Miss Assassin is heavily addicted

Chapter 127. Tragedy! A Night Attack is Imminent (Part 1)
"Carlos! Be quick on your feet, or I'm going to give you a good kick in the ass!"

A port trading city in country B.

The city is called Vermanis, meaning "town of the sea." The locals rely on the abundant fish in the sea and maritime trade for their livelihood. It has a bustling port, among which the port of Swan is the most important.

The midday sun was scorching, so much so that even the seagulls sought refuge in the shade. At the bustling Swan Harbor, He Ye disembarked with her suitcase and could hear shouts directed at the porters from afar, her anger barely contained.

"Please don't kick my ass!" the person cried out after being kicked.

That's such an old joke... but it's reality.

He Ye smiled silently, pressing his fingers against the brim of his black-cornered top hat. Returning to this country he had been away from for so long didn't feel very real; it was more like readjusting to an unfamiliar place.

Nicole and Sofia followed behind him.

Their short flight has ended, and this is their temporary stop.

The surrounding scenery was completely new, and even the local accents sounded a bit different.

Metal streetlights are rare on the winding streets. A long uphill road leads to the street, and most of the buildings on both sides are made of wood. Clotheslines that stretch through the streets form a "spider web," and colorful clothes hang like flags overhead.

The salty, humid scent of the sea breeze hit me.

Strange yet familiar.

This surprised Nicole, who looked around with a shifty gaze; Yugiri, carrying her suitcase in front of her, simply paced close to Heno, seemingly oblivious to the others.

"Sir!" Nicole tugged at He Ye's sleeve, looking somewhat confused. "Where is this?"

"..." He Ye then realized that he had forgotten to tell her some things. She probably thought they were going to a city for vacation, but in fact they were no longer even in country A; this was a coastal city in country B.

He Ye had no choice but to tell her the truth now.

"This is Vermanis, Country B."

"!" Nicole's face showed utter shock.

Okay, this is He Ye's fault for only remembering this now. He Ye patted her head, and after a brief exchange, Nicole had calmed down and even smiled brightly, rubbing her head against his palm to indicate that she was fine with going anywhere as long as they were together.

This made He Ye very happy, but when he came to his senses, he felt inexplicably heavy-hearted. Should he not have brought her along? ... But since things had come to this point, this question was no longer necessary. All he could do was ensure that she could live a good life without worrying about food and clothing.

Currently, He Ye needs to find a way to contact the people at headquarters. This is in Country B, where there are many channels, unlike in Country A where they can only rely on telegrams.

However, that is not the most urgent matter.

"Let's find a place to stay first."

They had lunch on the ship beforehand, and now that it's noon, they need to find a hotel to settle the two of them in before disembarking.

After that, He Ye will try to contact the people at CORE and notify them to come and pick her up.

It will take some time for them to come and greet us; at least the people from headquarters can't arrive today.

In short, He Ye arrived at the nearest hotel and entered with two girls who were looking around or seemed indifferent. Along the way, he saw many well-dressed middle-class families, also carrying suitcases, as if they were going on a trip with their families.

The number of people here is unusually high.

Hello, ma'am.

He Ye took off his hat and greeted the hotel owner at the front desk: "Excuse me, are there any rooms available?"

The hotel owner, who was reading a book, replied:

"Yes, sir, but only two single rooms are left."

"Two rooms?" He Ye was a little surprised. It wasn't a holiday, so why was the hotel almost full? Just as he was shaking his head and about to look for another hotel, the other party advised him against it.

“These two rooms are already a rare find,” the hotel owner said with a gentle smile. “You know, there are middle-class elites from all over Country B in Vermanis now. You can find doctors, lawyers, artists and even university professors here. Every hotel here is crowded.”

"Why?" He Ye didn't understand.

"Don't you read the newspaper?" The innkeeper asked, puzzled. He Ye thought to himself, "Where would I have found a newspaper on my way back?" He could only helplessly shrug and indicate that he hadn't read one. Seeing this, the innkeeper naturally handed him a newspaper.

The first and foremost headline is the head of state's speech.

"The Führer?"

He Ye's heart skipped a beat. Where did this person come from? The newspaper published a full-body black and white photo of him. He was in his fifties, with a lean build, no beard, and his hair was neatly combed. He was wearing a dignified uniform.

His eyes were sharp as an eagle's, as if they could pierce through people's hearts.

He Ye suddenly realized that the matter Mark had been whispering to her about the change of ruling party two months ago seemed to be more complicated than it appeared.

It could even be described as an explosion.

"Uh, not this one, sir," the innkeeper said awkwardly, reaching out to help her turn the page.

At that moment, He Ye noticed two eye-catching news reports on the back.

Nicole also curiously came closer, standing on tiptoe to look.

Yugiri remained silent, standing still. Although she and Heno were only a few centimeters apart on the shoulder, they looked as close as if they were next to each other. Gentlemen passing by in the store noticed that she would reach out and smooth her hair, exuding an intellectual and elegant air, when they looked at her beautiful black hair and face.

The two prominent articles on the back of the newspaper are as follows:
1. Adjustments to the conscription system.

The newspaper reported that the military of Country B had decided to lower the conscription age standard: the upper limit of the conscription age would be raised from 35 to 45, while the lower limit of the conscription age would be lowered from 18 to 16. Some exemptions due to occupation or family circumstances would be eliminated, and all those who reached the age but were not conscripted would be required to pay a certain amount of livres (the currency of Country B) every month in accordance with the law.

There are also corresponding subsidies for enlisting in the military.

2. A serious diplomatic incident concerning country A.

Two days ago, a terrorist attack in Greenley shocked the world. The operation was defined as an riot organized by domestic extremists. The delegation from Country B, which was originally visiting on friendly terms, suffered heavy casualties. Although Country A expressed condolences on its own, its own citizens may have been deliberately negligent in their precautions, which aroused unprecedented national anger.

He Ye remained silent for a long time after reading it.

Mark and his team have largely completed their mission.

"Anyway, sir, are you still going to stay here?" the hotel owner said with a slight smile. "If you're not staying here, please return the newspaper to me, as the next guest might need it."

"Of course...check in."

He Ye paused, uttered a subtle sound, and silently took out banknotes from his pocket. Before parting, Mark had slipped him some currency from Country B... Monica had also slipped something to Yuugiri, though what it was was still unknown.

He already knew that the hotel owner hadn't lied to him. Now, this coastal city, with its many bustling ports, was crowded with elites who wanted to leave their country. They were always the first to sense the crisis. Unlike the upper class, they didn't have reasons for not leaving, nor were they as ignorant as the lower class, caught up in nationalistic sentiments.

The adjustment of the conscription age has given them a sense of crisis; who knows if it will be adjusted to mandatory military service in the future.

Soon, they received two keys.

"Nicole, is it okay if you sleep in the same room as Sophia tonight?" He Ye handed the key to Nicole.

Nicole accepted the key with both hands, feeling flattered. Shouldn't the key have been given to Miss Sophia? She hesitated, then finally nodded, "I...I understand!"

"Lei..."

“You will sleep with her,” He Ye said decisively.

Then, the two people in the corridor looked at each other for a moment before He Yeqing closed the door to the room.

Nicole and Yugiri's rooms were right across from each other; their rooms were the two furthest inside, making it easy to look after each other at night. Now that the housing issue was resolved, He Ye tidied up for a moment, grabbed his identification, and prepared to go out to contact headquarters.

However, thinking about his return like this, and about his teammates who stayed in Greeley City...

He Ye shook his head, gently stroked the envelope, and put it in his suitcase. Perhaps headquarters would question him, but he had acted uprightly and had been spotless for many years. As for the most important part—his resurrection—although he didn't want to admit it, Mark, who had already betrayed him, would actually help him clear his name... It was both laughable and lamentable.

Looking back on the conversation before we parted.

He Ye hoped they would be alright.

(End of this chapter)