Chapter 63: Reunion with a Familiar Face

Dark clouds blanketed the entire Lihu County.

In the Inner District of Lihu County, the clean and prosperous roads stood in stark contrast to the gray, dusty streets of the Outer District.

The most prominent building in the Inner District was the tallest one, with a huge seagull logo on it—the Government Affairs Building.

A thin, middle-aged man wearing sunglasses and a luxurious suit slowly stepped out of the elevator and into the first-floor office area.

The moment he appeared, the previously bustling and noisy office instantly fell silent.

Everyone held their breath and hurriedly focused on their work.

Within seconds, the only sounds left in the office were the man's slow footsteps and the clacking of keyboards.

He walked up to the desk of a chubby official, hands behind his back, and spoke in a soft but sinister voice as if talking to himself:

"Have the Liao Province scum from both the Inner and Outer Districts been dealt with?"

"Coun—county chief..."

"How many times have I told you to call me 'Your Excellency, the Agent.'"

The chubby official's words were cut off.

The man, the Tian'ou Group's agent in Lihu County, had a chilling aura that made the chubby official tremble instinctively.

"Your Excellency, the Agent," the official stammered, "all the Liao Province people from both the Inner and Outer Districts have been sent to the large factory near the docks."

"They were supposed to be executed by noon today, but..."

"But what?"

The official was interrupted again, and even though it was just a casual question, it made every hair on the official's body stand on end.

The rest of the office staff stopped typing, shaking in fear and breaking into cold sweats.

"You know I don't like the word 'but.'"

Hearing this, the chubby official's face turned pale with despair.

"I'm in a good mood today, so I'll give you a chance to explain," the agent said softly.

The chubby official, like a drowning man grasping at a lifeline, immediately continued:

"The workers assigned to the task said their old boss has returned, and under his influence, they haven't carried out the execution yet."

"And... they also drove away the supervisors we sent."

A low rumble of thunder echoed ominously, especially loud in the eerily quiet office.

Outside the windows, though it was not yet five in the afternoon, the sky was as dark as early evening due to the thick clouds.

"Send the mech troops now and make sure it's done before dark," the agent ordered. "I don't want to see a single Liao Province person alive in Lihu County by tomorrow."

Though his voice was soft, every word dripped with hatred for the Liao Province people.

"I'll—I'll get it done right away..."

The chubby official, drenched in cold sweat, quickly promised, but before he could move—

Bang.

A sharp gunshot rang out in the office. All the officials clenched their teeth, trembling in their seats, too terrified to make a sound.

It seemed they were all too accustomed to this kind of scene.

"Useless fool. You wait for me to ask instead of reporting this sooner?" The agent, still wearing his sunglasses, took out a purple handkerchief and gently wiped his silver gun.

"The next person in line for this position... well, figure it out yourselves."

"If I see any Liao Province people tomorrow, this office won't be necessary anymore."

With those chilling words, the agent's footsteps slowly faded as he left the office.

The body of the chubby official, still lying on the floor with a blood-red bullet hole in his forehead, began to disintegrate into dust, like a sponge being drained of water.

——

"Commander, this is the place. Based on tracking from Weser's aircraft, the man fled into this building," Mainz said to Lin Lan.

She, along with Lin Lan and Hipper, had arrived in front of an abandoned building. 

Mainz's long, sharp naval command sword was already drawn, and her cold, beautiful face was filled with murderous intent.

Daring to attack her commander—such a crime was unforgivable.

Lin Lan stared indifferently at the dilapidated building, about to enter, when a group of men in yellow vests, carrying various weapons, suddenly emerged from inside.

Mainz was about to summon her ship's equipment to open fire, but Hipper held up a hand to stop her.

"These guys don't seem hostile. Let's wait," Hipper said calmly, her dark bronze eyes observing the men.

Lin Lan also noticed that although the men were armed, they seemed to lack any fighting spirit.

What was going on?

As the group of men got closer and could clearly see Lin Lan's face, the leader—a burly man in a black leather jacket—suddenly widened his eyes in shock.

It was as if he'd just seen something unbelievable.

"Savior?! So, the commander from the docks is you?!"

With that shout, the burly man immediately knelt on the ground in front of everyone.

A man's knees are worth gold, but this man knelt without hesitation, as though kneeling before a reborn parent.

"Brother Zhao!" "Brother, what are you doing?!"

The other men in yellow vests were shocked to see their leader kneel and rushed to stop him, but no one could persuade him.

Lin Lan stood there, dumbfounded.

What was happening?

He didn't even know this man.

The man, who introduced himself as Zhao Long, looked up and saw Lin Lan's confusion. He quickly explained:

"Savior, it's me, Zhao Long! A few days ago, when the Sirens attacked passenger ship No. 188, I was a crew member on board. If it weren't for you and the shipgirls saving us, I and everyone else on that ship would have sunk to the bottom of the sea!"

His eyes were filled with deep gratitude.

He was clearly a man of strong emotions.

Hearing this, Lin Lan suddenly remembered.

Back when he'd met August and Tirpitz, some of the crew members had tried to kneel and thank him in the captain's cabin. One of them must have been this man!

At that time, Lin Lan had told them to evacuate the passengers, and he hadn't seen them since.

Hearing Zhao Long's story, Zhao Hu, his younger brother with yellow-dyed hair, stared at Lin Lan in disbelief.

The next moment, he, too, knelt before Lin Lan alongside his brother.

"Savior! Thank you for saving my brother!"

After Zhao Hu knelt, the rest of the men dropped their weapons and followed suit, all kneeling on the ground.

???

Lin Lan's mind was full of questions. Among the kneeling men, he recognized the five who had come to his port to capture Riko.

One of them, whose left cheek was hastily bandaged, was already pale and trembling with fear.

"Gangzi! Gangzi! Get out here now!" Zhao Long suddenly remembered that one of his men had told him earlier that they had shot at a Liao Province girl near the docks.

He had scolded the man for it, but now, his rage flared up again. He roared in a fierce voice:

"Gangzi, you actually dared to shoot at my savior's shipgirl?! I'm going to kill you today!"

He angrily grabbed a machete from the ground, raising it high above the terrified man.

"I'm sorry! Please forgive me, Brother Zhao! I was wrong, I really was!" Gangzi cried, trembling violently.

Lin Lan stood by, coldly watching, without stopping the scene.

Zhao Long lifted Gangzi up like a rag doll and threw him in front of Lin Lan.

"You had the guts to attack my savior? I'll cut you down right here!"

Zhao Long looked at Gangzi viciously and raised the machete in his hand.

"I was wrong! Spare me, Brother Zhao Long! I was really wrong, ahh...hh"

Blood gushed from Gangzi's reopened wound, and he curled up on the ground, closing his eyes in despair as he wailed helplessly.

At that moment, he deeply regretted his actions. If only he hadn't thought of his son, who had been killed by the Sirens' bombers during the sniper shot, he might not have pulled the trigger.

But now, it was too late.

Zhao Long's eyes showed a hint of reluctance, but he still swung the machete down toward Gangzi's head.

"Brother, spare Gangzi! If anyone deserves to be cut down, it should be me! I was the one who gave the order to deal with those Liao Province people! Him shooting that Liao Province girl was the result of my orders!" 

Zhao Long's younger brother, Zhao Hu, suddenly stood up, grabbing Zhao Long's arm with teary eyes, trying to stop the blow.

"Killing in exchange for life—that's justice! I'll deal with you later!" Zhao Long, now blinded by rage, kicked his brother aside and raised the machete again.

This time, no one could stop him. Zhao Hu, struggling to stand, watched in despair as the sharp blade swung toward the wailing, terrified Gangzi.

Boom!

A thunderclap split the sky, breaking the somber scene.

"Mainz."

"Yes."

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