Chapter 84

Although Shen Shiqian changed to a larger bathtub, it was only slightly bigger than the original one. It was the same model as the one in Feng Ran's room, and it was still a bit too intimate to accommodate two people.

Feng Ran lazily soaked in the water, letting Shen Shiqian wash her hair. She could see his rosy face through the misty steam when she looked up.

"I went out and met Princess Sherry today."

"What happened?"

"Hmm, more or less. She wants to get me to do things for her, but no matter how sweet her words are, I still don't want to get involved. I'll leave it for now." She snuggled back into Shen Shiqian's arms. "Seriously, where do you guys get that kind of unwavering belief? It's so naive it's almost unbelievable. It's even more likely to make people want to destroy you than to support you."

Feng Ran turned over and met his gaze: "Hey, Shen Shiqian, what are you thinking?"

Shen Shiqian: "I don't know what you talked about, but if you ask me what I think of Princess Shirley, I would say that her personality is very rare. Born into a royal family that is protected by the strictest rules, she dutifully shoulders the responsibilities that come with her status. While facing a complex and unknown reality, she can still hear the voices of the weak and vulnerable. His Majesty Geno failed to do this. So, whether she is naive or not, this kind of sincerity is very rare for someone in a position of power."

Feng Ran: "Hmph~ You have a high opinion of her, so you want me to side with her?"

Shen Shiqian gently shook his head: "What you want to do is your freedom. You don't need to consider my ideas or be bound by any moral sense."

Feng Ran found it amusing: "If you indulge me like this, what if I become a wanted criminal who commits all kinds of evil deeds again?"

Shen Shiqian: "Then I'm an accomplice."

Feng Ran: "Ah, I don't know who was it that swore they would make me happy back then, saying they would give me all the choices, but now it's all meaningless after all the choices."

She kicked Chen Shiqian's leg and accused him expressionlessly, "Being an accomplice with you is the most boring thing."

Shen Shiqian grabbed her mischievous foot: "Oh, then what would be fun?"

Feng Ran looked at him slyly: "For example, you could plant my people in the military, and when we conquer Black Hole No. 5, the advance force I designate would deal with the legion-level aliens, and then, naturally, the crystal cores would belong to me."

Shen Shiqian pouted: "Actually, if you want the crystal core, I can bring it back for you."

Feng Ran: "But you already have a spirit bird. Even if you bring it back and it becomes yours, you'll still have to register and report it. Besides, given the personalities of the people at the Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Manufacturing, they might not obediently give it to you."

After all, the crystal cores of Legion-level alien species are extremely rare materials. If the Spirit Sparrow is intact, they will try their best to persuade Shen Shiqian to confiscate it. In fact, the Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Manufacturing might even fight over the final ownership and usage rights.

Shen Shiqian: "So how many people do you want to place? Can you tell me the specific plan?"

Feng Ran pondered, "It's not many, just one person. Although with Hilde's abilities, dealing with a Legion-level mutant alone might be a bit difficult, if we have enough inhibitors, it'll be manageable. The rest can be coordinated with your people. You can help me with that, right?"

Shen Shiqian wasn't surprised that she had recruited Hilde, but he couldn't help but ponder: "Wouldn't bringing Hilde in be too provocative? And based on what I know about him, it might be a bit difficult to work with his team."

"Really? But I should have taught him to be more low-key." Feng Ran found his serious expression while working particularly charming, and leaned against the bathtub wall to kiss him. "He's just a small commander who's been parachuted in. He won't use his real identity. You're worrying too much."

Shen Shiqian: "That's a really worrying statement."

Feng Ran suddenly splashed water all over his face and glared at him fiercely: "What's wrong with you?"

Shen Shiqian wiped his wet bangs back, his features suddenly becoming sharp: "No, it's just that I'm a little annoyed that I can't personally kill the alien species, extract its crystal core, and give it to you."

Feng Ran hugged him, feeling a dizzying excitement. Warmth spread through her veins to every corner of her body. More than tenderness, her heart was filled with an itchy feeling born of malice. Finally, she let out a deep breath and said lazily, "Having you is enough for me."

/

Because Fengran had previously modified the monitoring data on black hole-related indices in the Northern Star Region, and even in order to successfully generate stellar-mass black holes, the Empire's response was somewhat chaotic until the interstellar telescope directly captured images of the black hole.

The relevant officials, along with the Academy of Sciences, were severely reprimanded. Immediately afterward, the military was urgently appointed to confirm the safety of the environment surrounding the new No. 5 black hole. If any alien species were discovered, they were to be eradicated immediately. However, according to the updated environmental index, the probability of alien species emerging in the new environment is very high.

Interstellar wars to exterminate alien species have always existed, and while not uncommon, they are not frequent either. However, less than a year has passed since the last battle involving the fourth black hole, and now a substellar-mass black hole has been formed in the north. StarNet reports on this matter are varied and have stirred up a lot of controversy, with some saying that the cosmic environment is deteriorating. As a result, the level of attention has reached unprecedented heights.

The advance troops that Feng Ran had been eagerly anticipating were forced to regroup into a larger force. The army, consisting of one regiment and two battalions, marched through the main street of Kempion and set off from the military port on time.

Aren't you going to see them off?

Feng Ran watched the news broadcast on TV with boredom. Hearing this, he turned to look at Ting Yun and said, "There are too many people. It's troublesome. I don't like those kinds of scenes where I want to show off."

Carlo sat on another sofa, looking at the neatly marching army: "Hey, where's Brother Hilde?"

Feng Ran: "Shen Shiqian said that he would let him join the vanguard of the First Battalion for the time being, but he definitely won't appear in the video footage. If he does, someone else's facial data will be used to replace him. After all, leaving traces is a major taboo for hackers."

Carlo nodded: "Oh."

Because Tingyun's health had been severely damaged by illegal drugs, Fengran would come to check on him from time to time after taking him back to the villa, and prepare some medicine to counteract the damage caused by the drugs, so as to ensure that he would not die anytime soon. Today was no exception. So after the check-up, he simply watched the news about the army's departure with them at the villa.

Tingyun has adapted well to his new life, especially in being obedient and confiding in Fengran. However, it is said that this is all an act when facing Fengran. After all, he still wants to live and is very good at clinging to powerful figures. When he is alone with Hilde and Carlo, he is sharp-tongued and sarcastic, making people wish they could poison him to make him mute.

Feng Ran didn't care about such trivial matters; as long as they listened to her, that was enough. She didn't actually ask much of these people.

The news reports on TV were so boring that Feng Ran just stared blankly and yawned: "Speaking of which, I have a little work I'd like to assign to the two of you."

Tingyun: "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Feng Ran pondered to himself, somewhat lost in thought: "It's really strange. Every star sector has its own stationed troops, but whenever a black hole or alien species appears, it's always the Chilia that sends troops to wipe them out. It's as if those stationed troops are just for show, as if they never learned alien warfare during training. They don't even seem to participate much in the coordinated encirclement and suppression. Although the media says it's a show of force from the Empire, aliens don't have brains. They wouldn't understand what this show of force is trying to convey. In the end, this show of force is probably just for those restless people on the periphery. After all, in the current space environment, aliens can only be considered a threat, not even an external enemy. By repeatedly emphasizing this potential difference with military strength, do those unscrupulous media outlets actually know that the Empire has many internal problems that urgently need to be solved?"

Carlo scoffed: "All they can do is make things up with their mouths. They spend all day staring around but they can't seem to come up with any useful information."

Tingyun frowned unconsciously: "Even if you really saw it, you have to have the guts to report it. After all, if you want to survive in Kempin, you should know what to say and what not to say."

Feng Ran: "Ah, it's time to talk to you about work. It shouldn't be difficult for you, just a little troublesome. The task I received is to investigate the list of people in the council who are involved in external communications."

Carlo: "Huh?"

Feng Ran: "The investigation targets are all current members of the council. If there is spare capacity, their related personnel can also be investigated. The scope of external contacts is divided by the orbit of Comet Tuttle, that is, all star sectors outside the range of 5.7 AU from Chilia. All personnel who have dealings with the political functions of these regions should be investigated and counted according to the number of events and submitted to me. It's easy to understand, right?"

Tingyun's ingratiating expression cracked slightly as he pointed at Carlo, "You can let this guy investigate, but what can I do?"

Feng Ran: "But you're definitely more familiar with Kemp's interpersonal relationships and the intricate connections within the council than Carlo is. If Carlo were to look up the job list on the council's official website, he could only find out who has a family of three. But you might know secrets like how many illegitimate children that family has. After all, that's what you used to do, isn't it?"

Tingyun: "How could I possibly know all of that? There are so many people in the council."

Feng Ran: "So, do you think Rogers knows a lot? Why not use your superior? He couldn't possibly have only one spy like you, could he?" She smiled wickedly. "Then question one and let the other escape. Don't you think that's fun?"

Carlo looked pale and, disregarding any disrespect, blurted out, "Where did you get this weird commission from?!"

Feng Ran glanced at him indifferently: "What's wrong? Are you one of those people who only dare to stare but not to report? Now the opportunity to prove yourself is right in front of you. You should try to prove that you are more courageous and capable than them. Or rather, Bai Sha was originally meant to play the role of a rebel to expose the empire's veil of shame. Otherwise, what is the meaning of your existence? Or is your original belief just a simple and false thing that can be changed by ordinary violence and coercion?"

Carlo: ...

That's heartbreaking, an absolute disgrace.

But Feng Ran's aggression quickly shifted: "Hey, Tingyun, you should be a little more careful when you go out. Rogers seems to have come looking for me, but Shen Shiqian threw him out every time. I don't know if he still has feelings for you, but since you're trying to steal his people, he'll probably hate you to death."

Tingyun was so worried she wanted to cry: "Can't you just find me a bodyguard?"

Feng Ran waved his hand dismissively: "There's no suitable candidate right now. Even my own bodyguards are away on business trips. But you're still useful to me, so I won't let you get captured so easily."

...

Tingyun: "Should I thank you?"

Feng Ran: "You're welcome."