The door of the cabinet meeting room slammed shut behind Jiang Lijin, sealing off the absolute silence within.
Darren slammed his fist against the long table, causing tea to splatter across the surface. He turned to stare at Howard, teeth clenched. "What kind of mess is this? What exactly does she have on you?"
Howard didn't answer at all. The old man's usually ruddy face was now deathly pale, his hands trembling so badly he could barely keep his reading glasses on his nose.
"Your Highness." Howard braced himself against the table, struggling to stand upright. "Regarding this regency council matter, I think we should reconsider. I'm not feeling well. I'll take my leave now."
With that, ignoring Darren's livid expression, Howard turned and walked out with a speed that hardly suited a man in his seventies.
Claude and Victor, already feeling guilty, exchanged glances and scrambled out after him like rats fleeing a sinking ship.
The vast meeting room was left with only Darren standing alone. Frustrated beyond control, he kicked over the leather chair beside him.
...
The hovercar glided steadily through the air above the central district.
The cabin was quiet. Rowan sat obediently in her seat, holding an half-eaten lollipop, taking small licks.
Jiang Lijin leaned back in the rear leather seat next to Rowan, eyes closed, resting.
Chiron sat in the driver's seat, having set the autopilot route. He turned, his gaze settling on her slightly weary features.
"You called them out face to face like that. Aren't you afraid they'll strike back desperately?" Chiron broke the silence.
"That's exactly what I want." Jiang Lijin didn't even open her eyes, her tone lazy. "If you don't stir up the water, how can you catch the fish? Howard the old fox is probably scared out of his wits right now. The first thing he'll do when he gets home is destroy evidence or transfer funds."
She shifted into a more comfortable position and continued, "Keep someone on his tail. Follow the trail and dig up everything he's hiding."
Chiron adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, a faint smile flickering in his gray eyes. He admired her style—total control, ambitious yet effortlessly casual.
"Tianyan's people are already on him," Chiron replied. "Our black-market informants span the entire galaxy. Even on the capital planet, as long as I give them a little leeway... if Howard makes a move, the intel will be back at the villa within ten minutes."
Rowan crunched the last bits of candy in her mouth. She glanced at Jiang Lijin, then at Chiron. The little girl didn't really understand what they were talking about, but she thought her sister was amazing—even the usually cold Dean listened to her.
Jiang Lijin opened her eyes, sat up straight, and activated her wristband terminal.
"Tracking inside the Empire isn't enough." She swiped quickly across the holographic screen and opened an encrypted channel. "Now that things have changed here, those three old fools will panic and contact their Federation accomplices to figure out a plan."
The call connected.
A holographic projection flickered, and Baal's imposing face appeared midair. He wore the black combat uniform of the Federation Military, collar slightly open. Background noise suggested he was in some training ground.
"Looking for me?" Baal raised an eyebrow, his golden eyes fixed on the screen. His tone sounded rough, but a subtle lift in his voice betrayed his pleasure.
"You've got work to do, Commander." Jiang Lijin propped her chin on her hand and wagged a finger at him. "Keep an eye on three people for me. Federation councilors—Martin, Lucas, and what's his name... right, Green. Monitor all their communications and private accounts around the clock. Especially any encrypted contact from within the Empire in the coming days."
Baal frowned. "Those three are deeply entrenched in the Federation. You want to move against them?"
"It's not that I want to move against them—they owe a debt, and it's time to pay up." Jiang Lijin didn't elaborate on Operation Withering in the call, simply instructing, "Three nobles on the Empire side have been shaken up. They're all in the same boat. If they try to coordinate, you'll be able to intercept the evidence."
Baal let out a scoff, tapping the desk with his knuckles. "Fine, I'll handle it. But this kind of extrajudicial surveillance on Federation councilors is pretty risky. Wouldn't that count as abusing my authority for personal gain?"
"Sure," Jiang Lijin said without a hint of shame. "You're my husband. What's wrong with helping your wife out with a little personal work? If the Federation Council complains, just blame it on me. Say I, the Imperial Regent, twisted your arm."
That "husband" hit the mark with Baal. He snorted, but the grin spreading across his face was impossible to hide.
"You've got a conscience," Baal said, reaching out to touch the edge of the screen. Through the hologram, the gesture was almost tender. "Watch yourself. The Empire's nobles are masters of dirty tricks. If the Divine Shield squad isn't enough, I'll send over two more battalions."
"Plenty. See you when you get home."
The call ended, and Jiang Lijin stretched lazily.
Chiron watched her orchestrate everything seamlessly, handling Baal—the Federation's sharpest blade—with such ease. He raised an eyebrow, masking the emotion flickering in his eyes.
"What's with that look?" Jiang Lijin turned, catching his lingering gaze.
"Nothing." Chiron set down his water glass, his tone even. "Just thinking about how smooth you've gotten at ordering us around."
Jiang Lijin laughed. "Got a problem with that, Dean? Too bad. Complaints not accepted. I treat you all like family—why not use family when I need them?"
"No complaints." Chiron softened his voice. "Honored."
...
The hovercar pulled up in front of the villa.
As soon as she stepped through the door, Tinia's tall figure bounded over. Dressed in a casual shirt, he slipped into her space with startling speed, skillfully pushing Chiron aside.
"Sister's back! Did those old men in the cabinet bully you?" Tinia said as he smoothly took her coat, his blue eyes sparkling. "I had the chef make a new dish today—I saved it just for you. Come try it."
Jiang Lijin, helpless against his persistence, let him pull her toward the dining table.
Tianyan, who had been reading through optical data on the sofa, got up as they entered. "Boss, after Howard returned to his estate, he mobilized a private starship to transfer a shipment of supplies. Destination: a fringe system."
"Intercept it." Jiang Lijin pulled out a chair and sat down. "I want to know what he's moving. Where's Tianque?"
"Tailing Claude and Victor," Tianyan replied, handing her an electronic log. "Those two are more cautious—no moves yet. But I found that Claude's account had a massive outflow of funds half an hour ago."
Jiang Lijin grabbed a fork and took a bite of the new dish. It was surprisingly good.
"Fast workers." She swallowed, a cold smile on her lips. "Where did the money go?"
“It’s going through the underground bank’s encrypted channel. Still tracking it.”
Jiang Lijin wiped her mouth with a napkin, then turned her head toward Chiron. “Notify Baal to focus on Lucas’s offshore accounts. That money’s most likely payment for a hit.”
Chiron nodded and went off to contact Baal.
Tinia seized the opportunity to sidle up, resting his chin on Jiang Lijin’s shoulder as his fluffy head nuzzled into the crook of her neck. “Sister, what fun thing are you investigating? Count me in. The Yunlan Group has plenty of dealings in the Federation too—I’m a pro at auditing accounts.”
Jiang Lijin pushed his head away. “Adults are talking. Kids stay out of it.”
“Where am I small?” Tinia puffed out his chest indignantly, lowering his voice suggestively. “Didn’t sister personally verify that herself?”
Jiang Lijin nearly choked, smacking him on the back. “Shut it. Go pour Rowan a glass of milk.”
Tinia rubbed his shoulder with a look of grievance, then obediently trotted off to the kitchen.
