"Young Master Wei, since your people are all here, can we get to the main discussion now?" Kelsey ignored Wang Fei's reaction and turned to speak directly to Wei Yenwu.
"Go right ahead, Doctor Kelsey." Old Wei gestured smoothly with his hand.
Seeing that, Wang Fei quickly moved to make tea, preparing to serve everyone at the table while eavesdropping on their conversation. The topic was about a proposal for cooperation in establishing a pharmaceutical company and hospital in Lungmen. In exchange, Rhodes Island would share a portion of their annual revenue and provide free medical care to certain shareholders and groups. They also offered to send skilled personnel to assist Lungmen with specific issues—if requested.
Listening in, Wang Fei grew suspicious. Isn't this supposed to be a pharmaceutical company? Why are they offering manpower like some kind of private army?
"Hm… That's not a bad offer, Doctor Kelsey. But aren't you forgetting something?" Old Wei, having finished reading the documents, fixed a stern gaze on the Feline woman.
"Lungmen already has its own pharmaceutical companies and hospitals, with many shareholders from both Yan and Victoria. How confident are you in taking on all those interests with an organization that hasn't even been around for three years?" Though his words sounded like concern, Old Wei was really pressing for greater benefits by invoking the power of two major nations. His unspoken message was clear: He has strong backers and resources. What more can she offer than these meager gains?
Doctor Kelsey understood well. She had met many like Wei Yenwu and knew he would never be satisfied with such a modest deal.
"We are very confident, Mr. Wei. I'm well aware that the hospitals and pharmaceutical firms in Lungmen are quite effective in patient care. But when it comes to treating Oripathy, they still lag far behind Rhodes Island—or Life Lab. Moreover, we've heard that the current situation in Victoria is deteriorating due to the royal succession conflict. They may soon withdraw their investments from Lungmen to reallocate funds to the military. And Lungmen, not wanting to become a vassal of Yan, may use this as a reason to reduce Victoria's influence and prevent Yan from monopolizing Lungmen's resources. That's why Rhodes Island is the most suitable option for Lungmen at this moment."
"We don't aim to become shareholders. Our goal is to treat the infected and search for a cure for Oripathy. What we need from Lungmen is cooperation in establishing a research institute and a pharmaceutical company—only to manage resources and funding."
"…" Wei Yenwu smiled without saying a word, quietly puffing his pipe as he stared at the Feline woman, seemingly deep in thought.
At that moment, Wang Fei came to serve tea to Amiya and the others.
"Here's your tea."
"Thank you, Brother Wang."
"…Hm."
The man named Ace smiled and took the tea, while the man named Scout responded briefly and looked away. Wang Fei wasn't sure why, but Scout seemed oddly afraid of the tea he had served. Maybe I'm just imagining things, he thought.
"Thank you, Mr. Wang Fei." Amiya received the tea with a bright smile.
"It's nothing," Wang Fei said, his own smile deepening with satisfaction.
He was genuinely happy. Wei Yenwu was clearly cornered, seemingly caught off guard by this mysterious Doctor Kelsey—someone who had done what few could: push the cunning old man into a difficult spot.
Doctor Kelsey, you're amazing!
Wang Fei handed the tea to her and gave a subtle thumbs-up.
"…" Kelsey merely glanced at him before rolling her eyes and looking away.
But as if someone had read his thoughts, Old Wei suddenly spoke up.
"Fei, what do you think?"
The old man looked straight at Wang Fei, seemingly asking for his opinion.
Ah… here we go again, old man.
Wang Fei looked exasperated. He knew he'd been summoned to play assistant once more, but honestly, he didn't feel qualified to contribute to this discussion. Still, Wei always asked for his opinion for some reason, so he tried to deflect.
"I think Doctor Kelsey's opinion is already quite—" Wang Fei paused as Wei cut in.
"If your opinion is worth hearing, I might give Hui Jie a few weeks off."
"Oh! In that case, this is a serious issue!" Wang Fei's tone shifted instantly, slamming the table dramatically and changing the room's atmosphere.
"You scheming old bastard…" Chen gritted her teeth, furious that the old man was once again using her as leverage to get her brother to help. But despite her irritation, she couldn't act rudely in front of guests—and deep down, she was touched to see how hard her little brother tried to help her.
"…"
Doctor Kelsey narrowed her eyes at his sudden change in tone.
"What's the issue?"
"First of all, how can you be sure Rhodes Island won't go bankrupt in Lungmen? Is reputation in treating Oripathy really enough? Let me be clear—even if Lungmen doesn't restrict infected individuals from entering the city proper, they still must follow strict regulations and are barred from certain areas. So, focusing solely on treating the infected won't sustain your organization. Research will also be difficult—Lungmen doesn't specialize in that field. Our strengths lie in economics and commerce."
Kelsey responded without delay.
"We're aware. The reason we're interested in Lungmen is because it's a growing trade hub. That makes it easier to acquire certain materials and local knowledge that could advance our research."
Wang Fei laughed.
"That's strange, isn't it? I would think if you're after knowledge or commerce, Columbia or Victoria would be better choices. Sure, Victoria is in a crisis now, but if you backed the winning faction—like you're supporting Lungmen now—you'd probably profit far more."
Kelsey paused briefly before replying.
"Rhodes Island has no intention of choosing sides. Our only goal is to find a cure for Oripathy and help the infected. Siding with Victoria would mean joining a war—that violates our principles. As for Columbia, we are interested, but some of our operators have past conflicts there, so we chose Lungmen instead."
Wang Fei folded his arms and muttered.
"Hm… I once read in a book that not choosing a side isn't peace—it's cowardice. Is that how Rhodes Island sees things now? But judging from your attitude, you don't seem like cowards. Or have you already chosen a side and are just afraid to admit it? Ah—just thinking out loud, not really asking."
Kelsey stared at him, unblinking.
Unnoticed by most, her fingers twitched slightly after hearing his remark. Amiya, sensitive to Kelsey's emotions, glanced at Wang Fei with a happy smile.
He's the only one who can get under Doctor Kelsey's skin like this.
"Ahem… So, back to the main issue."
"Then let me ask one last question. What will you do about citizens who resent the infected? Everyone knows Rhodes Island has a great reputation—but only among the infected. To ordinary citizens, you're just an organization gathering infected people. That might upset the locals once they find out that a company run by infected individuals is operating nearby. Maybe it won't affect you now, but Lungmen, which has always maintained a clean image, may face criticism later for allowing infected people so much freedom under our name."
That statement was like a stone slamming against Rhodes Island's door. Wang Fei knew Old Wei could have said it, but doing so would damage his image as a national leader—openly expressing negative views about the infected. So he let Wang Fei, a low-ranking officer, voice it instead.
Kelsey knew this. She couldn't refute it. Winning over leaders was one thing—money and benefits could sway them. But changing the opinion of the common people? That was a different matter entirely. Even if she had ideas, they would take time and resources Rhodes Island currently couldn't afford.
While Kelsey was searching for an alternative solution, Wang Fei smiled and offered a suggestion.
"Then how about this? If setting up a company and hospital in the city is too hard, why don't you establish them in the slums instead?"
"What…" Kelsey wasn't the only one surprised—Chen, Amiya, and everyone else in the room looked confused by the suggestion.
Except for Old Wei, who simply narrowed his eyes at the young man.
"As everyone knows, the slums in Lungmen are areas outside the main city, managed independently and without oversight from any official agency for a long time. It might even be the most densely populated residential area in Lungmen. Of course! With its self-governing economic structure, there are often gangs and mafias from Siracusa extorting protection fees — a common sight. That's why it's nearly impossible to establish a regular company there."
"But… that doesn't apply to Rhodes Island. Not only do you have a good reputation among the Infected, but you also fight for their rights! If you had the help of the Infected living in the slums, establishing a company might be most feasible. True, there are also ordinary people living there, but most of them understand and accept the Infected. While there may be some initial disagreement, I believe that if Rhodes Island manages well — offering discounted treatments, organizing patient care events, and explaining the importance of Oripathy — they will come to understand you better and gradually let go of their prejudice. After all, the proportion of Infected to uninfected in the slums is more than half. And overall, the Infected still hold more influence there."
Kelsey listened quietly until the end before turning to Wei Yenwu and asking directly:
"If I remember correctly… Lungmen has no authority over the slums, right?"
"Doctor Kelsey, you misunderstood..." Wei Yenwu replied while exhaling smoke from his pipe.
"It's not that Lungmen lacks the power. We just choose not to interfere. The area is currently under the care of the Rat King, and everything is being managed well. We have no reason to intervene."
Kelsey nodded. She understood that if Lungmen wanted to, they could easily purge the slums. But they chose not to, because it would cause more harm than good. Despite being called a slum, it was still a part of Lungmen. Others in the city might not think so, but in the eyes of leadership, the people living there still held significant economic power.
"Then how can we contact the Rat King? And what compensation would we need to offer?"
Before Elder Wei could answer, Wang Fei interrupted.
"The compensation remains the same as what you initially proposed, Miss Kelsey. As for the Rat King, I can contact him and arrange a meeting for you — in exchange for a small favor. Would Rhodes Island be interested in hearing it?" Wang Fei glanced at Elder Wei, signaling him to stop being greedy. The old man looked slightly displeased but eventually shrugged and resumed puffing his pipe, indicating reluctant acceptance.
Kelsey noticed the exchange and turned back to Wang Fei, albeit reluctantly.
"That depends on what your condition is."
"It's simple. I've heard that Rhodes Island has a great reputation for treating and caring for the Infected. So I hope that once your company and hospital are up and running, you'll help care for the children in the slums — free of charge. If you can accept this condition, I promise to speak with the Rat King and help find a location for you."
Amiya's eyes sparkled. Chen looked at her brother with warmth, in contrast to Kelsey, who remained unusually quiet and averted her gaze.
"…That's already part of our mission. But offering treatment entirely free of charge isn't something I can decide immediately. We'd need to evaluate the situation in the slums first."
"That's not a concern. You can compensate the children through jobs. Many of them are smart, learn faster than adults, and are fluent in Yanese. You could have them record prescriptions or deliver medicine. They don't need money — just three meals a day and free treatment."
"We promise to consider it. Thank you, Mr. Chen."
Although Kelsey spoke formally, her tone softened a bit.
That gave Wang Fei some peace of mind. He hoped that after he eventually succumbed to Oripathy, someone would take care of the kids he looked after. While he trusted his sister and Yuxia would take over, they were too busy to visit as often as he did. That worried him — the children's future was just as concerning to him as his sister's health.
"Now that we've reached an agreement, let's move on to the matter of Rhodes Island's request for support," Elder Wei said, shifting the tone of the conversation.
Kelsey nodded in agreement and spoke promptly:
"Requesting help from us is simple. We want to borrow Lungmen's operational unit to assist in a mission… in Chernobog."
"Chernobog? Ah… the mobile city from the Ursus Empire, currently under siege by Reunion, yes?" Wei Yenwu wasn't surprised. Wang Fei, however, looked confused.
"Reunion? Chernobog? Sis, what do they mean?" Wang Fei turned to ask his sister.
Chen was about to explain, but Amiya, who had been quietly listening, answered instead.
"Reunion is a mysterious organization formed by radical Infected. They began infiltrating and occupying Chernobog about a month ago and succeeded last week. They killed police officers, took civilians hostage to deter military response, and declared publicly that their actions were retaliation for the injustice inflicted on the Infected by Ursus. They've called for all Infected across Terra to join them in building a world exclusively for people like them."
"Hm… sounds like a real troublemaker group. But with an organization like that, shouldn't Ursus be able to deal with them easily?" Wang Fei asked, recalling Ursus's military might from the simulated war. Letting Chernobog fall so easily hinted that something bigger might be going on behind the scenes.
"We don't know yet. But from the survivors our team brought back from Chernobog last week, the situation is worse than we thought. They were just students imprisoned in a school by the Infected. Out of thousands, only a few made it out — thanks to the sacrifice of one of their friends," Amiya said with a heavy heart and glanced at Wang Fei, surprising him.
At that moment, Kelsey interjected:
"We also learned that the leader of that Infected organization possesses powerful Originium Arts. Our team engaged her during the retreat. She's a female wyvern with gray hair, wielding fire and a sword."
"She called herself the founding leader of Reunion… Talulah."
"!!" Chen's eyes widened. Wang Fei reacted the same.
"I see… This puts things into perspective. Then tell me… what business do you have in Chernobog that makes you risk your lives?" Wei Yenwu remained calm — but those who knew him well could tell something was off. Instead of smoking his pipe, he tapped it lightly on the table — a sign of nervousness Wang Fei recognized.
"Our reason for going to Chernobog is to rescue someone taken hostage — a senior official of Rhodes Island," Kelsey explained, then added:
"We sought Lungmen's help because you're the closest to Chernobog. We want to rescue him as soon as possible. Of course, we will compensate you as best we can. But if you refuse, we won't object and will leave immediately."
Wei Yenwu fell silent for a moment before lighting his pipe and exhaling smoke.
"...A shame, Doctor Kelsey. But we cannot help with that matter. Lungmen's operational forces are too weak. We can't afford to weaken the city's defenses further. Please seek help elsewhere."
Kelsey wasn't too disappointed — she had expected this. But Amiya looked visibly upset. She had suggested asking Lungmen for help, despite Kelsey's warning that rejection was likely.
"We understand, Mr. Wei. Then we will—"
But just as Kelsey stood up, with Amiya's sorrowful gaze beside her, a sudden shout rang out:
"Wait!"
Everyone turned toward the blue-haired young man who had suddenly raised his hand and called out.
Wang Fei, now the center of attention, turned immediately to Elder Wei.
"Master Wei! I'm Infected! I'm no longer suited to be an officer. So from this moment, I resign!"
Wei Yenwu showed visible surprise for the first time, beginning to grasp what the young man had in mind.
"Doctor Kelsey! Please allow me to join Rhodes Island and take part in this operation!"
"Even though he didn't know whether that woman was truly the Talulah they were thinking of, this gamble was still worth it—if it meant finding a clue about their eldest sister. And if she really was their sister... then he would help bring her back to make Hui-jie happy again!"
But while Wang Fei was daydreaming about a daring operation to rescue his long-lost sister...
Kelsey, having heard his words, narrowed her eyes before replying sharply and decisively:
"...I refuse."
"Huh?"
That... wasn't the line she was supposed to say, was it?
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