Capital Star, Supreme Council.

Zhong Yan entered the office area and noticed that today, someone had arrived earlier than him.

Intelune was already there. His virtual screen for office work was open, looking as though he was already processing tasks. When he saw Zhong Yan enter, he stood up and respectfully bowed, “Good morning, Mr. Zhong.”

“Morning.” Zhong Yan instructed, “When Byer arrives, have him come to me directly.”

“Yes, sir. But it’s still early… I mean, if it’s something that isn’t urgent, I can handle it for you first.”

Zhong Yan paused while opening his office door and looked back at Intelune. His gaze was calm, but Intelune felt an inexplicable tension. Before he could speak again, he heard Zhong Yan say, “Alright. Come in and help me organize the meeting notes I missed.”

Intelune quickly agreed and followed him inside.

The office of the participating council member was equipped with high-security monitoring, meaning only “Butterfly” could see what was happening inside, with no other human privy to it.

Standing to the side, Intelune waited as Zhong Yan opened the virtual screen to transfer the meeting files to him. Suddenly, he asked, “Sir, yesterday, after you left, Mr. Byer asked me about how the discussion on the breach penalty with Commander Steven Atte went.”

“Oh, did he?” Zhong Yan asked, seeming unconcerned. “And how did you respond?”

“I told him I didn’t know the details.”

“When I contacted the ship’s team, you took the call, but as you mentioned, you were only temporarily filling in for Byer. I seem to recall instructing that publicly, we would say it was someone from Navi who came to discuss business. Intelune, is Byer an outsider?”

This was Intelune’s moment to prove himself. He lowered his head and replied, “Mr. Byer used to be Mr. Atte’s first assistant. After you became the council member with Mr. Atte’s recommendation, he became your first assistant. Mr. Atte has always been close to you, so naturally, Mr. Byer isn’t an outsider. I just thought… since your health was already fully recovered, there was no need to trouble him, especially given his age. I apologize if I overstepped.”

Zhong Yan’s expression remained calm and unreadable, his face betraying no emotion. The virtual screen indicated that the file transfer was successful, but he didn’t instruct Intelune to leave.

“You’re very clever. Everyone likes clever people, and I’m no exception.” Zhong Yan wasn’t looking at him. “But you’re too hasty. From the moment you joined my team, you’ve been in a hurry. You’re young; I don’t know what’s got you so anxious. That incident on the ship… that wasn’t a good move. You know what I’m referring to. I don’t want to see a repeat.”

A bead of sweat rolled down Intelune’s temple. “S-Sorry…”

“It’s fine. I’m not blaming you, just a word of caution,” Zhong Yan interrupted him. “If you want to keep working your way up here, you need to be more composed.”

Intelune raised his head sharply. “Are you saying…”

“Starting tomorrow, come to my office every morning. You’re right; Byer is getting on in years. It’s time someone shared some of his responsibilities.”

When Byer arrived punctually in Zhong Yan’s private office, he also brought a piece of news.

“Mr. Atte wants to see me?” Zhong Yan asked. “Now? During work hours?”

“Later in the afternoon, just before the meeting regarding Navi. Mr. Atte wishes to speak with you before it starts.” Byer’s tone was merely informative.

Everyone knew that this senior assistant had been Mr. Steven Atte’s first assistant for decades before Atte retired. Only slightly younger than Atte himself, Byer was practically brought up by him—a loyal follower through and through.

After Atte stepped down, Byer continued working, eventually becoming the first assistant to the newly appointed council member, solidifying rumors that “Patriarch Atte was backing Zhong Yan’s rise.”

Zhong Yan showed due respect to this seasoned assistant, saying nothing more than, “Alright, I’ll finish up here and head over right away.”

The Atte family mansion wasn’t far from the Supreme Council. In the prime real estate of Capital Star, this respected and ancient family occupied an astoundingly large area.

Zhong Yan walked along the carpeted corridor. Both sides of this grand, wide hallway were adorned with portraits of past family heads—not holograms or flat digital screens, but real paintings in ornately gilded frames, emphasizing the family’s grandeur and prestige.

This was the “hallway full of dead people” that Adrian had once described to him. Back then, neither of them had imagined that Zhong Yan would end up visiting Adrian’s so-called “mausoleum” so frequently years later.

Walking steadily behind the butler, Zhong Yan thought: This was where Adrian grew up. The carpet he walked on was likely trodden by seventeen-year-old Adrian countless times. That step there was where Adrian had said he once tripped; the upper corner of the previous patriarch’s portrait was scratched when Adrian was seven, roughhousing with friends… this place felt distant, yet so close.

Zhong Yan wasn’t sure how much these thoughts influenced his decision, but accepting the olive branch extended by the current head of the Atte family wasn’t a difficult choice. He had climbed to a formal high-ranking position in the Supreme Council, but being young, despite his intellect and skills, he had seemingly hit a ceiling in a place that valued seniority. And this family was wealthy, well-connected, with the only direct heir far off in Navi, with no return in sight. Various factions were eyeing the family, and internal unrest was brewing. The best part? They had a patriarch ready to step down as council member.

“Please.” The butler opened the door to the reception room, bowing as he gestured.

Zhong Yan nodded and entered.

Steven took a sip of tea before finally saying, “Sit down.”

Seeing Steven’s cold demeanor, Zhong Yan understood the situation. He thanked him and sat, waiting for Steven to begin the reprimand.

“I heard you proposed the motion to restart the ‘Butterfly’ entry plan for the Navi Star Zone.” Steven set down his cup. Though eighty years old, he still held a formidable presence.

“Indeed,” Zhong Yan replied.

“Hmph!” Steven set down his cup with irritation. “Impulsive! Have you reviewed recent council records? Seven years ago, some impulsive fool proposed the same plan without research! The media made a fuss over it, and after months of deliberation, it didn’t pass. The council became a laughingstock, questioned by the public. Have you forgotten all that? Navi is a sanctuary for fugitives, a crime haven! Change must be gradual. Suddenly introducing artificial intelligence there? That would cut off their livelihood! Those are desperate people; can you handle the consequences?”

“Mr. Atte, that was years ago. Now… I’ve heard things have improved, and it’s not the same as before.”

“Not the same?” Steven grew angrier, pounding his cane on the floor. “From a den of killers to a hotbed of anti-AI extremists? How is that any different! The latter’s even worse! And who did you ‘hear’ this from? No one knows what Navi has really become!”

“Well, if we’re talking research… plenty of Navi residents post photos of their lives on virtual communities.”

“All fake! After so many years as a council member, can you still trust anything coming out of an unmonitored zone?”

“You’re right,” Zhong Yan agreed. “That’s the crux of our issue. Because we can’t ascertain the truth of their situation, I came up with this plan: using ‘Butterfly’ as a guise to enter the Navi Star Zone.”

“A guise?”

“The military holds power there, and we need a strong, compelling reason to shake up their upper echelons and get our people into Navi. I believe this provides just such a reason.”

Steven’s expression softened as he replied, “Explain your idea in detail.”

Navi Military District Headquarters, Intelligence Division.

“Aged twenty-four, with the name or surname Intelune, there is indeed someone in the Supreme Council by that name. Intelune Jeans—here’s his image.”

The intelligence director turned the virtual screen to Fein and Adrian. Fein glanced at it and immediately said, “That’s him.”

“This Mr. Jeans performed well in the Highest Academy, scoring high marks, though there’s no clear evidence he’s aligned with any faction. The professors he was close to are mostly neutral. After graduation, he accepted ‘Butterfly’s suggestion and entered the Capital Star Quality Control Bureau. A year later, he transferred to a local council near Capital Star, performing excellently. When the Supreme Council’s…” The director paused awkwardly, glancing at Adrian’s impassive expression before continuing, “when the Supreme Council appointed a new council member, this younger official brought in several younger talents from other councils—perhaps to avoid the awkwardness of working with older staff. Intelune was among them. To sum it up, he’s a lucky man.”

“He had close professors at the academy,” Adrian mused. “Is there a specific list?”

“Yes, and we’ve already compared it. These professors, outwardly neutral, are all on the new list we just obtained from the academy planet.”

“I see. That explains it well!” Fein said, slapping his fist into his palm. “This person was likely part of ‘Specimen’s branch at the academy from early on—or maybe he even helped establish it and connected with certain professors. They likely compiled that list long ago. With such a convenient path to the Supreme Council, there’s no way it’s just luck. Someone influential must be backing him! Commander, I say…” He leaned in toward Adrian and whispered, “He was personally chosen by that council member, and even attended the anniversary with him. Do you think he could be…”

“No,” Adrian replied flatly. “The person backing him chose Zhong Yan because he’s young and holds a high enough position. Those old men wouldn’t bring in someone that young; only with Zhong Yan would he fit in without raising suspicion.”

The intelligence director’s eyes widened upon hearing that someone from “Specimen” held such a sensitive position in the Supreme Council. Instinctively, he followed Adrian’s train of thought, saying, “Then Councilor Zhong…”

But before he could finish, Fein frantically waved his hands behind Adrian’s back, trying to stop him.

It was too late.

Before the director could realize his mistake, a ceramic cup flew from Adrian’s hand, smashing into pieces against the wall just past the director’s ear.

“Don’t you dare say his name in front of me! How many times do I have to say it? Do you even have a brain?!”