“Young Master!”
The old butler, with his neatly trimmed buzz cut and silver stubble gleaming under the sun, stood ramrod straight in a sharp black tailcoat, resembling a well-trained soldier.
As his words fell, several men in black suits and sunglasses swiftly disembarked from the armed helicopter. They approached cautiously, their expressions respectful.
Students in the vicinity had already been dismissed by the school before the helicopter landed. Now, a multitude of eyes, both young and old, peered curiously from the school buildings and the edge of the sports field, observing the unfolding scene.
Following their gaze, a peculiar figure, shrouded in a pointed black robe, emerged from the school’s entrance. The robe completely enveloped their form, obscuring their face, yet a striking crimson ‘F’ emblazoned on the otherwise pitch-black garment stood out prominently.
From beneath the black robe, a clear, melodious voice, like silver bells, chimed, “Didn’t I tell you? Driving here would have been fine. If others find out about this, how will I ever blend in at school?”
The old butler merely bowed slightly.
“However, if Young Master’s current situation were discovered, the consequences would be far worse!”
“Ugh, then let’s hurry back!”
“Understood. Master has already arranged for the best testing equipment in Huaxia and the divine physician, Mr. Hua, for you.”
Their voices were hushed, barely audible beneath the whirring blades of the helicopter. Everyone only saw the imposing black-robed figure nod to the old butler, then board the helicopter accompanied by the burly men in black suits.
The old butler waited until everyone was on board, then turned to nod slightly towards the teaching building before re-entering the helicopter himself.
Da da da da…
The sound of the helicopter’s rotors gradually faded into the distance. The entire school, after a few seconds of silence, erupted as if a spark had fallen into a powder keg, exploding into a chaotic buzz of discussion.
From the shadows of the teaching building’s entrance, Lin Xuan exhaled deeply as she watched the departing helicopter. Fortunately, the school’s ‘FFF’团 uniforms were still in that utility room; otherwise, it would have been quite troublesome.
However, she hadn’t expected them to dispatch a helicopter directly. It seemed Shi Chen’s situation was more serious than she had imagined. Shi Chen’s father was a Huaxia general, and from childhood, Shi Chen had been subjected to strict military-style education and high standards.
Lin Xuan recalled that when they were children, whenever she visited his home, what left the deepest impression wasn’t the absurdly large house or the luxurious private garden villa, but rather a martial arts training ground.
Indeed, it was a vast training ground, much like those often seen in wuxia films, but even larger. It housed a variety of wooden dummies and mechanical figures, and around a hundred-meter radius of Tai Chi formations, every weapon imaginable—swords, spears, sabers, halberds, from ancient to modern times—was readily available! The sight was truly breathtaking!
If not for knowing Shi Chen’s family background, Lin Xuan would have suspected his family dealt in weaponry! Shi Chen’s father, however, was usually elusive, a ‘divine dragon who shows his head but not his tail,’ always away on business year-round.
Moreover, everyone in their household seemed to possess a natural reverence for Shi Chen’s father, as if an aura of ‘do not approach strangers’ constantly emanated from him. Yet, strangely, Lin Xuan felt none of it.
In fact, for some inexplicable reason, Shi Chen’s father always seemed to intentionally or unintentionally avoid her. Perhaps it was because she had once slapped him awake in the middle of the night when he was having a chuunibyou moment.
In any case, Shi Chen had now, for some unknown reason, transformed into a girl. Lin Xuan hoped nothing untoward would happen.
The surroundings were filled with a cacophony of strange conjectures and discussions. It was undeniable that once people formed an idea, they could connect anything to it. Lin Xuan could already imagine what tomorrow’s campus newspaper headline would be.
‘I should head back to class first!’
Glancing at the time, her swimming class was likely over. Lin Xuan turned and headed back to her classroom.
****
The day quickly passed amidst everyone’s excited chatter, and by afternoon, the fervor of discussions had yet to wane. After all, this was a society governed by law, and airspace control in cities was strict.
For an armed helicopter to openly land at a school to pick someone up under such circumstances was certainly fodder for many imaginations, both overtly and covertly. However, setting that aside…
Sitting in a taxi, Lin Xuan pulled a yellow slip of paper from her pocket. “‘The night of the full moon, in the Fusang forest, uphold justice, see you there! Ay-hey~(｡>∀<｡)'" The night of the full moon, she remembered, should be the 15th of this month. She recalled news reports mentioning a very large full moon on the 15th. Today was only the 7th, so there was about a week left. However, what this little girl had written was truly unrhymed, causing Lin Xuan's obsessive-compulsive disorder to flare up. 'Uphold justice?' Thinking of the mischievous look on the little loli's face, Lin Xuan had a feeling this wouldn't be anything good. Still, since she had already agreed, she might as well go and see. After all, it was just a little loli; what kind of trouble could she possibly stir up? Lin Xuan was actually quite curious what this little one planned to do late at night—water the Fusang trees? Or perhaps hijack the staff? Lin Xuan could almost picture the little loli in her mind, wielding a stick and shouting arrogantly at a burly man half a head taller than her, "Robbery!" The thought made her chuckle involuntarily. This contrast in cuteness was just too... Noting that it would still be some time before they reached their destination, she put the note back in her pocket and pulled out her phone, ready to browse the news for a bit. She idly tapped, swiped a few times, and casually clicked on the top recommended article. Initially, she instinctively wanted to swipe it away, but her finger paused just as it was about to touch the message. Her mind quickly changed. This particular news item came from a team specializing in unusual news from the Western Continent. She generally had little interest in that chaotic region, which, aside from its unique ancient ruins, offered few other merits. However, the colossal statue of the divine wolf she had seen two days prior had left a profound impression on her. The towering deity, its majestic and domineering form, and that overwhelming aura that seemed to dominate heaven and earth—it reminded Lin Xuan of the high-tier, pay-to-win mounts she used to acquire in games as a child. Truly magnificent! Moreover, the red cross, which was very likely the source of Shi Chen's transformation today, also originated from the Western Continent. Thus, Lin Xuan found her interest piqued. 'What news will there be this time?' "According to Huaxia Communication News, around 1 AM Huaxia time, at the excavation site of the mythical ancient ruins in the Western Continent, the Demon Wolf statue was damaged by a ruthless tomb robber using an unknown object. Experts speculate this may have been caused by a new type of laser weapon..." The news article included an illustration. Lin Xuan instinctively tapped it open, revealing a giant, two-meter-diameter circular hole blasted clear through the wolf's head, front to back. The once majestic image was severely diminished. "What a pity! These tomb robbers are truly lawless!" Sighing, Lin Xuan scrolled further down the news article, letting out a soft 'hmm' of surprise. "It is reported that experts conducting an on-site investigation discovered a hollow circular cavity within the head of the colossal Fenrir Demon Wolf statue. Inside, there were also some scattered gold fragments. Relevant experts speculate that important historical artifacts may have originally been buried here..." 'The entire wolf's head was hollow? How interesting...' Lin Xuan read with great relish, scrolling further down. However, the majority of the subsequent paragraphs consisted of the editor's wild, unbridled imagination: mythical weapons possibly buried within, or perhaps ancient gods slumbering there, even stretching to the Sumerian Three-Ur Dynasty and so on. 'With such a vivid imagination, it's a shame they're not writing novels!' The taxi soon reached its destination. Lin Xuan stepped onto the road and walked down a familiar alley, quickly arriving at the flower shop. Since her sister wouldn't be in the neighborhood these two days, she could safely come to the flower shop. Of course, the main reason attracting her to the flower shop was... "Virtual glasses, virtual glasses!" She swiftly pulled out her keys and slid open the rolling shutter. As light poured in, the little husky, which had been napping beside the counter, awoke. "Awoo!" The puppy scrambled up from the floor, letting out two soft, milky barks to catch Lin Xuan's attention. "Little one, have you been good today?" "Woof!" Gently picking up the small husky, Lin Xuan gazed into its pale golden eyes. Its pure white, soft fur made her feel utterly soothed. "Oh, that's right, I haven't given you a name yet!" She carefully placed it on the counter, playfully manipulating its tiny paws. Lin Xuan didn't notice the little husky staring blankly at her as she mused aloud, "Little White? White Ball?" "Woof woof!" The puppy barked twice, seemingly with great intelligence. Though she couldn't understand its language, Lin Xuan seemed to detect a hint of dissatisfaction in its barks. "You don't like those? Hmm, then how about I give you a more imposing name? Fenrir, Fenrir the Star-Devouring Wolf God!" Suddenly recalling the news she had just seen, Lin Xuan, on a whim, chose this name. "Awoo!" The puppy seemed to understand human words. It suddenly adopted the fierce posture of a wolf, attempting to howl, but only a milky, puppy-like bark emerged. Seeing its antics, Lin Xuan immediately laughed, lifting the little husky high. "Alright, it's settled then. From now on, you'll be called Fenrir!"