"Ning Xuan has agreed to give it a try. Don’t mention this in front of her. Right now, there’s no real bond between you. Just do more work and try not to make demands. Look at that kid from the Chen Family. Ning Xuan seems to like those who are docile and respectful. Since you’ve become someone else’s Contractor, you have to learn to anticipate and cater to your Master’s preferences!" Zhu Hongying instructed Lin Mo.

"Yes, Auntie. You don’t have to worry so much. Ning Xuan and Yun Han have a high compatibility rate. Maybe she can find a way!" Lin Mo comforted Zhu Hongying.

"Even a sliver of hope is a good thing! Don’t see me out. Just stay by her side and do your job. Don’t worry about anything else. Ning Xuan might seem easygoing, but she’s not someone you can fool. Since you’ve chosen her, you must respect and adore her. In the past, you and little Han were both raised to become a Family Head, so I’m worried you won’t be able to adapt to the rules a Contractor must follow. Before I came, I thought that since Ning Xuan was from a Low-class Star, she wouldn’t be too assertive. It seems I was wrong!" Zhu Hongying couldn’t help but sigh.

Ning Xuan’s demand to punish Yun Tianye was handled with perfect measure. She used him to establish her authority without making people think she was weak and easily bullied, yet it was so well-justified that no one could call her arrogant or domineering.

And if Yun Tianye were to complain or try to cause trouble later, he would be in the wrong. Neither she nor the Yun Family would indulge him again. After all, the conflict between them was now out in the open. If anything were to happen to Ning Xuan, Yun Tianye would be the first person they suspected.

"Auntie, I know! I’ll follow all the rules a Contractor is supposed to. You don’t have to worry about me!" Right now, Lin Mo was so filled with the joy of being able to stay by Ning Xuan’s side that Zhu Hongying’s concerns didn’t even register.

That afternoon, just as Ning Xuan was getting settled, someone from the Controller Protection Association came to her door. Her information had passed their review, and she had been granted membership.

"Miss Ning, the Association has provided a residence for you. Here is the property deed. To protect the interests of every member, new members’ Contractors are required to undergo an assessment and review by the Association. Of course, if you are confident in your Contractors’ discipline, you may refuse. The Association respects your choice!" the staff member from the Controller Protection Association said respectfully to Ning Xuan. He was dressed in a deep blue uniform with silver patterned trim on the collar and cuffs, and he handed her a red property certificate.

"An assessment and review? What do they assess?" Ning Xuan asked curiously, taking the deed.

"We assess all aspects of their condition. These are the assessment regulations. Please take a look. You can request the full assessment or select only a few items," the staff member explained. As he finished, he saw Ning Xuan flipping through the regulations, and a suspicious blush crept onto his fair face.

Ning Xuan looked at the contents of the regulations. It was a thick booklet covering everything from physical examinations, service protocols, and obedience tests to the recitation of the Contractor’s code. She was a little shocked as she read, and the more she saw, the more her eyes were opened. She had thought the Bai Family house rules she saw on Chen Nan’s Light Computer were twisted, but compared to these regulations, they were nothing.

How much power a female Spirit Controller below B-Class could wield in a contractual relationship depended entirely on her own or her family’s capabilities. If they could control their Contractors, they could naturally enjoy the rights afforded to a Master under Federation law. If they couldn’t, the law would not intervene much.

The Controller Protection Association, however, possessed enforcement powers that superseded Federation law. Its jurisdiction only covered the Contractors registered under a Controller. If a Controller had any dissatisfaction with their Contractor, they could file a complaint with the Association, and the Association would take immediate action.

"I’ll take another look at these assessment regulations. Thank you for making the trip. If there’s nothing else, you can head back for now. I’ll contact you in a couple of days." This staff member was the service specialist assigned to Ning Xuan by the Controller Protection Association. They had already exchanged contact information, and Ning Xuan could ask for the Association’s help through him for any issue she encountered.

"There is one more thing. It’s like this, Miss Ning. During the preliminary review of your Contractors, we discovered that all five of them had previously enabled information-hiding features. This behavior is an affront to your dignity and authority and requires punishment. The ones with established contracts are Chen Nan, Lin Mo, and an important figure. That important figure enjoys information shielding and supreme immunity, so the Association cannot exercise jurisdiction over them for now. However, our investigation shows Chen Nan and Lin Mo are currently with you. The President has instructed that we bring them both to the Association for punishment," the staff member said.

"Fine. Let’s go. It’ll be a good chance for me to see what it’s all about," Ning Xuan said, her curiosity about the Controller Protection Association piqued.

Ning Xuan sat on a sofa at the Controller Protection Association, sipping a cup of herbal tea. A holographic projector in the room provided a clear, complete view of another room.

Chen Nan and Lin Mo were shirtless, fastened to cross-shaped punishment racks decorated with silver patterns. Silver rings shackled their necks, wrists, and ankles. An enforcer in a metal mask stood ramrod straight, holding a punishment whip. The service specialist announced, "Lin Mo and Chen Nan both engaged in the act of information hiding. This is considered great disrespect toward their Master. Although both of them deactivated the information hiding before their Master, Ning Xuan, was upgraded, and thus do not need to be demoted to Contracted Slaves, they must still be punished. Fifty lashes of the whip for each."

After finishing the announcement, the service specialist exited the punishment chamber. The heavy punishment whip then let out a sharp WHOOSH as it cut through the air before a loud CRACK resounded against Chen Nan’s back. Chen Nan let out a muffled grunt, and his body began to tremble involuntarily. Pain washed over him in a tide, and his forehead was instantly covered in cold sweat. He clenched his jaw, trying his best not to make a sound, but the agony on his face was impossible to hide.

The holographic imaging magnified the fresh lash mark on Chen Nan’s back, showing it in minute detail. The skin around the welt was a deep, angry red. When Ning Xuan saw the look of pain on his face, she felt a pang of pity. The Vice President sitting next to her noticed her expression and chuckled softly. "Miss Ning, he’s only taken a few lashes. Is your heart already aching for him?"

"These two Contractors of yours are both S-Class or higher in strength. They are physically very resilient, so you don’t have to worry about them being broken. By the way, according to the information I’ve looked up, neither of them has ever received education on the Contractor’s code. I suggest you have them enter the Association’s Contractor training camp to receive systematic training. Once they complete it, they’ll be completely transformed." The Association’s Vice President was also a Controller and looked to be about the same age as Zhu Hongying.

As the Vice President continued to persuade her, Ning Xuan saw Chen Nan’s back becoming covered in welts, and she felt an inexplicable sense of unease.