Sireno
When Sang Ye finally immersed her mental power back into her pocket dimension after a long absence, she discovered that the Parasol Tree had grown large enough to blot out the sky above her head. The interior of the dimension had changed drastically.
The fields had expanded by thirty acres, and the number of ponds had increased by five. In the distance, the outlines of a lake and high mountains were beginning to take shape. Sang Ye climbed to the highest branch of the Parasol Tree to look out; it seemed an ocean was forming on the horizon.
"Tongtong, is an ocean about to appear there?" Sang Ye patted the thick trunk beside her. The tree couldn't speak yet, but it vibrated with an enthusiastic response.
"Excellent! I can start farming seafood!" The thought of delicious swimming crabs, razor clams, mussels, scallops, mantis shrimp, and various sea fish—yellow croaker, octopus, squid, sea bass—made her heart race with excitement.
Seafood had to be alive to be fresh, making it far more troublesome than land meats. They were finicky creatures; even if kept in Jade Marrow water, they would detect the slightest drop in water quality and "die on purpose" just to spite her. Sang Ye had tried raising them in Jade Marrow before, but if she missed a single water change, she would return to find nothing but a foul-smelling soup of rotting fish. She had given up on keeping seafood in her storage ring, waiting instead for her dimension to manifest its own sea.
Now, that dream was becoming a reality.
Every time she channeled a Sentinel, the mental energy feedback expanded the dimension. Her instant food products also provided sustenance to the land based on the volume of mental power infused into them. Curiously, Sang Ye’s own mental rank remained stuck at B+. To outsiders, she was a "growth-type" Guide who simply refused to grow. Sang Ye was puzzled but didn't dwell on it; she didn't rely on raw mental rank to heal people anyway.
Her debt was decreasing, her sentence was shrinking, her dimension was flourishing, and the base’s attitude toward her had shifted, making her life much easier. Compared to her desperate arrival months ago, everything was vastly improved. She was content.
She planted her seeds, leaving a special plot for the Durum Wheat Jiang Siwei had sent her. This wheat could be made into pasta, which had a firmer, heartier texture than the flour she knew. Because of its rigidity, it could be molded into countless interesting shapes.
…
For the next few days, Sang Ye focused on mass-producing semi-finished delicacies. She mobilized a large group of base robots to help, making thousands of portions of instant noodles and sauces, and even attempting vacuum-sealed rice balls for the first time.
Despite the numbers, a few thousand portions wouldn't last the base more than two days. After finishing the batches for the Snow Mountain and the hospital, she collapsed from exhaustion. Industrial production was no longer just an idea; it was a necessity.
She planned to talk to Asu Ment about using the base’s processing plant. No matter the profit split, it would be a win for Sang Ye since her "raw materials" were effectively cost-free.
An opportunity presented itself sooner than expected. She received a notification from Asu Ment’s assistant: she was requested at the base hospital immediately.
According to Rong Cheng’s daily gossip, the "Prince" who had arrived at the base had been hospitalized on his second day. Rumor had it he nearly suffered a physical assault and fainted from the shock. The reason for the near-beating was absurd: he had been projecting his "charm" indiscriminately toward married men and women alike, and a partner had caught him in the act.
Sang Ye hadn't expected the stern base to have such scandalous rumors. The title "Mermaid Prince" sounded like something out of a fairy tale or a bestiary.
…
In the hospital room, Asu Ment and Jiang Sili were present, along with doctors, nurses, and three high-ranking Sentinel generals. Madam Sophia was resting to the side after finishing a channeling session for the man in the bed.
The man, Sireno, looked sickly and leaned against the pillows with a weary air. His eyes were as deep blue as the ocean, perpetually shimmering with a melancholic light that held a hypnotic pull. His skin was pale and cool. A mass of curly silver hair wound around his chest and waist. He wore a high-collared, skin-tight black garment that outlined a perfect physique, embroidered with golden patterns that looked like ancient incantations. Over it was a sheer robe that flowed like water, covering everything yet revealing nothing.
No one could look at him without being struck by his beauty. No woman could see his "willow-in-the-wind" frailty without feeling a surge of protectiveness.
Except for Jiang Sili. He looked more displeased than Sang Ye had ever seen him. He seemed to loathe someone in the room.
The moment Sang Ye entered, Jiang Sili spoke up, even cutting off Asu Ment: "Prince Sireno, this is the Guide we mentioned, Colonel Sang Ye. She is the one who reversed the Snow Mountain mutations. I believe she can solve your tribe's mental riot issues."
He sounded like he was trying to pass off a hot potato as quickly as possible.
Sireno lowered his silver-white eyelashes, which trembled like the wings of a butterfly unable to take flight—both lovely and pitiful. "My apologies, General. I did not intend to be a disturbance. It is simply that my people are suffering, and I am too weak and incompetent..." His voice was like a siren’s call, a captivating, masculine baritone. He sounded like he was on the verge of tears. "I simply remembered the Executive Officer’s promise that if I ever needed help, she would assist me. That is why I asked the Major General on Tide Sea rotation to bring me here."
Jiang Sili’s eyebrows shot up. He let out a disbelieving laugh. "Oh? Is that so?" He turned his head slowly to look at the Executive Officer.
Asu Ment, who had been sipping tea while admiring Sireno’s beauty, suddenly became intensely focused on her tea, as if the leaves held the secrets of the universe. She avoided looking up, clearly feeling guilty.
"When exactly did you promise this? I’d love to hear it," Jiang Sili said with a frigid smile.
"It’s... not very convenient," the frail Mermaid Prince said, showing extraordinary courage in the face of an S-rank Sentinel. "It’s not convenient to discuss in front of 'outsiders.'" He blinked his wet, beautiful eyes, lingering significantly on the word "outsiders."
The room fell into a dead silence. Asu Ment stared at Sireno, speechless and unable to defend herself. Sang Ye watched in awe; no wonder he almost got beaten up—he truly deserved it.
Jiang Sili laughed—a bright, terrifying sound. He pointed at the door. "Get out. Take the person you want, and get back to your home. Now."
Sang Ye had arrived confused and left with a mouth full of gossip. But her mission was clear: she was headed to the Tide Sea Base to help stabilize the Mermaids. Rong Cheng and Du Yuan would accompany her, and another Major General would assist. When Wu Jianing heard they were going to the beautiful underwater world of the Tide Sea, she insisted on coming. Thus, the Wu family decided to make it a vacation.
…
Before leaving, Sang Ye sought out Asu Ment one last time. She found her on the deepest balcony of the hospital.
"Looking for me?" Asu Ment turned her head, looking out over the base. "Come here."
Sang Ye joined her. From here, she could see the sprawling gray-black buildings, training Sentinels, and the lush greenery of the West Building. She brought up the idea of using the processing plant to manufacture cookware and semi-finished foods, offering a 10% share of the total revenue—not just processing fees, but the entire profit.
Sang Ye knew the profit would be astronomical, given the demand for mental grooming food. Asu Ment leaned against the railing, looking like a lazy orange cat in her light gold dress.
"I only own 30% of that factory," Asu mused. "The rest is Royal-owned. If I could take the whole 10% for myself, I’d do it. But if I have to split it with the Royal Family, I’m not interested. Dealing with them means endless regulations and approvals. I hate explaining myself."
She gave a small smile. "Unless... you can get the Royal Family to waive their share."
It was an impossible task for Sang Ye. She had no way to contact the Royals directly. Asu Ment noticed her long face and looked toward the West Building.
"You can't do it, but someone else can."
Sang Ye followed her gaze toward her own home.
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