Chapter 33 — ILK Chapter 33

After a moment’s hesitation, Sang Ye finally asked, "Since you’ve been eating this food... has it soothed your spirit?"

Lin Changli answered while eating, his hands never slowing down. "It has, but the effect isn't huge. Though, I’ve heard it’s quite useful for everyone else." He shot Sang Ye a pointed look as he said this.

Sang Ye found this quite strange. According to reports from the Snow Mountain Base and the hospital, while the food couldn't provide a total cure, the feedback was excellent; when paired with a Guide’s mental channeling, it yielded twice the result with half the effort.

Why is it basically useless for Lin Changli?

Furthermore, what was Lin Changli’s actual mental rank? In the Empire, spiritual forms weren't made public; information usually traveled through rumors, which were notoriously unreliable—especially regarding "Ancient" types. However, mental ranks were generally public. Anyone awakened within the Empire was registered on the internal network from birth.

There were currently only five active S-rank Guides. Active S-rank Sentinels were far more numerous, though Sang Ye hadn't counted them all.

The only one missing was Lin Changli. In his file, the section for mental rank was followed by a brief, simple description: "Rank unknown, remained in question for many years."

Even within the military, opinions were divided. Though Lin Changli had retired, his legend and influence remained evergreen. Sentinels who had followed him on expeditions and witnessed his power firsthand swore he must be S-rank. Others believed he might not even reach A-rank, otherwise, the Royal Family wouldn't be so secretive. The two sides argued incessantly on the Star Net, with some even leaking blurry battlefield footage to prove their points before the videos were banned for being too bloody.

However, Wu Huansheng—who had briefly served under him—had whispered to Sang Ye that Lin Changli likely exceeded S-rank. He might be SS or even SSS.

But the higher the mental rank, the more dangerous the person became. This was a level that even the most advanced modern instruments couldn't measure, which was why the internal net labeled it "in question" and why the five S-rank Guides had failed to channel him.

Sang Ye felt her mission becoming increasingly difficult. Healing other Sentinels was merely a bonus; curing Lin Changli was the true victory condition.

Seeing her face cycle through several expressions before settling on gloom, Lin Changli couldn't help but find it amusing. "What? Worried that you won't be able to cure me and will never leave Black Tower?"

Sang Ye remained silent.

"You should know," Lin Changli said sharply, "my mother gathered the Empire’s five S-rank Guides to channel me, and they all failed. While you're a bit special, your ability is far too limited."

"You should look on the bright side. Even if you have to stay here until you die, at least you’ve kept your life, right? And while Asu Ment dislikes you, she can’t kill you, nor does she interfere with what you do. If she retires and a new Executive Officer takes over, you might not have such easy days."

"They might demand you work 18 hours a day, channeling Sentinels without a moment's rest, or send you on a rotation to the most dangerous front lines..." Lin Changli gave a wicked smile, vividly describing a grim future. "Don't expect labor laws to protect you. Black Tower is a lawless land."

"Little mouth," Sang Ye said, feeling a surge of irritation. She made a gesture—four fingers pressed together, her thumb snapping shut against them. "Close it."

As if under a spell, Lin Changli actually shut up and focused on his food.

Sang Ye felt a bit of satisfaction. This was a popular slang term from the Capital Star and nearby planets. If Lin Changli were a man obsessed with his official dignity and face, she wouldn't have dared make such a joke.

In truth, Lin Changli left some things unsaid. The food was indeed ineffective for him—it wasn't entirely useless, but the "rebound" after a brief period of calm was even more severe, unlike the long-lasting effects seen in other Sentinels.

However... more than the food, this sudden Guide radiated a scent that inexplicably calmed him. Being near her felt like being submerged in the depths of the Tide Sea—transparent, clear, and cool. Even the normally violent Phoenix had finally fallen into a rare slumber in his mental landscape, giving him a chance to breathe.

Lin Changli was suddenly curious about her spiritual form. He didn't ask, intending instead to find a way to check the internal registration records.

…

"Internal registration records for a spiritual form?"

When Lin Tengyuan received an email from a distant relative whose news had been buried for years, his first reaction was that it was a scam. And why was he asking for help from a retired, "sleeping-spirit" Chief Steward instead of the Emperor or the court officials?

Lin Changli was impatient. "Why are these records locked? Why can't my permissions open them?"

"Of course they're locked. If the database was breached, the enemy would know which of our A-rank and S-rank Sentinels are rioting or dormant. Plus, spiritual forms can evolve or mutate; this is classified information," Lin Tengyuan rolled his eyes. "As for your permissions, it's not that you can't open them; it requires cross-authorization. You need both your approval and His Majesty's."

"Oh, forget it then," Lin Changli said bluntly. "Hanging up."

"Hey, hey! Wait!" Lin Tengyuan shouted. "You’ve been out of touch for so long. You stay on Black Tower without sending a word to His Majesty or the Princess, and occasionally you pilot a warship to go to other planets on your own..."

"What else is there to say?" Lin Changli countered. He looked up at the brilliant blue, cloudless sky inside the base. Outside the dome, the atmosphere was an entirely different color—silver-gray and cold, contaminated by constant mineral radiation.

He looked out the window. Three people wearing bright hats adorned with flowers were busy in the courtyard between the kitchen and the West Building. The smallest one seemed to be "helping" by making a mess. A miniature garden gallery was already taking shape. The air was filled with the soft, sweet aroma of Red Bean Bread that Sang Ye was baking for his afternoon tea.

Lin Tengyuan scratched a pimple on his face. "The Princess misses you quite a bit. She mentions you often."

"She’s old enough now. You can tell her the truth. I am no Imperial hero. I am a great threat who can no longer take the battlefield yet cannot be dealt with."

And I am even...

Thinking of the past, Lin Changli’s eyes dimmed, and he cut the call. His terminal was permanently on silent; he ignored almost all messages. The moment he hung up, before Lin Tengyuan could even finish rolling his eyes, a court official stood before him with a "motherly" smile: "Was that news from the Eldest Prince?"

"..."

…

"News from the Snow Mountain. A new batch of Sentinels is rotating back," Rong Cheng said, reading an email on her terminal. "This time, several sub-bases are applying for funding to purchase your ingredients."

Sang Ye’s semi-finished products were extremely effective for the Sentinels, and those were just simple instant foods. If they could eat fresh food—like the Sentinels in the hospital—the results would be even better. The hospital had been sending constant messages lately, repeating how great the effects were and asking to increase the volume and variety of the purchases.

Increasing volume was easy; it just meant the robots had to work harder. Variety, however, was what Sang Ye was currently pondering. She couldn't rely on instant noodles forever.

But preservation, transport, and production difficulty remained eternal problems.

Brine spice powder was easiest to pack and transport; as long as the ratios were set, the flavor wouldn't vary much. Rice, flour, and grains had long shelf lives as long as they were kept dry. To be more thoughtful, she could sell pre-mixed "staple packs" like red beans, mung beans, dates, and raisins meant to be cooked with rice.

These would ensure the ingredients survived the long journeys. But how could she guarantee the customers knew how to cook? Many homes didn't even have a functional "kitchen" area.

Sang Ye whispered her concerns to Rong Cheng while fertilizing the flowers. Rong Cheng was multi-tasking, planting trees while controlling the various flames in the kiln. She raised an eyebrow dismissively. "That’s not your problem to solve."

Sang Ye was puzzled.

"This is a seller's market, not a buyer's market. You don't need to worry about how users adapt to your product," Rong Cheng explained. "And if Jiang Siwei gets these 'semi-finished products' and you tell her beforehand that they require specific cookware, what do you think her next move will be?"

Rong Cheng threw the question back to her.

"She’ll quickly produce a batch of bundled products for sale," Sang Ye answered instantly. "Even if her own factories don't make them, she’ll sign agreements with other manufacturers."

Rong Cheng shrugged. "Exactly."

Checking on Wu Jianing, who was still busy digging holes, Rong Cheng leaned closer to Sang Ye. "You can't look at this era with the mindset of our old world. We didn't do much international trade back then. Do you know how vast the galaxies of this era are? Human territory is constantly expanding, new planets are discovered, and resources are developed. There are always new products and technologies. The commercial scope is enormous; some families can truly fund an entire planet with their tax revenue."

It sounded like a booming era where everyone had a chance to move upward. As long as one found the target audience, there was no fear that a unique product wouldn't sell.

"But I don't suggest giving everything to Jiang Siwei," Rong Cheng added, her voice dropping lower. "The 'Strong Dragon' cannot crush the 'Local Snake.' This base has its own local snake."

General Asu Ment treated her subordinates like a spring breeze and would even pay out of her own pocket, but her love for spending money didn't stop her from loving the collection of it. Her family background wasn't prominent, and since coming to Black Tower, she had no political ambitions. Amassing wealth had become her primary hobby—a habitual behavior.

With Jiang Siwei coming and going so conspicuously, her transactions with Sang Ye couldn't be hidden from Asu Ment. It just wasn't worth the General's trouble to act on it yet.

Sang Ye understood what Rong Cheng meant.