An Junlie stopped while he was ahead, a smile playing on his lips as he asked, "Are you free tonight? It feels like ages since I last saw you…" Ziye retorted with feigned aloofness, "Cook for me?" The words were barely out before she suspected he might actually agree, so she quickly amended, "Even if you cook for me, I won't have time." An Junlie couldn't help but chuckle, "No matter.

I'll cook it and leave it. We'll see if you eat it." He really would agree!

Ziye stuck out her tongue; she wouldn't pass up a free meal. Beaming, she sent him the coordinates of the Kelaidou Miao Villa and laughed, "Commander, I need you.

Come on over!" An Junlie glanced at the coordinates and noted they weren't for the Interstellar Federation Research Institute, making him think Aixbent was overreacting slightly. Nevertheless, he understood their intentions and said nothing.

Since he was nearly at Kaga anyway, he decided to meet them first. Aixbent was overjoyed to see An Junlie.

It could be said that in their hearts, aside from their own Ditar father who raised them, the Commander was the most dear. To welcome their beloved Commander, they waited ten minutes early by the dock exit.

The moment he appeared, they rushed forward. The twins were masters at putting on a face for people they disliked and being incredibly clingy with those they adored.

With An Junlie, they pushed their clinging tactics to the extreme, competing on mecha piloting, shooting contests, and even drinking bouts. An Junlie, wanting to witness their growth, indulged them in a round of competitions, leaving both of them utterly defeated.

When it came to the drinking challenge, he flatly refused, "I have to pilot a ship later; I can't drink." Aixbent was displeased, "Excuses! Isn't there a dedicated captain coming?" An Junlie held up his index finger to his lips and softly whispered, "I'm piloting myself later, going to Kelaidai to see Ziye." Aixbent’s eyes widened instantly.

They had wondered why Ziye had set a time with An Junlie only for her not to show up in the end. So, the Commander himself was coming over?

Was this a move to steal someone from Tang Wen? The Commander was truly admirable!

Adhering to the principle of supporting their Commander, the twins stood abruptly and saluted, "Strongly request to observe!" An Junlie put on a stern face, "Denied!" Seeing that civility wasn't working, Aixbent immediately pounced, grabbing An Junlie’s arms one on each side, shaking and wobbling him, "Commander..." Unable to bear their entanglement, An Junlie snapped, "I'm not going to fight. I'm going to see Ziye.

Haven't you seen her every day recently? What's so interesting about that?" The twins reluctantly let go of his arms and fell silent, looking wronged.

When they smiled, they could shine brilliantly; when they wanted to cry, they could burst into tears instantly, but their true specialty was staring at him with wide, watery eyes, on the verge of tears—like abandoned young beasts. This was the ultimate move they had honed to elicit sympathy from Ditar Mama.

No matter how angry Ditar Papa was, as long as Ditar Mama softened, Papa never stood a chance. And now, that very tactic was being used on him.

A grown man, how could he resort to such a method to gain sympathy? He genuinely wanted to hang them up and give their backsides a good whipping!

However, An Junlie, known throughout the Angelic Domain as the "pure and honest" Commander, would naturally never do such a thing. He felt a little disappointed that Lanli hadn't come; otherwise, they could have witnessed a good session of "bamboo slat stir-fried with sliced meat." After a moment's thought, he picked up his communicator and messaged Ade, "Aixbent needs psychological counseling recently." Upon receiving the message, Ade immediately grasped the gravity of the situation.

The last time, Ditar Mama had said the same thing, and the twins had even skipped their counseling sessions. Thus, she didn't wait for them to come to her; instead, she went to fetch them!

An Junlie stood there, watching the twins sulkily being led away by Ade, and couldn't help but smile slightly before setting off for Ziye's villa in Kelaidai. He arrived precisely at six in the evening, dinner time.

Black Beard was busy inventorying Ziye’s upgraded robots, preparing to ship them to the manufacturer, when he suddenly saw An Junlie standing at the door; his jaw nearly dropped. "Jelly Brothers, long time no see!" Black Beard intended to give An Junlie a manly hug, but his short arms and legs made it quite a struggle just to reach An Junlie's shoulder.

An Junlie hadn't heard the nickname "Jelly" in a long time and felt a rush of affection. He shook Black Beard's hand and chuckled, "Old Black, getting rich lately?" Black Beard grinned sheepishly, "Isn't it thanks to the little stinker?

She builds the robots; I'm just responsible for selling them." An Junlie glanced thoughtfully, walked behind one of the robots, and pulled down its outer casing slightly. Sure enough, the Mengya Group logo was stamped on the robot's rear shoulder, followed by five characters: Designer: Ziye.

An Junlie was well aware of Ziye's capabilities in robot construction. He recalled Ziye saying her name was "Mengya Ya" on Qilaxing and understood immediately.

Mengya Group was a robot conglomerate that had risen only in the last few months, famous for its unique style and ultra-high intelligence. Many people didn't know the background force behind it.

Now, he finally knew: it was Silver Rune Star, filled with people he knew. Seeing his subtle expression, Black Beard slapped him playfully and asked with a laugh, "Are you placing an order?

Come, come, brother will give you the most favorable price." An Junlie's smile vanished, his expression turning somewhat serious, "How much investment is needed?" Black Beard raised an eyebrow in surprise. Oh hehe, a big fat whale?

In truth, if it weren't for Red Hair, his funds would have been quite tight. Although he was currently flush, who wouldn't want more money?

Development had been steady recently, but to break into the ranks of a top-tier robot group in the short term would certainly require vast amounts of capital. He had been pondering ways to attract venture capital these past few days, never expecting an investor to walk right in.

Black Beard chuckled, "How much can you offer?" An Junlie held up one finger: "This much." Black Beard guessed, "One billion?" An Junlie shook his head, "No, ten billion." Black Beard was nearly stunned senseless by the colossal sum. After a moment to recover, he gripped the crucial point, "Is this personal funding, or from the Angelic Domain?" If it came from the Angelic Domain, such a massive injection of capital would instantly make them the group's largest shareholder.

The money would be there, but it would lead to serious complications—not only would he be working for nothing, but they might eventually be absorbed by Angelic. An Junlie knew his worries well enough and stated clearly, "I am investing under my personal guarantee." Black Beard could hardly believe his ears.

The two sat down on the sofa to discuss the details. An Junlie automatically started boiling water for rose tea, while Black Beard deliberated internally, remaining silent to see what An Junlie would say next.

Once the tea was brewed, An Junlie delicately picked up a cup with small tweezers and placed it before Black Beard, his expression serious and earnest: "Old Black, I am also a member of Silver Rune Star. If you're worried about future entanglements, you can treat this as a loan.

So many people on Silver Rune need to eat, need to establish legions, need to buy territory and seize territory—big things can't be done without money." His reasoning was sound and plausible. However, Black Beard was a shrewd operator.

Having served as the president of the Asteroid Commercial Association, he had seen every trick in the book. Words that sounded so logical and well-reasoned usually spelled out a trap in his eyes.

He believed An Junlie would help them, but he absolutely did not believe An Junlie would invest ten billion to help them! He leaned back on the sofa and cut to the chase, "What do you require in return?" An Junlie laughed heartily, "It's never tiring talking to smart people.

In the future, the Angelic Domain gets the priority right to purchase any mecha you produce. The best ones you select should be exclusively supplied to us, how about that?" Black Beard stared directly at An Junlie, who returned the gaze with equal intensity.

This arrangement was a win-win. Angelica's priority choice of mecha wouldn't actually cause a loss to Mengya Group, as they would still make money, while the Angelic Domain would exclusively secure the most desired products...

Black Beard was ecstatic. He downed the rose tea An Junlie had brewed in one go, smacked his lips, and said, "Brother, I have only one request." An Junlie stood up straight, "Tell me." Black Beard looked at him with pleading eyes, "Could you make us two more jars of rose jam?

I really miss that taste." An Junlie was momentarily stunned, then burst into loud laughter, "Fine. Go pick out some good roses." As for picking roses, Black Beard had experience.

In fact, everyone from Silver Rune Star, after stepping into space, knew how to select roses. When a space-grown rose was compared and tested against one grown by a pervert, its quality, high or low, became instantly apparent.

Black Beard readily agreed. An Junlie stood up, "Little Stinker—no, where is Ziye?

Has she eaten?" Black Beard shook his head, "Not yet. The robots are making things now.

F499 will take you." An Junlie followed 499 to the kitchen. Naturally, a kitchen robot was preparing the food.

He glanced at it; the program contained hundreds of recipes, each prepared with exquisite detail, but compared to his own cooking, it was far inferior. An Junlie immediately shelved the idea of seeing Ziye right away.

He took off his outer coat, put on an apron, and rolled up his sleeves to cook personally. He had promised to deliver the meal prepared right to her, and he intended to keep his word!

He efficiently prepared five dishes and one soup, then untied the apron, walking toward the workshop while dialing her comm. The workshop was newly built, equipped with brand-new, cutting-edge technology—Ziye had poured a hundred million credits into it.

"Little Sister," An Junlie said, skipping the insulting prefix as he walked past two rows of workbenches, "Dinner time!" Ziye was in the process of disassembling the Monarch-type internal components. Seeing his incoming call, she freed one finger to tap the connection, not lifting her head as she joked, "Made it?

Bring it over here." An Junlie smiled, "Look up." Ziye raised her head, and there he was at the far end of the workbench, tall and imposing. His back was to the light, making the lines of his physique appear especially distinct and flowing.

The only regret was that she couldn't see his expression at that moment. Conversely, every flicker of her stunned silence was captured by An Junlie.

He walked toward her step by step, his voice so gentle it seemed capable of yielding water, "The food is ready. Go eat."