Urgent Summons and Unexpected Encounters

“Come to my place tonight.”

Having only just escaped Senior Rosa’s clutches, she now found herself summoned by Yao Jing.

Xiu Lan silently noted down the address he had sent, a profound weariness washing over her at the mere thought of another potentially sleepless night.

“Has something happened?”

Noticing the person beside her had suddenly fallen into a sullen mood after checking her phone, Villy couldn’t help but inquire.

At that moment, they were resting on a bench beneath the shade of a tree, the intermittent chirping of cicadas and the rustling of leaves in the breeze adding a touch of vitality to the cool, shaded spot.

“Senior Yao Jing is looking for me…”

Xiu Lan spoke, her voice devoid of its usual energy; she had always kept her distance from Yao Jing, who seemed to invariably herald trouble with his mere presence.

Yet, there was no escaping it; what was meant to come would always arrive.

“I didn’t realize you, Student Liu Yu, knew Senior Yao Jing; truly, one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.”

‘What strange things are you saying? Don’t you know him too?’

Xiu Lan gazed inexplicably at the black-haired girl, who was currently pressing her lips together, her face a peculiar blend of amusement and apprehension.

Seeing her peculiar expression, Xiu Lan suddenly recalled something, and quickly amended her statement:

“I don’t know him. Senior Yao Jing is looking for my… sister. Yes, my sister.”

‘If you’re going to act, so will I, hmph!’

“I never knew you had a sister.”

Villy leaned closer, her large, fluttering eyes seeming to speak volumes, the intimacy between them so profound Xiu Lan could feel Villy’s breath.

‘Too close…’

“I also have a sister, and she’s been wanting to meet Senior Yao Jing recently. Could I bring her along?”

“…Alright.”

Having thus arranged a time to meet Villy’s sister, Xiu Lan began walking towards her classroom.

Though she had enrolled in the Combat Department, this did not mean her original courses were gone; rather, a portion of them would simply be adjusted to be combat-related.

‘She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was becoming increasingly busy.’

“A sudden clamor!”

In the hallway of the academic building, a large crowd bustled and jostled at the classroom entrance; Xiu Lan stood on her tiptoes, vainly attempting to discern what was happening inside, but her short stature allowed her to see nothing but a sea of heads.

Left with no other option, she could only poke the student in front of her to inquire.

‘Do you know how terrifying it is for someone with social anxiety to strike up a conversation with a stranger?’

“A very important person has arrived in the classroom up ahead.”

The unknown student replied excitedly.

“It’s a member of the [Resolution Council]; I’ve seen them on television before.”

‘A member of the [Resolution Council]?’

‘That certainly qualifies as a big shot.’

Xiu Lan mused.

If the [Supervisory Bureau] represented the military might of the Outer Realm Alliance, then the [Resolution Council] was the very lifeblood of the city, representing the interests of its many indigenous residents and serving as the alliance’s sponsored entity.

Covering every facet of various industries—from daily life and politics to food—it was no exaggeration to say that every member who joined the [Resolution Council] wielded immense power.

‘For such an influential figure to come here was truly surprising.’

‘It was truly strange.’

“Creak.”

Not long after, the classroom door was pushed open from the inside, and a line of people filed out.

Leading the procession was a robust man dressed in black clothes and trousers, his steady demeanor evoking the image of an unyielding mountain, and a faint blue light shimmered subtly on his hand.

‘Was that a [Weaponized Gear]?’

‘If he could carry it around so freely, it must be a completed model.’

“I apologize for disturbing everyone.”

Following closely behind the man was a girl not much older than the students themselves.

She wore sunglasses, her long brown hair casually cascading down her back, and her incredibly captivating words flowed from her lips, gradually calming the previously noisy and bustling hallway.

‘What was this? A superpower?’

Xiu Lan stared dumbfounded at the students before her; considering their usual demeanor, they would openly mock the principal’s bald head even if he showed up, yet now, each of them stood as silently as a giraffe, a truly baffling sight.

“…I deeply apologize for the inconvenience, and I thank you for your understanding.”

After reiterating her apologies to the crowd, the brown-haired girl departed, led by the man and the bodyguards who had emerged behind him; perhaps it was a mere illusion, but as she passed Xiu Lan, she seemed to cast a deliberate glance in her direction.

‘She must be overthinking it.’

Shaking her head, Xiu Lan dismissed the illusion from her mind.

With the departure of the important figure, the crowded hallway gradually dispersed, and she could finally return to her own classroom.

“Hey, Old Zheng, why the long face?”

Xiu Lan curiously observed the despondent rich kid slumped in his seat; it was a truly rare sight to behold such an expression on the face of someone who had mastered the art of blissful idleness.

“Sigh~”

Old Zheng ignored Xiu Lan, letting out another sigh, a melancholic expression unfitting for his age etched upon his face as he stared blankly at the sky outside the window.

‘Tsk, did this guy get hit on the head? Doesn’t he usually talk non-stop?’

Though she wanted to play a game of “if you ignore me, I’ll ignore you,” her strong sense of gossip ultimately betrayed her intentions, and she pondered what topic might make him speak.

“You saw that brown-haired woman who came here, didn’t you?”

Old Zheng suddenly spoke, out of the blue.

‘Looks like I won.’

‘Congratulations, Miss Xiu Lan, on once again taking first place in the sulking game.’

Buoyed by the joy of her small victory, Xiu Lan spoke cheerfully:

“I saw her. Even with the sunglasses obscuring her face, my years of experience tell me she’s definitely a great beauty. What’s wrong? Are you interested in her?”

‘So that’s it, love at first sight. A teenage boy encountering an unattainable beautiful girl, and then a series of events unfolding…’

‘So my role is that of a bad influence or a shady friend?’

‘Don’t worry, I’ll definitely serve as a great schemer and advisor.’

“What strange things are you imagining now? That’s my older sister.”

Old Zheng slapped the table, expressing his displeasure at Xiu Lan’s wild guesses.

“Cough, cough.”

Taking a look at Old Zheng, and then recalling the woman she had just seen, Xiu Lan, ever so delicately, inquired, “Is your sister, perhaps, from the same womb as you?”

While Old Zheng was certainly not an unattractive man, compared to the brown-haired girl, the difference was akin to a fresh flower and cow dung; the visual impact they left on Xiu Lan was simply not on the same level.

“…”

“…”

Feeling a touch intimidated by the terrifying glare, Xiu Lan shifted her body closer to the classroom door, just in case Old Zheng erupted in violence due to her provocative mouth.

“Ah, forget it, forget it. Children’s words are innocent, children’s words are innocent.”

Lowering the hand he had raised, Old Zheng ultimately abandoned his intention to hit her; the kid was fragile as could be, and accidentally killing her would be an utterly counterproductive outcome.

He sighed again, saying, “My sister said she wants me to withdraw from school.”

“Huh?”

‘The “money printer” is running away? That won’t do,’ Xiu Lan exclaimed:

“Resist! Show her what you’re made of!”

“…She’s a member of the [Resolution Council]. She said someone has been assassinating high-ranking government officials recently, and several murders have already occurred. She wants me to withdraw from school and stay home to avoid any trouble. I refused several times, so this time she specifically came here to give me a final ultimatum in person.”

“So, did you agree to it?”

Though pained by the prospect of the “money printer” escaping, even Xiu Lan understood the gravity of such a life-or-death situation.

Old Zheng did not immediately answer Xiu Lan, instead beating around the bush:

“My parents passed away when I was very young, and ever since, my older sister has supported the entire family. Inheriting the family business, joining the [Resolution Council]—she did all of it by herself. I don’t want her to worry about me all the time…”

‘A sister…’

‘Such a familiar term…’

‘I have an older sister too…’

Past thoughts flooded her mind, inescapable memories vivid before her eyes; no matter how much she pretended not to know, the established facts had already transpired.

‘Should I go look for her?’

‘In this era where human civilization had collapsed once before.’

‘Parents, an older sister, family.’

‘If the one known as [Vanguard] truly is me… then I must be able to protect them, mustn’t I?’

‘Surely…’

****