Chapter 282

"In short, you have no right to speak without investigation... Of course, terrible things won't change just because of our wishes, but if everything can still be salvaged, doing our best now is always better than facing irreversible consequences in the future and saying 'I can't do anything'... Is this what you call advice from experience?"

As for Nana's teasing, which non- Rhodes Island members might not quite get it, only Nagisa, who had been busy refilling tea and water, cast a helpless glance at Nana.

So, Nana, is this your reason for packing a tactical backpack and kicking the seemingly harmless town of Siracusa?

What Zhu thought wouldn't affect Ch'en Hui-chieh... The Dragon Lady, who had considerable influence and could be mobilized, nodded silently and got up to leave.

"I will complete Rhodes Island's entry screening as soon as possible... However, I can't just listen to your and that woman's side of the story regarding Seaborn. I will verify it through my own channels... Until then, I will have Hoshiguma and another colleague of mine assist you."

"... Please do it as soon as possible..."

Nodding in approval of Ch'en Hui-chieh's caution, Nana Nai smiled, her fingers crossed.

"After all, if I could, I wouldn't want to face monsters that nest in the city... Neither the Pincer Beast nor the Seaborn are the type I'm good at dealing with... but I have no choice but to grit my teeth and go for it."

After bidding farewell to Ch'en Hui-chieh and Hoshiguma, who had left hastily before dawn, Nana deleted the data projected in the conference room and the PRTS call history, and then escorted Nagisa back to the coffee shop's staff dormitory.

However, Nagisa, preoccupied with herself, probably didn't notice, but Nana did see signs that the coffee shop's beverage machine had been turned on... After Nana tucked Nagisa in, she went outside and indeed saw a tall, white-haired beauty carrying two paper cups:

"Hey, you're still here... Did you bring this for me?"

"Of course... after all, you've patiently talked to them on behalf of me and Kal'tsit until now... thank you for your hard work. As for me, I'll leave after I finish this cup of coffee... I've said it before, even though I'm a battle maniac who would tear Hai Seaborn to pieces and mince him if I saw him, I won't give up my own life."

"A cup of coffee before starting work... Although the coffee machines on land aren't very sophisticated, life can't be without them."

Seeing that Gladiia drank the cup down without changing her expression and made a gulping sound, Nana, who was holding a paper cup with gloves on both hands, was also preparing to try it, but then she was scalded by the water temperature, which was still about 70 degrees Celsius, and stuck out her little tongue slightly.

"... So, terrestrial cats really can't drink hot water?"

"I think there is a clear distinction between 'hot' and 'scalding'."

Hearing Nana's clearly dissatisfied, slightly slurred voice, Gladiia smiled, tucking her long hair behind her ear, and once again carrying the enormous spear she had just retrieved from the ward.

"The people of Lungmen say I'm cold-blooded, and they might not be wrong... In their eyes, Aegir must be unconventional and unimaginable."

I didn't know my father very well, and my birth mother was a power-hungry, hedonistic, and short-sighted person—the short-sightedness is debatable, but the former two are obvious.

"So I didn't rejoin my family of origin, and it took me a long time to break free from my birth mother's control."

"My family are those who identify with, support, and raise me, not those who pass on their genes to me. My new family is not related to me by blood, as is the case for most Aegir."

Seeing that Gladiia had suddenly brought up this topic, Nana thought for a moment and connected it to something the other woman had been emphasizing:

"... So, Gladiia, you mean... that plan to burn the entire city down if the Seaborn spreads into the city..."

"That was not cold-blooded spectating, nor was it treating lives as useless numbers... but rather the countless sacrifices already made in Aegir to defeat the enemy. It's not that we didn't harbor some wishful thinking... but that would have brought about an even more brutal war."

"We have no right to let those who have been converted live, because that would be a crime against many more living people... Nana, don't let things turn out that way."

As Gladiia spoke and put on the boat-shaped hunter's hat, Nana also suppressed her business smile, making her expression look more serious:

"I promise."

"... If every battle could be guaranteed to proceed smoothly with a 'guarantee'... The specifics depend on the operation itself. I'll go ahead first. You can come after those two locals from Lungmen have finished the formalities for Rhodes Island... I'll provide guidance as much as possible."

Nana nodded in response, and the tall hunter, wielding a long spear, nodded and let his figure disappear into the night.

Just as Nana finished her coffee in a small sip, familiar footsteps approached, accompanied by the crisp sound of Nana... It was Kal'tsit and Red.

Emerald Feline didn't even bother to ask Nana's opinion; she looked directly at Miss Lupo in red beside her. The gray-haired boy, seemingly sensing something, had his ears tucked down as if they were airplane ears.

"Hmm... danger... is gone."

"She said she wanted to enjoy life, and then she couldn't wait to grab a weapon and chase after Seaborn... while I still need to wait for my Lungmen entry permit to come through. Do you think they'll believe me?"

Although Nana's words were rather rambling, Kal'tsit could still understand what Nana was saying:

"The Great Yan may be slow to react, but the Lungmen will definitely react... whether it's the Demons or the Seaborn."

"Can they do it?"

Kal'tsit thought for a moment about Nana's concerns and took out a business card from her pocket.

"... Tencent... Logistics?"

"Lungmen has its own ecosystem; as the saying goes, 'one region's water and soil nurture its people'... Nana, don't underestimate them. Although you probably won't be able to go there in the next couple of days, calling people over shouldn't be a problem. Let's start the preliminary preparations; you'll need these people."

Taking the business card, Nana didn't look at the information on it much, trustingly putting it into her pocket before tossing aside the paper cup and preparing to leave.

"Then I'll take your kind words... I'm entrusting the Little Cat and the other children to you, Kal'tsit."

Watching Nana, who had essentially been working overtime all day, leisurely go find a place to sleep, Kal'tsit didn't even hear her ask where Ascalon was... Perhaps, the two of them simply didn't need such explanations.

Thinking this, Kal'tsit, who had only slept for two hours before getting up to process the documents related to the negotiations with Lungmen, turned and left.

"Okay, leave it to me."

PS: Waaaaaaah!

PSS: Migraine, I'm dying, I'm dying, I'm dying, I'm dying!

9th Lungmen Seafood: 320 Nana's Little Plan

Although she said "I'm entrusting the children to you" when she met Kal'tsit, Lungmen did not issue the entry permit as quickly as Nana had imagined.

Perhaps Gladiia complained about before leaving—that 'the social structure on land is neither efficient nor safe'—is proven true here. But at least Nana arranged a dormitory for Suzuran and took her to meet the people she would need to know in the future. Clearly, Nana couldn't go out to work with peace of mind just relying on that little white Feline that was going further and further down the path of comedy.

Fortunately, aside from Rosemary, whose temperament is truly like a cat, Cole also gives this adorable Little Fox considerable attention... The only ironic thing is that everyone on Rhodes Island has, for the first time in a long time, started worrying about their own and the Little Cat's mental health.

Nana can only say that the familiar feeling has returned.

"However, Lungmen did issue a license for those traveling together... but it's not a corporate pass, but a whitelist for individuals. Isn't Lungmen being a bit stingy?"

"... Nana, you need to be aware that you've already come under the watchful eyes of the higher-ups in Great Yan. Before your abilities are fully investigated, I'm afraid all the departments related to you will become part of your operational capabilities as they envision them."

"Given our current cooperation with the Yan on Demons, coupled with the information you later revealed about Seaborn... it's enough to make you a focus of attention for both the Sui's Office and the Astrology Bureau."

On the way to Lungmen city, Kal'tsit, on a whim, pointed out important things Nana needed to pay attention to.

The political leanings of Wei Yenwu, the governor of Lungmen, in Yan; the combat effectiveness of the Lungmen Guard Department, as well as its underworld gangs; and a general overview of the gang alliance leader, 'Rat King,' and so on.

"... Finally, since Gladiia completely ignored our Terminal communications, seemingly hiding the communicator... you'd better ask her about the survivors next time you meet her."

"What survivors?"

"Survivors of the Abyssal Hunters..."

Nana had never intentionally looked into this before, but her words were full of things that one didn't want to delve into. Rhodes Island's car slowly stopped in front of the Lungmen Guard Department. When Nana got out of the car and looked back, apart from ACE, who was driving and in charge of overt security, and Amiya, who hadn't said a word the whole way but whose ears were perked up, in the back seat, apart from Nana who had left and Kal'tsit who had been rambling on the whole way, the last person left was the Doctor, who for some reason looked even sleepier Kal'tsit and had fallen asleep as soon as she got in the car, and still looked drowsy.

"Leave Gladiia to me, but the Doctor's condition... it's really worrying."

Watching Nana smile as she reached out to straighten the Doctor's body, Kal'tsit, still sporting that dead fish-like expression of 'I'm sleepy but I'm still persevering,' sighed.

"She probably got up at four in the morning again yesterday and made herself some instant noodles... Don't worry about her. Amiya and I will handle the negotiations. Nana, just do your job properly."

Nana readily agreed to Kal'tsit's words of comfort, and seeing Ch'en Hui-chieh and the other two who seemed to have been waiting at the entrance of the Guard Bureau for quite some time, Nana smiled and greeted them.

"Then, Chen, we'll be leaving Kal'tsit and the others in your care for the time being."

"... Medic, aren't you going to the hearing?... Then it seems those people in the Ministry of Works will be quite disappointed."

During the conversation, Nana shook hands with the three members of the Guard Bureau, and with a professional smile on her face, Nana carried out the necessary social interaction, saying:

"After all, it's not just Demons anymore; there are much more important ones that we need to investigate."

Ch'en Hui-chieh pursed her lips and nodded silently at Nana's smile, seemingly slightly dissatisfied with the situation where she had to go to the meeting, but Nana could continue working on the front lines.

"I regret that I must attend the hearing, but Superintendent Swire will stand in for me and support your activities in Lungmen along with Hoshiguma. Although this is currently only my personal action, I believe that after the hearing, the higher-ups will understand the priorities."

"We've recently informed her of the general information regarding the target... but please note that you should think twice before implementing any more extreme contingency plans. At least wait for me to join you... My identity can provide some legal support for such emergency situations."

Ch'en Hui-chieh's statement clearly surprised Nana. After all, according to her, if the Seaborn Pollution in Lungmen really spread to an uncontrollable extent, then she would use her position to grant Nana authorization to open fire... This meant that she would bear full responsibility for all the damage and sacrifices that Rhodes Island would cause in Lungmen at that time.

Although Nana already understood part of 'Ch'en Hui-chieh's' personality and knew her feelings for Lungmen... Nana was still utterly shocked when the other party said such words in person.

Before Nana could say anything more, the Feline known as Swire sighed and pushed Ch'en Hui-chieh into the Rhodes Island car.

"Alright, alright, you can save those depressing words for when you, Rice Noodle Roll Dragon, die..."

With a snap, the car door slammed shut. Having bid farewell to Ch'en Hui-chieh and the three high-ranking officials from Rhodes Island, Superintendent Swire, who, like Nana, was from the Feline but whose attire revealed her wealthy background, immediately smiled at Nana.

"Well, I think I understand... Originally, when I heard you were to replace Ch'en in entertaining guests, the plan was to take you to the Hotel or the Guard Bureau's hideout, but now I feel you're probably not the type to enjoy formalities... So, let's just go find our informant. Also, Hoshiguma, please inform this... Miss Medic, about our recent arrangements."

Watching the blonde Feline, who had been directly teasing Ch'en Hui-chieh with her nickname, wag her tail and start the Guard Bureau's vehicle to pick up everyone, and listening to Hoshiguma give a general overview of Ch'en Hui-chieh's recent deployments in Lungmen, Nana let the buildings outside the window rush past, her smile slightly helpless:

"It sounds like it's just that the head of the Guard Bureau's inspection team has increased entry checks within his authority..."

"I'm sorry, but without Commander Wei's orders, deploying Guard Bureau personnel to strengthen Customs entry inspections is the best we can do."

"Ah, I didn't mean to blame anyone... After all, Chen has personally been working on this matter, so let's trust her and Dr. Kal'tsit. However, we're going to..."

Seeing that the police car didn't follow the traffic onto the bridge, but instead found a ferry at the riverbank and drove the car onto it, Superintendent Swire poked his head out and shouted, "To the shantytown!" while pulling out several blue banknotes.

The boatman, who had hesitated for a moment, immediately started the engine, while the helpers secured the vehicle and then used poles to push the boat away from the ferry dock.

Amidst the rhythmic sputtering of the internal combustion engine, Swire turned back to look at Nana:

"The arrangements outside the city are already at the limit of our current capabilities, but internal control is still insufficient... However, if we're talking about where a cult might set up shop, compared to the neon-lit main city, the slums are definitely more worthy of vigilance."

"... Slums... in my memory, Yan shouldn't have such a concept."

"Well... under the pressure of various commercial activities, the land prices in Lungmen City are outrageous even to me... and even if people can't afford to buy a house, they will always find a place to live. When such places are connected by unofficial planning, even if they are not inherently impoverished, they will still be called slums."

"Because all sorts of people like to flock there, and the Infected from outside who can't trust the government have settled there, those highly exclusive communities are difficult for the Guard Bureau to monitor... I think if outside forces... especially illegal forces want to target Lungmen, then the various gangs in the shantytowns would undoubtedly be a natural cover." (Another unrelated statement follows)

Seeing that the black-haired Feline, known as Medic from Rhodes Island, was still smiling and quietly waiting for her to continue explaining, Ch'en Swire, couldn't hide her touched smile and exchanged glances with Nana through the rearview mirror: Leek

"We have a good informant, although she's still young and the Infected... but she's very clever and observant of her surroundings... I think she won't miss any small disturbance in the slums..."

After briefly introducing the police informant codenamed 'Darklock' to Nana, and seeing the photo of the purple-haired Cautus girl—clearly arrested and grinning foolishly while holding a sign that read 'Criminal: Theft'— Nana didn't raise many objections to Superintendent Swire's plan.

"However... simply relying on interviews and investigations to search for someone who might have assimilated and uniform Gestalt Seaborn might not be very effective... Doesn't the Security Bureau have any more technically-oriented search methods?"

"Technology-oriented...? Miss Medic, could you give an example?"

"Well, since Seaborn is an aquatic creature, we can actually start with 'water'... On one hand, we can monitor water consumption in urban areas, focusing on areas with abnormal fluctuations... On the other hand, we can monitor the composition of wastewater... Let's talk."

"Just as it's impossible for humans to live on this land without leaving any trace, regardless of how Seaborn's metabolism differs from that of regular species, we are, after all, looking for something called 'abnormal'... We're bound to find something."

Seeing Nana's nonchalant demeanor, Swire, needing to get ashore and drive, only sighed and didn't say anything for the time being. Hoshiguma, however, adopted a thoughtful expression, then looked at Nana with a slightly helpless expression:

"This method is theoretically feasible... however, this personnel arrangement seems to exceed the limits of the Guard Bureau. Adding municipal government staff arbitrarily would also make it difficult to guarantee long-term full surveillance coverage... such unusual personnel changes are likely to arouse the target's suspicion."

"That is indeed a problem... So, how about using the same goal as a cover to secretly search for those deep-sea cultists?"

Seeing that Nana had already made up her mind, and listening to the conversation between the two in the back seat, Swire drove the car to the destination and curiously looked behind her.

Seeing that both superintendents looked like they were about to come up with a plan, Nana smiled and took out the plan she had prepared in advance, which RPTS had worked on for the past week, and distributed it to the two officers.

Of course, just to be on the safe side, Nana's PowerPoint presentations all focused on investments in environmental improvements and the Infected relief, all based on the premise that Rhodes Island would join Lungmen.

Although Nana categorized the investment options into three levels, after hearing Nana's premise of a 'technical investigation,' looking at the wastewater treatment plant aimed at improving the water cycle; the Lungmen Water Company, which Rhodes Island fully invested in and operated [for a period of time]; and the urban module wastewater sampling system that seemed to be set up to control the abuse of illegal prescription drugs... these three investment strategies all looked like a bizarre scene of Rhodes Island's last line of defense holding a gun and muttering 'Where is Seaborn Seaborn?'

"... Seriously, are all you tech guys this cynical? While I understand that concealing your true intentions within seemingly normal actions is the foundation of covert operations... but Rhodes Island's... investments? Are they real?"

"Of course it's true. After all, while waiting for Seaborn to appear, Rhodes Island also needs to continue its own mission. We have to fight against the enemy of civilization, and we won't miss the opportunity to cooperate with the local community to invest in building factories and improve the living environment of residents. As for helping the local government to reduce prescription drug abuse... well, that's a bit of a stretch, but if we say it's part of the anti-drug plan, then we can say it openly."

As they spoke, the three got out of the car. Nana, with her back to the brightly lit city across the river, walked into the old district where there wasn't a single tall building and most of the residential buildings were only five stories high.

"Using the pretext of combating illegal addictive drugs... Although the Great Yan itself has very strict controls on this, some small gangs still repeatedly fail to change their ways... If we had equipment that could pinpoint the locations of those criminals and addicts, I think the chances of approval from above would be very high... But while Rhodes Island has a considerable security team, isn't it too dangerous for them to directly participate in the fight against drug traffickers?"

"After all, many gangs are well-equipped due to the profits from drug trafficking... Ultimately, this profit margin is probably the reason why addictive products are so difficult to eradicate."

"I can also answer this question on behalf of Rhodes Island ~"

After checking her uniform and confirming that she was still the harmless doctor, Nana, carrying a simple medical bag, smiled and said to Hoshiguma:

"As long as the cost of their crimes outweighs the benefits..."

"We already have zero tolerance for drug dealers, no mercy!"

"Then, how about we petition the emperor? If we change the punishment to exterminate the entire family upon discovery, then at least some people will calmly consider the actions of those around them who are involved in drug trafficking and drug use."

Clearly, compared to her meticulous, technical approach to problem-solving, Miss Medic's solution is rather simple and brutal... If you can't cut off the profits from drug trafficking and the temptation to use drugs, then solving the problem of you is always an option.

Nana's unwavering smile in response clearly made Hoshiguma's lips twitch and his vision go black.

Just as Hoshiguma was about to continue questioning Nana, whom she considered an advisor to the Guard Bureau, Swire, who was leading the way, coughed in displeasure and then gestured for the two to look at the trembling gaze of the purple-haired Cautus upstairs:

"Alright, let's not let our lovely informant misunderstand... Let's go upstairs and continue talking."

PS: Waaaaaaah!

PSS: I'm dizzy and feeling unwell... My typing efficiency has dropped by 100%... I need to sleep more... sob...