As soon as the words fell, the officer in the holographic projection suddenly straightened his back and gave an extremely standard military salute.
Before coming, the entire upper echelon of the Federal Military had already prepared themselves for a rejection.
In everyone's understanding, females were synonymous with fragility and delicacy. Even a top-tier 3S-grade female was a delicate flower that had to be heavily protected. In the early years, the military had tried letting some high-grade females accompany the army to the frontline medical department to provide spiritual pacification. But what was the result?
Some females fainted on the spot just seeing the terrifying appearance of the Zerg. There were also some who were slightly braver, but faced with such a massive workload and the harsh environment of the frontline filled with radiation and smoke, they couldn't even last a week before falling ill one after another.
Because of this, the Empire's higher-ups had been furious and strictly prohibited the Federation from bringing any female anywhere near the combat zones.
"Ms. Jiang! The Federation will never forget your kindness!" The officer's voice was hoarse, and he spoke so fast it was as if he was racing against time. "In at most an hour, the 'Aegis' escort fleet will arrive in the Valoran system. Please get ready!"
The communication was cut off.
Before Jiang Lijin even had time to catch her breath, her mind was already in an uproar.
[Host! Are you crazy!] Xiao Yi's scream made her brain ache. [Is the frontline a place for humans? Those Zerg are incredibly ugly, covered in slime, and they spit green venom. You'll throw up your overnight meal just looking at them! Let's not go, okay? They can swallow a kid in one bite!]
Jiang Lijin picked up her glass and took a sip of water. [Weren't you nagging in my ear every day that exploring new star systems earns a ton of points and unlocks higher-level system permissions? I'm taking you to open a new map right now.]
[Then we can choose a safe map!] Xiao Yi was so anxious it was almost crying. [Out of the thirteen star systems in the entire universe, only three are at war! We still have eight beautiful star systems to choose from. Do we really have to go to the Sirius system just to throw our lives away? What's the point of having points if you're dead!]
[Wealth is found in danger.] Leaving these words behind, Jiang Lijin ignored Xiao Yi.
As soon as she looked up, she was met with two highly disapproving gazes.
Tinia dashed around the dining table and grabbed her arms tightly with both hands. "Sister! Let that brute die! That kind of hellhole is no place for you. Don't go!"
Chiron sat in his original seat without moving, his gray eyes as dark as a frozen lake.
"This is not a game," his voice was kept very low. "Setting aside how harsh the battlefield environment is, Baal's condition has left even the top medical officers on the frontline helpless, which means his spiritual pollution has reached a critical point. You might be torn apart by his berserk spiritual power before you even get close to him."
He paused for a moment, pointing out the core issue. "You just gave him a deep purification last time. In such a short period, he has been polluted to this extent again. One can only imagine how brutal the current battle on the frontline is."
Jiang Lijin pulled out a tissue and wiped her hands. She thought quickly; she couldn't just openly tell them that she was going for fame and fortune, could she?
"Since the Main Brain matched us together, we are a family." She looked at the two livid males in front of her, and her tone softened. "Since we are family, we can't just watch him die out there and do nothing, right? We have to help each other."
As soon as the word "family" came out, half of the anger in Tinia's stomach was instantly extinguished. He curled his lips and muttered softly, "Who is family with that black snake... Only you and I are family, Sister."
Chiron stood up and adjusted his cuffs. "If you insist on going, I will accompany you. With me there, the risks can be minimized."
Hearing this, Tinia also got excited. He grabbed Jiang Lijin's hand and shook it. "Then I'm going too! The Yunlan Consortium has the top private armed fleet in the entire galaxy. I'll throw in some money to hire three top interstellar mercenary groups to pave the way for you. Who would dare to stop me?"
Jiang Lijin only felt her headache worsen. Did these two think the frontline wasn't chaotic enough?
"Neither of you is allowed to go!" she ordered decisively.
Tinia blinked his eyes aggrievedly. "Why?"
Jiang Lijin sighed and counted on her fingers for them. "First, the Federal Military will absolutely not allow non-military personnel to enter the highest-level combat zone. Second, one of you is the heir to the Yunlan Consortium, and the other is an academician of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. If the two of you march into the Federation's frontline battlefield with such great fanfare, what do you expect the Federal Military to think? That you're spying on military intelligence? Or taking advantage of the crisis?"
Chiron stopped talking. He had been too anxious just now and had forgotten about these matters.
Political suspicion was indeed an unavoidable deadlock. Although the Empire and the Federation had seemingly made peace on the surface, their secret infiltrations and defenses against each other hadn't stopped for a single day.
As a titan of private capital, Tinia's identity was equally sensitive. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he could only run his hand through his blonde hair in frustration and stay silent.
Seeing their defeated looks, Jiang Lijin smiled, her tone relaxed. "Since the Federation dared to send the 'Aegis' to pick me up, it means they are fully prepared. I am the only 3S-grade female in the entire galaxy. They would risk everything they have to keep me safe. Even if you don't believe in Baal, don't you believe in me? I haven't lived long enough yet."
In truth, she wasn't entirely confident herself. Just how deep these muddy waters were was anyone's guess. But since words had already been spoken to this extent, she could only bite the bullet and go.
After pacifying the two, Jiang Lijin turned and went back to her room to change clothes.
Over the past few days, Tinia had bought every piece of clothing she had taken a second glance at, stuffing her walk-in closet fuller than a shopping mall. She picked out a combat suit made of light, breathable material that allowed for easy movement and put it on.
When she pushed the door open and walked into the living room, Tinia was spinning around like a fully wound top. While sending voice messages to his optical computer, he switched into the Yunlan Consortium's internal logistics network, his slender fingers typing so fast on the virtual screen that they left afterimages.
"In a godforsaken place like the frontline, she won't even be able to get a hot meal! Pack up the executive chef of Yunlan's seven-star hotel immediately, and send him to the escort ship along with a full set of kitchenware!"
"And the temperature-controlled protective suits, make sure they are of the highest specifications! Bring a portable holographic cinema set too, so my sister won't get bored on the way!"
"Box up all the luxury nutrient solutions and those natural foods with long shelf lives and good tastes!"
Jiang Lijin walked over with dark lines down her face. "I'm going to the frontline to save someone, not to take a vacation in the Sirius system. Besides, you're bringing a chef along, did the chef even agree to this?"
Tinia turned a deaf ear and continued swiping on the screen. "I don't care! Either way, I can't let you suffer the slightest grievance out there. If he doesn't agree, I'll offer triple his salary. If triple doesn't work, then ten times!"
In comparison, Chiron was much more pragmatic.
He took out a compact white temperature-controlled briefcase from his accompanying medical kit and handed it to Jiang Lijin.
"This case contains a high-concentration spiritual power stabilizer, as well as basic first-aid medications." Chiron opened the case and pointed to a red syringe, his tone extremely serious. "If you encounter Baal and he has completely lost his mind and won't listen to a word you say, inject this directly into his carotid artery. This drug can force an ordinary male into dormancy for twelve hours. Even a 3S-grade male can be forcibly suppressed for three hours."
He closed the case and stared into Jiang Lijin's eyes. "Remember, your safety always comes first. If Baal is beyond saving, abandon him immediately and retreat on your own."
These words were cold to the extreme, but to Jiang Lijin's ears, they sounded exceptionally pleasant.
"Alright, I'll remember," she said, taking the suitcase with a smile.
A low roar echoed from outside the window, causing the floor to vibrate slightly.
The starship had arrived.
Tinia followed Jiang Lijin downstairs with a look of utmost reluctance.
He was carrying that white medical case, along with a large bag of supplies he had forcefully shoved upon her.
Fortunately, the hapless executive chef wasn't packed up and taken along. Before they left, the way the chef looked at Jiang Lijin was as if he were looking at his saviors. The bag only contained some luxury nutrient fluids, portable food, and that set of temperature-controlled protective suits.
A small, heavily armored jump ship, entirely pitch-black, was parked on the tarmac not far from the hotel. The twin-sword emblem of the Federation Military was painted onto its hull.
Because the incident happened so suddenly, the military hadn't had time to evacuate the surrounding residents. The perimeter of the police line was crowded with people, and a dense sea of camera flashes lit up the area.
An officer in uniform walked briskly down the boarding ramp, stopped three steps away from Jiang Lijin, and gave a crisp military salute.
"Ms. Jiang, First Detachment of the Aegis Fleet, under orders to escort you to the Sirius Star System!"
The officer took the luggage from Tinia's hands with both of his own, his respectful attitude leaving absolutely no room for criticism.
Jiang Lijin stepped onto the metal ramp and walked step by step into the ship.
The cabin door slowly closed behind her, completely shutting out the prosperity and clamor of the Valoran Star System.
On the ground, the two top-tier males stood in place, looking up as the ship lifted off.
It wasn't until the ship turned into a streak of light across the horizon that Chiron withdrew his gaze and turned to walk back.
Tinia remained standing in the wind, his blond hair blown into a mess by the air currents. He stared intently in the direction the ship had disappeared, his blue eyes churning with emotions no one could decipher.
He only hoped that his sister would return safely.
If those guys from the Federation couldn't protect her, he swore he would lead the Yunlan fleet and chop Baal and those Zerg from the Sirius Star System into mincemeat!
