Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

"If no one says anything, I'll just give up."

Sure enough, before he could finish speaking, the person on the other end of the line finally couldn't help but speak up.

"and many more."

Far away in Lungmen, Wei Yanwu took a deep drag on his pipe, his gaze sweeping across the modern metropolis of Lungmen from the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows of the newly renovated Special Reconnaissance Team's office in the Lungmen Guard Quarters. A hint of panic flickered in his usually deep and unpredictable eyes.

"Speak your mind, or shut up."

Swire's grandfather, an old, ailing tiger, laughed and scolded in a tone Swire had never heard before. In her memory, her grandfather should have been a gentle and kind old man, or a shrewd and calculating businessman. This kind of impolite and thuggish tone was something she had never heard before.

However, Wei Yanwu on the other end of the phone seemed completely oblivious to this tone, simply sighing softly and asking:

Has Chen Huijie returned?

Don't ask me if she's back or not, how would I know?

The old, sick tiger laughed.

"Oh, judging from your tone, she probably hasn't come back yet, right? That's strange..."

As he spoke, he glanced at Swire, the little tiger, who looked like he'd done something wrong, and said:

"According to my precious granddaughter, the Royal Guard Academy has already started its summer vacation. Logically speaking, they should have arrived by now."

"What do you know?" Wei Yanwu said coldly, "State your terms, then tell me!"

"Conditions?" The old sick tiger's smile vanished. "We're talking about conditions? When you used my granddaughter as your mouthpiece, why didn't you ask me for conditions? You took advantage of my seniority to make my granddaughter do this kind of thing, and now you have the nerve to talk to me about conditions?"

“I’m warning you, Wei Yanwu, I’m not in Lungmen anymore, nor am I under your jurisdiction. If you still care about our friendship, then don’t let me know again that Beatrice went out to have dinner with her classmates with Huijie one night, and the next day you started asking my granddaughter what kind of underwear she was wearing. You’ve gone too far.”

After a long silence, Wei Yanwu finally nodded and said, "I agree."

The aged conglomerate leader finally relaxed, lay back on the sofa, turned his head, and gestured with his chin to Swire, indicating that she should sit down.

"You, you just answer whatever people ask. Don't you know that there are some things you can't say, not even to your uncle, and even to me?"

"Take the microphone away," Swire's grandfather admonished helplessly.

"Fortunately, nothing went wrong this time. We can't let it happen again."

Swire nodded obediently. Old Felin put the receiver to his ear again and said:

"I know a bit about Huijie's situation. A friend of mine at the Royal Military Academy told me that she was selected for the special recruitment list for this year's Royal Military Academy and should be taking the special recruitment exam now. Old Wei, you know, this is a good thing, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Having received a definite answer, Wei Yanwu finally breathed a sigh of relief. He sheepishly gave Wen Yue, who was eagerly holding a feather duster, an OK sign. He then asked:

"It's a good thing, but why did it have to be Huijie's turn?"

Strangely enough, Wei Yanwu had heard Talulah's father, his sworn brother Edward Atrias, mention the Royal Military Academy's special recruitment of students during graduation season. But according to Edward, the rules for this special recruitment were extremely strict, requiring applicants to be "outstanding."

If this were Lungmen, it wouldn't be difficult for Chen to stand out, but this is Lungtenium!

If we had to choose the "best" among the many cities on Terra, Ursus's St. Arthur Castle could be considered the most magnificent, Letania's Vienna the most artistic, and the Great Yan's Imperial Capital the most ancient. But considering all these factors, the one that would ultimately stand out is undoubtedly the "City That Never Sets"—Lentinium!

Never conquered by foreign powers, a city where art, scholarship, economics, and politics intertwine, ruled by Aslan, is undoubtedly an academic mecca on the Terra. To earn the title of "outstanding" among the universities in this city... It wasn't that Wei Yanwu lacked confidence; he genuinely felt Chen was inadequate.

Because Chen had absolutely no need to compete for that position. Wei Yanwu believed that if Chen worked hard, she would be no less capable than anyone else and had the ability to compete for the position, but she had no need to! Because her ambition lay elsewhere.

Wei Yanwu gazed into the distance at the magnificent city of Longmen—this was where Chen Huijie's ambition lay. And the special inspection team office beneath his feet was Chen Huijie's future home. Why should she bother vying for a special admission spot at the Royal Military Academy? If she didn't even try, how did she obtain that special admission?

"No, that's not it. Huijie is indeed trying."

A hint of doubt appeared on the aged Philin's face. He couldn't understand why Chen Huijie, who had vowed to return to Longmen after graduation, had suddenly changed her ways, working herself to the bone, and ultimately securing this one-in-a-million spot. But his beloved granddaughter, Beatrice Swire, had told him, "I don't know what's wrong with Chen lately. She's suddenly become incredibly hardworking. Not only did she skip the graduation reunion, but she's also been preparing materials for her professor during the holidays, supposedly to try and get this 'only chance'."

The old man's gaze involuntarily shifted to Swire, but Swire shook her head.

Actually, she already had a guess in her heart. When Chen refused the graduation reunion, he said, "A reunion without everyone is useless for saying goodbye. I'm going to bring back the last classmate!" This "last classmate who didn't show up" undoubtedly refers to "Bruce," a classmate who had only met Swire once but left a deep impression on her.

So, who exactly is Bruce?

Swire's gaze involuntarily drifted to her handbag, inside which was the "Victoria Aircraft Takeoff-Landing Permit" that had suddenly been delivered by someone from the Londinium City Council a few days ago. To get the royal family to sign and stamp it in less than half a month, Bruce must be no ordinary person.

But she didn't tell her grandfather about it.

"You said it yourself, 'Don't you know there are some things you can't say, not even to your uncle, let alone to me?' So, I won't say it then?"

Swire thought to himself. His grandfather, unaware of Swire's inner turmoil, withdrew his gaze and slowly said:

"In any case, this is a good thing. As for why Huijie is suddenly so diligent, that's something you, Wei Yanwu, need to figure out. It's none of my business. After all, I don't have the intention of inquiring about other people's children."

After giving another sarcastic remark to Old Long, who had no sense of right to investigate his own granddaughter, Swire's grandfather hung up the phone.

........

On the other side, Longmen.

Wei Yanwu awkwardly put down the phone and looked at Wen Yue, who had already put down the feather duster and was now smiling gently. She was nothing like the terrifying woman who had threatened to call him earlier. For once, Wei Yanwu felt a strong urge to complain.

But he held back, because a man's broad mind cannot be contained by a sofa!

"Huijie went to take the Royal Military Academy exam, so don't worry. Victoria has done a very good job of protecting her in this regard."

"But why would she go? According to our agreement, she should have returned to Lungmen immediately after graduation!"

Wen Yue raised the same question as Wei Yanwu, who then fell silent.

Wen Yue continued, "You too, I told you a long time ago to arrange two people to be by Hui Jie's side, but you wouldn't listen. You said that having Swire to keep an eye on things was enough. But Swire isn't your subordinate. Look, your old friend found out and got angry, didn't he?"

"If you ask me, it's not too late. I don't think Huijie would suddenly do something unreasonable. Send two people to Victoria now to investigate this matter and protect Huijie at the same time."

Wen Yue clutched her chest, her face filled with deep worry.

"I don't know why, but I always feel that Huijie might have run into something terrible. You and I both know her personality. Once she sets her mind on something, she won't turn back even if she crashes into a brick wall. I'm really worried if I don't make some preparations in advance."

Wei Yanwu opened his mouth, intending to say no, but in the end he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Wen Yue is right. For Hui Jie to suddenly make such an unexpected choice without consulting anyone, she must have encountered something in Victoria. It's definitely necessary to find out. If she's in danger, at least someone can protect her; if she wants to accomplish something, at least someone can lend a hand.

"Then let's leave it at that."

After a moment's hesitation, Wei Yanwu looked at the shadows in the corner and said:

"Send two Shadow Guards to Victoria to take care of Hui Jie. Remember, do not use force unless absolutely necessary. The consequences of angering Victoria are unbearable for us... Of course, if things really get urgent, then go ahead and do it. I'll take responsibility for anything that happens!"

The man in the black cloak, who had appeared out of the shadows at some unknown time, bowed solemnly in a grand Yan salute and said firmly:

"Yes, sir! I will not fail you and will protect the princess's safety!"

Chapter Thirty: Leading the Men to the Northern Border

Victoria, Lentinium, Big Ben.

[The Clock Tower Elder], the Unicorn Clan Chief Winston, stared at the chessboard before him, pondering for a long time. Finally, he turned to the younger generation beside him and said:

What are you doing standing here?

A disgruntled voice immediately came from the phone in front of him; the old man in the Taoist robe tugged at his beard and shouted:

"Don't change the subject. If you're going to play chess seriously, then play chess seriously. Are you trying to run away because you can't beat them?"

Winster glanced disdainfully at the old man on the phone, and explained, though his tone was unconvincing:

"I'm just doing my duty. We can continue this kind of entertainment like chess next time. I'll play international chess with you then. This kind of chess isn't suitable for me."

As he spoke, he reached out and touched the phone, calmly and automatically ending the video call under the old man's "Good heavens, Westerners are shameless" expression. He then turned to his disciple, who had been waiting for a long time, and asked with a leisurely and smug expression:

"what happens?"

"Well......."

The young unicorn glanced at his phone, which was off, then at his master who was squinting at him. He chose to be emotionally intelligent and follow his heart, avoiding the trouble.

He took a list from his pocket, handed it to Winster, and explained as he watched Winster read the list:

"This is a list of those who have been investigated and managed by the Clock Tower in Victoria over this period of time. Please take a look."

Just like any urban novel with superpowers would have an official superpower bureau, similar administrative agencies targeting special groups exist in various countries on Terra, a land with magical technology known as "Originium Arts".

In Yan Kingdom, they are called the Imperial Observatory; in Letania, they are called the Spire Society; and in Victoria, the Clock Tower, which submits to Aslan's rule and practices a hermit life, takes on this responsibility.

Winston read through the entire list with a calm demeanor, but his expression darkened slightly.

"Two more are missing."

The immortals are not immortal, they simply do not die naturally. Most of the immortals scattered throughout the vast lands of Victoria are familiar with Winster and have accepted the conditions and restrictions offered by the unicorn and Aslan, living peacefully. Therefore, whenever he sees one or two familiar names crossed off the list, Winster, as the leader of the Victorian immortals, cannot help but feel a sense of shared sorrow.

But soon, he discovered another strange blind spot.

"The two-horned horse—Cairns, the long-lived sheep—Evangeline...why did they both die in the North?"

Having managed the immortals for hundreds of years, he knew all too well how difficult it was for immortals to die, and how rare it was for them to die in such a concentrated area. His keen senses immediately made him uneasy. He looked at his apprentice, who was standing quietly to the side, and asked:

What's been happening in the North lately?

"There's nothing there, Master."

The little unicorn replied,

"Without the immortals causing trouble, and apart from the horde of infected creatures that unexpectedly broke out from the dense forest, the North is peaceful."

"An infected herd of beasts? What is its scale?"

"Below average. The local garrison is sufficient to handle it."

Winster nodded. That's strange. Could it really be a coincidence?

However, at that moment, the little unicorn seemed to suddenly remember something and added:

"Oh, speaking of strange things, the General Staff recently conducted a rather inexplicable investigation into Prince Wayne's background, but we stopped them and warned them. Duke Ernest went to the palace overnight to apologize and explain that it was a misunderstanding. He has recently left Londinium for the North."

The North again?

Winston's heart, which had just settled, was now in suspense again. One piece of information after another was linked, and even the best-disguised conspiracy would eventually leave clues. He was certain that there was something wrong with this.

What is he going to the North for?

Winster frowned and asked. The little unicorn was a little embarrassed. In principle, they and the army were two groups that did not interfere with each other and were nominally equal. Without a legitimate reason, they actually had no right to investigate the army's affairs.

But having no authority is one thing, but conducting an investigation is another.

Clock towers are scattered throughout Victoria, and the unicorn's gaze sweeps across the entire country with each chime.

Clearly not expecting that Master Winston, who had established the rule of non-interference, would ask such a direct question, the little unicorn pursed its lips and replied:

"The Royal Military Academy is holding its graduation assessment, and they have selected the Originium Beast Horde in the North as this year's practical assessment target."