"General, another base has expressed interest in forming an alliance with ours," Qua Tao knocked on the door to Yi Zen's office, delivering the news of the newcomers' arrival.

Arriving at the designated meeting place, Yi Zen recognized a few familiar faces— Fu Lian and a delicate woman with exquisite features, similar to Fu Lian's. 

The woman was dressed in a white dress and sat quietly beside a man in his late forties: Fu Dong, the former state councilor, and his daughter, Fu Qin (Fu Lian's stepsister). A few merchants and bodyguards lingered outside, but only the father-daughter duo was granted entry.

Fu Qin's gaze held a mixture of contempt and a hidden sneer as she looked at her stepsister. "What are you doing here? Don't tell me you've become the base's bed warmer?" she whispered under her breath. 'As expected of a slut's daughter, like mother-like daughter.'

Fu Dong's expression soured as he directed his disapproval toward Fu Lian upon hearing Fu Qin's remarks. His gaze seemed to belittle her for her role in the military camp as if looking down on her.

Before Fu Lian could respond, a cold voice interjected from behind her.

"En. Mine." Yi Zen entered the room, his words crisp and straightforward, "She only warms my bed."

Silence hung in the air.

While in the past, Fu Lian might have countered his comment with a kick in his abdomen, this time, she felt a strange warmth in her heart. Since their breakup, Yi Zen has transformed. He shed his gentle façade and embraced his role as a cold and commanding general.

No longer did he sweet-talk or beg for forgiveness during their arguments. Instead, he would walk away, leaving her to deal with her feelings alone. She felt cheated; this whole time, he was acting as someone else to get to her! But... To save her face, he continued to pretend to be her lover.

While she'd been put down by the sibling duo countless times, at least it had remained within the confines of closed doors. The other men in the base still treated her with respect—except for that disgusting pig, of course.

Seeing Yi Zen for the first time, Fu Qin was instantly infatuated with his handsome and authoritative demeanor. She refused to believe that General Yi Zen would choose a bastard like her stepsister. He had to be blinded by her beauty!

Her father's gentle nudge brought her back to reality, and she rose from her seat. With a show of respect, the father-daughter pair greeted the renowned general.

Yi Zen took his place at the head of the conference table, his gaze lingering momentarily on the vacant seat beside him. Inquiring directly, he asked, "What do you have to offer?" The man before him demanded 0,3% of nuclei profit.

Fu Qin cast a pleading glance at her father, her voice wavering, "...Papa, I..."

"Don't worry, Fu Qin dear," Fu Dong reassured his daughter. Looking at Yi Zen with the polished demeanor of a former state councilor, he continued, "My daughter possesses the ability to manipulate plants. Weren't you in search of such a person? If you accept my proposal, I will offer her services to you."

When Fu Lian and Yi Zen got to know Fu Qin's superpowers, both of them showed different expressions.  Simultaneously, a figure with a gas mask crossed their minds.

Where was Bing Shi?!

· · ───────── · ⊱❈⊰· ───────── · ·

Meanwhile...

"Hurry, hurry ♪♫," the figure with a gas mask urged a tall man in a flowing black cloak as they rushed toward the meeting tent. "Hurry, hurry ♪♫," she continued to prod him as if their lives depended on it.

"..."  Ziek followed behind her, a hint of amusement in his expression. "What's the rush?" He couldn't help but wonder why she was in such a hurry. It seemed like her earlier nosebleed wasn't anything serious as she was full of energy again.

"I've always wanted to taste sweet potatoes grown by a plant user," Bing Shi explained eagerly, her enthusiasm evident.

Ziek tried sweet potatoes before, and found nothing special about them, "How can you not get sick of them?"

"I never get sick of things I love," said Bing Shi. The first thing she would let one know was her love for sweet potatoes. Everyone in the world knew about her obsession.

Was her relentless search for a plant user in the past couple of months connected to her deep love for sweet potatoes? Ziek, who knew about her 'love-hate' relationship with food doubted it.

· · ───────── · ⊱❈⊰· ───────── · ·

When Bing Shi and Ziek appeared next to each other, it was as if two grim reapers showed up on the scene.

The father-daughter duo quickly approached Ren Han and Bing Shi, showing them the utmost respect. Their overt display of boot-licking behavior toward Bing Shi was hard to ignore. After all, this woman held much more influence than Yi Zen.

As Bing Shi moved to take the seat at Yi Zen's right, Ziek intervened, swiftly occupying the chair with an air of ownership.

He noticed Fu Qin's covetous gaze fixed on Yi Zen and couldn't resist provoking him, "Quite the casanova, aren't you? Obtaining yet another woman's attention. Care to give me one? You know which I want," he said and effortlessly shattered the ice thrown by Yi Zen.

Fu Qin's gaze finally shifted towards the mysterious man in black, unable to see his facial features, 'Could he be the foreign leader of that massive ship? Are they competing for Fu Lian's affection?"

Fuming with resentment, Fu Qin clenched her hands beneath the table, 'Who does she think she is to catch every powerful man's attention?! Only if that eyesore never existed!'

Rather than fighting for the already occupied seat beside Yi Zen, Bing Shi decided to make her presence felt in a more unconventional manner. She circled around the table and settled down beside Fu Qin, resting her head on her chin.

With an air of enthusiasm, she addressed Fu Qin, "Oh my, what a beautiful plant ability user you are. Do you happen to know how to grow sweet potatoes?"

Fu Qin nodded bashfully, "Yes, one seed is enough for me to grow a hundred of them. Besides that, I know a few offensive and defensive moves as well." That's what she was doing these past two months. She was planting the most delicious sweet potatoes to win Bing Shi's favor.

Bing Shi's eyes lit up, and she leaped out of her chair, rushing toward Yi Zen, "Yi Zen, I think I want her as my sister-in-law! She's an expert at growing sweet potatoes!"

'Say what?!' Fu Dong choked out on his saliva. 

"Stop saying nonsense," Yi Zen admonished her silently, "Why so suddenly?"

Bing Shi's answer was straightforward, "Miss Fu Lian never shared any sweet potatoes with me, even though she knows I love them."

Yi Zen rubbed his temples in mild exasperation.

Fu Lian was too stunned to utter a word.

Fu Qin lifted her gaze in shock, hurriedly looking down, a dangerous light flashed in her eyes, and a vicious smile appeared on her face. 'This was easier than I thought. Without Fu Lian, Yi Zen'll be mine.'