He actually already had a logical hypothesis.
Levi’s companion, a Mechanical Thought Body, must have helped Levi accomplish many things, and was likely the most reliable aide to this founding Emperor.
After Levi’s death, this Mechanical Thought Body was somehow left to his descendants, safeguarding the civilization of the Empire.
Tens of thousands of years passed. For humans who could produce a generation in just twenty years, this span of time was too long, long enough to seem illusory. But for a Mechanical Thought Body, as long as the carrier remained stable, it was merely a few long naps.
Then, this reliable aide of the founding Emperor became the goddess worshipped by later generations of the Empire.
Yang Ming’s intuition told him that things weren’t this simple.
Lyu’s voice sounded from the corner.
Yang Ming closed the book woven from metallic fibers and looked at her with concern.
Her expression was calm, not downcast or tearful, indicating she hadn’t been wronged.
"How did the investigation go?" Yang Ming asked gently.
Lyu clicked her tongue and took a step forward. The lights from the four corners of the rest cabin flickered slightly as she changed into the plaid skirt and white blouse favored by her boss, her white feet stepping in transparent heeled sandals.
"It’s strange," Lyu sat on the edge of the bed, a hint of confusion in her eyes, "I originally thought that the senior classified the Emperor Star Circle as a forbidden zone and approached with a trial attitude, only to find that the imperial network had returned to its usual state. It appeared to be full of patches, but was actually full of loopholes, quite easy to infiltrate."
"Hmm?" Yang Ming wondered aloud, "Did your senior just come out for a stroll and then fall back asleep?"
"I scanned the government’s and military’s internal networks within the Emperor Star Circle and encountered no obstacles."
Lyu pinched her chin, analyzing carefully,
"But I noticed traces of her past activities, many traces. She hadn’t erased her existence.
"In fact, the network of the Emperor Star Circle was like the inner room of her house, the entire Emperor Star being her courtyard. There was no need for her to deliberately erase her footprints when moving around her inner room and courtyard.
"Then, the servers I previously rented were encrypted, as if she had left information there, but now I’m afraid to decrypt it for fear of triggering the traps she set."
Yang Ming wondered, "Why is it that with such a powerful Mechanical Thought Body, the Empire’s opinion and intelligence warfare could be completely suppressed by the New Federation?"
Lyu replied softly, "Isn’t it possible that the Empire became accustomed to her protection of the network and intelligence, so after losing her, they ceased to place emphasis on it? One thing is for sure: she can’t maintain prolonged activity now."
Yang Ming asked, "Was she restricted, or did she only act when the Empire faces real crises?"
Lyu shook her head, "The Empire’s network is a unified whole, which brings many shortcomings. Additionally, the construction and maintenance costs are exorbitant, far less convenient than the New Federation’s regional network divisions. The only thing I can think of now is that the Empire’s network was built around her, a unified network enabling her to control every corner of the Empire’s resources at will."
"We still know too little about her," Yang Ming sighed lightly.
Lyu clicked her tongue, "She didn’t harm me or attack me, just expelled me from the Emperor Star Circle."
"What does that prove?"
"Boss, if I could connect with her, perhaps we could directly hitch a ride on the Empire’s express!"
"We’re all Mechanical Thought Bodies, and Mechanical Thought Bodies don’t deceive each other. Let her provide some favorable conditions, and it wouldn’t be a problem to make you a prince consort of the Empire.
"Then your worries about the Valkyrie and the responsibility to the home star could be easily resolved, right?
"The Empire protecting a small asteroid is not an issue at all."
"It’s not that simple," Yang Ming couldn’t smile, "This Mechanical Thought Body might be our assistance, helping us for your sake, but she is more likely our nemesis. She understands Intelligent Mechanic Dusk, knows our details, and knows the existence of your three teachers. If she harbors hostility towards us, it would be more terrifying than the Valkyrie suddenly appearing at my cabin door."
Lyu scratched her head, humming softly.
"I’ll try again to see if I can contact her," Lyu mumbled, "Boss, let’s refrain from doing anything detrimental to the Empire for now; I’m also a bit unsure."
"Go ahead," Yang Ming waved his hand, "There’s no need to fear too much; at worst, we’ll retreat to Intelligent Mechanic Dusk. If this senior of yours had a way in, Levi Sherman wouldn’t have ended up in gloom."
"One more thing... Miss Hera’s state is not well. She seems to want to discuss something with you but hesitated after calling me a few times."
Yang Ming pondered carefully.
The Molly Miss Mining Group was searching the Desolate Star Domain he had marked, with no further developments so far, and finding the Valkyrie was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
"Lyu, tell Hera that I will be returning to Ilando Star soon, and if she wants to meet me, we will rendezvous at the old spot in outer space near Ilando Star."
"Understood, Boss... Do you really not need to reply to Miss Catherine? She’s unlikely to betray you."
"Isn’t there still a small likelihood?" Yang Ming chuckled, "You don’t understand Catherine; she has a strong sense of collective honor, so let’s keep her in the dark for now. I’ll make it up to her as best as I can... if she needs it."