“If they’re not genuinely looking to expand ‘Butterfly’ to cover Navi, then there’s no need for us to entertain this so-called special envoy.”

Another officer chimed in, “Exactly. The meeting records show they’re eager to get reliable intel on our internal affairs. Both the envoy’s ship and his person will be carrying numerous hidden recording devices. We might as well ban them from entering altogether and let them record footage of the border from afar.”

“That’s not appropriate,” a younger officer objected. “Leaving aside the authenticity of this record, even if it’s true, what will the public think? ‘Butterfly’ wants to enter Navi, and we’re outright refusing any engagement. We know it’s a front, but the public doesn’t. Besides, I still doubt the authenticity of this intelligence. Could a detailed round-table meeting record like this really get leaked? Are we suggesting that there’s a traitor among the twelve attending council members?”

A fellow officer scoffed, “Traitor? Call it an enlightened patriot!”

“Are you deliberately picking a fight with me?”

Adrian tapped the table. “Enough! Don’t you two ever have a meeting without bickering? Why don’t you both step outside and settle it with a duel?”

The two officers fell silent.

The liaison officer sitting to Adrian’s left spoke up, “Regarding this… based on some unexpected intel we acquired recently,” he cast a glance at Fein across the table, “though we don’t know the specifics of how it happened, it is possible for such a record to have been leaked.”

Fein nodded in agreement.

A quiet hum of discussion rose around the table. Another officer proposed, “Then how about we meet them somewhere outside the Navi Star Zone?”

“Their envoy’s mission is to ‘evaluate the Navi Star Zone’s primary planet for establishing a signal base.’ If we don’t meet on the main planet, they’re unlikely to agree.”

“As soon as they enter Navi, where they go is entirely up to us, isn’t it? They can’t exactly force a landing on the main planet.”

“The point is to keep them out of Navi! The report mentions that the surveillance equipment on their ship can detect laser weaponry within half a planet’s radius. Is there any planet of ours without laser weapons?”

Adrian suddenly said, “White Shield Star.”

Everyone paused, and Fein was the first to catch on. “Exactly! White Shield Star doesn’t have any! Forget laser or quantum weapons; even traditional firearms are scarce there. Let them scan all they want.”

White Shield Star was a contentious planet. Situated on the border between the Navi Star Zone and an adjacent zone, it was administratively part of the neighboring Leber Star Zone. Three years ago, extensive deposits of rare minerals were discovered beneath the planet’s surface. ‘Butterfly’ reclassified White Shield Star from a residential planet to a resource planet, issuing a migration suggestion to the few residents living there.

The planet was far from wealthy, with limited transportation, but its people had a deep attachment to their land and were reluctant to see it transformed into a desolate mining zone. Leber’s regional parliament made multiple appeals to the Capital Star, asking to retain some residential areas and allow the locals to stay, turning the planet into a semi-residential, semi-extraction zone. All appeals were denied.

A year later, with a contractor selected and extraction plans finalized, the residents faced forced eviction. In desperation, White Shield Star turned to the Navi Star Zone for aid. Within a week, the planet’s local council announced its secession from Leber’s jurisdiction to join Navi’s. Leber’s authorities turned a blind eye, claiming that they allowed White Shield Star’s secession under threat from the Navi military. By the time personnel from Capital Star arrived, the region was firmly under Navi’s control, and they were held back at the newly extended border.

The Capital Star refused to acknowledge this agreement, and in official star maps, White Shield Star remained part of the Leber Star Zone. In practice, however, it had become one of Navi’s outermost planets.

“No need to let them reach Navi. The meeting notes clearly state that the envoy’s ship won’t follow a fixed route and will attempt to avoid public view by looping from Leber’s relative south. That means they’ll enter from our southern border. We’ll intercept them directly in Leber’s territory and force them to alter their course to land on White Shield Star,” Adrian concluded decisively.

He remembered that part of the meeting very clearly. Zhong Yan had described his intended route in detail, which Bud had mockingly dismissed, saying, “You can discuss this with your people back home; no need to tell us.”

The gathered officers were visibly taken aback. Fein hesitated, “Commander, are we really going to forcibly intercept them? Those are Supreme Council representatives. Shouldn’t we at least start with diplomacy, maintain some decorum…”

“No,” Adrian replied firmly. “If they’re coming to my territory, they’ll follow my rules.”

“Commander! Boss, hold on a sec!” Fein chased after Adrian, following him into his office. “Slow down a bit and tell me, what’s your plan for this envoy?”

“My plan?” Adrian replied, “I don’t have any.”

Fein scoffed, “How can you not have a plan? Once he’s in Navi, it’s our turf. After we catch him, you need to decide—grilled or deep-fried? We can’t have the underlings messing it up without knowing your preference.”

Adrian’s voice turned cold. “Don’t touch him.”

The words hung in the air, and both men froze. Adrian awkwardly added, “Zhong Yan is a civilian. He’s never been in a fight his whole life. You’re all soldiers I personally trained—fighting someone who can’t lift a finger would be disgraceful… Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m looking at you like you’re beyond saving. You still like him, don’t you?”

“Shut up.”

“Can’t you stop acting like this whenever it comes up?” Even Fein, usually easygoing, was growing exasperated. “Remember your first year in Navi? You looked like a ghost, like you were on the verge of death. Later, you told me you’d moved on, but I’m not blind. On Academy Star… you never forgot him. You’ve been hung up on him for years, and I don’t think you’ll ever get over it. So why not skip the penalty, marry him, and find an excuse to keep him here in Navi? Lock him up if you have to. Isn’t that better than pining from afar?”

Adrian replied icily, “Are you out of your mind? That’s illegal detention.”

“Illegal what? You illegally occupied an entire star zone, for crying out loud…”

“Fein, I won’t meet him.” Adrian hesitated, then continued, “He’ll cloud my judgment.”

Fein pressed, “What judgment?”

“Can’t you see? Whenever I see him, I lose control of my emotions, and…” Adrian remembered the image of Zhong Yan with red-rimmed eyes, tear-streaked face in a dim stairwell. He recalled Zhong Yan curled up, trembling, on surveillance footage and even what Fein had suggested about “locking him up.” Adrian’s throat bobbed involuntarily. He closed his eyes briefly and said, “In short, he disrupts me. You and the liaison officer will handle this. I won’t see him.”

“Xiao Yan,” Adrian murmured, hugging Zhong Yan from behind, burying his head on his shoulder. “I’m so hungry. How much longer?”

“Almost done, almost done!” Zhong Yan replied, deftly adding a spoonful of seasoning to the pot. Adrian, who was much taller, had his arms wrapped around Zhong Yan, making it awkward to flip the pan, but Zhong Yan didn’t ask him to let go and continued cooking in this challenging position.

“Are you really that hungry? How about I serve you a small bowl first as an appetizer? I’m sorry, I was late coming back from class today.” He fretted, “I’ll walk faster next time so that you can eat as soon as you get home…”

With only half a year left until graduation, the unease within him grew stronger. Adrian had shared his plans to start fresh in the Navi Star Zone, adding that Fein had shown great enthusiasm for it.

Fein Xyster—Adrian’s close friend and kindred spirit since their second year at school. Adrian had come back from his first day of sophomore year excitedly telling Zhong Yan about this friend who shared his ideals and was especially in sync with him.

Zhong Yan only had Adrian as his friend, but Adrian had many friends. Fein was his trusted confidant, even suggesting that he should invite Fein to their dorm for a visit.

Their dorm—just the two of them. How could anyone else enter that space? Zhong Yan, from a humble background, was always worried he’d do something wrong and irritate Adrian, losing their closeness. He rarely refused Adrian, always accommodating every request, big or small, but that time, he stood firm.

The Military Academy was far from their dorm, and Adrian didn’t cook, so Zhong Yan took charge of dinner. Later, when Adrian complained about the academy’s food, Zhong Yan even started packing his breakfast and lunch.

Fortunately, his grades were stellar, covering tuition and providing ample aid, more than enough to support meals for both.

“Adrian,” he ventured one evening over dinner, “if… if someone’s beliefs and goals differed from yours, but for you to reach your goals, you had to achieve the same thing, would you cooperate with them?”

“Of course not,” Adrian replied bluntly. “I’d find like-minded people. Why get tangled with someone whose beliefs clash with mine? Why? Is this some editorial topic?”

“…Yes, yes.” Zhong Yan lowered his head, nudging the sweet-and-sour ribs toward Adrian. “Your favorite. I tried a new vinegar brand today. See how it tastes.”

Just lie to him, convince him you’re just taking a different path to the same goal, an inner voice urged. After all, the aim is the same. He trusts you so deeply; he’d never know!

But that wasn’t true. Zhong Yan lay restless at night. No, I’m not pretending for the sake of a shared cause. I’m doing this for myself. I can lie to anyone, but this is Adrian… How could I ever deceive him?

“…Mr. Zhong! Mr. Zhong! Mr. Zhong!”

Someone was pounding on his door, dragging him out of a seven-year-old memory. He was aboard the ship to Navi Star Zone, on the fourth day of travel. They were only one zone away from Navi.

Quickly changing clothes, Zhong Yan called out to Byer on the other side of the door, “What’s going on?”

“Our ship has been intercepted!”

Well, that sounds like Adrian’s style, Zhong Yan thought, unsurprised. Opening the door, he walked briskly with Byer toward the docking interface, asking, “What’s their demand? A request to meet outside Navi’s main star zone? I already said that’s out of the question…”

“Mr. Zhong,” Byer interrupted with a grim expression, “the ones who stopped us aren’t from the Navi Star Zone. It’s space pirates. They’re after money.”