Your China Grandpa Is Here!

As night fell, the streetlights of Distant Harbor came on, and two bicycles came to a leisurely stop, one in front of the other.

The rider in front jumped off his bike, stepped down on the kickstand, and stopped the bicycle at an angle by the roadside. He turned around and smiled, "Brother Zhang, this is it."

Zhang Li Zhang Mianzhi were members of the Cathay mission to China. After crossing the sea to Japan, under the leadership of Kang De, more than 3,000 foreigners who had crossed the sea to Japan were evaluated and, based on their own requirements, were dispersed and assigned to the four departments of the Shogunate to participate in internships.

By adopting a mentorship model, these people who crossed the sea to the east were able to quickly familiarize themselves with the new military, political, and legal system, integrate into their new homeland and adapt to their roles as soon as possible, and then serve the Duke of Qin.

Shen Maocai, a close friend skilled in the art of intelligence gathering, went to the Truth Office to study the alchemical military science that Duke of Qin Guogong was renowned for in foreign lands and to verify his own knowledge. Zhang Li, proud of his talent, did not make any demands. Instead, he chose to obey the assignment, saying that he would go wherever Distant Harbor needed him.

So he was assigned to the Ministry of Unity.

After all, among the four departments of the Shogunate, the Unity Ministry of Unity was the least popular.

Those who were determined to serve their country went to the Ministry of Peace to join the army; those who wanted to use weapons to strengthen the army went to the Truth Office; and those who had the ambition to govern the country and assist the monarch went to the Ministry of Plenty to participate in administrative work. Only the Ministry of Unity sounded the most useless. Apart from a group of people who were specially recruited, few people were willing to go there.

After all, everyone had abandoned their families and careers to cross the vast sea for the king and come to this foreign land. Everyone was determined and only wanted to do something practical, not just loaf around in the Court of State Ceremonial.

Zhang Mianzhi Zhang Mianzhi was transferred to the Ministry of Unity, was assigned to Han Mingxiu's subordinates... They had a slight acquaintance. Han Mingxiu was a servant of the Han Family in Distant Harbor. When the delegation arrived, it was Han Mingxiu who was responsible for receiving him and Shen Maocai. They were acquaintances.

Because of this relationship, the two got along well.

Han Mingxiu was very polite to Zhang Li, answering all his questions and never putting on airs of a superior. After all, this servant of the Han family from Distant Harbor was quite shrewd... or rather, everyone born into the Han Family and working for the Shogunate was constantly instructed and lectured by the master, especially after the Cathay.

Han Mingxiu firmly remembered her master's teachings: the Han Family was favored by the Duke of Qin of Qin, firstly because of the prestige of being from the same clan, and secondly because the Han Family was extremely resolute in serving the Duke of Qin of Duke of Qin.

There is no other reason.

The Han family's immense wealth is nothing to Duke of Qin; he could destroy it with a flick of his wrist. Even the Guangcheng of the Han Family is only of average appearance and cannot become Duke of Qin's confidant like Mr. Hong. The loyalty they initially showed will gradually fade with time. If the Han Family wants to prosper, they must prioritize loyalty and humility, act cautiously in all things, and never be arrogant... that would be a path to death.

With this in mind, he smiled and extended his hand, "Brother Zhang, please."

After spending a few days together, he had gained a certain understanding of Zhang Mianzhi... He truly lived up to his reputation as a figure from a superior country; his talent and learning surpassed Zhang's by a hundredfold, and he was no ordinary person.

The master also personally instructed him, saying that these scholars and warriors who crossed the sea to the east were supposed to be entering the four departments of the Shogunate for internships, but they were just like the Cathay's disciples in China. Being sent out to serve as officials was just to accumulate experience, and they would be of great use in the future. If he could build good relationships with them now, it would be a way out in the future no matter what.

Anyway, it's not about seeking wealth and status; it's just that if we ever fall into hardship, and if an old friend remembers the small favors we did when we were down on our luck and lends a hand, perhaps we can find a way to survive for our entire family.

Zhang Mianzhi said, "Brother Han, please go first."

To be fair, if this were in Cathay, a minor official like Han Mingxiu, who came from a wealthy merchant family, would not have been worth his attention. Even his patriarch, Han Zezheng, would have been nothing in Cathay... But this is a foreign land, where family, bloodline, background, and even fame are not enough to prove anything.

He came to Distant Harbor on his own initiative to serve, not by invitation from Kang De. There is no point in him showing off his status as a member of a prominent family in front of Han Mingxiu. If this were to reach the ears of the Duke of Qin, he would be criticized for being arrogant and would never be of any use again. That would be fatal, and it is something a wise person would not do.

Regardless of his true feelings, he outwardly maintained proper etiquette. After the two declined each other's offers, they smiled, took hands, and headed towards their destination—as diplomatic clerks of the Ministry of Unity, their mission was to represent the Ministry of Unity and convey the response from Duke of Qin Kang De of Qin to the imperial envoy.

Empire...

Zhang Mianzhi.

After joining the Ministry of Unity, he was busy for a moment and had read through all the materials available to him in the database. He had gained a certain understanding of the path to power and governance of the Duke of Duke of Qin, and knew that this fellow countryman who was famous in foreign lands was unconventional, valued talent above all else, and was kind, benevolent, and respectful to the virtuous.

It is indeed a good thing to have such a saintly ruler with extremely high moral standards. However, this Duke of Qin was not only strict with himself, but also strict with others. His "benevolence and love for the people" was reflected in two aspects.

First, I sympathize with and pity the hardships of ordinary people, and I will ensure that they have enough to eat and wear and are free from worries about food and clothing.

Secondly, anyone who doesn't work with me or disagrees with me will die, and I'll even dig up their ancestral graves.

The second one was too painful. He looked at the cause of death of the nobles in the Distant Harbor and thought to himself that if this was done, ninety-nine percent of the noble families in Cathay whole of China would die. You can't stop noble families and merchants from hoarding and exploiting the common people, just as you can't stop the sun from rising in the east and setting in the west.

But the Duke of Qin did indeed do so, and to this day he has not been killed by the united nobles of the entire continent, which is truly an awe-inspiring and extraordinary event.

But...

He sighed inwardly; he seemed to have heard some bad rumors these past two days.

It seems that the Duke of Qin's decisive and domineering actions have finally begun to backfire.

Unfortunately, he was of low rank and little power... Even if he risked his life to remonstrate, he would inevitably be scorned, dismissed as a presumptuous scholar seeking official position, or even severely punished, which would be of no use.

I should focus on doing my job well, striving to achieve merit, and getting on the attention of the Duke of Qin.

Only by becoming one of his trusted confidants can one have the opportunity to offer advice.

Now, he can only serve as Han Mingxiu's accompanying adjutant, acting as his mouthpiece.

They knocked on the door of the Imperial office in Distant Harbor, identified themselves to the guards, and were quickly ushered into the newly constructed main building of the office.

The three-story mansion was located in the scenic coastal new district of Distant Harbor. The environment was beautiful and quiet. They were invited into the reception room and served black tea and desserts.

The two Cathayan sat upright. Zhang Mianzhi took a sip of his black tea and his eyes lit up. "It's actually iced black tea mixed with Coca-Cola! The sweet taste is enhanced by the refreshing bubbles, and the addition of a tea bag filled with QQ candy adds flavor. It even has the aroma of several kinds of fruit..."

Han Mingxiu frowned, took a bite, and chuckled softly, "Those imperialists love to do these fancy things. I heard that His Excellency the Duke laughed for a long time after hearing about this."

Zhang Mianzhi asked in surprise, "Is there something wrong with this way of drinking it?"

"Absolutely." Han Mingxiu raised an eyebrow and smiled, "As long as these imperialists are willing to spend the money, even adding cherry-flavored cola will be fine..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Li looked pained. "I even spent my work points to buy it... How could that stuff taste so awful? Are you sure it's not bitter apricot flavored?"

As they were speaking, footsteps sounded from outside, and an envoy dressed in noble attire entered with a reserved expression. He leaned on the Imperial Lion Cane, a polite smile on his face, polite yet... smug.

"Good evening, both of you." He smiled. "I thought Princess Tina would come in person."

Han Mingxiu and Zhang Mianzhi stood up, their expressions slightly somber.

That was very impolite... because Princess Tina was not only the head of the Ministry of Unity, but also the fiancée of the Duke of Qin, so those words sounded extremely harsh.

However, if you seize on this statement and make a scene, it sounds like you're making a mountain out of a molehill, since the other party can claim it was purely a business inquiry and had no other meaning.

Zhang Mianzhi glanced at Han Mingxiu discreetly.

The imperial envoy's almost mocking rudeness likely stemmed from the dire situation of Distant Harbor at the moment; at least he had heard that Griffin, the Grand Speaker of the Arcane Council, possessed the magical artifact technology to defend against Forbidden Spell.

This means that the Duke of Qin's biggest trump card for intimidating the mainland is about to become ineffective.

If this is true, it means that the great powers, organizations, nobles, and interest groups that were previously intimidated and coerced by the Duke of Qin's domineering style will unite to settle scores and take advantage of the weakening of the Forbidden Spell to completely eliminate the threat posed by the Duke of Qin and drive him out of the continent.

This envoy may have received intelligence and instructions from home, which is why he dares to be so arrogant... He wants to use this provocation to assess the true situation of the Distant Harbor.

Zhang Li sighed inwardly.

Therefore, he and Brother Han were going to visit the Imperial Office overnight, and presumably many of their colleagues were also rushing to the embassies of various countries to try their best to conduct diplomatic mediation.

Although Distant Harbor is strong, given the ineffectiveness of the Forbidden Spell and the Council, it may have no choice but to swallow its anger in the face of the hostile gazes of various countries. Moreover, judging from Distant Harbor 'Distant Harbor consistent diplomatic policy, it is unlikely that any allies in the international community will speak up for it.

If only I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it in the first place.

He remained calm, preparing to listen to the message relayed by Han Mingxiu and to face the ridicule from the imperial people... before using diplomatic language to fully uphold the dignity of the Duke of Qin and Distant Harbor, and to interfere with the imperial people's judgment.

"It only takes two nobodies like us to convey Duke Kang De's response to the Empire."

Han Mingxiu turned on his DD-Boy, Zhang Mianzhi, seeing this, also picked up his Little Genius Phone Watch. He opened the mission log, clicked on the coordinates to confirm that he had arrived at the Imperial Office, and then the mission updated, and the password appeared. He then passed the password to Han Mingxiu.

Han Mingxiu entered the password, had her face recognized, and then opened Prince Kang De's diplomatic mission.

The soft light illuminated Han Mingxiu's astonished face.

He glanced at it, and after a moment of astonishment, he almost burst out laughing. Then he composed himself and looked at the imperial envoy opposite him... He had heard that the imperial envoys changed frequently, whether in Distant Harbor or Goth.

"Ambassador Rodlov, I have been authorized by Princess Tina, the head of the Ministry of Unity, to convey to you a message from the Duke of Qin in response to your Emperor's proposal that the Duke of Qin explain Griffin's accusations."

"The Duke said..."

Han Mingxiu took a deep breath. "--Otto II, go eat shit!"

The imperial envoy was stunned for a few seconds before he reacted and angrily exclaimed, "Insolence!"

The imperial warriors who remained to guard the side hall were enraged and charged in, swords drawn.

How dare you address His Majesty by his given name! How dare you insult the emperor of the empire!

Zhang Mianzhi was stunned! He never expected the Duke of Qin to say such a thing! He even wanted to snatch Han Mingxiu's DD-Boy to see if this guy was lying and making false reports!

How can you say that? This is a matter of national importance! That's the emperor of an empire!

"If you're going to kill us, please wait; I haven't finished delivering my message."

Facing the murderous aura surrounding him, Han Mingxiu calmly said, "The Duke's special request is that Ambassador Rodlov must convey his response to His Majesty the Emperor completely and without modification. If the Duke later learns through other channels that the ambassador has not followed his instructions and has altered, distorted, or omitted anything from the statement, then..."

He squinted at the ambassador and said, "Then you're the one who'll be eating shit."

Rodlov's face flushed crimson, almost contorting with rage.

Han Mingxiu said calmly, "It's like this, Ambassador. Based on my experience following the Duke for nearly half a year, I must remind you that if the Duke tells you to eat shit, then you should be prepared to actually eat it."

After saying that, he pulled Zhang Mianzhi back two steps and drew his sword and pistol from his waist.

"That's all I have to say. I am not skilled in combat, but if the lords of the Empire wish to fight with swords drawn, then Han Mingxiu, as an employee of the Shogunate, will certainly not stand idly by and await his death. Finally, I warn you all, once the battle begins, the Sky Dragon patrolling the Distant Harbor will drop a warp beacon and deploy the Suppressors of Rebellion in twelve seconds. Have you thought it through?"

Zhang Mianzhi did not draw his weapon, but stared at the ambassador, his bones cracking.

Rodlov's face turned pale, then flushed, before he suddenly waved his hand fiercely. "Get out of the way!"

Han Mingxiu smiled, sheathed her weapon, and said, "Farewell."

Behind him, the ambassador called out, "I hope His Highness Kang De knows what he is doing."

"According to etiquette, you should address him as Duke," Han Mingxiu said, stopping in his tracks. "Furthermore, regarding the ambassador's remarks about Princess Tina, I will report them truthfully. I am not knowledgeable enough to understand the ambassador's meaning and implications, so I can only leave it to my superior to judge."

The ambassador stood frozen in place, his eyes filled with deep apprehension and unease.

He suddenly felt like slapping himself.

Although he was allowed to provoke Kang De to some extent and test his limits, the authorities didn't specify what he should say... It was Rodlov felt he was being pressured too much by the Distant Harbor and wanted to take the opportunity to vent his anger, but who knew...

He stood frozen for a long time, then suddenly shouted, "Where's the priest! Where's the priest!"

He invited the priest who served as his private priest and doctor, hesitated for a long time, and finally mustered his courage to say, "Your Excellency, I have a question I would like to ask you. Please keep it a secret and don't laugh at me."

The priest, though unsure of the meaning, was very experienced. "Please rest assured, secrecy and honesty are virtues praised by the gods. I will not reveal anything you have said."

"Alright," the ambassador said earnestly, "I have a friend who ate a lot of feces. Will he die? Is there any way to save him, and a spell to make him forget his nightmarish experience?"

"..."

Outside the embassy.

The two bicycles were pedaling very fast.

"Holy crap, this is so awesome! So awesome!"

Han Mingxiu was in front, burst into laughter, feeling a chill all over her body as the sweat dried in the wind.

Zhang Mianzhi's face was ashen, and he remained silent.

Once the task was completed remotely, including submitting the audio recording as proof, writing an electronic report, and receiving a response, the task was considered finished. Because it was at night, there was also overtime pay.

After completing this task, they officially went home. Han Mingxiu pulled Zhang Mianzhi to a barbecue stall and opened two bottles of Qingdao beer.

"I do not understand."

Zhang Li with a stern face, "What's the point of such rhetoric that only aims for momentary satisfaction?"

Han Mingxiu was still overjoyed. "The point is, it's awesome!"

The Cathayan found it increasingly incomprehensible. "This is a matter of national importance! How could you be so undignified... That's an envoy from a nation, with a monarch behind him! Just for the sake of speaking freely, you've stirred up trouble and controversy. What then?"

Han Mingxiu poured Zhang Li a full glass of wine. "It's as if if we humble ourselves today, the Empire won't take advantage of our misfortune... My dear brother, you're good in every way, except you're too polite. That's not how things work in this world, especially between nations. There's no morality, only the size of the fist and the amount of profit."

"As long as we are strong, even if we curse the emperor's ancestors for eight generations, the emperor will pretend not to hear it. But if we are weak, even if we kneel down and kowtow to the emperor, he will be furious and consider it an insult if we step in with our left foot first, and then send a large army to conquer us."

"I understand that logic," Zhang Li said sullenly, taking a sip of his drink. "But now is not the time to be strong. Isn't the situation already dire? We're surrounded by enemies, a major battle is imminent, we..."

Han Mingxiu said calmly, "We will win."

Zhang Mianzhi was initially surprised, then delighted. "Brother Han, do you have some news? If you don't mind keeping it a secret, could you tell me?"

The servant of the Han Family shook his head and said, "No news. Our mission today is to gather information... Since the Duke dares to speak to the Emperor like this, it means we can win!"

It took Zhang Li more than ten seconds to figure out the cause and effect of this statement.

He asked incredulously, "It's that simple?"

"It's that simple."

"This... this isn't right!" Zhang Li shook his head. "How can we place our hopes and faith in this! It's baseless and dangerous!"

"Brother, I only said that because you're new here and don't know the situation well, you would have gotten into trouble if you had raised your voice any louder." Han Mingxiu smiled. "Did you see the streets here? Because His Highness said a few words on the radio, everyone is no longer worried. Everyone thinks we will definitely win, so they calmly go to work, calmly leave work to rest, and calmly do their jobs."

"The workers do their jobs well: move things, do their work, adjust equipment, drive vehicles. The soldiers do their jobs well: train, prepare for war, fight, charge... because we can win, because everyone believes that as long as we do our jobs step by step, the Duke will surely lead us to victory."

Zhang Li murmured, "This... this is still a bit too..."

Han Mingxiu laughed and said, "Is it wishful thinking, irrational, and absurd? That's because you haven't seen Distant Harbor six months and a year ago, nor have you personally experienced what has happened in the past few months."

"Ask the people on this street why they believe the Duke. They'll think you're an idiot and naturally ask you, if you don't believe Prince Kang De, who should you believe?"

Before he could finish speaking, the barbecue stall owner came over with two steaming plates of skewers. "Here are two complimentary skewers of King of Kings sausages, Mr. Han. Please keep your voice down, just in case. When customers come later, I'll arrange for them to keep their distance from you. Be careful to keep things confidential, don't let the spies hear any secrets."

Han Mingxiu stood up and took the baking tray, smiling broadly, "Thank you for your trouble, but if it were confidential, I wouldn't be discussing it here. Thanks for reminding me."

He chatted and laughed with the owner for a bit, then put the baking tray down. "Come on, eat it while it's hot."

Zhang Li glanced at him a few times and laughed, "Brother Han was so imposing and dignified in front of the Imperial Ambassador, yet he's so polite and courteous to this little shopkeeper. He truly has the demeanor of a famous minister from ancient times."

Han Mingxiu breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he seemed to have come to his senses.

Then, as if remembering something, he said seriously, "Brother, one thing at a time. Don't blame me for speaking out of turn, but the Duke of Qin's subordinates are different from others. We can't let them act arrogantly."

He grabbed five skewers of pork belly and handed them over, then took a skewer of chicken wings for himself, took a bite, and said, "Today, I certainly had a lot of prestige showing off in front of the Imperials. But this prestige was lent to me by His Highness Kang De. He lent me this prestige so I could act tough in front of the Imperials, so he would give me a task. And he only allowed me to show off in front of the Imperials once today. In the future, unless I receive orders, I will still have to be very polite to the Ambassador."

"If I don't know what's important and flaunt this power in front of my colleagues, I'll most likely be demoted, my future will be jeopardized, and even worse, if I use the power His Highness lent me to flaunt in front of ordinary people like barbecue stall owners, or even try to make some money out of them, then I'll be close to death."

After saying that, he pointed to his clothes. "This suit is the prestige His Highness lent me. If I weren't an employee of the Ministry of Unity, but a servant of the Han Family, the Imperial Ambassador could crush me with a single finger. So, if I want to continue to be this powerful, I need to know when to use this prestige."

Zhang Li was quite surprised to hear this.

It's unbelievable that Han Mingxiu, who came from such a humble background, would have such awareness.

He raised his glass in a toast. "Brother Han, your ability to think of this shows you have a bright future ahead of you."

"Part of it was taught to me by Master, and the other part I figured out myself... Ah, I can't call him Master anymore, I have to call him Uncle." Han Mingxiu smiled. "Now no one in the Han Family calls Master Master anymore, not even the maids and servants."

Zhang Li asked, "Why is that?"

Han Mingxiu put down her cup. "My uncle asked for it himself... He said that from now on, the Han Family will no longer have a master, and the servants will not be allowed to kneel. All those who sold themselves into the family have been sent back with official documents. Those who are willing to stay will sign employee contracts and be used as hired workers from now on."

Zhang Li was increasingly surprised. The Han family was considered a powerful clan in Distant Harbor. Comparing them to Cathay, he felt that those powerful families who valued hierarchy and status would never do such a thing. "What... is the reason?"

"The reason why my uncle is so concerned about this is probably only one thing, and that is..."

Han Mingxiu smiled and pointed.

"There is no such thing at the Sound of the Tide Manor."

Zhang Mianzhi remained stunned for a long time, then downed his drink. "I somewhat regret that I should have gone to the Ministry of Peace."

Han Mingxiu chuckled and said, "Brother, you are truly talented. It's a waste of your abilities to follow your foolish brother. But the Ministry of Unity isn't just about doing things like talking nonsense all day long..."

"My dear brother, you have a photographic memory, are incredibly meticulous, and are known for your decisiveness and composure. If I'm not mistaken, if a fight had broken out just now, the Imperial Ambassador would probably have been captured by you in the blink of an eye..."

He smiled and said, "Why don't you try intelligence and special operations? The Ministry of Unity has its own armed forces and combat missions, which allows a smart person like you to put your talents to good use."

Zhang Li finished his chilled beer and said softly, "That will have to wait until after this battle."

"Yes," Han Mingxiu said decisively, "We will definitely win... The Duke will definitely win!"

The two clinked glasses again, the golden liquid swirling and colliding. Zhang Li, slightly tipsy, looked towards the Sound of the Tide Manor.

Kang Jun... Duke of Qin.

Your lofty ambitions and your grand path are still not fully understood by me, Zhang. Although I have some reservations about some of your actions, it is no wonder that you have earned the trust and respect of officials and common people throughout the city. You are truly a remarkable person.

But what will you, who carry the hopes of so many, do amidst the menacing gaze of enemies everywhere, to ensure the continuation of their confidence and another miraculous victory?

What preparations are you making right now?

Lost in thought, Zhang Mianzhi had no idea where the Duke of Qin was now.

"Has Kang De not shown up at all?"

"We haven't seen him in the country... at least not in public. As for whether he's gone home, we don't know," someone reported on the phone. "After all, we've stopped all surveillance of Kang De's home. Although we have people living on the floors above and below his house and in his neighbors' houses, and anyone entering or leaving the community and apartment building is under close surveillance, we don't directly monitor his home."

"Your approach is correct. After all, we're dealing with this young comrade now, so we need to maintain basic sincerity and respect..." the indescribable voice chuckled. "We won't directly pry into his family and privacy, so what new discoveries have we made from the publicly available information?"

"No major discoveries have been made. These days, Kang De has just been buying things haphazardly, or calling his advisors to ask questions, and then continuing to buy things."

The relevant personnel reported, "It's nothing more than food, clothing, building materials, and weapons, which are being continuously transported to Comora and Zhuerban, and all of it is being used locally without any omissions or reductions."

An indescribable sound murmured in thought.

"However, we did purchase some relatively high-end technological materials."

"Oh?"

"For example, two days ago, he instructed AWSL's purchasing department to buy over ten million US dollars worth of tantalum hafnium carbide from a foreign company... a little over one ton."

What is that?

"The substance with the highest known melting point in the world, often used in heat-resistant materials for spacecraft."

Why would he buy this?

We're trying to figure it out.

"Such heat-resistant aerospace materials... does he want to go see the sun? Hahahaha."

Hahahaha...

"It's good to ask him. Since he bought it through the company, he shouldn't be afraid of us knowing. We can ask him what his requirements are. Supporting domestic products is a good thing... Wait a minute, someone's looking for me..."

The voice reporting also rang out, "Sir, someone is looking for me too! It's an emergency!"

Meanwhile, in the Western Hemisphere, in the North America Continent, on a sunny morning, a crisp breeze blew across Lake Huron, the border region between the United States and Canada, with the lake serving as the dividing line.

"Ah, I see it, that's the one."

Kang De put down his telescope, thought for a moment, found a spinning top, took a whip, lashed it a few times, and flung it across the azure Lake Huron.

"I've long forgotten the gibberish incantation, but I can still summon it--"

Kang De shouted, "Come forth, Titan Warrior!"

A colossal Phase Gate unfolded horizontally across the lake, its dazzling light weaving intricate arcane circuits. The Titan's head, gleaming with majestic lightning, slowly emerged from the portal, like a water giant rising from the lake. Thunder rumbled in the sky, and the giant, seemingly from mythology, opened its lightning-filled eyes, gazing upon... the Bruce Peninsula, located west of Ontario Province...

--Bruce Nuclear Power Plant!

Since the Fukushima disaster, this has been the world's most powerful nuclear power plant.

"You son of Can*da, you've come to China grandpa!"

￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥

PS1: 7,500, a little late.