A World Apart

Ye Hongci didn't drag it out any longer. "A wanted criminal."

Tang Ying: "...?"

"She killed one of the three rulers of that world, as well as the successor to another ruler. After a hefty bounty was placed on her head, she escaped through layers of that world's elite forces and fled into the beast world. Up until the second before she arrived in our Haendeng Galaxy, she was still living among the alien beasts in that world."

Ye Hongci's few words packed in a lot of information. Tang Ying took a moment to process. "What did she do in that world?"

"A Pioneer. That's what that world calls the people who venture into the beast world to explore."

"Are all the Pioneers in that world as formidable as she is?" Tang Ying couldn't help but ask, as this was her main concern.

"No, only her."

Tang Ying let out an obvious sigh of relief.

Ye Hongci rested her hands on the table. "She's an outstanding person, no matter the world. Her arrival here is fate. Fate has delivered a sharp blade to our Haendeng Galaxy, and we must seize it."

"Will that thing that lets you cross worlds appear again?"

"According to those people, it appears irregularly. In the past, it only connected their world and the beast world. This time, it connected to ours. I think our Haendeng Galaxy and the other two worlds will see frequent connections from now on." Ye Hongci gazed out the window, unable to imagine what such a world would be like.

Tang Ying looked up at Ye Hongci and hesitated before speaking. "Will she be willing to stay here long-term?"

Ye Hongci's hands trembled slightly. "That's why I need to send her to the front lines immediately."

A flicker of sympathy passed through Tang Ying's eyes—sympathy for Ye Hongci placing her hopes on a human from another world. She couldn't help but caution, "Commander, she alone can't change anything."

Ye Hongci said firmly, even stubbornly, "I believe in her."

Tang Ying was puzzled and narrowed her eyes, studying Ye Hongci. This wasn't the commander's usual way of doing things.

Though the commander worried about the future of the Haendeng Galaxy, she had always been calm and composed. She weighed pros and cons, assessed the situation, and deliberated over every decision. Even at critical moments on the battlefield, she kept a clear head and made decisions logically.

But the commander now gave her an inexplicable feeling.

Tang Ying chose her words carefully. "Commander, do you know her character? She killed someone in that world and was wanted—what was the reason? If she has poor integrity and is just using us, raising her up might threaten our entire Haendeng Galaxy."

A calm smile played on Ye Hongci's lips. She had anticipated this question. "Her reasons for killing weren't what you think. There's a lot behind it. I'll have the investigator send you the file later, and after you read it, you'll change your mind."

Tang Ying opened her mouth to speak, but seeing Ye Hongci's unyielding expression, she held back and said nothing more.

"Don't let her know what we discussed today. She just needs to focus on the battlefield." Ye Hongci leaned back in her chair.

"What should we do with the people from the other world?"

Ye Hongci pressed her lips together, thought for a moment, and said, "Keep them in custody. Try getting them into the mecha. If they can learn as fast as Tu Ran, send them to the front lines. Our Haendeng Galaxy doesn't support idlers."

Tang Ying nodded.

"You may go. Send Tu Ran up. I want to talk to her."

Tang Ying turned and left.

Shortly after, Tu Ran, who was still sparring with the instructor below, received a message displayed on the lower-left of her mecha.

Tu Ran glanced at it, immediately pulled back from the instructor, and raised her hand. "Instructor, stop! The commander wants to see me."

The instructor wiped the sweat from his face and nodded. "Go ahead. Return the mecha first."

Tu Ran piloted the mecha back to the storage room, positioned it in line with the others, and jumped out. She headed toward the address in the message.

Upstairs, she found the room and was about to press the doorbell when Ye Hongci's voice came through the intercom on the door. "Come in."

Tu Ran pushed the door open and stepped inside. Ye Hongci's figure came into view, seated at her desk, facing the door.

Tu Ran closed the door and walked in, asking, "Commander, is something wrong?"

"How's the mecha training going?" Ye Hongci asked with a kind smile, her gaze gentle as if looking at her own child.

"Not bad." Tu Ran smiled, stopped in front of the desk, clasped her hands in front of her, and said honestly, "It's going more smoothly than I expected."

"You're very smart." Ye Hongci didn't spare praise, pointing to the chair opposite her. "Have a seat."

Tu Ran pulled out the chair and sat down, her movements precise and neat. Her back was ramrod straight, hands resting naturally on her knees—the perfect posture of a regular soldier. Not a single flaw.

Ye Hongci watched this, her mind unconsciously drifting to Tu Ran's demeanor in the other world.

There, she had been nothing short of a rogue—digging out beast cores, seizing others' abilities, flipping the table when she was dissatisfied, and walking away when she grew tired. Cross her in the morning, and you'd be dead by night. She was utterly arrogant and reckless.

But this person before her was almost unnervingly obedient.

"Tomorrow, I'm returning to the front lines. I plan to take you with me."

"So soon?" Tu Ran was briefly surprised—this was much sooner than she'd anticipated. But she'd already learned most of what she needed, and getting to the battlefield earlier meant accumulating Mental Energy sooner. She immediately added, "I'm ready to leave at any time."

Ye Hongci nodded, approving of her spirit.