True Solution of the Sword Dao
Chapter 183 - 177 Upper Echelons I

Chapter 183: Chapter 177 Upper Echelons I

June 19th

Before dawn, the weather was cloudy with no wind.

Lin Fei officially received a call from the branch office, stating that the person to be protected had already arrived in Southwest Province, but not at the original target location. Instead, they had changed to another place—Yuan City, a marginal prefecture-level city far distant from Ping City. At the same time, a brief message was sent to his cell phone.

"This mission will serve as an assessment task."

"Assessment?" Lin Fei pondered thoughtfully. Given the D-level Peak ability he was currently exhibiting, an assessment was still required, which meant there must be some unexpected developments after the assessment. Perhaps he would step into an entirely new level or domain.

Jiang Feng and Lin Jianguo were busy with the company’s affairs, spending every day either socializing or handling business, with Jiang Feng also taking care of school matters, so their presence was rarely seen. This happened to be convenient for Lin Fei and Lin You to move freely and do their own things.

Every morning, Lin You would leave the house shrouded in mystery and only return a moment before their parents came home in the evening. Then she would put on an act of being obedient and good, expecting Lin Fei to cover for her with excuses.

Lin Fei’s trip this time would probably take quite some time, but he could no longer pass it off with just any excuse. Things like going on a trip with friends, attending a summer camp, visiting a classmate’s house, or participation in activities of the Swordsmanship Club had all been used too often. Lin Fei held the phone helplessly, not knowing what excuse to give his family.

Out of options, he ended up making up an excuse about visiting a classmate’s house.

"Yuan City? Who could you possibly know there?" Lin Jianguo seemed to be busy with something, as his voice kept cutting in and out of the conversation with Lin Fei, along with voices of other people in the background.

"Dad, it’s the holidays anyway, and it’s time for me to rest a bit. I’m grown-up enough for you not to worry about my safety," Lin Fei said with a wry smile.

"Yuan City is a bit far. How many days are you planning to be there?" Lin Jianguo asked directly.

"I’m not sure, but it won’t be more than a week. I’ll call back home," Lin Fei replied, considering the maximum duration of the mission.

"A week? That’s too long. If you really must go, take Nannan with you. How would you feel leaving her alone at home? I have no idea what that girl Lin You is up to all day, she’s so secretive."

"Nannan, eh. Alright then," Lin Fei hesitated for a moment, but eventually agreed. One additional person wasn’t a big deal. He just had to have someone from the branch come over. It could be Xiao Ling or Chen Chen—anyone would suffice to allay suspicions.

No sooner had he hung up the phone than he saw Jiang Nan yawning and walking out of the study.

"Nannan, how about coming with me to Yuan City to have some fun?" Lin Fei asked directly.

Jiang Nan was startled, a flash of joy appearing on her face, but she quickly became worried and said, "But I still have work to do at the club..."

"It’s okay, I’ll give you two days off. After all, your future position will be specially dedicated to maintaining my swordsmanship practice," Lin Fei said casually.

"Is that okay?" During her time at the Swordsmanship Club, Jiang Nan wasn’t naive and could clearly see that the club members and instructors treated Lin Fei exceptionally well. Even the Chief Instructor was merely on par with Lin Fei. Plus, she had heard rumors that the Swordsmanship Club was founded and invested in by Lin Fei, though she didn’t take them seriously. She was aware of Lin Fei’s family situation, and Jiang Feng and Lin Jianguo were hardly knowledgeable about the Swordsmanship Club to consider investing in it.

"It’s fine. My relationship with the club is different from the others," Lin Fei hinted meaningfully.

Jiang Nan also knew that her job was actually the club looking after her on Lin Fei’s behalf, so she didn’t say anything more.

"Alright then," Jiang Nan replied with some hesitation, but the happiness in her eyes couldn’t be hidden.

Lin Fei was also aware of Jiang Nan’s feelings, but some things were not so easily dealt with. In his previous life, he had once had a girlfriend, but just as their relationship began, he had suffered a tragic accident upon returning home. Despite not having the time to nurture any deep feelings, he understood what the gleam in Jiang Nan’s eyes signified.

However, such emotions were difficult for him to accept. Putting aside their family relationship, just the world he was involved in was too remote and dangerous for someone like Jiang Nan, who was merely an ordinary person. So although he had a good impression of Jiang Nan, it was only out of kinship and an appreciation for beauty. To this day, he didn’t want to be too distracted by such meaningless matters.

*************

Yuan City

It is known to have the largest and most numerous underground caves in Southwest Province, attracting a considerable number of travelers each year, including frequent visits by international guests.

Therefore, when the best hotel in the city, Guangyuan Hotel, welcomed a group of foreigners, it wasn’t considered anything out of the ordinary. However, it did become quite unusual when, shortly after these foreigners checked in, some of the city’s administrative leaders promptly paid them a visit.

At the staircase of the Guangyuan Hotel’s Second Layer, a large group of people surrounded two middle-aged men in suits as they walked up.

The hotel manager and staff accompanied them on the side, while in the Second Layer’s hallway.

A young man with short brown hair approached them with a smile and greeted them cheerfully in a foreign language. His voice was loud and clear.

But the two leaders in the front were completely taken aback, not understanding a single word.

"Mayor Yao, where’s the translator you asked for?" one of the leaders whispered to the other.

"Isn’t this her?" Yao Hui glanced at a young woman to the side, but frustratingly, she too looked bewildered.

When both officials turned their gaze toward her, the young woman panicked, whispering hurriedly.

"Mayor, Director, I... I don’t understand either. He seems to be speaking German, not English," the young woman said anxiously, herself only an English translator, clueless about German.

"Have you tried speaking English with him?" Mayor Yao asked in a solemn voice.

Then, there was a group gathered tightly around the woman as she spoke at length with a group of foreigners. The brown-haired man, who seemed to be the leader, had a puzzled face, but clearly one of his subordinates was fluent in English, a tall woman. After she stepped forward, the two acted as a translation bridge, and normal communication was finally possible.

"This is Mayor Yao Hui, he is in charge of our city’s economic affairs, and this is Director Luo Kai from the Bureau of Commerce." The interpreter introduced.

The brown-haired man smiled and nodded, then pointed to himself.

"My name is William, but you can call me Justin. I’m here in Yuan City purely for tourism, but of course, if there are good investment projects, our Kaisrunk Group will not miss out."

After the interpreter translated verbatim, the eyes of both leaders lit up.

Kaisrunk, that’s one of the world’s most famous top-level financial consortia. If they could be persuaded to invest even a little in our city, the prestige alone would be significant, and it would be a major highlight for our city’s publicity.

Mayor Yao Hui immediately became even more enthusiastic. If the investment were to be successful, this might be the opportunity to join the Standing Committee. Despite his title as a deputy mayor, his real power and influence were only slightly better than an ordinary bureau chief, perhaps even less than some important bureau chiefs.

"Mr. William, as a representative of the Kaisrunk Group, having the opportunity to come to Hua Nation, Southwest Province, and to our Yuan City, we, as the local government, will support any reasonable needs you may have," he said, followed by a round of praises for the friendship between Hua and the West, the friendship between Hua and the UK.

Only then did he and the other director descend the stairs leisurely, leaving the hotel.

William casually ruffled his hair and stood at the hotel entrance, watching the group leave.

"Have the people from Hua Nation arrived?"

"Almost, what does the boss mean?" The female interpreter by his side responded.

"Just make sure there are no conflicts. After all, this is their turf."

"Understood." The woman nodded, turned, and began to instruct others in different tasks.

**********

Yuan City Bus Station

Lin Fei gently patted Jiang Nan, who was leaning on her shoulder.

"Wake up, Nannan, we’ve arrived at Yuan City."

Jiang Nan moved her eyelids slightly and slowly opened her eyes, seemingly still half asleep.

"Are we there?"

"Yes, we’ve just arrived. We’re now at the bus station," Lin Fei spoke softly.

The weather outside was gloomy. Thick clouds blocked all sunlight, and the temperature was chilly.

When Lin Fei and Jiang Nan got off the bus, it was already three in the afternoon. They had been traveling for almost four or five hours, even though they had taken the highway.

Lin Fei, carrying a black Sword Bag, was followed by Jiang Nan. The bus station was crowded with people, as buses came and went. Among those who had disembarked with them were a couple with a child. The man looked distinguished, the woman was gentle as water, and their child was quiet and cute—a harmonious family.

Jiang Nan occasionally cast her gaze at this family, walking behind Lin Fei. Without any familiar faces around, it seemed as if only Lin You and she depended on each other in the world. This strange feeling made her unconsciously draw closer to Lin Fei.

"Nannan, actually, I’m here to take care of some business, not just for fun as I told my parents. It was just an excuse because it’s hard to explain," said Lin Fei, having brought Jiang Nan with her, naturally she could not conceal this fact. Otherwise, it would be inconvenient many times.

"Oh." Jiang Nan nodded, indifferent to the real reason Lin Fei was there. The feeling of being with him was all that mattered to her.

"I’ve arranged everything. We’ll go to the Guangyuan Hotel first."

*************

At the toll station entrance to Yuan City.

A silver sedan drove off slowly, with Volkswagen’s distinctive three "V" logo on the grille clearly visible.

Through the car window, one could see a young man with a steady face gripping the steering wheel, wearing silver-rimmed glasses, the image of an intellectual. The man sitting next to him, however, had long sideburns that reached his chest, which was quite unusual. He seemed calm, his eyes half-closed as if he were resting. Both men were dressed in casual dark shirts and trousers.

In the back seat, a slender woman lay languidly, taking up the entire space.

The woman lay on the seat, knees bent, her face as exquisitely delicate as a doll’s. However, judging by appearance, she possessed no foreign blood characteristic of Hua Nation’s people—typical black hair and black eyes.

A thin blanket covered her, hiding her beautiful curves.

"We should be arriving soon," the woman slowly sat up, gently massaging her temple with her index finger. Her voice was somewhat deep and husky, giving off an incredibly somber tone. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian to cast your recommendation votes and Monthly Tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)