Chapter 312

"The governor's wife... is she that governor?"

"Well, Lungmen doesn't have a second governor~"

With a soft laugh, Madam Wen Yue rose and gave a slight bow, then took Nana's hand:

"I am merely Wei Yenwu's wife, holding neither an official position nor a bureaucrat in Lungmen, so there's no need for such formalities. As for Bai Xue, she is both my personal guard and a friend I've known since childhood... Thank you for your swift response that day. The doctors in Lungmen said that if it weren't for the timely emergency treatment, it probably wouldn't have been as simple as just a serious injury."

PS: Waaaaaaah!

PSS: I'm so sorry for the long delay today because of some emotional issues QAQ

9th Lungmen Seafood: 358 - Not going smoothly

As expected of the governor's wife, despite using various humble terms to refer to herself, her initial wariness of strangers and the way she seamlessly eliminated any sense of distance in her words... The inherently difficult-to-interpret emotions of our Ancients due to their facial features, combined with perfectly timed body language, made the ensuing greetings incredibly smooth.

Nana had already mentally prepared for the other party to inquire about the day's battle situation and then use this topic to probe the progress of the Shanhai Congregation's investigation in Lungmen. However, aside from thanking Nana for her timely handling of Bai Xue, Madam Wen Yue Fumizuki spent the rest of her time either praising Angelina's meticulousness as Rhodes Island support operator or speaking to Suzuran in a coaxing tone.

She seemed to be nothing more than a wealthy lady who cared about nothing, completely stripped of the political elements of her identity as a 'governor'.

However... the fact that a governor's wife could recall the 'Royal Guard' from the Higashi and allow them to act freely already contradicts the aforementioned behavior in her actual actions.

If Nana's performance style is a textbook example of Victoria aristocratic rhetoric, then Madam Wen Yue's conversation with Nana... whether concealing her own purpose or downplaying the presence of her subordinate 'ninjas,' she achieved a subtle and pervasive influence characteristic of Eastern culture.

Honestly, in all her conversations with people in similar high positions, Nana has never encountered such a guarded type... The assassin is starting to hate formalities.

And so, time passed by, second by second.

Aside from Suzuran, who had been acting as a buffer between the two and still hadn't noticed anything amiss in the atmosphere, Angelina, being a high school student and extremely sensitive to 'atmosphere,' had sensed several times that Nana was trying to bring up a specific topic, but was always brushed off by Madam Wen Yue.

Very unusually, Angelina saw a sense of dejection in her incredibly accomplished senior cat... It was the actual manifestation of the cat's tail tip swinging restlessly from side to side like a pendulum.

As Nana's phone rang, she stopped trying to control the conversation and changed the topic from the local customs of the Higashi to the ten must-visit shops in Lungmen Taikoo Plaza... The former was Nana's attempt to use Bai Xue as a starting point but was fooled, while the latter was another attempt by Nana to probe the information behind Shirayuki's statement 'Shanhai Congregation' by mentioning the location where Bai Xue was injured. Of course... Madam Wen Yue's topic change was gentle and natural, Nana was completely unable to gain any initiative.

The incoming call was a lifeline for the assassin, who apologized profusely and went to a corner to answer it. After a brief "Yes... yes, yes!", Nana decided to use the meeting notification as an excuse to stop her pointless probing.

"Sorry, this is a call from command... It seems there's been progress in the matter of Seaborn obtaining dangerous controlled items from the Lungmen warehouse, possibly with the help of the Shanhai Congregation. I need to return for an operation meeting."

In the most concise way, she said something that made Madam Wen Yue's eyes momentarily show a clear, confused, and incredulous expression. Nana simply stopped looking at her and turned to look at Bai Xue:

"Although it might not be appropriate to discuss this topic while you are still recovering, I do remember that you did mention the term 'Shanhai Congregation' before you fell into a coma... Superintendent Chen and the others are very tight-lipped about it. So, Miss Bai Xue, do you have any information that could help?"

In response to Nana's question, the white-haired ninja first glanced at his master. With Madam Wen Yue showing no reaction, the ninja maintained his somewhat indifferent expression and shook his head at Nana.

Well, this master and servant pair really don't have a single flaw. Nana now understands what Kal'tsit said before she left.

But just as Nana was instructing Lisa and Angelina not to leave the ship or go to dangerous places for the next period of time, and giving them the contact information of Top Operator such as Closure, Shining, and Weedy, hoping that they would not be left without help when she was not by their side, Nana prepared to say goodbye.

At this very moment, following Bai Xue's strange, almost coded, gesture, Madam Wen Yue coughed twice:

"We're leaving already, even though there were still so many things we couldn't finish discussing... But it was an important meeting, and I imagine my spouse is also troubled by matters of state."

As she spoke, she picked up her handbag from the bedside table and pulled out a handwritten business card made of a special material. It only had an address for the wealthy Lungmen area, a phone number, and available visiting hours.

"Although Wei Yenwu is viewed with mixed opinions by outsiders, in my view, he is also just one of the masses, stumbling forward amidst the chaos... Although, as the Governor's wife... especially as the Princess of the Higashi, I cannot be too obviously involved in the sensitive affairs of the Great Yan, but... if you find my husband seemingly trudging through a quagmire... then please, as a partner, spend some time alone with him and try to find a way out."

Blinking, Nana thanked the person and accepted their business card... But why did the person, who clearly knew something, make such a fuss about it? From their self-introduction, Nana understood a little... They were trying to avoid suspicion.

Yes, since the Shanhai Congregation is a 'sensitive matter' that even Kal'tsit had to give extra instructions about, then trying to obtain information from the Governor's wife's guards was essentially taking a side door that had been blocked in advance.

Well... after all, the other party was only dressed in the style of the Higashi, and I didn't know that she was from the Higashi and had married into the Great Yan Kingdom, and that she was a princess, which is a sensitive identity... So it's obvious why the other party was unwilling to let the topic veer in that direction.

Nana's comment on this was that if you have something to say, just say it directly. If you can't say it, then don't say it. Why waste so much of your time? Just glancing at her phone, she realized that something that could be explained in a few words, or even more easily understood in seconds using Empathy, had caused her to waste nearly an hour.

However... watching Suzuran happily take the snacks and wave goodbye to Madam Wen Yue before leaving... Nana suddenly realized that perhaps the negotiation process wasn't entirely a waste of time.

If this waste of time can keep the children smiling, then it seems like it wouldn't be a problem to do it a few more times.

As the Rhodes Island personnel left, the atmosphere in the ward changed.

"Bai Xue, here..."

"Madam... there is no eavesdropping here, please give your instructions."

After removing that smile, which also had a performative quality, Madam Wen Yue helplessly reached out and touched the gauze and splint wrapped around Bai Xue's left arm to block a fatal wound, her face filled with sorrow:

"Will Bai Xue blame me? I so vehemently refused Rhodes Island's advance... This was clearly the best opportunity to avenge you, but I let it slip away."

"That's Madam's stance; there's nothing we can do about it."

Seeing his ninja's matter-of-fact expression, the one-horned Ancients helplessly twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a slight smile:

"You... the more you act like this, the angrier I become... I didn't summon you here for this kind of thing, but it seems difficult to contact Little Tal, and Xiao Chen right under my nose is stuck in a rut..."

"As expected, she was exposed to too many Ode to Gallantry when she was young. It's a good thing that she has a strong sense of righteousness, and it's a fact that Lungmen will eventually belong to her... But, getting involved in such important national affairs that even Wei Yenwu couldn't handle at such a young age... Even the best steel will Skullshatterer heavy pressure if it is too upright."

"And there are so many similar incidents in the Great Yan, but they just happened to encounter the Shanhai Congregation, whom we should be least able to interfere with."

As she spoke, Madam Wen Yue sighed again, but soon she looked thoughtfully at her phone... Just now, when she gave that Little Cat her personal business card, the other party reciprocated by sending her own personal Intercity Network number.

"Now we can only hope that the undercover investigation is correct... As for Victoria's international trade organization... if used properly, it could become a sharp knife in Lungmen's hands. It all depends on whether Wei Yenwu is willing to use such methods."

Having said that, Madam Wen Yue's face immediately lit up, and her conversation with her attendant returned to what she had seen and heard on Rhodes Island... For someone of her status, a business card was an opportunity, a seed... And what kind of result such a seed would grow was something that could only be left to future developments.

For important figures, this is true; all they need to do to navigate complex situations is a business card, and naturally, capable and competent people will come knocking on their door to help them solve their problems... But for frontline staff like Nana, things take much more into consideration.

After all, the assassin has several identities, and it's unavoidable to decide which side to side to take and how to develop the situation.

So now, after taking care of the Little Fox and temporarily calming her restless controlling nature, what is Nana doing?

She was currently sitting in the Council chamber, lost in thought, representing the Rhodes Island Operations Department.

This is a very unusual state. It's rare for a highly efficient assassin like Seven Qi Ling Shi Jiu San Seventeen Qi to needlessly add to his fatigue like this... He should use this energy to find a comfortable chair and have a good rest.

But... ultimately, someone who can make a cat sit quietly with its ears drooping, patiently waiting without worrying about wasting time, must also be an important person in Nana's heart.

At this extremely high-level meeting, which was attended by almost all of Lungmen's top officials, including the VIII Administrative Affairs Department, the Finance Department, and the Independent Commission Against Corruption, and even the Governor-General Wei Yenwu, who was smoking a pipe with a stern face, the meeting was a gathering of high-ranking officials.

Amidst the heated exchange between representatives from the Guard Bureau, the City Defense Force, the public security bureau, Customs, senior police superintendents, and even the Fire Department, whose members looked as exhausted as Nana's group, the Doctor's voice, masked by a full protective shield and practically genderless, was filled with barely concealed distress, transforming into annoyance that anyone could understand.

"... Um, regarding your comments about the infiltration of the Shanhai Congregation, we can actually leave that aside for now. After all, apart from Lord Wei, no one here can truly accuse anyone of being a traitor. But getting back to the main point, compared to the key issues where you've repeatedly interrupted our speech, may I assume... that the security level of Rhodes Island's Seaborn cleanup operation has been raised due to its collusion with the Mountain and Shanhai Congregation, and what you all want us to do now... is to completely ignore that crucial point that almost wiped out our combat team and focus on... matters unrelated to security... is that what you mean?"

Because the full-protection hooded coat has its own skeletal support, even though the Doctor's figure is not particularly tall after inexplicably shrinking, the anger contained in her voice as she crossed her fingers in front of her made even Wei Yenwu take notice.

"You are all high-ranking officials of Lungmen, and I don't mean to say anything that would be personally insulting... But if you think Rhodes Island is a bunch of idiots, then you don't need to be. If you really want to uphold mysticism, then you can simply cancel the operation order with Rhodes Island. Great Yan is a core power, and I'm sure it can handle the threat from the Seaborn even without Rhodes Island."

"As long as Rhodes Island is willing to hand over the relevant data, the City Defense Force will handle the related matters themselves... It's already strange that military movements within Mobile City would bypass us and be outsourced to a pharmaceutical company..."

Before the young man in the Yan army Feline could finish speaking, the middle-aged man in a sharp suit with the Finance Department nameplate in front of him looked up helplessly:

"The Lungmen garrison is a crucial point for guarding against the recent unusual activities of Ursus. The lieutenant is directly under the Ministry of War and can reach the highest levels of government, but he belongs to a different system from the Lungmen Three Divisions... Right now, we are carrying out a task similar to clearing the pipe- Riftbeast from the Landship. This task requires soldiers to face the monsters head-on in narrow passages. May I ask how the lieutenant plans to deal with it? Will we use the city's defensive cannons to exchange fire?"

As soon as the Finance Department finished speaking, the elderly Chief Administrative Affairs Department also chimed in with a smile:

"If it's those areas that have repeatedly interfered with and obstructed the renovation of the old city of Lungmen, where the sites are dilapidated, many buildings have long exceeded their service life, and most are occupied by gangs and homeless people... if we directly issue demolition notices, and then deal with them by shelling when they expire, ultimately engaging in a decisive battle with the monster's root in the ground, our Great Yan Army has no problem with that."

"Putting aside the question of how to resolve the garrison procedures for turning the city's defensive artillery around, this action is contrary to the local laws and regulations of Lungmen, as well as the laws of the Great Yan state. The so-called shelling of the city is unheard of... It's utterly absurd!"

"Then what about the multi-million Lungmen Dollar contract secretly signed with Rhodes Island? The public damage it caused was only slightly less severe than a direct hit from the city's defensive cannons... Since it can't be hidden any longer, why continue this self-deception?"

"Or is there another purpose behind this expenditure?"

Listening to the meeting resume its back-and-forth exchange, and feeling the Doctor beside her stiffen completely, as if the girl was about to explode and hurt someone at any moment... Nana thought that if Rhodes Island weren't really short of money, the Doctor would probably already be thinking of paying them back, saying "we don't need it anymore," and leaving.

But... leaving it like this is definitely not Rhodes Island's style...

So even though a few Lungmen departments were full of malice towards Rhodes Island at the meeting, Nana and the Doctor managed to get through the Lungmen internal meeting with a kind of "I've already taken the money, so I won't refund it even if you scold me" mentality.

Thus, the location changed to the lounge belonging to Rhodes Island, and the Doctor explained to Nana the reason why things had gotten stuck.

"The current situation is that our actions have interfered with the Shanhai Congregation, and we need permission from the Great Yan to continue the investigation... And because of this application, the cooperation order, which was originally known only to a few departments, now has to be made public in front of the Lungmen Three Divisions and the Great Yan garrison."

"They don't understand what sea monsters are, but when you mention the Shanhai Congregation that might be related to the 'Sui Fragments,' their reaction becomes exactly as you see."

Seeing the Doctor lounging wearily on the sofa, having removed his hood and coat, Nana wagged her tail, nodded to Amiya who had brought her tea, and continued:

"If we could just continue handling things, the garrison wouldn't suffer any casualties, and the mutually beneficial agreement between Lungmen and Rhodes Island could continue... why are those departments doing this thankless and arduous task for Lungmen?"

"... Is this what they call 'political achievements'? Soldiers crave battle merits, aging officials want to solve the chronic problems of the old city once and for all, and the only ones on our side are the Finance Department with which we have signed an agreement and the Guard Bureau with which we have a good working relationship... But in terms of status, the former has to bow to the Administrative Affairs Department, and the latter's authority can't possibly be higher than that of the border garrison... Only departments like the Fire Department, which have suffered alongside us, can maintain a rational view of us."

At this point, Nana paused slightly, then lowered her voice and said:

"Kal'tsit won't allow things to get out of control..."

"But the problem now is, even our dear Kal'tsit can't influence the situation in the Great Yan court... right?"

Seeing the Doctor's lack of confidence, Nana smiled slightly... Yes, Kal'tsit would always find a way... But, always waiting for Kal'tsit to provide a solution didn't seem quite right. Nana then looked at the Little Bunny who had seemed somewhat distracted from the beginning:

"... Amiya? What's wrong? You seem a bit distracted."

"Ah, um..."

After a slight hesitation, the Little Bunny drooped its ears, clearly indicating that the unsuccessful meeting had dampened Amiya's spirits considerably, but the matter still needed to be addressed:

"Just now, Officer Chen seemed very angry as he chased after Commander Wei... I have a feeling they're going to argue... Is that alright?"

"Is it alright? After all, Superintendent Chen and Chief Wei are actually related?"

Nana stroked the Little Bunny and thought she was probably just afraid of the adults arguing.

Amiya, who was in immense pain due to her deep Empathy with Chen, could only grasp Nana's hand as if it were a lifeline:

"Are we... really incapable of doing even the smallest thing within our power?"

PS: Waaaaaaah!

PS2: Although it's just a transition... I tried my best to explain the whole story while avoiding making it too boring... but transitions themselves seem rather boring, so I can only try my best not to describe those boring things in detail...

Also, I hope this volume can provide a reasonable progression for Amiya... I feel that Nana's strength is too much of a deus ex machina, which isn't good either. The normal growth sequences that originally belonged to the Little Bunny have become unusually difficult for me... But that's fine, Nana herself needs to change too... I hope this part can be written well...