That afternoon, Ch'en and her team returned to Lungmen's core district.
Without delaying, they proceeded directly to the Governor's Mansion for an official audience with Wei Yenwu.
After listening intently to their full account of the border screening, Wei Yenwu leaned back in his leather chair, his eyes fixing upon Flandre.
"Since there were infiltrators harboring malicious intent among them," Wei Yenwu said slowly, "how can you be sure the remaining refugees don't have kin or close friends who might seek vengeance later?"
Flandre didn't answer immediately. Instead, she tilted her head toward Hong Meiling.
Meiling stepped forward, offering a courteous salute. "It's quite simple, Governor."
"A person can fake their demeanor or conceal their thoughts through disciplined actions, but they can never disguise their subconscious impulses," Meiling explained smoothly. "The 'Qi' a person radiates during joy, anger, sorrow, or malice carries distinct signatures. I happen to have studied the nature of Qi for quite some time. While reading complex minds is tricky, detecting raw, baseline emotional shifts is second nature."
She continued calmly. "Yesterday, right after those spies were executed, I observed the Qi of every remaining refugee. I felt panic, anxiety, dread, and grief... but there was no spark of hidden hatred, nor a single trace of murderous hostility."
Wei Yenwu tapped his fingers against the desk, studying the martial artist. "How reliable is this assessment of 'Qi'?"
Meiling flashed a brilliant, confident smile, her white teeth gleaming. "It hasn't failed me once. After all, I've yet to meet anyone who can truly mask their subconscious soul."
Wei Yenwu gave a slow nod, choosing not to press the issue further.
"I will instruct the Guard Department to keep a discrete eye on that settlement," Wei Yenwu declared. "So long as they remain law-abiding citizens, Lungmen has no reason to reject their presence. As for the educational integration you proposed, Ch'en... let us observe them for six months first. The next primary school enrollment period happens to fall in half a year."
He took a sip of tea before finishing his thought. "If they abide by our laws throughout these six months, allocating two student slots in the civilian district's primary school wouldn't be impossible. As for delivering their winter provisions, Flandre... are you interested in acting as the escort officer?"
Hearing her name called, Flandre blinked in mild surprise. "Why me?"
Seeing the girl's innocent, bewildered expression, the stern lines on Wei Yenwu's face softened into a faint smile.
"Because you are also a Sarkaz, Flandre. Lungmen has no precedent for admitting a settlement of Sarkaz refugees, and I worry that local prejudice might spark unnecessary friction during official supply drops."
Wei Yenwu's voice turned gentle. "You are different. With you serving as the intermediary, those refugees will feel far safer trusting us, which will drastically reduce misunderstandings."
Understanding dawned on Flandre's face, and she immediately puffed out her small chest, patting it proudly. "If that's the case, I can definitely help!"
Seeing her agree so readily, Wei Yenwu smiled, opened his desk drawer, and retrieved a generous handful of imported fruit candies, placing them directly into her hands.
"Then I shall thank you in advance, little Flandre."
Clutching her sweet prize, Flandre happily trotted out of the Governor's office alongside Hong Meiling.
Once the heavy wooden doors clicked shut, Wei Yenwu turned his attention back to the remaining figure. "Ch'en, is there anything else?"
Ch'en stood straight in front of the grand desk, her expression solemn. "Regarding Rhodes Island... I gave it considerable thought on our drive back. I believe it is imperative that we establish official contact with this organization."
Not long ago, when Flandre had brought up the name 'Rhodes Island,' Ch'en had recalled the scattered intelligence she encountered during her covert stint near the Reunion Movement.
First and foremost, she respected Rhodes Island's extraordinary medical authority in Oripathy research and symptom mitigation. However, during her observations near Reunion's perimeter, she had also noticed that Rhodes Island's operational staff possessed exceptional combat capabilities.
Particularly that Banshee named Logos, who led their field unit.
Logos's Arts were not merely effective for stabilizing complex Oripathy cases like Talulah's—his offensive Arts were terrifyingly potent.
Ch'en had witnessed it with her own eyes in the wilderness. When a massive mutated Rift Beast had suddenly pounced from the tree line, before Ch'en could even draw Chi Xiao, Logos's Arts had already descended with absolute precision, pinning the giant monster firmly in place.
While enabling nearby civilians to evacuate safely, the unit had coordinated to put the beast down smoothly. From start to finish, aside from its initial leap, the beast couldn't even twitch a muscle.
And Logos, having executed such a high-level binding ritual, had looked utterly unbothered, as casual as if he had merely taken a breath.
That caliber of combat prowess typically belonged only to high-ranking elites in major world powers. Even Lungmen's Guard Department lacked a Caster of that overwhelming standard. Yet a medical research vessel possessed such a powerhouse—and could afford to deploy him on routine field assignments—proving that Rhodes Island's internal depth was far greater than it appeared on paper.
"Rhodes Island, you say?" Wei Yenwu reached into a side cabinet, pulled out a confidential leather-bound folder, and slid it across the polished mahogany. "I actually compiled some high-level intelligence on them recently..."
Ch'en opened the file. The moment her eyes scanned the top line, her pupils contracted sharply.
"Rhodes Island is an entity formed by the remnant loyalists of Theresa following her defeat and death in the Kazdel civil war."
Wei Yenwu lightly tapped his fingers on the wood. "I cross-referenced our border intelligence with Kazdel's internal reports and confirmed that Princess Theresa is indeed dead."
"However, what piques my interest is Theresis," Wei Yenwu continued, his tone turning analytical. "As the leader of the hardline military faction, he did not purge Theresa's surviving inner circle after her death. He even allowed her close advisor, Kal'tsit, to depart with their landship, Babel—the vessel now known as Rhodes Island."
"Shortly after Babel vanished from the grid, Rhodes Island surfaced publicly," Wei Yenwu said, fixing Ch'en with a keen gaze. "And the only reason we even learned of their operational name was because of little Flandre. How did she know about Rhodes Island's existence so far in advance?"
Ch'en's brows knit together. "Are you suggesting Flandre has some hidden connection to Theresa?"
"Not necessarily," Wei Yenwu reasoned smoothly. "It is more likely she knew an old acquaintance from Babel. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for her to pinpoint their name and location the very moment Rhodes Island was founded."
He raised a single finger. "Which brings us back to your request."
"Establishing contact with Rhodes Island is indeed necessary," Wei Yenwu conceded. "The Infected population within our Slums has been steadily rising over the past few years. Furthermore... Fumizuki and I are considering sending Nine to serve as our primary liaison."
At the mention of Nine, a wave of complex, painful emotion flickered through Ch'en's eyes.
Nine had once been her superior officer in the Guard Department, a mentor who had guided her through countless cases. The fact that Nine had ultimately contracted Oripathy was tied directly to an operational accident while protecting Ch'en—a deep source of lingering guilt Ch'en carried to this day.
"Nine?" Ch'en asked, her voice dropping significantly, lacking its usual sharp vigor. "What... what did she say about it?"
"She agreed," Wei Yenwu replied, his voice measured and steady. "Living as an Infected within Lungmen's core district creates undeniable friction for her. Given her proud nature, she refuses to hide her condition or live in shame."
"Rhodes Island's roster consists primarily of Infected," Wei Yenwu added smoothly. "By acting as our envoy, she can receive cutting-edge treatment for her Oripathy, assist us in monitoring Rhodes Island's true motives, and live without facing daily prejudice."
Wei Yenwu's calm, reassuring tone gradually eased the tight knot of anxiety in Ch'en's chest.