harbor, would certainly not let them off easily. Thus, none of them had drawn their guns.

However, when the second-in-command saw two more of his brothers neutralized, rage flared in his eyes. A thought struck him. He hurried to the fallen leader's side and fumbled in his pocket, retrieving an object that looked like a toy gun.

His eyes shone with a predatory greed as he looked toward Wen Jing. "Heh heh, bitch, now I’m going to make sure you enjoy yourself thoroughly!"

He stood up, aimed the toy gun at Wen Jing ten meters away, and pulled the trigger. A faint pfft sound came from the muzzle, and a dart shot out, lodging itself in Wen Jing’s arm.

Wen Jing looked down and recognized it as a dart containing a chemical agent that injected its payload instantly upon impact. She yanked it out, stunned. "A tranquilizer dart used by agents?"

"Wrong!" The second-in-command trembled with triumph as the shot hit its mark. He grinned maliciously. "If it were a tranquilizer, you'd already be down. This is a modified **-gun; the dart carries the most potent **. It can turn a saint into a whore! Just watch, in one minute, you'll be down on your knees begging us to serve you well."

At that moment, Wen Jing felt a strange heat spreading from her arm. Panic set in. She had only wanted a drink for courage and now found herself in such peril. Glancing back, she saw the bar door was still open. She instantly wanted to bolt out onto the street. The bar was very close to the Liaison Office building; perhaps charging out there would offer a last chance.

"Stop her!" The second-in-command understood Wen Jing’s intent. If she made it into the open near the Liaison Office, they would be in deep trouble.

One young man blocked the path between Wen Jing and the exit, snatching up a chair, ready to counter Wen Jing's electro-baton.

In desperation, Wen Jing shouted, "I am with the Tran Mercenary Group!"

The young man blocking the door flinched violently, fear flickering across his face, and his movement stalled.

"Idiot, don't listen to her! She's lying!" Although the second-in-command didn't know if Wen Jing was telling the truth, he had to maintain the pretense now.

But his shout came too late. The young man blocking the exit was already felled by Wen Jing’s baton strike.

Wen Jing felt her strength rapidly diminishing, her body growing hotter, as if she might collapse at any moment. After knocking down the blocker, she used the last reserves of her energy to sprint toward the doorway. Suddenly, a figure outside the bar walked in through the entrance.

Wen Jing had lost the strength to turn and stumbled directly into the person's arms. She managed to lift her head slightly and saw the face.

"Colonel Blade!" Wen Jing cried out, a sound laced with both surprise and despair. Then, she felt the wave of heat surge toward her head, and everything that followed became a blur.

(I apologize for being a bit late on the World Expo opening ceremony; I will add an extra 500 characters to make amends. Happy May Day to everyone, and please vote!)