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People often strive for the best of both worlds, only to find themselves with nothing at all.
A deadlock…
All eyes from the Xuanji Star observation delegation converged on the young woman standing furthest to the right. Clad in a black overcoat, its high collar almost completely obscured her face, her cold gaze fixed intently on the Polaris contingent.
A keen observer would notice the intricate pattern peeking from her coat’s cuffs: a dragon motif, coiling and soaring, within which the characters for ‘You Long’ were faintly discernible. These weren’t the common script of Xuanji Star, but rather the ancient characters of the Yan Clan.
Undoubtedly, this young woman hailed from the Blood Alliance’s You Long Banner. Yet, this alone wouldn’t compel the entire observation delegation to defer to her leadership. Within the You Long Banner, who else but a member of the Long family could command such a position?
Long Ye watched the unfolding farce before her, feeling as though she had stumbled into the ‘Five-Colored Auspicious Cloud Troupe,’ observing crosstalk performers on stage, their antics met with a clamor of applause that drove the atmosphere to a fever pitch.
Firstly, she had to concede that the Xuanji Star man and woman, spouting official jargon, were hardly upstanding individuals—a fact she could not possibly defend.
Though she hadn’t witnessed the girl’s plight firsthand, she had heard countless tales of similar situations. In this world, anyone with a modicum of power seemed intent on lording it over others, and she was no stranger to acts far more repulsive than the abuse of a minor. They were simply two wretched individuals, a despicable pair.
Secondly, she found herself disliking the girl. She had anticipated various mishaps during this independent observation delegation’s oversight of the troop withdrawal, as groups under the World Alliance always seemed to encounter a slew of complications. However, she had never imagined that a child abused by her parents would choose to reveal everything to the independent observation delegation.
Then there were the local organizers, be they police or military. One had failed to resolve the issue in due course, allowing it to erupt now, while the other had been lax in their oversight. Despite their best efforts to separate the independent observation delegation from sensitive populations, how could such a blunder have occurred?
And finally, there was the meddling former Vega police officer and Cui Wei, the deputy captain of the Polaris Undercover Security Bureau’s action team, fanning the flames.
Long Ye was in a foul mood, but she knew she had to compose herself and focus on her next course of action.
This matter could no longer be resolved amicably. Under no circumstances could Vega be allowed to take the girl, as it would utterly tarnish Xuanji Star’s reputation. Not only would it imply that Xuanji Star officials abused their adopted children, but also that their sworn enemy, Vega—currently negotiating a territorial exchange with them—had brazenly abducted someone from their own soil.
Although no reporters would be involved in this territorial exchange, ensuring that no outsiders would learn of the events unfolding, many of the observers from various Academies of Sciences present were influential figures. They would scrutinize every move made by Xuanji Star, and her every action represented the collective, not just herself. Compared to the overall honor of Xuanji Star, personal dignity was utterly worthless.
Several thoughts flashed through her mind, even a murderous intent, but she dismissed it the very next instant. Such a simplistic approach was ill-suited for a situation this intricate.
As her thoughts raced, Cui Wei let out a cold chuckle and slowly paced a few steps.
“It seems Xuanji Star is in quite a predicament,” Cui Wei drawled, “probably worried that if Vega takes the child right in front of all these people, they’ll lose face completely. How will they ever fare in this entertainment industry… ah, my apologies, in this international circle after that?”
Cui Wei’s words elicited silent laughter from many, though they were forced to conceal their amusement. This was an independent observation delegation, not a bustling marketplace.
Lan Xifang, though she maintained a neutral demeanor throughout, was inwardly calculating. Vega held several individuals that Xuanji Star desired, a fact she could leverage as a bargaining chip in negotiations.
She understood perfectly that the girl’s value couldn’t compare to that of the others, but this was the most expedient way to defuse the current situation. Xuanji Star wouldn’t refuse; they knew what truly mattered.
In politics, honor invariably yielded to tangible interests. Even so, if honor could be salvaged, it should be; if not, one still had to feign it.
Just as she was about to speak, Cui Wei interjected.
“How about this then! We, Polaris, will propose a solution for both your parties! Hmm… I’ve got it! Polaris will offer one person in exchange for this girl. What do you say, Special Envoy Long?”
Long Ye stared at Cui Wei, noting his audacious confidence. Unsure of his true intentions, she gestured for him to continue.
“However, I doubt you have the authority to decide on this, as you’re likely not privy to the full details. How about this: I’ll give you something, and you can show it to your Jie’anren Bureau Chief.”
Cui Wei smiled as he reached into his overcoat, prompting the independent observation delegation members present to instinctively take a step back. After all, Polaris was the birthplace of ‘total terrorism,’ and suicide bombers had been a hallmark of their tactics since ancient times. Everyone had heard of it and was compelled to be wary.
“Here!”
Cui Wei tossed the retrieved item towards Long Ye. A Xuanji Star observer immediately stepped in front of her, reaching out to intercept it. To their surprise, the seemingly weightless photograph arced in the air, bypassing the observer, and completing a small loop before flying directly to Long Ye.
Seeing the smirk on Cui Wei’s face, the Xuanji Star observer instantly realized that this was a deliberate ploy to embarrass Xuanji Star, creating the illusion that their people couldn’t even catch a small photograph.
‘These dog barbarians…’
Long Ye extended two fingers to pinch the photograph, and a whispered warning immediately came from beside her.
“Be careful, it might be poisoned.”
She glanced at her fingers, and finding no abnormalities, she righted the photograph. The image depicted a person crouching near a lamppost, unscrewing a lightbulb, with the words ‘Jie’anren Collection’ written on the back.
She handed the photograph to the person beside her, speaking in a low voice.
“Contact Zhongtong. Find out who this person is.”
“No need to check. This man is Hong Bitao. He’s listed as a representative for a civilian trade association from Xuanji Star. Last month, he was caught stealing lightbulbs in a Polaris border city, and we’ve had him soaking in the Undercover Security Bureau’s basement ever since!”
Having delivered this, he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, casting a sidelong glance at Long Ye.
“Since we’re quite poor, we haven’t had the money to fix the leaky basement for months… I imagine he hasn’t rotted away completely yet…”
“Observer 47, what is the meaning of this? Polaris has arbitrarily arrested a Xuanji Star citizen, violating World Alliance regulations, and now you intend to use him as a bargaining chip with Xuanji Star? Don’t you think this is utterly outrageous?”
“Firstly, this man is not a diplomat, so he has no immunity. Secondly, we invited him here for business, not to steal our lightbulbs. Is Xuanji Star’s lightbulb production so low that you need to pilfer from us poor folk to pass them off as your ‘domestic products’ and build national confidence?”
These words made Long Ye feel as though she was being unreasonably provoked, yet she couldn’t afford to openly antagonize them at this moment.
The Fifth Column watched everything unfold, understanding the situation with perfect clarity.
Southern Dipper Star also maintained ‘personnel’ within Polaris, so the Undercover Security Bureau’s arrest of Hong Bitao could not be concealed from them. As it wasn’t a particularly vital piece of intelligence, it was treated as general information. However, it was precisely because this information was not considered strategically important in intelligence circles that the Fifth Column had taken notice.
As a merchant involved in Xuanji Star’s foreign trade, Hong Bitao was merely a front, a white glove operating under a civilian guise. He was not short on money, and thus would naturally not stoop to stealing lightbulbs. It was evident that Polaris had set a trap for him.
While Polaris was notorious for its sudden kidnappings and ambushes, their targeting of Hong Bitao wasn’t for his wealth. Nine times out of ten, it was for Shi Qingjie, a key figure in Xuanji Star’s East Continent Descendant Civilian Cultural Exchange Promotion Association.
Though Shi Qingjie was an old citizen, he held a significant position within Xuanji Star’s East Continent Descendant Civilian Cultural Exchange Promotion Association. Information relayed by ‘personnel’ embedded within Xuanji Star indicated that Hong Bitao was, in fact, Shi Qingjie’s biological son.
Shi Qingjie had yearned for a son his entire life, to the point of nearly blinding himself with anticipation. However, his wife had borne him five daughters. Consequently, he had fathered a son outside of marriage. Yet, due to certain complications involving his wife’s family, he couldn’t publicly acknowledge the child’s identity or bring him home. He could only discreetly look after him throughout his upbringing, eventually even investing in his business. For these reasons, his affection for Hong Bitao far surpassed that of a typical father-son relationship.
Polaris must have had another objective in targeting such a figure; they would never easily surrender him, unless…
The Fifth Column considered several possibilities, some of which were rather outlandish. However, drawing upon his years of experience in espionage, he knew that such eventualities were not entirely impossible.
Xuanji Star’s efficiency was remarkable; the information quickly returned.
As Long Ye listened to the observer whisper the details, her gaze upon Cui Wei sharpened with alertness.
‘Jie’anren has agreed…’
She now understood Hong Bitao’s connections. He was linked not only to Jie’anren’s Zhongtong but also to a high-ranking official within the East Continent Descendant Civilian Cultural Exchange Promotion Association. In other words, this exchange was now a certainty.
She took a deep breath and nodded at Cui Wei.
“Agreed.”
Lan Xifang’s beautiful eyes flickered, and a faint smile touched her lips, as if a thought had just occurred to her.
‘The other party intends to use this to save face for Vega…’
Meanwhile, Ma Yun of Gouchen Star stood at a distance throughout, observing everything with an impassive expression, her gaze devoid of goodwill towards Polaris, even betraying a desire to eliminate them swiftly.
“Excellent! It seems Jie’anren is a sensible person, understanding that prolonged soaking will cause a person to rot. There’s no time like the present, so let’s do it today!”
Cui Wei clapped his hands, pulled out his ‘Foolish King Turtle’ watch from his pocket, and squinted at the time.
“According to today’s withdrawal plan, this area will be taken over by Vega in two hours. We’ll make the exchange simultaneously then. The exchange point for Worldly Affairs City will be right here, while Hong Bitao will be sent to the ‘Bridge of No Return’ in the eastern buffer zone of Xingling. How does that sound?”
Long Ye scrutinized Cui Wei. She was certain that Polaris had deliberately placed Hong Bitao somewhere along the border before coming here; otherwise, it would be difficult to transport him to the buffer zone within two hours. They even carried his photograph with them. Polaris was clearly well-prepared. If this incident with the girl hadn’t occurred, what would Polaris have intended to exchange Hong Bitao for?