Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 57: War Criminal Night Disaster, Step Forward!

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: War Criminal Night Disaster, Step Forward!

"How do you see me?"

This question, thrown with force, left Jiuyue holding her breath.

It was a key battle in grasping Mr. Mingyuan, and as the commander-in-chief of the battle, she had finally cornered the arrogant Mr. Mingyuan.

It should have been the case, but Jiuyue clenched her fists, having never felt as nervous in her life as a Fox Demon as she did now.

The blitz on Mr. Mingyuan was a success, yet, what if Mr. Mingyuan didn’t actually like her at all? What then?

Just thinking of the possibility of rejection brought an indescribable sense of loss from deep within.

Strange.

From the look of things, wasn’t it she who had gotten the upper hand over Mr. Mingyuan?

"There are some things that I think need to be stated upfront."

Duan Mingyuan took a deep breath; the turn of events had completely exceeded his expectations, and his tactic of defense counter-attack had become ineffective. Thus, he had no choice but to face the complex situation before him, "Their evaluations are mostly correct. I’m not good at expressing myself, I only know work, and there is little to speak of regarding romance in my life."

"It’s not about confirming my feelings, but rather, it’s you, Mr. Mingyuan."

At this critical moment of the battle, Jiuyue no longer played the fool, pressing on, "I want to confirm your thoughts."

"...I don’t dislike you."

Those brief four words eased Jiuyue’s burden significantly.

For someone who is hard to express, that was enough to say it all.

This exhausting and intense battle had drained all her strength, and her legs gave way, causing her to fall towards Duan Mingyuan.

"Since that’s the case, Mr. Mingyuan, then shall we—"

"But not now."

Duan Mingyuan steadied Jiuyue, and as she had said, he indeed was someone who sought a sense of security. The simplest way to get that security was to stay in the comfort zone, and the arrival of the unknown meant that life was about to undergo massive changes.

He wanted to respond to Jiuyue’s feelings.

But because of that, he had to be even more cautious.

Before Jiuyue could speak, he said, "I have to deal with the matters at hand first."

"What matters?"

"The crisis of Night Disaster."

If it hadn’t been for the day’s unexpected turn of events, Duan Mingyuan would have kept everything buried in his heart.

The reason he had accepted Fu Ling’s invitation was not just because of the funding issues Universe Company was facing in Yunlong City, but also due to personal considerations.

Universe Company, Wangxu, and the Night Disaster capable of manipulating the world’s calamities—if they chose Yunlong City as the battleground, then no one could remain uninvolved.

The clockmaker’s attack on Yang Ping had convinced him that after this war ended, they would be the next target.

In his interactions with Tang Qianqian and Yang Ping, he had always acted as a senior.

But "senior" and "strongest" have never been auspicious titles.

To guide the new generation, to teach them how to fight the enemy, and then to go to the battlefield alone, to face unprecedented enemies, and to bring back crucial intelligence at the risk of his life—that was the mission of a "senior."

After fighting with Madame Bai Gu, he caught a glimpse of a broader world, one where there might be enemies beyond his understanding.

Night Disaster was one of them.

It was a presence far surpassing Madame Bai Gu, identified by Wangxu as capable of facing Universe Company’s security forces head-on.

"Only after resolving this crisis can we talk about personal issues."

If the catastrophe floods across the entire Yunlong City as Da Jiang predicted, it would equally affect every individual.

"That is an adversary even I am not sure I can defeat,"

"Eh?"

Eh!?

Jiuyue’s eyes widened in surprise; the news, so unexpected, sent her inner world into turmoil. Was this what being stabbed in the back felt like?

Moreover...

What virtues did she possess to deserve this?

Jiuyue felt that the most naive thought she had ever had in her life was when she first arrived in Yunlong City.

Standing under her umbrella, waiting on the path Mr. Mingyuan had to pass on his way home, she watched as the man who dragged his weary figure into the alley came closer and closer. Facing the devil feared by all the evil spirits in Yunlong City, she once believed that if it really came to a fight, she and Mr. Mingyuan could be evenly matched.

Only after witnessing the battle at the top of the Congyun Hotel did Jiuyue truly understand the profound weight of being "the strongest."

War criminal Night Disaster, step forward!

She roared in her heart, deciding to drag the war criminal responsible for the near defeat of the "Blitz on Mr. Mingyuan" campaign before a military tribunal.

But at the same time, Duan Mingyuan also helped her slowly regain her sanity.

There were still unfinished matters in Yunlong City waiting for her.

Jiuyue reached a decision in her heart and continued the topic, "I believe Mr. Mingyuan will not lose."

Duan Mingyuan did not speak but merely nodded slightly.

Before the next generation grew up and the industry developed, he would keep his promise.

"Mr. Mingyuan, let’s make a promise, then."

Jiuyue looked resolute, "After you defeat Night Disaster, let’s continue the topic we didn’t finish just now. At that time, please be sure to respond seriously and considerately."

"It’s a deal,"

said Duan Mingyuan.

He had always been a man of his word, no matter how implausible the promises he made seemed.

Suddenly he thought of something and half-jokingly asked, "It’s really rare for you to actively set a Flag."

In his memory, Jiuyue had always detested the act of flag-planting, no doubt the genre of magical girl stories had left an indelible psychological shadow on her.

And this time the flag she set was a double Flag, each fraught with peril.

The victorious declaration before fighting a strong enemy, and the promise of talking about marriage after the victory.

"Right, let’s talk about something lighter."

Jiuyue suddenly realized, as the only double-agent present, she alone knew that Mr. Mingyuan’s victory was a certainty. Therefore, this wasn’t flag-planting at all, but rather preparing the champagne to celebrate the forthcoming victory, "Before the great battle, I also have some preparations to make."

As she spoke, her hands naturally encircled Duan Mingyuan’s neck, changing her position from falling to sitting on his lap.

After all, she still had her duties as an assistant and couldn’t be negligent about formal matters, "I’ve checked the regulations of Universe Company, and there are uniform dressing requirements. None of my current outfits meet the standard."

Those not dressed according to the dress code are barred from entry, stopped outside by the electronic scanning doors at the entrance.

She pulled out the regulations she had downloaded from the Universe Company’s official website and read, "It says here that a white-toned OL (office lady) uniform is required, along with black pantyhose."

"I’ll accompany you to buy them,"

Duan Mingyuan nodded; this was the most common attire in the company, and the one he had worked at before had similar rules.

"There’s one more problem..."

At this point, Jiuyue suddenly became bashful, stammering for a moment before saying, "There’s not much issue with the clothes, but I looked at the stockings, and there aren’t any designs specifically for Fox Demons. They will constrict the tail."