The matter of the three idiots sneaking into Nan Zhi's room in the middle of the night naturally could not be hidden from Qin Yue.
The next day, while Nan Zhi was enjoying breakfast in the dining room, she learned from Qin Yue that Lyu Dongfang, Liu Guansheng, and Hu Manni had all received disciplinary action and would face further investigation upon returning to the country.
If it weren't for the need to save face for Nan Zhi, the three of them would have already been expelled and would be sitting on a flight back home right now.
“It's not that the authorities are making a mountain out of a molehill.”
Qin Yue opened a bottle of mineral water, placed it by Nan Zhi's hand, and said with a calm expression:
“Although this secret realm expedition was put together in a hurry, the roster of personnel was thoroughly vetted through multiple levels. Putting them under the military's command was precisely because we were afraid that their lack of organization and discipline would cause them to fall behind or make mistakes at a critical moment.
“I had previously issued repeated orders that no unrelated personnel were allowed to disturb you, Little Aunt, to avoid exposing your identity, yet they treated my command like hot air.
“If they cannot follow strict orders, then in the secret realm, they are highly likely to act with extreme individual heroism and refuse to obey commands.
“Aside from their personal disciplinary actions, they are also required to write an eight-thousand-word self-reflection to be read to the team, and they cannot leave the hotel until the secret realm opens.”
Wasn't this just being placed in solitary confinement for two days?
Nan Zhi raised an eyebrow but did not say anything to judge them.
The relationship between the Demon Suppression Division and the authorities was merely a temporary partnership.
She had joined Qin Yue's team this time as an "outside helper," so she had no standing to plead on their behalf.
As for those three young people, they probably hadn't adjusted their mindsets to match their new identities yet:
they were currently representing the Huaxia authorities, and their every move was being watched by other factions. If they couldn't obey orders, they might as well just go home and sleep.
“Oh.”
Nan Zhi finished the stir-fried rice noodles on her plate in a few bites. Noticing a hint of exhaustion between Qin Yue's brows, she asked perceptively:
“Didn't sleep at all last night? Was there an emergency?”
“Yes. Just early yesterday morning, the environmental organizations of America and Britain reached an agreement with the royal family of Tailande to hold a conference in Manggu in half a month, with environmental protection as the main topic.
“According to reliable information we've received, the planes carrying the attendees have begun taking off today and will be landing in Manggu soon.”
Qin Yue felt exhausted, but she forced herself to stay alert and said:
“I suspect that the practitioners of these two countries caught our scent and are chasing after us.”
After all, this secret realm was opening so abruptly that the authorities' preparations had been incredibly rushed, making it inevitable that some rumors would leak.
“That doesn't matter much. Even if the secret realm opens, no one has mastered the method of entering it yet. We have the relevant data in our hands, so we can still seize a certain advantage.”
Nan Zhi shook her head, still concerned about the strange anomalies she had seen in Manggu the day before.
“Is there any way to find an excuse for me to observe this city up close? I keep feeling like there's something strange going on.”
“No problem. You can head out under the pretext of sightseeing, collecting folklore, or exploring local customs. I'll have someone arrange it right away.”
Qin Yue stood up, not even having time to eat her breakfast, and immediately went to set everything in motion.
She was highly efficient. In less than twenty minutes, all the arrangements were finalized, and a low-profile black seven-seater commercial minivan pulled up outside the door.
General Basong had even "thoughtfully" arranged a driver and tour guide for them, Nawa.
He was a middle-aged man in his early thirties, smelling strongly of pungent tobacco. When he grinned, a mouth full of yellowed teeth was revealed.
“Oh~ Welcome, welcome, a very warm welcome! I am the number-one, top-tier guide. Do you want to see the Grand Palace, Deng Wang Temple, or the duty-free malls?”
The moment Nawa spoke, his heavy Thai-accented Chinese was on full display. Noticing that only Qin Yue and Nan Zhi, two single women, were traveling, he immediately rubbed his fingers together:
“Our night markets here are also very, very famous, you know! There are many handsome boys and pretty girls just like you. As long as you give enough of this, you can date them, eat with them, sleep with them—
“And there are very, very beautiful scenic spots! Guaranteed to make you satisfied!”
Qin Yue looked at Nan Zhi, then expressionlessly pulled out several high-denomination Thai Baht bills and stuffed them into the man's hand:
“Those places are too crowded. If possible, we would like to visit the area around Kati. We heard that a famous Ajahn lives there, and we want to purchase a few Buddha amulets to take home.”
"Ajahn" meant "teacher" or "master." Generally in Manggu, it referred to exorcists who possessed magical powers.
“Good, good, good! OK, OK, OK!”
Nawa was a bit hesitant upon hearing they wanted to go to the slums, but the moment he saw the cash, his face immediately lit up with joy:
“You Huaxia people are the most generous! Your tipping is also number one! Number one!”
Kati was a slum, with hundreds of thousands of ordinary people living along the crowded riverbanks. Although he had never heard of any famous Ajahn there, to him, money was the ultimate truth.
As long as they gave him enough money, he would drive his car straight to hell.
The minivan drove out of the bustling commercial district and headed straight toward the slums.
Along the way, Nan Zhi leaned back in her seat with her eyes closed, resting her mind while her divine sense continuously spread along the streets:
This was a city where prosperity and vice intertwined, where wildness and gentleness coexisted.
It possessed both a modern metropolis with incredibly bustling commercial streets and foul-smelling slums piled high with garbage.
On the wide, smooth asphalt roads, luxury cars roared past one after another, while at the ends of narrow alleys, mosquitoes swarmed over piles of refuse.
Walking outward from the glittering luxury hotels, one could see a dark green river running past a residential area in just over ten minutes.
All kinds of trash and the carcasses of dead cats and dogs floated on the river's surface, and under the high temperature, a pungent, sour stench lingered in the air.
This river seemed like a boundary line.
The wealthy areas and the slums were divided in this manner.
It was as if they were two completely different worlds.
The vehicle entered a crowded, narrow street market. On both sides of the road, fierce-looking men with cigarettes dangling from their mouths revealed the weapons slung over their backs.
The dark, empty barrels of their guns would not only target enemies, but also innocent civilians.
“No need to worry, my friends,”
Nawa chewed on a betel nut and shook his head proudly:
“This is the general's car. They won't steal your things. Of course, if you came here alone, you might have been taken to the red-light district instead...”
Nan Zhi's gaze grew cold.
She knew this wasn't just a scare tactic; it was the reality.
The slums during the day were chaotic and disorderly, like a messy painting where every spot was a focal point of squalor.
The emaciated children running through the streets in slippers were actually thieves specializing in pickpocketing. If caught, they would spit viciously in the victim's face.
The streets meant for vehicular traffic were muddy and covered in garbage and excrement.
Small street vendors cursed loudly at the roadside. When fruits hanging from ropes were stolen, the owners would pull out thick wooden clubs and beat the thieves mercilessly.
The storefronts of local businesses were lined with a diverse array of deities: Bodhisattvas, yakshas, Christ, Nagas, Ganesha...
In some secluded alleys stood drug addicts with numb expressions, puffing out clouds of smoke. Heavy dark circles hung beneath their eyes, and their clothes were half-falling off.
They were like the walking dead.
As long as they were paid, they would do anything.
In the red-light district, there were not only women, but even more heavily made-up men. Wearing lipstick and revealing outfits, they were sometimes even more seductive and glamorous than actual women.
Some young boys, who looked to be under twelve years old, wore youthful faces while skillfully soliciting "customers."
This was a deformed society.
When darkness fell, warlords, religion, and royal power seemed to thrive even more.
Those famous, glittering buildings inlaid with jade were actually built upon mountains of bones.
Nan Zhi felt a faint wave of nausea in her stomach.
Qin Yue also remained silent for a long time, not saying a word.
Both of them understood that they were currently in a foreign land representing Huaxia, and their every action could trigger an international dispute.
Qin Yue couldn't bear to look, so she turned her gaze away, forcing herself not to think about it.
Nan Zhi suddenly reached out, her warm palm wrapping around Qin Yue's hand, her gaze calm and peaceful:
“What we are doing now is precisely to ensure that none of this ever happens on Huaxia's soil.”
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