The surprise Zi Ye delivered regarding the mecha was matched only by the shock the redhead delivered in combat to the twins!
Facing a formidable opponent, they were eager to engage, but out of respect for Zi Ye’s sister, they dared not attack rashly like the other boys, voicing in unison, “Incredible! We seek your guidance, ma’am.”
The redhead, considering Zi Ye’s presence, offered a sliver of civility, dispensing with provocation and instead flashing a seductive wink: “Come on, handsome.”
The twins were nearly blinded by the sight, abandoning all arrogance. They executed a proper martial arts bow, split to opposite sides, and launched a simultaneous assault.
Once again, they showcased the twins’ flawless synergy.
In a one-on-one match, neither would rank in the top ten of their class, but working together, they were stronger than any two others combined.
The redhead showed mild interest in their coordination, holding back slightly as they exchanged about thirty strikes and parries. She casually asked, “Are you students of An Jun Lie?” The twins exchanged a look of surprise: “You know our— ” Before the last word could escape, the redhead seized upon the slight dip in their movements caused by speaking, driving a fist into Aikes’s cheek. When Splint moved to intercept, she tripped him with a backward kick, leaned over him, offered a slight smile, and whispered a single sentence.
The twins were instantly defeated, filled with shame, particularly because of her remark, which made them feel they had disgraced the Angel Domain so profoundly they wished the floor would swallow them whole.
The redhead had spoken very softly, and no audio came through the live broadcast. An Jun Lie narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the redhead, facing a group of boys now prone on the ground, extend a thumb, then abruptly turn it downward.
The redhead’s blows were carefully regulated; they landed mostly on the cheekbones, painful enough to hurt, but never fatal. At this moment, a significant number of boys, Aikes included, nursed swollen faces.
His disciples were beaten, and An Jun Lie felt a pang of disappointment. Then he reasoned that losing to the redhead was inevitable. Perhaps this deflation of the twins’ recent overconfidence would do them good.
However, he was bothered by the final sentence she had spoken to them. He turned to Zi Ye and asked, “What did she say?” that could make the twins look utterly crestfallen.
Zi Ye, intimately familiar with the redhead’s mannerisms, followed the mouth movements and immediately translated: “That’s what your leader owes me! Hahaha, alien, she still holds a grudge against you.”
An Jun Lie was instantly transported back to his first meeting with Yin Fu, that battle they fought on the snowy mountain. He had defeated her then. Was she seeking revenge on his students now?
He recalled some old adage about difficult individuals: ‘Small people and women are hard to raise.’
“Fine, consider it a debt I owe her.” An Jun Lie didn’t dwell on the matter, instead showing deep respect for the redhead. “The redhead is one of the strongest female opponents I have ever faced.”
Zi Ye’s eyes widened. “One of? Who else?” Could it be her? Zi Ye stealthily glanced up at him. If it were her, well, she felt almost overwhelmed by the compliment.
Just as she was eagerly hoping An Jun Lie would name her, his expression turned serious, and his voice sharpened slightly, “Bai Lan Xue, Secretary-General of the Interstellar Federation.”
Huh?
It wasn’t her.
It was a woman whose name she had never even heard.
Zi Ye pouted in disappointment. An Jun Lie pinched her cheek gently and added, “If you ever see her, stay far away from her.”
Zi Ye asked, surprised, “Why?”
An Jun Lie instinctively touched the scar on his back. Ten years had passed, and it remained. He could have used cellular repair technology to erase the mark entirely, but he hadn’t.
He kept it to remember the pain of the past.
His teacher had died at Bai Lan Xue’s hands.
And he himself had nearly failed to survive that encounter.
Zi Ye watched in astonishment as An Jun Lie’s eye color deepened, becoming as profound and vast as the night sea.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
An Jun Lie pulled himself out of his reverie, offering a slight smile. “That woman is insane.”
The redhead’s first combat lesson ended prematurely when all the students were routed in the first half of the session, leaving the rest of the time free. She waved them off toward the campus infirmaries and immediately contacted Zi Ye via secure line: “Girl, come out for a meal.”
Zi Ye chirped with delight, “Deal! The alien is here too. Should I invite him?”
The redhead paused thoughtfully, “That works too. Take your shuttle out to Hangar Bay ① at Kaga. I’ll message you when you arrive.”
Zi Ye instantly understood her intention. An Jun Lie’s presence on Kaga needed to be discreet, and since the redhead was laying low, any discovery could stir up trouble, so she agreed readily.
Before leaving, An Jun Lie carefully helped her put on her cap, wrap her scarf, and pull on her boots. He donned his own hat and mask and took the elevator directly to the landing platform to enter the shuttle.
The students were in class, so the route was clear. An Jun Lie ensured he remained out of surveillance range as much as possible.
Upon reaching the docking bay at Space Station ①, the two waited inside. Soon, the redhead boarded the shuttle without a sound. Zi Ye activated the controls, and they departed the station.
Once in the void of space, she chose a remote vector for the warp jump, simultaneously running security diagnostics to confirm the shuttle was secure and free of any unauthorized hardware. She then announced, “We are 0.8 AU from the station, no active orbits nearby. You can relax now.” Space was always the best venue for a private conversation.
As long as the vessel had no listening devices installed, no one could intercept their discussion. In fact, even if an invisible stealth cruiser were lurking just next door, they wouldn't hear a thing, given their separation distance was at least 5,000 meters!
The redhead leaned back in her seat, stretching her long legs across the armrest of the adjacent seat, and eyed An Jun Lie lazily. “Did you travel a thousand miles to Kaga just to get rich?”
Zi Ye glanced at the redhead’s expression, her heart skipping a beat. Why did the redhead sound almost accusatory? Did she disapprove of Zi Ye being with An Jun Lie?
Before Zi Ye could speak, the redhead commanded, “Get out of the way.”
Zi Ye felt intensely wronged but offered no argument, obediently returning to the pilot’s seat and guiding the shuttle aimlessly through space. From the cockpit, the nebula ahead seemed to rush toward her.
No matter how many times she witnessed it, the scenery of space never bored her. Instead, she always found a strange solace in the monotonous, vast panorama.
Little Sprout, relieved that An Jun Lie wasn't nearby, nestled happily in her arms. “Dou Zai is scheduled to emerge from his cocoon in five days. Should we get him a gift?”
Zi Ye absently stroked its downy fur. “How about a cubic meter of three-titanium alloy?” Little Sprout scorned, “Dou Zai doesn’t eat three-titanium alloy!”
Zi Ye sighed. “Then a cubic meter of quasi-silver supermetal?”
Little Sprout’s mood instantly improved. “He likes that.”
However, that material was only available on Yin Fu Star.
Zi Ye wasn't sure when the next opportunity to return and retrieve anyone would be, so she said, “We’ll owe that for now.” Just as she finished, An Jun Lie’s voice came through: “I came here to seek her consent regarding the development of Yin Fu Star.” He paused. “Now, I need to seek yours.”
The redhead remained silent, only uttering a dry, “Heh heh.” Zi Ye immediately knew trouble was brewing and spun around, speaking loudly, “Redhead, don’t rush. This matter could actually be a win-win situation.”
The redhead rolled her eyes at Zi Ye, opened her cigarette case, and offered one toward An Jun Lie. “Have one?”
An Jun Lie waved his hand. “I don’t smoke.”
The redhead lit one for herself, then asked him, “Don’t mind if I smoke, do you?”
The question sounded utterly insincere. Who lights a cigarette before asking that? Zi Ye fought the urge to retort. To develop Yin Fu, they absolutely needed the redhead’s approval, and Zi Ye had promised An Jun Lie she would convince her.
The redhead turned toward Zi Ye, speaking slowly. “Little Brat, tell me, how is this a win-win?” Zi Ye scratched her head. “The alien wants to develop Yin Fu Star for the Angel Legion, and our Wolf’s Den is also a legion. Why can’t we share? Most of our people are on Yin Fu Star, lacking funds and equipment; meanwhile, his people can’t adapt to Yin Fu’s light and climate. Wouldn't cooperation serve both parties?” She didn't dare mention that she actually had no idea what project An Jun Lie planned to develop.
The redhead heard this and nodded in agreement. She turned back to An Jun Lie and held out her hand: “Hand it over.”
An Jun Lie looked bewildered. “What do you want?”
The redhead lifted her chin slightly. “Your development proposal. And the profit share.” An Jun Lie immediately relaxed. Zi Ye was right; collaborating with the Yin Fu Star people—the Wolf’s Den Legion—was mutually beneficial. Otherwise, no matter how formidable his people were, they would struggle to adapt to Yin Fu’s Gamma Baseline initially.
The redhead was not Zi Ye.
The pirate’s usual method was to secure benefits through the simplest, most forceful means.
He ought to be grateful to Zi Ye; without her, the redhead would likely have thrown him out entirely.
An Jun Lie shot Zi Ye a look of gratitude, activated his optical computer, and located the proposal in the Yin Fu Development Project files. There were two versions, one internal and one external. An Jun Lie sent the external version to her.
She opened it and raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Building a pilot training base?”
The primary goal was to utilize Yin Fu’s central force field to train pilots in field adaptation, while using the natural environment for survival training. Of course, the fundamental reasons for choosing Yin Fu were the central force field and the Gamma Baseline. Anyone who could withstand Yin Fu Star’s Gamma Baseline would possess a psychic capability thirty percent higher than average when venturing into space, ensuring no accidents due to insufficient mental conditioning, regardless of the vessel or mecha piloted. This fact had already been certified by Lan Li.
The redhead scanned the proposal and felt a little gloomy. This meant the profit sharing was off the table.
He wasn't doing this for money at all.
Naturally, on Yin Fu, besides a few rare metals, everything else was largely a burden, not worth developing. Yin Fu’s most unparalleled asset was its naturally vast force field, perfect for gradual conditioning. When she first arrived on Yin Fu, she ran in the field daily just to boost her own force field adaptation strength. That was why she handled various mechas so expertly once she ventured out!
-RS