The place where Ye Linran worked belonged to the 12th Army and he happened to be located in a special sector of the 12th Army Headquarters. When outsiders wanted to enter, they had to be led by internal personnel. Ye Linran knew that Xu Yao had gone to the Hall of The Great Moon to discuss some business today. Le Yao could visit him only because Xu Yao didn't take him along.
Standing beside Ye Linran was a person who worked with him. Although it was the first time Le Yao had met this person, he knew who he was. This person often appeared in various news articles of the major media, it would be impossible not to recognize him.
"Welcome to the 12th Army's Base, Xiao Le Yao. Let me introduce this man to you."
Ye Linran in person and the figure Le Yao had seen in their previous holographic call had no differences. He was tall and warm, the type that was easy to feel close to, with his eyes that curved into crescents every time he smiled. He pointed at the younger man standing beside him, who was about 30 years old, and said, "This is Yang Hengtian, the President of the Yang Company and one of the 12th Army's cooperative partners. This is Le Yao, General Xu Yao's wife. And this is Yan Jie, the best information technician of our 12th Army. "
"Hello," greeted Yang Hengtian.
Yang Hengtian was a very tall Alpha. He was about the same height as Xu Yao, but he didn't look as strong as him, and his skin was also paler. In addition, his facial features were softer, and he wore a pair of smart glasses which had golden frames. Therefore, his every movement and mannerism gave off an appearance like that of a Confucian merchant.
"Hello President Yang," greeted Le Yao. "It seems that you already know Yan Jie?"
Why did you say hello only to me and didn't greet Yan Jie? And you smiled meaningfully while staring at him… Ah yes!
Le Yao remembered that President Yang's younger brother and Yan Jie had been classmates in the Military Academy, and that he was the one Yan Jie had sent the little wooden fish pendants to.
"Yes. I have tried my best to get him to work for the Yang Company before. But he chose not to do so and joined the Flying Wolf Division instead. I've been depressed about it for a long time."
"Brother Yang, would you mind not mentioning this matter?" Le Yao didn't know why, but Yan Jie said this quietly, as if he was feeling guilty while his eyes showed a trace of shyness.
Yang Hengtian smiled and didn't continue. But this smile happened to be seen by Le Yao. He didn't say anything, he just felt that the atmosphere between the two of them was very delicate.
Right then, his stomach suddenly grumbled…
Le Yao was stunned and lowered his head in embarrassment while covering his forehead with his hand.
Seeing this, Ye Linran smiled, "Come, let's eat and talk."
The cafeteria in the 12th Army Headquarters wasn't particularly different from that in Huaxia. It was a bit smaller, because it didn't have a high concentration of soldiers as the Flying Wolf Division did. The style of design was the same, and as there might be more units in each department here, so there were also many private rooms.
Ye Linran brought the three young men into a four seater private room, asked them if they had any food they wanted to avoid, and then recommended some of the 12th Army Headquarters' special dishes to them. He asked Le Yao, "Xiao Le Yao, what would you like to eat?"
"I can eat anything, Uncle Ye," said Le Yao, but quietly added in his heart: The more it is the better.
However, since it was also his first time meeting Yang Hengtian, he was really too embarrassed to say that aloud.
He had rushed to take a bath and had changed clothes without having breakfast. But now, his stomach was completely awake and was being noisy for nutrition. His babies must be hungry.
Le Yao unconsciously touched his stomach just as Ye Linran's communicator rang.
Ye Linran saw that the caller was Xu Yao. He picked up the call on hands-free mode and said, "Hello, Xu Yao, is there something wrong?"
Xu Yao replied, "Uncle Lin there's nothing wrong. It's just that Le Yao has come to your place at noon. Please take care of him and let him eat more. He eats a lot now, but he has a small face. I'm afraid he'll be embarrassed to eat more."
Le Yao's ears suddenly turned red and he said quietly, "Damn, I don't want to lose face!"
Ye Linran smiled, "Okay, don't worry. I definitely won't starve your wife. Would you like to have a word with him? The call is on hands-free mode."
Xu Yao said, "Le Yao, don't be shy with Uncle Lin, he's also part of our family. And if I finish my work early, I'll pick you up so that we can go home together."
"I know."
Xu Yao wanted to ask about the video in the morning, but he held back since it was not just the two of them, and said, "Most importantly, you must pay attention to your safety when you're going outside."
Le Yao smiled in reply, "Alright, I will, you can rest assured."
Xu Yao wasn't at ease unless Le Yao was directly under his nose. However, at this time, he really couldn't keep Le Yao close. Emperor Kunta had made a decision and now intended to send people to Huaxia to develop it as their second 'home', thus there were many things to discuss.
As for the reason behind the construction of this second home, it wasn't with an intention of living there temporarily, treating it as a vacation spot or a tourism planet. They wanted Huaxia to be a place which they could immigrate to at any time, specifically if and when any problem or disaster occurred on Tarot.
The Sarna orcs had spare planets of their own and the Emperor had been 'envious' of this for a long time. So this time, when the Minister in charge of Environment and Climate reported that in recent years, Huaxia's climate was changing for the better, and that it would soon be suitable for human growth, the Emperor ordered for reconstruction work to be started.
"So you mean to say that when Xu Yao and I return to Huaxia, it's possible that the two of you will also come along?" Le Yao looked at Ye Linran and Yang Hengtian in surprise.
Ye Linran replied, "That's right. Emperor Kunta intended to build Huaxia as our second home even before the fight between us and the Sarna orcs broke out. At present, apart from Tarot, it seems that Huaxia is the most suitable planet for us to live on. This matter has been dragged on to this day only because the Sarna orcs intended to seize it and hence caused a war. But this time, I think it's probably going to be put on the agenda again."
"Then you two…?" There was no doubt that Le Yao was still confused.
"Are certainly involved in reconstruction," said Yang Hengtian. "The Yang Family is in charge of the communication department. If we can really start the Reconstruction Project this time, we will definitely get to build the communication infrastructure and facilities." No one was more powerful than the Yang Family within this particular industry.
"That's right. As for me, of course, I'm going to do the design work," said Ye Linran.
Ye Linran specialized in designing combat mechas and battleships. During his spare time in the past two years, he had been researching on mechas that could be habitable during peacetime and super-large intelligent battleships that would run on natural energy during wartime. He had already achieved some positive results.
After Le Yao ate a meal large enough for two, he and Ye Linran went to Ye Linran's lab. Present there was Ye Linran's entire design team along with some simulation models. Le Yao was fascinated by those models and suddenly remembered that his own hover car hadn't been brought back since it was sent for modification by Xu Yao. Maybe later he could ask Ye Linran to design a new one for him. One who could seal the undead should have an awesome hover car.
At this time, Yang Hengtian said, "There's something I need to do in the company, so I'll go back first. If there is any problem, please contact me."
Ye Linran nodded, "Alright, I won't send you off today."
Yang Hengtian smiled and when he turned to leave, said to Yan Jie, "Thank you for the gift you gave me last time. It's been very useful to me."
Yan Jie widened his eyes abruptly as he asked, "When did I give you a gift?!"
Yang Hengtian countered, "Didn't you?"
Yan Jie then remembered the little wooden fish pendants he had sent to Yang Hengxi. For a moment, he didn't know what to say, because he wasn't sure if Le Yao would tell this man that he was the one who had made the pendants.
Yang Hengtian saw Yan Jie open and close his mouth twice but not saying a word. He smiled, clapped Yan Jie on the shoulder and said, "If you have time, go to the Yang Family's house to play."
Yan Jie whispered, "Oh." I won't go!
Le Yao waited for Yang Hengtian to leave before asking Yan Jie with a smile, "Yan Jie, why do you look as if you're afraid of President Yang? Are you alright?"
Yan Jie pulled at his collar unnaturally and coughed out softly, "I'm alright."
Le Yao, as per his habit, started to calculate their future, but before he could figure out their fate, he stopped.
Yan Jie took advantage of this time to go to the bathroom to contact his old classmate Yang Hengxi. "Yang Hengxi, how could you tell your elder brother that the one who sent those fish pendants was me?"
Yang Hengxi laughed, "It's true that you sent it. In the beginning, I thought that he would not believe in the pendant, so I didn't mention that it had been sent by you, I just said it was a classmate. But later, everyone in the Yang Family realised that the little wooden fish was bringing us fortune. What else could I say? Besides, my big brother guessed it himself. Why? Did my eldest brother look for you?"
Yan Jie said gloomily, "That's not true. It's just, I came to the 12th Army Headquarters and happened to meet him here today."
Yang Hengxi replied, "You'll meet when you're destined to meet. Anyway, it's not as if my brother will eat you, right? Ah, that's not what I meant. But Yan Jie, how come, for these past few years, you've been so afraid of my brother? What did he do to you before?"
Yan Jie cut off the call immediately. He walked back and forth several times in the bathroom, just like a headless fly, before going out.
What did he do? Ah ah ah! Just thinking of it drives me crazy!
Yan Jie had to wash his face with cold water over and over again, before the red flush on his face faded away. By the time he went out, only the tips of his ear were red.
Le Yao had already handed over the small wood carved pendants he had brought to Ye Linran, and he was now ready to go back. Xu Yao had actually wanted to come and pick him up, but as he was still busy in the Royal Palace and would be for a while longer, he planned to return home first.
"Uncle Ye, I'm sorry for troubling you even when you are busy. And also, thank you for the gift." Le Yao lifted the small paper bag in his hand which contained a pair of smart glasses. Usually, Le Yao wouldn't use this thing, but upon seeing Ye Linran operate it in the laboratory, he couldn't let it out of his sight. Therefore, when Ye Linran offered the glasses to him, he wasn't polite.
"En. Come to my place when you or Xu Yao are free. Uncle Guan keeps praising your excellent cooking skills. I've been wondering about how to taste your handmade food for a long time. Since you've come to Tarot this time, I must try your craft," said Ye Linran with a smile.
"Hehe, no problem, Uncle Ye. When Xu Yao is free, I will come with him." Le Yao then waved his hand and got on the hover car.
After boarding the hover car, Le Yao asked Yan Jie, "Yan Jie, are you sure you're alright?"
Why was it that he felt as if Yan Jie's face was turning red again soon after they departed? And just now, when he was talking to Ye Linran, Yan Jie looked so distracted, as if he didn't know where his soul had disappeared to.
"It's nothing," replied Yan Jie, and looked down at his light brain, pretending to have something to do.
Le Yao shrugged and didn't plan to probe any more. It wasn't yet dark when he got home but he ate his dinner first, and then emphasized the precautions one must take when wearing the small wood carved pendants in the 'Insomnia Treatment Group'. Once night fell, he took a walk in the yard.
There was no one in the house, as Ji Fengyu and the other ghosts had all apparently gone out.
In fact, as soon as night fell, Ji Fengyu and all would leave the house on their own. This group of ghosts, since they arrived on Tarot, felt that everything was new and fresh, so they often kept wandering around. Le Yao couldn't see any of them in the house.
Le Yao squatted down and drew a rune on the ground, summoning Ji Fengyu and asked, "Why didn't you come back? Don't you need dinner?"
Today, Le Yao hadn't burned any incense, let alone provide food for Ji Fengyu.
Ji Fengyu answered, "It's alright. Anyway, if you don't burn incense, Brother Yan or Uncle Ming will do it."
"En. What about the rest?" asked Le Yao.
"They're at the Jiang Family's house. Today as well, Le Feishan had to go to the Hall of The Great Moon for a meeting. Jiang Xinduo didn't dare to stay at home alone, so she went back to her mother's house. Zheng Yiyang had scared her so much that she couldn't sleep at night, which caused the whole Jiang Family to be restless. I don't think the Jiang Family can hold her back for long."
Recently, Old Jiang made quite a few errors when making decisions many times in their business. The Jiang Family was already in a very difficult state and Jiang Xinduo didn't help in making the situation better. She even went home with her 'haunted' nerves and added to the suffocated feeling that pervaded their house. No wonder Old Jiang's mood worsened day after day.
Le Yao said, "En. You can watch their liveliness, but remember not to expose yourself. And don't go to the Royal Palace."
Ji Fengyu replied, "Don't worry, I'll remember it. Then I'll go first."
Le Yao nodded and accidentally saw Uncle Ming standing not far from the yard. He then invited him and asked the intelligent chef to make two cups of tea. After they were seated in the living room, Le Yao asked, "Uncle Ming, I don't know if I should tell the General something, so I want to hear your opinion first."
"What is it?"
"It's about Xu Yao's parents," replied Le Yao. "I couldn't summon them when I was on Huaxia, so I didn't mention it to him. But since we came here, Xu Yao hasn't mentioned it either. I don't know if there is a special reason for his silence. But, if they can be summoned, wouldn't that be very good?"
Seeing how happy the Empress was to see Madam He when they were in the palace, he also wondered if Xu Yao's parents could be summoned. Although he hadn't met them before, he believed that they should be very good people.
Uncle Ming sighed and said, "The General has tried it after coming here, but he can't summon them."
"Can't summon them? Have they already entered the reincarnation circle? Otherwise, you can tell me their names and birthdays, and I will calculate their whereabouts."
Uncle Ming then uttered two sets of dates and Le Yao calculated them immediately. He was slightly stupefied at the result, so he calculated them again. He quickly pinched his fingers, but he didn't feel he was right at all.
Uncle Ming asked, "What's the matter, Mr Xiao Le?"
"Is there any problem with the two dates you gave me?" asked Le Yao. "What I have calculated is that both of them are still alive!"
Uncle Ming: "Ah?!"
…