Wei Yenwu felt a keen sensation, as if someone were gazing at him from afar. He looked out from his window toward the source of that gaze, but saw only a forest of high-rise buildings. Perhaps the person watching him was staring from the shadows of the city, but standing at such a height, he had no way of locating exactly where they were.
Wei Yenwu watched for a long time, an expression of reminiscing about the past occasionally appearing in his eyes. He glanced again at the place where the second "sun" had just appeared; it now looked like a scene of absolute peace. Even in all the years he had governed Lungmen, this incident could be considered the most serious threat to public order—surpassing even the incident involving Kashchey.
Whether in terms of the potential range of impact or the effect on Lungmen's security environment, this was clearly an extremely egregious event. Fortunately, it seemed to have been resolved perfectly. It appeared that little Ch'en's ability to handle such incidents during her years managing the LGD had become quite formidable.
Knock... knock... knock... "Lord Wei, the distinguished guests from abroad have arrived."
As he stood by the window with his thoughts drifting, a knock on the door interrupted his reverie and pulled his attention back to reality.
"They've come after all. I'm just not sure if they bring a storm or sunshine." Wei Yenwu heard his subordinate's report, and a look of anticipation appeared on his face. He had been looking forward to these guests for quite some time. Had they not been burdened with a special mission and the need for immediate action, etiquette would have dictated they meet with him first.
"Send them in."
Wei Yenwu sat behind his desk, adopting a dignified posture, his dragon-like eyes fixed on the closed door.
The sound of a handle turning echoed as the door, made of precious ancient wood, was pulled open from the outside. Meeting his gaze head-on was the white-haired Liberi, with his assistant following behind. The moment the door opened, Gin felt a majestic gaze sweep over him—a gaze like a sharp blade that made his skin prickle with pain.
However, Gin did not show any stage fright. His eagle-like eyes met that gaze directly, and it seemed as if sparks flew where their eyes met. Looking at the scene, this round of confrontation seemed to be a draw. But a closer observation of the two would reveal that Wei Yenwu actually held the upper hand in this silent contest. While Gin appeared normal, he was secretly using all his strength, his hand clenched tightly inside his pocket.
In contrast, Wei Yenwu was like a reef in the middle of a raging tide. No matter how large the waves crashed against him, he remained entirely unmoved.
"I have long heard that the Chief Executive of Lungmen is a swordsman of peerless martial skill. Seeing you now, it is indeed true." In the heavy silence, Gin was the first to break the brief quiet of the room. It seemed that in this contest lasting only a few seconds, neither had gained a decisive advantage.
Hearing this, Wei Yenwu calmly retracted his imposing aura. This confrontation wasn't meant to damage the harmony between the two parties, but merely to secure the upper hand in the conversation. Although he maintained a hospitable demeanor, he still held a degree of wariness toward these Ursus emissaries. After all, they represented Ursus—a nation that had been eyeing his city for years. How much blood and effort had he spent over the years to deal with them?
While the proposal for "harmonious coexistence" made by Gin and his superior in their previous conversation was attractive, it didn't mean he would trust them completely.
"I have long heard that the Eagle of the KGB, the special department of Ursus, possesses a pair of sharp eyes. Mr. Gin's eyes are indeed as the rumors say."
The two men exchanged flatteries as if they were old friends who had known each other for years, acting as if the previous contest had never happened.
"Please, have a seat. We can talk while sitting down. If we keep standing like this, outsiders might think I've been a poor host to our two guests." As he spoke, Wei Yenwu motioned for them to sit. Opposite his large desk were two chairs prepared in advance and freshly brewed tea.
That was high-quality tea specially purchased from the heart of Yan. Normally, Wei Yenwu himself was stingy with it, deliberating for a long time before deciding to brew a single cup for his own enjoyment. Usually, he only used such precious tea when hosting VIPs; for general meetings, he would use a lower grade.
In most cases, guests who came here wouldn't even touch their teacups. They came to discuss cooperation, and no matter how thirsty they were, they wouldn't interrupt the flow of conversation—nor did they have the time to savor tea. Today, however, was an exception. These two were genuinely thirsty; leaving a cup of tea in front of them without drinking it was simply too distracting. Even with their training, they had gone without a drop of water during the long, high-intensity battle and the subsequent heat of the flames. Their dehydration was severe.
On the other hand, their willingness to drink the tea signified their trust that the host would not engage in meaningless, petty tricks here; it was a sign of sufficient trust in the host.
"Now then, first, I thank you both for your assistance in this incident. On another matter... I wonder what your country meant by 'better communication' mentioned during the call?" Seeing that the road-weary pair had recovered slightly, Wei Yenwu raised his question, looking directly at them.
He recalled his conversation with their superior—that fellow with whom he had exchanged words only a handful of times—and the vague mention of mutual cooperation. What was the plan? He had attempted to communicate regarding cooperation with Ursus before, but no matter how hard he tried, those messages always vanished like stones dropped into the ocean. If Lungmen could lower its guard against Ursus even slightly, its future development would surely reach a brand-new level. This time, in the dialogue with that high-ranking official in Ursus, the other party seemed very interested in some form of cooperation.
"Actually, we didn't provide much meaningful assistance in this operation. If anything, we were merely spectators. The person who truly turned the tide was someone else." Gin shook his head, refusing to claim credit. He truly felt he hadn't contributed much. In the end, the one who exerted the real effort was Lady Jeanne. Regarding such a grand figure whom even the Emperor would treat with courtesy, he had no intention of stealing her merits. He knew well that every friendly cooperation begins to crack over small matters, eventually leading to a total break.
"As for the 'communication,' we are simply delivering a message to you—and perhaps even to the Yan behind you." At these words, Gin's gaze became incredibly sharp. He repeated the message given to him by his superiors word for word in the Yan language:
"In the coming period, our country will undergo a 'cleansing' to purge certain unsavory elements. In this process, some friction may occur with your esteemed country..." Gin described their upcoming actions in a very tactful manner, seemingly deliberating on how to speak without being misunderstood as making a threat.
"I see. When cleaning a room, it is understandable that some dust might drift into a neighbor's home." Wei Yenwu nodded, silently marveling at the implication. It seemed the other side was planning something massive. This was exactly why they were worried those elements might proactively incite a war—and of the nations surrounding Ursus, Yan was the most likely to end up in a conflict with them.
Hearing Wei Yenwu's hint of understanding, the rest of the conversation proceeded much more smoothly, lasting until the sun began to set. When the emissaries were seen off, the expressions on both sides suggested that everyone had obtained what they wanted. It could be called a win-win outcome.
"It seems Ursus is about to get quite lively." Wei Yenwu watched their departing figures, weighing which side had the better chance of winning in the coming struggle, and what troubles his "lonely city" might have to handle. Thinking of this, and of the recent mess, he felt that his fine head of hair might suffer a devastating blow under this level of workload.