On the Ark.

Mostima turned his head and looked out the window at the torrential rain, lost in thought.

……

……

Author's rant: That damn cat peed on my bed again! My two blankets and two folded blankets are ruined! I don't even know how I'm going to sleep tonight, I'm so angry!

Chapter 448 Assassination in the Rain

"This must be it." After parking the car, the ranger asked Eyjafjalla, who was sitting in the passenger seat, but received no response. He glanced at Eyjafjalla, then, as if remembering something, raised his voice, "Eyjafjalla, this must be it?"

"Huh? We've arrived already?" Eyjafjalla asked, as if she had just woken up. "Thank you so much, senior!"

The forest ranger laughed and said, "No need to call me senior. Doctor Lin Ye is your senior, isn't he? Doctor Lin Ye and I are clearly not from the same generation, haha."

“Then…” Eyjafjalla didn’t know what to call her.

"Just kidding, call her whatever you want." The Ranger looked at the hearing aid in Eyjafjalla's ear and felt a little sorry for her. Even with a hearing aid, she couldn't get normal hearing. She was really in a critical condition, even though she was still so young.

Hopefully, the medical department can cure her.

The ranger prayed silently, then said to Eyjafjalla, "Go inside for the meeting. I'll park the car here and wait for you. Just come find me after the meeting."

"This is too much trouble for you," Eyjafjalla said. "I can take a car home by myself after the meeting."

“Don’t joke around.” The ranger shook his head and said, “Where are you going to get a taxi in this weather? You should have seen it when you came over; eighty percent of the streets are blocked off. If you don’t want to stay here overnight, you’ll have to take my car back. Politeness is a good quality, but it shouldn’t be used in a situation like this.”

Having been lectured by the ranger, Eyjafjalla's cheeks immediately flushed red: "I understand, senior. Thank you for your help."

The ranger said, "You didn't need to bother. Okay, go ahead, but be careful not to get your clothes wet. Just call me if anything happens, you have a cell phone, right?"

Eyjafjalla nodded: "Yes."

"Then write down my phone number." The ranger read out his phone number, and Eyjafjalla silently repeated it before nodding and saying she had memorized it.

She didn't even take out her phone, which seemed a bit perfunctory, but the Ranger knew how brilliant Eyjafjalla's mind was; if she said she remembered, then she remembered. So he didn't say much more, as giving too many instructions would make him seem like a nagging retired old man. Although he was indeed an old man in terms of age, he didn't want to retire yet and wanted to fight for another ten years.

Eyjafjalla got out of the car, holding an umbrella, and quickly walked into the nearby Originium Building.

Because he frequently came to Lungmen for work, Ranger was arguably one of the most knowledgeable people in Rhodes Island about Lungmen. He hadn't been to the nearby Originium Tower, but he'd heard of it. The building was completed this year, but wasn't officially in use yet. Therefore, Ranger believed that Wei Yanwu's choice of this location for the second symposium was precisely to capitalize on the opportunity to activate this building; after all, the people of Yan Kingdom placed great importance on formalities.

However, it's a bit strange that the date was set for today.

The forest ranger wasn't from Yan, so he didn't know if today was the auspicious day the Yan people considered, and therefore didn't change the time. In any case, from his perspective, the terrible weather certainly wasn't a suitable day for a gathering.

The rain was intensifying and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. Just as he had told Eyjafjalla, over 80% of Lungmen's streets had been blocked off. He had also heard that the entire Royal Guard had been deployed to the 20th Ward for disaster relief, meaning this torrential rain could now be classified as a flood. Yet, Lungmen was still holding a seminar at the most critical moment of the flood.

Is this Wei Yanwu's confidence? Confident that Longmen's waterproofing system won't collapse, confident that his subordinates can handle this flood? So there's absolutely no need to postpone the seminar or anything like that?

The ranger, sitting alone in his car, pondered this question.

Right now, his car was parked in the middle of the street in front of the technology building. Normally, parking would be strictly prohibited here; the no-parking sign was right in front of the car. But now it didn't matter. There were no supervisors, or rather, no pedestrians. The entire street was empty, save for the torrential rain, which pounded on the car roof with a dull thud, as if reminding the person inside that he was isolated from the world.

"What awful weather," the ranger murmured, then picked up the thermos beside the car seat. Older people always like to brew goji berries in their thermos, and he was no exception. To save fuel, he removed the car key, and the headlights dimmed. The elderly archer sat alone in the car, drinking his goji berry tea, mentally calculating when the seminar would end.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he suddenly sensed something, subconsciously raised his head, and saw several dark figures walk through the rain and into the alley on the side of the technology building.

The forest ranger frowned slightly.

Why are there still pedestrians on the road in this kind of weather?

Are you a scholar attending the seminar?

……wrong.

The ranger glanced at the time; barring any unforeseen circumstances, the seminar inside had been going on for about an hour. Scholars shouldn't be arriving this late, and if they were, they should have entered through the main entrance instead of going into the alleyway. In his recollection, the buildings next to the Originium Building belonged to the Lungmen government. It seemed Wei Yanwu intended to develop this area into an industrial park for Originium research, which was why he hadn't sold the buildings next to the Originium Building.

If that's the case, then who were those two people who just walked by?

Aren't you a resident of this area? You were just passing through?

The ranger thought this was unlikely, so he decided to go and check. He initially intended to drive straight there, but as he picked up the keys, he suddenly felt uneasy. As an experienced hunter from Safra, he trusted his intuition. So he slowly put down the keys and picked up the metal box from the back seat.

With a crisp sound, the metal box was sprang open, revealing a black composite bow and several metal arrows inside.

With bow on his back and arrows at his side, the ranger quietly opened the carriage door and stepped out. Although the sound of the door opening was almost impossible to detect in this weather, the ranger did everything perfectly, then silently crept into the alley. However, as he approached the alley entrance, he suddenly sensed unprecedented danger; every cell in his body seemed to be issuing a warning. He rolled forward abruptly, and a second later, the spot where he had just stood was cleaved in two by a sharp axe.

"Oh?" the attacker asked curiously. "You can still sense my presence? Surprisingly, that's quite good."

The ranger rolled around in the mud in a rather disheveled state, then looked up at the huge black figure standing in the rain and the sharp cleaver in the other's hand.

"The hunters of Saffra? Interesting. I've heard you have plenty of skilled archers there." The massive shadowy figure raised its switch axe, resembling a towering demonic statue in the rain. "I wonder how they compare to the Lateran who use guns. I've never fought a Saffra, but I've killed quite a few Lateran angels."

The ranger's intuition told him that this was an extremely dangerous fellow.

As a hunter, the Ranger's perception is among the best on Rhodes Island, yet his opponent, with such a massive body, moved silently behind him. If he hadn't sensed it at the last moment, he would have been hacked to death in the street. Therefore, to survive against such an enemy, one must give it their all.

The ranger drew his bow and arrow, but the next second, a sharp dagger pierced through his body from behind.

Fresh blood gushed out.

The forest ranger opened his mouth wide, wanting to say something, but he could no longer speak.

"Hey, this is my prey," the giant wielding the switch axe said irritably.

“There’s no need to waste time on people like this,” someone said behind the ranger.

The ranger wanted to hear more, but it was too late; severely injured, he slowly collapsed in the rain.

But before losing consciousness, he still managed to reach into his pocket, grab his phone, and dial the first number in his call log, relying on his memory of how to do it.

If I remember correctly, the last person he spoke to was...

The forest ranger slowly closed his eyes.

Lin Ye.

Chapter 449: I once saved a girl who was frozen in ice (4K)

When the dishes were served, Lin Ye felt a little dazed, as if he were attending an ordinary family dinner in his previous life. The dishes were all too familiar; Lin Ye hadn't tasted anything like them for a very, very long time since arriving in this world.

"These are all Yan cuisine dishes," Madam Wenyue said to Lin Ye with a smile. "I don't know if you'll be able to get used to them."

Sitting in the main seat, Wei Yanwu picked up his chopsticks and said with a faint smile, "Although I've been in Longmen for so many years, I still can't get used to the food here. It's too sweet and too bland. I prefer dishes with stronger flavors, and I hope every dish has chili peppers in it. Of course, I'm not the same as I used to be, and I can't eat that much spice anymore. Most of the chili peppers in these dishes are just for decoration. You can try them."

Lin Ye certainly wanted to try it; he hadn't eaten "stir-fried pork with chili peppers" in ages. Although he didn't show it, he was still very much looking forward to it. At Wei Yanwu's invitation, he picked up his chopsticks and started eating. As the meat coated in chili sauce melted in his mouth, an indescribable sense of familiarity spread through Lin Ye's heart.

Noticing the change in Lin Ye's expression, Madam Wen Yue smiled and said, "It seems you don't dislike him."

“Indeed, Madam,” Lin Ye said sincerely. “Your cooking skills are truly excellent.”

"Really? That's wonderful." Madam Wenyue glanced at Wei Yanwu. "Some people have always said that I'm a bad cook because I put too much salt in my food."

Wei Yanwu laughed heartily: "Does Madam still remember such words? I can't even remember when I said them. Muyue, do you think Mom's cooking is delicious?"

Mu Yue, holding a small bowl and sitting to the side, nodded repeatedly: "Mom's cooking is the best."

Then the whole family laughed, which made Lin Ye, who was watching from the side, feel a little envious. He could hardly remember the last time he had a meal with his parents. Perhaps it was because it was just an ordinary meal, nothing special in the long years, but it was only when it was gone that he felt the heartache and realized what he had truly lost.

Lin Ye felt a little sore in his eyes, so he rubbed them subtly, and they quickly returned to normal.

"Dr. Lin, if I remember correctly, Dr. Kal'tsit said you were from Ursus last time?" Wei Yanwu looked at Lin Ye, "and lived in Chernobog, right?"

Lin Ye nodded.

“That’s truly remarkable,” said Lady Wenyue. “Very few Ursus people can stomach Eastern cuisine.”

"Well, maybe it's because I have a good appetite."

"Has Doctor Lin ever been to the Eastern Kingdom or the Yan Kingdom?" Madam Wenyue asked.

Lin Ye shook his head: "There is no such opportunity."

Lady Wenyue smiled and said, "Then we should try to make an effort in the future. The Eastern Kingdom and the Yan Kingdom have completely different scenery from here. If you like Yan Kingdom cuisine, you will definitely like Yan Kingdom as well. It is an ancient and beautiful country that will not disappoint you."

Lin Ye thought to himself that of course he wouldn't be disappointed; there was no way he could be disappointed. If he could, he would also like to be reincarnated in Yan Country. Unfortunately, he was reincarnated in Chernobog, a city that had everything except good points. How could it compare to Yan Country, which was created based on his hometown?

Of course, even though that's what he thought in his heart, Lin Ye still said, "If I have the chance, I would naturally be willing to go and see it. I also really like the legends of Yan Kingdom and am very interested in this country."

"Really? That's wonderful." Madam Wenyue nodded. "Would you like a bowl of soup?"

"Ah, I can do it myself." Lin Ye quickly got up to serve the soup, after all, the habit of drinking soup before meals is something to cherish.

Watching Lin Ye carefully serving hot soup, Wei Yanwu tapped the table lightly with his fingers, then asked casually, "Dr. Lin, you're not from Ursus, are you? I feel you're more like someone from Yan."

Lin Ye was startled, and his hand holding the hot soup trembled involuntarily, scalding his fingers. But he suppressed his anger, subtly setting the bowl down, and then smiled at Wei Yanwu: "Why do you say that?"

“Because I’ve dealt with quite a few Ursus people, and you give me a completely different feeling from them,” Wei Yanwu said calmly. “Did you really grow up in Chernobog? Were your parents also from Chernobog?”

Lin Ye hadn't expected to be asked these questions just for coming over for a meal. Did Wei Yanwu have his eye on him? But why would Wei Yanwu have his eye on him? Compared to the Governor of Lungmen, he was just an ordinary medical operator from Rhodes Island.

Lin Ye initially wanted to simply deny Wei Yanwu's question, insisting he was from Ursus and had always lived in Chernobog. However, he then considered that given Wei Yanwu's status, finding out about his time in Ursus would be incredibly easy, and Wei Yanwu might already have investigated, merely feigning ignorance to test the waters. Although Lin Ye felt that even if he insisted on this, Wei Yanwu wouldn't expose him on the spot, but would certainly become even more curious about his true identity.

So, after a brief moment of thought, Lin Ye decided to "tell the truth": "Actually, I am not Ursus, or rather, I don't know if I am Ursus."

"Oh?" Wei Yanwu raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised. "What does this mean?"

Lin Ye then said what he had been thinking. He tapped his head and said, "Because I had amnesia once."

Amnesia?

“Yes, my last memory is from three years ago,” Lin Ye said. “When I opened my eyes then, I was already on the outskirts of Chernobog. As for any memories before that, I have none.”

Lady Wenyue also showed a surprised expression: "There's actually such a thing?"

"Amnesia?" Mu Yue turned to look at Lin Ye. "That sounds pretty cool."

“It’s not cool at all.” Lin Ye forced a “bitter smile.” “I don’t know who I am, where I came from, or where I should go. I’m like a rootless duckweed.”

Hmm... wouldn't the description of a rootless duckweed seem a bit too deliberate? Oh well, since it's already been said, Lin Ye pretended to be somewhat saddened.

Wei Yanwu tapped the table lightly, without speaking immediately.

Lady Fumizuki then said, "So you settled in Chernobog and became a... veterinarian?"

“Yes, because I saved a girl when I woke up.” Lin Ye coughed twice and said, “After that, I found that although I had no memory, I still seemed to have some ability to take care of people. It’s just that it was too difficult to get into a hospital in Chernobog, so I went to a pet hospital. The owner of the pet hospital was pretty good to me. Although the salary was a bit low, at least it allowed me to survive in Chernobog until I was finally recruited by Rhodes Island.”

This was the excuse Lin Ye came up with on the spot to deal with Wei Yanwu, and for the time being, it didn't seem to have any flaws. Because apart from the amnesia being fabricated by Lin Ye, everything else was true. He did indeed wake up on the outskirts of Chernobog, and the first person he met in this world was a seriously ill girl with Oripathy. When Lin Ye found her, she was almost dead, surrounded by frost.

That scene was a huge blow to Lin Ye. After all, he was a boy who grew up under the red flag; when had he ever seen such a surreal spectacle? It was also because of that scene that Lin Ye realized he was in another world. Finally, through a series of actions that he himself didn't quite understand, the girl was saved, and he, guided by the girl, arrived in Chernobog, thus escaping with his life.

Then again, that girl had vowed to repay him. Lin Ye had thought this was the standard beginning for a novel's protagonist, but who knew he'd stay in Chernobog for two years and still not see her.

What a big liar.