Aside from the uninhabited wilderness and mountains, in every place where human civilization exists, as long as one walks where humans gather and are active, it is inevitable that indelible traces will be left behind.
A person "appearing out of thin air in a certain city in North Africa," and a person "boarding a ship and arriving at a certain port in North Africa," represent entirely different meanings to forces and organizations capable of tracing that person's past movements.
The former implies that this land holds significant, unknown secrets.
It also means that when Otto discovers that the source of Lin Wei's movements terminates at a certain coordinate here, he will inevitably have a sudden realization and vigilance, almost like "hiding in plain sight." He would then launch a thorough investigation and search of this land at Schicksal's doorstep—and this would inevitably severely affect World Serpent's normal latent and activities here.
Although Lin Wei wasn't very concerned about whether World Serpent held resentment or hatred towards him, and their relationship was hard to define as more enemy or friend...
But in any case, since the tacit understanding between the two sides had not yet been broken, and they had cooperated with Lin Wei on the matter of the biological laboratory without any reservations, it was only right and proper that Lin Wei should not drag World Serpent into this matter.
In fact, the reason why Gray Serpent so easily agreed to Lin Wei's various conditions, besides those reasons that were already tacitly understood, was also perhaps a subtle message to Lin Wei—"I'll give you what you want, you handle your own troubles"...
It was precisely because Lin Wei was a smart person who knew how to assess the situation that he understood Gray Serpent's various subtle gestures of goodwill. And Gray Serpent was also a smart person, so he naturally understood that Lin Wei himself didn't want to completely fall out with World Serpent at this time.
Thus, Lin Wei got what he wanted, and Gray Serpent allowed him to move freely on this land at his doorstep during this delicate time.
And as the saying goes, one good turn deserves another. For World Serpent's tolerance of turning a blind eye, Lin Wei should naturally also save them some unnecessary trouble, at least not "splattering blood on them"—this was the so-called "tacit understanding"...
What's more, there were also Raven and her children. From an emotional perspective, Lin Wei didn't want to drag them into his vortex either—Raven trusted that he wouldn't do this, so she didn't shut him out. He should naturally be worthy of her trust.
This was also "tacit understanding."
And the sea was a natural cover. The ceaseless tides and waves would patiently erase all traces. Therefore, as long as Lin Wei could board a ship undetected, when he set foot on this land again, in the eyes of those with intentions, the information contained would be completely different.
No longer "Why is he here?" or "What secrets does this place hold that I don't know?"
It became "Where did he get on the ship?" and "Why did he come to this place?"
The first question, Lin Wei didn't care about at all—The world is big, you can take your time guessing!
As for the latter question, Lin Wei naturally had his own considerations...
---||---
Alexandria, Egypt.
As Egypt's largest port city, and also a famous ancient city ruin in history, this prosperous and bustling city naturally saw a large number of people coming and going. Among them were merchants seeking opportunities, dock workers seeking a livelihood, and also global tourists who came admiring its fame.
This meant that two young East Asian faces would not be too conspicuous here. It was precisely for this reason that Lin Wei chose this place as the first stop for his "new look."
By the sea, as smooth as a mirror, stood the weather-beaten Citadel of Qaitbay. Lin Wei bought two fresh ice creams from a vendor, handed one to Yuno, and asked with a smile:
"How does it feel?"
"..."
Yuno silently took it, glanced at Lin Wei, who had changed into a beach-style outfit, and for a moment, didn't know what to say.
She had thought Lin Wei's so-called "journey" was just a figure of speech, but she hadn't expected him to actually look like he was on vacation.
Although she believed Lin Wei wouldn't do anything meaningless, the current casual and contrasting feeling still made it difficult for her to understand for a moment.
"...Mr. Lin Wei, why?"
After struggling for a few seconds, she finally asked an ambiguous question.
"Of course, it's because I bought tickets!"
Lin Wei said as if it were a matter of course.
"The tickets are very expensive!"
"..."
Yuno fell silent again.
"Run slower, don't fall!"
As they spoke, a shouting voice came from not far away, attracting the attention of the two.
A young couple had brought their young child here to visit the ancient city ruins. The child was young, full of energy, and curious. In a moment of inattention, he slipped away from his parents and ran off. He really wanted to see if there were real ancient people inside that white castle.
Children are always reckless. He ran past Lin Wei like a whirlwind, his gaze then attracted by the ice cream in Lin Wei's hand. For a moment, he forgot to watch his step, and his small leg was tripped by the uneven stone steps, falling with a "splat."
"Ouch!"
Just as this naughty little boy was about to fall and get a bruised face, Lin Wei, with quick eyes and hands, scooped him up, saving him from this physical pain.
"Be more careful, watch where you're going."
Lin Wei set him upright again, ruffled his small head irritably, then casually handed over the ice cream in his hand.
"Want it? Here."
The little boy, however, shook his head with considerable principle. Can't just take things from strangers.
"Friend, thank you so much just now."
The young couple also caught up at this time. The mother thanked him, then quickly squatted down to check if the child had any scrapes, while poking his head hard with her finger. The father, on the other hand, started chatting with Lin Wei.
"Are you guys here for tourism too? Is this your girlfriend by your side, or..."
This was a classic case of "making small talk."
In his eyes, both Lin Wei and the girl standing next to him were excessively young, especially the girl who looked very much like a student. Each holding the same kind of ice cream, it was clear they were companions.
"Sister."
Hearing this stranger ask such a question, Yuno couldn't help but glance at Lin Wei, only to hear him give this answer that made her feel a little disappointed.
"My sister is a bit introverted, so I'm taking her out to see more."
Lin Wei wasn't polite either. He pulled Yuno over, gave her a gentle push forward, pointed in a direction, and smiled.
"It's fate that we met. I'm going over there to buy something. I'll have to trouble you two to take her for a walk. She can also help you take some photos."
"I..."
Yuno was about to say something but was stopped by Lin Wei's gaze. She could only deflate.
"Oh..."
Although Lin Wei's request was abrupt, it wasn't excessive. After all, it was very normal for strangers to meet and team up at a tourist spot. Therefore, the young couple didn't refuse and took Yuno with them to find a place to take photos.
"Little friend, here you go."
This time, when Lin Wei offered the ice cream to the little boy again, he was no longer refused. Then he patted Yuno's shoulder, told her to "have fun," and turned to leave, slipping into a corner.
"You're here?"
Lin Wei saw a figure waiting for him in the shadows and smiled.
"You got here pretty fast."
"After all, it's a busy and famous shipping route. Flying here is very convenient."
The figure stood up, took out a small box from the pocket of his hoodie, and handed it to Lin Wei.
"Here, the thing you wanted."
"Mm, thanks."
Lin Wei casually checked it, confirmed there were no problems, and then turned to leave.
"Farewell."
The process was brief and swift, just like a very ordinary underground transaction.
"Wait!"
The figure left behind called out somewhat urgently. Lin Wei stopped at the sound, turned back, and asked calmly,
"Is there anything else, Mr. Siegfried?"
The figure raised his hand and slowly took off the hood that concealed his face, revealing a weathered face with a head of white hair. One of his sleeves was empty. It was Siegfried Kaslana, whom he had met several times before.
"I..."
Siegfried hesitated, then rubbed his bearded face, forced a magnanimous smile, and asked,
"What about that little girl with you? Why isn't she with you?"
It really felt like he was making small talk, which made Lin Wei feel for a moment that when people engage in awkward conversation, the topics and methods seem to be similar...
"Oh, I was afraid if she saw people from Anti-Entropy, she wouldn't be able to resist fighting with you."
Lin Wei smiled nonchalantly and said.
"When Mr. Siegfried called out to me just now, I thought you wanted to give me some pointers again, just like before."
This was their third meeting. The previous two could hardly be called friendly, especially the one at Anti-Entropy headquarters, where Siegfried was practically humiliated by him.
"Uh... why bring up those things..."
Lin Wei was hitting a sore spot, making Siegfried's hands feel awkward. He said sheepishly,
"Those were all misunderstandings, all misunderstandings..."
He knew a large part of the reason why Lin Wei had treated Anti-Entropy and himself that way last time was to vent his anger. But he couldn't find any reason to blame this fellow in front of him.
If it were in the past, it would be one thing. Siegfried wasn't someone who would take an insult lying down.
But after the Manila incident, most of Anti-Entropy's momentum was diminished in front of Lin Wei. Even Siegfried, who was a guest at Anti-Entropy, felt a pang of sympathy and couldn't bring himself to hate him.
"Sigh..."
Siegfried's heart was a mix of emotions, and he didn't know what to say. He subconsciously took out a flask from his pocket and tilted his head back to drink.
"Drink less. It's not good for your health."
Lin Wei looked at this man, who was suffering both physically and mentally, but didn't stop him. He just casually advised, then took the initiative to speak.
"I also didn't expect the person representing Anti-Entropy to meet me here would be you. You shouldn't have taken this risk. After all, your unique hair color is really too conspicuous in this part of North Africa."
The "Kaslana" lineage, which held extraordinary significance for both Schicksal and World Serpent, was truly not just ordinarily conspicuous in North Africa, the "dual home ground" of Schicksal and World Serpent...
"Mm, the Doctor originally wanted to come herself. She wanted to persuade you not to take this risk. After all, Schicksal is looking for you everywhere now, and Otto seems determined to get you this time."
Seeing Lin Wei willing to start the conversation, the tongue-tied Siegfried looked at him gratefully and said,
"Compared to me, you're the most dangerous one. During the communication earlier, the Doctor wanted to persuade you to act calmly, but you wouldn't listen and made her quite angry..."
"Tesla's just like that. I'm used to it."
Lin Wei pursed his lips and said.
"But for her to advise someone to be calm, that's really a humorous thing..."
Clearly, her voice didn't sound calm at all, almost stamping her feet and calling someone an "idiot." Lin Wei even suspected she might accidentally crush the communicator...
"Ahaha, she meant well..."
Siegfried gave a sheepish laugh, then his expression turned serious.
"Seriously, come back to Anti-Entropy with us. We can all plan things out together, and then..."
"And then have a direct confrontation with Schicksal, or wait for Otto to come knocking and kill two birds with one stone?"
Lin Wei interjected.
"Save it. How much more can your small organization withstand?"
"I... sigh..."
Siegfried was at a loss for words.
"But that's still better than you facing Otto alone, and even the entire Schicksal..."
"This is originally a personal grudge between me and Otto."
Lin Wei smiled.
"If you get involved, can you handle it?"
Lin Wei really didn't want the people from Anti-Entropy to get too involved with him.
Those guys were already having a hard enough time; they really couldn't afford him adding to their troubles.
He didn't dislike Anti-Entropy, nor did he dislike pure idealists. In Lin Wei's view, keeping an appropriate distance from each other was, in itself, a form of protection for them.
"Personal grudge... Hehe, there are so many people in the world who have grudges with him, they're countless."
Siegfried took a bitter sip of wine and said.
"Why wouldn't I want to settle the score with him?"
"Ana is in his hands, so there are some risks I have to take."
Lin Wei quietly looked at this dejected man, and after a moment, said.
"For the same reason, there are some risks you can't take."
"Ana? Ana Schariac? I've heard that name... A girl with the surname Schariac, there are very few who can become Valkyries. One is her, and the other..."
Siegfried's voice trailed off, unable to say that name, only feeling the wine in the bottle seem to become even more bitter.
"I can't believe you'd also get involved with this surname. This is really..."
For a moment, it gave him a feeling of "it's a small world."
"Yeah, fate is fickle."
Lin Wei spread his hands and said helplessly.
"Who would have thought you could just pick up such a ridiculously foolish girl on the street?"
Every time he thought back to the experience on Coral Island, Lin Wei was filled with a sense of bewilderment.
I swear, I didn't want to. But she just stuck to me like that, what could I do?
"Is that so? Hahahaha..."
Siegfried also remembered his own past and suddenly laughed until tears came, but his voice became hoarse.
"Then you have to treat her well..."
He didn't know if he was saying this to Lin Wei or to himself.
"..."
Lin Wei was silent for a moment, unable to answer.
"Hmm?"
Siegfried was not satisfied with Lin Wei's silence.
"...I will."
Lin Wei could only answer helplessly.
"Hahahaha..."
Siegfried was satisfied and laughed, taking another sip of wine. This time, the taste wasn't so bitter anymore, as if he had returned to the past. He couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
"If we had met more than ten years ago, we probably could have become good friends..."
"...More than ten years ago? I was still wearing split pants then, old man!"
Lin Wei pursed his lips in disgust, then thought for a moment and smiled helplessly.
"But, probably... I also quite like dealing with carefree fools. At least it's less tiring."
"Hahahaha... Is that so? Am I really that old?"
Siegfried, as if he hadn't spoken properly in a long time and had finally found an old friend to confide in, laughed loudly. He didn't even mind Lin Wei calling him a fool, laughing like a real fool.
After laughing for a good while, he stopped with a bit of loneliness.
"Sigh, it's great to be young... I have a daughter, probably not much younger than you. She..."
As he spoke, his single arm rose in front of him, clumsily gesturing. The first time, he subconsciously placed his hand at his waist height, but then realized that Kiana was definitely taller than that now. He raised his arm bit by bit, but was never satisfied. After a good while, he realized he no longer even knew how tall his own daughter should be...
"Two."
Lin Wei corrected.
"...Yeah, two."
Perhaps he had drunk a little too much. Siegfried suddenly felt doubly clumsy. He wanted to raise his other hand to gesture along, then suddenly realized he only had one hand left. He said dejectedly to himself,
"I really am a terrible father, aren't I..."
"In a sense, yes. At least no one likes their father to be a drunkard."
Lin Wei snatched the flask from his hand, screwed the cap on, and put it back in Siegfried's pocket. Then he turned and walked away.
"Next time we have a chance to meet, I might tell you where your other daughter is. Before that, I advise you not to do anything foolish."
He was really afraid that this guy, who was prone to getting hot-headed in his youth, would, under the influence of alcohol, do something earth-shattering again...
Lin Wei wasn't stupid. Of course, he knew very well that the reason Siegfried had called out to him in the first place was to ask about this very thing, right?
"I..."
Siegfried opened his mouth, wanting to say something more. But Lin Wei just casually waved his hand high, then turned and disappeared around the corner.
"Sigh..."
Not getting the answer he wanted most, Siegfried was a little disappointed for a moment, but also helpless. He could only put his hood back on and disappear in the opposite direction, comforting himself.
"Let's wait for next time..."