Chapter 304

Perhaps because he had served in the military in Bolívar, Dobermann spoke with his back ramrod straight.

"I'm about the same as you, Doctor Zhong."

She treated Shi Lei with great respect, using only honorifics from the very first word she spoke. She was able to return to her This Ship alive from the rescue operation for the Doctor earlier this year entirely thanks to his help.

If Doctor Zhong hadn't brought Miss Nian to Chernobyl, many Operator would have lost their lives in the park.

Currently, apart from Doctor Kal'tsit, all the other Operator on the island have a very good impression of Doctor Zhong:

"Our This Ship is currently anchored outside the Grand Knight Territory and has not entered the area of the four cities. Amiya sent us into the city to purchase supplies, and we are expected to stay in Cavaleria for a while. By the way, Doctor Zhong, may I ask if you are busy right now?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Lei immediately felt as if he had been entrusted with a task.

"What's wrong? Have you encountered some difficulties?"

"No, no, no, you've misunderstood."

Dobermann waved his hands repeatedly and explained:

"It's a pleasure to meet you here today. I hope I can offer you a cup of coffee and have a casual chat."

She wasn't sure if Doctor Zhong considered her a friend. Anyway, she could chat with him about her recent situation and share it with the other Operator when she returned to her This Ship.

Shi Lei took out his phone to check the time and asked:

"Okay, is half an hour enough?"

Now that he had no clients, he figured it would be fine to just find somewhere to chat. He specified half an hour because he was afraid that the conversation would become awkward and he wouldn't be able to find a reason to leave.

Half an hour isn't a long time, but it's not short either. If the conversation doesn't go well, you can leave after a while by making an excuse that you have something to do, so you don't have to suffer indefinitely.

"All right!"

Dobermann hadn't had high hopes to begin with, but she was surprised that the other party actually agreed. She quickly looked around and pointed to the coffee shop across the pedestrian bridge:

"Doctor Zhong, which one do you think is okay?"

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

The two were about to walk onto the overpass when they were blocked by citizens buying tickets for the Knight Competition. They had to weave through the long queue of people to get through.

"The Knight Competition here are really popular! The same was true on that street earlier, there were so many people queuing up!"

At this point, Dobermann lowered his voice and said:

"Doctor Zhong, Knight 'm not afraid of your ridicule. The champion of the 23rd Kazimierz Knight Competition, the Bright Knight Saria, is currently on our Rhodes Island."

Shi Lei killed the conversation with just one word.

"Oh."

"..."

The Dobermann looked embarrassed, unsure how to continue the conversation, and tried to find a new topic:

"With Doctor Zhong's abilities, he could definitely sign up for the Knight Competition. Even if he's not Knight, he could still get a very good ranking in this kind of event."

Shi Lei expressed his true feelings very frankly:

"Not interested."

"All right..."

Dobermann was forced to swallow back the words that were about to come out.

She silently walked into the store and ordered a Columbia coffee, and Shi Lei ordered the same one.

Dobermann found a seat by the window and sat down, adopting a very upright posture. Since he wasn't interested in Knight Competition, they decided to talk about something else:

"Doctor Zhong, it's been four or five months since we last saw each other. How's work been lately?"

Shi Lei and this woman, Pelosi, weren't yet at the point where they could talk about anything. He simply summarized it in one sentence and threw the topic back:

"Nothing's changed, it's still the same. I take on cases when there are any, and I take vacations when there aren't. What about you guys?"

Once a topic of conversation was found, Dobermann seemed to open a floodgate and started talking non-stop:

"We left Lungmen in early February and arrived in Sargon in mid-to-late March. We stayed there until late April, mediating the conflict Royal Court Army and the refugees. After that, we set off again and arrived in Kazimierz."

Speaking of which, one of the Operator even made a fool of himself. Operator Grani and another Operator, Skadi, who often operates independently, encountered a bounty hunter in Waterdrop Village...

Shi Lei maintained a polite smile throughout, occasionally nodding in agreement, and played the role of a good listener.

"Please enjoy your meal, sir."

Soon, the waitress brought the coffee.

Although sugar cubes were added, the taste was still slightly bitter, leaving a lingering residue on the tongue. Shi Lei didn't like the taste and only took a couple of symbolic sips before stopping.

He listened to Dobermann talk for more than twenty minutes, mostly about trivial matters in daily life on Rhodes Island.

Seeing that it was almost time, Shi Lei took the initiative to resign:

"Miss Dobermann, thank you so much for sharing your experiences and interesting stories from the journey. But I have other things to attend to, so I must go now."

We'd agreed on a half-hour timeframe beforehand, and she had no objections. After a moment's hesitation, she asked:

"Doctor Zhong, may I exchange contact information with you? Perhaps we'll have the opportunity to collaborate in the future."

"Um."

Shi Lei didn't hesitate and gave it to her directly. Anyway, Amiya already had his number, so it didn't make much difference whether he gave it to her or not.

Seeing him walk out, Dobermann thought Doctor Zhong was going to pay the bill, so he quickly ran ahead:

"No, no, no need to pay, let me do it! I was the one who extended the invitation, how could I let you spend money? Doctor Zhong, you can go ahead if you have something to do. I will contact you again if there is an opportunity for cooperation in the future."

"Good."

Shi Lei, sparing with words, turned and left. He then blended into the crowd and disappeared.

At the same time.

Grand Knight Territory, Cavaleria.

An old pickup truck crashed into a tree, and choking smoke billowed from the hood.

An Ursus bear-man got off the vehicle and complained:

"Old Fu, it's all your fault. I clearly told you to watch where you're going, but you still crashed into a tree."

Old Fu was dressed in very classic Knight's armor, and his thick beard almost reached his chest.

"Really? I don't remember."

"It's probably because your speakers are too loud."

"You put Siren's new album in there, and even picked a really catchy song. No matter what, you're half responsible for this car accident..."

"Alright, alright, you two stop arguing."

A beautiful young woman dressed in Knight's armor stepped out of the car and approached the hood. She pulled down her hood, revealing dazzling blonde hair and Kuranta's sharp, slender ears:

"Let me see what's going on."

"Maria, this car accident is all Old Fu's fault."

"Tsk, don't listen to his nonsense! This really can't be blamed on me, he..."

Maria, who looked to be in her early twenties, rolled her eyes at the two middle-aged men upon hearing this:

"Alright, stop arguing. Let me check. The wiring is fine, but the engine is still responding, while the main engine isn't. I'll try manual ignition. Ah! It's working!"

Hearing the engine roar again, Old Fu grinned and revealed a happy smile:

"Ah, as expected of Maria. To be honest, you're getting better every day!"

"No way, it's not that exaggerated. It's mainly because Master Koval taught us well."

Upon hearing this, the bear-man immediately smiled with satisfaction:

"Haha, I love hearing that. Old Fu, go to the back, let me drive. Maria, get in. Don't miss the party tonight!"

A blonde woman with a distinctly married womanly air, Kuranta, is hurrying to the bar to catch her niece Maria.

Two months ago, Sophia received a message from Maena, informing her that Maria wanted to participate in the 24th Knight Competition and asking her to help persuade Maria.

When Sophia learned of this, she thought Maria was simply being ridiculous. Because real Knight Competition were far more brutal than imagined.

She was formerly Competitive Knight the Kazimierz region, and her best record was reaching the round of 16 in the tournament.

In that battle, Sophia lost to the Rift Knight and suffered a severe injury to her hand. This forced her, a perfectly capable left-hander, to switch to her right hand.

Maria was young, and courage and perseverance alone were not enough. She went straight to participate in the Knight Competition, like a young camel venturing into a herd of beasts.

Sophia tried many times to persuade Maria, but to no avail. Maria even pestered her to teach her combat techniques, which gave Zofia a huge headache.

Seeing that Maria was completely unyielding to advice and insisted on participating in the Knight Competition, Sophia, out of a sense of responsibility to the Nearl Family, began a five-week intensive training program.

The training was very effective, allowing Sophia to see Maria's dedication and immense potential. But that alone wasn't enough; Knight Competition were no joke.

Seeing that her niece wouldn't listen to reason, Sophia had no choice but to go along with Maria and allow her to participate in the Knight Competition.

After Maria defeated several opponents, she promptly withdrew from the competition. This way, she participated in the Knight Competition, gained valuable experience, and was less likely to get injured.

Sophia hurried to the bar, but was stopped by Dobermann had been lingering on the street for half an hour:

Hey, Sophia!

Both were skilled with whips and met when Margaret Saria was sent to Rhodes Island.

Sophia stopped in her tracks upon hearing this, her expression momentarily frozen:

"Dobermann, what are you doing here?"

"The company sent me out to purchase supplies, and it's such a coincidence that I ran into you on the way. How about we grab a drink?"

I'm sorry.

Sophia looked troubled and explained:

"I'm on my way to the bar to see my niece."

Her other niece, Margaret, was currently This Ship, which made Dobermann instantly understand:

"Niece? You mean Maria?"

"Yes, I don't know what's wrong with her lately, she insists on participating in this year's Knight Competition. I really couldn't persuade her otherwise, so I gave Maria a few weeks of special training. I hope she'll realize the difficulty after a few matches and back down, and please don't get injured."

Dobermann knew about the Nearl Family; their patriarch, Snitz Saria, and his wife, Yoranta Saria, had disappeared and their whereabouts remained unknown. After Margaret left, only Maena and Princess Maria remained.

She knew the brutality of Knight Competition; a child as young as Maria was easily injured. This would be a significant blow to the Nearl Family.

Thinking of this, Dobermann suddenly pictured the back of a man who made him feel safe:

"Sophia, I understand your concerns. Actually, I have a way to solve Maria's problem."

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Sophia looked at Dobermann with some suspicion, feeling that it was unlikely to be a reliable solution.

What's your idea?

"I know someone who is incredibly skilled and can protect Maria remotely. That way, she can participate in the Knight Competition without getting hurt."

Remote protection?

Sophia's azure pupils narrowed slightly; this sounded like some kind of Originium memory that could provide a shield from a distance.

However, Knight Competition are incredibly brutal.

Especially in the special tournament stage, the enemies you face are no pushovers. The ranged shield probably won't last long; it will shatter after a few attacks.

"No, it's too dangerous. And if Maria discovers that someone is secretly protecting her, she'll definitely think this is an unfair match without Knight. What if the ranged protection shield breaks and Maria stubbornly continues to fight? The probability of her being seriously injured would be much higher."