The comments said I was deeply affectionate, I just added points by using an alternate account.

Baihu took two steps closer: "You've passed the test."

He looked at the coffin and said, "I will speak to Beidou."

"Mm," Chen Guan replied.

Yunlan City is not a big city. In his opinion, anyone can come and go freely from Santai and Baihu.

The only reason for calling him over is to give him practice or to serve as a pledge of loyalty.

"Aren't you curious about what our real goal is?" Baihu asked.

"You'll say it if you want to." Chen Guan seemed indifferent; anyway, tomorrow's news would report it, and it would be clear who had died.

The white tiger laughed when it saw his stubbornness.

"Okay, I like your easygoing personality."

He paused, then said, "Director Gao Yan should be investigating this in a fit of rage right now."

"He'll find out the attackers belonged to a notorious terrorist organization, and then he'll discover that while he was chasing you all over the city..."

"The mayor of Yunlan City died in his study at home."

"He's a proponent of war," Baihu quickly began to explain. "And he's very capable; he's about to be promoted to the provincial level and enter the decision-making body."

"Once he goes up there, a lot of things will become complicated."

"Therefore, he must die."

"This isn't about killing him alone; it's a warning."

"Warn those behind him to behave themselves."

"The world can't take any more turmoil, Chen Guan."

Baihu's gaze fell upon the false prosperity outside the alley, his eyes gleaming.

"Once a large-scale war breaks out, it will accelerate the collapse. What we are doing is cutting down the dead trees in the forest that are most likely to catch fire and burn the most fiercely."

"Our job is to eliminate all unstable factors."

"I see."

Chen Guan's calm reply was something he had expected.

"Good to know." White Tiger put his comical smiling mask back on. "You're a smart person."

"Go back and focus on your studies. I'll clean up the mess."

"I'll call you again next time there's work."

After saying that, he turned around and his figure quickly disappeared into the darkness at the alley entrance. San Taichong Chen Guan waved his hand and also disappeared.

In the alley, only Chen Guan and his leopard remained.

"Awoo?"

Leopard stuck out its tongue and licked Chen Guan's dangling fingers, as if asking him why he had stopped feeding him.

Chen Guan snapped out of his daze, lowered his head, and looked at those clear, golden eyes that reflected only his own image.

He stuffed all the remaining jerky in his hand into the little guy's mouth.

"Eat up, it's time to go when you're full."

……

Suburbs, a mountain villa.

In the center of the room, black and white pieces are intertwined on an antique chessboard.

The little black figure picks up a black piece, but it remains suspended in the air without falling.

This little black figure is Beidou.

"Did Xuanwu soften his stance a bit during this operation in Yunlan City?"

The sound of Beidou is steady yet contains a hint of inquiry.

Sitting opposite him was a woman who was looking down at the chessboard. This man was Zero, the true leader of the Guiyuan Group.

Zero stretched out her slender fingers, took a white piece from the chess box, and gently placed it in a seemingly insignificant corner of the chessboard.

Snapped.

The chess piece landed with a crisp sound.

"Isn't that how he always is?"

Zero's voice rang out in unison, her eyes quietly fixed on the Big Dipper.

The sunspot in the Big Dipper constellation stopped hovering in the air.

A moment later, he finally placed the black piece in another spot.

Yes, that person, his teacher who had long since passed away and only existed in his memory, was no different.

"Human growth takes time."

Zero looked at the white piece that had just been placed on the chessboard, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Even he will be no exception."

Beidou did not continue on this topic; he knew that Zero had already made a decision.

He then asked about something else.

"When will the training plans for Vermilion Bird and Azure Dragon be finalized?"

Zero looked up from the chessboard, a moment of contemplation on his face: "As for Suzaku, it will be at least another year."

"As for the Azure Dragon, it will be even longer."

"During this period, you will probably need to make more public appearances to stabilize the situation."

Beidou nodded slightly in agreement.

"How are those children doing lately?"

Linghe asked again, his fingers gently caressing a smooth white piece.

Beidou quickly reviewed the information in his mind.

"Baihu has already met Long Ao and his initial assessment is satisfactory, but he still needs further refinement as his temperament is not yet sufficient."

"Nan Dou also provided support to Liu Feiyu, but it won't cause any trouble for the time being."

"The three stations are currently following up on several potential targets, but their minds are wavering, so we need to observe them more closely."

Zero listened quietly without interrupting.

Only after Beidou finished speaking did she sigh softly and put the white piece back into the chess box.

"After all is said and done, the only one who can truly stand alone right now is Baihu."

BeiDou has no objection to this.

Baihu is the easiest one to manage. He joined them entirely based on his terrifying talent and was also the first one they trained.

The other children, including Nan Dou San Tai and the others, are still lacking in experience.

"No rush."

As Linghe spoke, she picked up another white piece, and this time, her movement was swift and decisive.

The piece was placed, cutting off a large black group of stones.

The entire situation on the chessboard was instantly reversed.

Suddenly, only the crisp echo of chess pieces falling remained in the room.

Beidou looked at the black dragon that had been cut off on the chessboard. The once imposing dragon had been severed in half by a white piece and had lost all its vitality.

Zero's fingers were long and slender, and his fingertips were still resting on the white piece that had just been placed.

He pondered his next move in order to salvage the situation.

The room remained quiet for a long time.

Finally, Beidou spoke up and asked the question that concerned him most.

"When do you plan to go see Chen Guan?"

Linghe stopped picking up a white piece.

After a few seconds, she gently shook her head.

"It's not the right time yet."

"However, I have a feeling it should be soon."

After saying that, she threw the question back at her, her eyes fixed on Beidou without blinking.

Do you think he'll follow the path we want him to take?

Beidou held Heizi's hand, which was suspended in mid-air.

This problem was more difficult for him to deal with than any killing move on the chessboard.

He thought of Chen Guan in Yunlan City, that seemingly clumsy yet incredibly precise plan that had shunned all the civilians.

I remembered Xuanwu, who could have won with a single blow but chose to stall for time in the most clumsy way.

That inherent gentleness, or rather, that unnecessary insistence, is so similar to that person deep in my memory.

After a long while, Beidou slowly placed the hovering black piece back into the chess box.

He gave up on this game.

"I have no idea."

He shook his head slightly, his voice carrying a bitterness he himself was unaware of.

"How could I possibly have predicted... what the teacher was thinking?"

Yes, teacher.

Even if the person in front of me is just a reflection of the teacher, a fragment.

Even though he has completely new memories, a completely new personality, and a completely new name.

But in Beidou's heart, that imprint from the depths of his soul has never changed.

"He's not the same person he used to be," Beidou added. "He has his own thoughts and his own choices."

"yes."

Zero's face betrayed no emotion; he simply stared quietly at the chessboard.

"That would be even more interesting, wouldn't it?"

As she spoke, she gently placed the white piece in her hand on the center point of the chessboard.

Snapped.

With a soft click, a piece was placed on the center of the chessboard.