After the spiritual energy was restored: Goddess girlfriends came knocking.

The group entered the villa.

Lin Chu led Lu Chenghong to sit down on the sofa in the living room, and the others naturally dispersed, except for the woman carrying the sword.

She sat on a pillar in the entryway, staring intently at Lin Chu.

Lin Chu poured a few glasses of water and placed them on the coffee table.

My gaze swept over it unintentionally.

Lin Chu felt she had seen that complex, unspoken look in her eyes somewhere before.

She pulled herself out of her thoughts and sat down opposite Lu Chenghong.

"Mr. Lin." Lu Chenghong didn't touch the glass of water, but placed his hands on his knees. "I've come here today to have a frank and open discussion with you."

"Please speak."

"We noticed that you disappeared for two months." Lu Chenghong said seriously, "From Shenzhen to Tai'an, the high-speed rail and the surveillance cameras along the way can be found, but after you returned home, you disappeared from all records. Two months later, you reappeared at home, and your appearance and temperament had changed significantly. Then you sold a batch of gold of unknown origin."

He paused.

"And in the days that you disappeared, global spiritual energy began to surge."

Lin Chu frowned.

He picked up his water glass, took a sip, and his mind raced with thoughts.

"I--"

"No need to explain." Lu Chenghong waved his hand, his tone very calm. "Mr. Lin, I'm not here to interrogate you today. Given the current situation on Blue Star, there are too many people with secrets."

"Anything can happen, so there's no need to explain, and we won't pry too deeply."

Lin Chu glanced at him.

As expected of someone in a high position, his words are indeed pleasant to listen to.

"Thank you for your understanding."

"Of course." Lu Chenghong leaned back on the sofa, then changed the subject, "Mr. Lin, how much do you know about the changes happening on Earth?"

"I know a little," Lin Chu said, "spiritual energy, awakened beings, and demonic beasts and stuff like that."

"There are even more complicated ones." Lu Chenghong's voice turned serious.

"Based on our current information, Yingzhou, which is very close to the Xia Dynasty, is very likely to be secretly controlled by an external force. Their prime minister has not made a public appearance for a long time, and the wording of the recent decrees is completely different from the past. We suspect that the force controlling Yingzhou is from another world."

Lin Chu's brows furrowed even more.

Yingzhou Kingdom.

Although it was a small country, its geographical location was very special for the Xia Dynasty.

If that place were truly controlled by external forces, it would be tantamount to someone planting a nail at the doorstep of the Xia Dynasty.

"Right now, all the nations of Blue Star are groping their way forward," Lu Chenghong continued. "They're trying to win over extraterrestrial forces, plunder awakened individuals, deal with the threat of monsters, and also have to guard against their neighbors being infiltrated. The situation is very chaotic."

"Why did they come to me?" Lin Chu asked, puzzled.

Lu Chenghong remained silent for a moment.

Then he stood up and did something that Lin Chu never expected: he straightened his collar, clasped his hands in front of him, and bowed deeply to Lin Chu.

"Director Lu—"

"There is something I must apologize for in person." Lu Chenghong maintained his bowing posture. "A few days ago, an envoy from an external force came to us to discuss cooperation. We noticed that Mr. Lin seemed to have some connection with their leader, so without your consent, we took the liberty of using your information to reach some cooperation agreements with them."

He straightened up, his expression serious. "This is my personal decision, and I take full responsibility. It has nothing to do with the Xia Dynasty or anyone else."

Lin Chuyi didn't know what to say.

The director of the National Defense Administration, who was over sixty years old, stood ramrod straight and bowed to himself in apology.

"Please sit down."

Lu Chenghong sat down again.

"Tell me more details," Lin Chu said. "What's the name of that force, and what's the specific situation?"

"They call themselves the Dragon Court of the Four Seas, and come from the Xuan Tian Realm. Their envoy is a little girl named Cang Xiaoxiao."

Xuan Tian Realm, Cang Xiaoxiao.

Lin Chu's fingers trembled slightly.

The name seems to have some kind of magic; just hearing it creates a ripple effect in my mind.

They share the same surname as Cang Yao, and are connected by a single thread: the Xuan Tian Realm and the Four Seas Dragon Court.

"Cang Yao." Lin Chu looked up. "Does Director Lu know Cang Yao?"

"Of course I know," Lu Chenghong said. "Cang Yao is currently ranked SSS in our evaluation system. She is the domain lord of the Four Seas Dragon Court in the Xuan Tian Realm, and according to Cang Xiaoxiao, she is also her older sister."

He paused.

"Furthermore, we've observed that she's spent most of her time around you since she appeared, so overall, she doesn't seem to have any ill intentions towards you."

Lin Chu leaned back on the sofa, unable to describe her feelings.

"I see."

The information is pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Why does Cang Yao understand me so well? Why do blurry images of her always flash through my mind? Why does the name Cang Xiaoxiao sound so familiar? Now it all makes sense.

There was a long silence.

Lin Chu snapped out of her daze and realized that Lu Chenghong was waiting for her to speak.

"Mr. Lin," Lu Chenghong sat up straight, "On behalf of the Xia Dynasty, I formally extend an invitation to you for cooperation."

"Why me? Just because I know Cang Yao?"

"Not entirely." Lu Chenghong's gaze was candid. "First of all, and most importantly, you are a native-born citizen of the Xia Dynasty. Everything about you is traceable, and you have no bad records from childhood to adulthood, nor any record of colluding with foreign forces."

Secondly, he paused, his gaze somewhat strange.

"The women currently surrounding you are arguably among the most powerful beings known to exist outside the Earth."

"Therefore, the country wants to win you over, and for this purpose, the country can provide you with all kinds of convenience, as long as what you do does not harm the interests of the country and the people."

Lin Chu lowered her head and thought for a moment.

He suddenly thought of the "Qi Cultivation Technique".

This skill is based on officialdom and relies on popular support and the accumulation of reputation.

The greater his reputation, the more people who trust him, and the faster his cultivation speed.

And what could be faster than building a reputation in the Xia Dynasty than by directly cooperating with the state? You can't exactly go singing, dancing, or rapping... right?

Moreover, I need to break through as soon as possible in order to restore my memories and gain the ability to protect myself in the upcoming chaotic world.

"I can agree," Lin Chu said, raising her head. "But I have one condition."

"Please speak."

"I want the greatest autonomy, free from the jurisdiction and allocation of any department," Lin Chu said calmly.

"I will do my best to help the country, but I will only do what I believe is right. After all, I am a person of the Xia Dynasty, born under the dragon flag and raised in the spring breeze, and that will never change."

Lu Chenghong's face showed obvious relief.

He stood up and extended his hand.

"make a deal."

Lin Chu also stood up and took his hand.

The old man's hands were dry and strong.

"When is it convenient for you to contact me?" Lu Chenghong released his hand. "I'll arrange for someone to pick you up and bring you to the capital. There are some things I need to discuss with the top leader in person."

"it is good."

Lu Chenghong nodded.

He turned around and glanced at the woman behind him who had remained silent.

"By the way, this is Zhou Caiwei, Elder Zhou. Her sect is the Lingxu Sword Sect from the Shangqing Domain of the Xuantian Realm, which is also one of the extraterrestrial forces that have reached a preliminary cooperation with us." He looked at Lin Chu, "She is very curious about you, so she specially came along to see you this time."