'Perhaps I should prepare some medication. Fast-acting heart relief pills would be good.'
This absurd yet reasonable thought flashed through Iman's mind, but outwardly, he remained calm:
"Mr Luo Shu, this is Iman."
[Iman?]
Luo Shu's voice on the phone sounded surprised, but then he seemed to recall Iman's identity:
[Ah, Ambassador Iman.]
[What's the reason for your call?]
'As if you don't know?' Iman's eyelid twitched, but he maintained a smile as he replied:
"There's one matter I need to inform you about."
"The Union meeting is scheduled for 9:30. After entering, I noticed your absence, so I'm reminding you to avoid any confusion about the timing."
[...I see.]
There was a pause before Luo Shu chuckled.
[Thank you for the reminder, Ambassador Iman. No need to worry - I'm already near the assembly hall.]
"Then I shall await your arrival inside the assembly hall."
Iman ended the call with a smile, then immediately turned ashen-faced.
He gestured discreetly to his accompanying military attaché, signalling them to investigate.
As the attaché hurried off to scout the area around the assembly hall, Iman turned back to find the other Union ambassadors making similar subtle gestures.
When Iman looked their way, everyone suddenly became engrossed in their own activities - some flipping through documents, others twirling pens, and one particularly extreme case was sticking Taoist talismans onto their body.
Clearly, Iman wasn't the only one concerned that Luo Shu might actually be setting up a curse technique as mentioned in the call.
Watching this, Iman said nothing, though he did idly wonder if Li Yizhou's talismans were for sale - he wouldn't mind a few himself.
Amidst the Union ambassadors' flurry of nervous activity, the assembly hall doors creaked open, and a figure strode into the chamber.
The newcomer had jet-black hair and eyes, slightly thin lips, and a monk-like smile that seemed completely harmless.
He wore a custom-tailored pure-black suit with a navy-blue bow tie, the elegant cut giving him the appearance of a young noble attending an evening gala.
Yet at the sight of this man, the ambassadors of the Five Great Powers rose simultaneously, their expressions solemn and grave, as if facing a formidable enemy.
And in truth, they were.
After all, everyone present understood both the purpose of this meeting and the identity of this seemingly benign young man.
Director of the SDS Hidden Management Department.
The only known individual with a confirmed record of capturing a Demigod alive - a monstrous existence who was himself a Demigod.
An eccentric genius who had risen like a comet in just two or three short months.
After entering the room and meeting the collective gaze, Luo Shu strode confidently to the central U-shaped conference table with a faint smile. Rather than taking the seat reserved for him, he directly sat down opposite the U-shaped table, right in front of the five ambassadors.
There was no chair in front of him, but as Luo Shu lowered himself, an ice-crystal seat rose from the ground, perfectly forming just as he settled in.
Once seated, the scene instantly transformed—Luo Shu sitting while the five Union ambassadors remained standing, creating an unmistakable visual of confrontation between him and the Union representatives.
The invited journalists, seized by excitement, captured this moment. Were it not for the Five Great Powers' regulations, they would have eagerly splashed this photo across the hottest headlines, already mentally titling it "The New Era and the Old."
Alas, after the meeting, their cameras would be confiscated, the contents recorded solely for internal Union reference.
Unaware of the journalists' regret, Luo Shu maintained his smile as he faced the five ambassadors. Gesturing for them to sit, he remarked:
"You all arrived quite early."
Though they had anticipated Luo Shu's unconventional approach, seeing it firsthand left the Union ambassadors visibly tense.
This posture didn't suggest cooperation—it felt more like an inquisition.
Recognising this, Anthony shot glances at Eric and Nikolai, signalling them to hold off sitting as a counter to Luo Shu's provocation.
But before he could synchronise with them, Eric had already taken his seat. Beside him, Li Yizhou chuckled and sat down without hesitation, while Nikolai ignored Anthony entirely. By the time Anthony processed this, only he and Iman remained standing.
The swiftness of this shift darkened Anthony's expression—though at least he wasn't the last one standing.
'Wait... Iman, why are you sitting too?'
Glancing at the now-seated Iman, Anthony realised standing alone was pointless and reluctantly took his chair.
Internally, though, he despaired over the day's agenda.
If they couldn't even unify internally, how could they pressure the SDS—or Luo Shu—into handing anyone over? The odds seemed vanishingly slim.
No one noticed Anthony's silent lament. Once seated, the room lapsed into heavy silence.
Seeing these five elders—all older than him—attempting to exert pressure, Luo Shu didn't bother with niceties. Crossing his legs, he cut straight to the point:
"I heard you wanted to meet the mastermind behind the Tokyo freezing incident?"
Li Yizhou's instincts sharpened at once. Something about that phrasing felt off.
'Meet the mastermind?'
Sure enough, Luo Shu continued with a smile:
"I thought it was an excellent suggestion, so I brought both suspects along."
"Here—take a good look."
As he spoke, Iman blinked in confusion, suddenly noticing two figures standing beside Luo Shu.
Since when?
He racked his memory, trying to recall when these two had appeared behind Luo Shu—only to realise they had entered with him, shadowing his steps to the table all along.
This sudden awakening sent a chill down Iman's spine.
He remembered not having seen these two individuals earlier, yet now they had suddenly appeared before him.
If these two harboured ill intentions...
In an instant, Iman felt his hair stand on end, gripped by terror as if he were trapped in a pitch-black, haunted house.
Just then, Eric beside him let out a startled cry that nearly scared Iman to death.
"You... you..."
Eric pointed at Aya Tokoyogi standing behind Luo Shu's right shoulder, his expression a mix of shock and bewilderment.
Anthony, who had been badly startled, suppressed his anger and said:
"Lord Eric, what is the meaning of this?"
Not only had Iman been frightened, but Anthony, too, had nearly been scared out of his wits, leaving no room for courtesy in his tone.
Eric paid no heed to Anthony's mood, instead giving Aya Tokoyogi a strange look as he said:
"I suppose this counts as our second meeting, Lady Tokoyogi."
At the mention of this name, the other ambassadors reacted instantly.
Tokoyogi... Aya Tokoyogi?
The Witch of the Notaria?
So Luo Shu was serious about bringing the criminal witch herself to the meeting?
A collective gasp swept through the ambassadors.
Their shock stemmed not just from Aya Tokoyogi's appearance, but from the core subject of this meeting.
After all, they had summoned Luo Shu to discuss research on the captured Demigod.
Which raised an obvious question.
Were they really going to discuss dissecting a Demigod in her presence?
Could they be certain she wouldn't slaughter them on the spot?
This was an extremely grave and delicate matter.