Zi Ye shot An Junlie a sidelong glance, his tone sharp. "It's already a considerable concession that he didn't demand the ** from you. If he got the **, he'd certainly cultivate another being identical to you and then clone N copies."

An Junlie frowned. "Why would he do that?"

When cloning technology ran rampant, the Interstellar Federation had enacted laws forbidding the arbitrary cloning of individuals unless the clone was willingly requested. Every person possessing this technology had to swear allegiance to the law, with Federation sanctions awaiting any violation.

Of course, Silver Talisman Star was an exception.

In an era without capital punishment, and already exiled to Prison Star, who bothered to uphold the law?

His only comfort was that Zi Ye hadn't stood by idly, but had helped him minimize the damage.

Zi Ye clapped him on the shoulder reassuringly. "Here, all the talent in the world only serves to pass the time with trivialities like this." He paused, then added, "Don't worry about your DNA. He will only extract certain parts to merge with others. The G-series robots were created by fusing the DNA of six or seven different people."

An Junlie recalled the white rose he had just placed in the spatial storage compartment and couldn't help but ask, "What was the white rose for?" Was it approval? He felt that while white roses might be precious to a biologist, they were commonplace on most other planets. Did it really warrant such effort and the contribution of so many resources just for one flower?

Zi Ye leaned back against the airship seat, his demeanor relaxed. "His giving you the white rose is equivalent to acknowledging you. He won't give you red roses in the future, nor will he administer a dose of poisonous plant and insect extract if he's in a bad mood. Have you noticed the scent of this white rose is quite unique? Silver Talisman Star has many toxic plants and insects, but this white rose was painstakingly cultivated by him; it can repel poisonous insects and even act as an antidote if you accidentally inhale miasma."

A neighbor's approval is worth more than a distant relative's; it can eliminate a lot of trouble. An Junlie wanted to smell the white rose, but refrained, given his allergies to certain scents. However, he was finally completely at ease about Zi Ye; being with such an intelligent person was certainly no disadvantage.

Zi Ye gave a slight smile. "Next stop, we visit the Red-Haired Queen."

The journey to visit the Red-Haired Queen was exceptionally long. Even at astonishing speed, it took over two hours. Zi Ye felt a bit tired and decided to doze off. Before sleeping, he poked the little sprouts, encouraging them to communicate with each other.

The Red-Haired Queen resided on the highest snow-capped mountain on Silver Talisman Star, towering over five thousand meters. When the airship reached the base of the mountain, they could see the mountain wind whipping the snow from the summit down, making it look as if it were snowing heavily.

Zi Ye retrieved a heavy-duty cold-weather coat from the spatial storage compartment and tossed one to An Junlie. "Put this on. It's snowing up there."

An Junlie eyed the coat. It looked like one of those oversized hats handed out by tour groups—black with jarring red accents—too conspicuous. Wearing it made any concern about silhouette irrelevant.

He didn't care, as he figured following Zi Ye's advice was always the right move.

Zi Ye donned his coat, then wrapped a scarf around his neck and put on a hat before commanding A110 to activate the airship's ascent mode. They lifted off at a sharp angle, heading toward the Red-Haired Queen's dwelling.

The higher they climbed, the fiercer the wind became, roaring against the protective shield. Snowflakes danced everywhere, and the whiteness of the peak was so bright it hurt the eyes.

In just a few minutes, they transitioned from summer to deep winter.

An Junlie surveyed the mountain scenery. He could make out structures built from massive stones near the summit, half-buried in the earth, making them appear low-slung, yet they stretched continuously, resembling a village clinging to the snowy peak, covering the entire mountaintop. Outside the buildings were wooden walkways and covered corridors, giving an impression of unyielding solidity against the wind and snow.

Upon reaching the summit, two young men, perhaps in their early twenties, emerged from the main structure and stopped at the entrance, adopting welcoming postures, one on the left and one on the right.

An Junlie thought that this location, at least, looked relatively normal.

He sincerely hoped he wouldn't encounter another degenerate! If everyone were like the biologist, he'd soon be scraped clean of every last bit of flesh.

The airship sliced directly through the corridor and stopped in the lee of the building. As soon as the shield retracted, an icy chill assailed them, making even a tough hide like An Junlie's shiver involuntarily.

"Welcome to our humble abode, Mr. Stinky Boy," one young man said with a gentle smile, saluting Zi Ye.

Zi Ye nodded. "Where is Red Hair?"

The young man bowed again. "The Mistress awaits in the living area. Please follow me."

The building where they landed was merely a transfer point. Exiting this structure led into another long corridor. This time, however, the corridor was a brightly lit, tunnel-like passage, devoid of wind or snow. At the tunnel's end was a vast, semi-cavernous structure.

Compared to the biologist's overly ornate rose garden house, this place resembled a rugged man's villa.

The living room was filled with stone carvings; even the tables and chairs were made of cold stone, though the craftsmanship was far from crude—the details were exquisitely refined. An Junlie felt a failure of aesthetic judgment. In this frozen environment, no matter how beautiful the stone, it was useless; it would only freeze one's backside solid. Aside from the stone furnishings, the room contained many weapons gleaming with metallic luster.

Vulcan machine guns, laser sights, tritanium alloy sculptures... Dominating the center of the living room was a black flag emblazoned with a red pattern—an interstellar pirate flag—an object far more imposing than any weapon.

An Junlie disliked, even detested, pirates. Pirates were arguably the most despised figures in the galaxy, bar none. They would install scanning probes near space station exits or warp gates. If they detected travelers carrying significant wealth or weaponry, they would trail them to isolated areas to rob them, often culminating in murder and the destruction of ships and mechs. Countless lives were lost to them, their wreckage drifting aimlessly across the void. A gang of brigands near An Junlie’s former legion headquarters had taken him two years to eradicate completely.

Was the Red-Haired Queen a pirate? Silver Talisman Star truly hid formidable figures.

An Junlie glanced at the pirate flag once, then deliberately shifted his gaze, for in that instant, he had confirmed the faction: they were the ones who "specialized in crushing defiance." The Defiance Crushers were entrenched in the Kaga Galaxy, top-tier pirates and the nightmare of every merchant. However, due to their leader, Blood Mistress, being so notorious, the name Defiance Crushers was nearly forgotten, superseded by the nightmarish moniker "Blood Mistress."

An Junlie instantly understood why the inhabitants of Silver Talisman Star used bizarre nicknames instead of their real names.

Zi Ye introduced, "This residence was established two years ago, requiring the labor of thirty robots, seven airships, and two mechs... a process spanning three months."

The young man chimed in with a smile, "Mr. Stinky Boy speaks the absolute truth. The Queen's foresight is remarkable; the house is designed to be noble and extremely comfortable—a truly unique creation on Silver Talisman Star!"