Though Miss Wen's cry had been full of feeling, it lacked any substance, making it sound like background noise from a TV drama.
Normally, the conflict wouldn't stop there. It would just find some new way to escalate, followed by even more agonized cries.
But that was only what normally happened.
As a carefully plotting would-be conqueror, Herbert proved extraordinarily willing to listen. He not only dropped out of combat in an instant but even sat down and started eating.
The food soothed him, and his fury vanished in the blink of an eye.
"What's going on?"
With her opponent suddenly gone, Chief Yuan was left feeling as though someone had stopped a scene just as it reached its climax.
While keeping Fu Qian in her sights, she instinctively shifted a sliver of her attention to Wen Li.
That was when she immediately noticed something was off.
"You've advanced?"
Yuan Shan could clearly sense that Wen Li was as if a switch had been flipped. Her state was rapidly shifting—or rising—toward an entirely new form.
As soon as Yuan Shan realized this, she was shaken. Her mind raced at full speed as she reviewed the conversation again, scrutinizing what she had learned from it.
Even the inexplicable shift in emotion after Fu Qian smashed the cup was now brought to light.
"The ritual... Is this your Promotion Ritual?"
In the next moment, Yuan Shan's thoughts cleared. Before Wen Li could answer, she asked outright.
"Yes... Mr. Fang said to smash the cup as a signal. I'm very sorry for offending you."
Wen Li, who still seemed unsteady, hurriedly apologized.
"Focus on absorbing what you've gained first."
Having realized there might be another explanation for what had happened, Yuan Shan nodded slightly, signaling that Wen Li didn't need to speak yet.