The next morning, Exusiai headed out early to cross swords with the insurance company. According to Croissant's description, it was likely to be a grueling battle, so the two of them went along to provide backup.
Meanwhile, Lemuen went to repair her battle-scarred vehicle. It seemed the sisters were completely at odds with machinery today; Jeanne could only hope everything went smoothly for them.
As for Jeanne, she didn't plan on going out for any activities today. In the two days since she arrived in Lungmen, she had encountered incidents every single day. The frequency was simply too high.
While these matters were nothing to Jeanne, for the members of the Lungmen Guard Department (LGD), they meant endless overtime. They were probably losing hair by the handful...
Furthermore, after the severe and malicious event that occurred yesterday, she imagined Ch'en and the others spent the night interrogating suspects and clearing away debris that had been blown to bits. Jeanne suddenly felt a wave of pity for the LGD staff. She really had caused them quite a bit of trouble—and the troublesome kind at that.
So, she decided it was best to stay on her best behavior for a couple of days. Consider it her contribution toward saving the LGD's hairlines. She didn't want them to be hit by an even bigger incident before they'd finished processing the current one.
However, as far as things stood, there shouldn't be anything in Lungmen bigger than yesterday's explosion. If something else happened, Wei Yenwu might actually develop high blood pressure.
She didn't know that Wei Yenwu was already suffering from high blood pressure because of her safety. Even his staff had noticed their Chief had become much more haggard recently. At this point, Wei Yenwu wouldn't even care if his wife found all his secret stashes of cash; his only fear was this "Grand Ancestor" wandering around outside. If she encountered another high-level threat, he wouldn't be able to explain it away even if he jumped off the top of Lungmen.
Jeanne, unaware of the behind-the-scenes drama, sat in her room feeling bored. This wasn't like the snowfields; back there, if she had nothing to do, she could tease Talulah or watch the Yeti Squadron act like fools while being chased by FrostNova.
She wondered how Talulah was doing. Had she reached the village safely? It had been several days since she started back, yet there wasn't a word. It was possible the person who sold them the long-range communicator was a fraud and the device couldn't actually reach Lungmen.
I'll just wait another two days. Maybe they were delayed by a snowfield patrol?
Jeanne's thoughts then drifted to the survivors Ch'en had taken in yesterday. She wondered if they had confessed.
Oh, right. I still don't know who was behind the order to hunt us. I should look into that.
Jeanne tapped her head. How could she have forgotten something so important? She felt she had become a bit "dilatory" lately.
Before she could call Ch'en to inquire, Ch'en actually contacted her first.
"Hello, Jeanne! Do you have time today? We managed to squeeze some information out of those people yesterday. I think you might need to hear what they said."
Jeanne could hear that Ch'en's voice was raspy, and she clearly wasn't as energetic as before. It was obvious she hadn't slept much—or at all—last night.
"I happen to have nothing to do. Should I head to the LGD office, or somewhere else?"
"No," Ch'en cut in quickly. "You shouldn't move around alone for now. Are you still at Penguin Logistics? I'll drive over to pick you up."
Ch'en did not want Jeanne moving an inch by herself, whether for official or personal reasons. After hanging up, Ch'en immediately set off for Jeanne's current location.
In the back seat of her car sat another person: the ninja she had met yesterday, the bodyguard sent by Madam Fumizuki—Shirayuki. This time, Shirayuki carried her signature massive shuriken, and her bag was packed with various weapons. She looked ready for war at a moment's notice.
Originally, Ch'en had planned to meet Jeanne privately to share the interrogation results. Doing so was technically a breach of protocol; generally, details of an ongoing investigation aren't shared with the parties involved before everything is cleared. Even if Jeanne was the victim, the rules were meant to prevent victims from acting impulsively and scaring the "snake" away.
After several incidents where private investigations led to suspects escaping, the LGD had established the rule of withholding specific intel. So, Ch'en's plan was a violation.
However, most people turned a blind eye to this rule, as victims often pestered officers until something slipped. But things were different now. Ch'en hadn't expected Shirayuki to find her and inform her that the interrogation results could be shared with Jeanne—and that Jeanne was even allowed to browse the LGD archives or meet the prisoners.
"I really don't know what to make of this."
Ch'en had fallen silent for a long time after receiving that message. The Chief's change in attitude was just too blatant. One moment he wanted to drag her in for questioning, and the next he was practically treating her like a deity to be enshrined, terrified she'd encounter the slightest danger. How much time had even passed between those two states?
Regardless, it meant she didn't have to sneak around. According to Wei Yenwu's instructions, she could take Jeanne directly into the LGD to look at the files or even interview the convicts.
Ch'en arrived shortly. Jeanne was surprised by the escort waiting for her. Is Lungmen's security really that dire? she wondered. It was just a short trip to the LGD, yet she had Ch'en for close combat and a ninja for long-range support.
"I understand Ch'en coming to get me, but Shirayuki, why are you here too?" Jeanne asked as she got into the car.
Shirayuki gave a slight nod but remained silent, her eyes scanning the surroundings. The tip of her massive shuriken nearly scraped the roof of the car.
"By the will of Lord Wei and the Princess, to ensure the safety of Miss Jeanne and Miss Ch'en."
Shirayuki explained the reason in one sentence and then lapsed back into silence.
Jeanne nodded. Given her recent track record of attracting trouble in Lungmen, it seemed reasonable for them to send someone to keep watch. Still, Jeanne didn't plan on investigating anything today. She truly didn't believe that by staying put, some unexpected "moth" would still find her.
"Is it safe to drive when you're this tired? How about I drive? I know the way." Jeanne said, looking at the exhausted Ch'en.