Not Bros?

Lu Li took a step forward, the astonishment on his face swiftly turning into a respectful smile as his once-straight back bent slightly forward.

Extremely restrained!

There was no other reason.

The first person to greet him was Pan Xiaoxiao's grandfather, Jin Guoxun—the "precognition-type" powerhouse said to leave no survivors whenever he opened his mouth in the apocalypse.

The old man's concerned smile carried a trace of urgency.

His slightly clouded eyes even glistened with excited tears as he grabbed Lu Li's hand, unwilling to let go for a long while.

"Oh, Lu Li, it's wonderful that you made it back alive."

"You have no idea—after this old man cast a divination for you some time ago, I could neither eat nor sleep properly!"

"Thank goodness, thank goodness... You finally came back alive..."

"Hm? You suffered out there, didn't you? You look so much thinner..."

Elder Jin kept rambling on, looking every bit like an elder who dearly loved Lu Li.

No wonder the latter half of the Path of Pain was so difficult. Elder Jin secretly cast a divination for me...

Lu Li silently muttered to himself. Outwardly, he piled on a smile and became even more respectful.

"This junior thanks Elder Jin for his concern."

He then looked at Pan Xiaoxiao with a questioning gaze.

"What's going on?"

Pan Xiaoxiao adjusted the glasses on her nose, her smile awkward.

"It's the higher-ups' intention. They want to hold a brief meeting with you regarding Huaxia's future direction."

"I already explained the situation, but they insisted..."

Before the woman could finish, a middle-aged man with a slicked-back seven-three-part hairstyle approached rather rudely.

He neither introduced himself nor showed any intention of exchanging friendly pleasantries with Lu Li.

The moment he opened his mouth, his tone was exceedingly stiff.

"Lu Li,