The two of them exited the hotel room and took the elevator to the landing platform atop the building, where a battleship was moored, its hatch open, two figures standing guard by the entrance, one on either side.

Tang Wen stopped two meters from the hatch, and Bran emerged from within to greet him, stepping aside. Tang Wen gestured for Zi Ye to board first, then he entered, followed closely by Bran. The two guards stepped inside, sealing the hatch behind them, and the battleship powered up; the entire process took less than a minute.

Zi Ye, unwilling to appear overly familiar in front of Tang Wen, had initially intended to let him board first, but worried about being observed by those behind them, she dared not say much, stepping briskly into the ship.

The interior was extravagantly appointed, as if a luxurious home had been transplanted within. Even the standard fixed seating had been outfitted with plush cushions, offering remarkable comfort.

Once seated, Tang Wen stated, "Both stealth mechs are secured in the hangar bays, ready for immediate deployment."

Zi Ye nodded, letting out a soft breath. She turned to Tang Wen and said, "I'm exhausted. Wake me when we reach the Oguang Galaxy, alright?"

Tang Wen offered a slight smile. "Certainly."

Zi Ye leaned back against the seat, allowing her body to completely relax, and closed her eyes.

From the incident at Mengya Group until now, she hadn't slept properly for a single day, even in the presidential suite. She had been running on pure adrenaline, though she knew she had pushed herself to the absolute limit.

The good news from Ba Yi Ba today had finally caused her reserves to bottom out.

She knew the ordeal wasn't over, yet she had kept pressing on. Now that she was aboard the battleship, temporarily removed from the immediate turmoil, her emotional tension finally began to ease.

In less than two seconds, she was asleep.

Tang Wen signaled Bran to fetch a blanket to cover her, while he rested his chin in his hand, watching Zi Ye. She was truly spent; even with makeup on, up close, the faint, dark shadows beneath her eyes were visible.

Choosing this path meant accepting all of this.

However…

Tang Wen fell silent.

He had once walked a tightrope himself, gaining a profound understanding of such a state.

But in the end, all matters would resolve themselves.

He believed that deeply.

Coray was not far from Oguang; two warp jumps brought them close.

Watching her peaceful slumber, Tang Wen couldn't bring himself to wake her, despite the gnawing urgency in his heart—a desperate longing to sprout wings and immediately see the place where his grandfather once lived, to understand the life his grandfather had led.

Yet, he restrained himself.

She was tired; let her rest a little longer.

Thinking this, Tang Wen sat quietly beside her.

The battleship's captain, having only been instructed to head for the Oguang Galaxy without specifying a location, was at a loss. He paused the vessel in space and made pleading gestures toward Bran, signaling him to ask Tang Wen.

Bran took one look at Tang Wen’s demeanor and understood he would not easily rouse Zi Ye. He shook his head at the captain and whispered, "It’s fine to leave a little later."

Zi Ye’s sleep was not entirely peaceful.

All sorts of figures drifted through her dreams, making her head throb.

After an indeterminate amount of time, she abruptly heard Little Sprout shouting in her consciousness: "Little Fool, I found out who was behind the Ba Yi Ba story!"

Zi Ye's awareness slowly returned, and she mumbled mentally, "Who is it?"

Little Sprout whispered right by her ear, "It was aliens."

Zi Ye's brain was still sluggish from sleep, and it took her a moment to process the information. She shook her head, dispelling the remnants of her dream, and finally grasped what Little Sprout had relayed. "Wasn't it Tang Wen?"

Little Sprout sounded confused. "I don't know. I traced it back from Ba Yi Ba."

The one person and the one sprout communicated silently, leaving no observable trace on the surface.

Tang Wen noticed Little Sprout vigorously burrowing toward Zi Ye's neck, causing her to toss and turn restlessly. He pinched Little Sprout’s face and held it fast.

Little Sprout flapped its wings frantically. "Hurt! Hurt! Hurt…"

Tang Wen chuckled. "You feel pain?"

Little Sprout saw signs of Zi Ye opening her eyes and instantly tucked its wings away. "Mama Zi Ye, Big Scoundrel Tang is bullying me!"

Everyone on the ship couldn't help but laugh.

To dare call Tang Wen the 'Big Scoundrel'—truly fearless ignorance!

Zi Ye stirred, hearing the commotion, and mumbled, "What's wrong with Big Scoundrel Tang?"

Tang Wen twitched the corner of his eye, pretending he hadn't heard a thing.

The captain, having sat listlessly for two hours, finally saw Zi Ye awaken and urgently asked, "Which location in the Oguang Galaxy?"

Zi Ye scratched her head, finally realizing where she was. "We haven't arrived yet?"

The captain nearly lost control. If she hadn't been vague about the coordinates initially, he would have been there already!

Bran placatingly patted the captain's shoulder and said with a gentle smile, "Yes, because you didn't specify which asteroid belt we were heading for."

Zi Ye wiped a bead of cold sweat from her brow and pointed sheepishly at Little Sprout. "You could ask it too; it knows."

Little Sprout zipped with a whoosh and dove into Zi Ye's embrace, proclaiming loudly, "Asteroid Belt No. 4 in the Obei Constellation, Oguang Galaxy. The coordinates are…"

The captain turned away, tears practically streaming down his face, nearly slamming his head into the control panel.

So heartbreaking—he had waited for two whole hours in vain!

Zi Ye ignored the captain, stroked Little Sprout’s downy fur, and asked Tang Wen, "Was it you who engineered the Ba Yi Ba affair?"

Tang Wen paused for a long moment, then shook his head. "I cooperated with the Angelic Domain; we both gained what we needed."

Zi Ye jumped up in surprise, accidentally bumping into the fixed coffee table hard enough that tears welled up. She stepped back to regain her seat but misjudged her balance and landed squarely on the floor.

She scrambled up from the ground miserably, reseated herself properly, and demanded, "You actually partnered with the Angelic Domain?"

Tang Wen hadn't expected such a strong reaction to the mention of the Angelic Domain. His smile faded, and he grew serious. "In this world, there are no absolute enemies, nor are there absolute friends. Whether it's the Angelic Domain or the Star Federation, cooperation is possible when necessary. Many goals are difficult to achieve single-handedly; if you can get others to accomplish something for you without having to show your own hand, that is the best outcome."

Zi Ye fell silent.

"Bai Lanxue operates the same way. Everything she does in public is positive; the negative matters are delegated to others. So, even when things go wrong and others suffer the consequences, she remains secure and untroubled. This world has no inherent good people or bad people—only successful people and failures…"

It was the first time Zi Ye had heard him speak with such gravity and seriousness.

Lately, she found that the boundaries of right and wrong she had long upheld were growing increasingly blurred. She was learning to make decisions from the perspective of her own interests, Mengya Group, and the Wolf's Den, rather than focusing strictly on moral correctness or falsehood.

Perhaps this was how people matured.

She understood the logic.

To survive among the stars, one had to be like this.

Yet, only now did she realize that in the places she hadn't seen, An Junlie had been supporting her all along.

Just then, Bran suddenly turned around and enlarged the projection on the screen. "Mr. Tang, there’s news."

Zi Ye leaned closer. It was an official broadcast from the Star Federation.

Secretary-General Bai Lanxue was delivering a formal statement: "There were rumors that former Chief Designer of the Star Federation, Tang Wen, leaked data to Mengya Group after his resignation. I formally state here today that this was a misunderstanding. This matter, from start to finish, was the sole action of Star Federation designer Reinar."

Zi Ye's eyes snapped wide open!

She actually dared to say that!!

Bai Lanxue continued, "Tang Wen and Reinar had a conflict during Tang Wen's tenure. After Tang Wen resigned, Reinar, intending revenge, overstepped his authority and sold the Queen-class mech schematics to Mengya Group, even reselling the mechs used for testing. The Star Federation reacted promptly to this situation, which unfortunately allowed events to spiral beyond control; this is the responsibility of the Star Federation. In fact, the Star Federation will swiftly investigate the pilot responsible for hijacking the Fia transport ship using the Queen test model and ensure justice for Fia…"

"On behalf of the Star Federation, I apologize to the Fia government, to the Mengya Group which suffered greatly, to former designer Tang Wen, and I offer amends to the general public. I trust that the eyes of the masses are discerning…"

"I hope the Mengya Group can quickly come forward to negotiate compensation. Whatever the amount, the Star Federation will pay every last credit…"

Hearing Bai Lanxue’s apology and explanation, Zi Ye’s mouth curled into a cold sneer.

Pushing all the blame onto Reinar and expecting it to just disappear?

She spoke more sweetly than if she were singing!

Tang Wen had been right after all—Bai Lanxue did only positive things in public, delegating the negative actions to others, ensuring that even when disaster struck, she remained safe and sound. Utterly despicable!!

Veins throbbed visibly on Zi Ye’s forehead.

But then she considered it again: this was actually a good thing.

The Star Federation apologizing was equivalent to taking a step back toward reconciliation. At least, in the short term and openly, the Star Federation would cease troubling Mengya Group.

Mengya Group had been nearly paralyzed lately. If they had fought the Star Federation to the bitter end, it would have been mutually assured destruction, making recovery far more difficult than it would be now.

It was better to take this off-ramp, focus on economic recovery, and once the time was right, unfurl the Wolf's Den banner—their position would be much stronger then.

As she was thinking, Blackbeard’s silver-comm buzzed through: "The Star Federation is sending people to negotiate compensation with me. What do you think?"

Zi Ye sneered, "Compensation? It's more like setting a trap for us! Any talk of compensation is false. Our Wolf's Den will be formally established in a few days; we’ll just send a few flower baskets as a token."

Blackbeard chuckled. "That suits me perfectly. By the way, I didn't see you in your room just now. Where did you go?"

Zi Ye glanced at Tang Wen. "On the way to Rose Garden."

Blackbeard nodded. "Alright, take care. I'll check out tomorrow and return to Group Headquarters."

Zi Ye disconnected the call and let out a quiet sigh.

She had her own share of burdens, but those would have to wait until she returned from Silver Rune.

Only ten days remained before school started, and the materials needed for the competition hadn't even been purchased. After school began, she would have to start building mechs…

Zi Ye rubbed her temples, pushing those worries aside, and watched as the battleship entered the asteroid belt.

The captain locked onto the asteroid ahead. "Is this the location?"

Zi Ye leaned in. "Enlarge it."

The captain magnified the target image and was immediately stunned. "Why do these roses look scarier than a tumor?"

-RS