The welcome ceremony was exceptionally enthusiastic, but it did not last very long. Once a hint of impatience appeared on Xiao Ran's face, the ceremony was hurriedly brought to an end. According to the prior itinerary, Xiao Ran would also be staying in Paris for several days. On the first day, he would tour the Earth Federation government's administrative building and hold talks with the Federation President.
On the second day, he would inspect and offer guidance to the Federal Army units stationed near Paris. Then, on the third day, he would give a speech in Paris. They were all merely ceremonial activities. Other than showing the Federation's civilians something and strengthening their confidence in the Earth Defense Force, they had little real meaning. Xiao Ran's true purpose was simply to press the Federation to increase its support for the Earth Defense Force.
After entering the administrative building, Xiao Ran met with many members of the Federation government, gave a brief speech, and went through the formalities. By the afternoon, quite a few people had gathered in an extremely solemn conference room. Xiao Ran and the Federation's current president each sat in the seats of honor and put on a show. About five minutes later, only a handful of people remained in the conference room. Aside from the Federation President, all the others were Xiao Ran's guards.
However, Xiao Ran paid closer attention to a man who had stood behind the Federation President during the earlier performance. He was someone Xiao Ran had never seen before. He wore a Federation military uniform rather than that of the Earth Defense Force, appeared to be in his thirties, and had silver hair with a faint pink sheen. His red eyes stood out sharply against his expressionless face.
Like a dutiful guard protecting