The Pomchuan News Channel broadcasted to the Federation's citizens: "This morning, Ares Empire Foreign Minister Boling landed at Capital Star's diplomatic spaceport. The delegation, totaling twenty-eight members, is led by Minister Boling as chief envoy, with Deputy Envoy Jilun, Minister of Diplomatic Security and Vice Commander of the Empire's Tianxuan Fleet. Other members include officials from the Imperial Economic Strategy Committee, the Department of Industry and Information, and a deputy representative for international trade negotiations…"
"The visit is escorted by two massive cruisers, four destroyers, and eight frigates from the Tianxuan Fleet, designated 'Xihe·CA-4·Bifang-class.' Though modest in number, these ships boast formidable defensive and combat capabilities. This marks the Federation's first close encounter with the 'Bifang series' warships in peacetime…"
"After meeting with the Federation Parliament's leader, Minister Boling and his delegation have settled at the Hausen Huaxi Hotel. They've declined all Federation media interviews until a joint star-net press conference with the Federation government. Our reporters remain stationed in the hotel's lobby, delivering real-time updates. Tune in to our live signal A3369478…"
The arrival of Imperial Foreign Minister Boling was monumental news.
Every news outlet in Capital Star buzzed with activity, launching live streams as reporters' shuttles trailed Boling from the spaceport to the Hausen Huaxi Hotel. Military sentries repeatedly dispersed them, like bees buzzing around a honey-dripping flower, separated by a glass barrier.
Few managed close access, but swift media captured Boling's images—a tall, striking figure in a deep brown ceremonial robe, adorned with subtle golden wing motifs at the shoulders and cuffs. Occasionally, a brown-feathered, golden-bellied lark emerged from a ripple of transparent mental energy, perching on his shoulder.
Boling matched his star-net photos, taken some twenty years prior. Imperial longevity made such agelessness unsurprising.
Accompanying him was Jilun, Vice Commander of the Tianxuan Fleet.
Jilun's skin held a faint bronze sheen, his eyes twin pools of captivating gold. Reserved, with slightly curled black hair tucked behind his ears, he wore a stark black military uniform, a vivid red cape draped over his right shoulder. The stark contrast of black and red, paired with his silent, commanding presence, made him impossible to ignore.
At his feet prowled a sleek black panther, its lazy gait belying a predator's readiness. Whenever it paused, its wild, golden eyes locked on a point, signaling an imminent hunt.
The footage of Boling and Jilun sparked a frenzy on the Federation's star-net.
"What kind of diplomatic delegation is this? It's an Imperial model squad!"
"Don't just focus on the envoys—there are female officials too! [Images] I'm drowning in their beauty. So fierce! Those eyes could kill! If the Empire and Federation ever allow intermarriage, do I have a shot? [Blush]"
"Imperials are rarely unattractive. Haven't we known that forever?"
"Forget looks—who's talking about their warships? The Bifang series is insanely cool…"
"Warships need combat power, not aesthetics."
"Yeah, if our Titan series could actually outfight them…"
The Imperial delegation's grandeur prompted the Federation government to meticulous preparations, ensuring no detail disrupted the peace talks.
Boling's entourage of industrial, economic, and trade officials signaled a desire for cooperation. The next decade might herald a "honeymoon period" for Empire-Federation relations.
Zhou Yue found Yan Jingyi and Yaning Kelly at Homan's residence.
Unlike Homan, who faced intense scrutiny, Jingyi and Yaning were briefly questioned by the Military and released. Deemed ordinary cadets, they were fitted with tracking chips and sent home with a warning: "Stay put, don't wander, and await Central Military Academy's enrollment notice."
But after that chaotic night, Homan was detained, and Baisha vanished. Despite their protests, the Military stonewalled, as if "Baisha" had been erased from Federation history.
Frantic, they tried contacting Lady Qiong, only to learn she'd been reassigned by the Military Procuratorate. Her new task—training novice investigators in another star system—severed their connection.
Zhou Yue's arrival was a lifeline.
Jingyi's face was ashen. "Do you know what's going on?"
Zhou Yue glanced at them, cutting to the chase. "Baisha has Imperial genes—she's an Imperial. She's on Black Reef Star, under Military interrogation. They're ruthless, aiming to break her mental strength. She's in grave danger."
"We need to save her."
Jingyi and Yaning reeled, stunned by the revelation.
"Baisha's an Imperial?" Yaning exclaimed. "No way! Homan found her in a junkyard. Do Imperials dump kids in trash heaps? I thought that was a Federation thing!"
Yaning's outburst stemmed from demographics: the Ares Empire's population paled compared to the Federation's, with reproduction far more challenging. Many Imperial couples had only one child in a lifetime, each newborn cherished. The Empire's child protection laws dwarfed the Federation's in rigor. Even orphans received superior care, often surpassing that of some parented children. For centuries, no "Imperial orphan" had drifted to Federation space.
If the Empire learned the Military was secretly interrogating an underage Aresian…
Yaning wasn't sure if the Empire would erupt, but the visiting delegation surely would.
With peace talks nearly finalized, terms and benefits clarified, such a scandal would give the Empire leverage to exact a heavy toll from the Federation.
The catch: the Empire had to know Baisha existed.
Jingyi said, "You came to us with a plan. What is it?"
"I need to infiltrate the Hausen Huaxi Hotel and deliver evidence to the Imperials," Zhou Yue said calmly. "But the hotel's under tight Military surveillance. I need help."
"Lay out the plan," Yaning said. "But we've got Military tracking chips. If we near the hotel, they'll spot us instantly."
"Easy fix," Zhou Yue said, pulling tools from his bag. "I've dealt with tracking chips before. I can remove yours and spoof the Military's monitoring with fake signals."
The Zhou family bred control freaks—his father Zhou Yan, uncle Zhou Zheng, and brother Zhou Ying included. Zhou Yue, subjected to mental strength experiments as a child, had removed dozens, if not hundreds, of chips from himself and his belongings.
"Who's first?" he asked, brandishing a sharp tool.
Jingyi stepped forward. "Me." She swept her black hair aside, baring her pale neck.
Zhou Yue's technique was deft, precise. He generated a false signal field, then used a small silver blade to extract the chip without damaging major vessels or muscles. He placed the chips in spherical devices that mimicked human movement, heartbeats, and blood pressure, fooling the Military temporarily.
Yaning's chip came out next. He winced, slapping a bandage on his neck.
"Let's plan the infiltration," Zhou Yue said.
They gathered around a coffee table, projecting a 3D map of the hotel's surrounding streets.
"I scouted the area," Zhou Yue said, marking positions. "The Military has remote surveillance here—drones, optical sensors, snipers, satellites. No blind spots, top to bottom."
"Is this security or a lockdown?" Yaning gaped. "They're terrified of any Federation-Imperial contact, aren't they?"
"Not quite. Except for the delegation's floors, the hotel's open to VIPs. But all entry routes are monitored, and the hotel rigorously vets guests. Getting inside is the hurdle," Zhou Yue explained. "To avoid offending the Imperials, the Military avoids stationing guards on their floors. If we reach the delegation's level via elevator, the path's clear."
Not entirely clear—Imperial soldiers guarded the envoys. The delegation declined Federation intrusions, but Zhou Yue believed his evidence would sway them.
Jingyi asked, "How do we get in?"
Yaning brainstormed, "Pose as guests, staff, cleaners?"
"Those need prearranged cover," Zhou Yue said. "Baisha can't wait that long."
"We'll flip the script," he said, eyes gleaming. "We pose as Imperials."
Yaning and Jingyi exchanged puzzled looks.
"Posing as Imperials is simple," Zhou Yue said. "A mimicry device can replicate their appearance. For authenticity, we'll project 'mental entities.'"
He handed mimicry devices to Yaning and Jingyi, loading photos of Imperial officials. Their faces transformed to match. Then, he gave them small black button-like devices. Pressing one opened an interface: "Customize Your Mental Entity Appearance."
"These are 'mental entity simulators' from the black market," Zhou Yue said. "They use light projection to create lifelike animals. In the Federation, some envy Imperial mental entities; these are cosplay props. Ignoring mental strength, they're convincingly Imperial."
Mental strength was no issue. All three had S-grade or higher, easily mimicking "overflowing" Imperial officials.
Jingyi said, "We've picked our disguises. How do we ensure entry?"
"I checked the delegation's itinerary," Zhou Yue said, displaying a classified schedule—child's play for a Zhou heir to obtain. "The chief and deputy envoys stay at the hotel, but minor diplomatic officials leave at 10 a.m. for the Federation News Department to plan the press conference. They'll take a specially numbered military shuttle, an eight-minute trip to the government building. During those eight minutes, even the Military won't question their movements. My family owns an identical shuttle."
Zhou Yue planned to forge a matching ID plate for his shuttle, a Military violation but his only option. As the officials departed, he'd reverse their route, parking at the hotel. They'd claim forgotten documents to reenter.
Neither patrolling soldiers nor hotel staff would suspect them in the brief window.
The plan hinged on luck. If the hotel manager boldly demanded ID from "returning Imperial officials," they'd be exposed.
Still, Zhou Yue's plan was near-optimal—evading drones and snipers, relying on deception over combat.
At 9:30 a.m., the trio boarded Zhou Yue's military shuttle, parked in a quiet track corner.
They tested the mimicry devices and mental entity simulators. For accuracy, Zhou Yue had researched the officials' entities: a lynx, a weasel, and a squirrel. Glowing, translucent animals danced around them, charmingly lifelike.
"Imperial mental entities… such a hallmark," Yaning said, enduring the squirrel climbing him like a tree, feigning nonchalance. "But Baisha's Imperial, right? Why no entity?"
Zhou Yue stayed silent.
Perhaps that absence fueled her plight. Had her entity manifested early, her Aresian nature would've been obvious, prompting her repatriation.
At 9:55 a.m., Zhou Yue swapped the shuttle's ID plate and engaged autopilot, steering toward the hotel. "We're moving. Act Imperial—project your entities and release mental strength."
In hours prior, Zhou Yue had coached them on mental strength projection. Jingyi and Yaning mastered it in thirty minutes.
At 10:00 a.m., the shuttle's engines flared silver. Weaving through bustling flight tracks, they reached the hotel's landing pad. The pad's guards, puzzled by their quick return, granted access.
The trio disembarked, their black diplomatic robes glinting in the sun. Their simulated entities—frenetic with excitement—swirled in the air, their potent mental strength spilling out. Hotel staff parted instinctively, marveling: Imperials' mental strength is unreal.
From the pad, they entered the hotel's rear door. Sentries and guards didn't dare obstruct them.
The lobby's opulent lights and gleaming marble floors dazzled them.
A young manager in a black-and-white butler suit smiled. "Gentlemen, back so soon? Need something?"
Yaning and Jingyi, awed by the grandeur, stiffened as the manager approached.
Zhou Yue's aristocratic aura held firm. A severe frown made the manager's smile waver.
"Nothing," Zhou Yue said coolly. "I forgot two critical documents in my room. We'll grab them and go."
Ignoring the manager, he strode toward the teleportation elevator.
The manager watched them go, relieved but grumbling inwardly: Imperials, forgetting files for a meeting? And blasting mental pressure for their own mistake?
The trio crossed the lobby without looking back. Rounding a corner, out of the manager's sight, they slumped against a wall, exhaling.
"That was terrifying!" Yaning muttered.
"You nearly terrified me," Zhou Yue said, weary. "I said release mental strength, not crush them with it. You'll draw attention."
Jingyi and Yaning exchanged glances, reining in their mental strength.
Their simulated entities remained lively—the squirrel tugged Yaning's hair, the weasel tumbled on Zhou Yue's shoulder, the lynx clawed Jingyi's hem. A small golden-bellied lark appeared, chirping melodiously, as if joining the chaos—
Wait.
A lark?
Where did that come from?
The trio froze.
A sleek, muscular black panther emerged from a shadowed corner, its steps light yet powerful. Its golden eyes locked on them, radiating a predator's menace.
That was a true mental entity.
A fusion of raw, potent mental strength.
Unlike their playful, simulated pets, its presence stilled the air.
Mental entities were an Imperial's other half, their consciousness and gaze an extension of their master's.
The trio sensed, unmistakably, they'd been caught.
"I wondered why unfamiliar mental strength was nearby," a warm voice said, laced with a soft chuckle, each word riding a captivating rhythm. "So, three infiltrators… I won't call you 'rats'—your mental strength is respectable. But why are you here? Care to explain?"
Foreign Minister Boling appeared, smiling.
Behind him stood Jilun, expressionless. Less approachable than Boling, he exuded no overt menace, more like a powerful, tranquil feline. His golden eyes studied them, a brow arched with curiosity.
Yaning and Jingyi swallowed hard but rallied. Caught by Imperials, they'd achieved their goal.
Zhou Yue met Boling's gaze, resolute. "I'm here to save my friend—an Imperial."
Boling's eyes flickered with surprise.
"My friend, Baisha, grew up in the Federation but was exposed as Imperial during academy medicals," Zhou Yue said, projecting his evidence. "The Military took her to Black Reef Star, their secret prison. They plan to use 'The Hub' to interrogate her, but it'll destroy her mental strength."
Boling's smile faded. Jilun, in his military uniform, grew grave.
Zhou Yue's evidence was compelling, but Baisha's photo on the holo-screen left Boling and Jilun stunned, bewildered—
"I'll contact the Federation Military immediately," Boling said, brushing past them.
His face, once genial, was now grimly severe.
The trio exchanged glances. They knew the Empire was protective, but Boling's swift, fierce reaction—charging off without further questions—seemed excessive.
"Send me that data," a low, magnetic voice said.
It was Jilun, speaking for the first time.
Zhou Yue complied.
"Rest assured," Jilun said, his voice firm, his golden eyes glinting with resolve. "If this is true… the Empire won't let it slide."