043 Meeting

"So, you're Mr. Dai Weilin's daughter!"

Du Zexin looked at Ya Wen in front of him and said in surprise, "Unbelievable! I thought Mr. Dai Weilin had no descendants..."

"Perhaps it's because my father has always been cautious and frugal, and we never show our faces in public."

Ya Wen explained.

This meeting with Du Zexin was Li Aoz's suggestion before he left. Du Zexin was rescued under the guise of being ' Li Aoz's captive,' and given the severity of his cerebral thrombosis, the Law Enforcement Division Three Agency barely questioned him. As soon as the surgery was over, they kicked Du Zexin out of the ward to prevent him from spending a lot of money to stay in the hospital, especially since his nutritional expenses during that period were reimbursed by his unit.

Du Zexin picked up his coffee, took a sip, and his face immediately showed the same bitterness as the coffee.

He was dressed in loose casual clothes, a blue and white checkered shirt and a khaki vest, plus ordinary jeans. Anyone who saw him would think he was just an ordinary engineer or programmer, and would never associate him with the cold-blooded agent of the Law Enforcement Division Three Agency.

"Mr. Du, do you not like the food at this restaurant?"

Ya Wen noticed Du Zexin's discomfort and immediately showed concern.

"No—I've never had coffee, it's too expensive. I usually drink water."

"Really? That's good." Ya Wen smiled. "I don't often ask people out, but since it's a meeting, it's better to have a formal occasion."

"Uh, really?"

Du Zexin was at a loss.

On the one hand, as a civil servant who rose from the bottom, he had no place to live due to frequent job transfers and changes. As a "mechanic", he could only live in the factory for the sake of his equipment, so he naturally had no experience of enjoying a bourgeois luxury like coffee.

On the other hand, the daughter of his idol appeared before him, and the other party even took the initiative to ask him out under the guise of "Li Aoz's introduction," saying that there was something important to discuss. Du Zexin had many questions to ask at once—was Dai Weilin really in prison? How is Li Aoz doing now? What is your relationship with Li Aoz? Damn, why do these questions seem to be getting more and more complicated?

Although Agent Ya Wen is beautiful, Du Zexin is more concerned about her father, Dai Weilin, and Li Aoz.

"Miss Ya Wen, I do have many questions for you." Du Zexin hesitated for a moment before asking, "What exactly happened to your father? Was he really imprisoned on Elf Island?"

"Yes."

Ya Wen nodded. "It is a foregone conclusion that my father will become the Minister of Defense. He was secretly tried less than two months after moving into the Gemini Palace."

"President Medvi bypassed all legal procedures, personally sentenced my father for treason, and sent him to Elf Island without saying a word."

"My mother wanted to seek justice, but she was just a rural woman. She went to the entrance of the Gemini Palace and made a scene, but she was beaten and imprisoned for 'attempting to assassinate the president'."

"Outrageous!" Du Zexin clicked his tongue inwardly, but didn't show it. His eyes darkened, and he said, "Then what about your situation..."

"I'm fine. No matter what, I can finish university." Ya Wen said, "I'm currently working for the Law Enforcement Division Four Agency and have been promoted to an elite agent. I will soon be transferred to the capital. At that time, I will have the opportunity to go to the Law Enforcement Division Four Headquarters Building to steal information about Elf Island and rescue my parents."

"This plan is very reliable. Law Enforcement Division Four doesn't care about background or political vetting. With your abilities, you'll be promoted quickly. In the meantime, I'll do my part."

Du Zexin nodded:

"I know some young people from the Dai Weilin Faction. Mr. Dai Weilin is a leader with real ability and ideas who can lead us toward revival and out of the current predicament of Frostplate."

"Thank you, Mr. Du Zexin," Ya Wen said gratefully. "I've been trying to contact people who are willing to provide support. After my parents were wrongfully imprisoned, our family collapsed immediately. My brother couldn't find a job, and I was the only one who could support the family. Meeting you and Li Aoz has really helped me a lot."

"Well, I'm actually quite curious, how do you know Li Aoz?"

Du Zexin took another sip of coffee, his brows furrowing into a deep frown. He quickly added five sugar cubes and a spoonful of milk, stirring constantly.

"Well, it was due to some unexpected circumstances."

Ya Wen thought of Li Aoz's face and drifted off into thought. She shook her head. "I participated in his arrest before, and then by some twist of fate, I found out that he was also on my father's side... Later, we got to know each other."

"Really?" Du Zexin looked at the other person with doubt.

He noticed that Ya Wen's attitude was somewhat unnatural, and she was clearly a little shy when Li Aoz was mentioned.

Ya Wen felt that Du Zexin's gaze was a bit strange, and given that Du Zexin kept mentioning Li Aoz and seemed very attentive, she suddenly thought of something and asked in return:

"Are you jealous?"

puff--

Du Zexin spat out a mouthful of cloyingly sweet coffee. He coughed twice, covered his mouth, and asked incredulously:

"...What did you say?"

"I thought you had feelings for Mr. Li Aoz," Ya Wen asked curiously, resting her chin on her hand. "Wasn't it because of this that you fought alongside Li Aoz the first time you met him?"

"You can't assume I'm gay just because I'm a mechanic!" Du Zexin said speechlessly. "While I'm not very interested in women, I'm not very interested in men either. To me, Li Aoz is more of a like-minded partner; we've fought side by side."

"I see..." Ya Wen said knowingly, "Actually, you don't need to be nervous. Although Gender Discrimination is serious in our country, there are still some places that are quite free."

"Let's change the subject," Du Zexin waved his hand. "Li Aoz, how is he? Has he contacted you?"

"Aren't we still talking about Li Aoz?" Ya Wen looked at the other person with increasing understanding, as if to say, "I know, no need to pretend." However, when it came to business, she said seriously, "Li Aoz has arrived in the Grant Duchy and just started a global live broadcast to show people the bombardment of the Surut Palace and the War of Independence. Things seem to be going well."

"That guy... has probably already advanced to the Beta-rank."

Du Zexin's tone was tinged with emotion and jealousy.

The fruits of my years of hard study were obtained by Li Aoz in just a few months.

"But that's fine too. Li Aoz told me that Elf Island is at sea, but there is no water. He is still very willing to participate in the Elf Island prison break plan."

"At sea, but there is no water..."

Ya Wen frowned in thought.

"I don't understand what this means either," Du Zexin said.

"However, I trust him. Li Aoz a strange guy. The moment I saw him, I had an inexplicable sense of trust. I always felt that he wouldn't lie to me, and even if he lied to others, he wouldn't maliciously deceive me."

Ya Wen raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Du Zexin, your statement just now sounded like that of a teenage girl with a lovesick mind—"

Beep beep beep! An emergency call rang. Ya Wen took out her terminal, glanced at the caller ID, and said apologetically to Du Zexin, "Sorry, it's from the headquarters."

Cold raindrops drifted down, sprinkling into the deep walls of the palace.

Alexia led her Assassination Squad through the corridor, trampling the expensive carpets and leaving dirty footprints. The walls on either side were covered with the history of the successive owners of the Surut Palace.

Alexia had an excellent memory; with just a glance, she took it all in and extracted the information:

"Larridio Gamos Guran (98–25 years before the Cataclysm), the first Governor of the Grant Duchy."

The first Governor in the photo is a man in military uniform with a fine beard. Next to him, a young Archduke Gamos is kneeling down. He is so tall that he can fit in the same frame as his son.

Surprisingly, the Grand Duke was quite handsome in his youth, with long, dark brown hair that reached his shoulders, a robust physique like a mammoth, and features reminiscent of Old Era Homo sapiens. The following information indicates that this was the Grand Duke's first son.

It was clear that the Grand Duke was very proud when he stood next to his son, and his smile was very bright.

"Karachira Gamos Gran (24 years before the Cataclysm – 4 years of the Galactic Era), Governor the Grant Duchy."

The second photo shows Archduke Gamos's second-generation son, who, according to the timeline, was born to his 12th wife. Karachira was short, and Archduke Gamos held him on his arm, still showing great affection.

After decades, Archduke Gamos's body had aged significantly, but he still looked incredibly robust. However, his eyes were no longer bright and his expression had become indifferent.

"Regiva Gamos Guran (Galactic Era 5-41), Governor of the Grant Duchy."

For nearly three hundred years, through spring, autumn, winter, and summer, the Grant Duchy has never been independent. Frostplate has promoted Governor from the Gamos Clan generation after generation, and behind each Governor is the figure of Archduke Gamos —their biological father.