Tang Feifei now seemed to truly regard Qiu Tu as one of her own.
Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, her first reaction wasn't that this violated any rules or that it was aiding the enemy.
Her first reaction was to consider Qiu Tu's perspective.
She hesitated for a moment, then said, "The preconditions are too many, too prone to accidents."
"Moreover, once one link in the chain has an issue, it could lead to complete failure."
Qiu Tu did not seem surprised by Tang Feifei's questions.
He nodded slightly, then said, "Yes. That's why I want to make targeted changes to the plan to increase its chances of success..."
Upon hearing this, Tang Feifei frowned slightly as she looked at Qiu Tu.
Then, in a soft voice, she reminded him, "Qiu Tu, you have to understand. You're at a critical period now."
"I have already used the pretense of cultivating in seclusion to become the 'Domain Master.' Our plan no longer has any flaws."
"Even the issue of controlling the region, since you're not ready to reveal your identity yet, can be directly coordinated with me, so it's likewise flawless."
At this point, Tang Feifei paused for a brief moment, a serious look written across her wheat-colored face,
"So, next, we just need to go through the motions. I'll ally with Liu Xiongyuan and Dai Yukang, and try to connect with Li Tingdong to control the voice of the Dongye State Council."
"Then, by working together, we'll offset the suppression that Huang Shangzong has over you and secure your position as Acting Bureau Chief."
"With control of Xinjie City, you'll have many more options."
"Advance, and with the 'Domain Master' plus 'Pseudo Fourth-Order Cataclysmic' identities, you'll be in the running for Deputy Speaker."
"Retreat, and you can develop Xinjie City into your own fiefdom, establishing your foundational territory."
Tang Feifei's eyes were firm, serious, "I think... that's what you should be doing right now."
Hearing this, Qiu Tu smiled and then said, "Actually, these two matters do not conflict."
"One focuses on the present, the other looks toward the future."
Seeing that Tang Feifei still seemed a bit confused, Qiu Tu didn't keep her guessing any longer, instead, he reminded her, "Oh, Feifei. I just became a 'Domain Master' seven or eight days before you. What do you think... how did I come to know about 'Yellow Charm'?"
At Qiu Tu's words, Tang Feifei's wheat-colored face first froze.
Then, looking at Qiu Tu in shock, she asked incredulously, "Could it be Larilo?"
Hearing this, Qiu Tu smiled and nodded slightly toward her, confirming her guess...
Meanwhile, at Yan Chen Villa.
Perhaps because she ate quickly, or perhaps because she had something on her mind, or felt guilty,
Anyway, Yanyan finished her meal and left the dining room first, saying she was going to rest in her room.
For a moment, only Ai Li and Xue'er were left in the dining room.
Ai Li toyed with a few dice in her hand, then looked puzzled at Yanyan's departing figure.
Shortly after, she turned to look at Xue'er, who was quietly eating her meal, and inquired, "Do you feel... there's something off with Yanyan?"
Xue'er shook her head slightly without looking up and said, "No."
Ai Li hissed softly, then pressed on, "Don't you think she seems troubled?"
"I just asked her if she had noticed anything. She hesitated for a moment, then denied it."
Xue'er scooped a spoonful of food into her mouth, then finally looked up at Ai Li.
Her expression was as lifeless as if she were dead, her eyes lacking any spark of vitality.
She said, "Maybe... Yanyan just doesn't like to interact much with others."
She reflected for a moment, then with empty eyes, continued, "I remember initially... I would rather deal with corpses with Brother Jia (Jia Shu) than interact with those cadets."
"Human relationships are much harder to handle than corpses."
At this, Yanyan's eyes showed a hint of reminiscence as she murmured softly, "We were truly happy back then..."
"Killing together, dissecting and studying together, handling corpses together."
"I remember Brother Jia telling me... that I was the most special girl in the world."
"He said that my father's students were all brainless brutes."
"Only I was willing to hide with him in the dingy basement, conducting all sorts of odd human experiments."
Towards the end, Xue'er's eyes widened, but clear tears streamed down the corners of her eyes.
It looked... both eerie and unsettling.
Even though she had seen her friend and childhood buddy in this morbid state countless times, it always left her speechless...
Despite looking like a classical beauty and having the delicate beauty of one when dressed up,
In reality... she had a fascination with corpses, with killing, with dissection...
These bizarre habits and extreme personality, if not for someone who truly understood her, would be completely unbelievable...
And her other friend and childhood buddy Yanyan was not normal, either.
She had the face of an angel and seemed prim and proper in everything, like a well-bred lady.
But inside... she seemed immensely repressed.
That feeling was like the duality of an angel and a devil.
It made Ai Li always wonder every time she saw her sweet angelic demeanor, just how terrifying it might be if the repressed Yanyan fell into degeneration.
Thinking this, Ai Li suddenly felt... out of the three sisters, she seemed to be the only normal one.
And moreover... she was the only one among the three sisters with an official position.
With these thoughts in mind, she played with the dice, filled with a sense of superiority!