For humanity, burn the stars.

Qin Heling followed Varian out of the hangar and through another, quieter corridor.

The decorations along the way were simpler, even somewhat austere.

The solemn scene, resembling a courtroom, made Qin Heling feel oppressed as she drew ever closer to the unknown end.

Finally, Varian stopped in front of a heavy solid wood door.

This wooden door is quite rare on a completely transformed Earth.

Varian turned his head toward Qin Heling and said calmly:

"Your father is waiting for you inside."

"Don't be nervous, it just wants to communicate with you."

Qin Heling nodded and reached out to push open the wooden door.

Regardless of what the other party is thinking, he can only take it one step at a time.

The interior of the study was surprisingly human-like.

Dark wood bookshelves stood against the wall, neatly arranged with paper books, almost like antiques in the society of Vera.

A large solid wood desk sits in front of the window, outside which is a carefully arranged courtyard landscape.

There was a faint, sandalwood-like scent in the air.

Oshido hovered behind the desk, his dark purple body appearing calm and dignified in the warm light of the study.

The tentacle, now only at its base, was not hidden, adding to the air of battle-hardened history.

As Oshido's synthesized voice rang out, its tone was deeper and more even than Varian's, and it spoke fluent and clear Mandarin:

"Major General Qin Heling, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Please have a seat."

Qin Heling nodded slightly and sat down in the armchair in front of the desk.

The cushions were soft and surprisingly ergonomic, something the Vera didn't need at all.

Qin Heling stood with her back straight, her hands naturally placed on her knees, and her gaze calmly met Oshido's.

His voice was equally steady as he spoke:

"Your Excellency, Inspector."

"I don't know what you hope to understand by communicating with me alone."

Oshido's fiber optic organ swayed slowly, and a tentacle gently rested on the smooth surface of the desk.

It did not speak immediately, but simply observed the humans before it in silence.

A few seconds passed in silence, with only Qin Heling's breathing in the study.

Oshido finally spoke, his voice not loud, but every word clear:

"You were just aboard the Starscar..."

"Are you looking for something?"

Qin Heling's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged.

He tilted his head slightly, revealing a hint of confusion:

"I don't quite understand what you mean."

"I'm just assessing whether the spacecraft's internal condition is suitable for exhibition."

Oshido didn't react to this at all, he just repeated it:

"Assess the spacecraft's status..."

It slightly raised its head and slowly asked Qin Heling:

"Then why did your heart rate increase by 8% within 2 seconds when you were checking the equipment? Was there a momentary inhibition of your breathing?"

"Although it quickly returned to normal, the monitoring accuracy was sufficient to capture these physiological signals."

Oshido's whiskers swayed slightly, tapping softly on the desk.

Or perhaps...

"You noticed something's off about the arrangement, didn't you?"

Qin Heling's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

In fact, given how things have developed, he has essentially made up his mind.

The Vera in front of him was the one who had dismantled the imaginary jump device and was waiting for him to take the bait.

Qin Heling tightened his grip slightly on his knees, but he still didn't give up.

Without concrete evidence, these things alone are meaningless.

"It's normal to have some physiological reactions when suddenly entering an unfamiliar and enclosed environment."

"Moreover, that spaceship carries some memories of the past."

"After all, humanity once fought against you with these insignificant warships."

Oshido seemed to be recalling something as well, and his whiskers tapped lightly on the table.

"memory……"

"Yes, memories."

"Human memory is always stubborn, especially... memories of hope."

Qin Heling looked at it silently and said calmly:

"Hope? I've never seen any hope."

"If I had to say, coming here from the lowest level, District 51, is the greatest hope I have ever witnessed in my life."

"I have no reason to easily give up my hard-won second life."

With the help of that strong inner strength, Qin Heling's disguise was flawless.

The Veras have difficulty discerning human emotions and often can only judge them through body language and facial expressions.

This time, however, Oshido stared into Qin Heling's eyes, tearing away the pretense:

"That's not what you think."

Looking at Qin Heling, whose expression remained calm, Oshido said softly:

"If we use your Earth time, which has 365 days in 12 months, Vera's lifespan would be over 300 years."

"In other words, I survived that war, and I saw those human warriors."

"I've seen many humans—on the battlefield, at the negotiating table, at surrender ceremonies, in factories undergoing modernization..."

With each word it spoke, Qin Heling's heart sank a little deeper.

But what's most suffocating is that Oshido's words still show no sign of stopping.

"I know, I know everything..."

"Perhaps the other Veras can't see it, but I know there's no submission in your eyes."

Oshido's synthesized voice paused for a moment, as if he were recalling something.

"I've seen angry eyes, desperate eyes, numb eyes..."

"I've also seen... eyes whose flames never went out, even in death."

Its whiskers rose, pointing at Qin Heling, or rather, at his deep black eyes.

There is absolutely no submission in your eyes.

"No matter how perfect your performance, no matter how much you enjoy the luxurious life provided by Luke, no matter how actively you cooperate with the exhibition..."

"But in the deepest part of your eyes, there is no ashes of submission, only the flames of revenge."

"I know why you're here. You want to find that imaginary number transition device, right?"

When the truth was revealed and Qin Heling heard it accurately utter the name of the device, he was immediately shocked.

He sat up abruptly, staring intently at Vera before him.

They've really been driven to the brink...

But there's nothing we can do about it; we don't have enough cards to play. If we want to take any action, we'll inevitably leave traces.

Oshido didn't say anything, he just quietly watched Qin Heling for a while.

Finally, its tentacles slowly extended, reaching Qin Heling's eyes.

"I want to know if you still intend to run away."

"Or rather, have you already given in?"

"You should know that humanity has long since become extinct, and your existence is an act of mercy from us."

"If we can defeat you the first time, we won't let you have any chance to get back up."

"So, give up, and I might still have mercy on you."

At this distance, those tentacles could easily become deadly weapons, extinguishing humanity's flame once again.

If one chooses complete submission, then perhaps there is still a sliver of a chance to survive.

But looking at the tentacles that could take his life at any moment, Qin Heling's turbulent heart calmed down.

He gazed at Vera ahead, his expression gradually turning solemn, and with a surge of anger, he growled in a low voice:

"Even in the darkness, humanity does not need your pity!"