Chapter 274

Was Lungmen's Intercity Network blocking its communications? Or was the situation worse...? Was all information transmission and reception on Rhodes Island being controlled?

Seeing Hoshiguma stammering at her question, Nana sighed, then took out her pistol... She had to contact Rhodes Island immediately.

"Um... this Medic?!"

"Don't worry, it's just a signal flare."

Even though they were far from the Lungmen route, Hoshiguma still had to raise his shield warily as he drew his weapons in the densely populated area, even though Nana was still holding Suzuran and looked harmless.

Seeing this, Officer Chen instinctively placed her hand on the hilt of her sword as well, but surprisingly, she didn't say anything to Nana's actions. Nana had thought that such a tough person would at least retort with something like, "You'd better really be firing a signal flare."

As all the Sankta around them stared with goosebumps, a white beam of light shot into the sky... Even the Sankta serving in the Guard Bureau, after realizing what Nana had done, raised their masks in surprise and then frantically pulled out their first-aid kits and rushed over.

"You--! Huh?"

Clearly, the fact that Nana was unharmed after using 'Judgment' made many of the Sankta present forget to ask why this Feline could Empathy with everyone... and having a group of people surrounding them was already a huge pressure for Hoshiguma and Ch'en Hui-chieh.

As Hoshiguma called for more manpower and spent a considerable amount of time dispersing the onlookers, a Rhodes Island SUV from Lungmen Port District stopped in front of everyone... As a white figure darted out of the car, everyone took a moment to see another little Feline, as adorable as a cloud, rush into Nana's empty arms.

"Nana ~"

"Um... Come here, Lisa, this is Narcissa, the Rosemary operator I mentioned before."

As the black-haired girl, Feline, softened her voice and introduced the Little Fox that Nana had been holding, she put it down. The girl, whose mother had taken away Suzuran code name, Lily of the Valley, looked timidly at the white-haired little Feline in front of her.

"Sister Narcissa, I am Lisa... You can also call me Suzuran."

"... It's my new younger sister."

As she spoke, Rosemary, despite having stepped down from her duties in the Training Department, still spent a lot of time playing there, gently took Lily of the Suzuran's hand:

"I'm Rosemary. Come on, let's go to the car first... Don't disturb Nana and the others."

After watching Little Feline, who was wearing the Rhodes Island uniform as a cape, nod to her and then take the Little Fox away, Folinic and Su Sulo, seeing Nana's expression, also took the bewildered Angelina and went to the car that had come to take care of the two little devils... Afterwards, Nana's attention was focused on the people who came with Rosemary.

The newcomer was a good 1.8 meters tall with boots, and had a cheerful smile. His long black hair swayed in the wind in the wilderness, and even though he was not carrying any weapons, you could feel his tangible enthusiasm coming from him.

Nana and Rosemary are very familiar with each other and have a good relationship. Moreover, as a native of Yan, there is obviously no one more suitable than Huang to come and meet them.

"Yo~ Nana, you're back... Ah, isn't this Officer Chen and Officer Hoshiguma? Standing here with Nana, are you checking Nana's entry permit?"

It was clear that Huang knew something, and saying it in front of two superintendents seemed somewhat sarcastic. Nana, however, had no intention of further embarrassing the Guard Bureau; she figured she could ask directly:

What's the situation on Rhodes Island?

"Even if you ask me that... all I can say is that Kal'tsit and a few people wearing Yan court official robes left."

"Our communications have been jammed."

"Yeah, not only that, it seems even the operators who had completed their entry permits were arrested and sent back to the main ship. Luckily, Xiang Huangye's departure from the ship wasn't stopped, otherwise the action teams would have had to go into combat readiness... So Nana, what did you do to them? Why make such a big fuss?"

You'd have to ask them.

Seeing that everyone's attention had turned to him again, Hoshiguma waved with a wry smile as a greeting, while Ch'en Hui-chieh, with a straight face, dialed the phone again:

"Swire... did you get your things back?"

[Without!]

Although the other party's phone wasn't on speakerphone, Nana had excellent hearing. As the assassin's cat ears twitched slightly, Nana clearly heard the helpless tone of the police officer named Swire.

[More than twenty mechanical engineers from the Ministry of Works have arrived all at once... They've not only left that Ms. Emerald Feline from Rhodes Island hanging, but now they've even disappeared from my sight. Honestly, something's really not right. Hasn't the Governor said anything yet?!]

"... I'm not his mouthpiece... I just want to know if we really can only stand by and watch."

[Otherwise, why don't you come over and use your invincible Chi Xiao to cut open the door to the room occupied by the Ministry of Works?]

"They're using Lungmen's reputation to do things I can't understand and don't want to understand... Don't say we didn't cooperate with them; now it's them who aren't cooperating with us!"

The call ended with a beep, and Officer Chen lowered his head again, brooding. Hoshiguma, standing nearby, quickly stepped in front of her partner.

"You see, we are indeed urging them..."

"... Ministry of Works..."

Nana's single word left Hoshiguma speechless. Logically speaking, no matter which department in Yan was causing trouble, it was an internal matter of Great Yan... and even Lungmen. Now that Rhodes Island, as an outsider, knew about it, Hoshiguma was in a very difficult position.

But Nana's predicament is much more difficult than that of the Guard Bureau.

Because of the 'signal flare' just now, the city defense cannons of Lungmen in the distance were faintly pointed in this direction. Although judging from the people around who were still going about their business normally, Nana's demonstrative signal flare did not cause Lungmen to enter a state of emergency.

But... what if we could do it again?

Seeing Nana thoughtfully take out another Revolver Gun, Hoshiguma, who had been trying to ease the tension, quickly stepped forward:

"As you can see, we are still coordinating the matter... I admit that due to the interference of the Ministry of Works of the Imperial Court, we did violate some of the Lungmen's entry principles... But in any case, things shouldn't have escalated to the point of drawing swords against each other, don't you think?"

"... This is a gun."

This eased the tension somewhat, Nana glanced again at Huang, who wasn't carrying any weapons... Not only had Huang arrived in only her uniform, but even the Little Cat and the car lacked the signal of the auxiliary device known as 'Rosemary's Embrace'.

Even if our ship were to have its strategic equipment seized, it seems we have no intention of engaging in conflict with Lungmen.

Judging from the ship's reaction, Nana deduced Kal'tsit and the Doctor's plan, and put away her Guardian Gun: [Unintelligible]

"Actually, I think the suggestions from your two colleagues are quite good..." (Deleted)

"... Even if the people of Rhodes Island do have some complaints about us, isn't it a bit inappropriate to say such offensive things directly?"

Shaking her head in denial of Hoshiguma's joke, Nana added, "Give up."

"The reason my equipment is classified and why I'm so eager to retrieve it is because it contains a system that shouldn't be known to ordinary people... And now that it's been confiscated, it's likely that the Celestial Master of Yan has discovered something."

"As a core nation with a vast territory, similar to Ursus, I believe Great Yan must also have researched that the Unspeakable. However, setting aside the fact that you've come for our secrets, my equipment itself carries considerable danger..."

After a few seconds of silence, Nana looked directly into Hoshiguma's eyes: [Delete]

"If it were simply a matter of detecting danger and sealing it off, that would be fine. What I'm really worried about is that the Ministry of Works is bypassing Rhodes Island and conducting research on things they don't understand... The Ministry of Works should possess this most basic level of competence."

"So... what exactly is that piece of equipment of yours?!"

Why don't you go ask the person who confiscated my things?

After listening to Nana and Hoshiguma's conversation for a long time, Ch'en Hui-chieh finally looked up impatiently:

"Alright... come with me."

Seeing that Nana was tilting her head and standing still as if waiting for an explanation, Ch'en Hui-chieh had no choice but to turn around again:

"I'll take you to the Ministry of Works... I want to see what kind of treasure you're protecting so fiercely."

Is this... appropriate?

It was Hoshiguma who said this; perhaps she was still considering how to satisfy the Ministry of Works' request to delay... but her gesture of pointing at the children peering out the window was certainly noteworthy.

"At least, let's get the children settled first, shall we?"

"I'll take care of that..."

As if it were common sense, Huang clearly had some idea of the level of secrecy surrounding Nana's equipment... The big cat then called over the still wary Typhon, patted the child who was obviously not used to the metropolis, and waved to Nana:

"I'll handle the return procedures for the little ones and Su Sulo... Although we're under communication restrictions here, Dr. Kal'tsit has already set off, and I reckon you'll be able to see her when you get there... Due to confidentiality regulations, I won't follow up on that. Nana, you can act freely with your Elite Operator privileges. You know the bottom line better than I do."

With that, Huang led the others into the car and sped off towards the port area... Meanwhile, Nana looked at Hoshiguma again:

"Other people's ID cards shouldn't have this kind of block, right?"

"... Of course, since it was a temporary lockdown using the authority of the Guard Bureau, it wouldn't be appropriate to cover too large an area. It was just a lockdown of you as required by the Ministry of Works."

Nodding, Nana followed Chen, who seemed to be getting impatient.

"Then, let's go and explain the pros and cons to the person involved... If Dr. Kal'tsit grants me the authority to explain, then I will naturally reveal all the actions and effects of those things."

PS: Waaaaaaah!

PSS: I'm going out today, so I won't be writing much...

The original idea of having a shoot with Ch'en in the wild was too wild and didn't make logical sense... But after revising it, the logic is smooth, but it feels a lot more bland... I guess I'll just leave the big projects for later. After all, there's a lot to write about in Lungmen, so I'll take it slow.

9th Lungmen Seafood: 310 The Spread of Darkness

After seeing off everyone who should have returned to their ship for medical checkups, Nana, along with two superintendents from the security bureau, began her overtime work, passing by her own home without going in.

Although Nana didn't quite understand why Superintendent Chen could say something like "I'd like to see," it sounded as if her own feelings superseded the unspoken political rules of Lungmen in the Great Yan.

Of course, considering the ethnicity of this Miss Dragon, the source of her confidence is not entirely unpredictable. However, this raises another question: how could the daughter of a high-ranking official be such a hot-headed, righteous idiot?

Nana certainly wasn't saying it was strange for noble families to uphold justice; after all, she had seen exceptions like Talulah, who, despite being of noble birth, preferred to stand with the poor.

But those who are fanatical should be in the minority. Someone like Superintendent Chen, who puts his own sense of justice and righteousness above the unspoken rules of the job... Nana can only say that the other person must be very well protected by her family.

In contrast, Superintendent Hoshiguma's tone was like a gentle breeze. He avoided offending the high-ranking official from the Ministry of Ministry of Works who came to him, while also trying not to put too much pressure on Nana, the person involved. Such a sophisticated and tactful way of dealing with people... was clearly not suitable for this position.

If you take her out of the picture, you might think that the Lungmen Guard Department, a law enforcement agency known for its violence, lacks a bit of edge... but when she's with Ch'en Hui-chieh, they make a perfect pair.

With these thoughts forming in mind, Nana and the other two quickly passed through the checkpoint, led by Ch'en Hui-chieh.

"Your items should be in the checkpoint warehouse now... Initially, the items only triggered an alarm in the Customs inspection system. Because it was a completely unfamiliar warning number that required notification to the duty strategist, the Customs officers, as usual, called the security bureau to stop your group."

"Then we received a notice to set off, and halfway there we received confirmation that it was war machine. But not long after, the celestial master in charge of the inspection called in the Ministry of Works' celestial master of machinery, and we were asked to delay as much as possible... Can't you really tell me what it is?"

As they walked down the corridor into the maintenance layer, the incandescent lights overhead flickered on and off with each of their quick steps.

Because it was an area for storing dangerous materials, all of them except for the initial gate were guarded by members of the Lungmen Guard Department. As the three of them went deeper inside, the gates became thicker and the warnings on the walls became more severe. The guards also changed from members of the Lungmen Guard Department to Great Yan Special Forces personnel wearing cloaks, occasionally revealing matte full-body armor underneath.

They seem to be called the Royal Guard or something like that... Although Nana has had occasional work-related contact with them in the past, if you ask whether she is familiar with these people, Nana's answer is definitely no.

After all, Columbia and Great Yan are separated by this vast land.

"It's not that I'm unwilling to tell you... Anyway, please let me check the condition of the items first."

"... You seem to have absolutely no respect for our soldiers..."

"I haven't done anything wrong, so respect is fine, but why should I be afraid?"

Just as Ch'en Hui-chieh was about to ask something, seeing that the group was about to move forward, two Yan soldiers wielding folding spears immediately blocked their path:

"The Celestial Master has decreed that Dingxu District 18 has been designated as a top-secret area, and no one is allowed to enter."

He glanced briefly at Nana, signaling with his eyes to let them handle it, then Hoshiguma stepped forward and showed his identification:

"We are Senior Superintendents of the Lungmen Guard Department, and the person accompanying us is the owner of the classified items. Based on the threatening nature of these classified items as reported by our informant, we believe that Lungmen should have the right to know the contents of these classified items... Please allow us to meet with His Excellency the Celestial Master, or contact the person in charge to liaise with us."

"I repeat the order: no one is permitted to enter this top-secret area. This is a military order. If any member of the Lungmen Guard Department has any objections, please contact the supervising Celestial Master through official channels... We cannot allow anyone to pass through here."

Seeing the other party's resolute attitude, Ch'en Hui-chieh stepped forward and asked:

"There should also be a senior superintendent from our Guard Bureau accompanying the Celestial Master..."

"And a senior executive from Rhodes Island."

"Hmm, and Rhodes Island... where are the personnel from the unit associated with classified items?"

"No comment, please leave."

Seeing that what Chen had said to her not long ago had bounced back at her, Nana thought she was about to curse, but instead she took a deep breath, took out her phone and started tapping... Nana also took out her phone and started contacting Kal'tsit.

She thought this upright police officer would really disregard orders and force his way in, but the solution was to contact his superiors... Although it was normal, Nana was inexplicably a little disappointed.

But as soon as the call connected, Nana heard a name that caught her attention.

"Wei Yenwu! What's going on in Dingxu District 18?! Wasn't it supposed to be a seizure of dangerous goods? Everyone involved is right here with me. Her exact words were that the thing itself wasn't dangerous; it was only dangerous when someone who didn't know any better dismantled it... Now tell me, is Lungmen dangerous or not?!"

[... Ch'en Hui-chieh, what kind of tongue twister are you talking about? My order was for you to entertain the guests. Just have some tea with them, take a stroll around the city, and once the Celestial Master has dealt with things, this matter can be concluded.]

"That's what you said? You've clearly been keeping silent in front of those people from the Ministry of Works! These words were spoken by those outside officials!"

"What do you mean you can just have tea with the guests and stroll around the city and that's it! How dare you assign me this kind of perfunctory, time-wasting job? I'm a senior superintendent of the Guard Bureau, not some noble courtier from Victoria!"

"Wei Yenwu, I only have one question for you: Is that thing dangerous or not? Does our seizure comply with the Lungmen Special Management Regulations? Furthermore, I heard that high-ranking officials from Rhodes Island have contacted you. What about your negotiations?! Where are they?! Where is the Ministry of Works' Celestial Master?! Let him come and talk to me!"

Hearing the sigh-like voice coming from the other end of the phone, Nana and the two Great Yan special forces soldiers exchanged a glance, and the three of them unconsciously looked away from the two police superintendents.

Is the content of this conversation—the way the Governor of Lungmen addressed him by his given name and the angry rebukes he leveled—something we outsiders should be able to understand?

Will I be sentenced to death just because my left foot steps on the Lungmen ground first tomorrow?

Well, anyway, the death penalty is too much... And as Nana confirmed again that her phone was not working with Kal'tsit and was about to complain to Hoshiguma, Chen, who had been scolding the Governor as a police superintendent, also had his phone abruptly disconnected.

"... You... hello? Lord Wei? Wei Yenwu?!"

Amidst some murmurs of doubt, the corridor lights began to flicker, accompanied by a buzzing sound of poor electrical contact. Nana's left eye shone with a pure, vibrant fire.

"My 'package'... seems to have been opened. We need to check the condition of the 'item' immediately."

Seeing Nana say this, it seemed the soldiers guarding the gate, sent by the Celestial Master, were about to say something when Nana stretched out her finger and waved it at the two of them: