Having shaken off Mu's harassment, Wang Hu and Li Chengzhi could finally enjoy their shopping trip in peace.
Though they still had little tails following them...
"Shouldn't we have some inside help in this fortress?"
Strolling openly through the bustling commercial streets of Artemis, surrounded by crowds, Wang Hu and Li Chengzhi casually discussed what could be considered an extremely sensitive topic.
"Of course. Our people are everywhere, in every corner of this world."
Li Chengzhi smirked proudly. "What, do you want to mobilize them? Coincidentally, I happen to have a list on hand."
"If you're interested, I can reach out to them."
"Hey." Wang Hu turned to his friend with a mischievous grin.
"Having connections in high places sure makes things easier. As your superior and the commander of this mission, I don't even have the list—yet you do."
Raising an eyebrow, Li Chengzhi remained unbothered by Wang Hu's blatant envy.
"What's mine is yours, and what's yours is still yours. Why bother with such pointless talk between us?"
"Hahaha!" Wang Hu burst into laughter, giving his friend a hearty slap on the back.
"In that case, let's do this and that, and that and this."
"You're such a scoundrel."
Li Chengzhi chuckled, nodding repeatedly at Wang Hu's words, deeply pleased by his scheming.
As far as he was concerned, did the Eurasian Federation really think they could sit at the same table as East Asia?
The Eurasian Federation? They weren't even worthy!
"Charlie, what are those two talking about?"
Watching the pair ahead chatting animatedly, occasionally bursting into unrestrained laughter, the two Eurasian Federation intelligence officers assigned by Sharu to monitor them exchanged puzzled glances.
"Probably East Asian. You can't expect them to speak the common tongue when it's just the two of them, right?"
The one called Charlie replied, though he strained his ears for a moment longer.
"White, you know me—I studied in East Asia, but all I can tell is that they're speaking East Asian."
"As for the content, I genuinely can't make out a single word."
"Obviously, I know they're speaking East Asian," White muttered, glaring at the recording device in frustration.
"Don't forget, I studied there too. Damn it, they must be using some East Asian dialect!"
"I heard during my studies that in East Asia, if they're not speaking the standard language, the accent can change every ten miles."
"Then are they discussing something harmful to us?"
Charlie's gaze sharpened dangerously as he stared at Wang Hu and Li Chengzhi, still leisurely strolling ahead. He found them far too cunning.
"Possibly." Nodding in agreement, White racked his brain, trying to decipher the conversation using what he'd learned during his studies.
"Ugh, is this what they call the Devil's Tongue? I genuinely can't understand a word they're saying."
"Given the size of their territory, wouldn't that mean there are hundreds—maybe even thousands—of these local dialects?"
"What a backward and barbaric country. Listen to how harsh and obscure their language is—nothing like our simple and elegant tongue."
"Yeah," Charlie agreed. Just as they were about to step forward to take decisive action—
The two observers suddenly saw Wang Hu whistle at a Gallic beauty, only to be met with a pair of disdainful glances.
Then, after exchanging a few words, Wang Hu and Li Chengzhi burst into loud laughter.
The scene gave Charlie and White pause.
"I think we should just report the details and let the higher-ups decide," Charlie said hesitantly.
"Hmph." White didn't object, watching as Wang Hu and Li Chengzhi glanced around.
"After all, they're from a backward region. Even if they have titles like 'Rising Star Qilin,' it doesn't change their origins."
"Barbarians like them have nothing in their heads but violence and women. But refined ladies like ours? Only true gentlemen like us are worthy of them!"
Charlie nodded repeatedly, looking utterly convinced. As a result, the two of them, blinded by their ingrained prejudice, let their guard down during the rest of their surveillance.
And so, right under the noses of the two observers—
Li Chengzhi turned and flashed Wang Hu an "OK" hand sign.
Understanding immediately, Wang Hu responded with a slightly lewd grin, making the whole exchange seem natural and unsuspicious.
"Brother Wang Hu?" Kira's voice suddenly rang out from behind the two, who had just finished their covert exchange.
"Kira, Tolle!"
Wang Hu quickly wiped the inappropriate smile off his face and turned to see a group of people laden with bags.
His eyes landed on the nearly buried figures of the young men, and a shiver ran down his spine.
He recalled the miserable experience of accompanying the young lady on shopping trips back in Heliopolis.
"You've worked hard," Wang Hu said solemnly.
"Brother Wang Hu!" The boys, who had been full of energy earlier, now looked on the verge of tears.
"Hey, Tolle, what's with that face?" Miriallia asked with a hint of playful accusation, hands on her hips.
"No, no!"
Tolle shook his head like a rattle drum, hastily insisting that he was more than willing—unlike Kira and the other single guys.
"Hahaha!" Tolle's reaction drew unanimous laughter from the rest, filling the air with a cheerful atmosphere.
"Come on, let this poor single guy help lighten your load."
Wang Hu winked at Tolle, his demeanor warm and approachable.
Reaching out, he took some of the bags from the young man, who was nearly buckling under the weight.
"Thanks, Brother Wang Hu." Relieved of some of his burden, Tolle exhaled deeply in gratitude.
Seeing Wang Hu pitch in, Li Chengzhi had no choice but to help the other poor souls as well.
Not one to stand on ceremony, Sai and the others quickly handed over a good portion of their own bags.
"Let's go," Wang Hu said, adjusting the weight in his hands before adding, "How about we grab a drink somewhere? You all look exhausted."
"Yeah, yeah!"
The tired group of young men and women had no objections—especially with the thought of making Wang Hu foot the bill.
They cheerfully crowded around Wang Hu as they headed toward a drink shop that looked expensive at first glance.
Miscalculation. Staring at the flashy signboard above the store, Wang Hu instinctively wanted to cover his pockets.
But his hands were full of packages—how could he possibly manage that?
With a self-deprecating chuckle, Wang Hu steeled himself and, under Li Chengzhi's amused gaze, stiffly walked inside.
"No receipts," Li Chengzhi added, twisting the knife just as Wang Hu was about to enter.
"I'm the one handling your reimbursement process. I don't want to waste extra time pasting receipt stubs for you."
"Huh?" Wang Hu's face fell, his misery deepening.
But since he had already promised to treat Kira and the others, he couldn't back out now.
For now, he had no choice but to take things one step at a time.
"Brother Wang Hu."
After Wang Hu, wincing in pain, finished ordering for the kids and sat silently at the table mourning his now much lighter wallet—
Kira approached him, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"Thank you for treating us."
"Don't mention it!" Wang Hu perked up instantly, putting on a carefree front.
"I'm the Qilin of the Nova—my stipend is huge."
"And don't you think this is nice? The taste of peace is better than anything."
There was deeper meaning in his words. This time, it was Wang Hu's turn to influence Kira.
Just like his comrades on a certain battleship, Wang Hu didn't want to let this golden opportunity with Kira slip away.
"Kira, do you dislike this?"
(End of Chapter)