Chapter 18

"I want to talk to you about something else first, Minister Miao." Wen Ling looked straight into his eyes, her voice steady, but her deep green eyes held an unmistakable inquiry.

The harbor below the watchtower was still bustling.

Han Zhongzheng was directing people to strengthen the defense in a hoarse voice. Old engineer Hake and several apprentices were repairing the ventilation system damaged by the energy shock. Susie was squatting beside a damaged detector, dismantling it while muttering to herself about the insidiousness of the federal weapons.

Miao Weizhen met his gaze, his face expressionless. He simply leaned slightly aside, motioning Wen Ling to a relatively secluded corner of the watchtower. "What does Your Highness wish to discuss?"

At the same time, in the distant federal capital, Beichen Mansion.

Qu Beichen dismissed his attendants and stood alone in the observatory. On the light screen before him, the emergency report from Huangquan Rust Port was displayed, along with a brief message from Miao Weizhen, sent through an extremely secret channel known only to him—only a few words:

["Star Flame" extends its claws, the evidence is conclusive.]

Qu Beichen's eyes were dark and unclear. He pondered for a moment, and instead of replying directly to Miao Weizhen, he connected to another encrypted channel.

After a moment, the channel was connected, and a fuzzy electronic voice came from the other end: "Your Excellency."

"There are a few unruly 'hounds' near Huangquan Rust Port." Qu Beichen's voice was indistinct from emotion. "Clean them up. Do it cleanly, so no one will be reminded of home."

"Understood." The electronic voice responded crisply, and then the channel was closed.

Wen Ling was unaware of the conversation taking place across the starry sky. He leaned against the cold metal railing, his eyes scanning the busy crowd below.

"Engineer Hake and his team are repairing the ventilation system very efficiently. Susie seems very confident in deciphering the source of the other party's signal."

He first affirmed everyone's work, then turned his gaze back to Miao Weizhen's face, his tone full of meaning, "Speaking of which, the Minister's previous mission to destroy the core alone... was really too risky."

He didn't mention the airport, but something more recent and shocking—Miao Weizhen's near-suicidal act. The impact of this incident on Wen Ling was immense, one that defied simple calculation or value. Why would someone so calculating and self-serving choose such a self-destructive course of action?

Miao Weizhen's gaze also fell below, watching Hake command the apprentices to carry the new pipes, watching Han Zhong patting a young soldier on the shoulder and shouting encouragement, watching Susie struggling with a machine in defiance.

He was silent for a moment before he said calmly, "That was the most efficient solution at the time."

Efficiency again.

Wen Ling was almost fed up. But he didn't give up, continuing to probe: "Efficiency... also includes putting yourself in a position where you are certain to die. If the energy burst hadn't been misplaced at the last moment, you, Minister, would have been annihilated along with the core by now."

He stared at Miao Weizhen closely, "Is this also within your calculations?"

Just then, there was a small commotion below. It turned out that one of Huck's apprentices had slipped while carrying a heavy metal pipe, and it was about to fall.

Han Zhong, who was nearby, reacted quickly. He rushed forward and used his shoulder to hold the falling pipe. He groaned, and the veins on his forehead bulged. The soldiers nearby immediately rushed forward and worked together to stabilize the pipe.

"Old Han! Are you okay?" Huck shouted anxiously.

"It's okay! This little bit... cough cough... no big deal!" Han Zhongqiang struggled to stand up straight, but couldn't help coughing twice. It was obvious that the previous blow was not easy.

On the watchtower, Wen Ling had a panoramic view of it all.

He suddenly spoke, his voice not loud but clearly conveyed: "Engineer Hake, give priority to repairing the ventilation in Area 3. The dust concentration there has exceeded the standard. General Han, please go to the medical station for examination immediately. This is an order." His instructions were clear and decisive, with unquestionable authority, which instantly calmed the small chaos below.

Han Zhong was stunned for a moment, then looked up at Wen Ling on the watchtower. Finally, he nodded and walked towards the medical station with the help of the soldiers. Hake also immediately redistributed the staff.

"Your Highness is in command." Miao Weizhen said lightly.

Wen Ling, however, was not distracted by the topic. He turned his gaze back, his green eyes deep, "The Minister hasn't answered my question yet. Is using yourself as a pawn part of your priority on efficiency? Or... is there something more important than calculation?"

His question was like a key, attempting to unlock the truth beneath Miao Weizhen's frozen exterior. That suicide mission couldn't be summed up simply as "efficiency."

Miao Weizhen met his persistent and inquiring gaze, and the tense string in his heart seemed to be gently plucked.

He remembered the fragmented images that flashed through his mind when he put the resonance generator into the core - the girl's sleeping face, the land called Cangling, and... the pair of clear green eyes in front of him that should not be tainted by darkness.

These thoughts were like taboos, and he instantly suppressed them. He couldn't answer, and he couldn't answer.

"Your Highness," he looked away, his voice returning to its usual coldness, "There's no need to delve into certain issues. We just need to understand that the threat of Star Flame remains, and we need to focus on responding to their next move."

He avoided it again.

Wen Ling looked at his cold and hard profile, and a complex emotion surged in his heart, including disappointment, confusion, and a slight annoyance that he himself had not even noticed because the other party was unwilling to be honest.

There seemed to be an impenetrable wall of ice between them, and every time he tried to get closer, he was ruthlessly pushed away.

"I understand." Wen Ling's voice also turned cold. "In that case, let's just talk about cooperation."

He turned around, ready to end this conversation that was going nowhere.

"Your Highness," Miao Weizhen said from behind him, his voice low, "Before you leave Rust Port, please... be extra careful."

This sounded like a formulaic reminder, but Wen Ling keenly caught a very subtle and unusual sluggishness in it.

He paused, without looking back, and walked straight down the watchtower.

Miao Weizhen stood there alone, watching Wen Ling's departing figure. He subconsciously raised his hand to press the wound on his left shoulder. The pain there was still dull, reminding him of the moment he had narrowly escaped death not long ago.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of air that smelled of rust and repair.

He couldn't get closer, nor could he explain. He could only continue walking on the tightrope of darkness, guarding what he wanted to guard, calculating what he had to calculate, even if it meant being completely misunderstood by others.

Wen Ling, descending the watchtower, was equally consumed by turmoil. Miao Weizhen's evasiveness and that final, odd reminder only reinforced his conviction that this man was hiding a vast secret. That suicide mission was far more complex than it appeared.

He had to be wary of Miao Weizhen's possible murderous intentions, but he could not completely ignore the other party's "help" at critical moments and the occasional abnormalities he showed.

This situation of wanting to find the truth but having to keep a distance due to the heavy fog makes the relationship between the two people more subtle and difficult.