Trapped for countless days and nights, upon seeing the daylight again, they gazed at the scene outside with such emotion that they forgot how to speak. A crowd of dozens, mostly men, were so overwhelmed by the immense surprise that they didn't know how to express their feelings; for a moment, an extraordinary silence fell.

"Zi Hong, you are amazing. So the switch to open the metal plate was here—how did you discover it?"

Lan Li’s sudden opening was like a stone thrown into a still lake.

The crowd snapped out of their daze and surged toward the red-haired woman. Lan Li was a step faster, dropping to one knee to embrace Hong Fa’s thigh. "Zi Hong, I am your biggest fan!"

Seeing this, the others scrambled even more fiercely to crowd around her. Opening the switch was tantamount to saving everyone present, so declaring oneself her fan seemed only natural.

Of course, that was predicated on the assumption that she actually did flip the switch.

The few people trailing right behind Hong Fa had seen her press the button and were seven or eight parts convinced it was her doing. But those behind them knew nothing. Thus, after Lan Li spoke, the Combat Director of the Seji family immediately pushed forward. "Where is the switch?"

Lan Li disliked the Seji family, and he particularly disliked the Combat Director standing before him.

The Seji family had always been parasites clinging to the Interstellar Federation, and this Director looked fat and self-important. He had been shouting the loudest just moments ago.

Lan Li snorted internally, casting him a discreet glance before returning to hug Hong Fa’s thigh.

The woman was beautiful, and her thigh felt soft and smooth; it was quite comfortable to hold. This was a golden opportunity for some harmless groping—why waste it?

Hong Fa pushed Lan Li away with an exasperated sigh, pointing to a small button nearby. "This one."

Without another word, the Seji Combat Director reached out and slammed down on the button, intending to snatch the glory of rescuing everyone. After all, few people actually knew if Hong Fa had pressed it first. Later, he could pay off a few witnesses, twist the narrative, and the reputation for opening the Corle Hotel metal plate would naturally fall to him.

Hong Fa looked like nothing more than a mere woman, and besides, the Wolf’s Den Legion was just a minor military group.

If Hong Fa objected later and caused trouble, he could simply add her to his harem.

The Seji Combat Director’s plan was meticulous, but he hadn't accounted for someone shouting right after he hit the button: "Ah! The metal plate is sealing shut again!"

The Seji Combat Director instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

Hong Fa turned her head, saw what he had done, and a wave of anger flared up instantly. Lan Li immediately let go of her thigh, and Hong Fa shot out a kick, slamming her heel hard into the Seji Combat Director’s arm.

The Seji Combat Director couldn't evade at all. He watched her high-heeled shoe connect, and the next second, a crisp sound of shattering bone echoed. He could no longer lift that entire arm.

Hong Fa shoved him aside with one hand and heavily pressed the activation switch.

The sealed metal plate slowly slid open once more.

Hong Fa's series of actions was met with thunderous applause.

Hong Fa is mighty! Hong Fa is dominant!

Simultaneously, outside, media reporters lying in wait, bodyguards from various legions, and family members of the legion leaders all poured toward the hotel entrance in droves.

At the exact same moment, all top-tier media outlets simultaneously broadcast a live feed: On the 33rd day of the Corle Hotel lockdown, the world finally saw daylight.

But since the situation inside remained unclear, various experts, scholars, and eyewitnesses became the main focus of the news—whoever they could capture, they interviewed.

When the news aired, the entire interstellar community erupted.

This was an interstellar event commanding even greater attention than an interstellar war, as it concerned the future development of the vast majority of space legions.

Ilya, watching this from the monitoring room, turned ashen-faced.

Once the hotel doors opened, everyone would swarm in, and everything inside would become undeniable evidence.

She hadn't had time to kill Queen Fia. Frustrated, she knew her chance was lost. She could only hastily recall the mutated subjects she had injected and have them leave covertly, while ordering the cleanup crew to dispose of all the signal-jamming equipment at the trash processing center, ensuring it vanished without a trace.

Hong Fa did not want to be cornered at the main gate. She had guessed who was behind the whole affair, and she knew that Stas still had people inside. Perhaps there would be military tribunals later, but none of that concerned her.

She turned and whispered to Lan Li, "Let's just leave from here."

Lan Li was about to agree but suddenly thought of something. "You go ahead; I have one more thing to do."

Hong Fa raised an eyebrow in surprise. It was rare for Lan Li not to cling to her. She didn't argue, simply waved to the others, retrieved her mecha from her spatial button, activated the mecha ramp, and steered her mech away quietly.

As for the rest, those with mechas took them; those without either called their legion members to pick them up at the small door or returned to their hotel rooms to tidy themselves up.

Appearing before the media looking disheveled was too humiliating; no one could afford that disgrace.

But there was one exception: Zhan Yi, the Combat Director of the Huaxia Legion.

Zhan Yi was actually quite battered. However, he rarely dressed in immaculate suits or bothered to make himself meticulously groomed, so even though he was somewhat disheveled, the contrast wasn't as stark.

He walked out of the hotel doors with composure, his back straight, showing no sign of defeat, yet not looking triumphant either—only calm assurance could be read on his face.

The reporters swarmed him. "Mr. Zhan, the Corle Hotel was sealed for over a month. How did you spend your time? Did you attempt to call for rescue?"

Zhan Yi gave a wry smile. "We did try to signal for help, but the signal was jammed, making external communication impossible. I must thank the Combat Director of the Wolf's Den Legion, Zi Hong; it was she who found the switch to open the metal plate, allowing us to escape our cage."

This was headline material!

The reporters pressed closer, the scene becoming three times more crowded than when they interviewed the galaxy's top superstar.

They pushed desperately forward, and in their rush, a female reporter stumbled and bumped into Zhan Yi. He steadied her. "Be careful."

The female reporter was instantly mesmerized.

The reporters seized the opportunity and surrounded Zhan Yi, bombarding him with rapid-fire questions.

At that moment, bodyguards from the Huaxia Legion pushed through the crowd to protect him. Zhan Yi immediately said, "I have other pressing matters; we can talk again if there is another chance," and departed under the escort of his bodyguards.

Seeing that the interview was over, the reporters surged toward the main entrance, preparing to ambush the next person.

Then, Lan Li emerged.

Lan Li had tidied himself up and regained his former grace and bearing. The only sign that his last few days had been rough was the exhaustion visible on his face.

After the ordeal with Hong Fa and the exertions of the past few days, emerging from the entrance was somewhat taxing.

When he reached the doorway, he saw the live broadcast of the reporters interviewing Zhan Yi and silently cursed Zhan Yi for speaking too quickly.

His reason for not leaving with Hong Fa was to build momentum for her.

He hadn't expected the Combat Director of the Huaxia Legion to be so honest, directly crediting Hong Fa. This man was worth befriending.

Lan Li maintained his composure as he walked a few steps before being immediately surrounded by reporters. "Mr. Lan Li, the hotel was sealed for so long; were you frightened? Do you know why the hotel was sealed for a month?"

Lan Li looked regretful. "Honestly, I was frightened, but when I saw some people choosing to end their lives because of the lockdown, my heart was filled with more anger! I believe that, regardless of the reason, a month-long hotel sealing should never happen. However, I must say that during this month, many people provided me with immense help, for which I will be grateful my whole life."

Reporters pressed further: "Could you name a few people who helped you and how?"

Lan Li casually mentioned a few names, then emphatically stressed, "The person I am most grateful to is the Combat Director of the Wolf's Den, Zi Hong. It was through a stroke of luck that she managed to open the hotel’s sealing system, allowing me to stand here before you all again."

The reporters' eyes lit up.

One person thanking Zi Hong might be an anomaly, but if everyone said the same thing, it became established fact. It seemed today's headline had to be about Hong Fa! Was there any chance for them to compete?

Lan Li chatted with the reporters about other matters before being collected by people from the Angel Domain.

The reporters tried to rush inside to find Hong Fa, but the police were faster; they had already sealed off the entire hotel with a simple explanation: there had been fatalities inside, including the presumed death of a legion commander. Furthermore, two other legion leaders had been shot dead, and one security guard had committed suicide.

The Corle Hotel had essentially become a goldmine for exclusive news, and the reporters were certainly not leaving.

However, those who had been trapped inside for a month all maintained strict silence about the numerous sordid details—the mutated subjects, the poisoning attempts. In their view, those matters were meant to be settled privately.

The war was not meant to end so easily!

As soon as Hong Fa left the Corle Hotel, she headed straight for the docks, rented a shuttle craft, and flew back to the Bean Sprout Villa situated outside Corle.

She didn't mind interacting with the public, but she didn't enjoy it either. After a month of backstabbing politics inside the hotel, all she wanted was a long bath and sleep.

Hong Fa couldn't help but miss the Ice Cave dwelling on Silver Talisman Star; that environment of extreme comfort was truly her preference!

Habitually brushing her hair aside, Hong Fa reached for the door handle, but the door opened from the inside. Zi Ye stood there, holding Zai Zai. "Hong Fa, you're finally back! I got so many bottles of Rose Jelly from the aliens; come in and eat!"

Hong Fa looked at Zi Ye as if she were a stranger, scanning her up and down several times before pinching her cheek. "It really is Little Stinky, right?"

Zi Ye bristled in annoyance. "You meanie! If you pinch me again, I’ll eat all the jelly and leave none for you!"

Hong Fa laughed heartily, reached out, pulled Zi Ye into a tight embrace, and rubbed her cheek vigorously against her chest. "Little Stinky, I'm back."

-RS