Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 283 - 276: About to Depart

Chapter 283: Chapter 276: About to Depart

After a pause, he continued, "That’s why we came up with a new plan. Instead of working hard to breed sub-human species, it’s better to educate the young ones from Otherworld. We should let them learn our culture and integrate into our cultural system. In this way, we can use cultural assimilation to incorporate these Otherworld-ers into our ranks. And this plan is what we’re calling the ’Mingming Plan’."

"So, what does this have to do with sending those two to Earth?" Luo’er asked next.

Wang Xu explained: "There are currently two schemes for the Mingming Plan. One is to bring the Otherworld-ers back to Earth for education, which would require them to adapt to Earth’s environment. The second scheme is to establish schools in Otherworld and impart culture on-site, which requires enough sub-human teachers."

"So, sending those two to Earth is for the first scheme?" Luo’er asked with a furrowed brow.

"Exactly, the instruction from above is to start both schemes concurrently. In order to persuade the Army and the Ministry of Defense, we need to show results, much like when Tangmo was born. Only when we’ve produced results will the Ministry of Defense approve the initiation of our plan." Wang Xu explained.

"So, these two were sent to Earth for experiments just to get approval?" Luo’er asked.

"Don’t put it in such crude terms. I have confidence in the researchers at the center. I believe they can guarantee the safety of those two girls." Wang Xu reassured him.

"You’re really willing to do anything for dominance..." Luo’er was on the verge of losing his temper. Had he known, he would’ve arranged for someone to take care of the girls, sparing them from being seized by Headquarters and put through experiments on Earth.

"You don’t have to worry so much about them. They’re safe on Earth. And moreover, those two consented to the experiment," Wang Xu comforted him.

"Bullshit! That child Kali would do anything for you out of gratitude, of course, she’d agree to whatever you say!" Luo’er retorted angrily.

"You don’t need to worry so much, I give you my word, they’ll be fine," Wang Xu stood up and patted him on the shoulder. His demeanour was apologetic, a sharp contrast to the aloof reprimanding tone he held earlier.

"Listen here, Wang Xu," Luo’er raised his head, glaring at him with furrowed brows, "If anything happens to those two, I won’t let you off. Our friendship would be over!"

"Is it that severe?" Wang Xu knew he was in the wrong. Although he disliked Luo’er’s tone, he chose to back down.

"Alright, I stake my life on it. If anything happens to them, I’ll accompany them in death, okay?" Faced with Luo’er, Wang Xu made this deadly promise.

Luo’er glanced at him, his expression slightly softening. He felt that he might have overreacted but he was still angry and therefore had no intentions of apologizing.

"Let’s go home and have a good rest. Your injuries haven’t healed yet. Don’t upset yourself too much," said Wang Xu with an arm around Luo’er and leading him to the doorway. His words were filled with concern for Luo’er.

Ever-being single for more than forty years, Luo’er was, undoubtedly, the most important person in Wang Xu’s life.

After sending Luo’er off, Wang Xu slapped his own forehead in irritation. He was supposed to have the upper hand when Luo’er arrived, but somehow he ended up being on the defensive and getting scolded by him.

Walking to his desk, Wang Xu remembered the question Luo’er had asked. He muttered to himself, "How did Luo’er find out about the relation between Cheng Ziang and Yalunte? Could it be because of Dr. Anatoli’s diary? No, that’s not right. I’ve read the entire diary and it never mentioned anything about Yalunte. How could they know about this?"

"It’s not yet time for Cheng Ziang to know about his real identity. After all, he is still a member of the Advance Team. We can tell him once the team is disbanded. However, I’m afraid Yalunte’s secret can’t be kept anymore. Otherwise, he would definitely turn against us. I might as well talk to him and ask him not to disturb the Advance Team," Wang Xu decided and nodded to himself.

With that, he unlocked his filing cabinet, took out a thick file, and opened a specific page. A picture of a young girl appeared before his eyes. She was about in her twenties with a sweet countenance and an elegance that belonged only to the nobility.

Not seduced by the girl’s beauty, Wang Xu was aware that the picture was over twenty years old.

"I wonder what expression Gudelv would have if he knew his sister’s lineage has continued," Wang Xu said to himself with a chuckle. He then closed the file and put it back into the cabinet.

Even after scolding Wang Xu, Luo’er’s mood hadn’t improved. He walked towards the dormitory area with a heavy heart.

The Advance Team was at the end of the corridor in the rest area, playing cards. Tangmo was with two guys playing Landlord, their card game. Baiyue was still the same, secluded, absorbed in her book.

Taking a deep breath, Luo’er finally shook off his foul mood and strolled over to them with a smile.

"Ah, it’s Luo’er!" Tangmo, who had her back to Luo’er, immediately noticed his presence. Throwing her cards aside, she sprang up and ran towards him.

Luo’er, caught off guard, was hugged tightly. He reached up to pat Tangmo’s head, mainly to prevent her from kissing him, while he asked her, "How did you know I was here?"

"Because as soon as you got closer, Luo’er, I could smell your scent!" Tangmo nestled in his arms, closing her eyes and delighting in his aura.

"Isn’t that terrifying?" Luo’er thought but didn’t dare say aloud.

Baiyue, standing to the side, watched the two with a pout of discontent. She wasn’t as perceptive as Tangmo and was quite annoyed about being bested.

"Did you get chewed out?" Cheng Ziang seemed to have guessed Luo’er’s plight and asked with a sneer.

With much effort, Luo’er managed to push Tangmo away, but she clung to his arm like a sticky candy. He sighed helplessly and let her be.

Approaching Cheng Ziang, Luo’er was at a loss for words seeing his gloating expression. He wished he’d have taken care of this guy earlier to prevent him from spreading the word and getting him in hot water with Wang Xu.

"Boss, has the Instructor assigned us another mission?" Hu Daoke asked, looking up at Luo’er.

"We have to go to Masya again!" Luo’er replied.

"What?" As soon as he finished, mournful exclamations echoed around him.

Unable to help but grin at their reactions, he quickly explained: "This time, we won’t need to venture deep inside. We only need to follow Roen river upstream into Masya territory."

Masya was a mountainous area. Their first expedition into Masya during winter had left them traipsing through the snow in the mountains for over a month. The excruciating memory had scarred everyone deeply.

Their second time in Masya had resulted in two plane crashes, from which they had managed to make a disgraceful return to Yazhi City through scratch and scrape. Both these disastrous experiences had convinced them that Masya was a place of bad omen. They would rather delve into the deep sea to find the Leviathan than step foot into Masya again.

"What’s the mission this time?" the first to voice his complaint, Cheng Ziang asked immediately after.

Luo’er sighed, then said: "Headquarters received information that the armies of Masya and Otland are assembling upstream of the Roen River. They got spooked and want us to find out exactly what they’re up to."

"Hasn’t Masya already cut ties with Otland?" A frown crept onto Cheng Ziang’s face as he asked.

"Who knows? Maybe they’re reconciled now. In any case, they’re all from the same family." Luo’er said with a shrug.

The ruling Alafasia family of Masya and the ruling Fiorent family of Otland had been blood brothers during the era of the Aud Empire. The kinship dynamics among their noble families was somewhat similar to those of medieval Europe, with interconnected relationships abound.

"Is Earth preparing for a military operation?" Cheng Ziang inquired after some analysis.

"Well," Luo’er nodded and said, "The United Nations have decided to dispatch troops to Yazhi City within the year. According to their plan, a battle between the Earth’s Army and the Church’s Army is highly probable."

"A war’s coming?" Hu Daoke stared blankly at Luo’er. Even though they knew their task as the Advance Team was to collect information for the imminent Third Otherworld War, the idea of warfare was still overwhelming.

"No wonder people are so sensitive." Cheng Ziang nodded knowingly.

"For this war, Earth is well-prepared. Secular governments won’t participate in the war, neither would the Otherworld Allied Army be formed. The Church’s Army will be the sole opponent of the multi-national force. As long as they can defend Yazhi City and repel the Church’s Army, the victory can force the Church to acknowledge the legitimacy of Earth’s garrison," Luo’er spoke with due solemnity.

"Won’t the nations loyal to the Church join the war?" asked Tangmo, cuddling next to him.

"No, they won’t," Luo’er explained. "They benefit so much from Earth. Why would they ever antagonize the Earth? Even if the Church forces them into the war, they will likely respond symbolically, not genuinely. The Otherworld isn’t what it was thirty years ago."

"Putting it aside, how did the Headquarters obtain this information?" Cheng Ziang couldn’t help but ask curiously.

Luo’er hesitated but decided to tell him: "From Melia. She told command that Masya’s Army was consolidating."

"Meaning, we’ll have to go see her, right?" As soon as he heard Melia’s name, a smile surfaced on Cheng Ziang’s face, recalling the scene when Melia first came to the Headquarters.

"Yes," Luo’er nodded, telling the truth, "She did not disclose the specifics to the Headquarters. She said she would tell only if we go to see her."