The twins were incredibly swift; one grasped An Junlie's hand while the other braced his waist. The youths looked at each other, then mimicked the twins, left hand on right, then linking hands with their comrades. Seeing this, An Junlie connected his hands with theirs, instantly forming a net.

Ziye tumbled down, landing squarely on the interwoven hands. Everyone felt the impact jar their palms, dipping slightly to absorb the force, then promptly tossing Ziye high into the air with a cheer: "We caught her! Owoooo~"

Ziye, who hadn't even wet herself during the fall, nearly lost control hearing the boisterous, almost animalistic cries of these men.

Her head landed right near An Junlie's hands. She couldn't afford to be fussy; she gripped his arm and scrambled toward him.

The youths let out a synchronized "Yo!" and tossed Ziye up again.

This time, Ziye had learned her lesson. She wrapped her arms around An Junlie's neck, using the upward momentum to execute a backflip, landing neatly on his back.

An Junlie nearly choked from the pressure.

The twins scrambled to lift her off An Junlie's back. Before they could speak, the other youths swarmed them, inquiring, "What was that mecha just now? It looked incredibly powerful!"

"Goddess, can I borrow your mecha for a few days?"

"Goddess, I was the one who caught you! Wasn't that amazing?"

"..."

Ziye looked up at the group of young men. They had only left the Junk Star a few months ago, yet they seemed reborn—taller, stronger, and quicker on the uptake.

Having just fought a battle against the Carrier fleet without sustaining any injuries, seeing them standing strong before her filled her with deep relief.

Ziye pondered for a moment, then stood up. "Borrowing the mecha is fine. You fight among yourselves; whoever wins gets to use it."

The youths needed no further prompting and immediately began finding opponents to challenge.

Ziye grinned mischievously at An Junlie. He gently scooped her up in his arms. "You're being naughty again."

Still shaken from the fall, Ziye burrowed into his embrace, pouting playfully, "Well, you're here anyway."

That statement made An Junlie immensely happy.

This time, Ziye finally didn't reject him!

Ziye relaxed into his arms for a few minutes, then suddenly remembered the Carrier explosion—there must be salvageable supplies. She had been unconscious for so long; she urgently asked An Junlie about the situation.

An Junlie chuckled. "Old Dog sent salvage vessels; they brought back billions."

Ziye felt a wave of calm wash over her. Making money while fighting—perfect.

Seeing how tired she looked, An Junlie intended to carry her to a room, but Ziye refused to sleep. "I want to go to the mess hall! I want Rose Jelly!"

An Junlie pinched the bridge of his nose helplessly. Prices were skyrocketing during the war. The rose gardens in the Oguang Galaxy had tripled in value, and the roses couldn't be successfully transported to the Angel Domain. He hadn't had rose jelly in months either.

However, if Ziye asked for it, he would make it happen, even if he had to create the conditions himself.

He instructed his adjutant to procure the roses for him within twenty-four hours. The adjutant nearly flipped the table—catering to a beloved woman shouldn't involve such theatrics!

Despite his frustration, the adjutant could think of no other way and relayed the order.

When Spenter heard about this, he offered a suggestion: "Let me tell you, I have contacts in the Wolf's Den; they have a steady supply of roses year-round. I'll ask them for you."

The adjutant nearly had an aneurysm again. If the Wolf's Den had them, why bother with the preparation? The war was over; they should just send Ziye home and then celebrate with a massive feast!

He strode to the command center, activated the optical screen, and saw their command vessel was heading directly toward the Wolf's Den...

Simultaneously, the warships of the Wolf's Den poured out, heading towards every star system belonging to the Hope Legion.

The war was over; the Hope Legion had held the line.

But the Legion's commander was gone, the vice-commander had defected to the Star Federation, and among the elder statesmen, some were dead and others had fled—no one was left to take charge.

Many other Legions had spotted the Hope Legion as a massive, plump prize, ready to descend upon it.

A bloody conflict was brewing once more!

To prevent further conflict, the Wolf's Den dispatched troops to garrison all the major stargates and space stations of the Hope Legion, prepared to crush any force that dared to challenge them.

Starting from the mid-point of the war, the Wolf's Den had led the soldiers of the Hope Legion and their own troops to resist the Allied invasion together.

Currently, the Hope Legion personnel held a warmer sentiment towards the Wolf's Den soldiers than even their own—on this journey, they encountered no obstruction, only enthusiastic welcome.

To avoid suspicion, An Junlie sent his main fleet back to the Angel Domain for reorganization, taking only the command vessel. Along the way, witnessing the post-war devastation of the Hope Legion, he couldn't help but recall the scene years ago when Ziye asked for land.

It had to be admitted, it was an exceptionally shrewd move.

Though small, the Hope Legion shared the Angel Star Domain, was rich in minerals, and possessed weak military strength, making it the prime target in the galaxy. Ziye had chosen the Hope Legion's rear, leveraged the power of the Angel Legion, and developed her forces in remote areas. Now that her strength was formidable, she could directly seek development within the Hope Legion.

The merger between the Hope Legion and the Wolf's Den Legion was now only pending a signed document.

Even he felt a pang of envy!

An Junlie shook his head. Even if he envied it, he wouldn't deploy troops. Instead, he would actively promote the merger between the Wolf's Den and the Hope Legion.

Because he had long looked askance at the Hope Legion's policies!

This sentiment traced back to the policies established by the Hope Legion's first-generation commander, who was the child of an official. Lacking business acumen, his policies had always been unappealing. After severing ties with the Star Federation, losing external support, and lacking sufficient funds, their infrastructure remained underdeveloped.

The star system adjacent to the Angel Domain had excellent foundational conditions. If they treated that Hope Legion territory as their own hinterland, it could easily develop into a first-tier galactic system.

However, the Hope Legion couldn't develop it themselves, yet refused to allow the Angel Domain to develop it, stifling the region's progress and turning it into a wasteland.

The people of the Wolf's Den were fiercer and far better at making money; that region's development was guaranteed under their management.

Currently, however, his greater focus was on what this woman in his arms truly felt for him. Rather than seizing territory, he needed to secure the talent right in front of him. With the right talent, what couldn't be obtained?

Ziye slept for a while and felt revitalized, unable to stay still. She fidgeted in his embrace. It had been a long time since he could hold her like this, and every time he did, the man's impulse swelled, yet she was never quiescent, always moving until he felt flushed.

But he could only endure it.

An Junlie sighed internally; romance required immense self-control.

With so many people around, even a simple kiss would be dodged by her. Alas, being a man was truly difficult.

Ziye bent down, scooped up Douzai, and played with the little creature using a metal teething stick.

Douzai was lazy, merely turning around to present its rear end to her with a soft chirp.

She got annoyed and gently poked the fur just above its rear end. Suddenly, with a pffft, Ziye leaped up, sprinting towards the washroom as if her backside were on fire, her screams echoing all the way: "Aaaaaah! You pooped on me again!"

By the time she was cleaned up, they had arrived at the Angel Domain.

An Junlie shook hands with Old Dog, but since Old Dog was busy, they exchanged few words. Wanting to spend more time with Ziye, but seeing that the Wolf's Den seemed to have endless matters to attend to, An Junlie couldn't interrupt. He looked at Ziye with a look of utter dejection.

Spenter clicked his tongue behind him. "Look at that, our Commander's facial expressions are becoming much richer."

Ax nodded in agreement. "I just don't understand why a man's IQ drops to zero the moment he sees a woman. In this situation, shouldn't our Commander just escort Ziye back, perhaps have an in-depth discussion with the Wolf's Den Commander, and sign a few contracts?"

Little Black stated seriously from behind them, "I get it. For the Goddess, I'd do anything!"

The twins shot him synchronized side-eyes. "Hmph!"

Ziye remembered An Junlie's jelly request; if his jelly wasn't ready, she couldn't let him leave. Seeing him prepare to depart, she immediately clung to his hand and tugged him forward a couple of steps. "Or, you could go to my place first? I'll have a robot escort you."

The look of disappointment on An Junlie's face vanished instantly.

Ziye was willing to let him stay at her home—this implied... Several impure thoughts and joyful scenarios flashed through his mind, and his mood shifted from cloudy to bright. He smiled and nodded. "Good."

Ziye stuffed Douzai into his arms, assigned a robot to escort him home, and summoned ten youths to register them with the Legion, assigning them all to the Strategic Weapons and Equipment Department.

The Strategic Weapons Department was under Ziye's direct command, a crucially important section of the Legion with excellent benefits. As soon as the youths were inducted, each was allocated a house!

After viewing their residences, the young men were so ecstatic they rolled around on the floor laughing. The houses were three times larger than those owned by the rulers on the Junk Star, boasting grandeur and top-tier finishes. They rolled around without stirring up a speck of dust.

Furthermore, Ziye equipped each of them with two robots: a W-series universal robot butler and a K-series kitchen automaton—the best one could hope for.

In fact, Ziye's own house was allocated too. When the Legion was founded, the first batch of veterans each received a villa. Though their exteriors differed, the occupied space was identical, with interior decoration chosen according to personal taste. Ziye’s villa had only been occupied three times since its construction.

She returned to her office. Old Dog saw her travel-worn appearance, noting she seemed to have aged two years. He spoke with concern, "You’ve had a hard time on the rear battle lines these past few months. Go rest for a while; we'll have a small meeting on SilverComm later tonight."

Ziye considered An Junlie's jelly; if he hadn't finished making it, she couldn't let him run off. Nodding, she piloted her shuttle straight home.

Before even entering, she caught the familiar, mouth-watering scent of rose jelly. Tears welled up in Ziye's eyes; she finally felt a true sense of being alive!

An Junlie heard the shuttle land and emerged from the kitchen. He was wearing an apron printed with a picture of Little Sprout. Seeing her standing there, stunned, he couldn't help but smile. "You're back?"

Ziye snapped back to reality, rushed to An Junlie, and then jumped up, throwing her arms around his neck. "I'm back!"

-RS