Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1070 - 1063: Heart-to-Heart in the Air

Chapter 1070: Chapter 1063: Heart-to-Heart in the Air

"Anyway, you must be careful in everything; we’ll handle things here, but if you get into trouble, it would be hard for us to explain to the higher-ups," Li Si said, pausing briefly to soften his tone.

"Understood!" Luo’er nodded.

Li Si sighed, then patted Luo’er on the shoulder and said sincerely, "Although I don’t know if you’re willing to believe it, you can rely on us at any time."

"I know," Luo’er said, head down, lips pursed. He continued, "Sorry, about before..."

"As long as you have the intention, it doesn’t matter whether you apologize or not. The Advance Team, as the left and right arm of the front headquarters, it’s natural for us to treat you well," said Li Si, shrugging his shoulders.

After some pleasantries, the two, along with Li Si and the village chief Feron, discussed the relocation issue.

Meila Village, including the Wolfman Clan, had at most three to four hundred people, so it wasn’t difficult to relocate them all at once. The airboats could take everyone once they offloaded their cargo. The key was to decide where to take them and how to settle them.

According to Luo’er’s initial idea, he wanted to move the Rabbit-ear Clan and the Wolfman Clan to live within Lipei City, but Li Si dismissed this plan.

In his view, when the Otherworld Gate in Lipei opened, Lipei would undoubtedly become a new trade node and transportation hub. By then, the city would be filled with all sorts of people from the Nine Streams. It was clearly not suitable to mix the Rabbit-ear Clan into this environment.

The main issue was that both the Rabbit-ear and Wolfman Clans were agricultural populations, needing farmland to sustain their growth and simultaneously promote Lipei’s prosperity.

Moving the agricultural population entirely into the city was unrealistic since the land around the city would inevitably be developed and unsuitable for the cultivation they wished to pursue. They would have to travel a great distance from the city, which would end up being counterproductive for them.

Therefore, according to Li Si’s idea, the plan should be to use Lipei as a hub and build villages in nearby uninhabited areas suitable for farming to settle these people from the East Continent.

As clans from another continent, both the Rabbit-ear and Wolfman Clans were highly valuable for observation, allowing them to form settlements that would facilitate research by Earth’s scholars.

Of course, these matters didn’t really need to be considered by Luo’er and others, since Headquarters would handle them. Once the Otherworld Gate in Lipei opened, Lipei would become a new center of exchange, and it was inevitable that many people would join Lipei.

So it seemed that Luo’er’s approach had no problems after all, and it might even increase the diversity of the clans in Lipei, making it perfect.

Although the Mingming Plan nominally recruited people from all Otherworld clans for education, influenced by the Elf Planet Project, they were more willing to recruit hybrids, especially those of the Elf Race. Clans like the Rabbit-ear Clan from the East Continent were naturally also very welcome.

It’s not to say that Headquarters discriminated against the regular Human Race, but from both a purpose and aesthetic view, they preferred Elf hybrids. Elf hybrids like Eve were great, but getting pure Snow Elves like Axia was simply a huge win.

That’s why, upon hearing Luo’er introduce Axia’s identity, Li Si couldn’t stop smiling like a lovesick fool, causing Axia to frown repeatedly.

After a long discussion, the plan was basically finalized. All villagers of Meila Village were to stand by in place, staying alert to potential invasions by the Beastman Clan. The airboats would first transport Luo’er and others to Ilanadale and then return to relocate the villagers.

Li Si was very efficient. He arrived in the morning, discussions were completed by noon, and by the afternoon, everyone from the Advance Team had boarded the airboat, which then ascended and turned towards Ilanadale.

Axia and Talis, among others, were nervous as it was their first time riding the colossal Sky Beasts crafted by High-peak Dwarves, feeling tense and unsteady as if they weren’t touching the ground.

This outing of the Advance Team, apart from their group, also incidentally included Taran. It was Baiyue’s personal request; Taran was eager to board the airboat, so she approached Li Si and got the approval.

"Wow, it’s so high, my legs are going weak..." Taran stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the land below with a tremble in his voice. Baiyue, seeing this, quickly held onto him.

"Is that kid Baiyue’s cousin?" Li Si asked, looking over at Taran, then turning to Luo’er.

"Yes, Taran is the village chief and Feron is his grandson, Yue’er is the village chief’s granddaughter," Luo’er nodded in response.

"It’s a pity that the Headquarters couldn’t save Yue’er’s mother, Aniya. They only managed to save the child..." Li Si shook his head in lament.

"Don’t say that; Yue’er survived thanks to you all," Luo’er countered, shaking his head.

"Who knows when they will be able to meet," Li Si sighed once more.

"How is Dr. Anatoli doing now?" Luo’er asked.

"What can he do? He’s still locked up. Initially, when Dr. Anatoli entrusted the child to the Headquarters, he enraged Old Maozi. It’s a miracle he wasn’t killed for not bringing the little girl back," Li Si shrugged.

"Initially, you should have kept Dr. Anatoli; at least he could have been reunited with his daughter," Luo’er stated.

"The way you put it, it sounds like we’re being ungrateful. First, Dr. Anatoli’s expertise didn’t align with the Origin Project; he wouldn’t have been much use in it. Secondly, it was his own decision to go back; we merely facilitated his wish. Initially, they said we shouldn’t offend Old Maozi, but now that I think about it, holding Dr. Anatoli back might have been possible. Old Maozi wouldn’t have been able to do anything drastic without tabling his own face, it would just seem somewhat dishonorable," Li Si explained.

"Will there be a chance to bring him back in the future?" Luo’er asked, somewhat unwillingly.

"Well, it depends. Science knows no borders, but scientists do have nationalities. If Dr. Anatoli chooses to stay loyal to his country and doesn’t want to come back, what can you do?" Li Si responded.

At that moment, Hu Daoke hurried past them, carrying two bottles of cola, enthusiastically heading towards the cabin.

Watching his departing figure, Li Si narrowed his eyes and then turned to Luo’er, asking, "Are you really planning to let Feng go back with us instead of joining you on a mission?"

"Yes," Luo’er nodded, then explained, "Her meridians are blocked. Although she won’t be in immediate danger, she cannot use magic. In her condition, it’s safer for her to go back with you than to follow us."

"Ah, a useless person, you never like to keep them around," Li Si said with narrowed eyes and a smile.

"You’re making it sound terrible..." Luo’er said, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"No need for excuses, it’s nothing shameful. You’re the Captain of the Advance Team; you must weigh the provisions of your team. With Feng unable to use magic, she’s indeed a burden, so letting her go is understandable. Besides, it’s not like you’re abandoning her; you’re ensuring her safety by sending her back with us. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about," Li Si shook his head as he spoke.

"Even so, I still feel quite sorry for her..." Luo’er said, slightly guiltily.

"If you take on a bunch of burdens and end up getting entirely wiped out, that’s truly failing them. A necessary sacrifice is nothing to apologize for," Li Si reasoned.

"Still..." Li Si mused, furrowing his brows, his demeanor turning serious, "Feng’s background is not simple; her joining your team doubled your combat effectiveness. Now that you’re sending her back and taking your team to Xia Yue Island, aren’t you walking into a trap without proper armor?"

"I’ve considered that. Our trip to Xia Yue Island should result in minimal conflict if handled properly. Besides, even if conflicts arise, we still have a Demigod with us, so it’ll be fine," Luo’er reassured.

"The little girl called Fulajie’er?" Li Si inquired.

"Yes," Luo’er nodded lightly.

"A Demigod, huh? Even though she’s called a Demigod, isn’t that little girl too fragile for such a hefty responsibility?" Li Si asked.

"Lucky you’re speaking Chinese; if you were talking in Tasta and she heard you, she’d be furious," Luo’er said, forcing a smile.