Chapter 93 — ILK Chapter 93

Steak Muli Star Capital. Central Hospital. Rooftop ICU.

Shan Cha sat behind the reinforced glass, her military academy uniform neat and imposing. She was currently "interviewing" the families of comatose Sentinels under the guise of a research project. After visiting several outposts and nursing homes, she had found a pattern: every victim had received mental grooming from Song Yu shortly before their collapse.

The stories were identical, but evidence was non-existent. Nightmares and mental suggestions were common symptoms of a natural riot.

"Does your family handle any specific industry?" Shan Cha asked her latest subject. "Stress from competition can sometimes trigger fluctuations."

"We produce nutrient solutions—raw supply," the woman replied. "My sister was in logistics, not active combat. We were shocked when she rioted. After she was hospitalized, our contract with the military ended within a year."

Shan Cha nodded. The pattern was becoming a map. Song Yu wasn't just hurting people; he was clearing a path for his own industrial interests.

As she left the secured area, a voice made the hair on her neck stand up. "Shan Cha? Why are you dressed like that?"

It was Jima Letona, the adjutant and adopted daughter of Executive Officer Eugenia Letona. Eugenia hadn't been seen in public for years, and Jima acted as her proxy. Once a bright, cheerful peer of Shan Cha's, Jima now looked gaunt, her eyes shadowed with gloom.

"Jima? What happened to you?" Shan Cha blurted out.

"Walk with me," Jima whispered. They descended the spiral glass staircase, the clacking of their heels masking their conversation.

"Your mother woke up, didn't she?" Jima asked suddenly. Shan Cha froze. She hadn't told anyone. "Don't lie to me. I know you're digging for info. You should know... I'm not on Song Yu's side. I hate him."

Jima glanced up at the restricted rooftop zone. "Do you know who lives in the area that's been sealed off for years? Eugenia disappeared from public view the same year Song Yu arrived. Connect the dots."

…

Back at Black Tower, the West Building was unusually quiet. Wu Huansheng had returned, and Wu Jianing was busy clinging to her mother.

However, the "four sisters"—the puppies and the kitten—were entering their teething phase. After finding several pairs of shoes and a silk dress shredded by Sang Sejin, Sang Ye decided to make some proper chew toys.

She pulled some high-quality beef from her storage ring, harvested from the Snow Mountain pastures in her dimension. She boiled four large beef knee bones in a pressure cooker and air-dried thin strips of lean beef into rock-hard jerky.

"These are for teething," Sang Ye announced, handing the jerky to the pets. The kittens and pups immediately retreated to their corners to gnaw on the tough meat.

For the humans, Sang Ye prepared a feast of Thick-Cut Steaks. Du Yuan chose Filet Mignon—the leanest, most tender cut, Rong Cheng wanted Sirloin—the "strip" with a distinct fat cap for maximum flavor, Lin Changli picked the Tomahawk ribeye and Sang Ye took a T-Bone, so she could steal bits of Filet and Sirloin from both sides.

She used the Hawaiian Black Salt and black pepper she’d processed, searing the four-centimeter-thick steaks to seal in the juices before basting them in butter, garlic, and rosemary. After "resting" the meat to let the fibers reabsorb the juices, the steaks were served.

Sang Sejin the kitten, having finished her jerky, tried to leap onto the table for a bite of the butter-basted steak. Sang Ye caught her mid-air. "No way. Remember last time you ate salt and your eyes got all gooey?" She placed the indignant kitten inside a ceramic "hen" basket, where she could only meow in powerless rage.

As they ate, Sang Ye received a message from Shan Cha.

…

The Executive Palace, Muli Star.

Jima returned home to find Song Yu waiting in the hallway. He looked like an honest, scholarly man, but he radiated a cold, poisonous aura of a conspirator.

"Why so late, Jima?" he asked gently.

"I lost track of time," Jima replied coldly, trying to pass him.

"Jima," Song Yu sighed. "If you continue to be disobedient, Eugenia might never wake up."

Jima spun around, eyes blazing. "How can you say that? She is your sister!"

"Half-sister," Song Yu shrugged. "She didn't care for me when her mother took her away and left me in an orphanage. Why should I care for her now? She should be supporting me."

Jima almost laughed at his narcissism. "She was five years old! You expect a toddler to negotiate for an unrelated orphan? You're delusional."

She stepped back. "You don't dare kill her. Her terminal is linked to Eve’s life-support monitoring. If her heart stops, an alarm sounds at the Capital. You're just a cockroach hiding in the shadows, Song Yu. Just like you were in the Capital before they kicked you out."

She retreated to her room and opened a packet of fruit tea Shan Cha had given her. As the spiritual fragrance filled the air, Jima remembered the night everything changed.

She had hidden in a closet in Eugenia’s study and overheard a vicious argument between Eugenia and Song Yu. Eugenia had discovered the truth: Song Yu was using his spiritual form, the Dream-Eating Tapir, to manufacture a "nightmare toxin."

"You're poisoning the nutrient solutions," Eugenia had screamed. "You're rotting the mental landscapes of the military. You intend to commit treason."