LRAB Page 112
Page 112
That's right. No matter how much the duties of the internal guards involve accessing and handling all sorts of shady intelligence, it's all for naught if they lack experience and knowledge.
This group of inner guards, who should have known a great deal, were actually new inner guards who knew nothing except the basic knowledge and skills that inner guards should know and their memories before becoming inner guards. Before they had a chance to start accumulating knowledge, their first mission was to be sent to Longmen to test the waters.
Hoshiguma couldn't help but frown. "Thirteen of them? Even the team leader is a rookie? Sending the inner guards shows a lot of confidence in their abilities and a lot of cold-bloodedness towards them."
Regardless of the operation, even if it's just to ensure the mission goes smoothly, shouldn't there still be a system of "veterans mentoring newcomers" and "one person mentoring multiple people" in the internal security force, no matter how strong they are?
Hoshiguma couldn't help but sigh, "The resources needed to train a strongman like the Inner Guard are so cheap that we can use tens of figures as disposable pawns."
"Well, just looking at the demon fragments alone, the cost can't be cheap, right?" Yun Yi scratched his head. "Besides, training someone completely loyal to the country won't be cheap either—"
Swire's tiger tail quickly slipped inside Yun Yi's trench coat, poking her waist through the thin shirt, while interrupting her, reminding her, "Idiot, Hoshiguma is mocking Ursus, criticizing them for wasting resources, throwing away so many combatants who could change the course of small and medium-sized wars so easily."
"Huh?" Yun Yi's eyes widened in surprise, and he subconsciously looked at Hoshiguma in the distance, but because his eyesight was average, he could only barely make out her figure and could not see any details at all.
Yun Yi immediately turned back to look at the projection, which clearly displayed Hoshiguma's heroic face and tall figure.
Looking at Hoshiguma's beautiful, poised, and composed face in the projection, Yun Yi raised an eyebrow. "So Hoshiguma can be sarcastic too? I thought you were the type to directly rebuke her."
"You're overthinking it." A projection showing Chen Huijie's delicate features and upper body was displayed nearby, and the person next to her crossed their arms in sync with Chen Huijie in the distance. "Hoshiguma is no different from a normal person."
When angry, one might retaliate with a few sarcastic remarks, as sarcasm is usually more effective at venting anger than conventional rebukes.
The dragon's tail beside Chen Huijie's legs swayed gently in rhythm with the pauses in each syllable of her words, and the flowing mane at the end of the tail occasionally brushed against the back of her exposed calves.
"!" Yun Yi realized that he had inadvertently imposed a stereotype on Hoshiguma and even said it aloud—that was incredibly disrespectful to her!
She immediately lowered her head, clasped her hands together slightly above her head, and apologized profusely, "I'm sorry, Hoshiguma, I offended you. I'm sorry, I promise I won't do it again!"
Hoshiguma waved her hand and said magnanimously, "What's the big deal? Understanding between people is always a gradual process. It's perfectly normal for Miss Yunyi to make a wrong judgment based on my past behavior."
She glanced at the projection in front of Yun Yi, estimated the distance and direction, and suddenly leaned forward.
As Hoshiguma appeared in the projection in front of Yun Yi, she moved closer to the camera, instantly magnifying his handsome features.
A bright smile spread across her face, her smooth, slightly red lips revealing tiny, white teeth that were magnified proportionally, filling the entire screen. She looked incredibly cheerful. "Haha, don't worry. Compared to these unavoidable little mishaps during the process of getting to know each other, I care more about whether Miss Yunyi's understanding of me has improved."
"And has our relationship progressed further in this process?" Hoshiguma carefully examined the smooth, fair skin with a healthy glow, and the handsome face with a charming smile, accompanied by words that seemed to be an invitation, all of which fell into Yun Yi's eyes and ears.
Hoshiguma's presence reached its peak at that moment.
Her eyebrows rose as she relaxed, her eyes curved into crescents with a smile, her nostrils flared slightly with a tremor, and her lips parted in a broad grin, revealing sharp teeth that lacked any edge due to their frankness. Even the gleaming horns on her forehead seemed to have lost their sharpness.
At this moment, Hoshiguma's entire face lost all its sharpness due to the surge of laughter, leaving only openness and enthusiasm.
Their comforting warmth, combined with Hoshiguma's striking good looks, became a direct and impactful bomb, blasting into Yunyi's mind and causing her originally peaceful emotions to surge.
"Uh? Of course." Yun Yi was so overwhelmed by the beauty that she couldn't help but smile foolishly as she looked at Hoshiguma in the projection, who seemed to be glowing under the light. She instinctively gave him an affirmative answer.
"Haha, that's good." Hoshiguma's cheerful smile deepened, and thankfully she also straightened up, distancing herself from the camera.
This slightly diminished the charm of her superior features and cheerful temperament—at least it brought Yun Yi back to his senses.
Volume 2: Fireworks at Longmen: Chapter 216 Yun Yi: Oh no, I think I'm about to become a scumbag (_)
Oh no, could it be that she's not only a Swire fan, but also a Hoshiguma fan?
Yun Yi was shocked to find himself easily captivated by Hoshiguma's beauty and charm, completely baffled.
Wait a minute? Hoshiguma has smiled at her like that before, and back then she just thought it looked nice... right?
Yun Yi, who couldn't recall the details, secretly gasped. Could it be that she had fallen in love with both of them at first sight? That's a bit too relatable...
The other three people present were unaware of Yun Yi's self-deprecating remarks. All they could see was Yun Yi staring blankly at Hoshiguma's face in front of the projection, as if he was lost in thought, but more like he was captivated by Hoshiguma's smile—he was mesmerized.
Hoshiguma's smile gradually faded, replaced by a helpless chuckle. This… her smile, which she had deliberately extended with goodwill and added a touch of charm, was perhaps a little too over the top…
Chen Huijie turned her head away, unable to bear to look, indicating that she couldn't bear to watch. "Lao Yun's self-control... needs improvement. Xing Xiong, remember to restrain yourself next time."
"Tone it down a bit? Tone down what? The extent of your laughter?" Realizing what he had just done, Hoshiguma guiltily turned his head away, coughing lightly with his fist to his lips. "Ahem, I'll be careful. But Old Chen, you..."
Hoshiguma hesitated, realizing from Chen Huijie's words that the other party still hadn't grasped the subtle tendencies regarding the contract. Should he remind her, or not?
As a reminder, Old Chen's excessively strong execution always gave her a subtle premonition that the other party would "annihilate" Yun Yi in some way, causing the seemingly still naive Yun Yi to completely "awaken".
After all, judging from Lao Chen's behavior, she unexpectedly seemed to have quite a bit of affection for Yun Yi.
It would be a bit unfair not to remind him, and it would be troublesome if Old Chen found out one day and had a conflict with Yun Yi.
As Hoshiguma hesitated, Chen Huijie curved her dragon tail and gave her a puzzled yet inexplicably clear look, "Me? What's wrong with me?"
“…It’s nothing.” Hoshiguma’s eyelids twitched slightly. She remained silent for a moment but chose not to remind him for the time being.
To discuss mushy love and affection with Chen Huijie's "innocent" eyes would destroy the purity of the relationship, and I, Hoshiguma, cannot bring myself to do it.
Chen Huijie had no idea what she had missed because of Hoshiguma's incredibly biased view of her. She only felt that Hoshiguma was acting strangely and was definitely hiding something from her.
And—leaving things unfinished is just too annoying!
Chen Huijie slapped the ground a few times in frustration, then retracted it on its own.
She desperately wanted to know what Hoshiguma had swallowed back, but she also knew that Hoshiguma was tight-lipped and wouldn't say what she didn't want to say. So she could only keep a close eye on him, hoping to find out the answer that had gone into Hoshiguma's stomach by observing him closely.
Seeing that Chen Huijie did not ask any further questions, Xingxiong secretly breathed a sigh of relief and then had the energy to observe Yunyi's condition again.
With the striking beauty of Shi Huaiya as a foundation, Yun Yi, standing in front of the projector, didn't remain silent for long. Aside from being momentarily stunned at the beginning, he spent the rest of his time internally discussing why he had fallen in love with two people at first sight.
As we all know, where there are two, there are three, and where there are three, there is no end to them.
After thinking it over, Yun Yi had to sadly realize that he was an even more obsessive person when it came to appearances than he had previously imagined.
She may not be bound by any particular style, whether it's physical appearance, behavior, or ethereal temperament and personality. As long as it's beautiful and makes her feel beautiful, she'll be somewhat moved—it's still the kind of appreciation.
However, perhaps it was because her own strength had increased and her bright future was visible that her ambition had been boosted, or perhaps it was because people saw her with such fear that she was like a cat seeing a mouse that her courage was increased. This appreciation became less pure, and the desire to touch her that arose with it grew stronger and stronger, and it felt like it was going to overshadow her.
Two versions of the story after the memories were triggered—was she a scumbag?
Yunyi, who at least possesses basic morality and conscience, felt quite helpless about this, and also felt puzzled, curious, eager to try, repulsed, and disgusted...
Amidst the interplay of positive and negative emotions, she couldn't find a precise answer to her restless desires, so she could only temporarily suppress these wildly flying thoughts and desires.
The various emotions swirling in Yun Yi's heart were also reflected in his eyes and brows. They were subtle, but not difficult for Shi Huaiya, who had excellent observation skills and was becoming increasingly familiar with Yun Yi, to immediately notice and take them in.
Is Yunyi... struggling with something that he feels ashamed of, desires, and finds repulsive?
After painstakingly analyzing the thoughts represented by Yun Yi's expression, Shi Huaiya couldn't help but fall into deep thought. It was so strange that she was intensely curious about what could have made Yun Yi's emotions so complicated.
Curiosity aside, business comes first.
Swire didn't let the scene remain silent for long. After Yun Yi calmed down a bit, she called out to him, whose mind seemed to have wandered off to the ends of the earth, "Yun Yi, snap out of it! There will be plenty of opportunities to watch Hoshiguma later. Now look at me—uh,"
Swire blushed as he made a slip of the tongue, and his tail almost got tied in a knot in his panic.
But to avoid falling into an even more awkward situation, she didn't have time to calm her bewildered feelings. She could only spit out the words quickly without pausing, her face burning uncontrollably, "No, I meant look outside, there are still eight guards waiting for us to deal with. If we don't come to our senses and waste time, we'll throw you down!"
Swire's blush spread from her hair and ears to her nose, and her eyes glistened with a hint of water as if she couldn't bear the sudden "mishap." Yet, her hand stubbornly pointed towards the edge of the disc, revealing a stubborn refusal to admit defeat.
This appearance, as seen by Yun Yi who had just come to his senses, was nothing short of divine.
Without hesitation, she blurted out, "You're so beautiful! Can I pinch your cheek? It feels so nice to touch."
Shi Huaiya's thin, fair face was flushed red, like a freshly steamed bun, giving people an irresistible desire to touch and pick up the food, even if it was scalding hot. If only she could take a bite.
—Spurred by the beautiful scenery Hoshiguma had previously witnessed, Yunyi seemed to find it easier to explore beauty, and his desires also increased considerably, though so far they only affected Swire and Hoshiguma.
Faced with Yun Yi's straightforward request, Shi Huaiya naturally chose to refuse, "No, you stay where you are and obediently operate your mecha!"
After scolding him, Shi Huaiya, fearing that Yun Yi would say something shocking again, immediately brought the topic of the inner guards back to the present, "Alright, let's get back to business."
"Oh." Yun Yi lowered his eyes dejectedly, looking as if all his enthusiasm had vanished, and his speech became as slow as a sloth's. "You~ say~, I~ am~ listening~~."
Actually, he was just being silly.
However, none of the others present had seen or heard the source of these words. The three of them assumed that Yun Yi was expressing his resentment to Shi Huai Ya and trying to soften her heart so that she would let him pinch her cheek.
ps:
I got Haruka from the ten free pulls—but I wanted Oni-chan! ahh ...
Ghost Sister, don't you love me? You've left me twice—waaaaaaah X﹏X
T^T
qaq
TAT
(Twisting and crawling) (Crying in the shadows) (Madly attacking Eagle Horn) (Madman's smile) Hehehe, I hope this event will definitely give me a prize!
Volume 2: Fireworks at Longmen: Chapter 217 (Multiple Dialogues) Chen Huijie: Impossible, absolutely impossible!
Swire chose to ignore it and instead focused his gaze on the projection displaying the outside world.
The projection showed an empty rooftop of a low-rise building, but eight positions were marked by red target acquisition boxes. Eight swaying figures were circled on the boxes by blurry color blocks; those were the surviving guards.
They stood there silently. Even though their two colleagues had disappeared without warning just minutes before, the guards remained motionless, silent, and showed no interaction with each other. Their positions looked like a disorganized mess.
Swire became even more certain of her speculation. She pressed her palms against the side of her face to cool down her burning cheeks, while raising the tip of her tail and wagging it to attract Yun Yi's attention. "Whether this batch of inner guards is old or new makes a huge difference to us. The value of the new inner guards to us has dropped significantly, and it is no longer worthwhile to continue wasting time on them."
"Hmm?" Yun Yi looked puzzled. "But I remember you said that the value of the inner guards' secrets is secondary. The key is that after dealing with them, we can extort start-up funds from Wei Yanwu and weaken the enemy's strength."
Do the interior defenders, whether old or new, have any impact on these two points?
“The fact that the Inner Guards were able to infiltrate the Imperial Guard Bureau alive must mean that they were confirmed by Wei Yanwu’s subordinates. Wei Yanwu probably knows more about this group of Inner Guards than we do,” Swire patiently explained. “Although the Inner Guards are Ursus’s top warriors, their role is more accurately described as the Emperor’s secret guards and personal assassins.”
“The value and danger level of people with this kind of status usually vary greatly between the old and new.” Swire’s eyes met Yun Yi’s. “If this inner guard had even one old inner guard, I could try to squeeze some money out of Wei Yanwu, but they don’t seem to have a single one. Sigh…”
As Swire spoke, the heat on her face gradually subsided. She breathed a sigh of relief, lowered her hand from her face, and revealed a hint of helplessness in her expression. "It's no longer possible to negotiate afterward. For things like eliminating targets that aren't particularly dangerous, you need to negotiate beforehand to get a suitable 'commission'."
“Furthermore,” she looked at the boundless white space outside the disc, “I don’t know how the Inner Guards were trained, but their inability to fight the Nirvana is probably not that different.”
Yun Yi's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he stroked his chin with interest. "You mean, with the Nirvana here, we don't need to consider the internal guards' hostility at all? Therefore, there's no need to mention reducing their combat strength?"
The Nirvana is indeed very strong. If I remember correctly, the Inner Guard is considered top-tier among mortals in Terra.
“It’s impossible that it’s completely unnecessary,” Swire shook his head, turning his tiger ears. “But its necessity is no longer worth wasting our precious time. Once the locals in Ursus realize what’s happening, it won’t be as easy for us to establish an independent regime on the border as it is now. It’s better to just take Lungmen directly.”
Before he could finish speaking, while Yun Yi was still thinking, Chen Huijie's pupils suddenly contracted and her dragon tail stiffened.
After finishing her sentence, Swire didn't intend to say anything more. Instead, she looked up at Yun Yi, waiting for her response.
Chen Huijie could no longer bear it. She suddenly questioned, her voice rising involuntarily, "Seize the Dragon Gate?! What nonsense are you spouting, Swire!"
As she spoke, Chen Huijie's hand had already begun to reach for the Red Cloud at her waist, but was quickly stopped by Hoshiguma who grabbed her wrist. "Calm down, Chen. Miss was just using an analogy; she didn't really mean to do that."
“Hoshiguma, do you even believe that yourself?” Chen Huijie tried to break free from Hoshiguma’s grasp but couldn’t. She turned to look at Hoshiguma seriously. “That’s exactly what she thinks!”
Yunyi and Xingxiong both said they would seize Longmen, and Chen Huijie could treat it as a joke, but Shi Huaiya couldn't.
Given the right conditions, the other side would indeed seize Lungmen without any hesitation, shattering the original order of Lungmen.
"Things won't get to that point, and thinking about it... it won't really happen." Hoshiguma guiltily looked away, but didn't loosen her grip on Chen Huijie's hand.
Chen Huijie frowned, secretly annoyed.
Will the bet come true? There are too many variables, especially with Swire, who doesn't follow the rules he should, and adheres to the less necessary rules in a pathological way.
It's entirely possible that the other party has other ideas and plans, and might even be causing trouble with Yun Yi.
To be honest, Chen Huijie doesn't oppose things like taking over the Dragon Gate, just as Hoshiguma had already anticipated this.
With her and Hoshiguma overseeing things, even if Lungmen is captured, it won't cause any major problems. In fact, Yun Yi, who is a miracle worker, and Swire, who is quick-witted, might even make Lungmen better and realize her ideal.
The reason Chen Huijie was aware of this, yet still angry after hearing Shi Huaiya's words about seizing Longmen, was because the timing was wrong.
The above scenario requires a mature timing and patient, meticulous, and long-term operation to achieve without harming the citizens or Lungmen.
Swire is taking Lungmen without any preparation. Is he planning to use Lungmen as a testing ground?
Thinking of this, Chen Huijie immediately glared angrily at Shi Huaiya, "Taking over Lungmen now will definitely cause unnecessary and irreversible damage to Lungmen! Don't even think about doing that!"
"You idiot dragon, is your brain filled with char siu?" Swire responded with a sneer. She crossed her arms and gave Chen Huijie a condescending look, as if she were looking down on a fool. "Don't think you're the only one upholding justice. How could I possibly harm Lungmen? Who said that seizing power always requires a thunderous attack? Don't you know the term 'gradual progress'?"
“Yeah, Old Chen, you know how well Miss follows the rules.” Hoshiguma held Chen Huijie’s wrist and pulled her slightly with his fingertips. “Don’t get excited. That’s just the worst-case scenario. After all, we still need a place where we can fight.”
Poetic sentiments and refined manners...
Yun Yi raised an eyebrow. This sounded a bit strange at first glance. Didn't they just circumvent the law and commit five murders in private? Previously, when she was wanted by the city government, Swire also led her to run away.
If at first she thought Swire valued order and followed rules because of her memories of the game from her previous life, Yunyi never felt that Swire followed rules again after he started openly plotting all sorts of rebellious things in front of her.
But Chen Huijie didn't seem to think so. After hearing Xingxiong's words, she actually calmed down considerably. Clearly, in her eyes, Swire was indeed the kind of person who followed the rules.
Even after calming down, Chen Huijie's gaze towards Swire remained unchanged, still not very friendly, but the dragon tail behind her was no longer stiff and instead resumed its normal gentle swaying arc.