In the lounge, Ziye and Tang Wen sat in silence, looking at each other. Ziye stared at Tang Wen, his features as refined as ever, his aura as cool as ever; the years had left not a single mark on him.

But these years— Ziye almost laughed internally; how many years had it really been? She had been out of the Silver Talisman for four years, and she had known Tang Wen for four years, having seen almost every facet of him.

Tang Wen as the benevolent scholar on the forums, Tang Wen as the fashion icon when filming the promotional video for Paisly University, Tang Wen, the dazzling presence in the classroom, and Tang Wen, the cold-faced, cold-hearted designer at the Interstellar Federation Research Institute... At first, she thought she understood Tang Wen completely.

Later, however, she discovered that the Tang Wen she saw was merely one façade; she could never truly touch his thoughts, as if Tang Wen stood shrouded in mist. She could see him, but she couldn't see clearly.

Time is a butcher's knife. She had already forgotten the specific reason for the rift that grew between her and Tang Wen.

Yet, that subtle estrangement had prevented them from sitting down and speaking frankly for all this time. Ziye sifted through the past, finally clearing that patch of fog.

She realized it wasn't that she couldn't understand Tang Wen; rather, it was that she hadn't wanted to see. So, when she finally sat down with him to look back, everything in her heart became clear.

She raised her head and smiled at Tang Wen. "Teacher." Tang Wen was slightly startled.

Not because she called him Teacher, but because of the candidness in her smile, utterly devoid of reservation. He immediately returned the smile.

"I would prefer it if you called me brother." Ziye had figured it all out during her contemplation, and there was no displeasure on her face. "If you truly are related to me by blood, I will call you brother from now on.

But before I do, can we run a test, please?" No matter what method Tang Wen used to confirm she was his sister, unless she saw the proof herself, she could never be truly certain. It felt like a dream.

Tang Wen’s expression remained steady. "How shall we test it?

You tell me." Ziye replied, "Fetch the Perverted Death." Tang Wen had witnessed the terror of the Perverted Death and, upon hearing the request, chuckled. "Fine." Ziye immediately sent a hyper-signal to the Perverted Death, summoning him to the Xilian galaxy.

Since the Perverted Death had only recently left the Xilian galaxy, he should still be nearby. The Perverted Death’s eyes lit up at the prospect of business.

"A bloodline test? No problem, this is just a trivial—" He cut himself off abruptly, realizing something was amiss, and immediately switched his tone, his face crumpling pitifully.

"This is a major piece of technology, old me. I just stumbled upon something rather interesting, and if I have to run over there, all my progress will be wasted." Ziye understood the implication immediately.

"What reward do you require? Name it." The Perverted Death grinned mischievously.

"That mutant, Peizhe." Ziye looked at Tang Wen. "Hey, can we get Peizhe the mutant?" Tang Wen answered with crisp finality: "Yes." Ziye turned back to the hyper-signal.

"Deal. I expect you to crawl over here smoothly within ten minutes." Hanging up, she brought up the light-screen of her optical computer.

"Teacher, regarding the bloodline stuff, let's wait until the Perverted Death arrives. For now, could you look over a few of my design schematics?

Are they feasible?" Tang Wen let out a soft laugh. She really knew how to seize the moment to be productive.

Viewed from another angle, Ziye addressing him with that familiar attitude from their days at Paisly University signaled that the unpleasantness of the past was truly over. Tang Wen reflected on their time together.

He still remembered the shock and delight when he first discovered Ziye's talent; he recalled the sudden tremor in his heart when he realized he was falling for her. But that bliss was short-lived, as he then discovered Ziye was his sister.

During the period when his romantic feelings were forcefully twisted into familial affection, he hardly knew how to act. His mind was chaotic, his temper frayed, and naturally, his actions became erratic.

Now, as Ziye faced him peacefully, he suddenly realized that whether it was love or kinship, Ziye had always been the one closest to him in his heart. They were educated by the same person, studied the same knowledge, and shared the same blood—who could be closer than them?

Ziye's knot had untied, and Tang Wen naturally reached an understanding as well. Ziye opened the schematics for the Dreadnought she had commissioned for production at the Angel Domain Air Force Assembly Bay.

The Dreadnought was named the 'Young Dragon' type, and Tang Wen immediately grasped her intent. He pointed to the flattened design on the light-screen.

"What is the purpose of this profile?" Ziye smiled. "To be kicked flat." There was no complaint, not even a sigh; it was merely a casual jest.

Tang Wen's eyes flashed, and he asked no further questions, instead delving into the internal structure of the design. After reviewing it, he offered Ziye a few minor suggestions for adjustments where the structure seemed unreasonable.

"Your Young Dragon is mid-range for a Dreadnought. There’s currently no need to launch a new model." Warship upgrades moved much slower than smaller items like hyper-signals.

The emergence of a new generation often meant the old one left the market. The Young Dragon model had only just entered service during wartime and hadn't been out for a full year; it could remain viable for many years to come.

Ziye looked conflicted. "But new ideas constantly spring up.

Creating something new consumes massive amounts of energy, yet if I don't produce something new, I can’t stand looking at the old design." If it were a mecha, it would be one thing; she could easily churn out a new one for fun, but warships were different. A warship often took one, sometimes three to five years, from initial design to final rollout.

This particular Dreadnought was the best result she could achieve, starting from the groundwork she had laid. Tang Wen smiled gently.

"Then, build upon this foundation, and create a slightly different version, or an upgrade, based on your latest ideas." Ziye focused, then opened another light-screen, immediately beginning to sketch. Tang Wen sat quietly beside her, observing every trace of her conception, every line she drew, feeling an unexpected sense of gratification, like witnessing 'one's own daughter come of age.' She was terrible at drawing in her sophomore year, but now her brush seemed guided by a divine spirit.

Tang Wen looked up and suddenly saw two bright, glittering eyes fixed on him. Every minute movement he made was captured in those eyes.

He smiled faintly. The owner of those eyes, the venerable Little Sprout, silently raised its tiny sprout and extended it toward him, tapping gently against his chest.

Though Little Sprout didn't speak, Tang Wen instantly understood its message. "Let's go swimming!" The elder and the younger formed an alliance.

Little Sprout happily nestled into Tang Wen's embrace, its two eyes watching Ziye draw. A little over ten minutes later, the Perverted Death burst excitedly into the Xilian space station and was brought before Tang Wen by Bran.

The Perverted Death was overjoyed to see Tang Wen, immediately grabbing him. "Wonderful, I finally see you again!

Lend me some of your skin and hair, and I promise to study you thoroughly." Tang Wen regarded him with a cold gaze, and the atmospheric pressure around them noticeably dropped. But who was the Perverted Death?

He had seen everyone. This cold treatment didn't affect him in the slightest.

He opened his toolkit, donned medical gloves, and prepared to get to work!

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