Chapter 87: Various Movements
On October 31st, Wednesday, Halloween Eve. This absurd holiday, popular in Europe and America, sees the living dress as ghosts to scare away the souls of the dead. Demons, witches, and various monsters from Western folklore tormenting people become targets for mockery by the living on this day.
In City S, a directly governed municipality in eastern Huaguo, several individuals entered a luxurious suite at a grand five-star hotel one after another.
On either side of the European-style long table in the living room sat one person. On one side was the tall, blonde youth Elvin of European descent, and on the other was a short, middle-aged Asian man.
Behind Elvin stood his professional assistant Emma, while behind the short Asian man was the dignified Kurumi Haruya, owner of an elegant gown, lowering her gaze submissively.
“The head of the family is deeply honored by the Engel family’s invitation, and has sent me to meet with Lord Count Elvin!”
Viscount Fujihara Kyosuke of the Japanese Fujiwara family had adopted a noticeably subservient posture, bowing nearly 90 degrees along with Kurumi Haruya behind him, displaying great courtesy.
“Mr. Fujihara’s prompt arrival in Huaguo proves that the cooperation between the Engel family and the Fujiwara family is indeed the right choice.”
Elvin brushed back a few strands of hair from his forehead, elegantly pouring red wine from a bottle into the goblets in front of the two, while glancing at the girl behind Fujihara: “I heard that Miss Kurumi has successfully entered the Zhong family; the industry development of the Fujiwara family is indeed something to look forward to.”
“Thank you for your attention, Lord Elvin…”
Kurumi Haruya kept her head down, bowing politely, not daring to say another word.
“Mr. Elvin, is there an urgent matter that requires me? Do you have leads regarding the Tang family in Huaguo?”
Fujihara Kyosuke looked at Elvin’s face, which wore a peculiar smile, and softly inquired.
“Yes, we have basically figured it out. The Tang family has indeed betrayed us, intending to monopolize the grandmother’s estate of the Goebbels family, but unfortunately, the Wang family detected it, and the ‘Dark Arrow’ forces in Huaguo wiped them out. However, the grandmother has not been completely eradicated; two blooded soldiers were infected, and their whereabouts are currently unknown.”
Elvin sipped the red wine, his expression somewhat nonchalant.
“With Mr. Elvin’s capabilities, you couldn’t find the location of those two infected soldiers?”
Fujihara Kyosuke stared intently into Elvin’s eyes, seemingly trying to discern the truth behind his words, his previously respectful demeanor dissipating significantly.
After a few seconds of silence, seemingly coming to a realization, he glanced back at Kurumi Haruya, who quickly lowered her head: “Uncle, I am also secretly investigating the Wang family, but they are too large, and I do not dare to delve too deeply; it will take time.”
“Yes, Miss Kurumi is right. The biggest obstacle we face at present is the Wang family and the ‘Dark Arrow’ forces in Huaguo. This time, the Wang family eliminated the Tang family with the help of the ‘Dark Arrow’ forces, which clearly indicates they know something,
and this isn’t the first time in the past two hundred years… Although the Wang family opposes our great enterprise, we cannot allow the inheritance to fall into the hands of the ‘Dark Arrow’ forces.”
A hint of ruthlessness flickered in Elvin’s eyes, and even the color of his pupils seemed to subtly shift with the rise and fall of his emotions.
“Although the head of the family has just awakened from his slumber, he has already received many reports. Now, aside from some necessary special goods entry channels, all major ‘Dark Arrow’ inspection areas in Huaguo have tightened their management of entry and exit, especially monitoring the movement of personnel from our foreign families. They must have already noticed the inheritance is within Huaguo and want to block the exit.”
Fujihara Kyosuke wrinkled his brow deeply, evidently feeling the pressure from the targeted actions of the ‘Dark Arrow’ forces in Huaguo.
“So, we must make them all busy—the Wang family, the ‘Dark Arrow,’ the Association of Seekers, the Liang family, and the Zhou family… The busier, the better; the more chaos, the better.”
Elvin extended his hand, clinking his wine glass with Fujihara Kyosuke’s, and both shared a knowing smile, the sounds of their glasses ringing out crisply.
“Half a month ago, a senior viscount from the Liang family in southern Huaguo defected to the Black Blood Clan, leading to a split within the entire family. The news has yet to spread, forcing the Wang family to divert their attention to intervene; this aligns with our interests.”
Elvin suddenly stood up, opened his wine glass, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down imperiously at the traffic below, his smirk growing colder: “This country, on the surface, has interacted openly with the world and has become a superpower on par with North America in just a few decades. It might even become the sole superpower in the future.”
“But in reality, they have always been very closed off. They cannot understand the true voice of this world. They possess too much independence of thought, whether ordinary people or blood clans; it’s indeed regrettable…”
“Oh!? The Liang family actually split? Is this the amazing work of Lord Elvin? Truly remarkable!”
Upon hearing about the current undercurrents in Huaguo, Fujihara Kyosuke excitedly stood up, as if such news were the most exquisite melody for the Fujiwara family.
The breaking of the old structure signifies that vast resources will soon be reshuffled and redistributed, posing an irresistible temptation and opportunity for the Fujiwara family, which aims to enter the industrial landscape of Huaguo.
“Haha, some people will never be content to stay in one realm waiting to die, and the Liang family is no exception, is it? However, I still admire your Fujiwara family; your internal management has always been excellent, avoiding such occurrences.”
“Ha ha, the resilient will of our Japanese blood clan can’t be compared to that of the Huaguo blood clan! The Black Blood Clan can never develop in Japan!”
A fleeting look of disdain crossed Elvin’s eyes, and as he turned back, he wore a face full of elegant politeness: “My great-grandfather will probably awaken soon; I will return to Europe in a couple of days.”
I hope the Fujiwara family can take a more active approach to utilize the chaos among the Huaguo blood clans to weaken the Wang family and create opportunities to recover the inheritance. Of course, Miss Emma and Mr. Luca will remain to assist you if necessary.
Saying this, the professional-looking European woman stepped forward a few paces and gave a slight nod of acknowledgment to Fujihara Kyosuke.
“Hi! I surely will inform the head of the family and do my part for our shared cause!”
Fujihara Kyosuke spoke with unwavering precision, his attitude sincere, but his words lacked a clear commitment.
A luxurious extended limousine pulled up outside the hotel, and Fujihara Kyosuke, accompanied by Kurumi Haruya, entered the car, the driver being Kurumi Haruya’s trusted knight, Hakuba Chiharu.
“Haruya, what do you think?”
Fujihara Kyosuke rubbed his chin, his expression darkened, “The Engel family is able to stir up the situation in Huaguo, far exceeding my expectations. They probably suspect that the Wang family has obtained the inheritance, at least within the Wang family’s sphere of influence.”
“Hi, Uncle, the Engel family wants us to take the lead and engage with the Huaguo blood clan and even the ‘Dark Arrow’ forces first to create an opportunity for them.”
Kurumi Haruya kept her head down, her attitude humble, her thoughts clear and her expression fluent: “The Engel family leads several major traditional families worldwide, continuing to research the Goebbels family’s inheritance, but can they really achieve profit-sharing? They have not disclosed many research results.”
“Yes, you are very smart; I have never believed them… The James family in North America has not made any moves either, and our Fujiwara family naturally needs to maintain some composure. As long as the inheritance remains unreleased in Huaguo, it is safe. Lord Count Elvin wants us to be the first to test the waters and become their cannon fodder; it won’t be that easy…”
“Let’s leave it at that; I’ll arrange matters concerning the Wang family; you should focus on the Zhong family, as that is where our tangible interests lie. In the future, your child will also be part of the Fujiwara family and will always be protected by it!”
“Hi… Thank you, Uncle.”
Kurumi Haruya quickly lowered her head, but her expression grew increasingly cold.
Several floors above, in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, Elvin folded his arms, quietly observing as a luxury vehicle the size of an ant departed below, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
“Lord Elvin, can we really count on these Japanese?” Emma stepped carefully behind Elvin, asking hesitantly, “What if they, like the Tang family, want to monopolize…?”
“Like the Tang family?”
Elvin turned around, holding Emma’s waist with a smile, a trace of disdain lingering at the corners of his mouth: “Decades ago, during World War II, the leading Tashima family in Japan shared their inheritance with the Goebbels family and got a part of it; what was the result? The two nuclear bombs in North America extinguished all their ambitions, and the Tashima family is now reduced to merely one viscount, becoming a subsidiary of the Fujiwara family.
Don’t be deceived by the fact that the Fujiwara family is still the leading marquis family in Japan; their fate is in the hands of the James family in North America.
Only our Engel family possesses the world’s top blood clan technology; all bottlenecks in realm advancement do not exist for us; we can have as many cannon fodder as we want.”
As he finished speaking, the automatic curtains of the floor-to-ceiling windows began to close, dimming the light in the room until only a soft glow remained.
Gently running his fingers through Emma’s hair, caressing her pale neck, Elvin’s eyes began to redden gradually. “The opera has just begun; let us await the unfolding…”
Perhaps sensing the change in Elvin’s aura, Emma smiled lightly, slowly unfastening her clothing and starting to activate her fervent blood.
“Mr. Elvin, Zhuang Jianfei from the Association of Seekers has arrived, requesting to see you.”
From a buzzing intercom, the sound of their private lawyer Luca echoed.
“Tell him to wait.”
Elvin replied lightly, then embraced the now unclothed Emma, carrying her towards the bedroom, opening his mouth to bite down on her exposed slender neck, deeply and greedily sucking…
…
Night fell, and at the Golden River Club, under the arrangements of several “young” girls led by Zhou Ping, the hall was adorned with Halloween elements, with some visiting members happily taking part.
Bloodstained black robes, pale goat skull masks, bat wings, magic wands—endless decorations with a few guests standing out with their eccentric choices.
These imported cultural items from the West have only a tiny space for discussion among the white-collar class in a few first-tier cities in Huaguo, but ultimately they become submerged in the hustle and bustle of Huaguo’s busy lifestyle, merely serving as a trivial adjustment to life.
Compared to the richer connotations of Valentine’s Day and Christmas, Halloween has yet to make its mark on the stage.
Tonight’s guests were somewhat overwhelming. Zhao Peng turned on the surround sound in the hall, playing various dance tunes from home and abroad. Under the soft and hazy golden light, many male and female members were pairing up, wearing strange masks and dancing in different zones, exuding an atmosphere of flirtation.
However, unlike the members’ engagement, a majority of the serving girls from the Hyacinth were clustered together, each with differing expressions, observing a particular corner of the hall.
A beautifully crafted vintage fence defined a small space of just a few square meters in the corner, within it a snow-white high-top small table, two high stools, and a decorative vase—nothing else.
At that hazy moment, surprisingly, seated in military uniform on a high stool was a person who didn’t spare a glance at the urban fashionably dancing couples nearby, completely indifferent, making his presence seem extremely discordant with the surrounding atmosphere.
“It’s that person again; I didn’t expect him to be a military guy. Tsk tsk, quite handsome… Hey, why haven’t I seen Sister Xiao Yan? Isn’t she supposed to be here today?”
One seemingly very young Hyacinth girl, perhaps unaware of some inside information, was whispering to the other girls beside her, her eyes sparkling with gossip.
“Hehe, Xiao Yan found an excuse to hide in the staff break room… Hey, this is rude. We haven’t even sent a glass of water over; isn’t that not good? Xiao Yao, why don’t you go say hello!”
Another girl squeezed over, her face holding a mischievous smile, bumping into Jiang Yao, who had looked extremely awkward for an hour.
“Why should I go?” Jiang Yao pouted, turning her body away, her face sporting a peculiar expression of disdain: “That person’s aura is too intimidating; I can’t handle it…”
“He’s here to see Jiang Yan, right? She doesn’t want to appear; you’re her sister, so it’s only polite for a familiar face to say hello.”
A rare sight in a maid outfit, the elegantly composed Xiao Ai walked over, directly thrusting a plate into Jiang Yao’s hands: “Someone like him, just sitting there, cold as ice, will not only embarrass us but also the other guests. Go, chat a bit, and then find an excuse to send him away.”
With the crowd’s urging, Jiang Yao was pushed out into the room.
Turning to look down the staff corridor, Jiang Yao had no choice but to carry a cup of water towards Meng Huai.
“Here, drink some water.”
The cup heavily landed on the high-top small table.
Dressed in a beige knitted sweater paired with a brown JK skirt and white stockings, Jiang Yao looked particularly youthful and vibrant tonight, but her expression was quite stiff.
“Is she very busy today?”
Meng Huai, perhaps feeling thirsty after sitting for a long time, grabbed the water cup and gulped it down, then turned to Jiang Yao: “Does she have a problem with me?”
“What do you think? Not even a greeting, just showing up in military uniform and sitting here; are you here to recruit soldiers?”
Jiang Yao rolled her eyes, sitting on another high stool, resting her chin on her hand, her tone quite impatient: “My sister probably doesn’t like you, does she? Why do you need to demean yourself like this?”
“……”
Meng Huai gently squeezed his military cap, twisting it in his hand, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
“Sorry.”
Perhaps realizing something, Meng Huai put the military cap back on, stood up from the high stool, and turned towards the door.
“Peng Huai…”
Just after taking a few steps, he heard a familiar voice nearby. Meng Huai froze, turning back to see Jiang Yan standing by a potted plant, quietly watching him.
