Hailikoni looked at herself in the mirror. Beautiful and dignified, with a hint of weariness in her eyes, but she felt it was fine; this was also how she looked when she was too tired from work.
Suddenly, the sound of messy footsteps came from outside the house, as if several people were rushing over together.
Hailikoni immediately moved, fluffed up her hair slightly, turned around, and walked towards the bed.
With her back to the door, Xie Lin and two ladies walked in. “Daughter, ” Xie Lin signaled the others to stop, then quickly walked into the room.
“There’s something we need you to do for us. I think the things you’ve learned might come in handy. “
“What I’ve learned? What exactly did I learn? “
Xie Lin, dressed in a long green-ink gown, approached Koni, who was in a plain white dress, and whispered by her shoulder:
“Governor Lanni just received news. Your cousin, Hui Kewen, just like the Lieutenant General, obtained a precious piece of intelligence from the World Ark. But he was assassinated. “
“What! ” Hailikoni’s heart jolted with surprise.
With a very solemn expression on her face, Xie Lin said, “Thankfully, he is waking up now. “
Hailikoni felt a slight relief in her heart.
“Is cousin… is he okay otherwise? Any other problems? “
As the woman turned to look at her mother, the peripheral glimpse caught two girls peeking in from outside the door.
Xie Lin smiled at them and continued speaking to Koni beside her:
“Currently, it’s hard for him to even move, and speaking requires great effort. However, Mr. Rayne, who is with him, said there’s something urgent that requires us to find the most professional personnel within the family to handle it, because this concerns the safety of the world.“
At this point, Xie Lin’s voice lowered a bit, “Because this matter is also related to the interests of the World Ark, so… I think, child, a name is actually just a code.“
Haili Koni felt a pang in her heart.
Her mother’s voice continued, “The World Ark has many outstanding gentlemen. Even Hui Kewen managed to gain their recognition and obtain key intelligence. Take last night’s bonfires, for example; they were, in fact, lit to save the world.“
“What are you trying to say, Mother？” Koni’s voice sounded somewhat distant.
“Right now, some people in our family think it’s time to begin relocating the Haili family.“
There was a hint of apology in Xie Lin’s gaze, “Since this opportunity exists, I want you to participate under the identity of Fenni in this matter. Later on, you should be able to naturally get reacquainted with Chairman Yang and the others. That way, all of you can openly proceed through these people of the World Ark to reach the next era’s continent. It could even include more of our family members, as long as this task is done well. In the future… some heavy burdens can be shared by family members as well.“
The woman said no more. She believed that the girl in front of her would be able to understand her words.
“Obtained… intelligence on the Lieutenant General? “
After being silent for a few seconds, Koni revealed a smile. “Alright, Mother. Could you wait outside for me? I want to change clothes. “
“Of course, Fini. “
After the girl nodded her agreement with a vibrant smile, Xie Lin showed a comforting smile, then turned and walked out the door, closing it behind her.
Haili Koni’s smile faded. She shifted her lively eyes to glance around, then walked to the wardrobe and quickly pulled out a packed wooden basket. With her slender, fair fingers, she rummaged through the clothes and retrieved a photo frame hidden upright beside them.
With a click.
The photo frame, with its secret latch, opened easily. Koni swiftly removed the valuable gold leaf inside, rolled it in her palm, and then let her gaze sweep over the clothes in the wardrobe.
Fortunately, it was currently June, so the temperature wouldn’t drop too low in the coming months.
Thinking this, Haili Koni slipped off her plain white long dress and took out a ladies’ blouse with fluted sleeves and a pair of black trousers from the wardrobe. After putting them on, her gaze fell on the set of stylishly formal school uniforms.
A few minutes later, as the two scholarly-looking young women and Xie Lin stood in the corridor, they saw the door open and a tall, sharp-featured young woman striding out, full of vigor.
“Let’s go, ” Haili Koni said.
Xie Lin looked approvingly at her daughter as she strode over, and the four of them walked toward the entrance of the courtyard where the car was waiting.
……
In the wind, Loki. Tata Mingqi squinted at the air currents high above, then suddenly opened his eyes wide, staring at a tall, slender figure in formal attire walking towards them from a distance.
“Huh? ” Dressed in a dark brown coat, Tata Mingqi took two steps forward out of the doorway.
Lucius stopped in front of the puzzled young man, a faint, hazy white glow emanating from within him. Because of this, he seemed to become slightly illuminated.
Tata Mingqi’s expression immediately turned serious.
“You must have met me before, Mr. Tata Mingqi, of January. “
Loki. Tata Mingqi pouted. “Are you one of the suppliers I’ve dealt with before? “
“Hmm, it seems President Buchen didn’t fully open his perception of you to us back then. “
“……“
Tata Mingqi’s eyes moved. “An Angel of the Moon? “
“Exactly. I am the angel of Sir Serafiel, the Wise Virtuous, who has forged the Ring of Fortune in the real world. I was the one whose Thunder was stolen back at the Central Dispatch Station, shattering the underground earth. “
“Ah, ha. “
Sensing the implicit amusement in Lucius’s eyes, Tata Mingqi immediately looked much more relaxed.
“So it’s you. Mr. Lucius, yes? Well, I wonder what I can do for you? “
Lucius also glanced at the wind in the sky, sighed softly, then turned back and blinked, saying:
_”I want to immediately head above the Sea of Mist to find the never-sinking Karl. To save time, I would like to ask you to recommend me and arrange entry into the feilü / Fee Travel Hotel.
“Oh? ” A hint of scrutiny appeared on Tatta Mingqi’s small face.
“I’ll either sell this experience directly to you, or add it to the bill at the feilü / Fee Travel Hotel as compensation for President Buchen ‘s borrowing fee from you. “
“That sounds good enough. But how do I know you’re not going in there to cause trouble? “
“You really are a cautious little child. “
Lucius pulled a pocket watch from the inner layer of his clothes, opened it, glanced at the time, and snapped it shut again.
“How about this, Mr. Tatta Mingqi. “
Lucius, steady and broad-shouldered, spoke gently:
“I heard that you currently hold ten pieces of President Buchen’s accessories capable of holding at least five Distribution Beacons each. Coincidentally, I happen to work as a postman in a Mist State civilian leasehold as well. Why not let me deliver them immediately to President Buchen’s side? That way, you can also observe whether I am indeed the Lucius he knows. “
“Wh—what! ” Tatta Mingqi was suddenly astonished.
“Just those ten promised accessories of my father—how could you possibly know about that?! “
“To prove that this attempt was merely collateral involvement for Mr. Sage, we have investigated and gathered evidence on every aspect. President Buchen recently arranged through Lost Illusion Company to send Wu Zheng to the Moon Realm—a matter of such importance, it’s only natural we learned the details. “
Tata Mingqi sighed mournfully.
“Alas, fine, fine. I believe you. No need to meet Yang Buchen either; I’ll just take a walk with you. “
“Still not at ease with me. “
“Hehe, how could that be, Brother Lucius? I’m merely doing my duty. “
Tata Mingqi stepped forward, one hand in his pocket and using the other to pat Lucius’s arm.
Noticing the weakened trace of the Golden Skeleton Pendant’s beacon—damaged from Yang Zicang’s earlier use of it to fend off an enemy—the boy continued:
“As for those ten accessories, hehe, such trivial errands wouldn’t interest you, so I’ll have other postmen deliver them. “
“That would really be the best. “
“So, how are we going to get there? ” Tata Mingqi asked, one corner of his mouth lifted coquettishly. “We’re in Krupp now. “
“We’ll just borrow the nearby lease-based postal delivery system. “
Lucius turned around and chuckled. “Hurry up a little. If we linger, I’ll miss the pacifying rescue supplies slated today—the ones reverently imported to Haelavnzark haven based upon the master’s graceful patronage. “
……
Outside the ruined headquarters of the World Ark, the military stationed nearby was on high alert.
A senior colonel, whispering with two experts, walked over from near the ruins. Upon reaching the military vehicle, he glanced at the two missing cars beside it and frowned.
“Where is their squad? “
By the side of the truck, a warrior standing guard with his hands clasped behind his back and legs apart reported:
“Sir, Squad 8 has been dispatched urgently to the supporting research facility for the Scientific Heritage. “
“The research facility…? “
At this moment, on the other end of Talco City, two military vehicles were already speeding through the streets amidst the smoke and dust of the Campfire Plan and the cold wind, rushing toward a district where ordinary citizens were becoming sparser, but where guards were tightening by the second.
As they passed the first checkpoint, a black iron-plated car hummed forward from ahead and screeched to a halt near the two vehicles with a grinding hiss.
The team leader, arriving from the World Ark headquarters, leaned out to gaze at a scientist he recognized—a man who looked both efficient and somewhat anxious. He seemed to be a department head from some division of the Scientific Heritage Committee.
“Quick, we’ve prepared everything you’ll need. “
This committee member, who appeared to be in his forties or fifties, hurried over to the two military vehicles under inspection and went to find the team leader with the unnaturally pale complexion.
“It’s what Mr. Mortaff requested. I guarantee it’s the best. But… “
He glanced at the man’s shoulder insignia, “Lieutenant, can we—at the very least, can I be allowed to carry the Televi engine into that room? “
“You overestimate me, Councilman. That’s not something I can guarantee. “
“Even if it’s just carrying in one corner of the machine. “
The man urged urgently, “You have to help us secure this—let our Scientific Heritage Committee enter that mysterious room, even if just once. “
The few soldiers in the back of the military vehicle silently memorized the face of this Scientific Heritage Committee councilman, from the shape of his face to the arch of his brows.
“So then, what is the purpose of you having to go in there? We need to file a report. “
The councilman suddenly grabbed the hat from his head:
“Don’t you understand yet? Master Mortov is inside! In that secure place protected by the Fogfolk, only accessible to authorized personnel. But do you know what the Fogfolk do best? They might, for the sake of some amusement, take away our most precious scientists next! “
This made the soldiers in the car snap to attention, a flash of sudden understanding bringing a serious contemplation to their faces.
The gentleman from the Scientific Heritage Committee pressed on urgently:
“Do you realize how serious this is? I must represent our Scientific Heritage and persuade Master Mortov to contribute more to preserving the scientific and technological endeavors of our world. This is no time for jokes, gentlemen—please assist the cause of preserving our kingdom’s scientific legacy. “
“This matter… I’ll do my best to persuade the higher-ups, sir. For now, let’s first deliver the Tevior machine together. “
……
Yang Zicang carried his bowl of porridge and walked towards the already mostly-divided sheep.
Ma Shuo, covered in woolly sheep fleece, walked over with a few others and gulped down the thin porridge poured from the bucket.
“Nervous? The road ahead could be dangerous. “
“It’s okay, ” the group laughed. “We heard that Blackwen Zike has already started quietly screening experienced farmers; we’re certainly safer than them. “
Ma Shuo set down his bowl, switched the black dog to his other arm, and said:
“Of course, it’s best for us to get involved in this. A single sheep caravan ties together the efforts of many behind the scenes, right, brothers? “
“Ha, right. For those orchestrating Black Sheep’s operation, our participation will only make their plan more substantial. “
One of them added, “Especially under this shadow. “
“Good. It’s great that everyone has confidence. ” A surge of motivation was born in Yang Zicang’s chest as he encouraged:
“I believe we can pull through this crisis. Moreover, this operation is also tied to a new plan we’ve been cooking up. “
“A new plan? “
“Mm-hmm! ” Yang Zicang gave a mysterious smile. Then, surrounded by a bleating flock of sheep jostling together, he reached out his hand, and several arms—each with different thicknesses of fine hairs—clasped one another in a show of encouragement.
Yang Zicang advised: “Just remember, everyone, don’t stray too far apart out in the wild. “
“Don’t worry, President. Let’s get going. “
……
On the sickbed, the weak Huikenwen glanced to the side at that beautiful face known to some as “Fenny. “
Dressed in an academy uniform, she was half-kneeling beside the bed, outside the protection of a few guards.
“Cousin, are you feeling a bit more comfortable? “
His gaze swept across the bedroom, which had a faint, woody fragrance, resting on the many talented young figures from the family. He struggled to move the corners of his mouth, forcing a faint smile.
“So…rry, I, originally… wanted… to let… let… you, to… “
Haili Koni’s expression looked very weary:
“It’s okay. Mr. Rayne has already come to understand a few things. “
Although she had been instructed not to reveal too much about future events and had only used certain deductions as an excuse, the possibilities Rayne described had already instilled a sense of crisis in everyone’s hearts.
“So, we will find a way to relay information about the enemy, using our family’s influence, to personnel in other nations, persuading them to formulate a response. “
“However, ” came a voice from the side, “hasn’t the General already started taking action over there? “
Haili Koni turned her head, and as her coiled curls swayed, she said:
“We need to cooperate with the General on that front, to ease the information transmission pressure on the various defense departments. “
“This is indeed what we need to do right now. “
Some echoed her sentiment, while others said:
“Then shouldn’t we draft a contingency plan for our family’s evacuation? “
Amidst a flurry of buzzing discussion, Haili Koni walked out of the room. Governor Lanni spotted her exit from the crowd, signaled those beside him to pause, and walked over towards Haili Koni.
“Governor. “
“I genuinely feel sorry about this, but I hope you can accept it. It’s only a temporary hardship. “
“It’s nothing. ” Koni said cheerfully, sounding happy, then added, “Ah, by the way, sir, I need to go out and get something. “
“Of course. ” Viceroy Lanni said with a kindly smile. After watching the woman’s back as she walked away, he shook his head and turned back to Rayne’s side.
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