Prelude on the Ocean

Under the pitch-black moonlight, a huge oil tanker was docked at a port on Gakuen Island. Like a skyscraper, it was brightly lit, with every window illuminated, and it looked extremely luxurious.

At the entrance of such an oil tanker, a group of men and women dressed in gorgeous formal attire are dancing with each other and boarding the ship in an orderly manner.

These men and women were all upper-class people with a noble air.

Both men and women wore impeccable smiles as they handed invitations to staff members and moved toward the deck.

At this moment, the deck of the oil tanker was covered with a bright red carpet, and tables covered with white cloths were set up around it.

On those tables, champagne and delicious food were piled high, their aroma neutralizing the slightly fishy smell of the sea breeze.

Couples of upper-class people gathered on the deck, chatting and toasting each other, creating a lively atmosphere.

Not long after, another extended limousine drove up from one of the directions of Gakuen Island and stopped in front of the tanker.

When the car door was opened, the two people got out of the car.

Who else could it be besides Fang Li and Aria?

"Call----!"

A cool sea breeze swept by, lifting the long train of her dress.

Fang Li, dressed in a jet-black tuxedo, looked like the heir to a company, and his demeanor subtly changed, becoming somewhat more mature.

Aria was dressed in a pure white, princess-like gown, her slender shoulders exposed to the air but covered by a layer of light gauze, making this already incredibly cute young lady look like a true noblewoman.

"They didn't become true nobles; they were nobles to begin with!"

Aria, seemingly explaining to someone, revealed a pair of adorable little tiger teeth, her crimson eyes glaring directly at Fang Li, looking like a lioness ready to devour him.

In response, Fang Li simply raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and said, "Alright, alright, I know you're a nobleman, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get the invitation so quickly."

"I just made a phone call to someone at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and said I was getting a bit bored at Armed Detective High School, so I wanted to attend a ball at sea to relax," Aria said matter-of-factly. "And then, the invitation arrived at my place the very next day."

As expected of a noble lady, even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives her such face. No wonder she can hire S-Rank Armed Detective without batting an eye.

"So, all I prepared was a dress, and you even provided a limousine." Fang Li glanced at the extended limousine behind him and chuckled, "Was that also provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?"

"For something like this, there's no need to ask anyone else, right?" Aria looked at Fang Li with a puzzled expression and said, "You're also S-Rank Armed Detective, so your usual pay must be quite good, and you're a workaholic. It should be very easy for you to do something like this, right?"

"However, I won't waste money on unnecessary things," Fang Li said. "For armed detectives, money is almost equivalent to a lifeline, which is something that is mentioned in every discipline."

Firearms, ammunition, and equipment are all essential combat factors for armed reconnaissance units.

Even in the Main God Space, equipment is an integral part of the Main God Envoy's strength.

In the Main God Space, equipment requires Exchange Points, and guns and ammunition naturally require money.

Armed police are not like regular police officers, whose equipment can be reimbursed by public funds. They need to procure all the equipment themselves, regardless of what it is.

Therefore, armed police are a profession driven by money.

In fact, within the armed police force, there's a saying that "money equals power."

Even if this statement isn't entirely correct, it's basically half right.

At the very least, having equipment is definitely better than not having equipment.

"So, I'd rather save the money to buy equipment than waste it," Fang Li said frankly. "Of course, I won't be frugal because of that; at most, I'll just avoid being extravagant."

"I didn't expect you to have such traditional armed reconnaissance concepts." Aria said with a mix of surprise and admiration, "Perhaps that's why you're so reliable."

Fang Li suddenly smiled, extended his elbow to Aria, and said, "Shouldn't we give someone as reliable as me a chance to be her protector?"

Seeing Fang Li Li's outstretched elbow, Aria, being a noble lady, naturally understood Fang Li's meaning. Her pretty face flushed slightly, she coughed, and said somewhat pretentiously, "This is the only time, so cherish this opportunity."

After saying that, Aria placed her hand on Fang Li's elbow and took Fang Li arm.

And so, the descendants of England's most famous Holmes partner strode confidently toward the tanker.

In front of the tanker, the staff bowed to Fang Li and Aria with polite smiles.

"Honorable guests, please show us your invitations so we can take a look."

Fang Li and Aria exchanged a glance.

Aria then took out the invitation, handed it to Fang Li, and then Fang Li.

After checking the invitation, the staff member immediately bowed again.

"Mr. Fang Li, Miss Kanzaki, welcome to Matia Haida."

Fang Li and Aria both nodded with polite smiles, and like true members of high society, they walked toward the deck under the respectful attitude of the staff.

For students in the Assault Department, Stealth Investigation are nothing unusual.

Therefore, Fang Li was already very skilled at this level of disguise.

As for Aria, although she is too straightforward, she comes from a noble family and is unlikely to make a mistake in this situation.

Under these circumstances, Fang Li subtly observed his surroundings, then glanced at the top of a building near the port.

There, a faint reflected light flickered.

Beside them, Aria seemed to notice Fang Li's gaze and whispered to Fang Li, "Leiji is right there."

Fang Li nodded slightly, looked away, and followed Aria onto the tanker.

On the very top deck of the oil tanker, in a room, a young girl watched through a glass window Fang Li and Aria slowly walked onto the deck, a bewitching smile gradually appearing on her delicate face.

That smile, though alluring, was like a rose with thorns, or a poisonous wine, giving off a dangerous feeling.