Among the entourage, a handsome young man leaned in and whispered a few words to the translator, who nodded repeatedly with a smile. After persuading the young man a few more times, the man, unable to resist any longer, walked toward the twin sisters.

“Two lovely young ladies, I am an official from the Kyoto City Government. My name is Wugong. We noticed you both while accompanying our guests from Country M. We would like to invite you to be the image ambassadors for this business cooperation with our friends from Country M. What do you think? Of course, the remuneration will be quite substantial, and you could even appear on television. With your temperament, appearing on TV could very well attract talent scouts, leading to instant stardom.”

Before I even heard the end of it, I was about to erupt and smash the large dictionary over Wugong’s head. I never expected to run into him here, and what’s more, he dared to approach Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang with such intentions—was he looking for death?

“Get lost! My voice was loud because of all the atrocious things he did to Cheng Susu in the past.”

Wugong was stunned into silence. Even if the person before him didn't know his identity, how could anyone respond to such a polite and gentle invitation with those words!

“You! You! Who are you to yell at me like that!” Wugong became furious.

I wasn't afraid of a complete falling out with Wugong; in fact, I wanted the rift to be as severe as possible. I wanted him to know that Cheng Susu was not someone he could touch! And Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang were certainly not people he could even dream about.

“I am the one who is going to take your life. Stay away from Cheng Susu from now on. If I ever find out you’re scheming against her in the shadows again, I will kick your head into dust!”

Saying this, I kicked the marble floor. Boom—an imprint, nearly an inch deep, appeared on the stone surface. This force left Wugong speechless for a moment, unsure how to reply.

“You… you were sent by the Cheng family?” Wugong asked tentatively.

I replied, “No one sent me. Go tell that Edward of yours: either he gets back to Country M early, or he stays put honestly in Da Long Country. Otherwise, he better watch his dog life!”

“You audacious fool! Threatening a foreign guest! Security! Security! Hurry up and grab this person; he’s a terrorist!” Wugong realized this person was no pushover, but he wasn't easy to bully either, especially with Mayor Chen backing him up today. What was there to fear?

Mayor Chen and the translator also saw the commotion developing. Although the translator found the young man opposite him somewhat familiar, after days of running errands for Edward, he had completely forgotten about the incident at Hualong Fast Food.

The accompanying security guards quickly moved in to maintain order. With the security personnel behind him, Wugong’s imposing demeanor returned. He pointed at me and declared, “It’s him! He just threatened to take Mr. Edward’s life.”

Mayor Chen feared the situation escalating and creating a bad impression on Edward. He walked toward us and said, “Have them arrested first and handed over to the police responsible for external security. Interrogate them thoroughly in a couple of days before releasing them. Make sure Mr. Edward’s tour schedule is not affected in the slightest.”

Of course, I wasn't afraid of these security guards. I was already boiling over with anger from the incidents at Yuejin Tower these past two days, so I might as well let off some steam. Who knew that Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang didn't want me to cause trouble? The two women grabbed my arms, one on each side, and stopped the encircling security guards, saying, “Stop what you’re doing, all of you. We are officers from the military. Here are our identification documents.”

The guards weren't unreasonable people. A quick look at the documents wouldn't kill anyone, but offending military officers could cause serious trouble.

After examining the documents, the guards were startled by the letters on them. Unsure if they were real, they handed the IDs over to Wugong. Wugong saw one was a Colonel from the National Defense University, and the other was a Colonel from the Naval Research Institute. The titles were prestigious, but looking at the women’s ages, wasn't this a scam? Who would believe someone this young held such a military rank?

“The IDs are fake! Arrest them all as well!” Wugong suddenly thought of an even better excuse. If two young women held such positions, no one would believe it; they must be fraudsters using forged documents.

The security guards naturally followed orders. Wugong’s father was a minister, after all; even if the son was an idiot, they had to show some deference. However, before the guards could even approach the two women, two figures suddenly ‘flew’ out from a nearby reading table. Their movements were swift; in just a few exchanges, they threw several guards across the room, shaking the marble floor with resounding thuds.

Wugong saw that things were going south. The opposing side had people lying in wait. Could they really intend to harm Edward? At this point, self-preservation was key. With that thought, Wugong bolted for the exit, shouting as he ran, “Help! Assassins! Everyone protect the Mayor and Mr. Edward!”

Edward had his own bodyguards, who, having seen the change in the situation, had already formed a tight circle around him and retreated behind a nearby bookshelf for cover.

The sudden turn of events startled Mayor Chen. He regretted not clearing out the National Library beforehand. If any accident occurred now, his career would likely be ruined. The incident with the rats and snakes in Kyoto nearly cost him his job last time; he could only pray for divine protection now.

Unexpectedly, the two who took down the guards did not attack Edward and his group. Instead, they pulled out a red booklet and presented it to Mayor Chen. After glancing at it, sweat poured down the Mayor’s face. He genuinely wished they were assassins now; at least his culpability would be less severe.

The work permits held by these two men bore a glittering red five-pointed star, beneath which rested a sword and a shield. As the Mayor of a direct-controlled municipality, he knew exactly what this signified: elite members of the Central Guard Bureau—the Red Guards. They were bodyguards specifically tasked with protecting key state figures and important scientists. Rumor had it that fewer than twenty people in all of Da Long Country were protected by the Red Guards. Every Red Guard possessed special privileges; when they deemed it necessary, they could mobilize the military and even execute anyone posing a threat to the protected subject without warning.

Mayor Chen knew this was not something to trifle with. There were people among the three in front of him whom he absolutely could not afford to offend, yet he couldn't place who they were.

Wugong, still shouting, ran out and brought back a group of police officers. He dared not enter the hall, instead pointing from the doorway, “It’s that man! Everyone, quickly subdue him! Be careful, he’s incredibly strong; he cracked the marble floor!”

The officers glanced, then charged out the door with a burst of energy. Wugong was confused as to why they were running out. He grabbed one officer, saying, “Are you idiots? The person is in here!”

The officer retorted, “You’re the idiot! If we listened to your nonsense, we’d be risking our lives. That guy is someone even the Heavenly King wouldn't dare provoke. The Kyoto City Police were nearly wiped out by him last time. I’d rather resign than mess with him!”

Although the incident at the East District Bureau was officially suppressed afterward, rumors still circulated. Wugong had heard whispers of it. Today, he had encountered someone who dared to tug the beard of the Tan family, and he had managed to offend him. This time, he had truly caused immense trouble. If his father found out, he would likely be beaten until his skin split. What was a mere Minister of Construction against someone with military authority? He was nothing!

Wugong let go of the officer, allowing him to run off. He no longer blamed the police for their low morale; he blamed the terrifying nature of the person opposite him. Wugong cautiously sidestepped the three figures and slipped over to Mayor Chen, whispering a couple of sentences.

Mayor Chen wiped the sweat from his face and quietly said a few words back to Wugong. Wugong wiped his own sweat, then took Mayor Chen’s hand and led him forward to apologize to us. “Gentlemen, we offer our deepest apologies for the earlier offense. We were blind and failed to recognize your stature. We will leave immediately, right now, and not disturb your research.”

Mayor Chen asked the translator to inform Edward to leave the National Library immediately. Although Edward represented a massive financial opportunity, matters of life and death took precedence. Even offending Edward was inconsequential; ensuring their safety came first.

Edward frowned deeply upon hearing the translator’s words. He didn't understand the customs of Da Long Country. In Country M, even the President had to show deference to their family. Yet, here, it felt like he kept hitting a wall every time.

The translator and Wugong, wearing ingratiating smiles, ushered Mayor Chen away from us. Edward, however, stared at me with palpable malice. I spoke to him in somewhat clumsy English: “Take your 40 billion and leave Da Long Country, or you will face a terrible fate. I can overlook everything that happened before, but if you ever dare scheme against anyone close to me in the future, I guarantee your entire family will vanish from this Earth!”

Edward clenched his fists tightly and gestured toward me: “If you have the guts, let’s meet on the real battlefield.” I gestured back at him: “Fine! I’m ready anytime.”