Before he even reached the command bridge, Wei Feng received a comms request from Jiang Chi.

“Old Jiang?… You want to join Danse? If Snow Leopard is merging in, pay a group fee of ten million first, plus an extra hundred thousand per person… You’re coming alone? Tsk, then a flat rate of two million.”

Jiang Chi: “I’m not joining Danse. His Highness the Second Prince sent me over to assist you.”

Wei Feng: “Then for my son’s sake, I’ll give you a 1% discount.”

Jiang Chi: “I’m coming to manage you, and I still have to pay you money?!”

Wei Feng: “The rules of the underworld cannot be broken.”

Jiang Chi: “…”

Manage my ass.

Communication is completely impossible.

Legion Seventy-Two, Flagship.

Meng Zai was running a live stream, completely turning a blind eye to the barrage of bullet comments reviling the Meng family across the screen.

Having reached this stage, reputation was no longer important.

The victor would be crowned king. As long as the Meng family won in the end, these people could only hurl a few insults behind their backs—what could they possibly do to them anyway?

Using the live stream to make the cybernetic humans believe the Royal Family possessed no treatment protocol, thereby stabilizing military morale—that was the most crucial task at present.

Watching until the end, Meng Zai flew into a rage and cursed, “Isn’t this Liu Jie from the Zheng family?!”

A Beta officer beside him replied, “He is the son of Liu Yan, Chief of Staff for Legion Thirty-Six.”

Meng Zai sneered, “Does the Zheng family want to defect to the Royal Family as well? If the Meng family falls, could his Zheng family possibly survive?!”

The Beta officer offered, “Perhaps it’s just the Liu family surrendering.”

Meng Zai snapped, “If we don’t dispose of these people early, they’ll only cause trouble later!”

Across the conference table, the Director of External Affairs received news. Pulling up the Xingya Platform to glance at it, he reported to Meng Jian, who sat in the head seat: “Headquarters just released another batch of interview videos featuring cybernetic humans! There’s also an interview video with a researcher—though their face was hidden, so we can’t verify who it is.”

Meng Jian, father and son, turned their eyes to the screen.

A man clad in a white lab coat sat inside a laboratory; only his body up to his neck was captured, with his face obscured, and even his voice was processed, masking his original tone.

【After conducting physical examinations on 1,468 cybernetic humans, we discovered that the higher the frequency of blood-agent usage, the worse the performance of their bodily functions. The numbing effect of the blood-agent lures them into indulging in sensory acuity and physical capabilities superior to ordinary people, blinding them to the rapid deterioration of their bodies.】

【The more the blood-agent is used, the stronger the dependency, and the shorter the lifespan. Under the catalytic effect of the blood-agent, the body operates in a state of continuous overload; once stopped, it immediately collapses…】

【After confirming the cybernetic mechanisms, we formulated multiple treatment protocols. Judging by current clinical outcomes, the efficacy is remarkably significant…】

“Does the Royal Family truly possess the medication?”

Meng Zai’s face darkened. “Wasn’t it said that this modification method was irreversible? Why was a therapeutic drug developed so easily?”

Meng Jian was equally baffled.

His family had sought out the top research team and spent decades before succeeding, repeatedly confirming that this modification was unrepairable.

Even if Li Xiao had discovered the existence of cybernetic humans, counting generously, it had only been six months—how could he possibly have developed a repair drug?

Something suddenly struck Meng Jian, his expression turning even grimmer: “Perhaps it’s related to Li Xun.”

Meng Zai’s brow twitched. “Wasn’t it said that back then, it was discovered in time and handled cleanly?”

Meng Jian: “Li Xun was not that easy to deal with. He might have secretly kept a card up his sleeve back then.”

Meng Zai grew increasingly restless. “If that’s truly the case, then we’re in trouble.”

A video window automatically popped up above the conference table; Meng Tu appeared on screen.

He looked at Meng Jian with a solemn expression. “Father, if we don’t think of something soon, the situation is going to spiral out of control.”

Meng Jian: “What happened?”

Meng Tu: “The combat forces of Legion Nine have taken their warships and defected to the Third Legion.”

Meng Jian: “What?!”

Third Legion, Warship Guest Cabins.

Taking advantage of the moment when Zheng Lin’s minion was swarmed, Li Xiao made up a casual excuse and slipped away with Song Jin.

“Don’t go! I haven’t finished speaking yet!”

Zheng Lin’s minion refused to give up, parting the crowd to chase after them.

The goal of the live stream hadn’t been achieved; instead, things had taken a turn for the worse. If he let it go just like this, how was he supposed to report to his superiors?

“What else do you want to say?!”

A passerby youth blocked his way. “Think you haven’t thrown enough dirty water at the Royal Family?!”

Others gathered around to condemn him.

“And you call yourself a military cadet! You lack even basic morality, unable to distinguish right from wrong—all those books you read went straight to the dogs!”

“You want to hold someone accountable, right? Then let me ask you: why did the Meng family manufacture cybernetic humans in the first place?!”

“Did your precious Meng family getting attacked by the Royal Family break your composure?!”

“Don’t walk away! If you don’t explain yourself clearly, don’t think about stepping out of this hall!”

“His Highness the Second Prince is busy with state affairs and won’t lower himself to deal with you. We’re different—we were just looking for something to do, so we’ll stay right here tonight and thrash this out with you!”

Submerged by the crowd, Zheng Lin’s minion could only watch helplessly as Li Xiao departed. By the time he finally broke free from these people, he was met with disdainful gazes from his companions.

Without saying a word, the group of cadets left him behind and walked away.

Unable to stomach the humiliation, Zheng Lin’s minion ran off to settle accounts with Liu Jie, cornering him in a deserted metallic intersection.

“What do you think you were doing?! Do you know that because of you, my mission completely failed?!”

Liu Jie showed him no courtesy: “What the hell does that have to do with me?”

Zheng Lin’s minion: “How does it not have to do with you?! We’re in the same boat!”

Liu Jie brushed his hand away. “I am not in the same boat as you lot.”

Furious, Zheng Lin’s minion gave chase: “You think jumping ship halfway can save your life?! Doing this will ruin your family!”

Liu Jie walked away without looking back: “None of your damn business.”

Leaving the main hall, Li Xiao first visited the nearby medical zone to check on the injured students.

In the large ward, twenty hospital beds were arranged neatly. Quite a few visiting students had arrived, chatting animatedly with their injured peers.

“Today, I pulled off a spiral barrel roll in the rescue vehicle! An enemy ship brushed right past my window—scared the hell out of me!”

“You’re amazing! I broke into a cold sweat following behind you; thank goodness you dodged it.”

“I got pincered and rammed by the garrison forces—good thing the vehicle was empty at the time!”

“The garrison troops are so dirty—they even strike their own people!”

“Our mecha unit just lacks numbers. Otherwise, with the skill of the Third Legion’s mecha pilots, dealing with the garrison would be a walk in the park.”

“There’s no other way; the other war zones are short on manpower too. If our driving skills are sharp enough, we can lighten the burden on the combat forces.”

“I asked the instructor—he said he already applied for training rooms for us. We can do intensive training during our rest hours.”

“When my injuries heal, let me join… Ah, His Highness the Second Prince is here!”

At these words, everyone turned their eyes toward the ward door. Sure enough, they saw Li Xiao and Song Jin walking in together, and hastily stood up to offer greetings.

Seeing that their spirits were quite high, Li Xiao casually chatted with them for a few moments.

Soon, the attending doctor and the lead instructor rushed over as well, giving a brief summary of the overall injuries among the students.

Li Xiao said, “We confiscated quite a few mechas from the garrison base this time. We will arrange for cadets to join and expand the mecha unit in batches. I’ve already asked Teacher Yan to coordinate with the Third Legion; cooperate fully with his work.”

The lead instructor acknowledged: “Yes! We will certainly give our full cooperation.”

The students listened in silence, exchanging glances with one another, overcome with excitement.

What did His Highness the Second Prince say?! They would get to pilot real mechas? Was this not a dream?!

Having finished what needed to be said, Li Xiao turned to visit the other wards.

Just as they reached the corridor, a deafening cheer erupted from the ward behind them, filled with the wild, excited howling of students. Song Jin looked leisurely at Li Xiao: “You came specifically to see their reaction—satisfied now?”

Li Xiao replied with a slight smile, “Satisfied.”

He was in no hurry to push students onto the battlefield, but for military cadets, this civil war served as a crucial ordeal before officially entering the military. Its weight was enough to alter many life trajectories, while allowing some to unleash their potential and stand out from the crowd.

So long as this generation did not grow crooked, the military would face no major issues for decades to come.

Song Jin remarked, “You treat them even better than you treat me.”

He can even get jealous over this. Li Xiao put on an innocent face. “Do I?”

Song Jin’s voice sounded cool and breezy: “Have you ever expended this much thought on me?”

Li Xiao: “Yes, I have.”

Song Jin: “For instance?”

Li Xiao: “When I finish handling my work, how about I go back and give you a back massage?”

Recalling the last time, Song Jin’s gaze flickered.

This kid better mean an actual back massage.

Walking behind them, Jiang Hao and Lin Shuo were scrolling through their school chat groups.

Yan Qing had just posted an announcement regarding the gradual integration of cadets into the mecha unit, sending the entire group into a frenzy.

His terminal vibrated, and Jiang Hao saw two notifications arrive simultaneously—one prefixed with “First Military Academy” and the other with “Military Forces.” He hastily swiped them open to check.

Both messages conveyed the same point: he had passed the background check and was temporarily assigned to the Ninth Squad of the Third Legion’s Mecha Unit. He was to assemble at the designated meeting point in half an hour for a briefing.

“I’ve been assigned to the Ninth Mecha Unit!” Lin Shuo looked excitedly at Jiang Hao. “What about you?”

Jiang Hao’s eyes gleamed: “Me too.”

Lin Shuo and Jiang Hao high-fived: “Teammates from now on!”

Flagship Command Bridge.

Yi Lian received news and hurriedly reported to Li Ji: “We received surrender signals from eight opposing fleets—they say they want to defect to us!”

Li Ji sat by the table sipping tea: “Arrange for them to land on designated planets, and send personnel to keep them under watch.”

Yi Lian: “Yes sir!”

Old Liu flipped through the information on the military comms channel, announcing in pleasant surprise, “Your Majesty, over a hundred fleets in total have now transmitted surrender signals!”

Li Ji gazed out toward the monitoring console: “When a wall falls, everyone pushes. A rout like an avalanche—this is only the beginning.”

On the third day after the Third Legion captured the District One Garrison Base, Meng Tu withdrew his forces, unable to withstand the pressure.

In just a short week, Military Headquarters issued successive reports of victory: over half of the thirty-five Class-A garrison bases had been recovered.

Half a month into the war, the Meng family army retreated step by step, forced by the combined forces of the Yi and Gao families to fall back toward the Nanming Constellation border.

Legion Seventy-Two.

Meng Jian stood before a massive circular conference table, above which was projected a map of the entire Nanming Constellation. Specific markers indicated the distribution of friendly and enemy forces.

The Vice Commander of Legion Seventy-Two ran over with a dirt-smudged face to report, “Sir, we just received news that the N036 District One Garrison Base has been occupied by the Royal Family!”

After capturing N001, the Third Legion had driven deep into enemy territory, offering support everywhere and meeting virtually no opponents thanks to their anti-interception system.

Among the Class-A bases in their hands, only the final five remained.

The group of combat strategists gathered around the conference table wore expressions of deep gloom. In contrast, Meng Jian appeared exceedingly composed, looking entirely unbothered.

An Alpha tactical officer could not help but speak up, “Sir, there are only five Class-A bases left. We must adjust our strategy and launch a counteroffensive immediately, otherwise, if we keep losing like this…”

He did not dare speak the remaining words, but everyone present understood.

They held neither favorable timing, geographical advantage, nor unity of people. They could neither win the battles nor win the narrative. If this continued, they would only be waiting for death.

“Only five left? Not necessarily.”

Meng Jian studied the holographic map.

Thirty-five Class-A bases plus one Super-A base: the Yi family controlled five, while twenty-five were in the hands of the Gao family.

The group of tactical officers exchanged bewildered glances, none understanding the meaning behind Meng Jian’s words.

Could it be that the Commander still possessed some hidden trump card they were unaware of?

Meng Jian beckoned to his adjutant: “Has there still been no movement from the Yi family army over the past two days?”

The adjutant nodded: “Starting from a week ago, the Royal Family stopped deploying troops from the Peimian Constellation and Tianjiang Constellation. They hold a vast amount of military equipment seized from garrison bases; from personnel allocation to weaponry, their scale is already comparable to ours.”

Meng Jian pondered for a moment, then asked, “How is the investigation into Danse coming along?”

The adjutant projected a document into midair.

“Based on information collected so far, a portion of Danse’s members are likely military personnel. Their combat style and techniques bear an extreme resemblance to the special forces. At present, this force has expanded to the scale of half a legion.”

Meng Jian clicked open several videos showing combat footage of Samurai-class mechas. Judging from their combo patterns, they indeed did not resemble the wild, undisciplined style of star pirates.

Whether Danse possessed this level of skill was something he knew very well.

“Li Xiao.”

Meng Jian snorted coldly. “Thinking you can beat me with a few petty tricks—too naive.”

Under the urging gazes of the tactical officers, the adjutant asked, “Then what is our next step?”

Meng Jian did not answer, striding straight outside.

Tianjiang Constellation, Military Headquarters.

Zheng Kang’an went to work every day in fear and trepidation. After suffering from insomnia for half a month, his whole person appeared haggard, as if he had aged ten years.

“Old Zheng, morning.”

Just as Zheng Kang’an entered the main hall of Headquarters, Yi Yongning’s voice came from behind him. Pretending not to hear, he walked straight ahead without looking back, only to have a hand clamp down on his shoulder from behind.

“You’re only in your seventies—how come you’re hard of hearing already?” Yi Yongning looked at him with a beaming smile.

Zheng Kang’an found his face unbearably eyesore.

In stark contrast to himself, Yi Yongning had been in high spirits recently, walking with a spring in his step, his former timid and useless demeanor swept entirely away.

Had he not boarded the Meng family’s pirate ship, he too could be commuting to work with a smile, happily awaiting retirement.

“My, those dark circles under your eyes are terrifying—haven’t been sleeping well lately?” Yi Yongning asked, knowing full well the answer.

Zheng Kang’an slapped his hand away with a dark expression. “Is there something you need?”

Yi Yongning: “Look at how you speak. Can’t I just strike up a casual chat with you when I’m free?”

Zheng Kang’an: “I have busy affairs to handle; I’m in no mood for chat.”

Yi Yongning: “Well, I am. I don’t know if my two sons have finally passed their rebellious phase, but they’ve been so obedient and hardworking lately. The subordinates under me are very worry-free too, leaving me with nothing to do. So bored!”

Zheng Kang’an: “…”

You damn old geezer, annoying as hell.

Just as he stepped into the elevator, Zheng Kang’an’s terminal vibrated. Seeing it was Meng Jian, his heart skipped a beat, and he hastily declined the call.

However, the terminal rang again shortly after.

Observing his actions from the corner of his eye, Yi Yongning chuckled and said, “I was wondering why your channel could never be reached in the past—turns out you were hanging up on everyone.”

Zheng Kang’an: “Not taking private comms during work hours—isn’t that the rule?”

Yi Yongning: “Work hours haven’t started yet. Besides, even if you pick up during work, what’s the big deal? You’re a General after all; you ought to have at least this much freedom.”

The elevator arrived, and the metallic doors slid open.

Zheng Kang’an fled as if running for his life: “Not everyone is as undisciplined as you.”

Watching him leave, Yi Yongning rode the elevator up one floor and sent a report to both Li Ji and Li Xiao.

Zheng Kang’an entered the innermost lounge of his office, locking the door behind him before finally accepting Meng Jian’s comms request.

“Why didn’t you answer?!” Meng Jian roared in anger.

Getting barked at right out of the gate, Zheng Kang’an’s temper flared up instantly: “How the hell was I supposed to answer while on the road?!”

Meng Jian: “And now? Is it convenient to talk?”

Zheng Kang’an said irritably, “Whatever it is, make it quick. I can’t be sure if this line is being monitored.”

Meng Jian: “Your backup terminal is equipped with an anti-monitoring program. With Headquarters’ technology, they can’t detect it.”

Zheng Kang’an sneered, “That’s hard to say.”

Meng Jian was in no mood to bicker with him: “I’ve already arranged for personnel. After you get off work this afternoon, head to Parking Lot No. 3. Someone will pick you up and take you off Capital Planet.”

Zheng Kang’an’s heart skipped a beat, the corners of his eyes twitching sharply.

“What do you mean? Why should I leave Capital Planet?”

“Don’t ask such stupid questions,” Meng Jian said in a deep voice. “It is time to strike Tianjiang Constellation. You can’t possibly be unaware of my intention in leaving your people in the Zifu Constellation, can you?”

Zheng Kang’an clenched his hand behind his back, hesitating: “But now is not a good time at all! Didn’t you say you’d wait until you fought your way over, and then we’d joint-encircle Tianjiang Constellation together?!”

“How long ago was that plan?” Meng Jian’s tone was unhurried. “All you need to do is focus on attacking Tianjiang Constellation. I will hold them off and head over to meet up with you in a few days.”

Zheng Kang’an laughed out of sheer anger.

“Given your current situation, you think you can turn things around in a few days?”

Meng Jian: “That is not your concern.”

Zheng Kang’an: “Do you know what will happen to me if my action fails?! You won’t even give me a complete plan—how am I supposed to execute it?!”

“I don’t know what will happen to you if your action fails,” Meng Jian said coldly. “But if you don’t act, I will definitely fail. And if I fail, where do you think you can run?”

Zheng Kang’an’s brow locked in a tight frown, his expression turning exceedingly ugly.

Meng Jian let out a cold laugh. “Old Zheng, your choice has only ever been one thing: help me defeat the Royal Family. Only then can you preserve the entire Zheng family. Do you understand now?”

After hanging up the communication, Zheng Kang’an sat alone in the lounge, unable to calm down for a long time.

Li Xiao had once hinted that there was still room for leeway, but was there truly any left? Perhaps it was merely a stall tactic—stalling him to deal with Meng Jian first, before turning around to deal with him.

Given Li Xiao’s ruthless style, he would absolutely never tolerate his existence.

Even if Li Xiao could turn a blind eye, the Meng family would not let him off.

Meng Jian held all his dirty secrets; if the Meng family lost, they would surely confess everything. In the face of ironclad evidence, would the Royal Family spare him? No matter how he thought about it, it was impossible.

Yet if he truly acted on Meng Jian’s orders, given the current situation, nine times out of ten he could not win.

After pondering for a long time, Zheng Kang’an sent a message to Meng Jian.

【How much certainty do you have?】

Meng Jian: 【I never do things I am not certain of.】

In the office, his adjutant walked in for a routine work report, but did not see Zheng Kang’an. Just as he turned to leave, he saw the General emerge from the lounge with a solemn face.

“Sir? Are you feeling unwell?”

Zheng Kang’an kept his voice extremely low: “Prepare to act.”

The adjutant’s pupils shrank, his heart fluttering with intense panic: “Why so sudden? Taking action at this juncture isn’t wise, is it?”

Zheng Kang’an: “The choice was never in my hands.”

The moment Zheng Kang’an fled, Li Xiao received the news.

Beside the dining table, Song Jin tasted a piece of stewed meat that tasted good and casually picked up a piece to place in Li Xiao’s bowl. Hearing this piece of intelligence, he let out a light snort: “There’s no stopping someone set on seeking death. It was a waste that you gave him so many hints earlier—too bad the old fool didn’t understand a single thing.”

Li Xiao picked up the meat, dipped it in chili sauce, and ate it. “Perhaps it’s not that he didn’t understand, but that he understood too clearly.”

“Since he’s going to die either way, he might as well wait leisurely for death on Capital Planet.” Song Jin laughed faintly. “The old man has so much energy—unlike certain people who are useless at such a young age.”

Li Ji, who was currently focusing on his meal: “…”

Old Liu, who was standing nearby adding tea for them: “…”

Facing Song Jin’s teasing gaze, Li Xiao calmly said, “I am only three years old, after all.”

Song Jin: “…”

After the meal, Li Xiao and Song Jin departed together, while Li Ji sat down in the command seat to drink tea and review intelligence.

Old Liu could not help but feel a bit worried: “Although it’s unlikely the Zheng family will deploy 100% of their military strength, Tianjiang Constellation might still have Meng family reinforcements inside. If a real fight breaks out, it will be very troublesome.”

Li Ji was actually quite worried as well.

The two kids were so calm, giving him the impression that they had the situation entirely under control. He could not help but trust that they would manage things properly.

Li Ji set down his teacup: “It shouldn’t be much of a problem.”

Old Liu: “Does His Highness the Second Prince already have some plan in place?”

Li Ji shook his head: “I have some guesses, more or less. Let’s just sit back and watch the show.”

Old Liu: “…”

Watch the show?

Your Majesty, is it really fine for you to be this relaxed?

After the meal, Li Xiao went to the break room to brew coffee and placed a video call to Yi Anhe, Director of the Intelligence Bureau.

The call connected, and Yi Anhe appeared on screen clad in a military uniform.

“Your Highness the Second Prince.”

Li Xiao: “Has there been any new movement from the Meng family’s private army over the past two days?”

“One moment.” Fearing he might miss something, Yi Anhe had a subordinate step forward to report the latest developments, only answering Li Xiao after listening: “There have been no new discoveries since three days ago. The movements of the private army currently being tracked have already been transmitted to you.”

Li Xiao had 09 open the received file while he continued grinding coffee beans.

Yi Anhe could not gauge what Li Xiao had planned.

Clearly only eighteen years old, yet he proved impossible to see through.

“Zheng Kang’an is currently en route to the Zifu Constellation. My people are following him; we can execute an arrest at any time.” Yi Anhe spoke first. “Once he enters the army, it might not be so easy to move against him.”

Li Xiao: “Keep following for now; wait for my command.”

Yi Anhe: “Understood.”

Hearing footsteps nearby, Li Xiao hung up the call. The next moment, he was embraced from behind, a clingy cat-child leaning against him.

Song Jin wrapped his arms around Li Xiao’s waist, resting his chin on his shoulder: “I was wondering why it smelled so nice—turns out someone was hiding away secretly brewing coffee.”

Li Xiao: “A reward for you.”

Song Jin: “Rewarding what?”

Li Xiao: “Rewarding you, little bumblebee, for half a month of diligent labor.”

Song Jin chuckled softly: “Then I want an extra half-cup of cream, five spoonfuls of that special red sugar syrup from Danse, and a little touch of matcha spice.”

Li Xiao: “…”

That’s an explosion of sweetness and calories in one cup.

Song Jin urged, “Hurry up.”

Under the supervisor’s guidance, Li Xiao finished making the coffee, turned around, and handed it to him. “Is drinking it this sweet really fine?”

Song Jin took a sip, looking immensely satisfied: “I told you, the Song family’s love for sweets is ancestral. Insufficient sugar intake leads to anxiety and irritability—it’s a genetic defect, impossible to change.”

Li Xiao heavily doubted the truth of this statement; it was highly likely a story made up on the spot by a certain cat-child to trick him out of sugar.

“I don’t think your brother is like that.”

Song Jin raised his eyes: “Are you very familiar with my brother?”

Li Xiao: “Not particularly.”

Song Jin leaned against the counter, stepping closer to observe him: “Back at Shengya, I already thought it was strange—did you and my brother know each other before? How long ago and where did you meet?”

Li Xiao leaned back with arms crossed, looking straight into those eyes brimming with aggressiveness. “Are you jealous?”

“Don’t change the subject.” Song Jin sized him up. “Given your personality, trusting my brother so much is extremely suspicious, isn’t it?”

Li Xiao: “Starting to suspect it only now—isn’t that a bit late?”

Song Jin: “I’ve been suspecting it for a long time; it’s you who wouldn’t tell me.”

In the past, Li Xiao could talk nonsense without any burden, but facing Song Jin now, he didn’t want to be so perfunctory. After thinking for a moment, he said earnestly, “Before you were even born, your brother and I did each other a favor.”

Song Jin: “…?”

At first glance, it sounded like an answer, but upon closer thought, Song Jin felt he was spouting nonsense.

“When I wasn’t born yet, how old were you?”

Li Xiao: “Probably about the same as now?”

Song Jin: “…”

Perfunctory.

Not wanting to continue on this topic, Li Xiao opened the file provided by Yi Anhe: “This is the distribution of the Meng family’s private army.”

Song Jin leaned shoulder-to-shoulder beside him, quickly scanning down: “Planning to move this afternoon or tonight?”

Li Xiao: “Zheng Kang’an will arrive at the Zifu Constellation around 5:00 PM. We’ll strike right at that timestamp—any issues on your end?”

Song Jin: “Everything is prepared; just waiting for you to say the word.”

Li Xiao nodded: “In a moment, I’ll greet your brother. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the military side will also—”

“No need,” Song Jin interrupted him. “I’ve arranged everything.”

Li Xiao laughed despite himself: “So proactive?”

Song Jin: “I’ve never worried this much over anyone else’s affairs—are you touched?”

Li Xiao: “Touched to tears.”

Song Jin smiled and pointed to his own lips: “Then shouldn’t you show a bit of sincerity?”

Li Xiao: “…”

This kid is getting better and better at this.

Li Xiao tilted his head, leaned in, and kissed his lips, his brows twitching slightly.

“So sweet.”

Song Jin felt a bit enchanted: “The coffee, or me?”

“The coffee.” Li Xiao snatched the cup from his hand. “You can’t drink any more, or you’ll go bald.”

Song Jin: “…”

He had only managed to drink half of the hard-earned coffee before it was gone.

Legion Seventy-Two, Flagship Command Bridge.

After receiving news that Zheng Kang’an was about to arrive at the Zifu Constellation, Meng Jian used his backup terminal to send a message to Gao Wanxin.

【Prepare to move tonight—encircle the Yi family army together. After disposing of the two Royal brothers, we’ll head over to join up with Old Zheng.】

Gao Wanxin: 【It won’t be too late to move after Old Zheng acts.】

Meng Jian grew somewhat irritable.

【He’s already reached the Zifu Constellation!】

Gao Wanxin: 【My troops aren’t near the Third Legion. It will take some time to get there—wait for my notice.】

Both Li Xiao and Li Ji were with the Third Legion, and because the Third Legion was equipped with the highest-end anti-interception system, it didn’t move in fixed formation with any particular legion, maintaining a roaming state throughout.

Having Gao Wanxin infiltrate the Third Legion under the guise of an ally would make dealing with them far easier.

Pondering it, Meng Jian could only agree.

【Three hours at most. Hurry up on your end, otherwise Old Zheng won’t hold out.】

Gao Wanxin: 【Alright.】

Seeing this reply, Meng Jian let out a sigh of relief.

Finally, this day had arrived.

What neither his grandfather nor his father had accomplished—he was doing it!

“Sir! Terrible news—!” Lin Xu ran into the conference room, gasping for breath.

Meng Jian said impatiently, “What is it now?”

Lin Xu: “Emergency at the border! The Shengya army is about to break through the border line!”

Meng Jian stood up abruptly: “How many?!”

Lin Xu’s face was filled with horror: “The exact numbers haven’t been confirmed yet—there are far too many!”

Meng Zai’s expression changed violently: “They came prepared!”

At the same time, in the family chat group of The Loving and Hating Family—

Kitten: 【The troops have been sent over. I’ll leave the energy resupply to you @Sister-In-Law.】

Coal Ball: 【As it should be @Brother-In-Law.】