There's this, too!
Bai Cha was startled. The little panda, tilting its head, clearly had no idea what these two inexplicably arrived creatures were talking about. It merely put down its banana and, in an instant, scampered away and vanished.
Actually, it didn't vanish in an instant; it rolled away. Being so fluffy and round made it rather clumsy. While trying to escape, it tripped over a stone and tumbled down a slope, disappearing from view.
Bai Cha: "..."
Ah, so cute!
"If Master fancies it, we can stay in the forest a little longer today. However, we must still return home before nine in the evening," Lucifer said with a smile. "Your body is too depleted from years of hardship; the extra meal tonight is unavoidable."
"When did I say I fancied it..." Bai Cha retorted, but the way she bent down to pick up the banana clearly showed a hint of excitement.
Lucifer had been by Bai Cha's side for two years and finally saw Bai Cha exhibiting the demeanor of a young girl.
"Then let's stay in the forest a bit longer today." Bai Cha's small face flushed slightly. She picked up the banana and handed it to Lucifer, "Let's go, let's go. The banana can be eaten, right?"
"Yes." Lucifer snapped back to attention, took the banana, and placed it in his storage bracelet. Watching Bai Cha walk ahead so easily, Lucifer gently pressed a hand to his chest, feeling a pang of pain.
Lucifer remembered that the first time he saw Bai Cha, he thought she was devoid of emotion.
The pink crystal flowers Bai Cha strung onto the necklace at her collarbone reflected the sunlight, stinging Lucifer's eyes. Lucifer knew that Freya had left too deep an imprint on Bai Cha's heart, perhaps becoming the final straw that crushed her.
Lucifer knew that Bai Cha possessed intense emotions, she just didn't express them. She was cold and precise, like a flawless machine. As the leader, she needed nothing beyond rationality; neither happiness nor sorrow could be exploited by enemies.
Bai Cha would tell him to rest first, to avoid danger, and would plan everything to ensure his logistics were in order, then she would take the path of nine deaths and one life.
On her seventeenth birthday, he was her gift. Now, Bai Cha was nearly nineteen.
On the third day, even more preposterous things happened.
When Bai Cha woke up, Lucifer was a little confused as he pulled back the curtains for her. They blinked at each other, surrounded by fluffy birds. Bai Cha, sensing something was amiss, was also startled by the scene.
The windowsill was covered in flowers. Bai Cha looked at the somewhat bare tree not far away and didn't know what to say.
Did you really not consider the tree's feelings when picking flowers to give to someone?
This seemed to be the paradise Freya had longed for. Small animals came to see Bai Cha every day, or rather, they were curious about the two outsiders. Lucifer and Bai Cha were generous, leaving all sorts of delicious food, fruits, and vegetables at their doorstep to feed the various small animals.
In return, the island's original inhabitants responded with equal enthusiasm.
Some within the organization had already internally decreed Bai Cha's vacation a death sentence. However, the chaos that the Light Faction had anticipated in Country Z did not materialize.
In the conference room, where there had only been one seat initially, there were now four. Two faces were stern, and two were smiling.
The atmosphere in the conference room was frozen.
"Mr. Meng, isn't the Shadow Faction going too far? The profit from this is already not much, yet you demand half of it?" Someone from the Light Faction, sweat beading on his forehead, felt compelled to speak up. While it was true that the one who stuck their neck out often got hit, he truly had no choice but to step forward now.
This particular project required the Shadow Faction's military might. Unbeknownst to them, a portion of the national defense authority, recently acquired from the Shadow Faction, had been inexplicably dismantled. This wasn't the first time; the power that the Light Faction had painstakingly acquired was now being relinquished, a third of it lost bit by bit.
The losses weren't just in power, but also in substantial funds. The Shadow Faction had never demanded such things before. Since they began vying for power, many of the Light Faction's projects had progressed slowly, lacking sufficient funding.
"Because we contributed half the effort. Otherwise, shall we withdraw all our people now?" Meng Qinghuan's voice was soft, and he grinned playfully, his demeanor far from serious. "Don't dwell on such minor details; you're still making a profit, aren't you?"
Damn it, that infuriating tone again.
The people from the Light Faction were so angered that veins bulged on their foreheads. Yet, most of them gritted their teeth but dared not truly vent their frustration.
After Bai Cha's incident, the Shadow Faction seized the opportunity to increase its seats, expanding from one to four.
Objections were invalid. The neutral faction directly approved. The Shadow Faction used their military threat. However, the four seats weren't all utilized in the same way. Two individuals, smiling, were responsible for diplomacy, while the other two were completely unknown; they said not a single word throughout the entire meeting.
Xiang Nan would occasionally interject or whisper to Meng Qinghuan, but Jing Ji truly said nothing, merely occasionally lifting her brilliant eyes to gaze at the objectors.
Her eyes, her gaze, were so chilling that those who were stared at felt their lives were hanging by a thread. Those with weaker psychological fortitude would still be trembling even after leaving the room.
Wasn't this an obvious threat?
Yet, after Bai Cha's ordeal, the Shadow Faction's morale seemed to soar, or rather, their anger was mixed with resentment. Not only the Light Faction but even the neutral faction dared not provoke them.
Moreover, at the assembly where Bai Cha had her incident, the Light Faction had been the first to point out the Shadow Faction's perceived errors and suggested stripping the authority of both the Shadow Faction and Bai Cha. This was highly criticized.
In fact, these were basic tactics. When Bai Cha chaired meetings, they would always resort to a round of slandering and accusation, only to be retorted by Bai Cha, scolded, and then sheepishly retreat. Everyone had grown accustomed to it.
The problem was that this time, something had genuinely happened. Bai Cha had said nothing, but the fact was that Bai Cha had been poisoned and was close to death. With the entire world watching, there was no way to wash away the stain. Yet, after leading Country Z to victory in the world championships, Bai Cha was still the world number one, her reputation at its peak.
Netizens had bombarded the official websites of everyone connected to the Light Faction repeatedly. All members of the Light Faction were too afraid to utter a word. Ordinary staff members suffered greatly due to the repercussions. The neutral faction, led by a prominent figure, had nearly ousted the Light Faction from their positions. During this period, Mo Yuntian had been walking on eggshells.
What do you mean by "you're still making a profit"? They were originally pursuing profits. Now that the profits were so meager, what was the point of them undertaking this project in the first place?
The person who had just stood up to speak was filled with righteous indignation but dared not voice it.
"Mr. Meng, this isn't right, is it? The Shadow Faction are guardians of the nation, considered military personnel. How can you discuss profits like merchants now?" someone else stood up. "Previously, the Shadow Faction was diligent and dedicated. Have they now abandoned their past ideals and become merchants?"
"Wow~" Meng Qinghuan exclaimed with exaggerated laughter, his mouth splitting into a grin that revealed two rows of white teeth, which seemed to flash dazzlingly under the light.
The words that followed made over half the people in the room change their expressions.
"Excellent idea! Xiao Nan, do you also think this is a fantastic idea?" Meng Qinghuan turned around excitedly, clenching his fist. He was so delicately featured, almost feminine, that his antics made him look like a pouting young girl.
In such a high-level meeting, attended by distinguished individuals, Meng Qinghuan was likely the only one who seemed so lacking in seriousness, appearing like a foolish simpleton. Yet, he was a smiling tiger, and no one dared to underestimate him.
Xiang Nan leaned back in his chair, glancing at Meng Qinghuan. He didn't object, appearing lazy and somewhat indifferent. In that moment, everyone felt as if they saw Bai Cha's shadow.
Truly worthy of being Bai Cha's right-hand man.
Mo Ziye folded his arms, maintaining a calm expression throughout, saying nothing. In his heart, he silently cursed them as fools.
Did Bai Cha, who always charged ahead and bore the brunt of everything for the Shadow Faction, truly think that Bai Cha was a simpleton? She attracted fire so crudely. Did these people truly fail to realize that the Shadow Faction wasn't solely reliant on Bai Cha?
Mo Ziye genuinely didn't understand what these old fellows had been doing with their lives. Before he inherited his past life memories, his relationship with the Shadow Faction had become somewhat strained and even conflicted due to Cang Liu's interference. Even so, Mo Ziye could deduce that Xiang Nan and Meng Qinghuan were Bai Cha's true disciples.
A little bit of investigation would reveal the truth. Mo Ziye couldn't understand what some people were thinking.
Perhaps it truly was the end of the Light Faction's era. Mo Ziye thought to himself, his heart untouched.
He felt he might be suffering from a "love brain." He could fulfill his duties and conduct experiments, but he truly couldn't, after seeing how Bai Cha was treated, blindly support his faction like his father.
"Alright, Brother Qinghuan, speaking of merchants is a bit too serious. I only hope that this gentleman will speak cautiously. After all, the Shadow Faction didn't grow by drinking the northwest wind," Li Rong said with a light chuckle, shaking his head. His gentle tone, combined with his refined demeanor, was convincing. The gentle tone also slightly soothed the expressions of the attendees.
However, their expressions turned grim again within two seconds.
"Of course, in future conversations, please refrain from mentioning the Shadow Faction's past. Since it's a past that everyone abandoned, why should we be reminded to learn from it?" Li Rong smiled. "Didn't all of you expend great effort to drive away the past that slandered us, all for the sake of the present?"
For the present? How could that be?
If they had known that this group from the Shadow Faction would be so much more ruthless than Bai Cha's previous group, completely stifling them, they would never have driven Bai Cha away.
At least when Bai Cha was around, they had much more room to maneuver.
Many people lowered their heads, their faces contorted with suppressed emotion.
A significant portion of them desperately wanted to stand up and directly accuse Li Rong, telling him not to spout nonsense. While they all knew the truth about slandering and driving away, they certainly wouldn't be pleased if it were stated in front of everyone.
However, before they could speak, Jing Ji's blade-like gaze swept over them, instantly silencing the crowd. Some felt a cold sweat break out on their backs.
Although Bai Cha was no longer present, the Shadow Faction seemed to remain the Shadow Faction. Their intuition told them that if they were to speak out now, they might face dire consequences.
"Also, we can't accept these few tasks. Such miscellaneous things like searching for people should be handled by local law enforcement. Why would they send the Minister of National Defense to help find children?" Meng Qinghuan pouted, pushing several task lists forward. "Besides, it's our weekend these past two days. You want us to rush over? What are you thinking?"
The two individuals from the neutral faction stood up, their faces flushed red, and silently took back the task lists.
Previously, they had attempted to force the Shadow Faction to accept all these miscellaneous tasks, just as Bai Cha had done. However, the consequences were severe. The Shadow Faction went on strike for an entire week, nearly plunging them into complete chaos, and three to four individuals were directly dismissed from their positions.