*Chapter 34: Welt: Silver Wolf, Want to Make Anime With Me?*

After reaching an agreement, the group returned from the Simulated Universe to Herta's office.

The moment Silver Wolf breathed the fresh air outside, she glanced down at herself. Her familiar black short jacket, the camisole top revealing her firm abdomen, the black buckle-less shorts, and the black and purple decorative cloth hanging behind her were all intact, without even a wrinkle, as if the state of being stripped of dignity and manipulated had never happened.

Before leaving, Jiang Liang had used her Aether Editing technique to restore her clothes to their original state. He also released a bit of the control over her body; walking and waving were still impossible, but basic nodding, shaking her head, and speaking were now possible.
Jiang Liang seemed uninterested in appreciating her disheveled, wretched appearance; achieving the goal of the punishment was sufficient.

After sending the newly edited message to Welt Yang, the phone screen still faintly glowed with the afterimage of the somewhat stiff 'V' sign photo with Silver Wolf. Having completed this task, Jiang Liang finally looked up at the Herta puppet standing beside the Simulated Universe entrance.

"The photo has been sent to Uncle Welt. He'll probably be shocked when he sees the message. So, I'll be taking this troublesome hacker lady onto the train."

"Why not 'Lady Herta'?" Jiang Liang paused, eyeing Herta suspiciously. "You're the one who cares least about titles, right? Didn't I call you Herta before? Why randomly call you Lady Herta?"
Strange... Although they haven't interacted long, Herta shouldn't care what she's called.

"Tsk. Fine, call me whatever you want," Herta replied. She had intended to test something with this question, but after asking, she felt Stelle indeed had changed a bit.
Previously, Stelle would likely have said, "Call me that if you give me credits," or "Call me that if you beg," or perhaps just obediently complied, rather than directly questioning the necessity of the title.
Trailblazing really turns people into ghosts, huh?
But it doesn't matter. This was just a whim.

"Do whatever you want," Herta's voice was cool like striking ice, carrying a condescending casualness. "Keeping a hacker of this level here is just a waste of the station's resources. Take her away and deal with her. Saves me the annoyance of looking at her."

Jiang Liang was slightly surprised by Herta's dismissive attitude but quickly nodded again. "Alright, it's settled then."

"However..." Herta drawled, tapping her arm lightly with her index finger, making soft tap-tap sounds. Her gaze refocused on Silver Wolf, filled with undisguised amusement and a hint of retaliatory glee. "...before you take this self-proclaimed genius hacker away, I have one small request ~ Oh?"

"Eh? What request? Let me say first, if it's too troublesome, I won't do it," Jiang Liang half-guessed what Herta was about to do, while Stelle sighed beside him.
She had a soft heart and couldn't bear to see this.

Herta let out a rare, light chuckle. The laughter carried a chilling sense of superiority. She lifted her chin slightly, her gaze landing on Silver Wolf. "Simple. I wouldn't go so far as to make things difficult for a loser who can't even control her own body. I just think... some people, before challenging authority, should perhaps first recognize the gap between themselves and true genius?"

She paused, a hint of anticipation in her tone. "Have this... Stellaron Hunter, Silver Wolf..." – she deliberately emphasized the title 'Stellaron Hunter', assuming she cared about it – "...finally, with a touch of disdain... give me a respectful bow, then loudly declare: 'I am deeply sorry, Lady Herta. My skills, whether in hacking or coding, are far inferior to even a single strand of your hair.'"

Right.
Banning game accounts was one thing, but she still had a grudge to settle.
This was an additional attack.
Kick them when they're down, pursue relentlessly when victorious ! That's the kind of woman I am !
Hit people in the face, curse without holding back ! No one in the world can wrong me !

If Silver Wolf got away without any cost... oh, Stelle paid the price, but she didn't see it, so it doesn't count...
If anyone could just invade Herta Space Station, did they really think this was Penacony, where you could come and go as you please?
Even checking into a hotel requires qualifications !

"Well? This request is perfectly reasonable, right? After all, it's just the truth. Making her acknowledge the facts is helpful for her growth, isn't it? I look forward to the future performance of this junior whose skills are inferior to my researchers'."

"I have no objection," Silver Wolf herself spoke these words (controlled by Jiang Liang).
There's an old saying on the Xianzhou: 'He who understands the times is a wise man.' A great man knows when to yield and when to stand tall. The Sword God of Shili Slope starts by clearing the novice village.
In short, temporary humiliation doesn't count as true humiliation.
But even though Silver Wolf understood this reasoning, even as she tried to hypnotize herself with it, she still flushed red with anger.
Might become the first Stellaron Hunter to apologize to someone else.

"Alright then," Jiang Liang had originally planned to take Silver Wolf away, but unexpectedly, she agreed proactively.
He still had uses for Silver Wolf. Although his methods earlier might have been slightly intense, they were still good friends, right?
What 'a forced melon isn't sweet'?
As long as the kid quenches thirst, it's fine. Not sending her directly to eat pork cutlet rice [prison food euphemism ] was already merciful.
With proper rehabilitation, she can still become a person, not Hakirou [a degrading nickname ].

As Jiang Liang seemed to release some invisible restraint, Silver Wolf felt control of her body instantly return. The stiffness, as if all her nerves were controlled by someone else, vanished. Familiar feedback returned to her limbs. She subconsciously flexed and extended her slender fingers, the tips tracing through the air with a barely audible whistle.
Hm... Aether Editing still doesn't work.

"Hurry up, hurry up ! My time is valuable !" Herta impatiently paced forward a couple of steps, her black low-heeled ankle boots clicking crisply on the metal floor. Her skirt swayed slightly with her movements, revealing the slender calves wrapped in white lace ankle socks beneath.

Silver Wolf took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress the surging anger and shame in her heart. Herta, that petty woman, would definitely not miss an opportunity to humiliate her.
Silver Wolf's nails nearly dug into her palms, but her face remained maximally calm. She knew this was a hurdle she had to overcome. Slowly, her movements slightly stiff, she bent down, performing a standard ninety-degree bow towards Herta.

"I am deeply sorry, Lady Herta," Silver Wolf's voice was deliberately kept flat, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, like reciting a boring piece of code. "For my previous intrusion into the space station and the Simulated Universe, I express my deepest apologies. Furthermore... I admit... my skills... whether in hacking... or coding... are inferior... to even a single strand of your hair."
She practically squeezed the last few words out through clenched teeth, reading them robotically.
She indeed had to apologize, but her tone could be very perfunctory.
Why don't you try fighting me one-on-one, huh? !

After hearing this, Herta didn't immediately let Silver Wolf stand up. Instead, she looked her up and down with great interest, as if appreciating a work of art. After several seconds, she let out a light humph. "No. Not sincere enough. Do it again."

"Hey ! You—" Silver Wolf was about to flare up.

"Alright, Uncle Welt is rushing us. We're leaving first," Jiang Liang interrupted Herta.
Between Herta and Silver Wolf's personalities, it was hard to say who was worse. He didn't really want to deal with either, but Silver Wolf was heading back to the train with him.
A moderate lesson to curb Silver Wolf's smug brat personality is enough. No need to become mortal enemies, unwilling to even coexist.

Silver Wolf glanced at Jiang Liang, hmphed, and lowered her head again.
Acting like a good person...

"Tsk ! I'm going to repair the Simulated Universe. Don't forget to come for testing," Herta said before turning away.

The walk from Herta's research lab to the corridor leading to the Astral Express docking bay wasn't quiet. Researchers bustled about everywhere. When the iconic petite figure with silver hair appeared beside Jiang Liang, she immediately attracted everyone's attention.

"Eh? Isn't that Silver Wolf from the Stellaron Hunters?"
"It really is her ! How is she with the Nameless from the Express?"
"Was she caught? Doesn't look like it... she seems quite free..."

Whispers spread through the air like buzzing gnats. Curious, wary, and scrutinizing gazes fell openly on Silver Wolf. Most people didn't dare stare for too long but couldn't resist stealing glances.

Hmph. A bunch of boring people, Silver Wolf scoffed inwardly, long accustomed to such attention.
As a Stellaron Hunter, wasn't she always the focus wherever she went? It's just that previously, the attention was mixed with awe and fear; now, it carried more scrutiny, making her slightly uncomfortable.

Jiang Liang was completely unaffected by the surrounding atmosphere, even waving with interest at a curious researcher nearby, startling them into quickly retracting their head.
He quite enjoys the attention too, similar to me, Stelle thought, following beside him.

Not far ahead, the familiar and elegant silhouette of the Astral Express appeared. Its body gleamed under the soft lighting of the space station, the door open. A figure stood before the door.

Welt Yang stood there, hands clasped behind his back, face serious, brows tightly furrowed. He wore his impeccably tailored dark suit, glasses perched on his nose reflecting a cold light.
Seeing Jiang Liang and Silver Wolf, he first sized up Silver Wolf, then spoke with a grave expression.

"Friend, are you interested in producing animation with me?"

Silver Wolf: "..."
Where did this weird uncle come from?