“I heard the original meeting time was set for 10 PM sharp.” Her voice was steady, yet carried an unmistakable sense of pressure.
“It’s already that time now—is Rhodes Island always so unpunctual?” Amiya immediately stepped forward, hands clasped in front of her, ears slightly drooped, her tone filled with obvious apology: “I’m so sorry, Officer Chen!
It’s because we had a sudden situation on our end that delayed us.
I’m truly very sorry!” Chen Huijie / Ch’en’s gaze, however, swept past Amiya and around behind her, first glancing over the silent Doctor, then settling on another figure who was laughing and talking with a Vulpo woman beside her.
Chen Huijie / Ch’en’s gaze, however, swept past Amiya, falling instead on the brown-haired Vulpo behind her—Franka of Blacksteel International.
Then it sharply fixed on another figure leaning against the doorframe further back, who had appeared at some unknown point.
“Who is that?” Amiya quickly replied, “This is the Doctor, an advisor for Rhodes Island.” “I wasn’t asking about the Doctor,” she interrupted Amiya’s explanation, raising her chin in Franka’s direction.
“I was asking about the one behind her.” Amiya followed her gaze and looked back, only then noticing the person standing against the wall behind Franka, who had appeared at some unknown point.
The other person looked up, grinned, and waved a hand: “Hi, Amiya.
I’m not late, am I?” “Mr.
Ivan!” Amiya almost instantly forgot the occasion, scurrying over a few steps, her eyes slightly red as she looked up.
“You’re really alright…
That’s wonderful!
Do you know how excited I was when I finally confirmed your safe return on the terminal!
Next time…
next time you absolutely cannot go into battle alone again!
Promise me, okay?” Her voice wasn’t loud, but every word was spoken with great emphasis.
Just then, Franka, who was nearby, turned around.
She crossed her arms, a playful curve on her lips, her gaze circling Ivan with interest.
“Eh—?
So you’re the Ivan who single-handedly turned Chernobog’s Reunion Movement upside down?” Her tone was teasing, the end of her sentence rising slightly, “Not bad at all~ What do you say, want to consider switching to our Blacksteel?
Big Sis here is quite fond of your strong and reckless type.” “F-Franka!” Amiya immediately turned around and stood in front of Ivan, her tone still polite, but her little face was already slightly puffed out, carrying an inviolable firmness, interrupting this act of “open poaching” happening on the Lungmen front lines.
“Alright, alright~” Seeing this, Franka smiled and waved her hand, dropping her playful demeanor.
“Just kidding, Little Rabbit, don’t be so tense.
But your Rhodes Island really did find an extraordinary treasure.” “Then, please follow me,” Liskarm, who had been maintaining vigilance nearby, stepped forward steadily.
She first nodded to Chen Huijie / Ch’en, then turned to Amiya, her tone calm and crisp: “Amiya, since your liaison with the Lungmen Guard Department / Guard Department has officially begun, the Blacksteel International squad will take our leave first.
We still need to report the specific details of this joint operation to our superiors as soon as possible.” Franka, who was nearby, leaned in smiling, reached out and ruffled Amiya’s hair, then winked at Ivan: “That’s right, Little Rabbit~ We’ll be heading off first!
See you next time~ Ivan, don’t forget to buy me a drink!” Amiya blushed, but still nodded seriously: “Please be careful on your way, Miss Liskarm, Miss Franka.
Thank you both very much for your support this time!” Franka waved casually, turned, and followed Liskarm, who was already walking towards the exit.
Her voice, though fading with her footsteps, still carried a smile as it drifted back: “Bye-bye~ Little Rabbit!
Bye-bye~ Amazing Mr.
Ivan!” Amiya watched their retreating figures and also gently raised her hand to wave.
“Bye-bye, next time you come to Rhodes Island, it’s on me.” The vehicle drove smoothly on Lungmen’s elevated ring road.
Outside the window were towering skyscrapers, countless neon signs and holographic advertisements illuminating the night sky as if it were daytime.
Amiya’s entire face was almost pressed against the car window, her eyes wide and round, shimmering with wonder, staring intently at the flowing river of brilliant light outside the car.
She was so engrossed that she unconsciously let out a small gasp of wonder, then immediately realized her lapse, quickly sat up straight, her ears twitching in embarrassment, and mumbled softly: “I’m sorry, I got a little too excited…” Meanwhile, Ivan, sitting in the passenger seat, exhibited a completely different state of excitement from Amiya.
He swayed left and right with the vehicle’s turns and every striking landmark that flashed past the window, occasionally pointing outside and shouting: “Oh oh oh oh!
It’s that Lungmen Ferris wheel!
It’s really turning!” “Holy cow!
This building is too tall!
The game didn’t have this proportion at all!
Seeing it in person is just ridiculous!” “Ah ah ah, is that a snack street over there?
I smell something delicious!
Officer Chen, can you pull over for just five minutes?!” Ivan was practically bouncing out of his seat, as excited as a child visiting the city for the first time, completely out of place with the serious and steady atmosphere inside the car.
Officer Chen Huijie / Ch’en, who was driving, already had a clear “#” mark appearing on her temple.
Her knuckles gripping the steering wheel were slightly white from the force, and she finally couldn’t take it anymore, squeezing out a cold voice through gritted teeth: “You.
Sit.
Still.” Her sharp gaze swept over Ivan, who was about to jump up again.
She warned, “If you keep bouncing around like that and affecting my driving, I’ll pull over immediately, throw you out right here, and let you ‘personally’ experience the ‘magnificence’ of Lungmen on foot!”