IW: Chapter 262 - Liang Bing, Who is About to be Fooled, and the Advancing Super God Academy!
Liang Bing's original exile had been the result of a serious infraction, a stain on her record that Hofman had felt compelled to enforce.
But the moment Bai Ye violently dismantled Hua Ye's regime, the entire geopolitical landscape fractured. Panic spread like wildfire, and Su Ma Li immediately mobilized his loyalist remnants, pulling them completely out of the extraterrestrial battlefield to retreat into deep space. That sudden vacuum transformed the border sectors—including the perilous, desolate territory where Liang Bing had been banished—into an active war zone. Realizing his daughter was in grave, immediate danger, Hofman hadn't hesitated; he immediately sent an extraction team to pull Liang Bing back to the core worlds.
Deep down, the old Duke had never wanted his younger daughter to rot in exile forever.
The chaos of the revolution had provided the perfect political cover to bring her home. Yet, now that she was back, Hofman didn't dare let her run wild as she had in the past. After a tense family discussion, and under Kaisha's direct, calculated suggestion, he finally agreed to assign Liang Bing to the newly established research institute under Bai Ye's direct supervision.
Kaisha's arrangement for her younger sister was born of deep, layers of strategic calculation.
On a personal level, she had quietly sounded out Liang Bing beforehand. Her sister had eagerly agreed, expressing a passionate, long-standing interest in theoretical physics and genetic research. But on a political level, Kaisha was playing a much larger game of chess: she desperately needed one of her own trusted agents inside Bai Ye's laboratory.
The terrifying reality of Bai Ye's existence was that he was completely, utterly outside of her control. For someone like Kaisha, who possessed an exceptionally dominant, instinctual desire for order and oversight, relying entirely on a god-like stranger's benevolence was a deeply uncomfortable pill to swallow. By placing Liang Bing in the heart of the research facility, she hoped to establish an information pipeline, ensuring her family wouldn't remain completely passive in this radical transition.
"Liang Bing?"
Bai Ye muttered the name under his breath, his eyes narrowing slightly as he cast a deep, highly amused look at Kaisha.
Indeed, some traits are simply written into the genetic code.
Even in this radically altered timeline—where she had been spared the brutal, soul-shattering trauma of Hua Ye's original tyranny—Kaisha's hyper-rational, hyper-controlling nature remained completely unyielding. She was already instinctively building contingencies, setting up spies, and attempting to manage the unmanageable.
Bai Ye could read her intent like an open book. He knew with absolute certainty that Liang Bing's sudden "academic interest" was Kaisha's subtle way of planting a Trojan horse in his ranks.
However, looking at the composed, confident young woman standing before him, Bai Ye couldn't help but feel a wave of profound irony. Kaisha was incredibly intelligent, but she was also dangerously overconfident in her own bloodline. Did she truly believe that her wild, rebellious sister would remain a loyal informant? Did she honestly think that exposing Liang Bing to the boundless, forbidden knowledge of his multiversal archives wouldn't spark a completely different, chaotic fire in her mind?
"An excellent recommendation," Bai Ye said, the corner of his mouth twitching into a subtle, knowing smirk. "Send her in. I am always in need of brilliant minds who aren't afraid to push the boundaries of what is considered possible."
From the anime, it could be seen that Liang Bing actually had her own strong opinions, and the two sisters later parted ways due to their differing ideologies.
So, Bai Ye wasn't particularly resistant to Kaisha arranging for Liang Bing to come; on the contrary, he quite liked it.
After all, Bai Ye had the idea of having Liang Bing join from the very beginning.
Now that Kaisha herself brought it up, it was better than him directly asking.
Bai Ye was quite confident he could change Liang Bing's mind.
In the anime, Liang Bing was actually influenced by Karl's ideology.
Since Karl could influence Liang Bing, he certainly could too.
"What's wrong?!"
Seeing Bai Ye's prolonged hesitation, Kaisha felt a slight strangeness in her heart.
She also understood that Bai Ye actually knew what she wanted to do.
And the reason for this arrangement was to give herself some sense of security, after all, this was something completely out of her control.
"I agree."
Since Kaisha wanted to send her, Bai Ye naturally wouldn't refuse.
It was a free gift.
"Good."
After Bai Ye agreed, the weight on Kaisha's mind finally lifted.
She had originally thought Bai Ye's hesitation was because he didn't want her to arrange people to enter.
Did he know she wanted to arrange people to enter, and yet he still chose not to refuse in the end?
Kaisha actually admired Bai Ye for this point.
"Liang Bing, you can come in now."
Kaisha had already brought the person, but she hadn't let Liang Bing in earlier.
She wasn't sure if Bai Ye would agree.
As soon as Kaisha finished speaking, a gentle-faced girl walked in from the doorway.
The moment she entered, Liang Bing began to survey her surroundings.
"Is this your team?"
Liang Bing had originally thought there would be at least a dozen people researching together.
As it turned out, there were only two researchers in total.
Liang Bing was initially surprised by her sister becoming the Angel King.
She had heard about Hua Ye's situation and didn't expect that with Hua Ye's downfall, her sister would take his place?
This kind of dramatic plot, after Liang Bing returned, she pestered Kaisha with questions until Kaisha became annoyed.
Among them, the person she most wanted to see was Bai Ye, who had defeated the entire Hua Ye Group by himself.
However, the greater her expectations when she came, the greater her disappointment once she arrived here.
"It's not about quantity, but quality."
"With so few people, can you really do research?"
Liang Bing knew she had been chosen by Bai Ye, but with just the three of them doing research, could they really discover anything?
"Ten thousand stupid pigs gathered together are still no match for one person. What we need to do is refine the entire team. If you have talent, you don't need that many people at all."
"Is that so?"
Liang Bing mumbled, feeling that what Bai Ye said made a lot of sense.
Indeed, she had been a bit shallow before.
Well, if it's three people, then it's three people!
"Alright, Kaisha, you can go back now. You probably have a lot of things to do, right? Just leave her to me."
With Kaisha here, Bai Ye couldn't easily fool Liang Bing.
Once Kaisha left, and the laboratory door was closed.
Bai Ye felt that Liang Bing's fate was truly about to fall into his hands!
"En."
Although Kaisha always felt something was off, it was indeed as Bai Ye said, she had a lot of things to do now.
She had many matters to handle. Having just become queen, frankly, if it weren't for Bai Ye, she wouldn't have been able to become queen at all.
She still needed to achieve some results, otherwise, the other lords would not be convinced by her.
At this moment, she was still very confident in Liang Bing.
Although she hadn't mentioned this to Liang Bing, Kaisha believed that if Bai Ye made any unusual moves, Liang Bing would definitely tell her.
After leaving the laboratory.
Hoffman anxiously approached Kaisha: "Are you sure this is really okay?!"
Clearly, Hoffman was aware of Kaisha's previous actions; Liang Bing not being here was already an obvious answer.
Liang Bing was left with Bai Ye, but was doing so really a good idea?
After all, Kaisha was saved because of Bai Ye.
In fact, after returning, Hoffman had considered that if Bai Ye hadn't intervened, perhaps Hua Ye would have eventually acted against Kaisha, and Hoffman was well aware of what Kaisha's fate would have been.
So, should they really treat their benefactor this way?
"He's too dangerous, and if he really is as he says, I won't do anything, and even if he does something, I can't change anything; I can only do this."
Kaisha turned away so Hoffman wouldn't see the bitter smile on her face.
She didn't want to do this.
But Bai Ye's strength truly made it impossible for Kaisha to completely ignore him.
"Is there no other way? No one likes this kind of surveillance, do they?"
Hoffman was actually thinking, perhaps there were other methods they could try?
If possible, trying other methods might be better, right?
"It's useless. He said before that he doesn't like power. And Hua Ye, in order to win him over, even sent him various beautiful women, even a beauty like He Xi. It can be said that everything Hua Ye could use to win him over, he tried, but Bai Ye rejected all of it.
What I can do now is just follow Hua Ye's old path. I don't know what Bai Ye truly wants."
Kaisha knew very well that winning over Bai Ye was more cost-effective than monitoring him.
But she truly couldn't figure out what Bai Ye wanted.
Often, a person who wants nothing is the most terrifying.
This was also why Kaisha was somewhat afraid, because Bai Ye was too detached, like a saint.
"Is it possible that he actually likes women, but just doesn't like them being sent to him? No one doesn't desire love, just like there's a concept of guardian angels among angels, isn't there?"
Hoffman directly refuted Kaisha's idea.
Hua Ye's approach was inherently wrong. Hua Ye thought Bai Ye simply wanted to enjoy himself, so he sent various beautiful women, but Bai Ye rejected every single one.
And Hoffman was also present at that banquet, so he naturally knew exactly what was going on between Bai Ye and He Xi.
"Kaisha, your personality is actually very suitable for becoming a king. I always believed that. It's just that sometimes you don't understand love at all."
In Hoffman's view, Kaisha had divinity but lacked humanity; she simply didn't understand what people truly needed.
"Actually, if you really want to control everything, then combining with him is the best option."
"Me?"
Kaisha shook her head, indicating that she had never considered such things.
Having just become the Angel King, if she were to get together with Bai Ye at this moment, wouldn't that confirm that she only ascended because of Bai Ye, even though it was true?
But Kaisha also didn't want to make this matter public.
"Exactly. I'm just giving you a suggestion. Bai Ye is very strong and also very rational. To be able to maintain his rationality under such temptation, I think he is actually very suitable for you. Of course, you two might also not get along."
Two rational people might completely explode at some point because of a certain matter.
So Hoffman felt his suggestion was somewhat like a double-edged sword.
If the two always got along, then it's imaginable that the angels would be very strong in the future.
But if a conflict ever arose between them, it would only lead to chaos, and both sides might never interact again.
"What about Liang Bing?"
Kaisha subconsciously asked, if she and Bai Ye didn't get along, then what about Liang Bing?
Liang Bing was currently in Bai Ye's laboratory.
If they spent more time together, perhaps they would get along?
"I don't know. I don't understand him."
Hoffman didn't understand Bai Ye, but he understood human nature. In these endless years, were there truly completely perfect saints?
He didn't know what would happen in the future, otherwise, he wouldn't have failed to anticipate Hua Ye's preparations for action, foolishly believing that Hua Ye would spare them out of respect for Hua Cui.
And Kaisha did not press further at this moment.
Perhaps she truly should consider changing her approach.
If her idea of surveillance could truly change as her father suggested.
Then that would be beneficial to both sides.
Towards Bai Ye, her gratitude outweighed her caution; at least everything she had now came from Bai Ye, but her pride prevented her from bowing to Bai Ye.
Perhaps it would just take slow contact.
Kaisha also attributed all of this to not being very familiar with Bai Ye yet.
Perhaps things would be different later on.
"The chaos in the Angel Nebula seems to have ended."
"Are we going to the Angel Nebula?"
At the nascent Super God Academy, Kilan looked at the scholars gathered around him, a hint of hesitation flashing in his heart.
During these years of wandering, Kilan had gradually gathered many scholars around him.
They researched the secrets of the universe together, and also studied genes and evolution. Recently, they had made some breakthroughs in genes and divine bodies.
And after learning that the Angel Nebula had stabilized, they actually had plans to go to the Angel Nebula.
In this era, civilizations rarely developed.
A stable environment, like the current one, was actually most conducive to research. Research itself also required resources, and a unified and stable Angel civilization was certainly a very good choice.
"I think the Deno Star System is also good."
Kilan was also a bit conflicted. If he truly chose to go to the Angel Civilization, it wasn't Kilan's first choice. Compared to it, he actually preferred to go to the Deno Star System.
"They don't seem to welcome us there."
"Then let's try the Angel Nebula. After all, we have the latest technology!"
The sheer audacity of the scholars was almost comedic. They truly believed that by simply gracing the Angel Nebula with their presence, the angels would roll out the red carpet and beg for their enlightenment. In their unshakeable arrogance, they assumed their cosmic technology was so vastly superior that no civilization in the known universe could possibly refuse them.
Meanwhile, back in the central laboratory, a completely different kind of crisis was boiling over.
"Damn it! I swear I can't take this for another single second! Hexi, don't you dare hold me back—I am going to challenge Bai Ye to a one-on-one fight right now!!"
After spending a few consecutive weeks cooped up in the research facility, Liang Bing's baseline temper had gradually devolved into pure, unadulterated irritability.
When she first entered the facility, she had been vibrating with excitement, genuinely believing that a powerhouse like Bai Ye would be actively rolling up his sleeves to participate in the theoretical breakthroughs. But as the days bled into weeks, she realized she had been completely scammed. Bai Ye didn't touch a single piece of equipment. He didn't run calculations. He literally just sat in his comfortable chair every day, sipping tea, watching them sweat over hot reactors, and tossing out random, cryptic critiques whenever he felt like it.
A literal, certified backseat driver. An absolute verbal king.
"Save your breath, Liang Bing. You couldn't beat that guy even if he fought you with one hand tied behind his back," Hexi sighed, shaking her head as she meticulously calibrated a genetic scanner.
Hexi had spent the last few days developing a profound level of endurance against Bai Ye's antics. But looking over at Liang Bing, whose eye was literally twitching with rage, she realized her new colleague was on the verge of a total psychological breakdown.
Should I try to get him to give her a break? Hexi wondered.
Compared to Liang Bing—who put on a grand, fiery show of frustration—Hexi's personality was naturally calmer, though she carried her own hidden streak of sharp stubbornness deep down. Seeing that Liang Bing was genuinely being driven up the wall, Hexi figured it might be best to send her out on a field assignment just to let her catch some fresh air before she tried to physically assault their benefactor.
"Well, Liang Bing, you see, I am merely tempering your spirit," Bai Ye chimed in smoothly from his lounge chair, not even bothered to look up from his data pad. "And look at you—you're losing your absolute composure over nothing again."
"Tempering?! You call standing around making snide remarks tempering?!" Liang Bing roared, whatever dignified, scholarly filter she originally had for Bai Ye shattering into a million microscopic pieces.
"The most vital, non-negotiable quality for an elite researcher is absolute, unshakeable calmness," Bai Ye countered, his tone instantly shifting into a deeply solemn, professorial register as he finally stood up. "The entire reason I deliberately provoke you and speak this way every day is to actively cultivate a stoic, unflappable personality within you. If you get this easily flustered over a few words, you will inevitably make a catastrophic error during a high-stakes kinetic experiment. Don't tell me a brilliant mind like yours didn't even realize that?"
Liang Bing blinked, her furious tirade halting instantly. "Ah...? Wait. Seriously? Oh... wow. I... my apologies. It's completely my fault then."
Hearing the sheer, absolute gravity in Bai Ye's voice, Liang Bing's jaw dropped slightly as a wave of sudden realization washed over her. It... actually makes total sense. Was this man truly playing the villain just to forge her into a flawless, precise scientist?!
Standing just a few feet away, Hexi's hands froze over her console, her entire face blank with utter, stunned disbelief at the scene unfolding before her eyes.
Is this girl seriously this easily fooled?!
Having spent a considerable amount of time navigating Bai Ye's eccentricities, Hexi was acutely aware that the traveler possessed a terrifying, silver-tongued knack for absolute nonsense. He could look like the most serious, profound deity on the surface while being entirely filled with mischievous, lazy ideas on the inside. Looking at the suddenly apologetic, wide-eyed Liang Bing, Hexi could only offer a silent prayer for her mental safety.
This innocent, prideful girl was about to be completely and utterly broken by Bai Ye's psychological warfare, and she was going to thank him for it.