Chapter 266

Chapter 266

The next day, Eve awoke in her rather cramped dormitory bed feeling uncharacteristically disoriented.

Conditions in the military legion were spartan. She had always prided herself on adapting quickly to any environment, but sleeping on that rock-hard cot, Eve had, for once, suffered from insomnia, finally drifting off around three or four in the morning.

Just then, the sounds of washing in the communal bathroom ceased abruptly. Alice emerged, wiping her hands, to find Eve still lying on the bed, a serene, world-weary expression on her face, hands folded neatly over her abdomen, as if bathed in a holy glow.

Alice: "..."

She asked hesitantly, "Eve, what's wrong?"

Eve remained rigidly still on the bed, letting out a faint "Hmm?" before adding, "Still alive, just barely."

After a long moment to gather herself, remembering other commitments for the day, Eve let out a deep sigh. She finally managed to drag herself out of her sleep-deprived funk.

Alice was already dressed and ready to head to her customs job at the starport. As she was about to leave, Eve glanced at the sky outside the window, mentally calculating Alice's long daily work hours. A sudden thought struck her, and she called out, stopping Alice: "Alice, roughly how many ships does the port clear each day?"

"Oh? Why the sudden curiosity?"

Alice paused mid-stride, instinctively closing the door she had just cracked open. After a moment's thought, she offered a more precise answer: "We usually clear about seventeen to eighteen thousand ships daily. Recently, traffic has been heavier—probably because Marshal Frigga is stationed here, and people from nearby star systems are all flocking to Cygnus. Yesterday, we inspected a total of twenty-three thousand ships."

What did twenty-three thousand interstellar ships signify? It was enough to relocate the entire permanent population of a medium-sized planet. Of course, high-tier planets earned their designation due to their technological advancement, abundant resources, and vast land area, which were worlds apart from medium-tier planets. Even if the populations of ten medium-tier planets were to relocate, Cygnus Prime could easily accommodate them.

But Eve couldn't quite grasp it: was it truly safe to issue so many entry visas in such a short span of time?

She had a gut feeling that something wasn't quite right, but seeing Alice's slightly puzzled expression, she hesitated for a moment before waving her hand and saying, "It's nothing, I was just curious. Isn't it almost time for you to leave? You should get going."

"Oh, oh! Right, I'm running late. I'll head out now. If anything comes up, just hit me up on the terminal!"

Having already delayed for a bit, Alice had no time to dawdle and hurried off. Back in the dorm room, Eve propped her chin on her hand, lost in thought, tapping her fingers on the table a few times. In the end, she decided to trust Alice's capabilities.

If there really was a problem, Alice should be able to detect it in time, right?

Without further delay, Eve made her way to the three-story building she had visited the day before. Once again, Vice-Director Hu opened the door for her. Along the way, he kept stealing glances at Eve, as if he had something to ask, but since he didn't bring it up, Eve pretended not to notice.

After a night of rest, Zuo Tan’s condition had stabilized significantly. The bionic hand, installed later, had already integrated seamlessly with her original arm with the aid of coupling agents. A faint, brownish bloodline was visible at the connection point, expected to disappear on its own within two or three days.

Beyond that, the hand now functioned identically to Zuo Tan’s original. By the time Eve arrived, the morning patrol doctors had already examined Zuo Tan. They were astonished to discover that the young woman, who just days prior had been tormented by Zerg venom and unable to sleep, had recovered her health in a single day. Compared to the generous check Zuo Tan had willingly offered as payment, the doctors were more curious about who had performed such a miracle, snatching her from the clutches of death.

"Master Lu Zhan!"

Zuo Tan had already reported her condition to her superiors. So, the moment she saw Eve arrive, she walked over with a smile. Just as the two were about to leave, Vice-Director Hu could no longer contain himself and quickly called out to stop Eve.

Eve turned halfway. "Is there something you need?"

"Well, you see, we've all witnessed how you healed Miss Zuo Tan. Everyone is curious about how you managed it."

Asking outright for someone’s research results was rather improper, and Eve didn’t seem like the most patient person. Vice-Director Hu wiped the sweat from his forehead and braced himself to say, "There are many other patients on this floor suffering from the same agony as Miss Zuo Tan. We were hoping you could teach us the method for treating Zerg venom. I’m sure the Marshal would also hope that you’d be willing to share your effective technique."

Eve narrowed her eyes. "Are you using the Marshal to pressure me?"

Vice-Director Hu waved his hands repeatedly. "No, of course not! If you’re unwilling to share, we would never force you. But many of our military doctors are also alchemists. If they could learn this formula, or method, it would not only take some weight off your shoulders but also allow more people to be saved."

"If you agree, you can let me know anytime," he said sincerely. "And even if you decline, we will still do our best to assist you."

The young alchemist’s expression was hidden beneath her wide hat, making it impossible to discern her mood. But Zuo Tan, standing behind her and observing discreetly, felt that Eve was actually in a fairly good mood after hearing this.

Every second of her silence felt like an eternity of psychological pressure for Vice-Director Hu—This was a Master Alchemist from the capital planet, after all. If this was her trade secret, it was only natural she might not want to share it. But for the sake of the patients’ lives, he had to try.

After what felt like an eternity, Eve finally pulled her hat down and said solemnly, "Since you put it that way—"

Vice-Director Hu and the other medical staff held their breath.

"—I’ll need some time to consider it."

Eve said bluntly. So far, she had only tested the treatment on Zuo Tan. She wasn’t even sure of the potion’s efficacy herself—even if she wanted to teach others, she couldn’t.

Vice-Director Hu: "..."

Could you please not pause so dramatically!

Fortunately, the outcome was better than he had expected. At least Eve had left room for consideration.

As they watched the two leave, another attending physician whispered to Vice-Director Hu, "If Lu Zhan ultimately refuses to help us, should we ask the Marshal for assistance?"

"Better not. No one wants to anger an alchemist, not even the Marshal," Vice-Director Hu patted his colleague’s shoulder firmly and said with slight exasperation, "Alright, we know how the Alchemist Association folks can be. But I think Miss Lu Zhan is quite reasonable. Success depends on effort. Let’s disperse for now."

-

Eve had originally planned to take Zuo Tan to the Governor's mansion by taxi. The intercity bus was too slow; by the time it wound its way to the city center, lunchtime would be long over.

Unexpectedly, just as they stepped out of the camp gates, a fiery red luxury hover-car was parked right in the middle of the road, blazing like a wild fire. Eve paused, wondering who was being so flashy as to showboat in front of the military camp. She was about to walk past as if she hadn’t seen it when Zuo Tan grabbed her right hand.

"Don’t go," Zuo Tan said, looking at her puzzledly and pointing at the car. "That’s the special car sent by the Governor. We can just get in directly."

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, but soldiers naturally have sharper hearing than ordinary people. As soon as she spoke, several passing soldiers shot disapproving looks at this seemingly extravagant and decadent alchemist.

Eve: "..."

If she said she was just someone who normally took taxis, would anyone believe her?

Thank goodness she hadn’t attended the welcome banquet Governor Garcia had arranged for her last night, or she might have been thrown out of the military camp by Frigga overnight. Once inside the car, however, Eve looked at Zuo Tan kneeling beside her and couldn’t help frowning. "There are empty seats. Why are you kneeling on the floor?"

Zuo Tan shook her head, quickly glanced at the driver in the front seat, and whispered, "You are the guest, I am the attendant. It’s improper for us to sit together."

"The Garcia family’s rule?"

Zuo Tan hesitated for a moment, then nodded silently.

"That's insane," Eve rolled her eyes. These borderland local warlords had more rules than the Medici family, the top aristocratic family on the capital planet. Who did they think they were? She directly reached out and pulled Zuo Tan up to sit beside her. "Just consider it me forcing you."

Back during the league matches, Yan Ning used to complain about Murphy being a pain. After this experience, Eve suddenly felt like dragging Yan Ning over to see that, compared to his family, Murphy was actually quite restrained.

But speaking of which, she wondered how the other students who participated in the competition were doing after it ended—She hoped everyone was safe.

Zuo Tan sensed the shift in mood of the person beside her but couldn’t tell if it was because of her or Garcia’s overstepping. Trained at Flying Bird to be highly observant, she had been about to share some internal information about the Garcia family with Eve but immediately clammed up upon seeing Eve’s displeasure.

In this somewhat unpleasant atmosphere, Eve finally arrived at the Garcia residence.

Like the entire main city district, the Garcia estate was nestled amidst lush greenery. Passing through the courtyard, one could glimpse, through the branches, an exquisitely carved and elegantly shaped pair of swans with necks entwined, surrounded by pure white roses, with clear water flowing from the swans’ eyes.

The current governor of the Cygnus system, Gulfft Garcia, and his wife were waiting for them in the front hall. Both appeared to be around forty years old. Gulfft had elegant blond hair and deep, somber brown eyes, while the Governor's wife had silver hair and blue eyes—which Eve found strikingly familiar—with sharp, refined features. From their facial contours, one could tell that the eldest young master, Murphy, owed his good looks primarily to his mother.

"This is my first time meeting the Governor and his wife," Zuo Tan whispered to Eve. "I’m getting this chance thanks to you."

Eve’s mouth twitched. "If your father were still around, they’d be the ones saying that."

It might be possible for high nobility to meet them with effort, but wanting to meet a major space pirate was another story altogether—one with no return. Although, frankly, no one really wanted to meet such a living devil anyway.

Zuo Tan, she said, "You’re right about that. But my father should go die anyway."

The Governor, holding a walking stick in one hand and offering his arm for his wife to take with the other, had never met the alchemist who had come all the way from the capital. Yet, when the young woman in a black dress and wide-brimmed hat slowly walked in, he keenly sensed an air of importance in her leisurely demeanor.

When the branch president of the Alchemist Association reported that a Senior Alchemist had arrived in the Cygnus system, Gulfft still had some doubts. But upon seeing Eve, relying on his years of political maneuvering, he immediately judged that this young woman’s actual status was far from simple.

...Her value might be even higher than the title of Senior Alchemist.

"Good day, Lady Lu Zhan," the elegant middle-aged governor voluntarily took off his gentleman’s hat and greeted Eve with a smile. "And our brave Director Zuo Tan."

At first glance, he could tell that Zuo Tan and Eve likely had a good relationship—perhaps they knew each other before. If he wanted to get closer to Eve, Zuo Tan might be a good starting point.

A glint of shrewdness flashed in the governor’s brown eyes.

"Good day, Governor Garcia, Madam Medici."

Eve did not remove her veiled hat, only gave it a token lift, without affecting the hat’s function.

The Governor's Wife also greeted Eve warmly. The four of them then entered the main hall one after another. Considering that Eve had declined his banquet invitation the previous night, the governor guessed that the young alchemist might not enjoy crowded occasions. Thus, today’s luncheon was kept small, with only five seats—one for Zuo Tan and one empty.

From the chauffeured car in the morning to the table settings now, the swift change in attitude toward Zuo Tan convinced Eve that the governor of the Cygnus system was also a cunning old fox, not one to be trifled with. But when she noticed the conspicuous empty seat, Eve caught a glimpse of the Governor's Wife’s face darkening before she summoned a maid and spoke through gritted teeth.

So, who had upset her?

It probably wasn’t due to Murphy’s absence. But judging by the governor and his wife’s demeanor, Murphy likely hadn’t been injured in the competition. By the same logic, the chances of other companions being accidentally harmed were also low.

The unlucky ones were probably only her, Cecil, and the elusive "Lu Qing."

The head chef at the Garcia residence was quite skilled; the taste and appearance of the dishes would be considered top-tier even on the capital planet. Especially the dish of crushed fennel pan-seared exotic beast meat—though she couldn’t tell what kind of exotic beast it was, the tenderness was astonishing.

After three rounds of drinks, estimating that the timing was about right, Eve voluntarily set down her utensils, pondered for a moment, and then said to the governor and his wife, "The reason I came from the capital planet shouldn’t be a secret to you two. In fact, my visit today isn’t just to escort Director Zuo Tan back; I also wish to discuss something with you, Governor."

"?!"

She had come with a letter from the headquarters of the Alchemist Association to help, something Gulfft had known since last night. But what surprised him was the series of smooth, polite social niceties Eve had just spoken.

Do alchemists like her actually speak so well?

Indeed, this Lady Lu Zhan who was sent was no ordinary figure.

Feeling wary, he replaced his prepared words with more cautious ones: "I know why you’ve come to the Cygnus system, but I’m not sure why you’ve visited us today."

Eve had expected this response and continued directly, "What I’d like to ask for your help with isn’t a difficult request. To be frank, the reason I was sent to the Cygnus system is not only because I’m currently the only one in the association with a clue on how to cure Zerg venom, but also because I have an important experimental project that’s inconvenient to conduct on the capital planet, so I had to come elsewhere."

Although curing Zuo Tan had only happened last night, judging by the expressions of the governor and his wife, they had likely already received the news. They were somewhat surprised by Eve’s admission that she could indeed treat Zerg venom, but it was within controllable limits. In contrast, they were more curious about the experimental project Eve mentioned.

Madam Medici asked curiously, "Could you please reveal what your important project is about?"

"Gene enhancement," Eve had no intention of hiding it from them, though she didn’t need to be too specific. Being too vague wouldn’t entice the Garcia family to cooperate, but being too clear could bring trouble.

"To be precise, it’s Spiritual State enhancement. I believe that a person’s Spiritual State level is not only limited by innate factors but also acquired factors. This has long been discussed in academic circles, but there’s a lack of experimental proof," she said calmly, seemingly unaware of the storm her words would stir in the listeners’ hearts. "And among my experimental materials, there’s one crucial material that’s easier to collect in the Cygnus system than on the capital planet."

Now, not only did the governor and his wife’s eyes grow heated, but even Zuo Tan couldn’t help looking at her as if she were a monster.

Altering the Spiritual State... What an incredible breakthrough! Gene enhancement sounds simple, but the Spiritual State isn’t just related to genes. Humanity still hasn’t fully understood what this thing—condensed from spiritual power and possessing unique abilities—truly is. Yet Eve claimed she could change it?

If she succeeded, it would be a monumental achievement in human civilization.

No one could resist being tempted, especially not the ambitious Governor Gulfft.

But he still had some sense. Great rewards often come with great risks. If it were truly such a good thing, why not do it on the capital planet instead of coming all the way to the Cygnus system? There must be something off.

Struggling to calm himself, the governor asked calmly, "I’m very willing to help you, but before that, may I ask what that highly important material, which is hard to find on the capital planet, actually is?"

Eve thought, you’ve hit the nail on the head. What exists everywhere on the border but is scarce on the capital planet?—It’s none other than the dreaded Zerg venom.

But she wasn’t ready to be arrested as a heretical alchemist, so she quickly fabricated without changing her expression: "Gems. The better the quality and the cleaner, more stable the structure of the gem, the more beneficial it is for energy conversion. And as everyone knows, the Cygnus system is the empire’s best source of gemstones."

So that’s it. It makes sense.

The governor breathed a sigh of relief, mentally completing the logic for Eve: Using gems as materials would be a significant expense, even for an alchemist.

But if she could cooperate with him, she could obtain higher-quality gems at lower prices through the governor’s channels. If he were an alchemist, he’d make the same decision.

Since there was no fundamental conflict of interest, the governor had no reason to refuse the cooperation.

He smiled, probing, "Of course, the Cygnus system has no shortage of dazzling gems. It would be our honor to assist you. But with the experimental materials secured, do you still need volunteers? I know some young people who are hardworking and reliable but limited by innate talent. If you’re willing, I could recommend some suitable volunteers for your project."

It sounded nice, but in reality, he just wanted to place his own people in the project. If the alchemist could truly enhance abilities, it would be a hugely profitable investment. Even if the experiment failed, having a close project experience and building a relationship with a Senior Alchemist wouldn’t be a loss.

But Eve had intended to ask for people anyway, so she said insincerely, "Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for you?"

"It would be my honor to participate in this great experiment and contribute to the progress of human civilization."

The two, one old and one young, exchanged knowing smiles while inwardly acknowledging each other’s cunning. Just then, Zuo Tan suddenly mustered her courage and said to Eve, "Lady Lu Zhan, may I sign up for this experiment?"

"Hmm?" Eve was startled. "Of course, but why bring it up suddenly?"

"Because my innate Spiritual State is too weak, but I also want to become stronger, to protect myself and those around me."

Most of those who escaped from Feinia had their physical foundations ruined; in terms of physical ability, they could hardly compete with normal people. Although Zuo Tan was the fourth young lady of Feinia, Zuo Qirong had previously only wanted her to be a beautiful tool for marriage, so he intentionally restricted her strength. In this regard, she wasn’t fundamentally different from the other captives.

But the experiment Eve mentioned gave Zuo Tan new hope.

She knew she owed Eve a great debt already and shouldn’t ask for more. Perhaps it was the greedy pirate blood still flowing in her veins, but once Zuo Tan realized this might be her only chance to change her life, she couldn’t let it slip away due to something as fragile as shyness.

This newly appointed director of the Garcia family looked directly into Eve’s eyes with boldness and said with utmost seriousness, "Please believe me, I am hardworking, reliable, tenacious, and have no family left in this world. If I unfortunately die in the experiment, you can discard me at will. But if I survive, I will devote the rest of my life to serving you!"

Eve raised an eyebrow. "...But aren’t you still a director of the Garcia family now?"

"Garcia encourages talent development rather than restricting their growth. We won’t hinder any ambitious child from heading toward a bright future," Governor Gulfft quickly added, giving Zuo Tan an appreciative look—her self-recommendation was so timely and her words so touching!

Once Zuo Tan was included, it would be much easier for him to send others in later.

Although the old fox’s scheming was obvious, Zuo Tan was indeed the ideal test subject Eve had in mind. Yesterday’s cure had shown she had good resistance to Zerg venom, which would make subsequent experiments smoother.

If the cooperation went well, letting the governor have some benefits was fine; overly stingy partnerships rarely last long.

After a moment’s thought, Eve finally said, "Alright, I agree to your participation. As for the other candidates and raw materials, I’ll leave that to you, Governor."

Governor: "At your service."

What was supposed to be a pleasant lunch turned into a back-and-forth contract negotiation. The Garcia family’s managers and lawyers were highly efficient, quickly drafting a gem trade contract that conceded about a 10% profit margin, ensuring Eve could obtain stable, low-cost materials. As for the experimental candidates, Gulfft said he needed about three days to prepare a list, which he would have Zuo Tan deliver to her for review. Eve had no objections to such thorough arrangements.

After the alchemist was sent away by chauffeured car and Zuo Tan had returned to her post, the Governor's Wife suddenly her face darkened and asked those around her, "Where is that scoundrel Murphy?"

"I specifically told him yesterday that a Four-Star alchemist was visiting today and he should come out to make an acquaintance. I’ve said it many times—more friends, more paths," the governor also rubbed his temples wearily. "That brat never lets us worry-free."

None of the servants dared to respond to the hosts’ complaints about the young master, all nervously lowering their heads and pretending to be mute. Just as the Governor's Wife was rolling up her sleeves, ready to drag Murphy out for a beating, a gentle, mellow voice suddenly came from the doorway: "Madam, are you looking for Murphy?"

The black-haired young man seemed to have happened to pass by, drawn by the commotion. His eyes still held a curious smile, but as he appeared, the governor stopped rubbing his temples, the Governor's Wife silently lowered her sleeves, and the servants around them collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

Young Master Lorca only arrived at the Garcia residence yesterday. According to Xiao Hong, who serves by the Governor's Wife's side, Young Master Lorca has actually already become a live-in son-in-law of the Medici Patriarch's family. He is deeply devoted to the missing Miss Eve from the main family, and even though her whereabouts are unknown, he is willing to spend the rest of his life with her memorial tablet. This moved the Medici Patriarch so deeply he was brought to tears.

As expected, monkey see, monkey do. Shortly after arriving in the Cygnus Galaxy, he was welcomed by the Governor's Wife into the Garcia residence, treated as if he were her own son-in-law.

Although it might sound a bit unhinged, compared to their own Young Master Murphy, this Young Master Lorca is indeed much easier to get along with. Moreover, since his arrival, the frequency of the Governor's Wife's outbursts has dropped sharply. So overall, the Garcia residence is quite welcoming of Lorca's visits.

The Governor's Wife maintained a relatively friendly attitude toward Lorca and barely held back her anger as she asked, "Do you know where Murphy is, Lorca?"

As expected, Lorca knew.

"Murphy? He went out last night and doesn’t seem to have returned this morning," he said with a hint of a smile. Though his words sounded apologetic, they inexplicably had an undertone of feigned innocence. "I didn’t know you required him to be present today. Otherwise, I would have tried to stop him from leaving. But when I ran into him last night, Murphy had a unique smell of alcohol on him. If I’m not mistaken, it was a fine wine brewed from the Tianxin red fruit from the Sirius Galaxy—it has a very distinct aroma."

At this, Governor Garcia’s face also turned ashen.

Lorca, however, seemed as though his usual keen sense of reading the room had suddenly failed him. He continued to add fuel to the fire: "He seemed quite upset, probably went to a bar or some such place to drown his sorrows. Do you know where to find him...? Should I go with you?"

"No need, thank you for your help, Lorca. You should go back and rest. Murphy is always so irresponsible—it’s our fault for spoiling him. This time, he must be properly disciplined."

The Governor's Wife said this with extreme calm, but her personal maids were already breaking out in cold sweat—anyone familiar with the Governor's Wife knew that compared to her usual irritability, this calmness was the true sign of her fury.

This time... the young master is really going to get it.