Ling Cage: Twelve Talismans? I have everything I need.

Chapter 127 Talent
The luxury car smoothly entered the dedicated lane of Jiuchuan Airport and finally stopped in the heavily guarded reception area.

The car door opened, and Bai Jingyu and Teresa got out one after the other.

The airport terminal was brightly lit with a high dome. Many members of the Hisakawa Defense Force, dressed in uniform, were already lined up in the designated area, waiting in a solemn and orderly atmosphere.

Bai Jingyu's gaze swept across the scene, and he soon spotted a familiar figure in front of the defense team.

Police Chief, Gray Weaver.

Gray was tall and muscular, with his usual serious expression on his face.

What is particularly striking is his right hand, which is not a state-of-the-art new model, but an old-fashioned mechanical prosthesis that looks quite old.

The metal casing even shows subtle wear and signs of use, giving it an exceptionally rugged and tough look.

Bai Jingyu smiled appropriately and walked over.

"Director Gray, thank you for coming all this way in person." Bai Jingyu extended his left hand.

Gray turned around and firmly grasped Bai Jingyu's hand with his powerful left hand, his voice booming.

“Professor Horn Garcia is an important scholar of the Alliance and a distinguished guest of Jiuchuan. His security cannot be compromised. I must keep a close eye on him personally.”

His gaze swept over his subordinates who were standing by in a state of high alert, and he nodded slightly in satisfaction before his eyes fell back on Bai Jingyu.

Bai Jingyu's gaze naturally fell on his conspicuous right prosthetic arm, and he smiled: "The performance and realism of the new model have been greatly improved. Haven't you considered replacing it?"

Upon hearing this, Gray raised his old-model mechanical right hand, moved his finger joints, and made a faint sound of transmission.

A rare moment of gentleness appeared on his usually serious face, though it was fleeting.

“My son says the older model looks cooler and more masculine,” Gray said with a hint of helplessness.

“He used his allowance to buy me the latest skincare oil, and he insists on personally applying it to my skin every few days… Hmph, let him be.”

Bai Jingyu nodded knowingly, able to imagine the scene.

"A child's good intentions are priceless."

Theresa smiled and said, "Gran still admires you very much."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the three of them turned their gazes to the floor-to-ceiling window at the same time.

At that moment, an aircraft bearing the Coastal Union logo was slowly adjusting its attitude, aligning itself with the designated berth, and landing smoothly.

The hatch opened and the gangway was lowered.

The first person to step down was a sprightly elderly man wearing glasses, with several dreadlocks in his hair, dressed in a white research uniform, and with sharp eyes. He was Professor Horn Garcia.

Behind him followed several men and women who also possessed extraordinary bearing and were clearly academic authorities.

Theresa's face immediately lit up with genuine joy and respect. She subconsciously straightened her not-so-disheveled clothes and quickly stepped forward to greet her.

"Teacher!" Her voice carried a hint of barely perceptible excitement.

"Welcome back to Hisakawa! How was your trip?"

Professor Horn Garcia smiled gently when he saw Theresa.

He opened his arms and gave Theresa a simple cheek kiss.

"The journey was smooth." Professor Horn looked her over carefully, his tone gratified.

"You seem to be doing well in Jiuchuan, you look great. How are Xiaotian and Xiaokui doing lately?"

Theresa smiled and said, "Everything is fine. Xiaotian went to school today, and Xiaokui keeps saying she wants you to take her to do experiments."

Horn smiled and nodded. Bai Yuekui inherited Theresa's intelligence and became interested in scientific research when he was 4 years old.

He then looked at Bai Jingyu and Gray who were walking over: "Jingyu, Director Gray, it's too kind of you to come and pick us up in person."

Bai Jingyu stepped forward and shook hands with Professor Horn: "Professor Horn, you are too kind. It is an honor for Jiuchuan to have you and all the experts here."

Gray stepped forward and greeted him succinctly: "Professor, welcome. Security is fully in place, please rest assured."

During the exchange of pleasantries, the other experts also descended the gangway one after another.

Theresa spoke in hushed tones with several of the scholars she knew, her tone enthusiastic, clearly full of anticipation for the academic exchange that was about to begin.

Bai Jingyu looked at the group of scholars in front of him with a smile. They represented the pinnacle of human brain science.

“The vehicles are ready.” Bai Jingyu turned to the side and gestured invitingly: “Professors, please move to the conference center for a short rest. We have prepared a welcome banquet and a preliminary conference agenda for you.”

Professor Horn smiled and nodded: "When in Rome, do as the host says. Jingyu, you can make the arrangements."

Under the protection of a group of Hisakawa defense personnel, the group walked toward the waiting convoy.

Theresa stayed by her teacher's side, talking in hushed tones.

"Chief." A police officer approached Gray and asked, looking at Bai Jingyu who was walking away.

Are you and Bai Jingyu very familiar with each other?

"We've met a few times, but we're not particularly close," Gray said casually.

Bai Jingyu, as a tech giant, is very likely to compete with him for the mayoral position in the future, so I pay more or less attention to him.

Moreover, the technical support they provided for the police booth was indeed very useful.

This made Gray still find Bai Jingyu quite agreeable.

"Is there anything unusual?" Gray asked the officer.

The officer immediately responded, "Don't worry, Chief. The streets they're going back to are well-defended; there won't be any accidents."

Gray nodded, then got into the car and followed.

Bai Yuetian, carrying those special gifts, strolled leisurely towards the other end of the village.

From afar, one could see Nanjixing standing at the entrance of his warehouse, which was filled with all sorts of strange and unusual parts, gesturing and directing several villagers to move things.

"Ugh, I've told you so many times, just throw these old sensor boards away! They take up space and are useless!" Nanjixing said, hands on his hips, pointing with a look of disgust at several boxes of old-looking electronic waste on the ground.

One villager scratched his head: "Old Nan, this looks pretty new, maybe..."

"Maybe what? Listen to me, throw it away!" Antarctic Star waved his hand impatiently.

At that moment, he caught a glimpse of Bai Yuetian strolling over out of the corner of his eye, especially that familiar yet irritating smile on the other's face.

And the familiar bag in my hand, with its gaudy pattern.

Nanjixing immediately rolled her eyes and turned her head to the side, pretending not to see.

"Hey! Antarctic Star! Busy, huh?" Bai Yuetian grinned and nudged him lightly with his elbow.

"See how good I am? I brought you something nice!"

Antarctic Star reluctantly turned his head and said irritably, "Hmph, what good stuff is it now? Didn't I not have the fortune to accept that generous gift last time, and you took it back? What, are you trying to tease me again today?"

Bai Yuetian handed the bag forward, confidently declaring, "Oh, last time was an accident, purely accidental! This time it's different, I'm really giving it to you! It'll be absolutely thrilling, I guarantee you'll love it!"

Nanjixing looked him up and down suspiciously, then glanced at the bag, his face full of disbelief.

"Really? Has the sun risen in the west? Can you, Bai Yuetian, really be that generous?"

"It's true! It's even more real than pearls!" Bai Yuetian patted his chest.

"Anyway, Yue Kui doesn't... uh, I mean, sharing happiness is worse than enjoying it alone!"

Just as Nanjixing was half-believing and half-doubting, hesitating whether to accept it or not, a girl with two cute little buns in her hair suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Curious, it sidled up to the two of them, its big eyes blinking as it stared intently at the brightly colored package in Bai Yuetian's hand. Seeing this, Bai Yuetian immediately waved it away like a chick, saying, "Go away! You little brat, don't stand here watching the fun, go play somewhere else!"

However, the girl remained unmoved, her gaze fixed on the bag, her face filled with pure curiosity.

Bai Yuetian felt that the girl looked familiar. After taking a closer look at her unique hairstyle, he tentatively asked her a question.

"You... your name is Jiuge, right?"

Jiu Ge then slowly raised his head, looked at Bai Yuetian, and nodded: "Hmm. Boss Bai, what are you holding in your hand? The box is very pretty."

Bai Yuetian was momentarily speechless at her question, and his expression instantly became a little awkward.

Although he is usually thick-skinned, he still needs to be mindful of his behavior in front of children.

He subconsciously hid the bag behind his back. "It's nothing, it's not something you can see. Go train with Xiao Deng!"

Jiu Ge then circled around behind Bai Yuetian, carefully examining the box's packaging, and said, "Training isn't until this afternoon; I'm free this morning."

Seeing Bai Yuetian's embarrassed state, Nanjixing chuckled gloatingly and took the opportunity to snatch a box from Bai Yuetian's hand.

He held it in his hand, weighed it in his hand, looked at the provocative cover illustration, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Oh? This time you're serious? You're really giving it to me? No backing out?"

"Really, really! Take it now!" Bai Yuetian couldn't wait to get rid of these things, especially since there was an overly curious girl next to him.

Just then, the sound of wine songs rang out again, in a serious tone, even with a hint of negotiation.

"Boss Bai, could you give me one as a gift? Or sell me one? I can buy it with crystal coins."

Bai Yuetian almost choked on his own saliva, and suddenly turned around, his eyes wide open.

Staring incredulously at the engrossed Jiu Ge, she asked, "W-what did you say? Do you even know what this is?"

Seriously? Does our village have someone like that?

Jiu Ge nodded, a hint of longing in his expression.

She pointed to the eye-catching words on the box she had just received from Zhihu Polaris and read aloud, "I know. It says on the packaging, 'Passionate Girl Immersive Motion-Sensing Interactive Game'."

Bai Yuetian: "!!!"

"Hiss~" Bai Yuetian gasped, "You know this is a game aimed at men, right?"

"I know, but there's no rule that says women can't play around," Jiu Ge said matter-of-factly.

That makes so much sense, I can't even refute it.

Bai Yuetian hesitated for a moment, then slowly handed the box in her hand to Jiu Ge.

Jiu Ge was naturally very happy to get the game, and was about to reach into his waist pouch to take out the crystal coins when Bai Yuetian stopped him.

"No, you don't need to pay, it's yours."

"Thank you, boss!" Jiu Ge nodded, then turned and jogged out.

Bai Yuetian, watching Jiu Ge disappear from sight, turned to look at the South Star.

"Do you think there might be something wrong with Qiu Shi's education?"

Nanjixing shook his head: "I don't know about that, I don't teach students."

With the hard-won gift tucked in his arms, Jiu Ge walked back with light steps.

Although her face had regained its composure, her slightly quickened pace and brighter eyes revealed that she was in a good mood.

Just around the corner, you can see Hongkou, dressed in a smart combat uniform, leading a patrol team on a routine patrol.

Hongkou has made rapid progress. She has already graduated from Wulan Aodeng and is now proficient in ground-based knowledge, enabling her to lead teams on missions.

"Sister Hongkou." Jiuge stopped and greeted her politely.

Hongkou, who was looking down at the patrol log, looked up when she heard the sound.

Upon seeing that it was Jiu Ge, a friendly smile immediately appeared on his face: "It's Jiu Ge, didn't you go to practice?"

However, upon closer inspection, one can see that beneath Hongkou's smile lies a sense of vigilance, and her gaze subconsciously avoids Jiuge's overly direct stare.

There's no way around it, the impact of this girl directly confessing "you're my type" to my face last time was just too strong, and I still remember it vividly.

Hongkou believed that she had never been afraid of even the fiercest Devouring Beasts on the battlefield.

But at the time, I was really taken aback by Jiu Ge's calm yet serious tone and eyes. After firmly refusing, I practically fled. For a long time afterward, I would avoid Jiu Ge whenever I saw him.

“Training is in the afternoon,” Jiu Ge replied, his gaze lingering on Hong Kou’s spirited face for a few seconds.

Jiu Ge looked at Hong Kou quietly. His clear eyes didn't show much emotion, but they made Hong Kou feel a strange pressure.

She cleared her throat, trying to break the awkward silence: "So...where are you going?"

"I just got a new game, I'm going to go back and try it out," Jiu Ge answered truthfully, seemingly tightening his grip on the box he was holding.

Hongkou's gaze involuntarily swept over the flashy packaging. When she saw what was on the cover, her lips twitched slightly, but she tried her best to maintain her composure.

"Oh... games, that's good, it's nice to relax."

There was another brief silence.

Jiu Ge suddenly spoke, his tone calm yet concerned: "Sister Hong Kou, how did today's patrol go?"

Hongkou was taken aback, not expecting her to ask this, and immediately nodded: "Smoothly, very smoothly. The outer area is very calm, and no signs of abnormal Devouring Beast activity have been found."

"That's good." Jiu Ge nodded, then asked again, his gaze falling on Hong Kou's arms and body.

"Are you... injured?"

This overly direct concern made Hongkou's nerves, which had just relaxed a little, tense up again. She sighed almost reflexively, her tone tinged with helplessness.

“Wine Song, I really…I really can’t agree with you. Dawn is the only one in my heart, you know that. And we…”

Before she could finish speaking, Jiu Ge calmly interrupted her, without the slightest embarrassment or sadness at being rejected: "I know. Sister Hong Kou, I was just concerned about whether you were hurt."

"I will no longer say those things that bother you, nor will I disturb you and Dawn."

Hongkou was a little stunned. She looked at Jiuge's expressionless face and was at a loss for what to do.

She had anticipated all sorts of awkward situations where she would have to firmly refuse again, but she never expected the other person to be so calm, and even maintain pure concern.

This made her realize that her earlier overreaction was a bit excessive and an overreaction.

“I…I’m not hurt.” Hongkou’s tone softened.

"Thank you for your concern, Wine Song."

"Mm," Jiu Ge responded, nodding slightly to Hong Kou.

"Then I won't bother Sister Hongkou any longer, I'll head back now."

After saying that, she hugged her "new game," walked past the still somewhat stunned Hongkou and the patrol members who were curiously looking at her, and left with steady steps.

Hongkou stood there, watching Jiuge's figure disappear around the corner of the village house, her feelings complicated.

"Captain, who's that girl? She's pretty cool," Benny asked curiously as he leaned over.

Hongkou snapped out of her daze and glared at him: "Stop asking questions."

He then slapped the report in his hand to Benny: "Don't forget to study when you get back. Go to school again tomorrow."

"Oh"

(End of this chapter)