Chapter 129
"Knock knock".
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.
"Come in."
The Saluzzo family members entered, looking flustered.
"Sir, Madam Sicily has summoned all members of the Grey Hall to assemble at Volcini!"
April 27, 9:01 AM
Giovanna Rossetti, the current patriarch of the Rossetti Family, has learned of Texas's return.
She sensed that the two sides would eventually meet, so she repeatedly postponed the ceremony of abdicating and handing over the throne to Chief Valer.
Descendant of the Texas family, it's been years. Do you still look the same as before?
Today, Giovanna did what she always did: get up and get ready. On her dressing table were several books about screenwriting.
This is the career plan that Giovanna set for herself after stepping down, based on her interests.
"Knock knock".
Suddenly, a loud knocking sound came from the door.
Immediately following was Valer's shout:
"Chief, something terrible has happened!"
193 I'm here today to do only three things (3K)
April 27, 1:20 pm
When Mobile Cities is about to face Catastrophe, it will consume a huge amount of energy to slowly move the entire city.
To avoid collisions between Mobile Cities or their simultaneous destruction in the event of a massive Catastrophe, different Mobile Cities maintain a sufficient distance from each other, rather than being linked together like a chain of ships.
After several hours of driving, Texas and the others finally arrived in Volcini in the afternoon.
Unlike Palermo's decadent urban style, this place presents a prosperous scene. In terms of infrastructure, it is better than Lakmawati City.
Shi Lei is here today to do only three things.
The first thing to do is send Lappland back.
The second thing is to help Texas settle the debt of gratitude owed to Wolf Lord Zaro, as soon as possible.
The third thing is to seek justice for the hotel owner.
Seven or eight years ago, Salvadore Texas, the first leader of Texas, was making a name for himself in Columbia. To demonstrate his loyalty to Syracuse, and also for some political reasons...
Salvadore sent his granddaughter Chelinina to stay with the Saluzzo family. Ostensibly, it was to give her a change of scenery, but it also served as a form of hostage-taking.
Texas lived here for several years and is very familiar with the environment of Volcini.
However, revisiting the place didn't evoke any feelings of nostalgia or joy in her. Instead, the imminent departure of Lappland brought Texas a little happiness.
This means that the White Wolf who always brings up the past and constantly harasses her colleagues should go home.
Texas drove up to the old street and pulled over. From there, head south along the road. Just through the back alley, and you'll find the Saluzzo family.
She knew, of course, that Lappland had betrayed the family and couldn't possibly go back. But how he would live afterward was not something she should worry about.
With Lappland's abilities and the reputation she gained in Lakmawati City, making a living would be a piece of cake. Moreover, since Shi Lei helped her remove the large pieces of Originium from her body, she can continue to live a few more years.
Seeing the car in front of him stop, Croissant stepped on the brakes and followed suit, stopping on the road.
Texas turned off the engine, got out of the car, walked to the orange pickup truck, and said to Lappland, who was sitting in the back seat:
"I suppose you haven't forgotten the way home? Just go through the back alley and you'll find the Saluzzo family. We have other things to do, so we won't see you off."
Lappland moved slowly, clearly reluctant to leave. But when she saw Shi Lei looking over from the passenger seat, her ears immediately drooped, and she left the scene without hesitation.
There's nothing we can do about it...
No matter how talented she is, she can't be with this man.
The two sides were not even in the same league.
Texas only got back into the car after watching Lappland disappear from sight. You can't pity the White Wolf, or she'll take advantage of you. On the contrary, ignoring her will only make her live a more carefree life.
Texas, Nian, and Lin Yuxia were the only three people who knew that Shi Lei might be a fragment of the Great Beast. Perhaps they had been mentally prepared for this, that his power would gradually return.
Therefore, Texas was not as unable to accept Shi Lei's extraordinary power when he Shi Lei as others.
From now on, I can only do my best to keep an eye on him and prevent Shi Lei from doing anything immoral.
Frankly, Texas isn't so concerned about Si Sui Tai's threat anymore. With his current strength, crushing him is no problem at all. Including Penguin Logistics, when it comes to a serious fight, no one is Shi Lei's match.
Shi Lei arrived in Volcini and completed his first task. Feeling completely relaxed, he rested his hands behind his head, faced Texas, and asked:
Where to go next?
He hadn't concealed his presence at all on his way from Palermo. If the Wolf Lord Zaro, couldn't even detect that, he'd be incredibly incompetent.
"It's already noon, you must be hungry. I remember a restaurant that serves pretty good food, authentic Syracuse cuisine."
Shi Lei, visiting Volcini for the first time, certainly didn't have the same authority to speak as someone who had lived there before, and chimed in:
"Okay, I'll do as you say."
Driving west from Texas, we passed by Volcini Hospital, Sunset Bar, and Milan Theater before finally arriving at the Volcini Grand Hotel.
This should have been the edge of Mobile Cities, but as far as the eye can see, there are still straight roads.
She had heard that the Rossetti Family had brought back the technology to create Mobile Cities three years ago, and as expected, the new city area should be just ahead.
As Texas pulled over, Croissant followed suit.
"Don't let the fact that this is a restaurant fool you, the Syracuse cuisine here is definitely more authentic than anywhere else."
As the five people entered, the waiter warmly greeted them.
When it came to ordering, Shi Lei was happy to leave everything to Texas. He figured the food he ordered might not be the best, but the food she ordered certainly wouldn't be bad.
In addition to dine-in service, the Volcini Grand Hotel also offers accommodation. Shi Lei's idea was to have Exusiai and Croissant stay behind to take care of Lisa. He would then take Texas as a guide to meet Madam Sicily first.
Shi Lei has now advanced to the Demon God Mirror, but he doesn't know the range of the Jade Shield's duration. That's the downside of the Hedgehog Cat System; everything has to be figured out on your own.
In the storyline of the game "Genshin Impact," Guizhong died in the Battle of Guili Plains. Most of the Yasha also perished when monsters invaded the Chasm.
This indicates that the Rex Lapis's shield cannot achieve ultra-long-range coverage and definitely has a certain upper limit. Specific data needs to be determined through testing.
After a satisfying meal, it was already 2 p. m.
The group booked four rooms at the Volcini Grand Hotel, intending to stay for a few days. The whereabouts of the Wolf Lord Zaro, were currently unknown; who knew when it would reappear?
This is Volcini, not Palermo full of mines and tunnels. Those guys who make remote-controlled bombs wouldn't possibly chase us all the way here, would they?
Shi Lei thought for a moment and decided not to take any chances. After Exusiai, Croissant, and Lisa entered the room, he created a room within a room encased in rock pillars.
That way, even if an explosion were to collapse the hotel, the people living inside would not be in danger of losing their lives.
After settling the three of them in, Shi Lei went with Texas to find out where Madam Sicily lived. She hadn't been back for two or three years; she might have moved away long ago.
April 27, 2:10 pm
In the center of the Grey Hall stood a smooth, brown round table. Six family heads, including Madam Sicily, had already arrived. The remaining six, living further away, were expected to arrive later that evening.
The weather at 2 PM was hot and humid.
Without rain, the city of Volcini is like a traveler trekking through the desert.
The overhead fan spun back and forth, emitting an annoying low-frequency hum.
Upon hearing Madam Sicily's message that this was a momentous event concerning the very survival of Syracuse, the heads of the Twelve Families dared not delay and rushed to the Grey Hall immediately.
They also left their most elite henchmen outside, just in case Madam Sicily suddenly lost her mind and pulled off a surprise attack, catching them all in one fell swoop.
Madam Sicily sat in the seat of honor, quietly turning the pages of a book without uttering a sound. Father Agnil, standing behind her, was equally silent.
The silence between the two set the tone for the entire meeting. The family patriarchs did not exchange words, at most exchanging polite greetings upon each other's arrival.
Gambino Ricci, the patriarch of the Gambino family, arrived early and sat there until the afternoon meeting had not officially started, which made him somewhat irritable.
I should have come later, at least after I'd eaten and drunk my fill. You, Madam Sicily, at least have a tattered book to read, while I have nothing but playing on my phone.
Perhaps unable to bear his ravenous hunger any longer, Richie noticed that the cunning Alberto was hesitant to speak. After a moment's hesitation, he took the initiative to break the deadlock:
"Madam Sicily, it will be at least six o'clock before the other family heads arrive. How about letting us go out for a meal first, or you can tell us what it is about?"
"I
I thought you weren't hungry.
Madam Sicily wore a friendly smile, but a hint of authority flashed in her eyes:
"Then let's serve the food."
This food is both a blessing and a warning.
Alberto had long seen through Madam Sicily's intentions, but he didn't point it out, waiting for the reckless Ricci to break the deadlock.
It's just missing one meal. The Saluzzo family has endured all kinds of torment to survive to this day.
Giovanna is only eating because she's been dieting recently and has a small appetite, so she can get by even if she doesn't eat.
The dishes were served, and the clan leaders began to eat.
The cautious Alberto didn't touch his knife and fork; he wasn't short of a meal, and if asked, he would just say he had already eaten.
Halfway through the meal, Madam Sicily finished reading her book and closed it. She glanced at her watch and then turned to Father Agnil with a meaningful look.
The latter understood, took out a small stack of printed photos, and distributed them to the family patriarchs present:
"This is Cataclysmic Clouds that someone photographed over Palermo this morning. This phenomenon lasted for an hour and was visible throughout the city. Look closely at the black dot circled in red in the photo. I can't zoom in due to insufficient resolution, but I can assure you that it is a human figure."
"Father, you can't just say things like that."
Gambino Ricci stared at the printed photograph, thinking the other party was exaggerating. He'd been to a wild party last night and slept like a log this morning. Had it not been for Madam Sicily's urgent summons, he probably would have slept until the afternoon.
"Who in their right mind would create Cataclysmic Clouds? If we mastered this technology, wouldn't we be able to roam freely across Terra? There are a lot of fake images on the Internet these days, Father, you need to keep your eyes open and not be easily deceived."
"I'm not joking with you."
Father Agnil was very serious and showed no sign of joking.
"Not only did many Palermo residents capture this scene and post it online, but I also sensed energy waves spreading from hundreds of kilometers away. It's currently impossible to determine whether the person in the air is friend or foe. But if this isn't handled properly, Syracuse will face annihilation."
Richie's reaction was the same as Madam Sicily's when she first heard it. She found the idea of sensing something from hundreds of kilometers away utterly unbelievable.
But he himself knew to restrain himself and not be too presumptuous, so he raised his questions in a tactful way:
"Father, it's not that we don't believe you. You need to provide some solid evidence to convince the various families, right? You say you can sense him from hundreds of kilometers away, but can you sense where he is now?"
Father Agnil only sensed the energy wave upon contact with it. He was subsequently unable to perceive the other party's location through his own abilities.
He wanted to refuse, but a familiar feeling surged through him like a tidal wave, making him tremble all over.
That was the trembling of fear.
"He's here!"
194 Sorry to disturb your meal (3K)
Texas went first to a place where the Madam Sicily might appear, and after inquiring, learned that she hadn't been there for a long time.
When she returned to the car, she found that Shi Lei had changed into the clothes she had left in the trunk. This outfit, which included a cape, was more formal than his usual attire.
"What's wrong with you?"
The latter, unaware of the meaning, adjusted his cuffs with one hand:
"What? What happened?"
"I was only inside for a short while, how come you've already changed your clothes?"