Miss Beautiful C.E.O and her system

Chapter 795: Between Trust and Control

Xiao Yue wasn't targeting Ahmin. She had already assessed the commander's personality. Her focus was mainly on the subordinates and confidantes, who might take things for granted without fully understanding the hierarchy between them.

Commander Ahmin had the foresight and vigilance required. She wasn't blinded by recent victories or arrogance.

Particularly, the recent successes in impeding Country S's offensives had shed light on Ahmin's awareness of her current position.

The ease of those victories, achieved at minimal cost, had proven enough to her. But her subordinates might not think the same.

They needed a deeper lesson—a sharper wake-up call—to understand exactly who they were cooperating with. Tonight's outrageous operation of Xiao Yue should spread by tomorrow and instill a real awe.

So, Xiao Yue, Tang Ziyi, and Ahmin shared a late-night meal together. The latter had ordered her subordinates to treat the guests well.

Meanwhile, the other Spirit Fox operators reunited with their sisters, recounting their experiences and exchanging stories like legends.

At the table, Xiao Yue sighed in satisfaction as she enjoyed the tea. Compared to Country A, she found the taste here closer to her preference.

"I'm glad to see you enjoy it as a local," Ahmin noted her reaction.

"I do. If not for that unscrupulous boss who keeps piling work on me," Xiao Yue complained without hesitation.

"Damn that surname Ling. Throwing me into the desert in the name of fulfilling our ambitions and dreams," Tang Ziyi laughed, joking in agreement.

Their words caused Ahmin's eyelids to twitch. Thoughts raced rapidly through her mind. To speak so casually about their superior meant these two were clearly at the top of the chain.

They didn't seem to require reporting to anyone higher, which eased her concerns. At the same time, offending them would mean total loss.

And looking at Tang Ziyi—how unreliable? Where was the firm stance she once projected, if she immediately yielded in front of Xiao Yue?

Tang Ziyi: Yield? Who's yielding to whom? I suggest you observe more carefully.

"At least we aren't stuck with misfortune, right?" Xiao Yue chuckled.

"Well, I suppose," Tang Ziyi nodded.

Both understood the implication. Ling Qingyu was like a magnet for trouble—or perhaps trouble sought her out. Either way, following her meant dealing with countless nuisances.

"What happened? I'm curious—if you don't mind, of course," Commander Ahmin interjected, eager to gather anything useful for her cause.

"Worry not, Commander Ahmin," Xiao Yue reassured, already seeing through her intent. "I can confidently say our decision to cooperate with you is final—and correct."

"In fact, we were talking about little Yue's recent experience," Tang Ziyi asserted playfully, nudging Xiao Yue's shoulder.

The latter didn't react and simply accepted it, inwardly rolling her eyes. Ahmin noted their closeness and felt a sense of relief.

At least she was familiar with Tang Ziyi, and seeing her so at ease with the new supervisor was a positive sign.

That was the reason Xiao Yue didn't refuse Tang Ziyi's advances. She knew Tang Ziyi was playing the middleperson to warm up the relationship. She couldn't overwhelm the local power too much, right?

Even if she had the means to completely quash them and take control of everything, stating it outright would do no good for either side.

Treading the necessary smiles and sword in her hand required her warlord's experience for the best outcome.

So, Xiao Yue narrated her experience—from accompanying the boss at Country E's airport to the terrorist attack.

She described how she and her sisters completely crushed the attackers, eliminating them, and even mentioned their underlying identities—black ops from Country A.

Ahmin's pupils dilated at the realization that her sponsor had already clashed with one of the world's most powerful superpowers—and won.

She wasn't naive enough to believe the black ops sent were inexperienced. In fact, the likelihood was that they surpassed current tier-one standards.

Even so, her sponsor group had annihilated them?

Xiao Yue also spoke about reaching a deal with Country E's government before the group flew to Country A.

Damn—slap someone in the face and then walk into their house. What audacity, Ahmin mused. These were valuable clues about her prospective sponsor.

Did Xiao Yue not realize that her words might expose secrets? Of course she did. She knew perfectly well that, if investigated, Ling Qingyu would quickly be uncovered.

However, she and Tang Ziyi were here to control the flow of information. Not to mention, most higher-level nations—especially those with advanced intelligence agencies—were likely already aware.

If their cooperation with Ahmin became known, they would come under scrutiny. However, Xiao Yue's actions were deliberate. By revealing certain details, it would become inadvisable for Ahmin to betray their trust.

Of course, with Athena's monitoring in place, Xiao Yue believed such concerns were largely nonexistent. Unless Ahmin herself spread the news indiscriminately which would merely resulted in small controllable damages at most.

"I hope Commander Ahmin won't spread my words," Xiao Yue said, staring at her.

"I won't disappoint you," Ahmin assured the duo.

Inwardly, she replayed every word, and the dealings with Country E surfaced in her mind. She had no idea what the agreement entailed, but it could not be on a lesser scale than hers, right?

Comparing a militia to an entire state, she guessed countless strings were involved.

The trio spent a sleepless night discussing strategies to defend against the upcoming offensive.

Weapons and support systems were gradually stabilizing and would soon develop into more sophisticated structures, even though Tang Ziyi had only arrived recently with the Athena's framework.

Xiao Yue insisted on establishing self-sustaining mechanisms first in the early stage and persuaded Ahmin to rely on their group, as Ling Qingyu, Elena, and Athena could easily resolve logistical predicaments.

Ahmin's hesitation wasn't without reason. Relying solely on a single provider meant her militia would eventually fall under indirect control.

No matter how strong a military was, it still required money, food, and resources to sustain itself. Perhaps her sponsor could indeed provide everything as promised, but many hidden risks needed to be addressed.

Naturally, Xiao Yue and Tang Ziyi understood the deeper implications, but in line with Ling Qingyu's vision of alliance, it was a necessary step.

In fact, given the initial investment and the efforts to establish small-scale factories capable of producing firearms and ammunition, it was already a strong gesture of goodwill. That was why Ahmin didn't react with anger or take a hard stance on independence.

The other side was giving too much. At the same time, she feared being used again as she had been in the past—like in the early days with Country A. Betrayed repeatedly, because the other side knew she and her faction needed them more.

In the end, Xiao Yue persuaded her by offering their group's self-sustaining technology and proposing that further decisions could be made after both sides had cooperated for a longer period. She also assured the independence of Ahmin's militia and clearly stated her strategic requirement of securing a foothold in the region.

As for why they didn't seek other factions, Ahmin didn't ask—but she knew the answer. Religious fanatics with discrimination against women required no further explanation. Militias led by men would inevitably create ideological clashes.

She didn't know about Ling Qingyu's persistence in selecting them, and Xiao Yue and Tang Ziyi certainly wouldn't reveal such a vulnerability.

"Forgive me, both of you. It's not that I don't fully agree with your generous terms," Ahmin said. "I'm deeply grateful and glad to receive your help. Please give me time to consider the deeper implications. I must also seek the opinions of others."

"Naturally, Commander. We are very sincere, but we also don't like to be exploited. Given our vision of future cooperation and alliance, we hope to receive positive news soon."

…

Three days later, Ahmin wandered around the town with a blank expression, lost in thought. These days made her brain suffered. Not from arguments but her fears.

She had expected to struggle through burdensome debates after presenting Xiao Yue's demands.

Reality slapped her in the face. Her comrades agreed to everything almost instantly, without even worrying about her concerns regarding independence.

In their view, they were already gaining immense benefits—it was only natural to accept. In just a few weeks, her militia had grown accustomed to such high-level support. Not that she blamed them much.

Only her childhood friend managed to clarify her confusion. Instead of worrying about potential betrayal or independence issues, her friend helped her realize what the sponsor truly wanted.

A foothold, support, and everything else—combined with such overwhelmingly generous contributions—pointed toward a tightly bound alliance.

Not the kind of alliance they had with Country A, nor one where they acted as mercenaries for another's cause.

Her friend comforted Ahmin with blunt reasoning—if betrayal ever came, it wasn't as though they couldn't still protect their own people. For now, they should accept the benefits and make the most of the opportunity. Don't let fear cloud her mind.

As Ahmin roamed around, she couldn't help but notice there were fewer people outside and felt puzzled. She asked her guards and immediately realized the commotion caused by her sponsor.

When she finally saw Xiao Yue and Tang Ziyi, she was stunned by the sight of numerous modified vehicles as well as unfamiliar machinery.

Seeing her girls swarming around them with excitement and greed, Ahmin's expression darkened. She knew the new supervisor had brought additional equipment—but how?

She didn't even know how they had arrived. Was her base truly leaking like a sieve? She had already tightened the sentries after that night. What happened?