A Vulpo Girl's Life as a Rhodes Island Operator

"It wasn't that. It was just a little strange. In the few days I wasn't paying attention, quite a few things that had seemed set in stone changed."

A puff of smoke streamed from Wei Yenwu's nostrils.

Lin Ge Rui knew nothing of Fengling's secrets.

But Wei Yenwu knew Lin Ge Rui was certainly acquainted with Fengling.

The decision to "let Fengling roam free" had been the final plan reached after multiple rounds of discussion and approval within Yan.

Anyone closely connected to the Sui Beast would be a key subject of Great Yan's attention.

If it had been the eldest or third among the Sui Beast fragments, there would not have been such sensitivity. After all, those two had guarded Great Yan's frontiers for many years as generals and grandmasters. They and Great Yan had already formed an unspoken understanding.

But the other Sui Beast fragments might not care as much about such things.

And the youngest sister had always been particularly doted upon among the Sui Beast fragments. For that reason, what she had given Fengling was a little too extraordinary.

Extraordinary enough to be exploited by certain people with ulterior motives.

For instance, the rather rebellious second sibling among the Sui Beast fragments.

Or other Great Yan Beasts that had yet to be exterminated.

Perhaps there were others as well.

"Back then, Gouwu City paid quite a price to stabilize that young lady."

After both sides made concessions, things ultimately became what they were now.

Fengling's secret past had also been buried, known to very few. More than a decade had passed in the blink of an eye.

Even Fengling herself did not know.

But if Fengling herself chose a path forward...

Then, according to the agreement made back then, Lungmen could only continue to "let her roam free."

There was just something Wei Yenwu did not understand.

Such a promising seedling, and Old Lin had simply let her go?!

Wei Yenwu had originally planned for Lin Ge Rui to take Fengling in, allowing them to properly gain control of this chess piece later.

That would have fulfilled the "agreement."

But he had not expected this slight deviation.

"Old Lin." Wei Yenwu took another draw from his pipe. "There's a girl named Fengling in the slums. Why haven't I seen you properly cultivate her?"

In the end, Wei Yenwu directly asked his old friend.

Lin Ge Rui was not someone who spoke carelessly, and now that Fengling had been confirmed to have left Lungmen and likely would have no further ties to it, Wei Yenwu could mention a thing or two.

The Rat King's gaze instantly sharpened.

The Rat King was not merely wise with age; he had always been shrewd. He immediately understood what his old friend meant.

"That girl was one of your arrangements?"

"She wasn't something I could arrange. I did want her, though. I just found it strange that she suddenly decided to go to Rhodes Island. I thought..."

"You thought Lungmen's slums could thoroughly grind down a girl's edges and a young person's fighting spirit?" Lin Ge Rui could not help but sneer. "Old Wei, you really are getting old."

"—Still, I was the one who mentioned Rhodes Island to her, which gave that girl the idea of going there."

"Cough, cough, cough!!!" Wei Yenwu nearly choked on a mouthful of smoke.

So the traitor was here!!

If there was anywhere in Lungmen Wei Yenwu might be slightly less vigilant, it was naturally around this old friend of his!

And that was exactly where things had gone wrong!

But it did not matter now.

Wei Yenwu was not truly that concerned about it.

Lungmen had its own path forward.

Wei Yenwu also had his own foundation.

Whether Fengling existed or not had little to do with Wei Yenwu. He had promising youngsters of his own to cultivate.

After all, Fengling's status as an Infected also meant she would find it difficult to gain any real importance under Wei Yenwu.

Sending Fengling to Rhodes Island had instead lifted a burden from Wei Yenwu's own mind.

And at present, Wei Yenwu still had an enormous number of matters to worry about.

"The walk is over."

Extinguishing his pipe, Wei Yenwu straightened his upright frame and headed toward his residence.

Just then, Wei Yenwu received a phone call.

"This is Wei Yenwu."

An extremely anxious voice came from the other end.

An operation by the Lungmen Guard Department had recently met with an accident.

A particularly severe incident.

Ch'en Hui-chieh, a senior superintendent of the Lungmen Guard Department, and her superior, an officer codenamed Nine, had both been injured.

And their wounds had been caused by creations of active Originium.

Ch'en Hui-chieh was the "Officer Chen" who had answered Fengling's call to Hoshiguma.

And she was, in fact, Wei Yenwu's niece.

Wei Yenwu, who had no children for the time being, treated Ch'en Hui-chieh as his own daughter.

She was also the "promising successor" within Wei Yenwu's foundation.

Relying on her strength and talent, Ch'en Hui-chieh had risen to senior superintendent at a young age. Before long, she would likely take over as the head of the Lungmen Guard Department.

But... the call he had just received had practically sentenced Ch'en Hui-chieh's future career to death.

Wounds caused by active Originium could basically be considered one hundred percent certain to turn the victim into an Infected with Oripathy.

Wei Yenwu, who had always been calm and calculating, could not help but curse in Lungmen slang.

In Lungmen, Infected were simply not meant to be entrusted with important positions.

That was practically an ironclad rule.

It was also the Lungmen policy Wei Yenwu had always upheld.

Yet the world was unpredictable.

When Wei Yenwu came back to his senses, he had already realized...

As someone in a position of power,

he might need to take the Infected more seriously. Much more seriously.

He might need to truly begin addressing the real issue of the Infected.

He might... have to do things he did not want to do: forge documents, conceal certain events, and make preparations in advance.

For Lungmen, and for his niece.

The Cat Grew a Tail

Rhodes Island's next stop would avoid Kazdel and follow the border of Ursus. They would make a brief stop along the way for minor resupply and some commercial activities, then head more or less directly to Siracusa.

Fengling did not know the meaning or purpose behind Rhodes Island's decision.

But she had the self-awareness of a wage worker.

At times like this, she only needed to carry out her orders properly.

Although Rhodes Island did provide its operators with ample information regarding matters that were not confidential.

Then, during her spare time, Fengling finally had the leisure to enjoy life.

For example, after finishing her daily training, washing up, and having a proper lunch, she could go take a nice nap in the Ecological Botanical Garden aboard Rhodes Island's landship!

Rhodes Island's Ecological Botanical Garden was probably the most beautiful place on this heavily metallic landship.

It had been built through the joint efforts of many operators who loved plants and flowers.

Whether it was the tranquil beauty of Gouwu Water Town or the neon splendor of Lungmen, Fengling had never seen a Botanical Garden like this one on this land where Catastrophes occurred so frequently—a place filled with both technological flair and lush greenery and flowers.

The fresh air was suffused with an elegant, gentle floral fragrance.

The lighting, carefully balanced through both natural and artificial means, made the Botanical Garden feel exceptionally comfortable.

The operators in charge had even thoughtfully set up a lawn specifically for resting and sleeping in a secluded, shaded part of the Botanical Garden, laying down an enormous, spotlessly clean cushion.

It was simply the perfect place to slack off and take an afternoon nap!

After several days at Rhodes Island, Fengling had already become a regular here.

Basically, whenever she had no special arrangements in the afternoon, Fengling would come here for a proper nap.

Perhaps because the environment was too relaxing, Fengling subconsciously let down her guard during her naps and truly fell into deep sleep.

Soft light filtered through the thick canopy, scattering flecks of gold across Fengling's reclining body.

Three large tails, fluffed up and meticulously groomed in her daily life, looked so soft that they immediately gave one the urge to go "mofu mofu." They spread across the lawn meant for napping.

The surroundings were quiet, her breathing steady. Fengling had already entered a deep sleep.

Although the Botanical Garden was a place people liked very much, not every operator chose to come here whenever they had free time.

Places such as the landship's cafeteria, bar, and arcade were much more popular instead.

Normally, Fengling was the only one who would choose to come here for a nap at this hour.

But today, a small figure arrived.

It was a young Feline girl.

Her long silver-white hair had been groomed until it was exceptionally smooth.

Her large green eyes held the calmness of a still pool.

She looked around twelve years old, obedient and well-behaved, with a placid expression always on her face.

Yet she wore the same Rhodes Island uniform as Fengling.

She was clearly already a Rhodes Island operator.

And this little operator appeared to have come here to rest as well.

Like their feline relatives, Feline operators often had many catlike habits reflected in them.

For example, they loved the languid afternoon sunlight.

For example, they liked fluffy things with that "mofu mofu" feeling.

For example, they liked squeezing into small places that made them feel safe.

When she saw Fengling's three large tails, the little Feline girl showed no change in expression.

But her cat ears twitched lightly.

Clearly, some feline instinct had been stirred.

The little cat had come here to rest in the first place. She quietly removed her short boots, her pale little feet stepping soundlessly onto the soft cushion.

Like a real kitten.

She lightly lifted Fengling's tails and crawled beneath them.

The three fluffy tails happened to cover the small Feline perfectly, leaving only a few strands of silver-white hair exposed.

She even let out one or two contented purrs, just like a kitten.

Then, in only a short while, she too fell asleep.

She was clearly very satisfied with today's sleeping arrangements.