Suddenly, a man resembling an instructor roared without warning: “Go!” His voice seemed to freeze, heavy with fury. The dozen or so men simultaneously raised the steel-wired rubber batons in their hands in perfect unison, roared once, and savagely brought them down with all their might onto the woman they had surrounded!

At that moment, the woman pinned in the middle seemed to anticipate their attack. She suddenly executed a backflip on the spot, even pulling her knees to her chest mid-air, giving the impression of being as light as a soaring bird. She skillfully vaulted clear over the head of the man behind her. While this move was incredibly difficult, strictly speaking, it was something often seen in Olympic gymnastics routines for women—certainly not an impossible feat for a human.

Though their first strike failed, the dozen or so men did not lose heart. Instead, they immediately reformed into an alternating, staggered line, lining up as squarely as a thick wall blocking the woman’s path. Gripping their batons, they pressed forward relentlessly. Europeans are naturally imposing, and coupled with their synchronized footsteps, it created the sensation of a massive army bearing down on her.

But just then, the man at the very front bellowed and swung his baton forward. Yet, no sooner had his voice fallen than he suddenly felt a lightness in his hand, experiencing the sensation of swinging through empty air, his balance lost as he staggered forward. On closer inspection, they realized the baton he held had been knocked clean out of his grasp, clattering against the wall with a snap. He groaned in pain, clutching his chest as he slowly collapsed to the ground.

In the hand of the tall, cold woman opposite, two slender, gleaming foil swords had appeared at some unknown point! However, the tips of these foils were blunted and broken—practice swords, likely. Even so, judging by the man’s pained expression, the breastbone beneath the impact point might very well be fractured; the force of that strike had been tremendous.

Having landed her blow, the cold, tall woman spread her arms like a bird unfurling its wings, crossing them sharply in front of her, producing a crisp clang.

Immediately following this, the remaining men maintained their formation, stepping forward in unison! They then closed in for the encirclement! The three men close enough to strike the woman simultaneously swung their steel-wired rubber batons with force! These weapons tore through the air, even emitting a muffled whoosh!

The woman retreated a step, evading the combined assault of the three men. But the next second, her gleaming swords sliced through the air, leaving trails of silver scratches, occasionally punctuated by a sudden thrust that flashed like lightning—swift and abrupt! Her swordplay seemed focused on only two things: straight cuts and thrusts!

The leading men, without hesitation, roared, raising their batons to smash down. They advanced relentlessly, continuously swinging their clubs. The crystal-bright thin swords in the cold woman’s hands traced elegant lines in the air. Occasionally, the sound of someone falling with a dull thud could be heard. Every baton strike aimed at her was either cleverly dodged, directly deflected with ease, or simply swatted away!

As the number of figures in the arena gradually dwindled, the cold woman’s gleaming foils carved two dazzling trajectories through the air, crossing and slicing with a whoosh. Amidst fleeting sparks, she dipped low and slid forward, moving with the grace of a fluttering butterfly, arriving before the instructor. Her two thin crystal swords darted out like a viper’s tongue, aimed precisely at his throat!

The instructor roared, ducking low to execute a sweeping leg counterattack. But the woman retreated slightly, avoiding his strike. The foil in her left hand shot out like a viper’s dart, grazing his collar and pinning his entire jacket to the floor.

This thrust was clearly delivered with restraint; otherwise, how could it have missed? The instructor's face was terribly grim. He shook his head slowly and sighed with resignation.

Having delivered that strike, the tall woman also sheathed her swords and stood still. She had shown no strength surpassing that of a normal person earlier, relying purely on her sword techniques in combat—yet she had fought ten men! Those burly men, clearly subjected to rigorous training, were utterly incapable of landing a blow against her! Her mastery of combat technique was astounding.

Even after her victory, she showed no trace of joy. She merely let out a long breath of stale air, casually tossing aside the two foils she held. She took a snow-white towel respectfully offered by someone nearby and wiped her face. Immediately afterward, a handsome, charming male assistant approached, holding a tray bearing a mobile phone:

“Director Su, the foundation’s board meeting was held this afternoon in your absence, and the three resolutions passed are extremely disadvantageous to us. Mr. Kelly Zans also just called, stating he wishes to discuss some cooperation matters with you.”

This woman appeared to be only twenty-five or twenty-six, yet she was called ‘Director’ within the world’s foremost e-Foundation! Furthermore, her authority seemed significant enough that other board members were joining forces to suppress her! Such an age coupled with such achievement was nothing short of legendary.

The Director Su waved her hand dismissively, sneering coldly: “Let them pass! These fools have probably had too much time on their hands and are overestimating themselves! Tell Kelly Zans to wait! He is naive if he thinks the board’s decisions can influence me?”

As she spoke, she didn't even bother to answer the phone, heading directly toward the office at the far end of the training hall. Her eyebrows, however, remained slightly furrowed. Suddenly, Director Su, who had already walked seventeen or eighteen meters, turned her head back toward the assistant:

“The matter I asked you to investigate—any news?”

The assistant looked visibly troubled: “Director Su, the terms you offered were too few. There is an overwhelming amount of news and bizarre incidents connected to ‘Sailors.’ Our personnel are simply overwhelmed trying to keep up.”

Director Su abruptly spun around, a faint smile touching her lips, and a teasing, knowing glint appearing in her eyes—yet it was as sharp as a blade! “Is that so? I instructed you to allocate five hundred pounds to a private investigator named Sock for a single task via one phone call. I didn't order surveillance on the London stock market, yet you deployed vast funds and resources! Of course, you’re overwhelmed.”

The assistant looked up, his expression earnest and sincere: “Miss Su, your directorship within the Foundation is currently under threat. I implore you to set aside those peculiar notions for now and focus your energy on the Foundation’s business.”

Miss Su took a deep breath and said coldly: “Do I need you to teach me how to conduct myself?”

The male assistant stammered, then managed a wry smile: “But you are directly channeling your energy and tens of millions of Euros toward an outlandish objective—oh, no, you didn’t even provide a reason—just demanding the collection of all global news and bizarre incidents related to sailors! Ignoring the imminent danger to focus on such an absurd and strange pursuit…... I cannot stand by and watch you make such a mess.”

The Director Su suddenly enunciated every word clearly: “You are fired.”

The charming male assistant froze, seemingly unable to process the words: “What?”

Director Su completely ignored him, addressing another stunned female assistant standing nearby: “Process his resignation. In my department, I do not tolerate people who second-guess my judgment! In my department, there is only one voice! Mine. My will! Once an order is issued from me, you must execute it with absolute commitment! When I, Su Linzi, speak, it is the rule, it is the rationale, and it is a command that admits no compromise!”

The female assistant opened and closed her mouth several times. Su Linzi’s phoenix eyes swept toward her: “Do you wish to resign as well?”

The female assistant snapped back to reality instantly: “Yes! Yes, Director Su, I’ll handle it immediately!”

At this point, Su Linzi didn't spare the charming male assistant even a glance and walked directly toward the distant office. The dismissed assistant felt as if he had fallen into a nightmare with no beginning or end. He had maneuvered and schemed his way into the Foundation solely for this incredibly cold and beautiful Director Su.

Last month, he had been incredibly fortunate to invite Director Su to dinner—a feat rumored to be a complete first within the e-Foundation. Since then, he had subtly positioned himself as her protector. He never expected that today’s storm-like blow would violently shatter his beautiful dream, reducing him to his original state!

Meanwhile, the cold and elegant Director Su Linzi, now wearing high heels and clacking down the corridor, was grinding her teeth while whispering a single name: “Sailor…...”

Fang Senyan woke up to find he had slept for a full day and night, leaving him starving. After quickly washing up, he couldn't be bothered to cook. He headed straight to the docks to find something to eat. There was a small eatery there with booming business. As Fang Senyan reached the entrance, he was enveloped by an indescribably rich aroma, and he immediately went in and took a seat, ordering the house specialty: Dongpo Pork Knuckle.

Not long after, the owner, wearing an apron that looked like it hadn't been washed in ages, began serving the dishes. Apparently, the dish was already stewed. He brought over a sealed jar, using a rag to hold it, peeled back the lotus leaf covering the mouth of the jar, and casually placed a clean plate over the opening before inverting the jar. The dense, potent fragrance erupted immediately. Smelling it, Fang Senyan’s stomach let out a loud gurgle, and he hastily started dishing out his own portion and eating.