“There are only four hours left until the School Board’s deadline,” Schneider said. “There’s no time for delay; we should take direct action.”
“Use force?” Manstein frowned. “China is a lawful country…”
“Human laws don’t entirely apply to us, do they?” Schneider replied. “Both sides are hybrids; just warn Chu Zihang not to harm unrelated people.”
“But you have to understand—your student isn’t a precision sniper, skilled in point-and-shoot. He’s… more like a shotgun that sprays the entire area! I’ll say it again—his mission record isn’t great, and he’s already caused a lot of trouble for the college,” Manstein lowered his voice, “If we hadn’t kept it under wraps, his incidents would’ve been reported to the School Board long ago!”
“What’s wrong with that? He has a 100% success rate, though his methods can be a bit extreme sometimes.”
Manstein sighed, “Listen, Schneider, I know you think highly of Chu Zihang, but don’t let personal feelings cloud your judgment. How does the saying go? ‘Impulsiveness is the devil!’ Remember the mission in the Bronze City? If we had known Ye Sheng and Aki were a couple, we wouldn’t have put them in the same team. That way, maybe we could’ve at least saved one of them.”
“Right! Exactly! You see, there’s no relationship between Mingfei and Nono, so their mission went really well!” Guderian just happened to wake up at that moment, seizing the chance to boast about his student, instantly full of vigor.
“The entire campus knows Lu Mingfei has a crush on someone!” Schneider said coldly, “Maybe except for Caesar.”
“Stop! Now isn’t the time for gossip!” Manstein was getting angry. “And don’t drag my student into this!”
“Sorry, I forgot that Nono is now your student,” Schneider said.
The three stared at each other, and the central control room fell into a dead silence, the old-fashioned wall clock on the wall making a soft “tick-tick” sound as the seconds passed.
Manstein hesitated for a long time before handing a list to Schneider, “To be honest, I’ve already contacted the School Board directly. The School Board seems to have doubts about Chu Zihang’s abilities. Aside from appointing Lu Mingfei as the agent for this mission, they also immediately dispatched the people on this list to assist them. These people are on their way to meet Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang; they’re experienced and elite. The retrieval plan must also be approved by the School Board and remotely guided by us.”
Schneider glanced at the list, shocked. “Why are they sending these people? They’re too conspicuous!”
“The School Board understands that too, so they’ve ordered them to wear civilian clothes and keep a low profile.”
Schneider was silent for a long time, then sighed deeply, getting up and walking towards the door.
“Hey, Schneider, don’t be so stubborn,” Manstein stood up, raising his voice. “Not everything has to rely on pure bloodlines, right? Don’t think only your own students are the best.”
“Once the School Board makes a decision, the Execution Bureau can’t overturn it. Do as they say—these politicians who only know how to give orders don’t understand execution. Those people won’t be able to help Chu Zihang,” Schneider turned back at the door, “The worse truth is that Chu Zihang simply can’t work with others! Every mission he’s undertaken has actually been completed solo!”
On the 21st floor of Runde Building, all the windows were covered with thick velvet curtains, completely blocking out the light. A red candle holder sat in the middle of the massive conference table, holding a lavender-scented tealight. This tiny light could barely illuminate the large, luxurious meeting room, let alone reach the client sitting across from them. He sat in the shadows, looking frail, with messy red hair, a pale face, a red and white striped shirt, and a yellow vest.
“Whiskey with ice? Camus XO? Or… would you like a McNuggets meal?” Tang Wei swirled a glass of Yamazaki whiskey, unable to resist making a joke.
After all, the client across from him was Ronald McDonald.
Tang Wei had dealt with all kinds of clients—some were hulking men with dragons tattooed on their backs and Chairman Mao’s quotes inked on their arms; others were clearly successful types, with voluptuous women in black stockings and miniskirts hanging off them, bellies bulging. Some would walk in, poke two holes in the table with two fingers, and say, “I’m trained in the two-finger technique—don’t try anything shady!” He thought he was used to the big scenes and could stay calm no matter what, but seeing his client was Ronald McDonald still made him instinctively sit up straight in respect.
Tang Wei had grown up poor. As a child, he used to gaze longingly at the big McDonald’s sign, swallowing his saliva.
“Camus XO, on the rocks,” the client said in a deep voice.
Savoring the expensive Camus, the client opened the briefcase he’d brought. It was filled with neatly stacked high-denomination U.S. dollars—a single briefcase holding exactly $2.5 million.
“The goods,” the client said simply.
Tang Wei also put the case at his feet on the table and opened it. Inside was a sealed envelope, its seal imprinted with a certain insignia—a half-decayed giant tree. Just as Tang Wei was about to cut the envelope open, the client said, “That’s enough, no need.”
He pushed the heavy briefcase towards Tang Wei, raising his eyes at the same time. The moment their eyes met, Tang Wei nearly jumped in shock.
Damn, was he suffering from severe hepatitis? That was Tang Wei’s first thought. Otherwise, how could his eyes be so yellow? And so golden…
Each of those golden eyes seemed to contain an unknown symbol, slowly rotating backward. The symbols drew Tang Wei in, making him stare, but at the same time realizing he shouldn’t—making him dizzy, like he was staring into a kaleidoscope.
“Are you kidding me!” Tang Wei screamed internally. When he recovered from that momentary shock, he was drenched in cold sweat. The client was still quietly sitting on the other side of the conference table, with the payment in front of him—$2.5 million in cash.
“The efficiency of the Three Young Lords is impressive. I am very satisfied.” The client reached out, picked up the candle holder, and blew the flame towards the Camus glass. The strong brandy, made from grapes, ignited with a faint blue flame hovering over the ice-filled liquid. He swirled the glass, downed the drink—along with the ice and flames—and nodded with satisfaction before standing up to leave.
“Hey, you forgot your stuff!” Tang Wei called out.