Du Xixi’s brow slightly moved. Although she held a position in the Imperial Family, she never involved herself in the major affairs at the Empire level.

Du Xixi looked up, just about to ask Chen Yin, who was bickering with Ke Lian, to pause and handle official business before continuing the "argument." However, Chen Yin waved his hand and said to Du Xixi, "Just decide, and that’s it, Xixi! I’m busy having a verbal spat with Ke Lian!"

Du Xixi: ... Is a verbal spat more important than official business?

However, Du Xixi gathered some insights from Chen Yin’s words. Chen Yin was always someone who knew what he was doing. Seeing his indifferent attitude, it was clear that this interaction between the Iron-eating Beast Empire and the Blue Star Empire was not a big deal. Even if Du Xixi, inexperienced as she was, made a decision, it wouldn’t have any significant impact.

Du Xixi felt relieved and leaned lazily on the sofa, amidst an elegant background noise interspersed with the increasingly intense exchange of insults between Chen Yin and Ke Lian. Yet it did not affect her. After some thought, she softly said, "Since the other party has sent a diplomatic officer, let’s send one over as well, someone competent and not too low in rank, to properly entertain the guests."

"Yes!" Du Xixi’s specific instructions were actually redundant for the Rob. She was an amateur without experience, while the Rob had been by Chen Yin’s side ever since he ascended the throne, assisting till now, and was more proficient in handling both major and minor arrangements.

With Du Xixi’s decision, the Rob quickly went ahead to make arrangements. As for what transpired afterward, Du Xixi did not inquire in detail. She only knew that a few days later, the Iron-eating Beast Empire rewarded the Blue Star Empire with a few fat Energy Stone veins, and the Blue Star Empire reciprocated by bolstering the Iron-eating Beast Empire’s national strength significantly with equally abundant resources.

The purpose of this transaction was unknown to everyone, and Du Xixi didn’t care. She remained friends with the Iron-eating Beast, and she was happy for the Iron-eating Beast as his empire grew stronger.

Before long, it was July, signaling the end of the semester at Blue Star University. Even though Du Xixi hadn’t attended classes, as a professor in the Food Department, she thought about it and decided to visit her students at Blue Star University.

Was she missing her students? Of course not, she hadn’t even assigned summer homework yet. Moreover, the students seemed quite pleased to receive assignments personally delivered by her.

Du Xixi contemplated this as she observed the "joyful" students before her, their eyes brimming with tears.

"Xixi, care to sit in my office for a while?" He Yuan hadn’t seen Du Xixi in ages. Back when she was hospitalized, He Yuan visited her in the military hospital and even held Sansi multiple times. However, Du Xixi had not returned to work, and with He Yuan’s limited time off, she was eager to have a good chat with Du Xixi.

He Yuan spent her days teaching in the Food Department, rarely interacting with other women. Du Xixi was indeed one of her very few close friends.

"Let’s go." Du Xixi agreed without hesitation. He Yuan had few female friends, and so did Du Xixi. After all these years, counting her sister Miao Miao, Du Xixi only had four female friends.

But it wasn’t just Du Xixi who went to He Yuan’s office; Zhang Ye and three others, also missing her, joined in. The five professors from the Food Department gathered in He Yuan’s office, making for quite a lively conversation.

"How does Insect Clan meat feel to cook? Is there any difference compared to regular meat?" Wenren Yu had truly immersed himself in the Food Department. The conversation barely began before he brought up the topic of Insect Clan meat.

His curiosity wasn’t surprising; He Yuan and the others were also very curious. Although the Cultural Relics Bureau had been researching the Insect Clan, it was primarily theoretical. By the time they left the Bureau and joined Blue Star University, Insect Clan meat was mostly just ornamental.

Yet, in just about a year, Insect Clan meat was already edible! Although the results didn’t come from the Cultural Relics Bureau, since Du Xixi was part of Blue Star University’s Food Department, and they were too, you can kind of say it was an accomplishment of their unit!

Former unit, current unit — both are units!

Du Xixi hesitated for a moment, then under the eager eyes of the four, said, "Actually, there’s not much difference. The texture of Humming Beast meat is almost identical to pork, and other insect types also resemble their respective animal meats, so I personally didn’t feel much while cooking it. But..."