Seeing both parties have slowly calmed down, the Chairman seized the opportunity.
"Then let us proceed logically."
He pressed a button, and within a mere second a new document appeared on the screen.
"The evidence currently available does not prove direct authorization from the Vampire Council."
He looked toward Hei Bao.
"Leader Bao. Do you believe Fei Nian was acting alone?"
Every gaze turned toward him.
Hei Bao remained silent for several moments.
Carefully considering his answer, then he spoke.
"No."
The room became still.
"I believe she was working for someone."
That statement immediately caught everyone's attention.
"However," Hei Bao continued,
"I do not possess evidence proving that the individual was acting on behalf of the Vampire Council."
One of the Vampire Elders visibly relaxed.
Meanwhile, the Lycans looked dissatisfied.
The President nodded thoughtfully.
"A reasonable assessment. So what are you suggesting?"
Hei Bao's gaze settled on Fei Nian's file.
"We investigate her financial activity, communication records, recent contacts, and travel patterns." He answered without hesitation.
"If someone gave her orders, traces should remain."
One of the Board Directors nodded.
"That would provide an objective path forward."
The Chairman looked around the room.
"Any objections?"
This time, nobody spoke.
Even the Vampire delegation remained silent.
Because regardless of who was responsible, finding the truth benefited everyone.
Especially if an unknown actor was attempting to manipulate relations between the races.
Such a possibility concerned everyone present.
If someone was operating in the shadows and provoking conflict between the Lycans and Vampires, then the matter extended far beyond the death of a single spy.
After several moments of silence, one of the vampire elders, Vincent, finally gave a slow nod.
"The Vampire Council will cooperate fully."
His calm voice immediately drew the room's attention.
Folding his hands on the table, Vincent continued,
"Whether Fei Nian acted under orders from a rogue faction or an outside organization, the result remains the same."
His gaze swept across both the Lycan and Vampire representatives.
"Someone wanted suspicion to fall upon the Vampire Council."
All the elders in both race expressions darkened.
"And if we allow ourselves to be provoked into fighting one another before discovering the truth, then we will be doing exactly what that person wants."
Several representatives exchanged thoughtful looks.
For the first time since the meeting began, the atmosphere eased slightly.
Not because the distrust had disappeared.
But because everyone present understood one thing.
Whoever had sent Fei Nian had almost succeeded in creating division.
The only question remaining was how far they intended to take it.
The second Lycan leader crossed his arms and gave a short nod.
"Likewise."
His gaze swept across the room before settling briefly on the vampire representatives.
"The Lycan Council will cooperate fully with the investigation."
The statement earned several approving nods from both the human officials and the elders present.
The tension that had hung heavily over the conference room finally fully eased.
On the other side of the city, one of B City's most prestigious universities was bustling with activity.
It was already (12:30 p.m.) The start of the lunch break. The canteen was crowded with students, filled with the sounds of conversations, laughter, and the clatter of trays and utensils.
Among the busy crowd, three young men occupied a table near the corner, away from most of the students.
Gou Feng sat quietly with his lunch in front of him, accompanied by his childhood friend, the talkative Huan Zhan, and the ever-observant Shen Jiu.
"So," Huan Zhan began between bites of food,
"Why were you late to class this morning? Our dormitory is barely a ten-minute walk away."
He paused before narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"Don't tell me you didn't come back to school the other night."
Before Gou Feng could answer, Huan Zhan leaned forward.
"Did the Pack Leader do something to you?"
Smack.
A chopstick struck the back of his head.
"Ow!"
Huan Zhan immediately covered the injured spot and turned toward Shen Jiu.
"What was that for?"
Shen Jiu looked at him as though he were hopeless.
"Are you an idiot?"
"What now?" His cousin, Huan Zhang retorted.
"What exactly do you think the man who raised Gou Feng would do to him?"
Huan Zhan opened his mouth to answer but in the end closed it, as he didn't truly know what to answer.
Yeah, what could a being do to the person they raised themselves?
Shen Jiu pointed at Gou Feng.
"Why don't you use your eyes for once? Look at him properly."
Huan Zhan obediently turned toward Gou Feng.
Only then did he notice the faint paleness on his friend's face and the slight tiredness beneath his eyes.
"...You look sick."
Gou Feng sighed.
"Thank you for finally noticing."
"Is it because of the headache from before?" Huan Zhan asked.
Gou Feng shook his head.
"No. I had a fever two nights ago."
The two immediately stopped eating.
"A fever?"
"Yeah."
Gou Feng took another bite before continuing.
"I'm fine now. Lord Bao took care of me, so I've mostly recovered."
"HE TOOK CARE OF YOU?!"
Both Huan Zhan and Shen Jiu nearly jumped from their seats.
Several nearby students glanced over.
Realizing they had attracted attention, the two quickly lowered their voices, but their expressions remained full of disbelief.
Gou Feng could not help laughing at their reaction.
To be fair, he had never told them much about his relationship with Hei Bao.
They knew that Hei Bao had taken him in years ago, provided him with a home, and given him another chance at life.
That was all.
The details of their daily interactions had always remained private.
Most people assumed their relationship was distant and formal.
After all, Hei Bao rarely showed warmth in public.
Even Gou Feng himself sometimes struggled to explain their relationship.
Hei Bao was not officially his father.
He had never adopted him. Yet the man had raised him, protected him, and cared for him for years.
In many ways, Hei Bao had become the closest thing Gou Feng had to family.
"Ahem."
Shen Jiu awkwardly cleared his throat.
"Sorry. We're just surprised."
Gou Feng looked at him, just in time for Shen Jiu to rub the back of his neck.
"I mean... our Pack Leader doesn't exactly look like the caring type."
"That's true," Huan Zhan quickly agreed.
"I've seen him make grown men cry during meetings."
"I've seen him fire someone with a single sentence," Shen Jiu added immediately.
Huan Zhan nodded vigorously.
"I once saw him stare at a manager until the poor guy forgot his entire report."
He leaned forward dramatically.
"The man looked like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him."
Shen Jiu lowered his voice.
"And let's not forget..."
He glanced around before whispering,
"We're the ones who dispose of the bodies afterward."
The two cousins exchanged serious looks.
"He is terrifying."
Gou Feng nearly laughed again.
For a brief moment, he imagined Hei Bao sitting across from them and hearing every word.
The expression on the man's face would probably be worth seeing.
"You two are exaggerating."
"We are not," Shen Jiu replied immediately.
Huan Zhan nodded with complete conviction.
"We really aren't."
Gou Feng could only shake his head helplessly.
He couldn't blame them.
The Hei Bao they knew and the Hei Bao he knew were often two completely different people.
To most people, Hei Bao was the Pack Leader. A powerful figure, and a strict businessman.
An intimidating superior whose presence alone could make people nervous.
Very few people ever saw the man who quietly stayed beside a sick bed throughout the night, repeatedly checking someone's temperature and making sure they took their medicine.
Sometimes, Gou Feng himself forgot how fortunate he was.
Not everyone received a second chance in life.
Not everyone was fortunate enough to be rescued when they had nothing left.
And not everyone had someone willing to stay by their side without expecting anything in return.
The thought warmed him more than the soup sitting in front of him.
Yet the warmth never lasted long, because another reality always followed close behind.
Those corpses he had disposed of, the other being blood on his hands, and the graves.
Gou Feng lowered his gaze slightly.
Over the years, he had buried more corpses than he cared to remember.
Some deserved their fate, some did not, but in the end, they all became the same once the soil covered them.
There were nights when he could still remember their faces.
Days when he questioned whether this was truly the life he wanted, just like the other day.
He was grateful.
Genuinely grateful.
But gratitude and happiness were not always the same thing.
He survived.
He had been given a home.
Yet sometimes he felt exhausted.
Tired of the violence.
Tired of the endless cycle of death that seemed to follow the world he belonged to.
Just then, the bell signaling the end of lunch break rang throughout the campus.
The noisy cafeteria immediately became even livelier as students began gathering their bags and preparing for their afternoon classes.
Gou Feng blinked and pushed those thoughts aside.
He glanced at the watch on his hand.
"It's almost class time."
Huan Zhan let out a dramatic groan.
"Why does lunch break always end so fast?"
"Because you spend half of it talking," Shen Jiu replied.
"That's called socializing."
"That's called being noisy."
The two immediately began arguing again.
Gou Feng watched them for a moment before smiling faintly.
The lingering discomfort from his recent fever was still there, but compared to two nights ago, he felt much better.
For now, things were peaceful. And honestly, he hoped they could stay that way a little longer.