"How did you manage this, Commander?" Rapi asked as she set a freshly brewed cup of tea on the table, her delicate face filled with curiosity.
"You mean Yuni and Mihara?" Mo Chen paused his writing, placing the draft aside. "It was simple. I told them that even if they went back, they'd be arrested for attacking a Commander and being accomplices to a crime."
He continued, "Such a severe crime would either result in memory erasure—which is basically death—or outright termination. And knowing Syuen's temperament, she wouldn't let them off the hook either."
Memory erasure was a fate worse than death, and returning would guarantee punishment.
"So, I merely gave them another choice," Mo Chen concluded, smiling faintly as he twirled his pen.
Rapi nodded, beginning to understand his approach, but a concern lingered in her mind. "But what about Ark? Won't they..."
"Relax," Mo Chen interrupted confidently. "Syuen's punishment was mild. The parasites in Ark who only care about their own benefits wouldn't risk turning against someone who controls their gateway over such a trivial matter."
With a sly smile, he added, "Trust me, news will arrive soon enough."
"And Syuen?" Rapi hesitated briefly.
Mo Chen waved dismissively. "Don't worry. She won't die."
A few days later.
Syuen, looking utterly broken, was escorted out of the damp and dark prison under the watchful eyes of many.
Her eyes were dull and lifeless, her complexion ghostly pale.
Her once neat and pristine hair hung in a tangled mess, and her designer clothes were wrinkled and damp, clinging to her body with visible sweat marks.
Despite her disheveled appearance, there were no visible external injuries, just a few faint scratches likely caused by her own struggles.
Her arms hung limply as she was supported by others, her entire body devoid of strength, as though her spirit had been completely drained.
Syuen's once proud demeanor was nowhere to be found. The grueling days in confinement had brought her to the brink of a mental breakdown.
Behind her, Yuni and Mihara followed with expressions of satisfaction. Yuni in particular licked her lips as she gazed at Syuen with undisguised greed and a hint of regret, as if she hadn't had enough fun yet.
Spotting Mo Chen, Yuni's face lit up as she ran over to him, her voice filled with excitement.
"Commander! Can we keep playing with her for a few more days?"
Her scarlet tongue darted out to lick her lips, her eyes gleaming with hunger as she eagerly awaited his response.
"No," Mo Chen said firmly, gently patting her head. "That's enough."
Although he was tempted himself, anymore and Syuen would really die.
The punishment had to strike the balance between pain and survival, and Mihara and Yuni's unique abilities had proven invaluable. They ensured Syuen endured intense suffering without physical harm leading to death.
Perhaps the most ironic part was that the very methods Syuen once employed against others had now been turned on her.
"Fine..." Yuni pouted, clearly disappointed, but she still nodded obediently.
Seeing her dejection, Mo Chen chuckled. "Don't worry. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
He was already considering forming a disciplinary unit to deal with offenders, and they were perfect candidates for the job.
"Really?" Yuni's eyes sparkled with anticipation as she gazed up at him.
"Really," Mo Chen assured her, patting her head again. Satisfied, she skipped away happily.
He then turned his attention to Syuen. He bent down and gently patted her pale, expressionless face.
"Hey, still alive?"
After a few taps, Syuen's eyes gradually regained focus. Slowly, as if waking from a nightmare, she looked up at Mo Chen.
Then—
"AAAAAAHHHHH!"
She let out an ear-piercing scream.
Her eyes widened in terror as she scrambled backward on the ground, her frail body tripping over a rock. She fell, pale as a sheet, flailing her hands in panic.
"Stay away! Don't come near me!"
"Hmm?"
Looking at Syuen, who was trembling uncontrollably and drained of all strength, her face full of terror, Mo Chen wondered if she had been completely broken.
Could it be that Yuni and Mihara had gone too far?
To Mo Chen's surprise, instead of running away upon seeing him, Syuen scrambled over to him, crawling on all fours, and threw herself at his legs, bursting into tears.
"Please, don't… don't… cough, cough…"
Huh? What's going on? Did they really break her?
Mo Chen raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Don't what?"
Syuen looked up, her tear-streaked face filled with helplessness and fear. Even her voice trembled as she pleaded.
"I was wrong. I know I was wrong, so please… don't hand me over to them. Please?"
Mo Chen finally understood.
He smiled faintly at the girl kneeling before him.
"And why not?"
"I'll die! I'll die! Cough, cough… ugh!"
Syuen's whole body shuddered as she seemed to recall her torment in the prison. She screamed hysterically, her voice cracking from the effort.
Overcome with emotion, she started coughing violently, dry-heaving between sobs. Even then, she clung desperately to Mo Chen's clothes, kneeling on the ground and pleading through choked sobs.
"I… I know you… you hate me. But… it's not so bad that you'd want me dead, is it?"
"Cough, cough… sob, cough…!"
"I'm begging you… please, forgive me. I'll give you money, as much as you want! Ten billion? A hundred billion? It's yours!"
Mo Chen's brows furrowed, and his expression darkened. He shook off her grip and turned to leave.
"It seems you still don't understand what you did wrong."
Truly, a leopard cannot change its spots.
"W-Wait! Let's talk, okay? Ugh… cough, cough, cough!"
Syuen panicked. She knelt lower, crawling on her knees as she clung to Mo Chen's clothes, refusing to let him go. Her voice was thick with desperation as she pleaded for his forgiveness.
"Please, save me. Spare me. I won't dare again!"
"If you hand me over to them… I-I'll die! Ugh—! Cough, cough, cough!"
Syuen was genuinely terrified. Seeing Mo Chen about to leave made her panic, her pale face drained of all color, her voice cracking in fear.
"Please don't hand me to them. I'll do anything—whatever you want, no conditions, until you're satisfied."
"So, please… save me… cough, cough, cough!"