"The royal family's statement will be released by tomorrow at the latest." Phoenix's tone was relaxed. "Personally, I suggest that you take the time to communicate well with that Miss Chiyoko and mend your relationship. You know, you almost killed her at sea. And let me tell you, this ridiculous royal prince is not as weak as she appears."
The man with the large head nodded respectfully, then glanced at Abe beside him and took a breath: "Then..."
"You can leave now." Phoenix waved her hand. "Don't bother me unless it's absolutely necessary."
Big Head, pulling Ampere along, quickly disappeared into the jungle. Phoenix then looked up at the sky and sighed softly, "I really hate these things. But thankfully, the days of endurance are almost over. I should be able to leave tomorrow."
As she lowered her head, she glanced at the two servants standing to the side, their faces filled with horror. Both were pale and drenched in sweat.
The phoenix laughed: "You seem very scared?"
The two servants' hearts pounded.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you." Phoenix shook her head: "I didn't mean to hide what I said from you. You can hear it if you want. And when you go back, you can report it to your superiors word for word. I don't care."
She suddenly laughed mischievously: "I don't care, because all of this is out in the open! The royal family behind you, whether they know it or not, they only have one path in front of them: cooperate with us! It's a choice—but unfortunately, there's only one option!"
The very next day, a new organization was officially established under the Imperial Household Agency of Japan.
This organization has a very interesting name: the Royal Rising Sun Shueisha. And its president is none other than Princess Chiyoko Akiyoshi, who has always maintained a low profile within the Imperial Family.
Among the countless organizations, large and small, under the Imperial Household Agency, this newly established society seemed inconspicuous.
The newly established Shueisha didn't attract much attention. Most members of the Imperial Family assumed that this new club, with its leader being the delicate and quiet Chiyoko, was likely just a small, recreational social organization. Perhaps a Go club? A flower-growing club? A polo club?
God knows, and nobody cares.
However, what is unknown to most is that only those at the highest levels of the Imperial Household Agency know that the special operating funds allocated by the Imperial Family for this new organization are an astronomical sum.
"Where exactly do you want to run off to?"
Chen Xiao sighed.
Beside a nearby campfire, Prince was whistling as he placed a skinned and furred rabbit on a rack to roast. He patiently turned the rabbit, trying to ensure it cooked evenly. At the same time, he carefully sprinkled a handful of salt on it.
"Be patient, my little friend." Prince grinned lewdly. The pair of long wings behind him had been retracted, and he looked almost like a normal person. Even his eerie silver pupils had turned into a normal color. He was casually wearing a shirt, but the label was still on, indicating it was new. Beside him, on the ground, lay a pile of freshly opened condiments.
This place is already far east of K City; a few kilometers further east is the sea.
Champagne sat next to Chen Xiao, looking at the white man with some wariness.
"Alright. Dinner will be ready in a bit." Prince clapped his hands and laughed. "Look, such great weather, having a barbecue outdoors is a rare treat. It's a pity, alas, it would be perfect if we had a good bottle of wine."
About an hour ago, they looted a supermarket, and Prince's shirt and all those condiments came from there.
"I have no interest in having a barbecue with you." Chen Xiao was a little annoyed: "What exactly do you want?"
"It's just a game, it's all just a game." Prince spread his hands innocently, protesting, "My friend, put your hand on your heart and tell me, I haven't wronged you or hurt you, have I?"
"Hmph, it didn't hurt." Chen Xiao snorted in dissatisfaction. But, being dragged around like that, wasn't that a bit unfair?
"Look, I treated you to coffee and even acted as your tour guide when we were in Japan. Now that we're in China, I'm treating you to barbecue. Hey, I, Prince, am personally grilling food for you. You won't find many people in the whole world who receive this kind of treatment!"
Prince checked the temperature, stood up, glanced at the champagne bottle beside him that was darting around, and said calmly, "Beautiful lady, you don't need to think about it. Those guys won't be able to catch up for the time being." He seemed quite smug: "We're both S-class experts, but my escape skills are the best in the world! In my estimation, it will take them at least two hours to catch up and find this place. Two hours is enough time for us to enjoy a sumptuous meal."
Chen Xiao's face darkened: "You just did this for fun?"
"Then why else?" Prince stared at Chen Xiao, looking completely innocent.
Chen Xiao was speechless.
Yes, such an incredibly talented person actually wasted several years hiding in Japan researching that ridiculous otaku culture. It's really impossible to judge him using normal human thinking.
“This world is already in chaos.” Prince’s expression turned unusually serious. “It’s getting more and more chaotic outside. Humph, I don’t like those guys fighting each other, all they do all day is betrayal, appeasement, compromise, cooperation, and deals. Service companies, clubs, and that damn International Ability Alliance, none of them are good. As for me, I don’t belong to any organization. I’m free and do whatever I want.”
"That's because you have the resources," Chen Xiao snorted. "You have the strength to remain independent. No one can threaten you. If you weren't an S-rank expert..."
“If I weren’t, I would have died a horrible death long ago.” Prince laughed heartily, seemingly unconcerned about Chen Xiao’s accusations.
He squatted by the fire like a greedy child, and finally waited until the roasted rabbit was roasted to a golden brown, the crispy meat emitting a mouthwatering aroma. Only then did he quickly lift the roasted rabbit down, take out a knife, cut it into three pieces, and give them to Chen Xiao and Xiangbin.
Chen Xiao and Xiangbin exchanged a glance, then simply took the bottle and started eating it—since it was already in this madman's hands, they might as well eat it.
“By the way, I’m quite curious.” Prince quickly gnawed the half-rabbit in his hand down to the bone—his eating speed was truly frightening. His eyes darted around as he smiled at Chen Xiao: “And who are you? Back in Japan, I noticed someone was watching and following you on the street. What I’m really curious about is the identity of those people who were following you.”
Chen Xiao put down the barbecue in his hand and looked at Prince intently.
“My detector’s database is the latest and most complete.” Prince chuckled. “I was really surprised. Of the guys I recognized who were following you that day, four of them actually belonged to clubs and service companies. But…”
"But what?"
"However, according to the news I know, those guys are all 'traitors'."
"Traitor?" Chen Xiao's eyes widened.
“Yes, traitors,” Prince said, seemingly puzzled. “Those who betray or leave their original organization.”
Next, he countered Chen Xiao's question: "You seem to know a lot of people. How come you seem completely unaware of the situation? Don't you know that a lot of big things have happened outside lately? The service agency and the club have suffered heavy losses, with many former members leaving the organization, defecting in large numbers, or announcing their withdrawal. The club's rule has always been to severely punish and hunt down those who defect, but it seems the situation is getting out of control. The international supernatural ability organization has posted wanted posters on several notice boards, but not many bounty hunters dare to take on these jobs."
At this point, Prince waved his hand and said, "Don't look at me so surprised. Although I'm on vacation in Japan, I can still subscribe to the International Superpower Alliance's weekly electronic newspaper. I subscribe to every issue of the 'Superpower Observer' newspaper."
Chen Xiao frowned; he had a vague feeling about it.
Was the person who followed me in Akihabara, Tokyo that day connected to Phoenix? After all, Phoenix had secretly met with me at the coffee shop that day.
"To use a phrase you Chinese would say, 'The storm is brewing, and the wind is howling.'" Prince suddenly said this with a sense of pity, though his expression clearly showed a hint of wanting to stir up trouble. "This isn't unprecedented. Ah, I mean, large numbers of people announcing their departure from the organization. I heard that when the Service first split, a large number of people announced their departure, and those people eventually formed a new organization called the Club. Now..."
Chen Xiao's heart skipped a beat: "You mean?"