The three of them answered crisply and cleanly, without the slightest hesitation.
Watching their firm expressions, Liu Yunshuang understood immediately.
They were prodigies and elites, and Liu Yunshuang herself was naturally a clever and perceptive person.
She saw it clearly: although these three had different personalities and seemed easy to get along with on a daily basis, in reality, they were all deep-thinking and experienced in their actions, far more mature than she was.
To use her niece's words: after experiencing a life full of all sorts of stories, coming to this world now was just to completely slack off and enjoy a carefree life.
Thinking of this, Liu Yunshuang sighed softly, and the slight thought of trying to recruit them completely vanished.
In the future, she only hoped to maintain their relationship well; as for what they did or what they were planning, they could just tacitly understand each other and leave some leeway.
Liu Yunshuang raised her hand to refill their tea. The fresh tea, steeped in boiling water, carried a clear, refreshing fragrance that slowly dispersed the slightly stagnant atmosphere in the office.
She picked up her own teacup and took a light sip, a faint smile naturally spreading across her face.
"I understand."
Watching Liu Yunshuang raise her cup to drink, the three exchanged glances, and this time, they did not decline.
They picked up the teacups on the table, their fingertips touching the warm cup walls, and each took a light sip.
The subtle atmosphere in the office dissipated with this sip of clear tea, and the matter was officially considered passed.
However, this conversation did not end with the putting down of the teacups.
Liu Yunshuang put down her teacup, her previously relaxed expression instantly withdrawn, and her tone became a bit more solemn.
"Sorry, I need to take a few more minutes of your time."
"What I want to say next is something I would like to ask for your help with, in my private capacity as a 'friend.'"
As soon as the new topic was brought up, Cipher and the other two understood instantly—after going such a long way around, this was probably Liu Yunshuang's true purpose today.
No wonder she specifically asked Cipher to stay earlier; this must have been planned from the very beginning.
Liu Yunshuang did not hide anything, directly taking out a file she had organized during this time from the drawer.
Compared to the previous detailed document, the content of this one was much more concise.
"This commission is my private request."
Her voice paused slightly, and she spoke with a serious tone.
"First, I can confirm that this matter is extremely high-risk, and currently, the specific details regarding the mission are almost entirely unknown."
"So, if you feel it's difficult, please don't force yourselves; just refuse directly."
Hearing this, the three of them remained composed.
A glimmer of interest flashed in Cipher's eyes, and she gently swayed the tip of her Tail, replying in a light tone.
"Rest assured, as long as the gold coins are sufficient, everything is negotiable! Tell us quickly, what exactly is it?"
Seeing that the three looked calm, without showing any signs of difficulty or resistance, Liu Yunshuang then spoke slowly.
"My commission, the primary goal is to ask you all to protect the safety of my niece Liu Xiyue, who is also Flame Heart."
At this, the three finally had a clear reaction—either raising their eyebrows slightly or shifting their eyes, with confusion and curiosity intertwined in their eyes.
Firefly spoke first, her tone full of confusion.
"Xiyue, isn't she recognized as the strongest in the Dragon Kingdom? Why would someone like that still need to be specifically protected?"
Liu Yunshuang sighed slowly, a touch of helplessness coloring her brows.
"To be honest, I don't know much about the specific inside story of this matter. It's all the fault of that old man in my family who loves to act like a riddle-maker..."
Liu Yunshuang steadied herself and began to briefly explain the annihilation prophecy regarding Muyun City.
The three had different reactions after hearing it.
Firefly's eyes widened suddenly, and obvious worry instantly surfaced on her face as she blurted out.
"Oh no, Stelle is still in Muyun City!"
"What? Little Grey? She also came to this world? And she's still in Muyun City?"
Cipher, who had been resting her chin on her hand and clicking her tongue in wonder at the prophecy, was stunned upon hearing this. Her ears instantly perked up, and she turned her head to look at Firefly with a face full of surprise.
"Hmm? Miss Firefly, don't you know about the prophecy?"
Seeing Firefly's reaction was so intense, Liu Yunshuang's hand holding the teacup paused, and a touch of confusion surfaced in her eyes.
Logically speaking, isn't Firefly also part of the Stellaron Hunters? Didn't Silver Wolf mention this prophecy to her?
After all, her conversation with Silver Wolf back then was still vivid in her memory.
For the sake of prudence, she had specifically kept the three of them behind.
She intended to confirm it formally once more.
"Hmm? How would I know?"
Firefly asked back subconsciously. Just as she finished speaking, she seemed to suddenly realize something.
Almost at the same instant, both Firefly and Liu Yunshuang's gazes shot towards Silver Wolf on the side, the confusion in their eyes self-evident.
The latter was stunned for a few seconds, then raised her hand to scratch her cheek, her tone carrying obvious embarrassment.
"Oh?!! It was too long ago, I accidentally forgot!"
The two of them ( ๑ ˙ ー ˙ ๑ ): ...
However, soon, Liu Yunshuang shifted her attention away from Silver Wolf and was instead attracted by another question.
"By the way, who is this Stelle you mentioned just now?"
It could instantly attract the attention and reaction of the three.
It felt like in the hearts of the three, the weight of this name seemed even heavier than the impending catastrophe of that city.
If Firefly and the others knew the other party's thoughts, they would definitely give a thumbs up and affirm: That's a must.
Silver Wolf ( ᗜ ˰ ᗜ ): "Gaming partner."
Cipher ( = ↀ ⩊ ↀ = ) ੭ ﾞ: "Accomplice."
Firefly ( ⁄ ⁄ • ⁄ ω ⁄ • ⁄ ⁄ ): "...Just ordinary friends."
Liu Yunshuang's mouth twitched.
Ignoring Firefly's inexplicable blushing, she reached a fair conclusion.
An Otherworlder had appeared in Muyun City, and they had a very good relationship with the three people in front of her.
Silver Wolf held the document, frowning as she raised a question.
"What exactly is the use of this document of yours?"
The document was full of recent information about Muyun City; the content wasn't much, and it could be read quickly.
But the problem was that this information had no connection, was disorganized, and even the authenticity of the information itself was highly questionable.
Liu Yunshuang sighed helplessly and explained.
"The old man in my family is very tight-lipped and won't reveal a single word, plus the prophecy itself is vague and unclear, without any certainty."
"This document is what I managed to scrape together by using all my private connections and casting a wide net among news related to Muyun City; it's already the most valuable content I could filter out."
Judging from the old man's reaction, this prophecy was definitely not ordinary; it was likely a catastrophe capable of overturning everything.
Precisely because of this, the current situation of Muyun City was very subtle—the authorities had no public rescue or response measures; to say it had been abandoned, but it wasn't entirely the case either.
If even Flame Heart couldn't solve it, then sending more people would be meaningless.
"Eh, what is this news?!!"
Cipher's blue eyes scanned casually, unexpectedly capturing an interesting piece of information, and she immediately became interested.
One of the items on the document was exactly the post she had been paying attention to not long ago.
Silver Wolf glanced at it nonchalantly, her tone full of mockery.
"This kind of trick, which is obviously a phishing attempt or a scam, would anyone actually believe it?"
Cipher, however, slowly shook her head, her Tail tip swaying gently, and a meaningful smile hooked the corners of her mouth.
"Who knows... but, how are you so sure this is a phishing attempt?"