Chapter 282: The Courage to Choose
The Arabian Sea was abuzz, reaching its peak this summer. After completing diplomatic visits, the Huaguo Ludong aircraft carrier group was engaged in joint naval exercises with the navies of Pakistan and Iran, drawing the world’s attention.
The North American Truman aircraft carrier strike group had rushed to the scene, watching closely from less than 800 kilometers away. The distance was so close that both sides’ carrier-based aircraft had several close encounters.
The Indian Navy deployed two destroyers to the outermost edge to monitor the situation, while Indian media continued to escalate rhetoric, caught in a cycle of envy, hate, and fantasy as they proclaimed “wait and see” and “in the near future.”
Statements regarding the threat posed by Huaguo resurfaced in global discourse, and during a tense election period in North America, candidates from both parties were vying to present tougher stances on Huaguo, each clamoring to outdo the other in their fervor.
It was June 30, Tuesday.
Jiang Yan’s disappearance had driven both the Wang family and the Dark Arrow into a frenzy, placing all land, sea, and air entry and exit points under a covert high alert.
Unfortunately, after a full 48 hours, no leads had been found. Besides intercepting a few wandering blood knights employed by foreign bloodline forces as bait, Jiang Yan and Qian Guilong seemed to have evaporated into thin air.
At the Wang family’s summer resort on Guanyin Mountain in D City, most of the senior members of the Wang family were gathered, and even the Dark Arrow sent Han Jec to act as a liaison and coordination representative to establish a presence at the Wang family.
As night fell, the atmosphere in the accommodations for the Hyacinth members was exceptionally tense. Even the typically composed Zhao Peng showed a noticeably darker expression.
That night, Wan Yue, dressed in a snow-white gown, strolled by the lotus pond at the summer resort and did not attend the high-level meeting led by the ancestral patriarch of the Wang family.
Jiang Yao stubbornly followed closely behind her, matching her steps wherever she went, remaining silent.
A short distance away, Meng Huai and Zhao Peng walked together, sharing the same silence.
“What do you want me to say?”
After walking in circles, Wan Yue stopped, slightly turning her head to Jiang Yao, who was less than two meters behind, speaking nonchalantly.
“You… you have no evidence…” Jiang Yao mumbled, her eyes vacant and her face somewhat pale. “Zhong Jing didn’t betray us. He was just afraid I was in danger…”
“Yes, so he took it upon himself to switch you with Jiang Yan, leaving the real queen in the hands of the Engel family. Ha, I bet Elvin is laughing in his dreams!”
“However, setting aside right and wrong, this is Zhong Jing’s true nature. He is not purely acting on emotions; in his eyes, Jiang Yan is more capable of handling adverse situations than you, even to the point where he didn’t consider whether Jiang Yan was willing when making his choice.”
Wan Yue took out a cigarette and lit it, looking up at the half-moon in the sky, a hint of self-mockery at the corner of her mouth.
“But why didn’t you tell us the truth? Do you think everything you’re doing is right and that others must follow your lead? Zhong Jing has turned into this because of you!”
Jiang Yao shouted, clutching her skirt.
Perhaps due to her emotions reaching a threshold, Jiang Yao suddenly grabbed her abdomen with both hands, her face turning pale as she involuntarily hunched over, shaking uncontrollably.
Meng Huai rushed over and quickly supported Jiang Yao.
“Why are you holding me? Who told you to hug me?”
Jiang Yao endured the intense discomfort in her abdomen, repeatedly elbowing Meng Huai in the chest.
“Xiao Yao, you’re pregnant…”
Jiang Yao staggered backward.
“What if I am pregnant? What does it have to do with you?! Where were you when this happened? Didn’t you love her so deeply? Why didn’t you protect your sister?!”
Tears welled in Jiang Yao’s eyes as she turned and slapped Meng Huai across the face.
Meng Huai remained unfazed, making no effort to dodge, just doing his best to stabilize Jiang Yao.
“Telling you the truth and then letting you make choices for yourselves?” Wan Yue turned around, eyeing Jiang Yao’s face filled with agitation and anxiety with a smirk. “Then tell me, who do you plan to use as bait? Will it be Jiang Yan volunteering, or will you nominate yourself?”
“Every person is a courageous warrior who dares to decide their own life or death, but not everyone dares to be a cold-blooded person who decides others’ lives. I can let Zhong Jing or Zhao Peng sacrifice themselves for the greater good; can you?”
“Gaining others’ trust, determining their lives and deaths, bearing the blame of others—some people shy away from it, while others embrace it… Jiang Yao, in this world, no matter how terrible the choices are, they are still better than making no choice at all.”
Wan Yue sat down on a stone bench, propping her elbows on the stone table, her expression turning increasingly cold.
“I… I don’t know… I don’t want Zhong Jing and sister to go…” Jiang Yao slumped to the ground, sobbing and weeping.
“Mm, I understand. That’s why I gave you the power to make a choice, and I’ve naturally rescinded your right to know the truth.”
Wan Yue walked over to Jiang Yao, sighed after a few seconds, squatted down, and gently stroked her face: “You know, many people, even when they grasp the truth, will still be unable to extricate themselves.”
“I know, I know! Sister Wan, please, save Zhong Jing and sister!”
Jiang Yao became incoherent, grasping Wan Yue’s hand in a dazed panic.
“Mm, I promise.”
After speaking, Wan Yue waved to Zhao Peng: “Take her back to rest. If the pregnancy becomes complicated, who knows what kind of trouble could arise.”
Jiang Yao, carried by Zhao Peng, left crying and wailing. Only Wan Yue and Meng Huai remained at the scene.
Watching Jiang Yao’s retreating figure, Meng Huai’s hand tightened and then loosened, a repetitive motion. Since early yesterday morning, after a brief period of confusion and anger, Meng Huai had maintained a peculiar calm, which continued to linger.
“Meng Huai, have you ever resented your mother for leaving you with a shattered fate?”
It was unclear how much time had passed when Wan Yue took a deep breath and smiled at the youth beside her.
Meng Huai was taken aback, thought for a moment, and slowly shook his head.
“That’s quite different from me. I was thrust into the bloodline world by my own mother. I cried, I was hysterical, I rebelled—why did she have to choose me? But that did not change the outcome. I once believed her to be the cruelest person in the world…”
Wan Yue stood up, walked around the railing, and slowly waded into the lotus pond, with water reaching below her knees, resembling an ethereal fairy standing amidst the lotus flowers, transcendent and untainted.
Shifting his gaze from Wan Yue, Meng Huai stared into the lotus pond beside him, his mind lingering on Wan Yue’s words.
The lotus pond under the lights and moonlight shimmered with an expanse of green and red; lacking any color or contour, it would be a dull existence—perhaps what so-called perfection in this world is merely a clever combination of mediocrity.
The beauty presented by nature is also the result of billions of years of cruel survival of the fittest, and as later generations, one cannot blame nature for giving birth to all things while looking benevolently.
As some distracting thoughts faded, Meng Huai came to his senses and quietly asked, “Sister Wan, why is Jiang Yan the true queen? Isn’t she… incapable of having children?”
Glancing at the unusually serious young man, Wan Yue pointed to a blooming lotus flower nearby: “Queen is merely a codename for a phased result of the ancestral plan. In fact, their true identity should be the newly emerged Sophia bloodline…”
Moreover, compared to the old Sophia bloodline, it is more stable, like a new breed cultivated and tamed over two hundred years.
“By the standards of the past two hundred years, the capability for reproduction is a requisite for a queen, as it is essential for bloodline development. But for the Sophia bloodline, that may not be the case… The ultimate direction of the bloodline is to give birth to the Sophia bloodline, not to exist for the queen’s sake.”
“Actually, it’s quite normal that you only have a vague understanding; after all, in this world, the only person who has truly seen the Sophia bloodline is that elder of the Wang family.”
That Sophia bloodline, which was hunted down by the eight major bloodline families and fled to Mingshuo, mentioned some very interesting content: girls qualified for growth within the Sophia subclass usually do not possess reproductive capabilities before becoming royalty. This prevents them from being restrained by the obligation of another life during their growth, at least until they can progress further.
“Jiang Yan is the same way… These truths are bit by bit revealed to me during the elder Wang’s gradual trust-building process, and I’ve never complained about her extreme caution. After all, each bit of truth received comes with a share of responsibility.”
After speaking, Wan Yue smiled, bent down to pick a lotus flower from the water, lifted it over her head, and enjoyed the moonlight.
……
……
At eleven o’clock at night, a German diplomatic service plane from C City in Huaguo landed at Ho Chi Minh City International Airport in Vietnam.
Several large packages labeled “diplomatic-pouch” were unloaded, then, under the watch of a diplomat from the German Consulate in Huaguo’s C City, were directly towed towards a waiting Gulfstream 650 private jet at the other end of the tarmac.
In front of the private jet, Emma, dressed in an appropriate professional skirt, politely handed a thick envelope to the attending Vietnamese airport officials. The official gently lifted the envelope flap and revealed a satisfied expression.
From the cabin window, Zhong Jing popped half of his head out, slightly tilting his gaze downward, fixated on a large diplomatic pouch encircled by people.
Several minutes later, the German diplomatic service plane and the Gulfstream 650 private jet ascended in succession, the aircraft flickering with various navigation lights, heading towards the Middle East.
Inside the soundproof cabin, the lighting was soft, and Emma sat quietly on the cabin sofa, flipping through a fashion magazine while occasionally glancing at the door of the lounge across from her and the young man on the other side playing a handheld gaming console.
“Miss Emma, don’t you fear that with the resources of the German government at your disposal, the exposure might lead to diplomatic tensions between the two countries?”
Zhong Jing tossed aside his gaming controller, glanced at his watch, and seized a bottle of light sparkling wine.
“Providing service to our citizens is exactly what a civil servant should do,” Emma replied dismissively, pointing beneath her. “Mr. Elvin is very concerned, which is why he used his private jet to arrange this trip for you, Mr. Zhong.”
“Was it Chu Dali and Qian Guilong who were just on the governmental plane with the stretcher? Are they also going to that so-called secret base?”
Zhong Jing cast a glance outside, but unfortunately, besides the dark stratosphere, he couldn’t see the German diplomatic service plane which had taken off a few minutes earlier.
Their loyalty has already gained the trust of the Engel family, and they will have more important tasks to complete… However, I think Mr. Zhong should be more concerned about your health; it’s likely you haven’t taken your medication for several days.”
Emma noticed a few strands of white hair on Zhong Jing’s head, showing evident concern.
Zhong Jing let out a snort through his nose and took out a small black medication bottle from his suit pocket, shaking out two pills, smirking as he looked them over for a few seconds before tossing one into his mouth with the sparkling wine.
“You seem to hold a bias against our sincerity. Yet, in the end, we have become the closest partners. Between us…”
Emma pondered for a moment, then boldly stood up, striding smoothly to sit beside Zhong Jing. One hand lightly rested on his shoulder. “Mr. Zhong, as a woman, I fully understand the choices you’ve made. I admit you are a compassionate gentleman, but at times, your understanding of women can be myopic.
With five more hours of flight time, we can talk about other subjects…”
As she spoke, Emma casually unbuttoned one button of her blouse, seemingly feeling a bit warm in the cabin.
Faced with this blatant provocation, Zhong Jing smiled, casting a sidelong glance at her shoulder and gently brushed it aside. “Sorry, but I can’t sleep with two ladies within a week.”
Are you referring to Miss Jiang Yao? I feel that, from a purely physiological perspective, she is enough to drive any man wild, but she might not be as genuine as other women… Of course, I’m not referring to her identity as a queen.
Emma almost broke into laughter but managed to hold it in.
Zhong Jing’s smile began to fade as he slowly raised the sparkling wine to his lips, quietly observing the shapely European woman beside him while contemplating the implications of her earlier remarks.
At that moment, not far behind them, faint sounds emerged from the cabin’s lounge as Zhong Jing and Emma turned their heads simultaneously.
The roar of the external engines, filtered through advanced soundproof materials, passed into the lounge, leaving only faint murmurs.
Under the soft golden cabin lights lay a luxurious wide bed, on which a black-haired girl, bound by electronic shackles around her neck, wrists, and ankles, was lying.
The girl’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, her expression changing, repeatedly frowning and moving her lips before finally opening her eyes.
The blackness tore open into a petal-shaped bright light that quickly diluted into a dim, soft gold, and all the blurred contours in her vision began to focus clearly.
I’m on a plane… Jiang Yan looked around, struggling to rise as her hands and feet were restrained by electronic shackles.
Turning her head, she caught sight of a small mirror not far from the big bed, reflecting a pale young girl’s face that appeared unhealthy.
Shifting her gaze away from the electronic shackles around her ankles and wrists, Jiang Yan felt that something was also strange about her body. All pheromone controls had ceased, as if some astonishing drug had been injected, reverting her to an ordinary person.
I have entered the third phase of the queen status, an absolute forbidden blood boiling… Qian Guilong, Xiao Yao… Oh right, Zhong Jing!
Jiang Yan’s numb brain finally snapped back to full consciousness, and she began to struggle fiercely to escape the electronic shackles.
The door opened, and Zhong Jing appeared at the foot of the bed, quietly observing her, with a somewhat familiar-looking European woman following behind him.
“Zhong Jing, why…”
Jiang Yan curled her legs, staring at the young man at the door, her gaze gradually turning cold…
At the western coast of the Red Sea, in the desert of Bilteweila, where Egypt and Sudan meet, local time June 30, 8 PM.
Another round of sandstorms arrived, with flying sand and rocks blotting out the sun, resembling hell on earth. Yet beneath this sandstorm, on the eighth underground level of the Eden base, a private space revealed an entirely different scene.
This was Elvin’s personal residence, measuring over ten meters in both width and length, and over six meters in height. Three of its walls in the living area were enormous screens displaying seemingly real tropical ocean beaches.
The gently lapping sea water, delicate white sands, and lush palm trees, augmented by a surround sound system resonating with the natural sounds of waves, sea winds, and seabirds, made this enclosed underground space feel expansive.
Elvin, dressed in beach shorts, lay on a large bed with a wine glass in hand, coldly observing the artificial scenery around him.
A soft electronic voice sounded from the bedside: “Lord Elvin, Miss Emma will arrive in Dubai in four hours. To avoid the sandstorm, it is expected that she will not reach here until tomorrow afternoon.”
A small door opened, and his confidant Frank’s figure abruptly appeared amidst the waves, breaking the harmony of the virtual landscape.
Suddenly on the complete beach, a picture-in-picture display emerged, showing Emma, Zhong Jing, and Jiang Yan conversing within the cabin.
“It was an efficient operation; every step of the deployment and execution serves as a valuable reference for everyone.”
Elvin was in a good mood, grabbed a coconut from the fruit plate at the bedside, and smiled, pointing at the distant picture-in-picture display, “Like me, she’s very angry about being betrayed by her companions.”
As he spoke, Elvin’s gaze sharpened, and he turned to Frank: “In two days, Frank, help me dispel this feeling.”
The statement had a double meaning; Frank quickly lowered his head, taking a deep breath: “All communication modules in the base have been implanted with monitoring programs. Once someone uses an external communication interface, they can be immediately located!”
However, there has been no movement at all in the past two weeks. Could it be that during the last personnel rotation, the mole has already left? We can check the rotation list again.
Frank spoke cautiously, occasionally glancing at Elvin’s expression.
“Not likely. What happens here will only become more valuable; why would the mole leave at this time… Frank, prepare a transfer plan for the Ancestor. Once the Ancestor enters a stable hibernation state, we will leave here.”
“Lord Elvin, the response from Lab One is that the Ancestor needs at least another half month to enter a stable hibernation state… its current stability is only at eighty-five percent, increasing no more than a fraction each day.”
“A noble duke isn’t enough to soothe the Ancestor?! Seven days, at most give them seven days!”
Elvin’s voice suddenly rose, and the coconut in his hand was instantly crushed, the squeezed coconut juice and broken coconut flesh dropping onto the bed.
“Understood, Lord Elvin…”
Frank did not dare to offer further explanations, only nodding in agreement.
Wait, the current stability is at eighty-five percent… Has the test result of Jiang Yan’s blood sample, which was sent urgently two days ago, come out? Let Lab One evaluate whether another affinity test for the Ancestor can be conducted!
After the brief loss of temper, Elvin realized that he had been strung too tightly during this period, displaying too much impatience, which was not in line with his character.
“Understood.” Frank nodded and exited the room.
The Huaguo Navy was intensively operating in the Arabian Sea, was it merely to showcase muscle? The James family hadn’t passed down any intel…
Elvin murmured to himself, picking up a tablet beside him, intending to continue tracking the hottest news from the past few days.
Looking at the massive fleet in the footage, Elvin’s brow slowly furrowed, falling into deep thought.
Uncertain how much time passed, Elvin abruptly grabbed the phone at the bedside and dialed the number for the Alpine family estate.
“Lady Monica, please draft a guest list and invite members of the European Family Alliance to visit the Eden base next week to learn about our research achievements… Yes, try to cover all the count families, and it’s essential that we invite the Lippe family members!”
The person answering the call was the family’s head maid, one of Elvin’s most trusted individuals, having served his great-grandfather Otto for two hundred years, during the vacancy of the head of internal affairs.
To Elvin, in this delicate and critical sensitive period, binding a few of the most influential count families in Europe would be the best way to counter the North American James family.
