Not hearing Lan Li's response for a moment, Hong Fa secretly scorned him—what a weakling with no combat ability! She hadn't even gotten serious yet, and he had already thrown in the towel.

Finding it slightly uninteresting, Hong Fa turned around, only to see Lan Li staring blankly, lost in thought. She casually threw him a flirtatious wink.

Just then, Lan Li suddenly lifted his head, rushed over, and gave Hong Fa a huge, highly excited hug: "You are incredibly talented!"

Hong Fa froze. What in the world was this situation?

Had Lan Li been possessed by something?

The hand holding the gun remained stiff; before she could process the shock, Lan Li let go and walked toward the rows of refrigerated cabinets.

The sheer scale of the refrigeration units was immense; they lined both walls completely.

Hong Fa noticed that Lan Li showed no lingering intimacy from the hug, nor did he offer any explanation. It seemed unintentional. Although she had been inexplicably touched, she wasn't petty. Seeing that he was now focused on the task, she decided not to press the issue, instead watching his movements thoughtfully.

Was there a secret hidden within the cold storage?

She turned her head to look at the cabinets, wondering if someone could truly be hidden among them.

Hong Fa gripped her gun slightly tighter, approached the cabinets, and moved forward slowly.

Only once Hong Fa shifted her focus away from him did Lan Li secretly smile.

That's right, he had done it on purpose!

Of course, to prevent Hong Fa from exploding into a rage, he had to use such a roundabout method.

Lan Li chuckled inwardly as he opened a refrigerator door and began feeling around inside. Casually, he tapped the interior wall of the unit—the tap sounded oddly hollow.

The freezing effect was also abysmal. Lan Li reached out to touch it; no wonder nothing was stored inside—it was a broken unit.

He looked up toward Hong Fa, thinking how much he would laugh if she knew he was just nervously fumbling around in a derelict cabinet because he felt guilty.

Lan Li shook his head. How had he stooped so low as to care so much about a woman's opinion? At that moment, Hong Fa pulled her hand out of another refrigerator cabinet, her fingers crimson with cold. A thought struck her, and she pressed hard against the inner wall of the unit.

The inner wall slid silently to both sides, revealing a hidden door behind it.

Lan Li’s expression sharpened. Hong Fa noticed the change and walked over too.

They exchanged a look of grave understanding. Hong Fa immediately tucked the standard bullet gun back onto her thigh, drew the laser gun from her hip holster, placed it in Lan Li's hand, motioned for him to step aside, and gently felt the hidden door.

The door wasn't excessively concealed,

and the lock wasn't particularly difficult, just tedious.

Fortunately, picking locks was one of the mandatory skills for pirates; she was proficient in the art. After a moment of careful probing, she finally found the knack and managed to open it.

Inside the door was a curved staircase leading steadily downward.

Hong Fa glanced at Lan Li, preparing to take the lead.

Lan Li, however, moved faster, entering first. He mouthed a shape toward her, signaling her to follow behind.

Hong Fa despised men who made decisions for others like this the most.

As if a man needed to protect a woman for him to truly be considered a man!

Indeed, Lan Li possessed too many traits she disliked. But with the immediate future uncertain, she knew this was not the ideal time to draw weapons on him, so she said nothing, drawing her other spare gun and lightly trailing behind him.

In most space station constructions, the sub-levels housed the waste disposal centers, where all refuse was channeled downward to be sorted and broken down by machinery. The resulting byproducts were then consolidated for other uses.

Therefore, unless something major was happening, no one voluntarily went into the basement.

As the two stepped into the sub-level, they were immediately hit by an indescribable odor.

It wasn't the usual stench, but a sharp, nose-stinging combination of desiccated waste and chemical decomposition agents.

Hong Fa had endured worse environments. She frowned briefly but quickly relaxed her features. Lan Li, however, hailing from wealth and status, had never encountered such a smell; his stomach churned violently, and he nearly vomited.

He covered his mouth, instinctively glancing back at Hong Fa. Noticing her completely unperturbed expression, he flushed slightly, awkwardly dropped his hand, and continued forward.

Descending to Sub-Level One, the area ahead was clearly the waste processing center.

And the other side…

In a location like this, Hong Fa's mind was significantly sharper than Lan Li's. She turned back and headed toward the direction where the smell was noticeably cleaner.

Passing through a narrow corridor, she arrived before a room. She reached out and touched the door—good, it felt smooth and clean.

She knocked; the door was thick, and the material felt unusual, producing no sound upon impact.

This lock, however, was beyond her ability to open.

She hesitated for a moment, activated her SilverCom, and dialed Ziye's number.

The problem with this door wasn't the lock, but the material itself—a non-biological composite. In the Wolf's Den, who could be more expert than Ziye regarding such things?

However, calling Ziye on the SilverCom meant a very real possibility of interrupting an intimate moment for An Junlie.

She could only hope internally that An Junlie was not present this time.

If he were, she would have broken her promise from just two days ago in less than forty-eight hours, and An Junlie would surely flay her alive.

This time, Ziye answered the SilverCom quickly, and the video feed was open. Hong Fa saw immediately that Ziye was sitting on a launch platform, and An Junlie was nowhere nearby. Her tension immediately eased. "Take a look at this door for me; it's a bit strange."

Saying this, she enlarged the screen so the entire door was visible within the frame.

Ziye examined it up and down: "Does it make no sound when knocked? Does it not feel like metal?"

Hong Fa confirmed: "Exactly."

Ziye explained: "That's Silverglass Supermetal. The reverse side of this metal allows for visual penetration. In other words, if someone is inside the door, they can see everything you are doing with perfect clarity."

"Damn it!"

Hong Fa swore coarsely. Had the person inside watched her wandering around the door like an exhibit, perhaps even treating her like a monkey?

Thinking of that made Hong Fa instantly furious. "What's the method to bypass it?"

Ziye replied: "Aurora."

Hong Fa looked at the gun in her hand, then at the one Lan Li held. She decisively shoved her gun into Lan Li’s arms, snatched the Aurora gun from him, found the Aurora barrel attachment from her waist holster, fitted it, and told Lan Li: "Step back."

She aimed at the door, just about to fire, when the door suddenly opened on its own.

The door opening was unexpected, but the people inside were even more surprising.

Beyond the threshold was a large lounge with a low table in the center and sofas lining the sides. Two men stood there, holding teacups, watching them.

Hong Fa recognized the man sitting on the sofa to the right instantly.

She had just asked Ziye about his whereabouts the day before.

His name was Stas.

At that moment, there wasn't even a flicker of surprise on his face; he looked completely composed. He was also dressed in plain clothes—dark gray trousers and a casual top, wearing a pair of decorative, non-prescription glasses—looking for all the world like a university professor.

What surprised Hong Fa was that he had supposedly left ten minutes before the lockdown. Why was he suddenly appearing in the basement, having tea with the President of the Interstellar Federation?

What was wrong with this picture?

The man on the left was the very target Hong Fa and Lan Li were seeking this time—the President of the Interstellar Federation!

The President's complexion was somewhat pale, and the hand holding the teacup was stiff, but after having held the highest office for so long, he managed to maintain a semblance of composure.

Hong Fa guessed that if Stas weren't present, that useless piece of parchment filling the role of President would have already fled to some corner.

—She completely forgot how terrifying the gun in her own hand was!

Stas set his teacup on the low table and leaned back against the sofa, sighing: "I knew you would come, but you arrived faster than I anticipated. Did Ziye tell you the location?"

Hong Fa nearly exploded in rage. Ziye knew about this place? And she had spent days searching on her own? What was the point?

Her SilverCom was still connected. Ziye saw the lounge clearly and quickly stated, "I don't know anything about this. Stas, don't try to frame me."

Stas paused for a second, then said, "I thought Coffin Face would have told you."

Ziye: "..."

Just as Hong Fa was about to ask who Coffin Face was, the screen dimmed, and Ziye disconnected.

Since this wasn't the most pressing issue, Hong Fa ignored it. "Sorry to interrupt your tea. Our purpose here today is very simple: we need you, President of the Interstellar Federation, to issue the order for all Interstellar Federation troops to withdraw from the Angel Star Domain."

The President looked toward Stas with a pleading gaze.

Stas remained impassive.

The President sighed, "Currently, it's not just the Interstellar Federation fleet in the Angel Star Domain, but also the Fia forces and various other legions, large and small. This is difficult for me to manage."

Hong Fa stepped forward two paces, pointing the Aurora gun at his head, and sneered: "The Unification Department has always been a symbol of peace. Must it aid the tyrant as well?"

She paused, adding coolly, "I am not asking you to recall the other legions. You only need to withdraw your own forces."

She waited a beat, then continued with chilling sarcasm, "If the other legions refuse to leave, I will kill one squad for every squad that arrives, and I will blow up two squads for every two that come. Not a single one of them will leave alive."

The President had never had a gun held to his head before; his face turned ashen, and even his legs began to tremble uncontrollably. "Let's talk this over calmly."

Hong Fa dismissed his pleas: "There is nothing to discuss. Only one word: Withdraw, or not?"

The President hesitated, then shifted his look of supplication to Stas again.

Stas remained as steady as a mountain.

Hong Fa and Lan Li exchanged a glance.

They both couldn't fathom why Stas was here, consorting with the President. If Stas stood with the Interstellar Federation...

Through their numerous previous collaborations, a silent understanding had formed between them.

As Hong Fa moved to strike the Federal President, Lan Li swiftly flashed behind her to shield her, simultaneously launching an attack toward Stas.

Lan Li's objective wasn't to subdue Stas; he certainly couldn't manage that.

Lan Li had only one goal: to hold Stas off, allowing Hong Fa to succeed!

However, Stas was faster than him. He directly flung his teacup at Lan Li. The seemingly light cup, propelled by Stas's strength, shot out with the fierce speed of an arrow, whistling through the air.

Lan Li dared not block it with his body and slightly dodged aside. Stas rose from the sofa, flicked his wrist, and positioned himself squarely between Hong Fa and the Federal President.

Hong Fa angrily accused him: "The Unification Department is meant to be a symbol of peace. Must you also assist the villain?"

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