Chapter Summaries

Beigong Ling decided to rescue Iris from the Alt Conglomerate and recruit her, accepting that this would bring her into open conflict with Jonas. Meanwhile, Jonas agreed to Senna Life Medical’s proposed drug partnership, but the negotiations took an unexpected turn when its youngest board member, Rhein Daphne, arrived in person, intrigued by him.

• Beigong Ling planned to abduct Iris, block communications during the rescue, and free her from the sex doll chip before recruiting her into the Star of Dawn.
• Jonas and Eiffel traced negative reviews of the Physical Enhancement Drug to Senna Life Medical, which had begun pressuring the Alt Conglomerate.
• Jonas agreed to contact Senna Life and offer cooperation on the drug project to avoid further trouble.
• Senna Life took several days to respond and scheduled a visit to discuss the partnership.
• Rhein Daphne, Senna Life’s youngest board member, arrived to negotiate in person and told her secretary she was intrigued by Jonas.

Rhein Daphne of Senna Life negotiated with Jonas over the Alt Corporation’s Body Enhancement Drug project, offering first a steeply unfavorable deal and then a place on Senna Life’s board. Jonas rejected both proposals and sent her away, leaving their partnership in jeopardy.

• Rhein Daphne arrived at the Alt Corporation with Eshuli, whose security expertise could not penetrate the company’s defenses.
• Jonas met Rhein Daphne and Eshuli, recognized the threat they posed, and prepared to negotiate despite the danger of Senna Life’s hostility.
• Rhein demanded the Body Enhancement Drug project’s data and rights in exchange for only thirty percent of Senna Life’s profits.
• Rhein offered Jonas a seat on Senna Life’s Board of Directors, access to its influence, and a possible path to control the company.
• Jonas refused Rhein’s offers and told her to leave, insisting that the Alt Corporation would not accept Senna Life’s terms.

Rhein Daphne secured Jonas Wetting’s agreement to cooperate with Senna Medical, but he refused to share the Physical Enhancement Drug formula. Jonas then revealed that he had not truly accepted her terms and arranged for Carol to pressure Senna Life; Rhein Daphne arrived to negotiate the details, unaware of his plan.

• Rhein Daphne accepted Jonas Wetting’s refusal to share the drug formula and said she would return in three days to discuss cooperation.
• Rhein Daphne complained to Eshuli, then concluded that partnering with Jonas could still benefit her plans.
• Jonas told Miss Eiffel that he had not actually agreed to Senna Life’s terms and intended for the Arbitration Bureau to bear responsibility alongside the Alt Conglomerate.
• Carol confronted Jonas over giving Senna Life the Arbitration Bureau’s share, and Jonas asked her to demonstrate their friendship in front of Rhein Daphne.
• Rhein Daphne reconsidered Jonas’s unusual decision but arrived to discuss the cooperation contract, confident nothing could change her mind.

Rhein Daphne arrived to negotiate Senna Life’s partnership with the Alt Conglomerate, only to discover Jonas had brought in Carol Sigrid of the Arbitration Bureau. Facing Carol’s threat and a contract giving Senna Life only one percent of the profits, Rhein Daphne accepted the terms while suppressing her anger.

• Rhein Daphne presented Senna Life’s proposed cooperation terms to Jonas, who delayed reviewing them and announced another partner would join.
• Carol Sigrid entered the conference room, shocking Rhein Daphne and frightening her secretary, Eshuli.
• Jonas mocked Senna Life’s proposed profit share as Carol asked to see the contract.
• Rhein Daphne withdrew her original terms and received Carol’s contract, which required Senna Life to supply the medicine across distribution channels and trauma teams for one percent of the profits.
• Carol warned that the Arbitration Bureau could investigate Senna Life for monopolistic conduct, and Rhein Daphne accepted the contract.

Jonas forced Senna Life into an unequal partnership with the Alt Conglomerate, then learned the Star of Dawn had a mole inside his company. After Eiffel exposed the mole, Todd Chipman, she offered him a chance to make amends by saving his kidnapped family.

• Rhein Daphne signed Jonas's contract, and Klo'er explained Senna Life's history of conflict with the Arbitration Bureau before leaving.
• Beigong Ling received intelligence about Senna Life's unfavorable partnership with the Alt Conglomerate and sent Amau Sueko to recruit Rhein Daphne as an ally.
• Jonas learned the Star of Dawn had planted a mole in the Alt Conglomerate and ordered Eiffel to investigate.
• Eiffel's investigation identified engineering supervisor Todd Chipman as the source of the leaked information.
• Eiffel confronted Todd with evidence that he had colluded with the Star of Dawn, then showed him photographs of his kidnapped wife and son and told him their lives depended on him.

Rhein Daphne accepted Beigong Ling’s proposed collaboration after the Senna Life board blamed her for the Alt Conglomerate agreement. As Jonas enjoyed a quiet break, Celine teased Esnie about winning his affection and sparked her curiosity about the popular flavored candy.

• The Star of Dawn tried to contact Rhein Daphne, who was busy defending her agreement with the Alt Conglomerate before Senna Life’s board.
• Rhein Daphne read Beigong Ling’s email, became interested in her plan, and asked Eshuli to reply that she wanted to discuss it.
• Jonas rested at home, watched an advertisement for Hard Candy, and wondered whether Beigong Ling and Rhein Daphne would join forces against him.
• Esnie served Celine breakfast and scolded her for watching anime instead of getting ready.
• Celine teased Esnie about her feelings for Jonas and suggested using flavored candy during a kiss to make herself unforgettable.
• Esnie left for work thinking about the candy and considered looking into it so she could protect Jonas from rivals.

Eiffel learned that a trendy candy contained an aphrodisiac and set out to use it with Jonas, while Esnie brought Jonas to a hotel and fed him one first. Eiffel tracked them down and gave Jonas her own candy, leaving him caught between the two women as they competed for his attention.

• Eiffel reviewed a District 25 market report, learned that a popular candy mixed sweets with an aphrodisiac, and decided to buy some to keep other women from seducing Jonas.
• Esnie drove Jonas to a hotel under the pretense of giving him a massage, then fed him a green apple candy while he was distracted.
• Eiffel searched for Jonas, located him at the hotel, and gave him a soda-flavored candy after entering the room.
• Esnie and Eiffel argued over who had made the first move, then both challenged Jonas to choose between them.
• Jonas recognized the candy from an advertisement and asked each woman to give him another piece to try.

Beigong Ling secured Senna Life’s support for a Star of Dawn attack on the Alt Conglomerate, then led a surprise assault using Hovercars. She withdrew after clashing with Esnie, while Esnie sensed that something had happened elsewhere.

• Beigong Ling met Rhein Daphne and persuaded Senna Life to provide twenty Hovercars for an operation against the Alt Conglomerate.
• Jonas spotted approaching Hovercars and triggered an alert at the Alt Conglomerate.
• Beigong Ling attacked with Star of Dawn forces, cutting through tactical drones and confronting the conglomerate’s security personnel.
• Esnie challenged Beigong Ling, who retreated after receiving a message and escaped aboard a Hovercar.
• The other Hovercars withdrew, and Esnie sensed that an unseen event had occurred elsewhere.

After the Star of Dawn attacked the Alt Conglomerate and abducted Iris, Jonas ordered Eiffel to mobilize forces to destroy Beigong Ling’s organization. Beigong Ling escaped with Iris and prepared to remove the tracking chip before the Alt Conglomerate could respond.

• Eiffel realized the Star of Dawn’s brief attack had likely achieved its real objective and called Jonas.
• Jonas ordered Eiffel to prepare to wipe out the Star of Dawn.
• Jonas learned that Beigong Ling had abducted Iris and broken their agreement, then decided to rescue her and punish Beigong Ling.
• Beigong Ling escaped after Esnie’s fighting nearly defeated her and said she did not regret breaking with Jonas.
• Beigong Ling used a signal jammer to block Iris’s chip and prepared to remove it.

Jonas suspected Senna Life had deliberately supplied the Hovercars used in the attack and pressured Rhein Daphne for answers, but Senna Life denied responsibility and obstructed his search for Iris. At a Star of Dawn base, Beigong Ling revealed she planned to turn Iris and send her back to Jonas.

• Senna Life claimed a rogue middle manager had sold the Hovercars and offered the Alt Corporation meager compensation.
• Jonas confronted Rhein Daphne about Senna Life supplying weapons to the Rebel Organization, while Rhein denied deliberate involvement.
• Senna Life withheld leads and disrupted the Alt Conglomerate's efforts to find Beigong Ling and Iris.
• Beigong Ling watched the unconscious Iris and planned to use her as leverage to gain resources from the Alt Conglomerate.
• Iris woke in an unfamiliar place, and Beigong Ling introduced herself.

Beigong Ling captured Iris but told her she was safe and planned to remove the sex doll chip that let Jonas track her. She prepared to mislead the Alt Conglomerate while Amau Sueko supervised the surgery, unaware that this plan would lead to the Star of Dawn’s destruction.

• Iris woke at a Star of Dawn base and feared Beigong Ling would use her as a hostage against Jonas.
• Beigong Ling explained that a jamming device blocked Jonas from receiving Iris’s location and said Iris was free for now.
• Iris offered to help Beigong Ling if she would let her go, but Beigong Ling doubted she could trust Iris while the chip remained inside her.
• Beigong Ling had Iris sedated again and told Amau Sueko to prepare and supervise the chip-removal surgery.
• Beigong Ling set out to throw the Alt Conglomerate off their trail so its people could not reach the base before the surgery finished.

Beigong Ling tried to misdirect Jonas while the Star of Dawn removed Iris’s chip, but Iris awoke to the surgery and the loss of her necklace. When Beigong Ling could not explain where it was, Iris accepted the violent voice in her mind and prepared to let it act.

• Beigong Ling called Jonas to stall him and threatened Iris, while Jonas inferred that the Star of Dawn was hiding in its abandoned underground base.
• Jonas prepared his people to move against the Star of Dawn, and Eiffel reassured him that she would handle everything.
• Amau Sueko oversaw Iris’s chip-removal surgery, which went smoothly after the doctor found that the chip had unrestricted access permissions.
• Beigong Ling visited Iris after she woke and told her that her chip had been removed and that she was free.
• Iris asked about her necklace, realized Beigong Ling did not know where it was, and accepted the murderous voice in her mind.

Iris's rage after the surgery triggered a powerful psionic awakening in the operating room. Beigong Ling realized Iris was at least a level-three Psionic as Iris attacked the Star of Dawn staff and seized control of the security systems.

• Iris's anger destabilized her energy, released her restraints, and disrupted the operating room's equipment.
• Beigong Ling was thrown back when she tried to knock Iris unconscious and ordered the other medical personnel to leave.
• Iris killed a doctor with an invisible force, then used the security systems to direct machine-gun fire at Beigong Ling.
• Beigong Ling disabled one machine gun, dodged the other, and grabbed Iris's arm, but Iris flung her away and crushed her throat with an invisible force.
• Beigong Ling realized Iris was at least a level-three Psionic.

Beigong Ling struggled to subdue Iris, whose psionic powers and control over the base’s systems made a direct attack nearly impossible. After retreating and locating Iris through the surveillance feeds, Beigong Ling was discovered, leaving Iris closing in on her.

• Beigong Ling kicked a scalpel toward Iris, briefly breaking Iris’s hold before Iris hurled her into a wall.
• Beigong Ling fled to escape Iris’s line of sight and to find a way to activate the base’s security system and protect its personnel.
• Iris used hacked surveillance systems to track Beigong Ling as she walked through the base.
• Beigong Ling searched the feeds in the main monitoring room and found Iris dragging a corpse down a corridor.
• Iris looked toward a surveillance camera, appeared on every monitor, and told Beigong Ling, “Found you.”

Beigong Ling tried to subdue the hostile, awakened Iris while Jonas’s rescue team reached the outskirts of the Mika District. Amau Sueko tranquilized Iris, then warned Beigong Ling that the Alt Conglomerate had found the base and they had to evacuate.

• Iris disappeared from the surveillance feed after exposing Beigong Ling’s location and taking control of security systems in the base.
• Jonas assembled a rescue squad led by Miss Esnie and brought it to the outskirts of the Mika District without accepting the Smirt Conglomerate’s demands.
• Beigong Ling tried to persuade Iris to calm down, but Iris declared that she had wanted to kill her from the beginning.
• Beigong Ling drew Iris’s attention while Amau Sueko fired a tranquilizer round into Iris’s shoulder.
• Amau Sueko told Beigong Ling that the Alt Conglomerate’s people had found the base and they had to evacuate immediately.

The Alt Conglomerate discovered the Star of Dawn’s hidden base, and Beigong Ling tried to persuade Iris to help them fight Jonas. Iris rejected her plea and attacked, revealing that her loyalty to Jonas was stronger than Beigong Ling had assumed.

• Amau Sueko told Beigong Ling that the Alt Conglomerate had found the base and that its security systems were disabled, leaving evacuation as their likely option.
• Beigong Ling decided that Iris was their best chance and approached her after the sedative had calmed her.
• Beigong Ling told Iris that the Star of Dawn had removed her sex doll chip and offered to help her escape Jonas by defeating the Alt Conglomerate.
• Iris accused Beigong Ling of wanting to hurt Mr. Jonas and used her power to break Beigong Ling’s bones and send her flying.
• Beigong Ling realized she had misjudged the relationship between Iris and Jonas.

Beigong Ling and Amau Sueko fled Iris after Iris overwhelmed them with her newly enhanced powers and hacked Amau Sueko’s implants. Beigong Ling was then confronted by a fully armed squad led by Jonas, who accused her of breaking their agreement.

• Iris revealed that she had willingly become Mr. Jonas’s sex doll, then used her powers to hack Amau Sueko’s implanted systems.
• Iris attacked Amau Sueko, but Beigong Ling tackled her out of the way and carried her to safety while escaping Iris’s pursuit.
• Beigong Ling found Amau Sueko unconscious and decided she had to cut her losses and abandon the place.
• A black-haired man and his armed squad broke through a mechanical door and confronted Beigong Ling.
• The man removed his white gloves and told Beigong Ling they had finally met again, asking whether she was prepared to face the consequences of breaking their agreement.

Jonas confronted Beigong Ling at the Star of Dawn hideout, where she tried to bargain by threatening Iris and then took him hostage with Amau Sueko’s help. Jonas revealed his overwhelming Psionic power, but Beigong Ling broke free and escaped with Sueko, leaving Jonas to let them go for now.

• Jonas arrived with Eiffel and the Alt Security Team, confronted Beigong Ling, and demanded she accept the consequences of breaking their agreement.
• Beigong Ling threatened Iris and demanded the Alt Conglomerate withdraw, but Amau Sueko woke and shot at Eiffel as Beigong Ling seized Jonas and held a knife to his neck.
• Jonas used his Psionic Energy to break Beigong Ling’s grip, disarm her, and lift her by the throat, exposing the power she had underestimated.
• Amau Sueko fired at Jonas but missed and was slammed into a wall, while Beigong Ling broke Jonas’s restraint and escaped with Sueko under gunfire, taking a bullet in her arm.
• Jonas stopped the tactical team from pursuing Beigong Ling, wary of triggering her hidden second phase, and concluded that he had already achieved his goal.

Jonas’s forces cleared the Star of Dawn base while Jonas and Eiffel discovered signs that Iris had fought her way through it. Iris attacked the Alt Conglomerate squad in a chaotic, bloodthirsty state, then rushed into Jonas’s arms, leaving him worried by her uncharacteristically intense behavior.

• Jonas reassured Eiffel that he was unharmed after Beigong Ling escaped, then ordered his tactical squad to eliminate the remaining Star of Dawn members.
• Jonas and Eiffel found bodies and signs of a psionic battle in the medical department, and Jonas suspected Iris had caused the slaughter.
• Jonas and Eiffel went outside and found Iris attacking the tactical squad while disoriented and unable to recognize them.
• Iris stopped attacking when she saw Jonas, ran into his arms, and giggled affectionately as he comforted her.
• Jonas realized Iris was drooling rather than crying and grew uneasy about her heightened desire and earlier wild behavior.

After Iris awakened powerful Psionic Energy, she became intensely dependent on Jonas, who took her to the medical department and arranged treatment for her dangerous condition. When Iris recovered, she remembered her clingy behavior and felt too embarrassed to face Jonas.

• Iris clung to Jonas and refused to leave his side, so he insisted on taking her for a medical checkup.
• Jonas suspected Iris's Psionic Energy awakening had intensified her need for his company and worried about the risks of her powerful ability.
• The medical examination found trapped anesthetic in Iris's body and evidence that Beigong Ling had removed her Sex Doll chip.
• Doctors cleared the anesthetic blockage, and Iris fell unconscious for six hours.
• Iris woke with clear eyes, remembered what she had done while affected by Psionic Energy, and blushed with shame in front of Jonas.