The Federation.
The Capital City.
Inside a luxurious villa.
Yang Pan smelled the aroma of food and slowly opened his eyes.
After stretching, he strode into the living room.
Only he, Gu Feng, and Xian'er lived in the enormous villa, leaving it rather empty.
Gu Feng sat reading a newspaper with his legs crossed while Xian'er bustled about in the kitchen. The scene felt inexplicably warm.
Perhaps because they had weathered hardships together, they had long since come to regard one another as family.
"Morning, Uncle Gu Feng." Yang Pan brewed a cup of hot tea out of habit.
"Word came from the Capital." Gu Feng calmly accepted the tea, took a sip, and cautioned him, "I think... you'd better not contact the Capital for now."
"Why?"
"We've only just arrived in the Federation. We haven't established a firm footing. No matter how capable you are, you can't cook without rice."
"The group's investigation into you isn't over yet. You'd best not make any rash moves during this time."
With that, he gestured with his lips toward the other side of the boundary wall.
The group's eyes were watching them around the clock.
Yang Pan had handed over the fruits of Shadow Investment's years of effort in the Dragon Kingdom, and he was inextricably linked to Tong Fei's inexplicable disappearance.
"What's the mission?"
Yang Pan paid all that no mind.
Instead, he casually called to Xian'er, "Honey... I'd like steamed flower rolls for breakfast."
"Sure."
The busy little cook answered gently and indulgently without turning around.
"Kou Island is stirring up trouble again. They sent more than a dozen teams into the Dragon Kingdom. That old woman from Shanhe Four Prefectures has confirmed that they're trying to sever the Dragon Kingdom's Dragon Vein."
"But... Old Man Guan thinks something's fishy.