Ch'en felt as if her luck lately had been nothing but a streak of misfortune. Day after day of frantic work yielded no good news; everything she heard from her subordinates were the kind of incidents that made one lose their hair.
Last night was the same. Just as she had led her team to the site of a car accident to restore order, she returned to the L.G.D. only to receive news that made her blood pressure soar: those gang members who had fought Penguin Logistics had been silenced! The reason was that the various sudden incidents occurring everywhere last night had left the L.G.D. short-staffed.
Those assassins took advantage of the opportunity to slip into the L.G.D. and eliminate those men. In the process, they even attacked several L.G.D. members who were on duty. Fortunately, they hadn't intended to completely offend the L.G.D. unto death; the officers were merely knocked unconscious and were not in any life-threatening danger, which allowed Ch'en to breathe a small sigh of relief.
However, for gang members under interrogation to be murdered inside the L.G.D. was nothing short of an insult. it was a slap directly across the face of every officer in the department! Because of this, Ch'en had barely rested last night. And when she arrived at work the next day, she received a phone call from someone she was very reluctant to see.
"Miss Ch'en, Lord Wei has sent me to inform you. He says to set aside your current work and come to his office immediately; he has matters to discuss with you."
This call made Ch'en's already sour mood even worse. She instinctively assumed that the reason Wei Yenwu wanted to see her was due to the lapse in duty last night that had tarnished the L.G.D.'s reputation. Little did she expect that upon arriving at the office to meet Wei Yenwu, she would receive news so shocking that her mind went blank for a moment.
"You should have already seen this person named Jeanne, right? I am now giving you a critical mission: confirm the attitude of her and the people behind her toward Lungmen, and whether the things she is doing here will harm the city."
Ch'en didn't expect that Wei Yenwu wouldn't ask about last night's situation at all. Instead, he tapped a printed photo on his desk—the person in the photo was Jeanne. Wei Yenwu's expression was exceptionally solemn, and he spoke in a very serious tone, one that could be interpreted as an absolute command.
"What exactly has she done to catch even your attention? If her presence is so suspicious, why not just send your subordinates to arrest her?"
Ch'en couldn't understand why Wei Yenwu had summoned her specifically for someone who had been in Lungmen for less than a day. She scrutinized Jeanne's photo, unable to fathom what Wei Yenwu was plotting. What was so special about her that she could attract the gaze of the busy highest ruler of Lungmen, to the point that he wanted Ch'en to drop her complex work just to investigate?
Hearing Ch'en's words, Wei Yenwu's expression didn't change. He simply smoked his pipe in silence, seemingly pondering whether to tell her the true reason for her deployment. To be honest, having her discover the truth through her own investigation might be better than him telling her directly; it would also train her investigative and intelligence-gathering skills.
"You should sit down and listen. I'm worried what I say next might shock you. Also, once you hear it, try your best to maintain your inner composure."
Wei Yenwu pointed his pipe toward the chair in front of the desk, suggesting Ch'en take a seat. Ch'en was a bit baffled by this display and couldn't figure out his angle, so she sat down and looked at him.
"Ah... how should I put this? A while ago, my subordinates saw this girl named Jeanne in Chernobog. And she seems to have a relatively close relationship with Talulah..."
At this point, Wei Yenwu paused. He looked at his niece, whose gaze had gone vacant. His expression seemed to say he knew this would happen. Had he not made Ch'en sit down first, she likely would have collapsed onto the floor.
The moment Ch'en heard the name *Talulah*, it felt like a bolt of lightning had struck right beside her ear, followed by a deafening roar.
She never expected that this name—the one that had haunted her dreams for over a decade—would suddenly appear before her like this, bringing news of her kin. Ch'en clenched her hands into fists. Fortunately, due to her various combat missions, she didn't keep long nails; otherwise, her palms would be bleeding now.
Her heart was filled with joy, and her mind was a complete blank. Hearing news of her sister gave her the sudden urge to run to her room and have a good cry. But in the next second, Wei Yenwu's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over her.
"But regardless, Talulah has been educated by Kashchey for over a decade. We cannot be certain if she has become the next Kashchey, intending to destroy the peace of Lungmen."
Wei Yenwu didn't care about Ch'en's current emotional state; he simply presented the worst-case scenario, forcing her to accept the possibility. This was Wei Yenwu's version of kindness: letting her know the worst outcome so she would be mentally prepared and not lose her footing when tragedy struck.
It was heartless, but it trained one's ability to remain calm and analytical at all times. This was exactly what the currently impulsive Ch'en needed most. If he had been calmer back then, if he could have thought of a better solution, perhaps he could have solved the problem before having to kill a friend, preventing that tragedy from happening...
"Furthermore, since Talulah appeared in Chernobog under those circumstances, I have reason to suspect she has inherited Kashchey's mantle. I need you to find a way to confirm the attitude of her and Talulah toward Lungmen. If necessary, you may take action."
As he spoke, a ruthless expression appeared in Wei Yenwu's eyes. If Talulah truly had become Kashchey, he could not allow Jeanne to act freely; he might even need to eliminate this threat to Lungmen's security ahead of time.
Clang!
Hearing this, Ch'en could no longer stay seated. She stood up instantly as if her tail had been stepped on, looking at her uncle with a face full of fury, seemingly enraged by his cold-bloodedness.
"You want me to monitor her, investigate her, and even kill her if necessary? Just because she's associated with Talulah? Because you're afraid Talulah will seek revenge for what happened back then? What's your next plan—are you going to have me go to Ursus and kill Talulah too?"
Hearing Wei Yenwu's attitude toward Talulah, the fire in Ch'en's heart—fueled by the frustration of various recent cases—ignited instantly. She was now like an enraged dragon. It was only because she hadn't brought her weapon into the office; otherwise, she would surely have drawn her blade against him. Despite her disrespectful attitude, Wei Yenwu continued to look at her with the same stoic face.
He knew she would be angry; he wasn't surprised in the slightest. To Ch'en, the name Talulah was her untouchable scale. One could say that one of the reasons she worked so hard to protect Lungmen was so that when Talulah returned, she would see a Lungmen different from the one they knew as children.
"What exactly is she to you? Back then, you let that fellow Kashchey take her away so easily, and now you turn around and say she might be a terrorist who threatens Lungmen... What do you even think of her as!"
In that roar was also Ch'en's own self-reproach. The self that had sworn never to let go, yet in the final moment, had released the hand of her sister... That moment was branded into the deepest part of her memory, and even thinking of it today filled her with immense regret. Regret for letting go, regret for being so weak...
"Calm yourself, Ch'en Huijie! Right now, you are not just Talulah's sister; you are a Senior Superintendent of the Lungmen Guard Department! You carry the safety of everyone in Lungmen on your shoulders! This order is not something you can change with a few words!!!"