Ziye calculated the number of robots needing upgrades while frantically working; she hadn't delivered anything in a full month, making Blackbeard likely on his way to Lings.

Ziye worked fast, usually taking four days for one robot upgrade, but with this rush, she managed one every three days, leaving the trial runs to Little Sprout.

So, she toiled over the upgrades in her studio while Little Sprout hurried the robots through the testing room.

To her surprise, Blackbeard didn't show up; instead, Red Hair suddenly appeared!

"You little brat, I'm at the entrance to Docking Bay Two at Lings University Space Station—roll over here right now, and don't stop for breath!"

Ziye froze when she heard Red Hair’s voice!

The person on the Omni-Com video screen didn't look like Red Hair at all!

The face was quite round, with chestnut hair, wearing a captain's hat and a black-and-white style mini-skirt; at first glance, she looked like any typical university student you'd see around Kagali.

"Hey, are you really Red Hair?" Ziye asked, her voice filled with disbelief. "What's my Silver-Com signal, please?"

"I pity you." Red Hair fluently recited Ziye's Silver-Com signal. "If you don't get over here soon, I'll storm your apartment."

Ziye felt both surprised and relieved.

Lately, the Interstellar Federation, along with the major noble families, had been cracking down on pirates, reducing them to vermin scurrying in the streets. She worried constantly about Red Hair’s safety, never knowing where she was or if she was secure.

Sometimes, Ziye truly feared something terrible had happened to her.

Now, seeing that Red Hair didn't appear injured, she finally relaxed!

"I'll be there in five minutes, wait for me!" Ziye said cheerfully. She shut off the Omni-Com, clipped Little Sprout onto her waist, and blasted off in her shuttle toward Lings Station Two.

Upon meeting, Red Hair pressed her proud chest firmly against Ziye. "You little sister, this environment is quite nice. A walk here makes one feel years younger."

Seeing Red Hair looking well, Ziye teased, "Since you look so young anyway, why not enroll and play around?"

Red Hair rolled her eyes. "Do you think I'm still as young as you! Speaking of which, I’ve never been a student in my life—maybe," a lightbulb moment struck her, "I should just blend in and be a teacher!"

Ziye stared helplessly at the sky.

If someone like her became a teacher, was there any hope left for Kagali's future?

Ziye decisively pulled her onto the shuttle, requested station departure clearance, and flew towards deep space.

Space was, unequivocally, the absolute best place to prevent eavesdropping or wiretapping—none better.

In space, as long as there were no bugs on the shuttle, no one else could hear the content of their conversation.

When Red Hair saw Ziye's shuttle, her eyes immediately lit up. "This shuttle is nice. Can I borrow it for a few days?"

Ziye punched her playfully. "You truly never change your stripes."

Red Hair blew her a kiss, and before Ziye could react, she darted onto the pilot's seat, seized control of the shuttle, initiated the self-check, and gestured with her chin towards the co-pilot seat—telling Ziye to sit.

Ziye let out a breath of resignation.

Red Hair took it for a spin, stopping far from the orbital paths and letting it hover automatically. "Great ship. Excellent performance and a powerful system. Where did you get this shuttle? It's so flashy! No pressure wherever I go from now on!"

Ziye gave her a sidelong glance.

"Naughty girl, don't look at me like that!" Red Hair pouted her crimson lips and acted coy. "Just let me use it for two months, just two months!"

This shuttle was a limited-edition product of the Interstellar Federation, restricted to internal use—utterly unobtainable on the open market; secondly, its design was magnificent, lines fluid, embodying low-key luxury with substance; the most crucial aspect was the emblem of the Interstellar Federation Research Institute displayed on it.

That emblem meant two words: Privilege!

Beyond the visible marking, the system itself constantly reinforced this point.

In space, whether it was a mech, a starship, or a shuttle, the identification marking was always more important than the physical body. There were far too many factions in space—the Interstellar Federation, the great noble houses, the various legions—each possessing its own space station.

No matter the faction, applying for entry into a hostile station often led to immediate refusal. It was like when the Interstellar Federation issued the pirate extermination decree recently; many stations simply denied entry to pirate vessels.

With the shuttle bearing the mark of the Interstellar Federation Research Institute, not only was entry into various stations guaranteed, but even gaining access to the Federation’s government stations was effortless.

Ziye squinted at her. "If you use this to do bad things, won't I be ruined?"

If any incident occurred and made the Interstellar News, Tang Wen could figure out it was her just using his toes.

Red Hair glared back but didn't press the issue, changing the subject instead. "Did you get this from Tang Wen?"

Ziye countered, "What else?"

Red Hair leaned back against the seat, reflecting. "Having a mentor like that is quite nice. Hold onto that coattail tight; my future mechs depend on you!"

Ziye instantly felt a sense of foreboding. "You plan to keep being a pirate?"

Red Hair wrapped her arms around Ziye and started squirming affectionately. "You know me too well; give yourself a thumbs up."

Ziye grumbled internally, I didn't want to guess right! Blackbeard had already built up their business; they weren't short on funds now. She wanted to urge Red Hair to retire from piracy, but considering she grew up in a pirate crew, with pirate blood flowing in her veins, the words just wouldn't come out.

Red Hair understood Ziye’s thoughts perfectly well.

The space outside was deep, silent, aesthetically monotonous, yet eternally alluring.

Red Hair gazed out the viewport at the void, silent for a long moment, then whispered, "Do you know? The first captain of our old pirate crew, 'Disciplining the Unruly,' carved a line onto the launch gantry at the exit: 'Everyone seeks their home; ours is in the vast, starry sea.' I saw it every time I left, and I didn't understand what it meant then. Now, I do."

Ziye sighed, handed over the shuttle with surprising generosity, and let her go be responsible for her own fate.

She had no idea where Red Hair had hidden during her injury period, nor did she know Red Hair had slipped away secretly; meanwhile, Lan Li was searching everywhere for her.

Ever since rescuing Red Hair mid-journey, Lan Li had developed a pleasant habit: after finishing his day's work, he would visit Red Hair’s residence to tease her.

Of course, Red Hair had never revealed a single detail about herself, not even her name, which she had made up on the spot: Xiao Hong.

Lan Li knew she was being evasive but didn't care; he was certain he could eventually uncover her truth. Today, after finishing his work, he intentionally bought a bouquet of tulips and drove his grav-car toward the Angel's Club.

Red Hair was staying in a villa behind the club. She ate when hungry and slept when tired, never setting foot inside the main building. Thus, even though Lan Li knew she would eventually leave, he never expected her to vanish without a word!

Before he even reached the club, the attending physician contacted him via Omni-Com: "Vice Captain, Miss Xiao Hong is missing!"

Lan Li raised an eyebrow in surprise, his smile still calm. "Perhaps she was bored and just went for a walk."

The attending physician insisted, "No, sir, I just checked the surveillance."

Lan Li's smile instantly turned cold.

Did she injure someone at the club and leave? Did she steal club data and flee? Or... Lan Li hadn't imprisoned her or restricted her freedom, but every movement she made within the club was under the surveillance of the intelligence department.

Yet, he felt an inexplicable sense of worry...

Lan Li drove while using his private link to contact the intelligence department.

The agent responsible for the club and Red Hair sounded distraught: "That woman is slipperier than a loach; we lost her trail!"

Lan Li’s smile faltered slightly.

Returning to the club, the attending physician was waiting, along with the retrieved surveillance footage.

In the footage, Red Hair was strolling in the villa as usual. After a while, she seemed to recall something, quickly returned to her room, and changed her clothes. All her attire had been sourced by Lan Li; she had a wide variety.

She selected the most daring outfit she owned: a gold, sheer-mesh number. The moment she put it on, her entire demeanor shifted. This type of revealing sheer-wear typically walked the razor's edge between beautiful confidence and flagrant transgression.

But her skin, smooth as silk, and her voluptuous figure perfectly filled out the sheer fabric. After dressing, she applied makeup, dyed her hair, and put on sunglasses—her disguise complete. She smiled faintly at the surveillance lens, mouthed a word, and pushed the door open.

The surveillance feed cut off there.

She had expertly evaded all monitoring systems; the intelligence agent reported he could barely track her to the club entrance before losing her entirely.

Lan Li listened, feeling a distinct irritation.

Ever since he rescued her, he knew he hadn't saved a mere kitten; perhaps he had been fooled by her compliance over this period into treating her like a pet.

This woman not only knew where the monitors were located but was also a master of disguise. To dare conduct such meticulous preparations right under surveillance—what kind of psychological fortitude did she possess!

Lan Li walked into her bedroom, placed the tulips into a vase, his movements gentle and delicate, as if arranging a fine work of art.

The attending physician watched his demeanor, thinking he was heartbroken, and felt a touch of anxiety. "Vice Captain, the reason I came today is that I found something about her..."

Lan Li slowly turned around, his smile unchanged. "What is it? Show me."

The attending physician opened his personal data-pad interface and sent two files to Lan Li, explaining simultaneously, "When Miss Xiao Hong was injured, you asked me to check her identity, right? I searched for a month and couldn't find her DNA; the clone she used in K'Lai was also under a fake name. Yesterday, someone in intelligence accessed the Interstellar Federation’s prisoner database and managed to pull some materials out. I finally found it!"

Lan Li opened the data, and the corner of his mouth rose uncontrollably, rising higher and higher until it erupted into booming laughter, leaving the attending physician utterly bewildered—had the Vice Captain been shocked speechless by her file?

The person was Xue Ji, the former commander of the pirate fleet "Disciplining the Unruly," which once dominated the stars!

Especially since rumors suggested this major figure had already been executed five years ago!

The attending physician grimly realized he understood Lan Li less and less.

Lan Li laughed, his demeanor like a gentle spring breeze, and his words dripped with tenderness, yet his threat level remained undiminished: "Only the two of us know about this, understood?"