The Fallen Angel.
"Knock, knock!" Catherine knocked on Nie Yun's door.
With a hiss, the door slid open, and Nie Yun appeared before Catherine, rubbing his temples.
"Hmm? Commander, did you not sleep well?" Catherine asked, puzzled by how exhausted he looked, both physically and mentally.
"It's nothing. Being a father just brings up some complicated feelings..."
"Uh..."
"Just kidding. What did you need?" Nie Yun gestured for Catherine to come inside and talk.
"Oh! Well, sir, after this period of consolidation, I've completed all the special training assignments you gave me. Based on my assessment, the fleet's combat capabilities have improved enough to handle ordinary small-scale engagements!"
After finishing her report, Catherine looked at Nie Yun expectantly.
"Good! You've done very well." Nie Yun nodded in satisfaction.
The "special" training assignments he had arranged were actually meant to support the Mechanical Insects' infiltration plan. Completing all those assignments meant his control over the Third Fleet had reached the intended level.
"I was only doing my duty!" At Nie Yun's praise, Catherine's red lips parted in a radiant smile.
"No need to be modest. I originally thought you'd run into plenty of problems taking control of the entire fleet on your own without going through me. But you never asked me for help, and you carried out my instructions almost perfectly, all by yourself!" Nie Yun's gaze was full of approval.
The proxy he had backed had already exceeded his initial expectations. Her loyalty still needed to be evaluated, but her abilities were more than sufficient.
After all, she was an elite someone else had spent years carefully cultivating. Poaching her had been well worth it!
As for loyalty... Nie Yun had never relied on that to keep his subordinates in line. Lao Da and the other two could attest