Chapter 24 — ILK Chapter 24

The Male Lead Enters

The conditions were far from excessive. If Sang Ye didn't grant them exclusivity, any newcomers would flood the market with competition and unpredictable variables.

"We can offer you a 20/80 split," Jiang Siwei proposed her profit-sharing ratio.

This was actually quite reasonable, considering Sang Ye was only providing the raw materials. For everything needed for the instant noodles—the oil, seasoning packs, high broth, and more—she could simply supply the ingredients and let them handle the production, freeing her from the burden of manufacturing losses.

However, the fact remained: as long as Sang Ye held the unique raw materials, she was the one with the power to set the price.

She shook her head. "A minimum of 40/60, and I will grant you exclusive sales rights."

Whether to agree was up to the Jiang siblings. Worst case, she could ask Wu Huansheng or the adjutant to help scout other partners; there were plenty of people in the Interstellar world willing to take on this business.

"No way!" Jiang Siwei refused flatly. "After deducting processing costs, transport, store management, staff, and taxes, we wouldn't make a profit at 40/60. My family doesn't have tax-exempt status anymore."

The Empire gave preferential treatment to high-ranking frontline Sentinels and Guides, offering 10% tax breaks or even full exemptions for businesses under their names. After Jiang Sili retired, those perks vanished.

"Let’s both compromise," Jiang Sili suggested, stepping in when both sides had reached their limits. "A 30/70 split." This felt much more rational.

Sang Ye pondered for a moment. "Deal. But I have one condition."

"Go ahead."

"I am serving my sentence here at the base. As a Guide, I must fulfill the base's mental channeling requirements. You cannot use exclusive sales rights to prevent my personal production for the base."

"Agreed," Jiang Siwei said, finalizing the deal.

She had come prepared with a contract. After adding Sang Ye as a contact, she transmitted the document for her to review the clauses. No physical signature was needed; once fingerprints, iris scans, and identity info were verified, the online signing was completed and saved to the court’s archives.

Only then did Sang Ye accept the glass box containing the Durum wheat seeds. Jiang Sili had predicted she would love this gift.

"This box represents the pinnacle of current technology; time is frozen inside," Jiang Sili said, pointing to a seed that had turned slightly black. "That one was taken out and left in the outside world for a brief period; it withered almost instantly."

No matter how good preservation technology was, it couldn't compete with eternally frozen time.

"In the distant past, the Imperial Family produced an ancestor with the Torch Dragon spiritual form. Her ability was the flow of time—day when she opened her eyes, night when she closed them. Such power shook the laws of the universe, so she only lived a short 70 years. Before she died, she tried to transfer the power of time into technology. She failed, but this glass box was the limit of what science could achieve then. It is a divine power that modern technology cannot replicate. Such a small box has no use other than storing seeds."

Jiang Sili tapped the box, which was only the size of a palm—not even large enough to hold a piece of cake. During the Empire's history of expansion and upheaval, many of these time-stasis boxes were lost; one had found its way into Jiang Sili's hands by chance.

"In your hands, it is more useful than in anyone else’s," Jiang Sili said sincerely.

…

Walking back through the deep corridors of the hospital, Jiang Sili unexpectedly ran into someone.

General Asu Ment was leaning against a wall with her hair in a sharp ponytail, a cigarette between her fingers. This "tobacco" was a synthetic substitute, using chemical elements to simulate nicotine. Through the swirling smoke, Asu’s expression was blurred.

"Why come looking for me?" Jiang Sili asked good-naturedly, his voice as melodic as ever.

Asu turned her head to the side and blew out a cloud of smoke, as if exhaling the turbid air in her chest. Only then did Jiang Sili notice she was holding the Peach Tea the hospital had distributed today in her right hand. Her companion spiritual form, the Gu-Eagle, was nowhere to be seen.

"They have good luck," Asu said, answering a question he hadn't asked. Her sharp eyes raked over Jiang Sili. "Why didn't our daughter have that kind of luck?"

The mask of a shallow smile on Jiang Sili’s face vanished completely.

"It doesn't matter. Neither you nor I will have that luck anyway. Before long, we’ll be over there to accompany her," Asu said with a reckless, nonchalant air.

"Puff," Jiang Sili exhaled, as if recalling distant memories. "That Guide didn't do it intentionally. Charlene attacked her first and sealed the mental landscape so the Guide couldn't leave."

"Charlene was just scared!" Asu’s voice rose.

"In that situation... who wouldn't be scared?" Sadness flooded Jiang Sili’s lowered eyes.

A mocking smile spread across Asu’s face. She stepped up to him, blowing acrid smoke directly into his face. "Look at our Great Saint, always so understanding of everyone else’s difficulties."

"So this time, are you being 'understanding' of that murderer Guide’s hidden troubles?" She leaned in, almost touching his tense face. "Are you understanding for your sister’s career? Or for your parents' grief?"

She never expected an answer. They had been different people from the start and should never have been together.

She sneered. "I’m here to tell you that Wu Huansheng sent a report from the Snow Mountain regarding the native casualties. I have no intention of writing a bullshit report making it look like my doing. Can I even control Lin Changli? The whole planet belongs to him. If he destroys Black Tower sooner, I can be free sooner."

The Gu-Eagle glided out from her shoulder, affectionately encircling its master's neck. "It’s on you," she threw out a final line and brushed past Jiang Sili’s shoulder.

The Gu-Eagle turned back on her shoulder, looking at him with what seemed like sadness. Even within the military's high command, only a few knew that Asu Ment and Jiang Sili were a couple who had never officially divorced.

When she was young and ambitious, Asu had volunteered to drive out space pirates and clashed with Jiang Sili’s fleet. After years of entanglement, Jiang Sili was finally defeated. He joined the military per Asu’s wishes; in her words, he "shouldn't waste his S-rank spiritual talent." But fate was cruel. Their daughter’s death tore open the facade they worked so hard to maintain. Now, neither was stronger than the other, and neither would bow. Even in the same base, they almost never met.

"In all these years, have you ever cared about what I think?"

Just as Asu thought Jiang Sili would remain silent as always, a whisper floated from behind her. It was weightless, as it had been for years. But neither of them turned back.

…

Wu Huansheng’s email had contained one more piece of vital information that Asu Ment deemed trivial: Lin Changli was returning to the base.

Though nearly two months had passed, Lin Changli had remained out of sight. Asu had total faith in his power; she didn't believe anyone on this planet could hurt him, so she didn't even bother to send a polite email asking for his whereabouts.

Everyone had forgotten to tell Sang Ye one thing—the West Building she was staying in was Lin Changli’s private residence. General Asu had placed her there purely out of spite; Lin Changli caused her trouble every day, so she wanted to cause him some discomfort in return.

Sang Ye stayed up late that night. After having the adjutant review the contract, she signed it. Jiang Siwei’s contract was meticulous, including shared ledgers for profit, costs, and labor. Dividends would be paid to the joint account she held with Wu Huansheng within 7 star-days of closing the books.

Then began the frantic preparation of raw materials. She sent a copy of the production videos to Jiang Siwei. By midnight, she had finally processed hundreds of catties of flour, eggs, frozen beef, seasonings, and frozen high-broth cubes.

But when she returned to the West Building, the normally clean and refreshing interior was flooded with violent mental energy, scorching like fire, as if it could incinerate a person at any moment. Sang Ye had never faced such a majestic pressure—it was commanding and undisguised, far stronger than anything from Wu Huansheng or Asu Ment.

The source of the energy was in her room—the cozy little nest she had furnished for herself.

Sang Ye stood outside the door. Sensing her arrival, the energy inside spread even more recklessly. She took a deep breath, braced against the pressure, and turned the handle.

Inside, a gale was howling. The massive floor-to-ceiling glass had vanished, and the shards on the floor reflected the moonlight. A man stood in the room, his black hair flying in the wind along with several strands of gold-red. He looked at Sang Ye as she stepped through the door with a coldness reserved for the dead.