Jiang Lijin pushed open the glass door to the backyard, and the morning sunlight was a little blinding.
The heavy sandbag in the backyard was still swinging. Tinia sat on the swing, his long legs casually bracing against the ground, his chest heaving violently, his breathing heavy.
His golden hair was soaked with sweat, strands plastered to his forehead. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and a layer of sweat covered his taut muscles, gleaming in the sunlight.
Hearing footsteps, Tinia turned around.
His blue eyes were red-rimmed, with traces of lingering grievance at the corners.
Jiang Lijin’s gaze dropped to his hands hanging by his sides. The knuckles were red and swollen, with several spots broken open and oozing blood.
“Did the Yunlan Group go bankrupt?” Jiang Lijin walked over. “Can’t even afford a pair of gloves?”
Tinia sniffled, not answering, just reaching out his injured hand.
This kid was doing it on purpose.
A 3S-level male’s physique was incredibly strong. Beating a sandbag until his hands looked like that meant he must have deliberately withdrawn his mental shield and taken the impact raw against the anti-impact material.
Jiang Lijin sighed, pulled a tissue from her pocket, and pressed it half-heartedly against Tinia’s hand.
“Who told you to hit without gloves?”
“I’m upset,” Tinia said, leaning forward and pressing himself against Jiang Lijin, his head resting on her waist. His arms wrapped around her, his voice muffled against the fabric. “Sister ignored me last night.”
Jiang Lijin didn’t respond. Last night, that mad dog Baal had worn her out so badly she couldn’t even remember when she’d fallen asleep. She’d had no energy left to deal with the person outside the door.
“So what do you want?” Jiang Lijin ruffled Tinia’s golden hair.
Tinia looked up, his blue eyes sparkling as he stared at Jiang Lijin. “Let me sleep in your room tonight.”
Jiang Lijin paused.
Afraid she’d refuse, Tinia rushed on: “Won’t do anything. Just sleep. I swear. Sister, I just want to hold you.”
That pitiful look, paired with Tinia’s bleeding knuckles, was indeed effective.
Jiang Lijin looked down at him. That aggrieved expression was three parts real, seven parts an act, but she still fell for it.
“Fine,” Jiang Lijin said. “Go apply your own medicine. If I see you like this again, you’re not stepping foot in my room.”
Tinia perked up, the grievance in his eyes vanishing instantly. He leaned in and kissed Jiang Lijin on the cheek, leaving a damp, sweaty mark.
“Thanks, Sister! I’m on it!”
Watching Tinia run back inside, Jiang Lijin shook her head.
When she turned around, Chiron was standing behind the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a cup of black coffee. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his gray eyes were calm.
“He knows how to use his advantages well,” Chiron said, taking a sip of coffee, his tone flat and unreadable.
Jiang Lijin wiped her hands dry. “He’s just a kid. Easy to soothe.”
Chiron set down the coffee cup and walked over to Jiang Lijin. He was a head taller than her, and when he tilted his head slightly, the rim of his glasses reflected a cold gleam.
“You’re always so lenient with them,” Chiron said softly.
“Let’s go,” Jiang Lijin said, changing the subject. “To the Academy of Sciences. That classified file can be unlocked today.”
Chiron’s gray eyes flickered, and he obediently stepped back half a pace.
“Alright.”
Chiron knew that too much of anything was counterproductive. Jiang Lijin yielded to softness, not force. Tinia’s way of acting spoiled and whining only worked for Tinia. It wasn’t suitable for him. He had his own leverage.
The hovercar glided smoothly out of the villa district.
Jiang Lijin leaned back in the passenger seat, pulling up a holographic interface.
Tinia had handled things efficiently. The hefty investment from Yunlan Group had paid off: the negative online buzz about Jiang Lijin’s usurpation had been suppressed, replaced by positive coverage of the new emperor’s coronation.
More importantly, Jiang Lijin’s dual identities had been logged into the mainframe.
Imperial Regent of the Empire. Special Advisor to the Supreme Military Council of the Federation.
Either of these titles alone would make any faction in the galaxy think twice. Now they belonged to the same person.
“Any news from Darren?” Jiang Lijin closed the interface.
Chiron kept both hands on the steering wheel, his eyes on the road. “The Cabinet held an emergency meeting this morning. Darren proposed forming a regency committee to try to divide your power. But the Defense Commander called in sick, and several old-line aristocrats are taking a wait-and-see approach.”
“A bunch of old foxes,” Jiang Lijin sneered. “They won’t commit until they see a return.”
“They’re afraid of the cards you’re holding. Baal’s movements last night were discreet, but the military definitely caught wind. They probably assumed he came to discuss strategic deployment with you.”
Jiang Lijin didn’t answer, just raised an eyebrow.
The hovercar pulled into the underground garage of the Academy of Sciences.
This was the Empire’s top research facility, its security level higher than the Cabinet building.
They went straight to Chiron’s office.
Along the way, they passed a few researchers, who stopped respectfully almost fell over themselves to bow, too afraid to lift their heads.
Chiron swiped his card to open the office door.
As the door shut, Chiron pressed a button on the wall.
A faint hum sounded as the anti-eavesdropping barrier engaged fully.
“It’s safe in here,” Chiron said, walking to his desk. His fingers moved rapidly through the air, summoning the mainframe’s underlying control interface.
An encrypted data packet materialized—a floating sphere wrapped in red code chains.
This file was one Jiang Lijin and Chiron had tried to crack many times before, always failing at the final password. The unlock conditions were stringent: only authentication from two high-level authorities simultaneously could break it.
“Come on,” Chiron said, stepping aside.
Jiang Lijin stepped forward.
A synthetic voice echoed through the office:
【Requesting access to SSS-level classified file.】
【Please verify primary authorized user.】
Jiang Lijin pressed her right palm to the scanner, and a blue laser swept across her pupil.
【Biometric verification complete.】
【Identity confirmed: Imperial Regent, Jiang Lijin. Security clearance: SSS.】
【Primary authorization confirmed.】
【Please verify secondary authorized user.】
Jiang Lijin didn’t move; she stood still.
After a brief delay, the system re-initiated the scan.
【Biometric verification complete.】
【Identity confirmed: Special Advisor to the Supreme Military Council of the Federation. Security clearance: SSS.】
【Secondary authorization confirmed.】
The red code chains in midair began to flash violently, then shattered, dissolving into particles of light.
Chiron stood beside Jiang Lijin, close enough to smell the fragrance in her hair clearly. That scent was mixed with the aggressive aura belonging to Baal.
Chiron’s fingers, hanging at his sides, curled slightly as he suppressed the heat rising in him.
“It’s open,” Jiang Lijin said, staring at the screen.
The data packet expanded, and a progress bar appeared on the monitor.
【Decrypting, please wait…】
The bar moved slowly, gradually unlocking the long-sealed file.
Jiang Lijin braced her hands on the edge of the desk, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on the flickering numbers.
What exactly was hidden inside this file, which the Empire and the Federation had joined forces to seal away?
