As she spoke, a smile even appeared on her face.

Xu Shi laughed too. That's more like it. It's good that you've thought it through... But isn't this change a bit too fast? So obedient to advice?

Upon closer inspection, he noticed a hint of ambiguous meaning in Lin Yue's smile, and that's when he finally realized what was going on.

Did it trigger any keywords? For example, "placement"...

Thinking back, it's true. She was sad before the word came out, but then she immediately changed her expression like a Sichuan opera.

Okay.

Xu Shi was both amused and exasperated. Good heavens, so it turned out there was something wrong with how he was speaking? The same thing, described differently, suddenly became acceptable?

Then how about...

The bad man had a wicked idea. He reached under the table and pulled out a drawer, taking something out of it.

That was their private prop box.

"How about I give you another task?"

He waved the item in front of the assassin girl and gently instructed, "You must wear it until I return. Don't take it out."

……Why?

Lin Yue's mood improved because the keyword was triggered, which makes it easier to accept... She only came to her senses when she saw the object, and her Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

"These...three?"

She carefully checked and confirmed that there was only one during the last meeting with the city hall...

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

"No, no, Master only gave the order, so Lin Yue just did as she was told..."

The assassin girl shook her head, took the item, and lowered her head shyly. "From...from now on?"

"I was just joking with you, and you actually agreed."

Xu Shi chuckled and retrieved the items before she could make a move.

Even if Lin Yue agreed, he couldn't actually do it. Goodness, he doesn't know when he'll be back after leaving, maybe months or half a year? He'd go crazy if he wore it all the time... She's so obedient and adorably silly.

“...bullying people.”

Lin Yue was taken aback, and muttered softly, "Come to think of it, did he always treat me like this before?"

It seems so, but back then I only thought he was shameless and vulgar. Now it's different. A little romance only makes people feel happier and sweeter.

This was especially true for her—she was different from others; she enjoyed being bullied by Xu Shi more than anything else. On the surface, she appeared increasingly independent, but inside, she was already twisted into who-knows-how-many...

"Then, at least before you left, you treated me..."

"don't want."

Xu Shicai refused and got up to leave, saying, "This is also part of the arrangement, Miss Lin Yue."

After seeing him off, the assassin girl couldn't help but bite her lip.

It sounds good, but I still have this feeling that I'll go crazy...

...

The meeting of the various factions took place early the next morning.

To avoid any unforeseen complications, no one disclosed the shipbuilding and sea voyage plans to the public, but internal mobilization and debriefing were still necessary.

"Now that everyone's here, I'll get straight to the point?"

As the meeting's chairperson, Tang Shuang maintained her usual efficiency: "The influence of the 'Forsaken' has been largely eliminated, and the renovation and reconstruction of Sin City is stable... Now that the fleet is complete and other preparations are finished, as Chairman Xu intends, we will officially set sail in two days. Does anyone have any objections?"

The phrase "Chairman Xu's intention" instantly turned the democratic meeting into a one-man show for certain individuals, making Tang Shuang appear merely as a mouthpiece.

However, everyone's opinions were surprisingly consistent, because they knew in their hearts that Xu Shi was the biggest contributor to everything, and no one wanted to stand against him.

"I have no objection."

Lin Yue was the first to speak, saying that it was true that she had become increasingly capable during this period. She was the only representative in Sin City, so it didn't matter whether Lin Xing was there or not. The key point was that Song Ziyou could only sit at the children's table, which was undoubtedly the best signal that her dominance was further consolidated.

"We have no objection."

The Qi father and son then spoke up, "All preparations regarding the 'imaginary' amount have been arranged; we're just waiting for Chairman Xu's order."

Everyone present knew the true meaning behind going to sea, and Xu Shi had previously talked to the father and son about the "principles of heaven".

They are all top figures in Night City, so it's necessary to say what needs to be said. Otherwise, if something really happens and the other party finds out that you excluded them from the beginning, it will be difficult to get them to work together again. That would truly be a case of losing more than you gain.

As a result, "imaginary numbers" gave sufficient attention and support to this matter, contributing both manpower and effort.

However, that was all. The Qi family father and son had no further plans, such as sending an elite member to accompany the ship. Xu Shi even invited Qi Maoyang to come along, but the latter shook his head faster than a rattle drum.

Is this a sign of lingering fear of the unknown? Or is it a way of indirectly indicating a lack of ambition? Perhaps it's a combination of both... Xu Shi couldn't quite put his finger on it, but since it was someone else's decision, he couldn't force them to change it.

Anyway, he wasn't worried that "imaginary numbers" would cause trouble after he left, because there was someone to keep things in check.

"I have no objection either; 'Feather Pen' has been a strong supporter of this matter from the very beginning."

The person in charge spoke up, and Wen Shengkui tapped the table unhurriedly, "I only hope that the entire fleet will be united and return safely."

"And don't forget to record your sights and experiences along the way in detail. I'm getting old and can't keep up with you guys anymore, but even learning something new through pictures and text is a good thing."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!