※ Please throw your monthly tickets this way, I’m preparing for the mutual seventh day/night exchange. Why is the opening even worse than last month? How can I muster the motivation for a big burst next time? Please, everyone, smash those tickets! Give me strength!

The elevator doors slid open. The on-duty medics widened their eyes, staring at their commanding officer emerging with a scantily clad woman in his arms.

“She was poisoned with something,” Blade immediately gave a brief account of what happened.

One medic checked Wen Jing’s condition, and then Blade immediately led her to a clean, orderly room. He instructed the medic to place Wen Jing on the multi-functional medical bed in the center of the room and hold down her hands.

Wen Jing struggled incessantly, crying out Yang Ying’s name, which left the observing medics dumbfounded and blushing furiously.

Nevertheless, they quickly snapped back to attention, opened a nearby medical kit, retrieved a syringe, loaded it into an injector gun, and administered the shot into Wen Jing’s neck.

The effect was instantaneous. Within seconds, Wen Jing gradually calmed down, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

The medic checked her again. “She should wake up in about two hours?”

Blade released Wen Jing’s hands and nodded. “She’s in your care now. Let me know when she wakes up.”

“Yes, Medic,” the medic agreed.

Approximately two hours later, Wen Jing slowly opened her eyes. She was startled to find herself in an unfamiliar environment and immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

“You’re awake.”

A voice sounded close to her ear. Wen Jing turned to see a woman dressed as a nurse sitting on a chair against the wall, beckoning and smiling at her.

She didn't appear hostile.

Wen Jing tentatively asked, “Where is this place?” As she spoke, she observed her surroundings: various medical equipment, pure white walls, bright white lighting, and the inky black night sky visible through the window.

The nurse smiled slightly, approached her side, and said, “This is the medical center in the Trane Mercenary Group’s Gray Harbor office building.” She paused, then continued, “Colonel Blade brought you in.”

At these words, Wen Jing’s memory capsule instantly opened, and she quickly recalled the events in the bar.

“I was injected with something…” Wen Jing thought in terror. She frantically checked her body, saw the torn buttons on her clothes, and her inner bra exposed. Her face instantly turned ashen.

“Don’t worry,” the medic interrupted, sensing what she was thinking. “No one assaulted you. As for your clothes… well, they got damaged rubbing against Colonel Blade.”

Saying this, she covered her mouth and let out a tinkling laugh.

Wen Jing had also realized that although her clothes were a mess, her body was otherwise unharmed, and she finally relaxed. But hearing the medic’s teasing, her entire face flushed crimson, so embarrassed she wanted to crawl into a hole. She stammered, unable to articulate anything coherent.

Seeing Wen Jing’s face shift between pale and red, the medic smiled and said, “Since you’re awake, I need to notify Colonel Blade. You just lie here and rest a bit.”

She produced a small communicator and relayed the news of Wen Jing’s awakening to Blade.

Lying back on the bed, Wen Jing replayed everything that had happened that day, her mind a complete mess. She had nearly been seriously harmed by a few insignificant people. If Yang Ying found out, would he look down on her?

She glanced at her disheveled clothing again and couldn't help but think that Blade must have thoroughly felt out her figure by now. She had no idea what happened during those hazy moments of memory. What if she had done something unforgivable? How would she face Yang Ying and Blade then?

Thinking this, she felt as if a huge stone was pressing on her chest; it was stifling.

Both men belonged to the Trane Mercenary Group—one the leader, the other high-ranking. Both were Awakened, and they seemed similar in some ways.

She couldn't quite articulate how, only attributing it to a woman’s intuition.

Just then, the room door slid open with a cha, and Blade walked in. “Lieutenant Colonel Wen, are you feeling better?”

The medic in the room nodded at Blade and then quietly left.

“Much better.” Upon seeing Blade, Wen Jing’s face grew hot again. She didn't know what to say, wanting to ask what exactly happened during that period, but how could she, as a young woman, bring herself to ask?

Blade also didn't know what to say at that moment. After a pause, he remarked, “Gray Harbor was co-managed by pirates and mercenaries for a long time; security was chaotic, and some parts are still not entirely peaceful even now. It would be better for you not to go to crowded places like bars in the future.”

“Thank you,” Wen Jing said stiffly.

Another awkward silence followed.

In the quiet, Wen Jing finally mustered the courage to ask, “Colonel Blade, during that time when I was… did I do anything inappropriate?”

Inappropriate things? She’d done plenty.

Blade thought for a moment before replying, “Nothing terribly inappropriate, just, as you saw, your clothes were on me. Of course, that wasn't your fault.”

Blade shrugged, leaving the sentence unfinished.

“I’m sorry.” Wen Jing clutched her clothes tighter, subconsciously retreating, appearing very guilt-ridden.

“I was the one who benefited; there’s no need for an apology.”

Blade offered a slight smile, which only made Wen Jing more nervous, her face turning even redder. Colonel Blade had rescued her when she was in dire straits and hadn't taken advantage of her. This filled Wen Jing with immense gratitude, even creating a subtle shift in her feelings—a trend she greatly feared.

How far had she gone during that time to ruin her clothes so badly? But since those things had happened, should she really ask for the details now? That was too mortifying; she couldn't possibly ask!

After much thought, Wen Jing’s eyes welled up, and she nearly started crying. Trembling, she whispered, “Colonel Blade, does anyone else know what happened during that time? Are there any recordings or anything left behind?”

Blade shook his head. “Who would I even tell about something like this? As for recordings, certainly not.”

Wen Jing nodded. She curled up entirely, hugging her knees, resting her chin on them, and murmured softly, “Thank you.” Seeing her like this, Blade understood that the ordeal had left a psychological scar. He couldn't let her dwell on it, or she might spiral into obsession.

Blade slapped his forehead. “Oh, right, about those thugs, I’ve already gotten revenge for you.”

Wen Jing’s mind was still in turmoil, but upon hearing this sudden announcement, she looked up and asked, “You killed them?”

“Yes,” Blade confirmed.

“But their criminal act was unsuccessful; it didn’t warrant death.” Wen Jing had grown up in a normal world. Although she had seen death on the battlefield, she still held reverence for the law.

“They dared to bully you on my turf; that’s reason enough for them to die.” Blade’s words caused Wen Jing’s brow to furrow, while an indescribable feeling stirred within her—a mix of slight happiness and a touch of fear?

Thinking this, she suddenly shook her head and buried it back into her knees, like an ostrich. Pah, pah, pah, you vain woman, to feel happy that someone killed for you.

However, Wen Jing, like many girls, harbored a damsel-in-distress complex from childhood, imagining being abducted by an evil dragon, only for a handsome prince to arrive on a white steed to save her. In this case, there was no dragon or prince, only a group of thugs and Colonel Blade standing before her.

Blade didn't notice her internal musings and continued, “The rules in the Asteroid Belt are different from the Inner Solar System. The power of law and reason cannot reach here. Only by using the power available here to intimidate them can my will be conveyed, making them hold back. This is also to prevent other girls like you from being harmed. Just think how many girls that single paralyzing gun could have hurt?”

Wen Jing offered no comment. She didn't want to argue with Blade over these matters. Glancing down again at her ruined state, she looked up and asked, “Could you please buy me a set of clothes? I can’t possibly go out looking like this.”

Blade nodded. “Someone has already gone; they should be here soon. But if you don't have urgent matters, I suggest you rest here for the night and leave in the morning.”

Wen Jing thought it over and agreed. Her purpose in coming to Gray Harbor was to ask Blade to take her to Yang Ying, but after this incident, her mind was a tangled mess, and she just wanted to return home to sort out her thoughts before considering anything else.

Blade didn't ask about her purpose in Gray Harbor, nor did she offer to tell him.

Seeing that she had calmed down considerably, Blade ended the conversation, called the medic to look after Wen Jing until morning, and then bid her farewell.

Returning to his office on the top floor, Blade sat cross-legged on a mat, replaying the entire conversation with Wen Jing in his mind.

“Perhaps transferring Wen Jing’s affections to me is indeed feasible, but…”

Just now, Yang Ying and Blade had refrained from pursuing that course because the method was too despicable—taking advantage of her vulnerability to achieve their goal. It was utterly beneath them.

But now, the external objective conditions had changed. Thanks to the hero-saves-the-beauty scenario, Wen Jing’s favorability toward Blade had clearly risen significantly. While perhaps not as high as toward the main body, it at least offered a glimmer of hope.

If he could win Wen Jing’s heart through legitimate courtship, then Yang Ying would be happy, and Blade would be happy. Furthermore, Katerina and Wen Jing, Yang Ying and Blade would all do their utmost to ensure they remained content.

This could almost be considered a happy ending, with only one flaw: Katerina knew that Yang Ying and Blade were one entity, but Wen Jing did not.

Yang Ying carried too many secrets, and these extended to Blade as well. Just as he had told Katerina long ago, he would not share these secrets with anyone outside the Floating Continent, which naturally included Wen Jing.

“Forget it, I’ll just let nature take its course.”

It’s going to be a late night today, everyone sleep early.