Zhao Fen leaned close when no one was looking and whispered to me, "Did you pull any stunts like last time during your molt and evolution the night before last?"

Zhao Fen spoke from direct experience, and knowing she wouldn't blame me for the incident, I whispered a few words into her ear. She turned scarlet listening to them and then completely ignored me once we got into the car.

All packed up, the grand convoy set off. Not far from here was a secret base belonging to the Earth Energy conglomerate. The deep underground of this mountainous area was rich in copper ore, and the base housed a complete system for mining and smelting. Usually guarded by mechanized soldiers, it could serve as a temporary stronghold in an emergency. The underground caverns were large enough for massive transport planes to enter and exit, and a hidden runway in the valley allowed for takeoffs and landings.

All the vehicles were driven into the large transport plane, and the women led me to see the Chairman. The Chairman was reviewing documents in the passenger cabin; seeing me approach, he put down the papers and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Little Zhao, oh Little Zhao, you really gave me a scare. How could you just vanish? Don't tell me those assassins were better than you."

I didn't exaggerate: "Chairman, two of the three assassins were reduced to minced meat. The third body should still exist; I don't know if you've found it yet. He possessed extremely formidable gear—equipment that allowed him to defy gravity for high-altitude flight, moving at a speed absolutely beyond your imagination. We absolutely must secure that gear."

The Chairman's expression turned grave. "We haven't received a report yet. The distance from Kyoto to here is vast, and the search area is too large; it will likely be difficult to find him quickly. It's clear now these three assassins were no ordinary people. There must be an earth-shattering conspiracy behind this."

Xiao Yu piped up, "Brother, there's no need to rush. Let Sister Chu Chu quickly mobilize satellite searches. Describe the general outline of that assassin and the look of the gear. As long as he hasn't landed in a densely populated area and been discovered by others, we should be able to locate him."

The Chairman asked, "Are their technologies surpassing yours now? Can you not replicate this kind of equipment?"

I replied, "Yes. It’s not strange for other nations to lead in certain technological fields. For this type of personal flight gear, we actually have living specimens we could study, but up until now, I’ve focused solely on developing heavy weaponry and have neglected individual soldier equipment."

The Chairman stated, "If you lack manpower, just say the word. I can arrange any number you need. We must possess the weapons and equipment that other nations have. Since this arms race has begun, we must see it through to the end."

"I don't need more personnel; these few women are entirely capable of handling things. However, Qiqi's safety needs to be reinforced going forward. If their first attempt failed, they might attempt a second assassination. Logically, Qiqi's external impact isn't great enough to warrant such an uproar, but we must intervene in the investigation to uncover their conspiracy sooner."

"That's true. Xingguo doesn't involve himself in politics; he has always done business across Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. This assassination was likely aimed at me—perhaps as a warning about certain matters."

I advised, "Sir, you need to strengthen your security going forward. Qiqi should be fine at school with me watching her, but her home is expansive, and insufficient manpower makes thorough security impossible."

Li Qi suddenly interjected, "Grandpa, why don't I move in with Zhao Qian? That might save you some trouble."

I objected immediately, "No! I truly don't have the space over there. I will assign people to reinforce the security around your residence."

Li Qi was clearly unhappy, but she was a girl raised with excellent education. Although she had some psychological quirks, she wouldn't display them in front of everyone. She quietly retreated to the side, no longer speaking, but she kept glancing at me intermittently, wondering what other schemes she might devise to trouble me.

The Chairman handed me a photograph. I glanced at it—a foreign man with a large beard—and casually handed it back. "Who is this? Bin Laden?"

The Chairman chuckled. "No, his name is Havasa. He is the heir to the Namugar Dynasty, the king of Xijin who ended up overseas."

Mentioning Xijin immediately soured my mood, so I stopped speaking. I was irked; this whole matter had a long history. In '75, Country N used military intervention to absorb the formerly independent nation of Xijin into what became their Xijin Province. Historically, the three kingdoms of Xijin, Budan, and Nepal were vassal states of Great Dragon Country and served as a strategic buffer between Great Dragon Country and Country N. The establishment of Xijin Province by Country N intensified the threat to Great Dragon Country's border and greatly strengthened Country N's control over the Eastern Corridor, which had previously been a weak spot in their defense. It also further consolidated Country N's grip on Southern Tibet.

Great Dragon Country was previously the only nation in the world that refused to recognize Xijin Province. However, a strange event occurred a few years ago. Suddenly, the name of the Kingdom of Xijin, which had permanently resided on Great Dragon Country's official website, vanished. This was equivalent to announcing to the world that Xijin had been officially erased from the map. From then on, no map published by Great Dragon Country contained the name Xijin; there was only Country N's Xijin Province.

What did Great Dragon Country gain in exchange? Country N’s formal recognition of Great Dragon Country’s sovereignty over Xizang. What angered me was that Xizang had always belonged to Great Dragon Country; did we really need Country N's A-san to acknowledge that? How infuriating! Giving up Xijin was tantamount to condoning A-san's aggressive ambitions!

"Little Zhao, Little Zhao, don't be angry. Look at you, getting mad on your own before I've even finished speaking. Sometimes the country makes decisions that can't possibly satisfy everyone in every aspect. At that time, relations between Great Dragon Country and Ming Island and Japan were tense, and the conflict in the East China Sea was pressing. If we had faced turmoil in our backyard at that moment, our own people would have suffered. Acknowledging Xijin Province bought us ten years of peace in the Southwest so we could fully focus on the Southeast situation."

I remained unconvinced. Ultimately, the Xijin issue was a dispute between Great Dragon Country and Country N. Great Dragon Country had continuously made strategic policy errors regarding Country N. In the sixties, with Great Dragon Country's military strength, if they had truly resolved to fight Country N, Country N would likely have been the first to retreat. Yet, Great Dragon Country retreated again and again, needlessly losing over 900,000 square kilometers of territory. Even so, Country N's ambitions have not died down; they still eye our Xizang region, perpetually dreaming of the aggressive blueprint drawn up by McMahon—wishing to incorporate Xizang into their Greater Asia territory.

Yi Xiaorou came over to persuade me, "Zhao Qian, don't have such an attitude toward the Chairman. These matters aren't decided by him alone."

I was only momentarily angered, and I couldn't truly be angry at the Chairman. "Chairman, please proceed with the main topic; let's not bring up those other matters."

The Chairman said, "Havasa has contacted me through various channels. He wants to borrow troops to restore the Kingdom of Xijin."

"What does that have to do with me?" Although restoring the Kingdom of Xijin held great significance, this was a political struggle between great powers. If I got involved, it would likely be inappropriate.