But Ziye was truly startled by the unexpected news. What would things be like if An Junlie was no longer the commander? She couldn't imagine it. She stared at him: "You aren't intentionally messing with me, are you?"

An Junlie was perfectly serious. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

Ziye frowned. "What will you do if you step down as commander?"

An Junlie pinched her cheek. "Be with you."

Ziye shot him a sidelong glance. "I'm serious."

An Junlie pulled her into his arms and whispered softly, "So am I."

Ziye struggled out of his embrace, bracing her hands against his chest, pushing him toward the door. "I need to take a bath. You should go back." She shoved him out and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.

Whether he was serious or not, that wasn't what she needed to worry about right now.

What she needed to focus on was building up the Strategic Weapons Department.

Little Black and his three companions set off for Tamma. Little Red and his two companions, having learned from the others' experience, knew they had to strive if they wanted good meals. They spent their time either in class or training at the virtual master training base, while also keeping an eye out for talented players.

Ling Yin was constantly busy running errands for the Jiuya Group. Tang Wan was pursuing a double major, having re-enrolled in Combat Command because she realized that major was immensely helpful for strategic planning.

Yun Lan was diligently working on the problems Ziye had assigned him.

The tower suddenly felt much quieter.

Only An Junlie seemed like a man with nowhere to be, enjoying a leisurely time by Ziye’s side.

He had hardly ever attended formal schooling. Accompanying Ziye to class at the start of the semester was not only about being near her, but also about refueling his own knowledge. However, he soon realized he could no longer tolerate that style of teaching.

Everything his master had taught him was learned through practice; he grasped the essentials quickly and could apply them widely. But in school, students were required to sit quietly and listen to the instructor before they were allowed to try anything. During a typical class, he felt less than a tenth of what the teacher said was essential; the rest could be ignored. Once he figured out the pattern, he stopped attending classes, opting instead to visit the library to borrow books. Anything he didn't understand, he’d pester Ziye with questions about.

Ziye, seizing a rare opportunity to play the "teacher," intended to temper his arrogance. Yet, more than once, she found herself stumped by his questions. After several such encounters, Ziye suddenly realized that An Junlie’s ability to dissect a problem was extraordinary; his inquiries were always piercingly insightful.

Unwilling to concede, she dragged Little Sprout in as outside support. They would discuss problems together, consulting Little Sprout afterward to finally arrive at a satisfactory answer.

One day, on a sudden whim, Ziye said, "If you really aren't going to be commander anymore, are you interested in becoming a university professor?"

An Junlie feigned nonchalance as he drifted closer to her. "Why?"

Ziye replied, "You have the ability."

An Junlie paused to consider. "If you were a professor with me, then I would."

Ziye pouted. "Never mind, forget I said anything." She stood up. "I'm going to check on Yun Lan's mech design progress."

An Junlie immediately stood too. "I'll come too."

Ziye ignored him and headed toward the second floor.

Yun Lan had practically converted the second-floor conference room into his personal office, piles of sketches covering every surface, all drawn by hand with pencils on paper.

Ziye walked over and picked up a few sheets at random. "Do top designers really prefer such primitive methods?"

Yun Lan had just finished a section, saved it, and looked up. "All of them?"

Ziye replied, "Tang Wen, Jiu Nian, you."

Yun Lan sprang up, gripping Ziye’s hand with excitement. "Thank you, thank you, I appreciate it so much."

Ziye looked confused. "Why are you thanking me?"

Yun Lan beamed. "Thank you for ranking me with Mr. Tang Wen as a top designer. Although, personally, I still feel I have a long way to go to match his level."

Just as Ziye was about to respond, An Junlie, clearly displeased, inserted himself between them, glaring daggers at Yun Lan. Yun Lan felt as if a sharp sword had pierced his chest. He hastily withdrew his hand and offered an awkward chuckle. "The Commander is much more imposing."

An Junlie snorted internally but picked up one of his drafts casually, pretending nothing was amiss.

Ziye was quite perplexed by the subtle tension between the two men. She looked left at An Junlie, then right at Yun Lan, unable to discern any hidden meaning. She was too lazy to dig for answers anyway. "When will your design be finished?"

Yun Lan said, "I'm in the final stages. Give me two more days."

Just as Ziye was about to speak, An Junlie cut in swiftly. "Once you confirm the date, send out an email notification to everyone, and then present it publicly to the team. How about that?"

Yun Lan nodded in agreement.

Before Ziye could speak, An Junlie grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the exit.

Sensing a shift in his mood, Ziye pulled her hand free. "What's wrong with you?"

An Junlie grabbed her other hand, pulling her back up to the third floor. "You’ll end up letting that brat take advantage of you up there sooner or later. He even dared to hold your hand right in front of me."

Ziye’s face filled with dark lines. "An Junlie, don't tell me I know you!"

An Junlie stared blankly at the hand she’d shaken loose, utterly bewildered. He was clearly acting in Ziye's best interest; why couldn't she understand?

Two days later, Yun Lan invited everyone to the conference room as promised to showcase his work.

His creation was a large mech, named the "New Gate Model." The entire frame resembled a closed door, where the door itself functioned as a shield. When the twin doors opened, they spread out like vast wings, revealing rows of dark gun emplacements beneath—a truly imposing sight.

It was clear from the design that combat capability was the priority.

While Yun Lan was explaining the mech, Ziye opened her personal system on her light screen, connected to the mech’s data, and quickly grasped the underlying principles.

Yun Lan explained, "Because it needs to serve as a complement to the battleship at the exhibition, I slightly studied the battleships currently possessed by Wolf’s Lair and designed this based on their technology. Furthermore, in combat, it can act as the battleship's eyes and assist its operations. Imagine a small bird perched on a rhinoceros's back—you can grasp its utility."

Little Red looked blank. "What is a rhinoceros?"

Yun Lan’s face darkened. Dealing with someone obtuse made even word choice difficult. He thought he had used the most common language possible, yet clearly not.

Ziye said, "If you don't know, you can search for information on the light-net."

Little Red immediately opened his light screen and searched as commanded.

Ziye shook her head with a small smile, then adopted a serious expression. "This mech is very well designed, especially the twin-door opening shield—it’s truly striking."

Yun Lan was slightly surprised. Did this mean Ziye acknowledged his capabilities?

Then Ziye continued, "However, there’s a small issue. Given the mech’s size, the ideal number of gun emplacements would be three. Your design has four, double the usual amount. Do you have a specific reason for this?"

Yun Lan replied, "I want this mech to be capable of standing on its own, even when isolated. A mech that cannot stand alone is incomplete."

Ziye nodded. "Well said. But the cockpit is situated above the main batteries. Firing them will generate recoil, and prolonged exposure could destabilize the cockpit. You know how crucial the cockpit is to a mech."

Yun Lan said, "I considered this problem. That’s why this model uses the laser cannons with the least amount of recoil as standard equipment. The space between the cockpit and the batteries uses a double-pronged brace for buffering, and the cockpit itself has a first-level anti-shock feature."

Ziye stood up and smiled. "Congratulations, you've passed our assessment. Welcome to the Jiuya Group."

Everyone stood up to applaud, smiling at Yun Lan.

Yun Lan, however, seemed a bit surprised. "I thought you would continue questioning me."

Ziye laughed. "To achieve this much in such a short time is already impressive. If I didn't have help from others, I might not have done nearly as well."

Hearing this, Yun Lan’s chest puffed out with pride. "Thank you, thank you! I think it’s excellent too."

An Junlie, standing next to Ziye, subtly poked her.

Ziye looked at him, and he immediately gave her a significant look.

Ziye gave him a look of disdain, pretending not to notice, and said to Yun Lan, "The Jiuya Group is urgently in need of personnel right now. You can start officially tomorrow. Discuss the specifics with Ling Yin."

Yun Lan nodded in agreement.

Ling Yin chirped happily, "That’s wonderful! I won't be the only one in the Jiuya Group anymore."

Tang Wan grinned mischievously. "Now you can boss him around to your heart's content."

Yun Lan clapped his hands together upon hearing this. "Dear cute girl, tell me what you need, and if I can’t do it, I’ll create the conditions to make it happen."

Tang Wan wrinkled her nose at him, which only elicited a loud laugh from him.

The presentation concluded. Yun Lan threw an arm around Little Red’s shoulder. "I'm exhausted. I can finally take a breath. My treat tonight—let's all go out for a big celebration of my joining the Jiuya Group, what do you say?"

The group unanimously agreed, and they headed toward the Regent Hotel in a large convoy.

Along the way, Ziye and An Junlie were in a separate airship, giving Ziye the chance to finally ask him, "What were you trying to say just now?"

An Junlie grumbled, "You ignored me just now."

Ziye countered, "If you don't say it now, I’ll continue to ignore you later."

An Junlie was playfully messing with her hair with dissatisfaction. The station’s streetlights cast a uniform yellow glow, shining through the airship's transparent shield onto Ziye’s face, giving it an especially soft and delicate appearance. An Junlie couldn't resist the impulse; while she wasn't looking, he secretly kissed her neck. Finishing the kiss, he felt it wasn't enough and couldn't help but lick it once more.

Ziye flushed instantly, feeling a burning heat spread across her face. She suddenly had a strong urge to kick the man right out of the airship.

He’s getting worse lately, damn it!

After kissing her, An Junlie’s mood brightened considerably. "I just couldn't stand that brat. It would be best if he was sent to the Xilian star system for pioneering tomorrow, so he’s not an eyesore here."

Ziye’s expression remained flat. "That’s true. You, the great Commander, have been here long enough. It’s time you returned to your legion so you aren't an eyesore to me."

-RS