Chapter Nine
What kind of person was Chen Nuo?
This is a complicated question.
In fact, many intelligence agencies, including the CIA, had done a lot of work studying Chen Nuo in his previous life.
The CIA even formed a team of multiple psychologists, human behaviorists, and other experts to study all the past experiences, actions, and networks of relationships related to Chen Nuo that they could investigate. They performed numerous psychological tests and modeling on his character.
They attempted to reconstruct a personality model of this "Lord Yanluo" to be able to predict his future actions when confronting him.
The research was very successful.
But in terms of practical application, the majority of it failed.
Because the CIA later discovered that among those demons and ghouls around this Lord Yanluo, there were also top experts in psychology, and Chen Nuo had long completed psychological profiling and various modeling of his own behavior patterns.
Then... in many operations, he deliberately acted against his own model.
However, there was one point on which all intelligence agencies agreed: This Lord Yanluo was extremely protective of his own people, those demons and ghouls around him.
Extremely protective!
Throughout the long periods of confrontation and cooperation between Chen Nuo and the CIA—yes, there was cooperation as well.
After all, for those who walk in darkness, there are no such things as justice and evil, just interests.
Thus, the CIA team began to focus on studying the relationship between Chen Nuo and those demons and ghouls.
In a report delivered to the headquarters in Langley and then relayed to the largest office in the White House, it was written:
"The relationship between the mysterious Mr. Yanluo and his companions is an extremely special 'symbiotic relationship.' The emotional pattern between them even surpasses common human emotional patterns such as love, kinship, and friendship.
Their loyalty to Mr. Yanluo is extreme—it is difficult to simply describe with the word 'loyalty.'
It is a 'symbiotic relationship' that mixes elements akin to religious faith and an unreserved dependence and trust in personality.
To Yama, these people were not merely 'death-sworn retainers.' They firmly believe that their lives and souls coexist symbiotically with Mr. Yanluo—this is not religious faith.
To his companions, the symbol of Yama occupies a multifaceted position in their hearts, encompassing roles such as father figure, brother, mentor, savior, benefactor, protector, and spiritual haven, among others.
In the short term, we have not found a way to overturn this 'symbiotic relationship.'
Perhaps only when Mr. Yanluo himself dies will such a 'symbiotic relationship' possibly be undone."
This report, written by a senior intelligence analyst named Tommy Blanco in Langley, was a top-secret report compiled after summarizing all the intelligence about Mr. Yanluo held by Langley.
The report was eventually placed on the desk of the Presidential Office in the White House.
***
So, what exactly was the relationship between the Firefly of the previous life and Chen Nuo?
Li Yingwan had died long ago, on the nightmarish night of January 6, 2001. The Li Yingwan who lived thereafter was nothing but a numb tool of vengeance, a lingering spirit remaining in the world solely for the obsession of revenge.
She simply regarded this man as her last obsession and last dependency in the world.
It was not love, nor was it the loyalty of a subordinate to a BOSS.
But it was far more than that.
***
Of course, that was the Firefly's perception of Yama in the previous life.
But the sixteen-year-old Li Yingwan of this life, at this moment, looking at the handsome smiling young man in front of her, seeing him first pinch her ears, then affectionately put a hat on her, and pat her head...
The sixteen-year-old Li Yingwan, in the midst of her rebellious teenage years, after her initial daze and confusion, when reason gradually returned...
She decisively lifted her booted right foot and kicked fiercely at the offender's shin!
"Ah! Pervert! Rogue!!"
The kick did not connect, but Li Yingwan smartly turned and ran, heading towards two patrol officers not far down the street. She quickly said something to them, then turned around and pointed back to where she had come from...
The roadside was empty; the perverse youth was gone.
***
This night was destined to be a restless one for Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
In an office of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) of South Korea, a stack of photos and various disarrayed items lay on a desk. Inside various large and small plastic bags were the following items:
A blood-stained military dagger.
A ballpoint pen.
A piece of blue and white fabric, raggedly cut.
Also, some scattered items that seemed to be disassembled parts of firearms.
The few photos scattered on the desk showed the bodies of the deceased members of the Descendants of the Sun from different angles, along with close-up shots of the wounds.
"This was from a secret military operation on the border last night where two personnel sent on a covert infiltration mission unexpectedly died. All the items that could be found on site are here! Besides these, about three hundred meters north of the site of the incident, in our minefield passageway, a pressure-activated M2 landmine was found to have been defused with a special technique!
The dagger we have here is standard issue from the North!"
A middle-aged man in a black suit stood sternly in front of his elite subordinates.
"The on-site survey data, the relevant textual descriptions, photos, and preliminary analysis dossiers have all been distributed to each of you!
Gentlemen! This is a conspiracy of military infiltration aimed at the great Republic of South Korea!
The dictator up north has already drawn his blade against us! To defend the safety and security of the great Republic of South Korea... the Blue House has issued a command, demanding that we must at all costs, in the shortest time possible, locate the North Korean operatives that may have infiltrated our territory!! Loyalty!!"
As the words fell, the dozen or so men and women, the intelligence elites in the room, collectively stood up and shouted in unison:
"Loyalty!"
Meanwhile, north of the border line, within a secret border command center, a middle-aged military officer with a flat face, wearing a field grade officer's uniform, was staring viciously at the items on the desk in front of him.
A piece of wire fencing snipped from the steel mesh wall.
A rifle, disassembled into its components.
"The dogs of the southern Empire have already made their way in! I order you, defend the dignity of our army-first policy, with blood, with faith, with loyalty! The great leader is watching us! Starting now, raise patrol frequencies to wartime levels! Search every zone, every camp, every area carpet-style! We must unearth the intruding dogs of the Empire! We cannot let the Empire's conspiracy succeed! The leader is watching us!!"
After saying this, the officer asked fiercely, "Who was in charge of patrolling the site last night?"
An officer beside him was about to answer, "It was…"
"Execute him by firing squad!"
***
Chen "Empire's Dog" "Dictator's Spy" Nuo was currently out in the night air.
The cold rooftop wind numbed his cheeks, while the pitiable Lord Yanluo squatted behind the chimney, covering his head with the hood of his sweatshirt, his entire body tensed up.
He took out a piece of chocolate from his backpack and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing one bite at a time.
"Ah, I forgot to buy water, I'm so thirsty…"
Suddenly, he sniffed a delicious aroma.
Hmm? Is that… chicken soup?
Chen Nuo sprang out from behind the chimney, hooked his hands on the edge of the roof, peered down, and peeped into the house through the window.
A young boy wearing a thin sweater was kneeling on the floor with his hands raised high, while a beautiful woman with attractive features was lecturing him loudly.
And at the table, little Li Yingwan, her cheeks flushed pink, was sneakily sipping on the chicken soup, while also intermittently making faces at the boy kneeling there.
Chen Nuo's expression gradually became more tender.
Just at that moment... several black sedans slowly approached, as if to avoid alarming anyone inside the mansion, purposefully moving at a snail's pace.
After the cars stopped, men in black suits emerged. They took weapons from the trunk and moved quietly toward the mansion…
Chen Nuo's tender look instantly turned sharp!
"It's starting, huh…"
***
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!!
After knocking a dozen times, the door finally opened, but the safety chain was still on.
Through the gap in the door, Worker Liu looked out with feigned calm at School Belle Sun standing outside.
"Oh, it's Keke. What's the matter so late at night?"
School Belle Sun attempted to peer into the room through the crack, but Worker Liu blocked it thoroughly.
"Where's Chen Nuo?" School Belle Sun was actually panicking inside. She didn't even know how she had the nerve to come knocking in the middle of the night.
But the girl really felt something was off.
"It's been two whole days. I haven't seen Chen Nuo at all!"
"...Err, is there a problem?" Worker Liu pretended to yawn. "I was asleep…"
"I need to find Chen Nuo!" School Belle Sun bit her lip and gathered her courage. "Teacher Liu, I have something to say to him."
"But, but, but it's so late, and he's already asleep…" Worker Liu felt his teeth start to chatter and his legs begin to wobble.
School Belle Sun's eyes grew increasingly suspicious. "Teacher Liu, just where is Chen Nuo..."
At that moment, Worker Liu suddenly raised his right hand, which had been behind his back, to the front, holding an old Nokia phone that was ringing clearly.
Worker Liu brought the phone to his ear.
"Hello? Oh! Director Sun! Ah, good evening! What's up?"
He said this while deliberately glancing at School Belle Sun.
The girl's face instantly turned pale!
"Oh, Director Sun, what a coincidence. Your daughter…" Worker Liu intentionally drew out his words in a languid tone...
School Belle Sun's legs buckled with fright. She urgently waved at Worker Liu, silently mouthing, "Don't tell my dad, I was never here!!"
She then made a pleading gesture with her hands pressed together.
School Belle Sun turned on her heels and ran away like a rabbit chased by a dog, disappearing down the hallway. Only then did Worker Liu lower the phone. There was no call displayed on it at all.
After closing the door, Worker Liu collapsed to the floor in relief.
Being a worker these days is just too hard!!
***
My name is Liu Ang, and I'm a worker at the school's academic affairs office. I led students on a trip, took his bribe, smoked his counterfeit cigarettes, and even got pushed to the ground by him. Now this student has gone missing from the group, and if discovered, I'll be the first one held responsible.
Life is tough, and so is working!
What should I do?
I'm waiting online, it's urgent…
***
[Don't make me call you out! It's time to hand in your recommendation tickets... Do you really want me to call your names?
Fine!! You, the well-endowed one on the left, hand over your tickets!
You on the right, the one who looks super cool when laughing—yes, you! What are you looking at? I'm talking to you. Hurry up and hand in your ticket!]