141: Kyoto Commissioner

Kyoto Base

The Li Family Study

An old globe, still in operation, sat on a heavy mahogany desk, while a giant military map hung on the wall. The air was thick with the scent of cigars mixed with old books. A young man, roughly twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old and bearing the rank of colonel, stood before the desk with an impatient expression. He had a tall, upright posture, and his military uniform was ironed meticulously, but his brow betrayed a sense of arrogance. He was the eldest son of the Li family, Li Xian.

“Father, why are you sending me to a backwater place like Lujiang? Is a local militia that got lucky and recaptured a broken city really worth me personally making a trip to confer honors?” Li Xian’s voice was full of reluctance and contempt. “I still have to oversee troop training! I don’t have time for this!”

Behind the desk, a middle-aged man with the rank of lieutenant general and a naturally imposing aura—Li Shuofeng, a powerful general of the Central War Zone and the head of the Li family—slowly looked up. His sharp gaze swept over his son as he tapped his finger heavily on the desk.

“Stupid! Shortsighted!” Li Shuofeng’s voice was low and heavy with pressure. “Do you think the Red Alert Legion is just some ordinary unit of a few thousand men? They are a battle-hardened force capable of liberating an entire city from a Zombie Tide of five million! They are rising stars that both Officer Xiao of the National Government and Commander Qin of the Supreme United Front Work Department have specifically praised and placed high hopes on in nationwide telegrams! Their momentum is unstoppable, and their future potential is limitless! If we don’t reach out and make connections now, are we supposed to wait until they become powerful regional lords before we go crawling to them?!”

He took a deep drag of his cigar and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, as if venting his frustration at his son’s lack of ambition. “Do you think what I value is those few thousand soldiers? It’s the advanced mechs that even our Central War Zone doesn’t have! It’s Zhang Lei, who can summon the Fire Qilin and whose strength likely puts him among the top ten experts in China! Evolvers! Evolvers are the foundation of the future! With such a powerhouse present, the future of Lujiang Base is far more than just a prefecture-level city! At worst, it will become the governor of Xijiang Province! As for Hongdu Base?” Li Shuofeng sneered with utter disdain. “Seven thousand remnants gasping for breath in a lonely city surrounded by thirty million zombies—they’re nothing but dead men in a tomb!”

“Fine, fine, I’ll go.” Li Xian was somewhat deflated by the scolding. He agreed verbally but couldn’t help muttering under his breath with a roll of his eyes, “Just a bunch of lucky hicks, nothing special...”

“You useless piece of trash!” Li Shuofeng was thoroughly enraged. He slammed the table, making the teacups clatter. “This time, Ye Anhe of the Ye family will also be going as a member of the Honors Conferment Group! I wanted to use this opportunity to set the two of you up. If you keep acting like this, then get the hell back to your brigade! I’ll send the second son’s boy instead!”

“Ye Anhe?! She’s going too?” Li Xian’s eyes instantly lit up. The impatience and arrogance on his face vanished, replaced by a predatory light of excitement. Although Ye Anhe was not from the main line of the Ye family, her beauty was well-known among the third generation of China’s elite families. Furthermore, the Ye family was an even more prominent and illustrious clan than the Li family; they had several second-tier officials in the National Government, and their patriarch was the Commander in charge of the Air Force in the Eastern Military Region, holding the rank of general.

“Don’t worry, Father! I guarantee the mission will be completed! I’ll go prepare right away and won’t lose face for you or the Li family!” He immediately straightened his back, gave a less-than-standard military salute, and rushed out of the study like a whirlwind.

Li Shuofeng watched his son’s sudden change in attitude and his hurried departure, shaking his head helplessly with a deep sigh. This boy was too incompetent, lacked vision, and had been spoiled since childhood. His debauchery abroad two years ago had reached home and completely humiliated his father. If he hadn’t been his only son, Li Shuofeng wouldn’t have pinned all his hopes on him... At a military airport in the Central War Zone.

On the massive tarmac, a Yunzai-25 strategic transport plane with rugged lines and digital camouflage sat like a crouching beast. Its engines were already started, emitting a low, powerful roar. The airflow blew across the ground, kicking up fine dust.

Li Xian had changed into a crisp, field-grade officer’s ceremonial uniform, ironed without a single wrinkle. His golden shoulder boards and service ribbons sparkled in the sunlight. With what he considered a suave and composed smile, he walked quickly toward the beautiful figure standing at the bottom of the boarding stairs.

“Anhe! Long time no see! The last time we met was at the National Government’s New Year’s Gala two years ago, wasn’t it? Your piano piece back then truly stunned the entire audience!” Li Xian’s voice was warm and resonant. He extended his hand with elegant, standard movements, displaying the upbringing and poise of a noble son. He deliberately adjusted his posture to appear more upright.

Ye Anhe smiled politely. At twenty-six, she was in the prime of her youth. A well-tailored female field officer's ceremonial uniform perfectly outlined her slender yet athletic figure. Her ear-length short hair was neat and sharp, framing an exquisite heart-shaped face. Beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows, her phoenix eyes shimmered with light, possessing both a woman’s elegance and a soldier’s sharpness and authority. Her nose was high and straight, and her lips were moist and red. Below her short skirt, her legs in tall military leather boots were straight and long, revealing a beauty that combined softness and strength. The lieutenant colonel insignia on her shoulders highlighted her ability and status.

She smiled slightly and politely reached out to give Li Xian’s hand a light squeeze before immediately pulling away. “Brother Li, it has been many years. Your grace is even greater than before.” Her voice was clear and pleasant, like pearls falling on a jade plate. Her etiquette was perfect, yet it carried a trace of imperceptible distance.

She was not entirely ignorant of Li Xian. This eldest grandson of the Li family was mediocre in ability; reaching the rank of colonel at this age was entirely due to his ancestors' influence. She had heard that while he restrained himself somewhat in the country under General Li Shuofeng’s watch, during his time studying abroad, he lived a life of debauchery and extravagance, associating with disreputable characters. His reputation was not good.

But she was not her own master. Although she was a member of the Ye family, she was from a side branch, and her parents' status in the clan was not high. Her father’s rank had been stuck at senior colonel for many years, and her mother was only a sixth-tier official in the National Government (you can count the tiers yourselves; I won't be explicit, but tier one is the highest), serving in a local position. Compared to a core direct descendant like Li Xian, whose parents both held high positions, the gap was vast. For this mission, the family had a vague intention of arranging a marriage with the Li family to deepen their ties, and she was likely the pawn being pushed forward. The more desirable marriage partners in the family were always reserved for the daughters of the main line.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two boarded the plane one after the other. Inside the spacious cabin, besides them, there were thirty special forces members with sharp gazes and powerful auras, as well as ten First-Tier Evolvers also in military uniform. Including Li Xian and Ye Anhe, there were twelve Evolvers traveling together, showing the National Government's importance on this conferment. This Yunzai-25 had also undergone wartime modifications, with rocket pods and 20mm autocannon pods added under the wings, giving it respectable self-defense and ground-attack capabilities.

Once everyone was on board, the hatch slowly closed. The roar of the massive engines suddenly intensified, and a powerful sense of being pushed back into the seats followed. After a takeoff run of several thousand meters, the steel beast finally broke free from gravity and soared into the sky.

After the flight stabilized, Li Xian naturally sat in the empty seat next to Ye Anhe, trying to make his posture appear more elegant and gentlemanly. “Anhe, I’ve always heard that you became an Evolver as well. I don’t know what your Superpower is exactly. Is it convenient to share?” He spoke warmly, with just the right amount of curiosity.

Ye Anhe withdrew her gaze from the rolling sea of clouds outside the window and replied calmly, “My Superpower is ‘Wind Elf Archer.’ When activated, I can merge with a wind elf, gaining short-distance flight capabilities and the ability to condense wind element arrows for attacks.” Her words were concise and clear, without exaggeration.

“Wind Elf Archer! That’s excellent!” Li Xian praised, then seemingly casually revealed his own ability. “My Superpower is more ordinary; it’s an Earth-attribute Energy Possession, mainly enhancing defense, while lacking in offense.” As he spoke, a hint of superiority unconsciously leaked into his tone. According to the National Government’s internal classification of Superpower potential and rarity, pure elemental types (metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, lightning, etc.) were generally considered to have higher potential and broader applicability. Special possession or transformation types, unless they involved extremely powerful spirits of ancient famous generals (like the Lü Bu spirit—Lü Yan) or certain special mythological creatures, were usually thought to have a lower growth ceiling than pure elements. Although Ye Anhe’s “Wind Elf Archer” possessed “wind element” characteristics, her abilities were relatively singular (flight + archery). In the National Government’s classification, her potential was naturally inferior to his more pure “Earth Element Possession.”

Ye Anhe was highly intelligent and naturally heard the implied comparison and the trace of imperceptible contempt in his words. She smiled inwardly but showed nothing on her face. Instead, she followed his lead and complimented him in a flat tone, “Brother Li is too modest. Earth-type Superpowers are known for their defense and weight, serving as the backbone of any team. Your elemental potential is extraordinary; you will surely be a pillar of the nation and a powerful Evolver in the future.” Her words were polite and flawless, yet they acted like a layer of soft gauze, quietly maintaining the distance between them.

Li Xian seemed quite pleased with this compliment, and the smile on his face grew a bit wider. The two maintained a surface harmony, chatting idly about trivial topics—Kyoto gossip or superficial guesses about Lujiang Base. The giant transport plane pierced through the clouds, flying steadily toward the southeast. It was expected to arrive at their destination, Lujiang Base, this afternoon. The official honors ceremony would be held tomorrow.