The moment those words left his mouth, a chorus of "thump, thump" sounds erupted, so loud it seemed the very heartbeats in the office were audible. Every eye darted from Yang Yi to Xuanyuan Bing, and the sheer, smoking anger emanating from the group gave Yang Yi a pounding headache.
“Looks like the Boss is in for a rough one this time,” Ye Xiaohou muttered under his breath, terrified his words might carry. “If Long Fei and the others ever found out he’s got some Eastern Mei’er constantly pestering him at school—damn, that’s a world-class war waiting to happen.”
But no matter how quietly he spoke, those in front couldn't hear him. However, the Lin Fatty standing right beside him caught every syllable. He hissed, “Stop adding fuel to the fire.”
“What? How am I adding fuel?” Ye Xiaohou shot back immediately, his voice laced with indignation.
At that very moment, Li Qian and Xia Shiyun exchanged a look. Something astonishing happened: they both broke into smiles and simultaneously said, “Hello, us too.”
“Huh!” Xuanyuan Bing was momentarily stunned, then she shook their hands as well, murmuring softly, “It seems the women drawn to Yi are never simple.”
“Likewise, likewise,” Xia Shiyun replied with a gentle smile, noting that Xuanyuan Bing’s gaze was fixed on her as she spoke.
“Bad guy, when did you trick another pure maiden into the fold, hmm?”
Hearing Li Qian’s sharp exclamation snapped Yang Yi out of his daze. Just as he was about to speak, a figure suddenly appeared: “Dragon Lord!”
“What is it?” Yang Yi felt a small surge of relief at Ashura’s arrival, though it was overshadowed by a deep sense of gravity.
“The British Royal Family has decided to execute the target tomorrow afternoon.”
“Oh?” Yang Yi frowned, slowly walking toward his desk. In that instant, everyone—except for the momentarily frozen Li Qian and Xia Shiyun—adopted expressions of profound seriousness. Even Xuanyuan Bing was no exception.
“Explain the details.”
“Yes!” Ashura acknowledged and continued, “The British Royal Family has sent three operatives, and they’ve borrowed a batch of experts from Nangong San whose strength has been artificially boosted to the Grandmaster level. The assassination is set for tomorrow afternoon, right when the target character…”
It turned out that this target, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, was not Chinese at all, but a genuine Briton. His name was a single character: ‘’. He was in Shanghai solely because he wanted to conduct an inspection; frankly, he wished to handpick a security detail from the military to protect him until the entire affair was resolved.
As an Englishman deeply influenced by the United Nations forces of the twenty-seventh century, this Foreign Minister placed immense trust in military personnel. Thus, even with the Dragon Squad officially assigned by the Chinese government for protection, he insisted on selecting suitable ‘bodyguards’ from the armed forces himself.
Coincidentally, the Minister was scheduled to inspect the training posture of the troops at the A6 Military Camp tomorrow between noon and the afternoon. Upon receiving this intelligence, the British Royal Family immediately ordered their subordinates to set the time for the assassination.
“I never expected him to be British?” Yang Yi’s expression was grim. While the target’s nationality didn't greatly concern him, the planners of this military exercise clearly placed high importance on it. “Could it be him? But if it isn’t him, then who else could it be?” Regarding the mysterious figure who held power beneath the highest echelon, Yang Yi felt a complex mix of affection and hatred.
“Anything else?”
“Yes. Nangong San and the others have already notified their connections within the official network, signaling that the British will make a move tomorrow, effectively eliminating any excuse for the British to frame them.”
“Oh? Nangong San is quite capable, managing to devise such a strategy so quickly.” Yang Yi flashed a slight smile. “Have the other families taken action?”
“No. The Shangguan family, the Gongsun family, and…” Ashura trailed off as he glanced at Xuanyuan Bing, aware she belonged to the Xuanyuan family.
“Stop staring at me like that.” Xuanyuan Bing shot Ashura a cold look. She didn't care if he was a Grandmaster expert; all she knew was that she needed to inform Yang Yi quickly. “Yi, regarding this matter, my father adopts a neutral stance. He will not interfere with the actions taken by the coalition of the three families, Nangong’s group, and the others.”
“A neutral stance?” A trace of killing intent flickered in Yang Yi’s eyes.
Seeing Yang Yi’s expression, Xuanyuan Bing felt an inexplicable sense of oppression, which, put simply, felt more immediate and agonizing than mere grievance.
“Bing’er, you should know, the current trend among the Eight Great Families is to pressure me. If your old man doesn't do something when the time comes, then don’t expect…”
“I… I will speak with him when I return,” Xuanyuan Bing said. She knew, better than anyone, the reality of the situation.
Yang Yi currently showed restraint toward the Eight Great Families, not only because of the Ye Family heir but also due to his own family, which was a family of ability users. If they turned against each other, the consequences would be unimaginably severe.
“It’s good that you know,” Yang Yi took a deep breath and asked Ashura, “Go back and continue monitoring. Report immediately if anything happens.”
“Yes!” Ashura acknowledged and departed.
With that settled, Yang Yi glanced at Lin Fatty, who had been silent throughout the afternoon, and asked, “Fatty, what is your take on this?”
“This matter?” Lin Fatty sounded surprised.
“Yes, the entire situation.”
“Uh.” Lin Fatty scratched his head and chuckled. “Brother Yi, I just feel there’s something fishy going on behind the scenes, nothing more…”
“Exactly. Someone is manipulating this behind the scenes. But it’s not just one person. The big fish that should appear is about to surface. If they wait too long, won’t they suffocate?” Yang Yi sneered coldly.
“Boss, could this be related to that guy? Damn it, he returns but doesn’t even bother telling us,” Ye Xiaohou grumbled with a smile on his face.
Those unaware of the context would have had priceless expressions on their faces. Yang Yi smiled faintly. “That’s not the main point. I’m genuinely curious about his current strength, achieving this much in less than a few months.”
“Achoo!” A young man sitting in the office sneezed forcefully, muttering, “Damn it, who was talking about me? If I find out, I’ll skin him alive.”
“Achoo!”
Another heavy sneeze shook a different person, who happened to be Yang Yi. “Hmm, maybe I’m catching a cold. Alright, that’s the general situation for now. We’ll know everything once we reach the A6 Military Camp tomorrow.”
“En!” Everyone nodded in agreement.
Li Qian and Xia Shiyun looked at Yang Yi with lingering reluctance. Yang Yi, of course, understood their desires. He smirked wickedly, “Let’s go eat first, and we’ll talk tonight.”
“Okay!” Xia Shiyun and Li Qian both nodded, their faces flushed.
The others were used to such scenes and merely covered their mouths to chuckle before walking out. Among them, Xuanyuan Bing certainly understood the implication; her expression soured slightly, and her pout was deep enough to hang several oil jars from.
One night passed, inevitably leading to morning.
When all the students were assembled, the ones who had been left behind were those who didn't make the cut. Just as Yang Yi had predicted, the number of students participating in the A6 Military Camp training did not exceed thirty.
Two from the Shangguan family, one from the Gongsun family—overall, the disciples of the Eight Great Families had all failed to qualify. However, observing their collective failure suggested they were all waiting to watch the show. They also wanted a glimpse of the main actors of this spectacle.
Once everyone boarded the military transport, it advanced rapidly. The A6 Military Camp was the largest military base stationed in Shanghai, directly subordinate to the major garrison headquarters protecting the city. After a journey of over three hours, they traveled from Fudan University to the A6 Military Camp.
From the plaque at the entrance and the guards posted, the students realized this place wasn't officially called the A6 Military Camp. Its formal name was: People’s Liberation Army Military Region: A6 Sector.
The design and the sentries deeply impressed themselves upon the students. The military sector was entirely enclosed, meaning that once inside, nothing of the outside world could be seen. Similarly, anyone standing outside could not see what the interior truly looked like. Moreover, they were required to stay inside for a full month starting today.
“Alright, all students, dismount immediately and assemble! Follow the arrangements of this commanding officer!” A middle-aged soldier shouted loudly. “Assemble!”
Hearing the command, the students scrambled into formation and followed the officer’s jogging pace until they reached the interior, where they were astonished to find only twelve twelve-story buildings. Behind these buildings lay a stretch of undulating mountain peaks.
“Good. Hold your formation and wait patiently.” The officer waved his hand, immediately turned, and jogged toward another building.
“We have to stay here for a month,” Yang Yi murmured with a touch of emotion.
“Indeed, Boss. If this month turns out to be interesting, fine. But if it’s dull…”
“Heh heh, don’t worry. This military training is bound to be quite engaging. Look ahead…” Yang Yi said, smiling as he watched the disciples of the Eight Great Families ahead of them.