—Do those who make the rules abide by them? Or, can those who abide by the rules make them?
The convoy traversed the road.
Though called a convoy, it consisted of a mere three vehicles, making the term rather generous.
As far as the eye could see, the ravages of war remained ubiquitous; numerous shell craters scarred the ground, left uncovered, and barbed wire fences and bunkers dotted the landscape. It felt less like they were heading to Worldly Affairs City and more like they were advancing into a battlefield where the smoke of war had yet to clear.
According to superior orders, all members of The Robin Club were to proceed to Worldly Affairs City to undertake observation duties.
These so-called observation duties entailed monitoring Xuanji Star’s troop withdrawal from the Great Promontory Region and Vega’s takeover of the same area. In essence, it was to prevent conflict between the two parties, though, frankly, given the observation team’s limited manpower, they would be powerless to intervene even if a conflict truly erupted.
In theory, such observation should be handled by personnel from non-involved academies. The World Alliance had indeed mobilized members from various academies to form an ‘Independent Observation Team’ to oversee the progress of this territorial exchange. However, Xuanji Star demanded that the directly involved academies also participate, leading both Vega and Xuanji Star to dispatch observers to join the team.
Currently, the observation team was split into two parts: one observing Vega’s withdrawal process in Yuansu, and the other observing Xuanji Star’s withdrawal process in Worldly Affairs City. The Robin Club was assigned to the latter group in Worldly Affairs City.
Despite the cars having been marked and painted with the ‘Independent Observation Team’ insignia, Xuanji Star sentries along the way still halted the convoy to inspect their documents.
Fletcher observed that, compared to the World War, Xuanji Star soldiers’ equipment had undergone significant changes—virtually everything was new, save for the Xuanji Star emblem.
He wondered how this territorial exchange was being publicized within Xuanji Star. Perhaps it would heavily emphasize ‘seizing Yuansu’ while glossing over ‘ceding the Great Promontory Region.’
Yet, for Xuanji Star, a power known for fiercely defending every inch of its territory, their willingness to ‘trade big for small’—regardless of the strategic value of the Great Promontory Region and Yuansu—struck Fletcher as utterly remarkable. He had always assumed Xuanji Star would only accept ‘trading small for big.’ It seemed the architects of this exchange within Xuanji Star did not possess such deeply entrenched ‘traditional thinking’ after all.
Worldly Affairs City was now within sight. Before the war, it had been Vega’s administrative hub on Cloud Mountain Peninsula. Now, only a few dilapidated buildings loomed before them. The World War had reduced most of the city to ruins, and Xuanji Star had not undertaken extensive reconstruction, merely repairing essential buildings and infrastructure.
Though many buildings remained in the city, the once-renowned ‘Family of Five Building’ was now a mere shell of its former self, its past splendor completely vanished.
As the car stopped at the entry checkpoint for inspection, two vehicles parked nearby immediately honked their horns in greeting. Fletcher had noticed the `Guoshi` off-road vehicle and the `Xiaogela` car parked there from the outset, both bearing the Independent Observation Team’s livery.
Two individuals emerged from the `Xiaogela` car, exchanged glances, and then approached the convoy one after the other.
Fletcher lowered his window and leaned out.
“Hahaha! Vega Observation Team?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go! I’ll lead the way; you won’t get lost, I promise. Is there space in your car?”
“There is.”
“That’s just perfect! Hahaha!”
The lead man nodded to Fletcher, then waved to the `Xiaogela` car before unceremoniously climbing into Fletcher’s passenger seat, clearly making himself at home. His laughter suggested a cheerful disposition.
In the back, Lan Xifang and Yoshida Rin scrutinized the newcomer but said nothing.
Fletcher noted that while both men wore observation team armbands and badges, the one who rode in the car behind was likely from Xuanji Star; the distinctive demeanor of a Xuanji Star soldier was unmistakable. The man beside him, however, spoke with a strong accent from west of Guanshan Dao, making his origin self-evident.
“Brother, you’re quite the driver. Navigating this rough road so quickly and smoothly, it’s impressive. What do they call you?”
Fletcher’s brow furrowed slightly. He wasn’t keen on interacting with people from Polaris. During the World War, Polaris had slaughtered tens of millions of innocents; though not allied with Vega, their nature was no different from Xuanji Star’s.
However, the upcoming observation work necessitated cooperation between both sides, so Fletcher could only humor him. Vega’s roster had been communicated to the observation team in advance, so it was clear the man was feigning ignorance.
“Observation Team No. 22, Fletcher.”
“I’m Cui Wei, No. 47. A pleasure to meet you! A pleasure!”
Cui Wei extended his hand to shake Fletcher’s, but Fletcher’s hands remained firmly on the steering wheel. Only then did Cui Wei realize Fletcher was driving and unable to shake hands. He chuckled, retracting his own hand.
Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, Lan Xifang leaned forward from the back seat and grasped it.
“Observation Team No. 21, Lan Xifang.”
Seeing this, Yoshida Rin also extended their hand.
“Observation Team No. 25, Yoshida Rin.”
“Excellent! And beautiful ladies too!”
Cui Wei burst into laughter. Fletcher, though appearing to focus intently on driving, had been discreetly observing the man. Seeing that Cui Wei merely shook their hands without any impropriety, Fletcher felt a slight easing of his unease.
It wasn’t that he looked down on the man, but Polaris had committed countless atrocities during the World War and had never concealed their actions, often even broadcasting them. Their notoriety had spread far and wide, both domestically and abroad. The rumors—crude as they were, alleging ‘kill all men, [censored] all women’—were far from groundless. It was as if a horde of uncivilized barbarians had suddenly burst into the civilized world, their actions indistinguishable from those of devils.
“Our Dean is quite invested in this territorial exchange, instructing us to observe much, listen much, and stir up little trouble. But frankly, having Xuanji Star as a neighbor is truly unsettling! It’s like ‘an old cat pillowing a salted fish’—you never know when it might flip over and take a bite out of you.”
“That is not for Mr. Cui to worry about. Post-war peace is hard-won; where is the sense in easily reigniting conflict? Besides, isn’t eastern Polaris also a neighbor to Xuanji Star?”
Fletcher actually felt his earlier words might have been inappropriate. He glanced at Lan Xifang through the rearview mirror; seeing her expression unchanged, he dismissed the thought.
“Indeed. We don’t indulge it. If it dares to bare its fangs at us, we’ll beat the dog-sired bastard out of it. Because, you know, no matter if someone’s parading in tiger’s skin or just spouting hot air, when real trouble strikes, nine out of ten will run scared.”
Fletcher let out a scoff, uncertain if he was amused by Cui Wei’s words or simply mocking the boorish, foul-mouthed man who resembled a clown. Yoshida Rin, however, found no humor in the remark whatsoever. Lan Xifang, meanwhile, remained silently smiling in the back, merely listening to Cui Wei’s grand pronouncements.
Fletcher’s brow gradually relaxed. Though Cui Wei had chattered incessantly, like a bewildered fly, from the moment he entered the car, and his mouth had barely stopped moving save for giving directions, his words were not entirely fallacious.
Despite his crude manner of speech and behavior, the man possessed genuine insights into many matters, far from the idle chatter heard among common folk after tea. His listeners’ attention was simply more easily drawn to his vulgar expressions, causing them to overlook the substance behind his crudeness.
However, it wasn’t surprising that he could articulate such thoughts. In fact, for a Polaris official, recognizing these realities was their rightful duty; if they couldn’t even do that, the government would have no use for them. Yet, for a Polaris official to speak outside the Polaris stance, observing the overall situation from a broader perspective, truly exceeded Fletcher’s expectations. At the very least, this Cui Wei was not a person of narrow views.
Perhaps the only thing Fletcher couldn’t comprehend was why Cui Wei, a Polaris official, spoke with such casualness. He could discuss serious matters as if they were the casual ramblings of a common citizen. Fletcher could only interpret this as a unique communication style inherent to Polaris.
“Ah! That building is truly beautiful! What a pity it’s been bombed to smithereens,” Cui Wei remarked, gazing thoughtfully at the ‘Family of Five Building’ outside the window.
“Miss Lan, Vega exchanged Yuansu for this piece of land this time. What will Vega do the next time Xuanji Star proposes a territorial exchange?”
Fletcher glanced at the two, remaining silent. He had actually considered this question himself, but had dismissed it.
“That’s a problem for another time.”
Upon hearing Lan Xifang’s reply, Cui Wei showed no surprise, a hint of a smile gracing his lips.
“That’s true, but worldly affairs are unpredictable. One cannot fight a war unprepared; it’s better to think things through in advance.”
“Why must there always be war? Isn’t peace better?”
“Peace?”
Cui Wei seemed to have heard a joke that wasn’t very funny, his smile faltering slightly.
“Those who fear war will never attain peace.”
His eyes instantly filled with an icy detachment, and his entire being transformed into a sword poised to strike at any moment, causing Fletcher to instantly stiffen. It was the gaze of someone who had witnessed countless battles and bloodshed.
“If something cannot be fought for standing, it will not be granted kneeling.”
Lan Xifang merely nodded slightly in acknowledgment, replying, “Thank you for the reminder. I’ve learned much.”
Seeing Lan Xifang’s reaction, Cui Wei smiled faintly, the coldness in his eyes vanishing instantly. Fletcher had heard that Polaris people changed their moods faster than turning a page; it seemed to be true, as he had changed expressions several times just within a few sentences.
“The square just around that bend is it. It’s your old Worldly Affairs City government building; Xuanji Star repaired it and has been using it ever since. That’s not like their usual style of constantly undertaking massive construction, is it?”
Cui Wei pointed with a raised hand, then casually opened the car door.
“While ‘East meets West’ is certainly good, this ‘West’ could perhaps shift a little further East.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Cui Wei leaped out without waiting for the car to fully stop.
He turned to look back into the car, stating meaningfully, “Polaris is not Vega’s enemy. At least, not yet.”