Two hours after Lu Yao left, a convoy of five black Chevrolet SUVs arrived at the estate.
By then, the area was teeming with military police conducting a search, leading sniffer dogs through the ruins and forest.
The dead bodies had all been removed, even those burnt to a crisp were not overlooked.
Among them were the bodies of Zhang Xin and Rose, placed conspicuously for inspection.
The scene was a hive of activity as a well-dressed Caucasian man stepped out of the vehicles, his hair and beard meticulously groomed, with two faint scars at the corners of his eyes.
The busy people around him stopped their work and saluted respectfully the moment they saw him.
This was Director West of the Foreign Affairs Bureau's External Operations Division.
Two subordinates, a man and a woman, hurried over to report.
The male subordinate was Andre, responsible for liaising with Zhang Xin. He too was dressed in a sharp suit and, after taking off his sunglasses, respectfully said,
"The area within 10 kilometers of the estate has been thoroughly searched. The attackers exhibited precise marksmanship; not one of Zhang Xin's personal guards survived. We also lost four agents. The assailants set fire to the place upon leaving..."
Director West interrupted him, "Enough, I'm not interested in that. I want to know who the attackers were and whether they have any connection to the 'Formula'."
Andre was at a loss for words, but fortunately, the female subordinate stepped forward in time.
"A satellite captured some footage."
She took out a laptop, operated it for a while, and an image appeared:
It was a satellite overhead view. Although the resolution was not very high, one could still make out someone wearing a mask of the President, slaughtering relentlessly, their corn husk-like hair extremely conspicuous.
All three couldn't help but find the image somewhat amusing. The footage stopped just as Lu Yao leapt to kill Rose.
"Is there an error in the image, the attacker jumped ten meters high?"
"The flying satellite incidentally captured it, it's not clear enough."
Director West said coldly, "Get the technical department to prioritize this. Even if he's wearing a mask, I want to see every single hair on his body!"
Both subordinates bowed and responded affirmatively.
Director West continued, "The 'Formula' is also under the scrutiny of the Bureau Chief and Senators. Now, drop everything and focus all your energy here! You have full authorization and can call upon 'Cleaners' stationed around the world at any time. I want results before Christmas!"
~~~~~~~~
In the Otherworld, it was afternoon, with the fierce autumn sun blazing down.
In the courtyard, the two sisters were feeding the pets.
Liao Ya carefully placed the gold into several jars and cautiously buried them in the pit.
After refilling the pit with soil, laying the floor tiles back, and cleaning up, she moved the bed back in place. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief, "Now I feel at ease."
Then, noticing her sister and junior brother staring at her with inexplicable expressions, she said somewhat bashfully, "What's the matter? This is the most secure method! Hiding it anywhere else isn't safe, only buried under me is it truly secure..."
Lu Yao found her nervous appearance somewhat amusing. "Sister has thought everything through. Now that the gold is hidden, let's try the new weapon I brought back."
He then introduced the Grenade Sniper in detail.
Liao Ya took to it as soon as she saw it, her delicate hands moving back and forth along the gun barrel, saying, "It's so thick!"
The barrel of the Grenade Sniper was indeed as thick as the forearm of an average person, worthy of her praise.
Lu Yao coughed dryly, swallowed his saliva, and said, "Let's go to a secluded place and fire it a couple of times another day. This thing explodes, it's not really suitable for use in our own yard."
The two sisters agreed, their curiosity piqued as they fiddled with the uniquely shaped Grenade Sniper, occasionally peering into the distance with the optical scope.
~~~~~~~~
Lu Yao started flipping through the newspaper he found.
The headline that still dominated was the "Blood Feast" event that Lu Yao and his companions had caused.
The repercussions of the incident had not yet subsided, with Einheit's Yunzhou Consul expressing dissatisfaction and condemnation on several public occasions, urging the Imperial Court to assist in the hunt for the culprits.
At this moment, Su Er Yat came to deliver today's newspaper.
The little girl took off her cap, bowed politely, placed the newspaper down, and picked up a broom to start cleaning.
Liao Qe, sitting next to Lu Yao, whispered, "This girl comes to work every day, and our sister doesn't give her anything extra to eat. Let's see what she's like."
It was hard enough for a 9-year-old to fend for herself every day, and coming to work on time, Su Er Yat's slim little figure exuded a thread of weariness.
But Lu Yao knew this was the rule for accepting disciples in the martial arts school of Otherworld. If Su Er Yat proved herself, she would become a registered disciple of the martial arts school and would be taught some basic Kung Fu.
After further rigorous tests and becoming a formal disciple, she could receive the true teachings.
When Su Er Yat finished her work and was about to leave after bowing, she suddenly ran back with a shocked face, shouting, "Master Lu, there's a scary blind old man outside staring at this place..."
Lu Yao spoke gently, "Su Er Yat, don't be afraid, go inside."
The sensible girl quickly ran into the house.
Lu Yao reached for his waist and unlocked the safety on his M500; Liao Ya and Liao Qe went into the house to don their Battle Armor and picked up a .50 machine gun.
The modest martial arts gym instantly turned into a den of dragons and tigers, where even a Blood-Exchange Warrior in Steel Armor would be reduced to minced meat on the ground!
At that moment, a Paper Crane flew into the courtyard, flapping its wings and landing on the stone table in front of Lu Yao.