Forge a path to success

Vilbert's thoughts paused, like a wheel caught on a pebble. Impossible, she thought helplessly. There was no way A-Kong wouldn't discover her power; he would dig deep until he found out about the existence of the Submerged Realm… So after that, she would most likely take Chu Hengkong back to the Submerged Realm and watch him leap and bound up to the High-Quality Point like a student eager to leave school…

That's not bad either. At that time, she would at least have a 7-point mass, enough to be a "stronger" figure in his presence for quite some time. Just thinking about his expression back then made Velvet want to smile.

Vilbert finished her tea, abruptly ending her daydreaming as if flipping a switch. She took a break for about half a minute, a luxury she felt wasting in her current state of mind.

She donned her suit jacket, grabbed her ever-present cane, and a brand-new to-do list flowed into the computing center, transforming into rows of task lists that appeared before her and her lab members. She drew back the curtains and found her goofy secretary on the sun-drenched lawn. She teleported instantly to Hill's side.

"Ah, boss!" Hill exclaimed, still holding half a potato pie in his hand, "Congratulations on your successful promotion!"

Vilbert nodded in thanks: "Thank you. And thank you for your continued support. Your work schedule starts in 1 hour and 37 minutes; you can return to the lab in the afternoon. Any extra work done during the Jing Sha incident will be compensated with time off later."

Secretary Hill breathed a sigh of relief. Some magic scholars undergo a drastic personality change after their transformation, becoming almost uncommunicative extremists. Fortunately, Velvet did not follow the path of her predecessors and remained the extreme workaholic with a touch of humanity.

She mustered her courage and said, "Boss, why don't you take a rest too? The weather is so nice today."

"Yes, it's suitable for outdoor work."

She brought up a screen on her cane and sent out messages and instructions. Research in clean environments shows that regular sun exposure can enhance resistance to pollution at the microbial level, so many researchers lead their teams to work outdoors regularly.

Hill sighed inwardly, deciding to finish her potato pie quickly and go get her work. Just then, she noticed the boss had stopped moving, gazing at the fountain with a look in her eyes…

A look of surprise and uncertainty?

She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things; the boss even looked a little excited, an expression she'd never seen him like before. But beside the hot spring, only a group of children were surrounding the singing mercenary, cheering him on; he had just finished his second verse.

"Alright, guys, let's change to a new one..."

"Again! Again!" the children cheered.

"Hey, Captain McCoy isn't your parrot!" the mercenary protested. "Just this once, okay? After this, we need to come up with something new!"

Commander McCoy groaned, thinking he shouldn't have impulsively tried to imitate Sreil's mannerisms. He had only known Sreil had a good voice, but he hadn't realized the poet's patience was so strong. Singing the same song over and over again, no matter how beautiful, was getting tiresome. He finished the last verse somewhat perfunctorily, only to find a strange woman standing among the children.

That unwavering, nail-like gaze terrified him.

"What's the name of this song?" she asked.

·

"The song is called 'The Flower of Unity Under the Iron Curtain,' sir," the cricket poet said proudly. "This song has a history even longer than the umbrella of poetry. Many centuries ago, soldiers sang this song as they went into battle, and they sang it to celebrate their victories. It is our proud national anthem!"

“That’s fantastic. I think you’ll hear this song everywhere tomorrow,” the man in the suit said.

"Of course, of course! We will be holding a grand chorus tomorrow to celebrate the holiday and the future!"

The man in the suit laid down a green branch, bidding farewell to the jubilant cricket poet. Colorful flags fluttered along the streets, and gardeners pruned the bushes into a continuous narrative painting, with colorful lights hanging from the treetops.

The Vitex Festival officially begins tomorrow, while voting will conclude after a three-day holiday. Citizens are already eagerly preparing for the festival, and their enthusiasm brings a smile to his face.

"That's great," the man in the suit muttered to himself. "It reminds me of the Rio Carnival."

"This is the first time I've heard you like samba," Guo Yutu said through the earpiece.

"I don't like samba, but I like the people who dance samba. They are so engrossed in their movements, with smiles on their faces, as if they can shake off the misfortunes and setbacks in life through dancing. On Carnival nights, you can see countless people like this in Brazil, leaving everything behind, indulging in self-anesthesia in the name of the festival, and drinking alcohol in the name of the festival."

They stood on the floats, ran through the parade, and basked in ecstasy like carefree children. I mentally counted down, tick-tock. I found the person laughing the happiest and told her, "It'll explode in five seconds."

The man in the suit smiled and said, "I watched her dance move as if frozen in time, her smile frozen on her face, her eyes filled with surprise, rejection, and a little bit of subconscious fear, a fear that brought her down from a false paradise to reality. What pleased me most was not the explosion, but that brief moment."

Guo Yutu listened quietly and then said to him, "To prevent you from misunderstanding, I'll say this in advance: I'm a very dedicated person and always do my job seriously, so you don't need to worry about the subsequent action plan. What follows is just a polite expression of my personal opinion."

"Please say."

“I fucking disgust you, Blood Smoke,” Guo Yutu said. “The first person I’ll kill after this crap is over is you.”

"I'm ready at any time, Black Death Army, and I look forward to the day you defeat me for the first time."

Blood Smoke walked deeper into the alley and pushed open the wooden door of a painting shop. The small shop, which served as their stronghold, was packed with assassins, and second-rate assassins who hadn't even reached level 5 sat on top of picture frames and paint buckets.

He found the sullen, dark-haired woman in the corner; she was still wearing the same one-eyed patch she used to wear. NO.7 "Double Butterfly"—this neurotic woman had indeed come; she wouldn't let herself off the hook.

"Not everyone is here," Blood Smoke said. "Did we still not find White Wolf and the Strange Gunner? Forget about No. 6, it's better that he's not here."

"White Wolf is having a great time in Heavenly Prison, and Shax Ibn Urd probably won't be helping us this time. So in the end it'll just be the few of us, the old members from last time."

The speaker sat atop a stack of wooden crates; he was the leader of everyone present, someone they could not disobey and swore to follow. Wang Quan, this time disguised as a frail painter, painted with his back to him.

"What should we do with the sacrificial snake?" Blood Smoke asked.

“The chaos has triggered his sense of crisis, so you don’t need to worry about him this time,” Wang Quan said. “He’s doing very well now.”

"It sounds like you've already met, and you still have a great relationship, just like before."

Wang Quan put down his paintbrush and smiled, "Now, let me explain the plan. Those of you present will be divided into three groups and proceed to the designated locations according to instructions. Guo Yutu, as the overall commander, will be responsible for technical support and maintaining communications. Lylena will act independently according to the plan I gave you. As for you, Mingya…"

It turned the easel around, and the canvas was painted with dazzling fireworks.

"I've put your little things away for you," Wang Quan said with a smile. "I'm looking forward to seeing how you do it."

"Blood Smoke" Hazama Meruya bowed deeply and replied cheerfully, "Let me begin the festival."

Chapter 336 Blood Smoke and Blooming Thorns (1)

Long, long ago, the thorn bush was just a small tree.

The world back then was much simpler than it is now. Zhulong had only recently become the sun, and the World Tree was blooming in the sunlight. Its seeds were carried by the wind and spread all over the world, spreading the ideals of peace and love.

Thorn Robe was one of the lucky ones among countless ordinary seeds. Its luck lay in befriending friendly beasts and like-minded people willing to protect it. It took root and grew in a corner of the secret realm, uniting with its followers to repel invasions from heretics time and time again.

After the great battle that made the mercenaries famous, the warriors returned to the great tree to drink and celebrate their victory. The day after the party, they discovered that flower buds were growing among the tree's dense foliage, and the tree had been given the opportunity to grow further because of their hearts.

This blossoming will determine the future direction of the city. Will it become a hidden paradise, or a secret haven of harmony for all things? The sacred tree never makes decisions on its own; it leaves this question to the citizens. The choice of what kind of city to live in is up to everyone.

Whether locals or mercenaries, humanoids or beasts, the citizens spoke freely under the great tree. They had different personalities and desires, and their words often clashed. However, no real conflict occurred, because those who shared the hardships with the sacred tree all possessed a simple and kind heart.

After long and drawn-out discussions, they finally reached a consensus: to uphold the will of the World Tree and become an open, inclusive, and egalitarian city. They also decided that no one should suffer the same hardships they had experienced, and that they must become the fortress at the forefront of righteousness, transforming into a wall of life protecting all living beings.

This goodwill and unity caused the Thorn Tree to bloom, and from then on, the Thorn Tree truly became a force to be reckoned with. They have upheld their covenant, fighting for themselves and all living beings to this day. Even now, the citizens still remember the ancient story, and after three days of celebration, they announce the results of this year's vote, participating in the city's future as if they were their ancestors.

This is the origin of the "Vitex Flower Festival".

Before we knew it, another year had passed, and the annual Vitex Flower Festival had begun. This also means—

"The annual super overtime is about to begin," Trek said.

The meeting room was filled with wailing and screaming; the members of the Divine Guard looked utterly devastated, as if their kingdom was about to collapse. The Squirrel team members cried out for everyone: "No!!"

Trek reassured everyone, "It's alright, it's alright, we'll definitely arrange compensatory time off for everyone after the holiday..."

"Captain, I'm not listening to your nonsense! I still haven't received my compensatory time off from last year!!!"

"I haven't even taken my vacation from two years ago yet..."

"I don't want to celebrate the holiday! Please let me go to work as usual!!"

The third team exuded a pervasive sense of pessimism, a stark contrast to the boisterous atmosphere outside the window. For the diligent members of the Divine Guard, the Vitex Festival was arguably the three most difficult days of the year, as the three-day holiday would leave the entire city-state in a state of utter disarray.

Drunk driving is commonplace, providing thieves and robbers with the perfect environment to commit crimes. Those with differing political views seize the opportunity to make trouble, and impulsive crimes committed by those seeking advancement are routine. Not to mention those who harbor malicious intentions and pollute the world... If ordinary holidays are a nightmare, the politically charged Vitex Festival is simply hell!

Trek took a big gulp of his cold drink: "Cheer up, everyone! The captain will be working overtime with you guys too."

"This isn't a matter of work enthusiasm, it's a matter of the objective difficulty of the task, Captain!" the rabbit team member cried out. "With so few people, how are we supposed to handle this massive outbreak of crime in the entire Pulse Order? Especially since our Pulse Order has unique rules, and this year's circumstances are so special, we desperately need divine support!!"

"We've already negotiated for the divine power allocation, and it's still the same amount." Trek feigned tears. "I'm sorry everyone, I'm really not popular as the captain. Even with Lord Jing Sha's best efforts to give me the maximum amount, it's still less than the Fifth Meridian next door..."

"Captain, you should tidy up your disheveled appearance before trying to boost your popularity!"

"As compensation, I will use my personal connections to think of a solution for everyone."

Trek pulled in Lico, who had a stern face, from outside the door: "This is my old friend, Miss Lico. She is honest and reliable. You can use her as a squad leader."

“Dad, you can just wait to come home and cook for yourself for the next week,” Lico said.

"You actually dragged your own daughter into working overtime, you bastard!"

"Then, please reorganize the teams after adding Miss Lico to your forces. I will inform everyone of any further personnel additions. Happy Vitex Festival~"

"I can't be happy at all!!"

Despite his daughter's disapproving look, Trek left the conference room and strolled over to the door of a secret room on the third floor. The array set up by Huan Ge was still functioning smoothly, even though he could hardly detect the presence behind the door.

"Looks like it won't be resolved anytime soon..." Trek muttered to himself, "The best able-bodied men are all gone."

To be honest, he still hoped that Chu Hengkong could operate normally. With such a capable and proactive guy around, the overall situation would be much more relaxed. But right now, Chu Hengkong was busy upgrading his mutation point to level 4, and given his mindset, it would be difficult for him to succeed in the short term.

Conversely, if he hadn't encountered the chaotic surprise attack on the Great Archives, this kid probably wouldn't have been in such a hurry to break through. Did another unforeseen event lead to an undesirable outcome? Also because of the chaos, the mushrooms went missing. If a few mushrooms had been lost in that kind of chaos, even Kaoki probably wouldn't have noticed them.

It's hard to tell whether it's accidental or malicious, and that's precisely why the accumulation of such incidents is unsettling.

Trek took out his Cup of Honor, a "compass" used for navigation. He stepped forward from the door of the secret room to the counter of the small bookstore.

"Give me a cup of tea," he said with a grin.

The editor, Dudu Otter, waved its paws dismissively, as if it had seen something dirty: "Go away! Go away! It's a holiday, get out of here!"

Trek poured himself a glass of iced tea from the beverage machine and leaned against the sink: "Actually, I have some small things I'd like to ask the seniors for help with."

"I knew this bastard wouldn't come over with anything good during the holiday."

"I'm waiting—to go out and parade!" Manager Carp, wearing several wreaths on his head, glared. "If something happened—why didn't you say so earlier?!"

“The enemy’s intelligence network is very powerful, and we are worried about being targeted if we make arrangements in advance,” Trek said. “The environment this year is unstable, and I am worried that someone will take the opportunity to cause trouble. And if there is trouble in the general environment, it is the most difficult to deal with if multiple points are mobilized at the same time.”

"Where do you think the target is?" the big seal interjected, holding up a sign.

"The first to be affected are of course us diehards... followed by the fourth and fifth lineages."

"Fourth? We should be concerned about first, right? Fields are Parriman's base of operations." Poison Otter frowned.

“The field has the largest population, and although there are a lot of votes in favor on the surface, the ‘majority’ who don’t pay attention to politics haven’t taken any action yet, and they won’t care about voting this year unless something unexpected happens. If I want to take advantage of this, I’ll start with these most easily influenced voter bases,” Trek pointed out. “And with Kaomu in Mansa Starburg, even if there’s unrest, it’s just a smokescreen. If we really want to take action against him, our past actions won’t be of much use.”

"Do you think the target is the 'silent majority'...?" Poison Otter pondered, holding his glass. "I agree with that deduction. Then I'll go to the amusement park."

"Going to the fields—me?" Bangbangji stared with wide eyes. "I don't like eating fruit!"

"The dairy products over there are great too. If all goes well, we can ask Little Bee for a couple of drinks." Poison Otter put on a small jacket. "It would be best if nothing happens."

"Unpaid overtime during holidays—what's going on!"

The carp manager, transformed into a gloomy cloud, carried the otter out the window. The sea seal waved its paw, held up a sign, and said: "Looks like I'll have to lead today's parade."

Gulibo said worriedly, "Manager, you're going to block the road, aren't you, Bo?"

[I can be a float!] A large seal larva is emerging from the pool; [and while you're at it, please check out the important locations!]

"Thank you very much, senior." Trek took off his sunglasses.

The sea lion hummed in response, and despite the unfavorable situation, Trek felt a sense of relief. The prevalence of the bill had allowed selfish voices to dominate, but he knew that more citizens could distinguish between petty gains and the greater good; otherwise, the thorny shroud would have long since crumbled.

As he was about to head to the next designated location, the girl called out to him, "Uncle Trek, what about our work?"

Ji Huaisu leaned on the second-floor railing, watching him, with Vande in a grass skirt perched on her head. Trek chuckled, "Uncle is a little embarrassed to make tourists work... but if you're interested in volunteering, come with me."

He took out his compass. The next second, the three of them appeared simultaneously in front of a specially customized float. The float was shaped like a giant tortoise, with a high platform on its back. A middle-aged man in a suit stood on the platform, wiping sweat from his brow with a handkerchief.

“Congressman Croz,” Trek greeted.

Croz quickly came over and shook his hand: "Captain Trek, thank you for your trouble. And this is..."

“This is Officer Ji from Huilong City. She will assist with the security of the speech team,” Trek introduced. “Officer Ji, this Congressman Crozier is a rare politician with a conscience these days. He plans to use the holiday opportunity to gain more dissenting votes.”

Because of Jing Sha's history of universal political participation, campaigning for votes during holidays is commonplace. However, in the past, it was mostly the disadvantaged who made a last-ditch effort, and it was rare for the powerful to spoil the fun at this time.

“Uncle, you’re a good official,” Vande said, peeking out.

Kroz was sweating profusely and said with a wry smile, "The captain was just joking. Once you become a politician, what 'conscience' do you have left... You can only barely call it a sense of responsibility, fulfilling your duties."

Ji Huaisu glanced at him and said, "Mr. Croz, wouldn't you consider changing your clothes? They're not very clean right now."

Croz's collar was soaked with sweat. He touched it and didn't seem to care: "It won't be long before everyone throws rotten fruit at me. It's a waste to wear clean clothes."

"Wow, being a politician in a city-state is really not easy..."

Ji Huaisu gestured for Trek to get back to work. Trek knew his old friend's daughter was experienced and didn't need much guidance, so he left without worry. As he left, he noticed Crozier fiddling with a silver badge.

Just to be on the safe side, perhaps he should double-check the congressman's belongings...

By the time the thought crossed his mind, Trek was already in the command room of Team Three. He abandoned the idea of ​​conducting a more thorough inspection because Rico was rushing towards him.

"Dad——"

“Take me there,” Trek said.

Lico dragged him to the entrance of the Third Team headquarters, where a black toy soldier stood. It was like a child's game piece enlarged to adult size, meticulously crafted from clothing to joints, except that the place where the eyeballs should have been was brutally pierced, and black blood, like machine oil, flowed from the eye sockets.

"Please give this letter to the captain." The soldier's jaw opened and closed. "Please give this letter to the captain."