Tinia's extended hovercar landed smoothly in front of the detached villa in the suburbs.
Driving straight in without any obstruction, the front yard's lawn was trimmed like a giant green carpet. In the center of the lawn sat a streamlined, small white aircraft, its fuselage gleaming with a cold, hard metallic luster in the night.
This was the Empire's welfare benefit that Su Han had mentioned before. Their efficiency was quite good, delivering it right to the door.
Stepping up the stairs, the main doors slid open to the sides.
At the entryway, two uniformed butlers stood respectfully. They were people Tinia had brought over from the Yunlan Group, whom Jiang Lijin had only met briefly before heading to Valoran. Their employer had run off after just one day on the job, and now that they had finally waited for her return, their attitude was absolutely impeccable.
Between the two men stood a little white robot with a round head. A crescent-shaped smiley face flashed on its screen as it adorably rolled its tracks.
It was Chiron's dowry, the little white robot.
Passing through the corridor, the long dining table in the dining room was already filled with a sumptuous feast.
Translucent thermostatic covers were placed over the dishes, perfectly locking in the heat of the food. Tinia had instructed the chef in advance to prepare the meal with precise timing. The dishes had been out of the pot for less than five minutes in total, so each one maintained its optimal taste.
The four of them took their seats.
Jiang Lijin naturally sat at the head of the table. Tinia was quick to pull out the chair on her right and sit down, conveniently serving her a bowl of hot soup. Baal and Chiron sat opposite them.
The meal was eaten with undercurrents surging.
"Tomorrow morning at nine, I will come to pick you up... and Chief Commander Baal to go to the Academy of Sciences for a checkup." Chiron slowly and methodically cut the vegetables on his plate, his tone gentle.
Baal swallowed a bite of steak and nodded, not saying a word. After all, it was serious business.
The fork in Tinia's hand paused in mid-air, his blue eyes full of tension as he turned to look at Jiang Lijin. "Are you feeling unwell, Sister? Were you injured on the front lines? Or is there a problem with your spiritual sea?"
Jiang Lijin picked up a piece of shrimp and put it in her mouth, chewing and swallowing before speaking. "It's a routine checkup. Don't worry for nothing."
Hearing this, Tinia cast a suspicious glance at Baal, then looked at Chiron, pursing his lips without pressing further.
After finishing the meal, Tinia put down his utensils, his expression turning much more serious. "The butler reported that about a week ago, Tianyan and Tianque came by. Seeing that you weren't home, they stayed for a while and then left."
Hearing these two names, Jiang Lijin frowned.
The twins from the black market.
Their identities were shady, and their style of doing things carried the dangerous aura of outlaws.
She never had a good impression of them to begin with. If she really got entangled with them, there would be endless trouble.
"Tianyan and Tianque? The two whose information even the Mastermind can't find?" Baal put down his knife and fork, his golden vertical pupils narrowing slightly. "These types usually have shady identities. Otherwise, as 3S-grade males, why wouldn't there be any information on them? But how did they get matched to you?"
Chiron wiped his hands, a flash of deep thought passing through his gray eyes. "The Mastermind's matching mechanism is based on genetic compatibility. Even if they don't have official identities, their genetic data is still within the Mastermind's monitoring range. What's interesting is that these two actually dared to come to the main planet to look for someone so blatantly."
"Who cares where those mad dogs are from." Tinia snorted softly. "I bet they wouldn't dare cause trouble here!"
"Enough." Jiang Lijin interrupted the shared enmity of the three men. "I know what I'm doing regarding my own affairs."
Dinner ended in this bizarre silence.
After taking a shower and changing into her pajamas, Jiang Lijin threw herself onto the soft, large bed.
She rolled over, turned on the optical computer on her wrist, and pulled up the Star Signal of Su Han, a staff member at the Female Protection Center. This exclusive customer service representative was always reliable and never asked unnecessary questions.
Her fingertips tapped on the virtual keyboard, and a message was sent out.
What are the procedures required for a divorce?
Su Han's reply was extremely fast, opening with the usual respectful greeting: Good evening, Ms. Jiang. Welcome back safely.
Then he got straight to the point: Regarding the process of dissolving a marriage match that you inquired about, the operation is not complicated. You only need to fill out an electronic form, perform an advanced biometric confirmation, and send it back to me.
After a pause of a few seconds, Su Han sent another long message: However, there is one point I must explain to you. As the only 3S-grade female currently in the interstellar realm, your marital status is public information. Once the dissolution of the matching relationship is confirmed, the Mastermind will make a network-wide announcement. Are you sure you want to proceed?
Subsequently, a blank electronic form was sent over.
Looking at the form on the screen, Jiang Lijin fell into thought.
Regarding the previous matter with Felwin, those two brothers had genuinely helped her out, which counted as a favor. Furthermore, these two spent all year round in the underground world, so their personalities were likely somewhat extreme. If they saw the network-wide announcement and flew into a rage out of humiliation, orchestrating some kind of terrorist attack, it would be impossible to defend against.
Her current situation seemed infinitely glorious, but in reality, she was being watched by multiple factions.
The Empire's royal family, the Federation's military department, and those eyes hiding in the dark were all evaluating her worth. At this time, if she caused a huge uproar over a divorce, it would be far too high-profile.
Weighing the pros and cons, she decided to hold off for now. She would wait until the two brothers came looking for her again to make things clear face-to-face. Parting on good terms was the best strategy, but if they really couldn't come to an agreement... well, they were unregistered citizens anyway...
In her mind, Xiao Yi popped up, its tone gossipy: Host, are you going to divorce Tianyan and Tianque?
"Yes." Jiang Lijin turned off the optical computer and found a comfortable position to lie flat. "Those two clearly aren't law-abiding citizens. Why would I keep them around?"
Xiao Yi strongly agreed: Exactly, the danger factor is way too high. Besides, people from the black market do things without any bottom line. If you really keep them by your side, it's equivalent to tying up two ticking time bombs.
Jiang Lijin thought of another matter. "Didn't you say before that unlocking a new map would upgrade your permissions? Now that we've been to Valoran and Base Zero has been blown up, what level are your permissions at now?"
Xiao Yi puffed out its non-existent chest, its tone extremely smug: The current me is no longer the ordinary me! But an extraordinary me!
It paused for a moment and added mysteriously: Tomorrow when we go to the Academy of Sciences, I'll use the Mastermind for some practice!
Jiang Lijin couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Alright, just don't crash yourself."
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
