The Second Prince

Luo Yongtao froze for a moment and opened his mouth, seemingly about to ask what she wanted it for, but ultimately asked no further questions. He looked toward the person whose figure was indistinct in the shadows of the corner, his lips moving hesitantly. "Boss... what do you think-"

So the person inside was the boss? Luo Ruzhuo cautiously released a strand of mental power, only to find it blocked, just as it had been when Xianzhu was brought down from the starship.

The other person's clothing was likely made of the same material as the black cloth over the cage, both capable of blocking mental power.

The figure in the shadows emerged.

The person wore a black cloak with a long collar that concealed most of their face, leaving only a pair of green eyes and a few strands of golden hair hanging from the hood visible.

The person spoke in a slightly husky woman's voice. "All right."

After receiving her approval, the young man working on his optical computer in the corner tapped it a few times without looking up. A data card popped out of the transfer port on the table, and he handed it to Luo Ruzhuo along with a small device.

"Here. The Feier Family has a collection room on Morning Star, hidden on the top floor of a training center." The young man continued tapping at his optical computer without so much as looking at her. "The card alone isn't enough. The thing you're holding is a decoder that can mimic a pupil. Remember to scan it over the keyhole when the time comes."

Luo Ruzhuo tucked the items securely into a pocket close to her body.

"If you're still willing to consider us your companions..." Luo Yongtao parted his pressed lips, concern on his face. "Can you tell us what you need these for?"

The relationships within this organization seemed to go beyond those of ordinary superiors, subordinates, and colleagues.

She had already taken the things, so there seemed to be no need to hide it.

Luo Ruzhuo considered it for a moment. "I awakened too late, and my Mental Entity is underdeveloped. I need some things to help it recover."

Hearing this, Yuan Xiao smiled instead.

Luo Ruzhuo was still willing to consider them companions, and she was even making plans for her future after awakening. That was good. It meant she was still willing to live. Yuan Xiao thought this was even better news than hearing that she had awakened as a guide.

"Be careful." Luo Yongtao nodded, his expression turning serious. "After you went to the Black Tower in the front-line war zone, someone started looking for you everywhere... they're not one of ours. We don't know who they are yet, so keep your guard up."

Luo Ruzhuo nodded. Now that she had what she needed, she hadn't forgotten her promise. "What task does the organization need me to do?"

"You'll know when the time comes."

The answer came from the blond woman in the shadows, the one actually called "Boss."

Having obtained the address, Luo Ruzhuo didn't immediately go and alert them.

Over the next two days, she changed her appearance, dressing in clothes that were hopelessly outdated by interstellar standards, wrapping a dingy gray headscarf around her head, and applying makeup to make herself look old. She went to scout the area around the training center.

The Green Ivy Training Center stood on the eastern side of the Central District and was a full twelve stories tall. Genetically modified ivy covered the exterior of the white building, staying green all year round.

The training center's course on the Star Network was "Mental Power and Comprehensive Quality Improvement for Guides and Sentinels." Its fees were steep, and its target clientele was obvious: mostly the children of nobles and wealthy merchants.

Luo Ruzhuo applied for a part-time cleaning job at the training center. Although most such jobs had now been taken over by robots, some part-time positions still required cheap human labor. The interview went smoothly. The administrator in charge of hiring was haughty and signed the contract without so much as a second glance at her.

She was responsible for the seventh through ninth floors. The twelfth floor, at the top, was a restricted area, and no one was allowed in or out. A special access card was required to reach it by elevator.

Luo Ruzhuo worked during the day and scouted under cover of darkness at night. Using the map and data card the organization had given her, she thoroughly familiarized herself with the twelfth floor's security system.

On the day she planned to act, the training center had a full schedule, with different instructors teaching in every time slot.

While cleaning the outer corridor on the eighth floor, Luo Ruzhuo passed a classroom with its door half open. A gentle voice came from inside.

"Today we're discussing underdeveloped Mental Entities..."

Her ears perked up.

Without stopping her work, she quietly sent her mental power through the gap in the door to take a look.

A young man stood at the lectern. He had long golden hair, emerald-green eyes, and soft facial features. Faint bluish-gray shadows hollowed his eye sockets, like marks left by prolonged lack of sleep. He wore an ivory turtleneck sweater that rose above his neck, its cuffs slightly rolled up to reveal a stretch of slender wrist.

His stance seemed unsteady. He was leaning slightly toward one side of the lectern, as if using it to support himself.

Luo Ruzhuo had seen this man on the Star Network.

He was Sean Fergus, the second prince of the Federation's imperial family. A famous sickly weakling on the Star Network, he was a B-rank sentinel whose constitution seemed to have been weak from birth. He rarely appeared in public, though he occasionally served as a guest lecturer for charitable training programs.

The Federation's royal family was an institution of power that combined politics with the nation's public image. Gentleness and kindness might have been good qualities in an ordinary noble, but in the royal family, weakness was the original sin.

This prince was highly controversial on the Star Network because, as the first in line to inherit, he failed to meet the standards for an heir in every respect: he was a low-ranked sentinel, physically weak, and lacked a competitive drive.

But the eldest prince had disappeared years ago while fighting pollution, and the third prince was only eighteen, still in his juvenile stage. At present, the only ones of suitable age were the royal family's only princess and this second prince.

If the Alliance's citizens were truly asked to vote, no matter how dissatisfied they were with the second prince, they would not choose the princess as heir, even though she was an A-rank sentinel.

"If a Mental Entity's development is delayed, external substances can be used to aid and catalyze its growth. There are many common aids. The most common is our Mental Entity growth potion, along with crystal essence energy stones, jade marrow... and other substances. And if you have the power of money, Insect Jade is also an option."

He delivered the punchline with humor, and the audience burst into laughter.

"But these substances are all used differently. There may also be contraindications between them. For example, after using Insect Jade, it's best not to use another substance as a catalyst for a week. Don't use an energy stone together with jade marrow..."

Luo Ruzhuo stood in the corridor, seemingly hard at work, but her mind had already flown into the classroom.

When she had searched the Star Network for information, it certainly hadn't been this detailed.

What she had heard so far had been immensely helpful to her.

Was it a coincidence? Or had he done it deliberately?

Luo Ruzhuo tugged down the brim of her cap, unable to keep from growing more suspicious of the second prince.

That night, after the training center's lights went out, Luo Ruzhuo changed into casual black clothes and put on gloves and a face covering. Following her planned route, she climbed the maintenance passage along the outer wall.

The twelfth floor's security system did indeed have a flaw, just as the data card indicated: between an exhaust vent and the main wall was a maintenance passage less than half a star-foot wide, and the infrared sensors' coverage had a blind spot right at the corner.

Luo Ruzhuo squeezed in sideways, her back against the cold metal duct. After a patrol robot passed below, she silently slipped into the twelfth-floor corridor.

The collection room was at the end of the corridor, its door fitted with a pupil-sensing genetic lock.

Luo Ruzhuo took the decoder the young man had given her from her waist pouch and scanned it over the genetic lock's panel. A green light came on, and the lock sprang open with a barely audible click.

She pushed the door open and entered, remembering to close it behind her.

When she saw what was inside, she could hardly take it all in. Dazzled and overwhelmed, she was blinded by the towering wealth before her.