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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Fifty-Nine: Happiness Opens the Appetite
The road from the airport to the palace was also under traffic control, allowing the convoy welcoming Prince Banan to pass through smoothly. Outside the palace, sandbags, barbed wire, and heavy guards had been removed, and tanks and armored vehicles were nowhere to be seen. A small number of armed guards patrolled the perimeter of the palace, standing at attention and saluting as they saw Prince Banan's convoy approach.
The luxury car carrying Prince Banan stopped in front of the palace gates, and the officials responsible for welcoming him eagerly rushed forward to open the car door and invite Your Highness to step out. Prince Banan stepped onto the red carpet, waving to the crowd that had gathered to greet him, while his attendants and officials received special treatment as well.
Surrounded by a throng of people, Prince Banan moved forward, followed closely by Zhang Qiu, Lucia, and Azure Hawk. The appearance of King Mudis IV caused a stir among the crowd, with reformist officials casting unfriendly glances at him. The king sensed this atmosphere; the grand welcome clearly did not belong to him, prompting him to take his leave from Prince Banan.
Prince Banan looked at the king and said, "That's fine; I will visit my father in the evening."
He sent someone to escort the king to a nearby villa, and the king hurriedly entered two cars with his servants and left. The king's brief appearance at the palace did not affect the festive atmosphere; amidst cheers, people quickly forgot about what had just happened. It was dinner time, and a lavish feast was prepared in the palace for celebration. After dinner, there would be a grand ball attended by relatives of royal nobles and high-ranking officials.
Prince Banan let everyone go ahead while he returned to his room to change clothes. Ten minutes later, he appeared in the dining hall wearing an exquisite evening gown. His presence elicited screams from the young women attending the banquet; tonight, Prince Banan was charming and raised his goblet to toast at every table.
Zhang Qiu was not fond of such lively gatherings; she took a plate of food she was interested in and sat down in a corner to enjoy it. Lucia accompanied Zhang Qiu and chatted with her from time to time. As they talked, their conversation turned to what gifts Prince Banan might give them.
Lucia curiously tilted her head up and suddenly asked Zhang Qiu, "What do you think Prince Banan will give us as gifts?"
"I'm not sure; I can't think of what he might give," Zhang Qiu replied, shaking her head. After all, her interactions with Prince Banan had been brief, making it difficult to guess what kind of gifts he would choose. As a prince, his generosity would surely be extraordinary; however, giving gold or silver treasures seemed too mundane—how could that match their deep friendship? What else could it be? Zhang Qiu truly couldn't come up with anything.
"He wouldn't send you a few beauties, would he?" Lucia teased Zhang Qiu.
"Don't joke about that; I actually think Prince Banan might introduce you to some handsome guys."
"…"
The two continued their playful banter until they were full from dinner. Zhang Qiu and Lucia began playing on their phones. Zhang Qiu logged into QQ and intended to send Jiang Xue a message but paused for a moment before deleting several lines she had typed out. It would be better to surprise Xue'er instead; a happy smile appeared on Zhang Qiu's face.
"What are you thinking? You look so sweet when you smile," Lucia asked Zhang Qiu as she tilted her head to one side.
"Huh?" Zhang Qiu was surprised that Lucia noticed her smile. Coming back to reality, she replied with a grin, "I'm just excited about going home soon."
"Are you eager to see Sister Xue?"
Seeing through his thoughts, Zhang Qiu chuckled, and Lucia immediately understood, laughing along with him.
After the dinner, people moved to the first-floor hall to dance. A Western band played soothing music from the side, while waiters weaved through the crowd with glasses of champagne. Beautifully dressed and graceful royal princesses danced elegantly in the center of the hall. Middle-aged officials gathered in small groups, sipping red wine while discussing politics.
Zhang Qiu and Lucia were not interested in dancing. Several suitors approached Lucia to invite her, but she declined each time. Not wanting to be disturbed, Lucia said, "Zhang Qiu, shall we go back to our room?"
Zhang Qiu readily agreed. The two stood up and intended to greet Prince Banan but searched the entire dance floor without spotting him. After inquiring with the White-Bearded Man, they learned that Prince Banan had gone to the king's villa shortly after the ball began. Zhang Qiu and Lucia exchanged smiles and returned to their room together.
Sitting on the soft and comfortable bed in their room, Zhang Qiu casually remarked, "Lucia, I thought girls liked dancing."
"Rather than dancing, I prefer shooting." Lucia mimicked a shooting pose, and Zhang Qiu pretended to be shot down. Lucia ran over and pressed her hands on Zhang Qiu's chest. Zhang Qiu laughed and said, "What’s this? Do you need mouth-to-mouth?"
"Dream on." Lucia removed her hands and sat down beside him, while Zhang Qiu settled back into a comfortable position.
"If we get the chance, let's have a sparring session," Lucia suggested.
"Sparring about what?" Zhang Qiu was momentarily confused.
"Shooting! I think your skills are on par with mine; I'd like to challenge you." Lucia smiled brightly, her blue eyes sparkling as she looked at Zhang Qiu.
"Sure!" Zhang Qiu immediately agreed but then paused for a moment. After some thought, he said, "Once we return home, I'll do my best to arrange it."
"Can you arrange that? Isn't it not allowed where you are..."
"It is indeed not allowed," Zhang Qiu replied. "I was thinking if we could train at the shooting range in the detention center. Of course, it might not have as many guns as your shooting range, but practicing marksmanship shouldn't be a problem."
"Can you just go to a detention center like that?" Lucia found it very intriguing. In her conversations with Zhang Qiu, she realized that while many aspects seemed particularly strict, there were also numerous 'shortcuts' available, which she found quite unbelievable.
"Maybe; I'll give it a try," Zhang Qiu said uncertainly. When Lucia proposed sparring in marksmanship, Zhang Qiu couldn't help but think of his training venue. His initial visit to the detention center for firearms training was to assist his uncle in cracking down on Chen Hu's drug trafficking network; it was a legitimate reason. He wondered if his uncle would agree if he privately asked him to take Lucia shooting. Zhang Qiu even contemplated whether he should keep it from his uncle and communicate directly with Wang Hailong; perhaps he would agree to his request.
Zhang Qiu's thoughts were interrupted by a brief knock on the door, and Lucia got up to open it. The vigilance of recent days made Lucia cautious even in the palace, so she stood behind the door and asked, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Azure Hawk."
Lucia glanced back at Zhang Qiu, hesitated for a moment, and then opened the door. Azure Hawk walked in with a blank expression. As Lucia closed the door, she hurried to Zhang Qiu's side, fearing that the two might start arguing again.
Zhang Qiu watched as Azure Hawk stepped inside. Once Azure Hawk stopped, he said, "Professor Bai asked if you could immediately begin your research on the jade pendant once you return."
Zhang Qiu did not directly answer Azure Hawk's question but instead said, "You didn't attend the ball; you were in contact with Professor Bai, weren't you?"
"Yes. Professor Bai asked me to tell you that he is fully prepared and just waiting for you to hand over the jade pendant for research."
"You can tell him that once I step onto the grounds of the research institute, I will hand over the jade pendant for him to study. Also, please ask him if he remembers our promise."
"Promise?"
"Just refer to my exact words; he will understand."
"Alright, I will convey that." Azure Hawk paused and added, "I’ll take my leave now."
At the moment Azure Hawk turned to leave, Zhang Qiu suddenly asked, "Do you know anything about the jade pendant?"
"I don't know." Azure Hawk replied without turning around.
Zhang Qiu nodded; it seemed Bai Jingwei had not shared any information about the jade pendant with Azure Hawk. Seeing that Zhang Qiu had no further questions, Azure Hawk stepped out. Although he was curious about the secrets hidden within Zhang Qiu's jade pendant, he would not ask further. He only needed to carry out orders without needing to know why.
After Azure Hawk left, Zhang Qiu and Lucia went to bed and turned off the lights. Zhang Qiu stared at the floral-patterned board above him; everything was dark. In darkness, one can feel oneself more clearly. Zhang Qiu relaxed completely on the soft mattress, covered by a light quilt that exuded a pleasant fragrance, and comfortably drifted into sleep.
Zhang Qiu and Lucia did not sleep until noon but woke up early instead. One major benefit of going to bed early is waking up refreshed. After washing up and organizing their belongings, Zhang Qiu and Lucia headed straight to the dining hall. The chaos from last night's banquet had been cleaned up thoroughly; servants and attendants were busy preparing breakfast at the dining table.
Azure Hawk and his team were sitting inside having breakfast when Lucia couldn't help but laugh and said, "Zhang Qiu, don’t you think they seem to never get tired? Every time we come to the dining hall, they are either eating or have already finished."
"They are the elite of the elite, and this can be phrased differently."
"What do you mean?"
"They are not human."
Lucia merely smiled at Zhang Qiu's words, leaving him unsure if she understood. Zhang Qiu's statement was not derogatory; at their level, they indeed transcended the conventional concept of humanity. They could achieve what ordinary people could not, think thoughts that others could not fathom, and endure what most could not tolerate. Each of them was a war god, forged from blood and fire into the strongest of warriors.
Zhang Qiu and Lucia sat down nearby and called for breakfast to begin. Lucia chewed on bread dipped in milk, while Zhang Qiu finished off his fried egg and ham, devoured the broccoli, and after drinking a whole cup of milk, he called the waiter over with a lingering appetite, saying, "I need some ham and milk, thank you."
The waiter nodded and withdrew. After a while, he returned with a tray, placing the food Zhang Qiu ordered in front of him and said, "Enjoy your meal."
"Thank you." Zhang Qiu took out a few silver coins from his pocket and handed them to the waiter.
Lucia watched Zhang Qiu's food with surprise while sipping her milk. "Zhang Qiu, this is the first time I've seen you eat so much."
"I can't help it; I'm happy. Happiness opens up one's appetite."
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