After finishing their overtime, Flandre Scarlet and her group leisurely returned home to start preparing dinner. No major events occurred over the following week; the fireworks factory explosion on New Year's Day didn't dampen the festive atmosphere and bustle of Lungmen's New Year celebrations. Flandre, meanwhile, had a wonderful time playing around for a while.
Then, she received news that Dropper had gone missing. Or rather, after successfully recovering from his injuries, he chose to leave without saying goodbye.
Upon receiving the news, Flandre called Beatrice to check in and then immediately gave chase. She had encountered Dropper several times, so there was no way he could evade her tracking, no matter which way he went. Before Dropper could even step out of Lungmen, Flandre had already flown right in front of him.
Seeing Flandre, Dropper nodded somewhat awkwardly. "Uh, would you believe me if I said I just came out for a stroll?"
"I've already told on you to Alina. Get ready for a lecture!" Flandre said. She had contacted Alina just as she was chasing him down.
Alina knew that with Dropper's abilities, he could never escape Flandre's pursuit, so she didn't panic. Instead, after finishing the tasks at hand, she got up to find the Rhodes Island captain, Logos. Although the Spring Festival had passed in Yan and spring was beginning, Ursus was still a world of ice and snow.
Seeing Alina's arrival, Logos initially thought someone in the Reunion Movement had suffered an oripathy outbreak and needed help, but after hearing the news, he was somewhat speechless and helpless. He couldn't even blame anyone for this situation. He could understand Dropper's desire to return; after all, the man's medical ethics and character were trustworthy. And he could also understand Flandre's reporting of the incident. Because Dropper's departure would make her look bad and might make others think Flandre and Lungmen hadn't taken good care of him.
"Has he been found?" Logos asked after a few seconds of silence.
Alina nodded. "As a Blood Demon and having met Dropper several times, Flandre has long since memorized his scent. Dropper wants to run, but it's absolutely impossible for him to escape her hands."
Logos nodded, in full agreement with Alina's words. Rhodes Island had once collaborated closely with a special intelligence team called Rose Riverbank, which had quite a few Blood Demon members. He had seen what those people were capable of; their captures never failed. Flandre, also being a Blood Demon and in an environment she was more familiar with, would have no trouble finding Dropper.
"How about this: please tell Dropper that if he truly wishes to return, he should come with the Lungmen merchant caravan heading here," Logos composed his words carefully. "After all, the mountains in Ursus are still blocked by heavy snow. Even if he's prepared, he'll likely fail to arrive and could easily get lost in the snowfields again. Furthermore, the Reunion Movement isn't particularly short-handed right now. As the person in Lungmen who best understands the needs of the Infected, he would be more useful assisting Governor Wei in ordering medical resources than trying to sneak back alone."
The message was soon sent to Flandre, who relayed it to Dropper word for word. After hearing it, Dropper nodded to Flandre with some shame. "I'm sorry, I was wrong."
Flandre didn't look angry; instead, she crossed her arms and stared at Dropper with a crimson gaze. "There's a saying : 'There is no greater virtue than correcting one's mistakes.' Flandre is a little angry with you because you tried to sneak away, which clearly shows you still don't trust Flandre. Therefore, Flandre must give you a little punishment. Do you plead guilty?"
Dropper nodded. "No problem. You can punish me however you like, Miss Flandre."
The moment he finished speaking, he felt his world spin. When he came to his senses, he realized he was floating upside down in the air. Flandre nodded with satisfaction, then turned and slowly flew back toward the city of Lungmen. And he followed behind, floating along in that upside-down posture.
Soon, many people noticed the strange sight. Dropper finally understood: Flandre's punishment was social death. He could only cover his face with his hands and follow her, flying for over an hour until they reached the entrance of the Guard Department. Along the way, he witnessed the Yan people's love for a spectacle. Since Flandre was a household "celebrity," her leading an upside-down man through the city drew a large crowd of curious onlookers and reporters.
When she reached the entrance, Ch'en Huijie walked out. Seeing a calm Flandre and the pale, upside-down Dropper, she waved her hand. "Alright everyone, disperse!"
"Flandre, I think this punishment has gone on long enough," Ch'en said. Flandre hooked her finger, and Dropper spun around before standing on the ground once more.
"Mr. Dropper, why did you have to do this?" Ch'en spoke with a mix of helplessness and amusement. Dropper indicated that if he had known it would turn out like this, he wouldn't have run at all. He had lost all the dignity he'd built up over his life.
"We know about your situation, and we've arranged a place for you to stay at the Lungmen Guesthouse," Ch'en said seriously. "Wei Yenwu has authorized a list of items for purchase, and we want your help selecting the most suitable medical resources."
When Dropper saw the list, he was shocked by Lungmen's immense wealth. Some items were top-tier products from corporations that even Rhodes Island couldn't obtain. He spent a full day and night researching with Flandre acting as a "mobile phone" to consult with the Reunion Movement on their specific needs. Finally, he submitted a formal list to Wei Yenwu.
Wei handed the requirements to a clear-headed member of the Schwire Family who had remained neutral during the family's earlier troubles.
Meanwhile, Flandre spent her days at the Governor's Mansion. Since she had nothing else to do, she started by splitting into four people to play mahjong in the garden. Lady Fumizuki was curious. "All four are you. Won't you cheat by knowing everyone else's tiles?"
The Flandres shook their heads. "We can block each other out. Besides, mahjong is heavily based on luck. Sometimes, even if you know someone is building a big hand, you just have to watch them win."
This piqued Fumizuki's interest. "This style isn't Yan mahjong! It's more like the competitive style from Higashi."
"Exactly, we're playing the more complex Higashi mahjong!" Flandre replied.
Soon, Fumizuki invited two other noble ladies to join. For Flandre, playing with others was just as fun as playing against herself. Over the course of the month, she felt like she might have gained a bit of weight from eating well and staying warm without any real exercise.