Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 59: The Mendez Family

Chapter 59: The Mendez Family

After the brief clash with Blackheart, Lyra cut off the communication and clenched her hand on the table, reminding herself to stay calm and not rush into anything. She then reached out to Snakehead.

"Well, well, I was just wondering when you’d get in touch, and here you are," Snakehead greeted her, leaning closer to the screen with a fake smile. He was even fatter than the last time she saw him. "Miss Shedd, how’s it going? I heard you were quite the star during pre-training, a real campus queen. I knew someone like you would stand out wherever you go..."

"Enough," Lyra cut him off. She knew he’d been waiting for this call, so there was no point in wasting time. "I need 500 medical devices made with the ’core.’"

Her tone was sharp, showing the impatience that came after all the back-and-forth negotiations.

But she was dealing with Snakehead, a master of playing dumb. He blinked, pretending to be puzzled. "Huh? Did I hear that right? Shouldn’t you be asking Blackheart for those medical devices?"

Lyra knew that Snakehead had his informants everywhere, from Voidstar No.2 to Planet Nagano, so there was no point in games. She let out a cold laugh.

"Don’t play dumb. Only a fool would pass up the chance to profit from these medical devices. Five hundred units—are you in or not?" Noticing the smug grin spreading across his face, she added, "I’m sure you’re smarter than that idiot Blackheart."

Snakehead burst into laughter, though it was unclear whether he was genuinely amused or just mocking. When he finally stopped, he said, "I knew you were smart too, so you should know that flattery won’t get you far with me."

"Let’s hear your terms."

Lyra had never expected charity from her business partners; as long as they didn’t stab her in the back, they were good enough.

Snakehead’s smile faded, replaced by a look of unhidden greed. "I want an additional 20% of the ’core’ each year from now on, and we split the medical device business on Planet Nagano 50-50."

Snakehead, with his shady background, couldn’t expand too much outside Voidstar without attracting attention from the authorities. But if he could use Lyra as a front, it would be a different story. Her "clean" reputation and military academy background could give him the cover he needed.

Lyra had always known Snakehead had a big appetite, but she hadn’t expected him to go after the medical device business too.

When she didn’t respond immediately, Snakehead’s tone became more insistent. "I don’t know what you’re trying to get from Blackheart, but it looks like you’re done with him. Don’t worry—with me keeping an eye on him, you’ll be safe."

Lyra laughed—anyone who knew Snakehead understood how empty his reassurances were.

"If you want in on the medical device business, fine," she said, resting her chin lightly on her hand. "But you need to guarantee all my material supplies on Planet Nagano."

Snakehead, expecting more demands, was taken aback when she stopped there. His greed gave way to suspicion. He glared at her, feeling uneasy. "Why do I feel like I’m getting the short end of the stick?"

"If you think it’s a bad deal, you don’t have to agree."

"I thought you’d ask for some land too," Snakehead remarked. He knew about Lyra’s struggles on Planet Nagano.

"On this planet, your influence doesn’t match the Mendez’s," Lyra replied bluntly.

There was no point in asking for something he couldn’t deliver.

After weighing his options and still not seeing where he might be losing out, Snakehead finally nodded and said, "Alright, it’s a deal. I’ll arrange for a dedicated transport ship to deliver everything to you right away!"

Being in the same territory as Blackheart, Snakehead couldn’t openly sell his stockpile, so this was a perfect opportunity to test the waters on Planet Nagano.

Lyra’s response was curt: "Fine."

With the supply secured, Lyra’s mind, which had been racing all day, finally took a moment to pause. By the time she’d finished verifying all the orders and reports, the sky had already darkened.

She grabbed a glass of cold water, gulped it down, and decided to head out for dinner. However, just as she was about to leave, Vivian intercepted her in the living room.

"So, still not ready to give in?" Vivian asked, circling her like a proud princess, her head held high. After sizing Lyra up, she added disdainfully, "Just burning down the factory wasn’t enough? You won’t be satisfied until I’ve sent you packing back to Voidstar?"

Mandy, who had been about to leave, froze at the door, regret washing over her face. ’Has Vivian really gone that far?’

But Mandy quickly grew more pessimistic. ’Forget it. It wouldn’t make any difference whether I had warned Lyra or not. There’s no way that Lyra can stand up to the Mendez family on her own?’

"Unless I choose to, no one can force me to give in," Lyra’s calm voice came from inside the room. "Vivian, I’ll remember the ’kindness’ your family has shown me."

Even though her words were sharp, Lyra spoke as if discussing something trivial, which made it all the more unsettling—like a weapon lying in wait, cold and silent.

"Mandy, why are you just standing there?" Zinnia suddenly clapped Mandy on the back, making her jump and cutting off the conversation inside.

Zinnia’s amusement at Mandy’s reaction turned into laughter. "You’re like a scared rabbit."

She breezed past Mandy into the dorm and grabbed Lyra by the arm. "Lyra, what kept you so busy today? You even skipped lunch—you’ll never grow tall that way. Let’s go eat. Pre-training is over, and there’s a party tonight. Tomorrow’s a day off; let’s hang out together!"

"I’m busy. I need to go out."

"Ah, then how about the day after tomorrow..."

As Zinnia’s chatter faded, the two of them walked away, leaving Mandy frozen at the door, caught under Vivian’s piercing glare.

"You heard everything," Vivian said flatly, her tone more of a statement than a question.

Mandy twisted her fingers and nodded, then gathered the courage to look at Vivian. "Don’t you think you’ve gone too far?"

"She brought this on herself!" Vivian snapped, pointing toward the door. "I could have had her kicked out of school and didn’t. A wild girl from Voidstar—who does she think she is, trying to compete with me?"

"She wasn’t even competing with you."

"You’re taking her side now?" Vivian stepped closer, her voice sharp. "Don’t forget, I’m your friend. When your grandfather was sick and passed away last year, it was my brother who lent your family money. Are you going to be ungrateful?"

"I’m not..."

Mandy’s face went pale. That’s why she never dared to oppose Vivian, why she kept her feelings hidden, and why she couldn’t even bring herself to warn Lyra.

"I’ll pay it back." It was her last bit of defiance.

But deep down, she knew that even after repaying the money, she would never be able to stand tall in front of the Mendez family.

"Hmph, so if you still want to be my friend, stay out of it."

Vivian, right in front of Mandy, made a phone call, her voice cold and calculated. "Hey, Lyra’s heading out tomorrow. It’s the perfect opportunity..."

Mandy’s eyes widened in disbelief. ’Why would Vivian go this far?’

The weather in Bluewater was always unpredictable. Early in the morning, the sunlight would spread across the sea like the shimmering tail of a legendary mermaid. But by the time Lyra stepped outside, the wind had picked up, and dark clouds loomed ominously overhead.

Today was destined to be a stormy one.