Sbent’s expression shifted, and he adopted a placating tone, “Yinyin, I know you’re the best, please don’t let the Vice-Commander come. Can you ask the Commander to come instead?”

Yinyin looked troubled. “I dare not speak to Lord Lan Li.”

Aix heard something amiss and scooted closer to Sbent, his voice thick with fabricated distress. “Yinyin, are you really willing to watch Sbent and me get spanked in public by him?”

Lan Li’s punishments were never severe; he wouldn’t confiscate mechs or impose house arrest. All his physical chastisements were remarkably light because he specialized in psychological torture.

Imagine the feeling of a twenty-year-old youth being spanked in front of a crowd of men, women, young, and old. Utter humiliation leading to the desire to die!

Ziye, listening from the side, bent double with laughter. Little Sprout, sensing she wasn't paying attention, urgently reminded her, “Danger!”

She turned back in confusion, and upon seeing that Aix had relinquished control of the airship, she was shocked. She watched the vessel hurtle straight toward the large mountain by the lake. Fumbling, she slammed the “Stop” button, but the airship’s forward inertia was too great. The emergency brake caused the entire tail section to shoot skyward, sending them through several somersaults.

Ziye couldn't grab a handhold and let out a scream, nearly thrown clear. Someone pulled her back just in time, and she tumbled back down, landing heavily on something soft on the deck. As the airship finally stabilized, Ziye reached out to steady herself, only to grab Aix’s head directly. Aix immediately yelped, “Ah! My hairdo!”

The moment the cry faded, Sbent shrieked from underneath Ziye, “Get off me quickly, my back is about to break!”

Ziye scrambled up and saw Sbent prone on the lowest part of the airship floor, with her sitting squarely on his back—a truly wretched sight. The only fortunate thing was that Little Sprout had instantly deployed a protective shield at the moment of impact, saving the three of them from being ejected.

Finally catching her breath, Chen Yin, on the other end of the comms link, heard the clatter and bang, unsure what had happened. “What on earth is going on over there?” she asked with concern.

Aix smoothed his messy hair, instantly regaining his composure. “Nothing, nothing, just got too excited hearing the Vice-Commander was coming. By the way, you absolutely must keep the Vice-Commander tied up!”

Chen Yin was silent for half a second before whispering, “I can’t. Lord Lan Li is furious.”

Sbent snapped, “No way, you can’t handle something this minor?”

Chen Yin’s eyes reddened with grievance. “It’s not that I can’t. You… you should check ‘In a Minute’ and you’ll see.” With that, she cut the communication.

“‘In a Minute’?” The twins looked at each other blankly.

In a Minute was the galaxy’s fastest current affairs program; whatever news broke on any planet or in any sector, it would report it with incredible speed.

As they spoke, Little Sprout located the latest report from In a Minute and turned the light screen toward them. Ziye leaned in to look. In a Minute was currently broadcasting footage of an unusual mech dance over the Moon Lake of Kira Star. The host narrated with theatrical flair: “A miraculous mech dance has appeared on Kira Star! Both the music production and the water wave coordination are perfectly executed, drawing crowds of over ten thousand people and causing severe traffic congestion. The pilot, a fleeting dance queen, departed immediately… Some suspect this was a meticulously planned performance, but the Kira Star authorities have yet to issue a statement…”

Ziye’s forehead was instantly covered in black lines.

The twins were filled with regret so profound they felt their guts had turned inside out.

Although Ziye’s Peace-class mech was used for the dance, Hurricane 001 had also stood nearby to facilitate the music and water effects, and it had been filmed. More importantly, the unique footwork patterns used by the twins had largely been taught by An Junlie; the Angel Legion members could recognize those steps instantly. No wonder Lan Li was losing his temper.

Aix clutched his head. “We’re finished. What do we do?”

Sbent anxiously tapped the airship's protective shield and pleaded with Ziye, “If anyone from the Legion asks anything later, please, I beg you, don't say a word!”

Ziye nodded. “Okay, I won’t say anything.”

Sbent casually patted her head, exchanged a glance with Aix, and the two instantly made a decision: pilot the airship and flee!

Fearing she might be thrown out again by some accidental movement, Ziye dared not move, sitting still obediently while she watched them push the speed to maximum, rocketing toward the depths of Kira Star.

However, how could a mere airship outrun the small, nimble escort frigates? To capture the two twins who had deserted their post, the Legion immediately deployed three escort frigates to surround and intercept them.

The poor airship flew from the Eastern Hemisphere to the Western Hemisphere, and before it could even turn back, it registered critically low energy levels. Just as the twins were about to switch to their mechs, the frigates completely encircled them.

Such a powerful formation clearly indicated that Lord Lan Li was treating them as criminals!

Sbent’s decision to perform the mech dance had been purely impulsive; he never anticipated such severe repercussions. If he had known it would be broadcast, he would never have danced even if it cost him his life.

Not only would Ziye’s mech be scrutinized later, but if his dance moves were analyzed by anyone with ill intent and found detrimental to the Angel Legion, Lan Li might actually kill them!

The twins wore mournful expressions as they watched the Legion personnel disembark from the frigates and approach them.

What now?

The twins were utterly distressed.

Ziye remained calm; she viewed this entirely as an internal matter for the Legion. As an outsider, she shouldn't be implicated. Unexpectedly, Aix spotted her standing there dazed, and a wicked idea struck him. He suddenly yanked her over, drew a gun, pressed it to her forehead, and shouted, “Don’t force my hand!”

Simultaneously, Sbent turned and bolted.

What? Ziye stared at the brothers, startled and horrified. Their mood shift was too fast; how had she become a hostage? She was completely caught in the crossfire!

A blond middle-aged man in his forties walked ahead. Seeing their posture, he roared, “What kind of behavior is this? Release the young lady immediately!”

Aix shouted back, “If you don’t punish me, I’ll let her go.”

Ziye silently rolled her eyes. This fellow was being overly dramatic, using her as a shield just to avoid punishment. If it were her, she’d probably warrant a heavier sentence.

Knowing Aix had no intention of harming her, she remained still, watching the standoff with a cooperative, poker face. Besides, with Little Sprout in her bag, if it chose to, it could easily unleash a bolt of high-voltage electricity—enough to fell an ox, let alone a person.

The middle-aged man’s face turned green with fury. He drew a pistol and aimed it at Aix’s head. “Release her!”

“No!” The standoff persisted while several others disembarked from the frigates and gave chase after Sbent.

“Aix! Ke! Si!” The middle-aged man advanced to within ten paces of Aix, enunciating each syllable. “If you still want to be my son, release the hostage now!”

Aix’s face instantly turned ashen. He looked at Ziye, then back at the middle-aged man. He hesitated, almost lowering the gun, but then suddenly gripped the handle tighter. “Dad, don’t be like this! Don’t force me!”

The man before them was Ditar, the adoptive father of Aix and Sbent. Ziye stared at Ditar’s livid face, finding an inexplicable touch of humor in the scene, and was just speculating on the next plot development when a low voice suddenly spoke from behind her, “Old Di doesn’t need to be angry. Aix won’t do it.”

Ziye froze instantly on the spot.

That familiar timbre, it sounded as if only yesterday someone had earnestly grasped her hand and said, “You rascal, come with me.” But why did she suspect she was hallucinating?

An Junlie!

An Junlie, is that really you?

Ziye dared not turn around, only hearing him continue, “Aix, you don’t need to act anymore; Lan Li isn’t here.”

Aix and Sbent respected An Junlie the most and feared Lan Li the most. They had always followed An Junlie, but somehow they had offended Lan Li, who had found opportunities to torment them mercilessly. This time, when they caused trouble, they had to stage this desperate act to escape Lan Li’s pursuit.

An Junlie was a remarkably amiable commander; with his intercession, even if Lan Li were present, the consequences wouldn't be this severe. Aix instantly relaxed. He glanced left and right, saw no sign of Lan Li nearby, and became cheerful. He tossed the gun aside and happily rushed toward Ditar. “Dad, you forgive me, I honestly didn’t mean to.”

As he spoke, Sbent was brought back, held by two Legion personnel. Seeing Aix drop the gun, he immediately broke free from his captors and lunged toward Ditar. “Dad, you’re the best.”

Ditar maintained a stern face. “What did I teach you both, hmm?”

Aix and Sbent playfully massaged his shoulders. “Don’t be angry, Dad, don’t be angry, we know we were wrong.”

Their antics nearly made Ditar crack his stern expression, but he intentionally barked, “Aren’t you going to thank the Commander?”

Aix and Sbent swiftly turned, addressing An Junlie with utmost respect. “We are deeply grateful for the Commander’s timely assistance; we offer this deep bow!” They then executed a perfect 90-degree bow.

In truth, they were genuinely grateful. If Lan Li had come in person, they would surely have been forced to run naked around Moon Lake. The Commander was far kinder; he wasn't pursuing accountability at all.

An Junlie chuckled at their antics. “‘In a Minute’ was hacked just now, and all the recorded footage has been lost, so there’s nothing to worry about. The mech dance was well done; let’s make mech dancing the standard for the Legion’s eighteenth birthday ceremony from now on.”

…?! Aix and Sbent let out a huge sigh of relief and bowed again. “Thank you, Commander, second bow!” While the two brothers were elated, they had absolutely no idea the catastrophe they had inadvertently brought upon the underage members of the Legion.

The mech dance became the nightmare for every student assessment in the Angel Legion thereafter!

—Their reckless act became legendary. But that is a story for another time.

Having settled internal affairs, An Junlie finally had the chance to focus his attention on the “kidnapped” individual. He walked up to Ziye and began to apologize, “I’m sorry—” He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly stunned.

He stared, dumbfounded, for three seconds. “You little devil, how did you turn into a girl?”