Chapter 157 Academic Year Practice
The voice was faint and gentle, as if it were just a phantom of time, treasured in the past.
When Yan Shi came to his senses, he felt a weight in his palm.
She opened her palm.
The once-flashy decorations were now covered in metal, transforming into an exquisitely crafted longevity lock.
It almost perfectly matches the blurry image in my memory.
Yan Shi looked up.
Euphemia and Aska, who were standing nearby, had slowly pieced together the general outline of the incident based on the information they had gathered.
Yan Shi calmly stuffed the lock into his pocket. "It is indeed mine. The people in charge are all here, which is perfect."
Let's start from the beginning.
Aska nodded, "The matter should have originated from a treasure that the Hill Merchant Guild accidentally obtained in the Guixu Sea."
As she spoke, her gaze involuntarily fell upon Yan Shi, who had already put away the synthesized treasure, the source of everything.
"When the metal was discovered, it must have been in two pieces. My father and Aska's mother, as co-discoverers, each kept one piece."
Yan Shi: "I remember you said before that when this piece of metal was presented to Governor Garcia, it was rumored to have the value of opening a portal to the depths of the Guixu Sea."
It is said that only by finding the other half and putting it back together can it be opened.
What does it mean that when it was first discovered, there were two fragments together?
“Because the head of the ocean-going merchant corps accidentally killed someone in Novano Port,” Euphemia continued. “My mother mentioned it to me when she was drunk. Before inheriting the escort agency, she worked for a merchant corps.”
"She was the deputy of the merchant guild. The head of the guild, and also a good friend of my mother, she lost control of her inner spirit during a resupply stop in Novano Port City, causing an explosion that destroyed an entire street. There were no casualties, but most of the deaths occurred."
It wasn't just a few minor offenses.
The meeting room was quiet.
"At the time of the incident, the head of the merchant guild was arrested on the spot by the Novano Port Special Administration Bureau in accordance with regulations. My mother was extremely anxious. The head of the guild had made a serious mistake, but he was a good friend of my mother's. At this moment, a member of the merchant guild told my mother that he had a way."
Yan Shi's lips twitched.
This isn't a method; it's clearly a scam.
As it turned out, he bumped into it, and this half-piece of metal did indeed possess mysterious power.
Governor Garcia initially didn't believe it either, but after possessing this half of the metal fragment, she suddenly found herself able to wield the power of the sea.
That's why this scam was able to succeed.
"My mother didn't know what he said at the Garcia governor's mansion, only that the head of the merchant group was subsequently released without charge. My mother's ability was premonition, and her premonitions were telling her that something was wrong."
As Aska had previously stated, although the swindle was successful, it did not bring good fortune to the ocean merchant group; instead, it brought utter destruction.
Euphemia's mother's abilities saved her life, allowing her to leave the merchant guild that very night and ultimately survive with the other half of the metal fragment.
"It seems so lucky now. Even if we don't know what this treasure is, breaking it in half might really mean that one half is a curse and the other half is a blessing."
“My mother escaped death because of the power of this half of the blessing,” Euphemia exclaimed.
In the end, he couldn't escape the ordeal.
More than twenty years later, Governor Garcia saw the half of the metal being worn around Euphemia's daughter's neck on his way back to his residence.
The governor's office sent people to investigate and found out that this was the prized possession of the Hill Escort Agency.
The familiar, irregularly shaped metal block filled Governor Garcia with elation, but also stirred a murderous intent within him.
She made up a random excuse to transfer Euphemia away from Norno Port and sent someone to Hill Escort Agency in order to obtain the other half of the metal and open a portal to the depths of the Guixu Sea.
It just so happens that Euphemia had the metal with her.
In a fit of rage and despair over the disillusionment that followed his immense hopes, Governor Garcia slaughtered all members of the Hill Escort Agency in Port Noano.
Ultimately, it brought about his own destruction.
Yan Shi lazily leaned back in his office chair, gave a cold laugh, and concluded: "What doesn't belong to you will never be yours."
She seemed to be implying something, or perhaps she was just saying it casually, before she abruptly changed the subject, "Although the truth is now out, the stage is already set up here. What are your plans?"
Euphemia pursed her lips, and Aska immediately looked at Yan Shi: "My thoughts haven't changed. Even without the refugees surrounding the mansion, it's still the same."
“Years ago, the leader of a merchant caravan would be arrested by the Bureau of Extremism for harming ordinary living beings. I think that’s fine,” she said. “The Garcia Governor’s Office has no reason to continue existing.”
"And you?" Yan Shi's gaze swept over Euphemia, who seemed to be deep in thought.
Euphemia snapped out of her reverie and heard Aska's words. Instead of answering immediately, she asked, "If the Garcia Governorate no longer exists, then who took over?"
Yan Shi: "Different Management Bureau".
“The Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs?” Euphemia was somewhat surprised. “I remember the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs has been declining for over twenty years.”
Yan Shi: ...
That's impolite.
“If it’s the Bureau of Dissidents, that’s fine.” Euphemia finally made her decision. “Are you the Bureau of Dissidents in charge of Novano Port?”
“Now, Teacher Zhanzhou has a wide range of employment opportunities and holds multiple positions.” She sighed, “I regret that I didn’t pass Zhanzhou’s entrance exam back then.”
The employment scope is quite broad... holding multiple positions...
Yan Shi, forced to work two jobs: ...
She discovered that Euphemia really had no tact; she always brought up the most sensitive topics.
No wonder he failed the entrance exam for Zhan Zhou!
But she shook her head, saying, "No, I'm not."
Euphemia: "You're not?"
“You should have seen him before.” As she spoke, Yan Shi suddenly remembered a question, “Where is Chu Mengfu? What are the three of you doing here?” She looked at Lin Cai.
Could it be that Lin Cai accidentally tripped and fell into Novano Port, bringing Libertas and Bai Du down with her?
No, Yan Shi remembered the comic she had just been reading.
There was no accidental misstep by Lin Cai. It was only after the future Lin Cai made a deal with Claire, who would do anything for her faith, in the Death Throne that she arrived at the Summer Palace Library.
So what is Lin Cai's purpose this time, or rather, what is her purpose in coming here in the future?
Yan Shi's gaze was probing.
Lin Cai explained, "It was Senior Sister Chu who invited us. Me, Libertas, and Bai Du formed a practice team."
"This is our academic year practice."
Yan Shi: ...?
Yan Shi was greatly shocked.
If she remembers correctly, Zhanzhou just started school this year.
As freshmen, Lin Cai and her classmates are doing their academic year practice right from the start of the semester?
That's way too curly.
Moreover, Chu Mengfu called Lin Cai over to do an academic year practice, which is what kind of work outsourcing is this?
Yan Shi: "What are the contents of your academic year's practical activities?"
Lin Cai: "In the current riot-ridden Port Noano, choose one faction to join and assist that faction in becoming the ultimate ruler of Port Noano."
"Overall difficulty rating of the academic year's practical training is S".
It truly makes the best use of resources.
Based on Yan Shi's understanding of Chu Mengfu.
"How many practice teams did you send?" Yan Shi asked.
Lin Cai: "About ten."
Yan Shi: ...
really.
She knew it.
Chu Mengfu probably summoned every student from Zhan Zhou currently born in the school's world that he could. Then, based on the strength level of different teams, he assigned the academic year's practical content as needed.
Although the situation in Novano Port may seem complicated to outsiders, Chu Mengfu, who is in the midst of it, knows very well that Yan Lan set up this stage.
The outcome is already decided.
"Does Teacher Yanlan admire Senior Sister Chu?" Lin Cai asked softly, looking at Yan Shi's expression.
Yan Shi: ?
No, she just felt that Chu Mengfu was a truly talented person.
The literal meaning.
Lin Cai fell silent again.
Yu Youguan, who had been sitting quietly to the side, asked curiously, "Is this Senior Sister Chu the assassin you mentioned earlier, Yanlan?"
Yanshi nodded.
Yu Youguan became interested.
The assassin himself is quite interesting. He came from the surface world, independently assassinated Governor Novano, and escaped unscathed. That's the surface meaning; the implied meaning is that this assassin was a genius.
Only then can one acquire superior strength in a short period of time.
From the conversation between Yanlan and Lin Cai, we also learned that this senior student, Chu, even arranged for students to participate in the academic year's practical training within Novano Port.
Putting everything else aside, Yanlan was quite tolerant of this senior student, Chu.
Only then could she be allowed to act on the stage she herself had set up.
How could one not be curious?
Moreover, when Yanlan spoke of it, there was a knowing smile on her lips.
“She’s very brave,” Yan Shi said. “Not everyone has the courage to make such a decision in that situation.”
What a great subordinate.
In Yan Shi’s view, he was much more practical than many of his subordinates in the Bureau of Foreign Affairs who just collected salaries and did nothing.
Yu Youguan lowered his eyes and pondered deeply.
When Yanlan spoke of this student's bravery, it wasn't as if she was talking about the student, but rather...
She was talking about her past self.
Now we know a new piece of information about Yanlan: Yanlan may have come from the depths of the Guixu Sea.
So what did Yanlan experience between emerging from the depths of the Guixu Sea and entering the abyss of death or the place of exile, becoming a deceased person?
“Now that we have reached a consensus,” Yan Lan said, lazily twirling her hair with her fingers, “when we go out later, I hope Aska and Euphemia will act as if the peace talks have failed and continue to muddy the waters in Novano Port City.”
"While you're at it, detain all the merchant groups at the port. Those who come to watch the spectacle will have to pay an entrance fee before leaving."
Both nodded. Askar pulled Yu Youguan, who was still pondering, up and gestured to Euphemia, "Let's stay in touch for future cooperation."
Euphemia: "Okay."
They walked toward the door as they talked.
Lin Cai also got up and slowly lagged behind.
After everyone had left, she stopped in front of the door, hesitated for a moment, then closed the door and turned back to walk towards Yan Shi.
Yan Shi, who was half a step behind everyone else because he was thinking about what the Governor's Mansion would eat tonight: ?
"What's wrong?" She gestured for Lin Cai to speak.
"Lanlan..." Lin Cai lowered her head, "I'm sorry."
Yan Shi was a little puzzled: "You helped me get back the half of my longevity lock that I lost, so why are you apologizing?"
Although Lin Cai's actions of almost leading a group of people to fight with the refugees led by Euphemia at the entrance of the Governor's Mansion were somewhat reckless, there was a reason for it.
Lin Cai's fingertips dug into her palm: "Because, because," her voice grew softer and softer, "it was me, it was me who tore off the rope of the Tide Blessing around Lanlan's neck when I was drowning."
"That's why the Tide Blessing fell into the Ruins Sea and was eventually lost."
Author's Note: The character designs for Lin Cai and Lu Jian are out (Wuhu).
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