Chapter 1280: It's time to argue and tear apart

“Why are you here? Aren't you afraid of being caught and taken back by the academy?” To control the direction of the situation, Lu Mingfei asked the question first, which was also his inner confusion.
Mandy Gonzalez is not a woman to be trifled with; she is the most carefree individual ever to appear on the execution department's wanted list.
Usually, those dangerous mixed-blood individuals targeted by the execution department, a violent organization, don’t have a good ending. Once Norma pinpoints a specific location, almost none manage to escape the silently spreading net.
But Mandy Gonzalez just happens to be the one who escaped, as she is difficult for Norma to locate.
It’s important to note that most of the escaped dangerous hybrids are actually always in a locked state; it’s just that the execution department has been chronically understaffed, which is why they haven’t captured those locked hybrid criminals at the first opportunity.
```htmlIn general, Norma will intelligently allocate suitable capture timings based on the target's actions in the past seven days, which often results in situations where criminals are caught just as they are about to complete their criminal plans. The special agents from the execution department often descend like a bolt from the blue, striking at the target's weak points and successfully capturing them in one swift move.```
When the criminal is pinned to the ground, coldly sneering, "This time you guys are just lucky; next time you won't be so fortunate," the agents would coldly glare at them, then turn to the helicopter pilot and say: "Could you please start warming up the engine? Norma has observed that the nuclear bomb underground in the neighboring Rome Fighting Beasts arena has already been activated. If we go over now, we will just hit the optimal defusal time!"
Under the stunned gaze of the criminals on the ground, the commissioner rushed into the helicopter, taking off to the next venue. The roar of the helicopter's ascent in the wind delivered a dual blow to the criminals' psyche and their lives: you are neither special nor important.
It is clear that Mandy Gonzalez is not among these failures, as she has hardly been tracked by Norma at all. The execution department's proud facial recognition system has failed on this woman; she is like some sort of electronic virus that can bypass all recognitions of supercomputers. Traditional facial recognition has no way of finding her trail, and trying to trace her using conventional forensic methods is equally futile. This woman's counter-surveillance techniques are more advanced than most agents, causing the execution department to be at a loss when dealing with her for a long time.
Actually, Mandy has been tracked down by the hounds of the Execution Department before, and there have even been direct confrontations. However, the final outcome was that Mandy initially gave the people from the Execution Department a chance. Later, when she was found again and was at a disadvantage, she would find a way to give the people from the Execution Department an opportunity to save face. Even if they didn't respect her, they had to consider Lin Nian's reputation.
For a full six months after Mandy Gonzalez was wanted, Lin Nian made more than a dozen requests to the Minister of the Execution Department to suspend or revoke the wanted notice, all of which were rejected, which is common knowledge.
Those who have completed missions with Lin Nian in the execution department hold him in high regard, and coupled with Lin Nian's natural charisma, his reputation is strongest not among the students of Cassell Academy, but precisely within the execution department—an extremely competitive environment. Everyone acknowledges him as the ace of the execution department, and since their ace knows that there are hidden truths in the matter regarding Mandy Gonzalez, this situation is something that most people have tacitly accepted.
In a relationship society, no matter where it is, it remains a relationship society. The person Lin Nian is protecting may not give face to those above, but those below will, and they will give a lot of face.
——It is worth mentioning that Mandy actually laid the groundwork for her later defection long ago. The post on the Night Watchman's Forum titled "Lin Nian and His Rumored Sister's Unforgettable Travel Diary to Japan," which became wildly popular before being deleted by Norma, was written by her. Most of the guys in the Executive Department, who were high-intensity thread readers, have read it, which caused the Executive Department officials to hesitate when they later caught her, considering her relationship with Lin Nian and the indirect suggestion in the travel diary that she was trapped, resulting in frequent leniency and creating an elaborate setup.
“This is quite a cunning and scheming criminal,” is the evaluation given by von Schneider to Mandy Gonzalez.
Cunning and scheming, but above all, not dangerous.
At least for her colleagues in the execution department, Mandy Gonzalez has never acted ruthlessly; she is very aware of where her safety line is. As long as she stays close to that line, occasionally stepping over it but never crossing it, she can undoubtedly consider herself safe on the secret party's side.
After all, she is quite busy now, running around the world, making it hard not to leave some traces. If she annoys the enforcement department, just dealing with those serious officers would be a headache. As it stands, she can still enjoy drinking douzhi and eating jiaoquan on the streets of Beijing, all thanks to her being a bit cheeky. She's so cheeky that everyone finds her too trivial to take seriously, thinking she's somewhat dispensable and not a nuisance.
Is Mandy Gonzalez really a dispensable character? During her absence, what has she been busy with, what has she been doing, and for whom is she working?
Road Mingfei is not very sure about Mandy Gonzalez's current stance, so when he encounters her, even though she initiates the conversation, he cautiously maintains his distance while replying.
Mandy seemed to have noticed Lu Mingfei's concerns, glancing at the battered and weary Su Xiaotang behind him. The alchemical dagger in her hand spun like a knife, making Lu Mingfei's eyelids twitch, unsure whether he should warn her that the blade had a poisonous edge.
Mandy stared at the two for a while, a smile curling at the corner of her mouth. With a flick of her wrist, she spun and tossed the knife towards Lu Mingfei. Lu Mingfei raised his hand to catch the hilt, gently running his fingers along the blade to ensure it hadn't been tampered with. After discreetly wiping away a drop of cold sweat, he tucked the knife behind him.
“In the end, you still ran in here. Does Junior Brother know about this? Or did you come without telling him?” Mandy tilted her head, her gaze shifting past Lu Mingfei to the disheveled Su Xiaotang.
“Shidi, do you know Lin Nian?” Su Xiaotang looked at the golden-haired woman.
She had just recognized Mandy because this person was the Spanish woman who had previously scammed her out of some chips in a Texas Hold'em game and then coolly redeemed herself and left.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t looked me up; you should have heard some things about me at school, right? Don’t pretend you aren’t at all interested in the rumors about your current boyfriend.” Mandy looked at Su Xiaotang, smiling happily.
Lu Mingfei was already feeling a bit anxious; he stood in front of Su Xiaoqiang, frantically signaling Mandy with his eyes to avoid saying anything inappropriate. However, it was evident that Mandy was completely indifferent to his subtle hints.
"Let me introduce myself, Mandy Gonzales, Lin Nian's senior sister, and also your senior sister, since our teacher is Professor Manstein. Has he never mentioned me to you?" She stepped forward, reaching out her hand over Lu Mingfei's towards Su Xiaotang, her face full of sincerity and a smile. That beautiful and exquisite Spanish-featured face paired with smooth golden hair made it hard for anyone to have a bad impression of her.
Su Xiaoqiang glanced at the hand in front of him, noticing its long and strong fingers. He reached out to shake it and said calmly, "So you are Lin Nian's senior sister. I've asked about you, but the mentor isn't too willing to talk about you. He only mentioned once that he didn't teach you well, whether it’s about being a person or in your studies."
“It seems that Norma has wiped my files clean; that's not surprising. You certainly don't look like the gossiping type, and wouldn't dig into my personal files in the Independent Data Archive of the Executive Department,” Mandy casually rested her right elbow on Lu Mingfei's left shoulder, crossing her right leg in front of her left, leaning her body slightly against her elbow.
She is a bit taller than Su Xiaotang, so she leans slightly to look down on Su Xiaotang while holding onto Lu Mingfei's shoulder, speaking casually like picking up a girl on the street. Lu Mingfei is just like a stone stump for her to pose against, or perhaps an emergency ear-slap blocker.
“Lin Nian wouldn’t be too happy if you brought up old issues, so it’s a good thing you didn’t; otherwise, you might hit a sensitive spot. But I still want to say a word in advance, as a kind of help for my junior brother regarding certain aspects of his character that he would never tell you — for instance, nothing has ever happened between him and me. All the gossip and rumors you’ve seen online are false.”
“Just casually mentioning this so you won't feel awkward; I've wanted to talk to you, your current partner, about this matter for a long time. Unfortunately, I've never had the chance, or the timing just wasn't right.”
The face of this blonde woman was full of sincerity and kindness, with not a single flaw to pick at.
“Why tell me about such things? It doesn’t bother me that you and Lin Nian had something in the past; that’s all in the past. What matters is now.”
“Junior sister, it's great that you think this way. I was worried that you'd be unhappy with me because of those rumors. I knew it all along; junior brother has always had good taste when it comes to women!”
“It's okay, people grow over time, whether it's in terms of being a boyfriend or in discerning people. After all, I've seen him overcome so many troubles, one step at a time.”
“It's good to come over; you know that this junior brother is somewhat sentimental. It would be best if he could come over. But to be honest, regarding past matters, I, as his senior sister, didn't handle things well. I was somewhat constrained in my actions. I've been looking for an opportunity to explain some things to him, and perhaps that could help him let go of certain past issues.”
“I think it’s really unnecessary. After all, your identity makes it a bit sensitive to contact him, which could bring him trouble.”
“Not troublesome at all, where's the trouble? My junior brother doesn't like to hear that. He's never been someone afraid of trouble.”
“But that doesn't mean you can trouble him, right, Senior Sister?”
Standing still, Lu Mingfei lifted his hand and rubbed vigorously across his eyes, scraping heavily from his right cheek as if trying to wipe off a non-existent sweat. Although he had lost too much blood and was severely injured, causing his body temperature to keep dropping, he was now drenched in sweat and could hardly hold back, saying, “How about this, sisters, why don't you fight it out? I promise I won't interfere.”
“You're just fanning the flames,” Mandy glanced at Lu Mingfei with a teasing smile, withdrawing her right elbow that had been resting against him. She gently nodded towards Su Xiaoqiang and continued, “We're all fellow disciples, so where's the conflict? We're just chatting for a bit, making some jokes to lighten the atmosphere, so my junior sister doesn’t think I’m some stern and boring senior. Besides, this is our first meeting, even though we've already had an understanding for quite some time.”
“Senior Sister, why do I feel like you’re really happy to see me here?” Su Xiaotang stared into Mandy’s golden eyes. Since the other party recognized her as a junior sister, she decided to call her senior sister; at least in the current situation, acknowledging this identity had no downsides, and she was clear about it.
“No, I just saw you and felt happy; where you are doesn’t really matter.” Mandy shrugged, “Forget it, let’s not talk about this.”
She turned around and waved her hand to signal Su Xiaoqiang and Lu Mingfei to follow her, “You two are in this state and still insist on coming here, proving that no matter what happens, you want to get through this crazy game, right?”
```html“Are you referring to Nibelungen? If so, we all have our reasons to get through.” Su Xiaoqiang nodded.
They walked forward along the yellow line near the platform towards the tunnel, with one pillar after another passing by them. The quiet and empty platform could only hear the footsteps and conversations of the three, desolate and barren.```
“Lu Mingfei is willing to risk everything to become a true man and descend to the ninth level in order to find his little wife (at this moment, Lu Mingfei suddenly lifted his head). What about you, junior sister?”
"Me?"
“Lin Nian should have reminded you countless times to prioritize your own safety. Not causing him trouble outside of Nibelungen is the biggest help you can offer, right? Why are you still insisting on dragging Lu Mingfei into such a deep place to take risks?” Mandy's tone was flat, but Lu Mingfei felt a rush of sweat listening. This woman truly leaves no room for face; she directly pokes at the things everyone knows but is reluctant to say.
```htmlSu Xiaoqiang's hand, hanging at her side, silently tightened around the dirty hem of her clothes. "I have my own reasons."
Mandy, walking ahead leisurely, said, "Are you really intent on being stubborn, even if it means causing trouble for Lin Nian? Didn't you just say that we, the 'protected ones,' should avoid causing trouble for Lin Nian? Right now, you're the perfect example of a 'troublesome woman,' or to put it bluntly, an ungrateful 'burden.' Don't be a double standard dog, sister! While you accuse me of being a hassle, you're the one causing trouble for others."```
“We are not the same.”
“Bullshit, we’re not that different. Don’t be too full of yourself,” Mandy said lazily. “These days, who doesn’t have their own reasons? Who can guarantee they won’t mess up those justifiable reasons? Just because the starting point is good doesn’t mean it’s not causing trouble. We’re all adults here; let’s talk results. If it causes trouble, it causes trouble, and just admit it.”
She paused for a moment, then smiled comfortably and said, "That's true, after all, he wouldn't dare to scold you. If you cause some trouble, he will clean up after you. He's the gentlest, the perfect boyfriend. It's perfectly fine for a girlfriend to act a little difficult; it actually highlights the boyfriend's capabilities. You see, phrased this way, it sounds much more pleasant, right?"
Su Xiaoqiang was silent; she wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to do it.
“Alright, everyone, let's quiet down a bit!” Lu Mingfei pinched the bridge of his nose, finally unable to hold back from speaking.
“Damn it, why is Lin Nian not here at this critical moment? If he were here, would you all keep arguing like this? Stop being two-faced! If you want to argue, go find Lin Nian. What a ridiculous situation.”
He is the kind of person who would change the channel to avoid awkward content while watching TV shows; how could he have witnessed such a scene? Feeling a bit annoyed and depressed, he might deep down think that these women have too many issues.
```htmlUnlike their men, when they argue, they argue, and when there's something to discuss, they talk it out. After they've had their spat, they can just pat each other on the shoulder and go back to gaming.
“Women are like that – putting on one act in front of people and another behind their backs. Of course, they need to play the good girl in front of their boyfriends, but when the boyfriends aren't around, they'll gossip and argue. Those perfect female leads you see, like white lotuses, don't actually exist.” Mandy turned back to look at Lu Mingfei with interest, “Do you really think Chen Wenwen never gossiped with her girlfriends about exaggerated topics behind your back? While you were showing off at the Suofeira De Pizza restaurant, do you think the girls at the same table weren’t whispering about how handsome you are and wanting your contact info? Do you think Chen Wenwen didn’t secretly grimace at them while adjusting her skirt? But has she thought about how she used to treat you?”```
Lu Mingfei felt that he shouldn't have spoken up. "How do you know about Chen Wenwen's situation?"
“I know she's in Nibelungen, but I'm not sure exactly where. If you haven't encountered her at the previous checkpoints, she must have gone further back,” Mandy shook her head, seemingly uninterested in poking at Lu Mingfei, this unlucky guy who looked like he was searching for his wife as if he had just lost her.
“Chen Wenwen is in Nibelungen? How could she be here?” Su Xiaotang suddenly stopped in her tracks, looking towards Lu Mingfei's back. When Mandy mentioned that Lu Mingfei ventured into the Nine Layers for his girlfriend, she had wanted to ask something; now, hearing the name Chen Wenwen caught her off guard.
Lu Mingfei also stopped in his tracks, remaining silent.
“The one who was accidentally brought in should be fine; the rightful next 'Moon' is by her side, so unless something unexpected happens, things should be okay.” Mandy waved her hand. “But if we keep delaying, it won't be guaranteed. That boy is reliable, but his abilities are still limited; he can't hold out in Nibelungen for long, so if you want to find someone, you need to hurry up.”
“What do you mean by 'jumping levels' is not that simple? Isn't this the platform leading to line 8?” Lu Mingfei asked.
“Of course not, this is line 7, and it’s the 7th level that anyone who wants to pass through Nibelungen must go through. Look, the boss is right ahead,” Mandy said, stopping in front and gesturing upwards under the chandelier at a distance.
Lu Mingfei and Su Xiaotang looked over, and a layer of goosebumps rose all over their bodies, a chill creeping up from their tailbones all the way to the crown of their heads.
They saw the skinny, bony figure of the nail-headed monster sitting alone under the white light ring, with exposed pink gums. As if sensing their gaze, the deep-set black eye sockets lifted to fixate on them.
Under the chandelier, the international chessboard with its black and white pieces is perfectly set, just waiting for new players to take their seats.