AZI Volume 1 Chapter 17
"Well, did you manage to find out why and how we got duped?"
"The CEO wishes to talk to you directly about that."
"…"
Without waiting for Long Hua to give a reply, the Owner has already set his laptop down on the counter and proceeds to go to the back.
Waiting for the call to connect, Long Hua fills his whisky glass with a block of ice.
As the call connects, the screen displays a figure seating themselves in a darkened room. Their face isn't visible, for it is completely hidden by the darkness of their vicinity.
"…"
As Long Hua sips on the glass's content, he seems to be waiting for the person on the other side to say something first, but—
[…]
The other person seems to be doing the same.
"...…"
[…Say something, you're making the situation awkward here.]
As a woman's voice comes through the speakers of the laptop, Long Hua raises an eye.
"You've already made it awkward by having your room darkened. Oh, I get it. You wanted to make yourself seem like the shady boss of a shady organization. Sorry for being so insensitive, how about a restart?"
As the other side clicks their tongue, the light on their side is turned on, revealing a woman in her early twenties.
Seated on a luxurious leather office chair is a woman with snow-white hair and is dressed in a red one-piece qipao. Decorating the qipao is a Qilin done in golden threads.
The first odd feature of this woman are the pupils of her golden eyes that are narrowed into sharp slits, reminiscent of the sort seen on reptiles.
The second odd feature of this woman would have to be the sharp golden horns that protrude from the side of her head, and are flowing backwards.
This person is the CEO of NPI, Nian Yao Yao and the exiled daughter of the Long Yue family, an ancient family that has existed even before the Great Immortal Wars.
Flowing in their veins are the blood of the Immortals with the purest household members of this clan possessing the beast like traits seen on Nian Yao Yao.
[You're no fun…]
"What's a 100 something year old fossil doing sulking and pouting? Get on with it."
Setting down his glass, Long Hua looks at Nian Yao Yao with a bored expression on his face.
[Has life been fun?]
"…"
Refilling his cup, Long Hua thought for a moment before answering—
"Nothing's really changed. I'm still the same as ever."
[I see.]
"And you?"
[Peeved. That 200 something years old fossil played me well. I'm definitely going to get back at her for this.]
Currently, the Long Yue family has only two clansmen of the purest bloodline alive. The first is Nian Yao Yao and the second is the former's mother, Nián Táo Táo.
The mother and the daughter have different views on their household's goals in the current world, hence the origin of their feud with one another—that has lasted for over 180 years.
"And how do you intend to do that?"
[I'll endure it for the time being and wait for a chance to bite back at her. This time she's made the military act as her limbs to pull a prank on me, no doubt she's offering them something of great value in return. I think sabotaging their exchange would be good as payback.]
"You're talking to me now to do what exactly? Make prearrangements?"
[Something like that. Well, I was also curious about how you've been. Five years in that city, it's been so long since we've last managed to meet each other face to face.]
"I'm going out to dinner with Jing Sunday."
Towards this announcement, Nian Yao Yao widens her eyes in surprise.
[You placed a ring on her? That woman whose mind is as hard as a diamond? When?]
"Never did. It's just a dinner to… To celebrate being able to know each other for so many years, I guess? She'd be the last person, I'd think to start a family life with, if I ever did."
(Whoever can put a ring on that woman must have nerves of steel.)
(Whoever can put a ring on that woman must have nerves of steel.)
Simultaneously, the two thought of the same thing.
[You two being together would look rather amusing. Ah re-]
"If you're going to tell me to report back to you about what happened during this dinner later, you can just ask her yourself."
[Alright, I've decided, I'll head over to your city on a private jet. Let's have a get-together.]
Not even a second had passed after Long Hua's reply, did Nian Yao Yao give hers.
"Don't."
[It's fine. I've got plenty of time to kill recently, and I'm also planning to meet a client there.]
"It all feels too coincidental. Well, if you're serious about coming over, bring me a few things. I'll send you a list later."
[Sure.]
A plate of what seems to be a high-quality steak is placed onto the other side's table, along with a bottle and glass of dark wine.
"Right, its daytime on your end. So, who is this client you planning to meet here?"
[A very wealthy gentleman, who wishes to acquire some elixirs and wants to trade me some ingredients.]
"They have a corpse?"
If that were the case, then this client would have to be someone of great status in the military.
[No, just blood.]
Downing his glass, Long Hua thought of another matter.
"Look into a few people for me."
[Who?]
"My teammates in the bureau."
[Would be nice to know who you're working with, wouldn't it?]
"Indeed. It's also inconvenient to have to reveal my Relic to them and make it difficult to use it outside of bureau work."
[I've got you just the thing to deal with that.]
"And how much would that cost me?"
[Consider it a reunion gift.]
"Nice."
[I see that you've finally started to delve into alcohol, how about we get ourselves wasted?]
"To hell with that. I'm dead tired and I got work tomorrow. If we're done here, I'm hanging up."
[Wait, wait.]
"What?"
[That doll.]
"What about it?"
[Remind me why you don't like working with others.]
"I've… Learnt to not put my trust in living, breathing people."
[You weren't taught this.]
"…"
Despite not having had any recollections of experiencing a betrayal, Long Hua possesses this trait of not wanting to put trust in living people.
[Trying to handle a major job on your own can be quite difficult at times. You've worked for me for over ten years now, so you should know this. If you can't come to put your trust in living people, then how about a machine?]
It goes without saying that modifications of civilian dolls into combat-ready military dolls is illegal. But so long as one is able to disguise the doll's outward appearance well, no one will know.
"I'll think about it."
[If you're worried about there not being enough space on your yacht, I can always rearrange your living environment a bit. Some money spent here and there can easily get you a permit to stay in the second ward.]
"I believe, I have gotten far too used to the yacht to live elsewhere. Within the earthly realms, you may dwell wherever, so long as you are able to dine and rest."
[Well offer is always open.]
A smile appears on Nian Yao Yao's face after hearing Long Hua's manner of speech turning archaic, hence—
[Hey.]
"What?"
[It's been so long since I've last heard a poem from you. Recite me something.]
"…"
Pouring out the last bit of his cherry blossom wine, Long Hua thought for a moment before answering—
"Spilling a bottle of ink I write towards the moon,
Pouring a bottle of moonlight I toast to Heaven and Earth
That year, that day
We encountered one another before the city gates.
Have you perhaps heard of
The Wind, the Flower, the Snow, and the Moon?
I shook my head and asked you what
The Wind, the Flower, the Snow, and the Moon
Had meant.
Towards my question
You smiled and gifted me a round package
To which I later found to be the moon
I wished to return it and yet
Who knew the roads of the River and Lakes to be so vast?
Spilling a bottle of ink I write towards the moon,
Pouring a bottle of moonlight I toast to Heaven and Earth
Youthful nonsense it may be
I was determined to find you.
Spilling a bottle of ink I write towards the moon,
Pouring a bottle of moonlight I toast to Heaven and Earth
In spring the trees blossomed for miles on end
In summer the sight of fireworks dazzles the night skies
In autumn the trees wither and rid their leaves
In winter the snow buries all and embraces the world
Spilling a bottle of ink I write towards the moon,
Pouring a bottle of moonlight I toast to Heaven and Earth
Who knew the roads of the River and Lakes to be so vast?
Who knew the oddities of life to be so odd?
Who knew that a single encounter before the city gates would have brought upon such a journey?
Spilling a bottle of ink I write towards the moon,
Pouring a bottle of moonlight I toast to Heaven and Earth
Who spilled this story onto the world?
Who changed this story into one of such fine detail?
Who began to tell of this story to those on the streets?
Roaming through a sea of strangers whilst this story is being told
I hear a nostalgic laughter
Should I turn back now, wouldst you do the same?
Spilling a bottle of ink I write towards the moon
Pouring a bottle of moonlight I toast to Heaven and Earth
What does
The Wind, the Flower, the Snow, and the Moon
mean?
Spilling a bottle of ink I write towards the moon
Pouring a bottle of moonlight I toast to Heaven and Earth
The Wind, the Flower, the Snow, and the Moon
That is me desiring to play out a romantic story with you and the world."