Wang Zhan chuckled, a glint flashing in his eyes.

"Respected elders certainly deserve my respect. But I'm just not sure, which category does the State Governor belong to?"

If their intentions were unclear, then Wang Zhan naturally wouldn't waste his breath. He didn't want to give face to ungrateful people. So what if he was the State Governor of Jing State? Wang Zhan hadn't broken any laws, hadn't killed anyone, and was, moreover, a good, law-abiding citizen of the Federation.

"State Governor, let's get back to the main topic. I don't have that much Federation time to waste here. Thanks to the task you assigned, I've been feeling a bit weak these past two days. I'll need to go back and catch up on sleep later."

Shi Zhongming laughed heartily.

"...As expected of the man Miss has her eye on. His temperament is as domineering as Miss's! No, no, no, I should say, even more domineering than Miss! HAHAHAHA. Very well, since that's the case, I won't waste any more words. I've come this time mainly at Miss's behest, to bring you a bodyguard."

After he finished speaking, the indifferent expression on Wang Zhan's face subtly changed. His eyes calmly watched Shi Zhongming.

Miss? What does that mean?

The next moment, Wang Zhan understood.

He saw a middle-aged man with a pale face, dressed in coarse linen clothes unsuited for the times. The man calmly walked in from outside the door and stood behind Shi Zhongming, exuding an aura that made Wang Zhan feel slightly threatened, causing him to narrow his eyes.

Shi Zhongming introduced him.

"The last time I evaluated you, it was mainly to see if you had the qualifications to come into contact with Miss. Although many geniuses think they are different from the world, if they don't have sufficient strength, then it's just shameless bragging. The Qín Family has never lacked geniuses."

Shi Zhongming glanced at Wang Zhan and smiled with satisfaction.

"Fortunately, you passed the assessment. Since that's the case, let's write off our past grievances. This Martial King is my gift to you. Of course, his true identity is that of a death row inmate. If he defies you or betrays the Federation, from now on, you can freely decide his life or death."

Wang Zhan's expression turned solemn.

"A Martial King level death row inmate?"

And he's being given to me as a bodyguard?

"State Governor, are you sure you're not joking with me?"

"Of course not. He's just a death row inmate; you don't need to worry. The Federation has plenty of death row inmates. Especially since the resurgence of Spiritual Energy and the beast invasion, countless ill-intentioned Martial Artists have become traitors to the Federation and been sent to the execution grounds.

Of course, this is also why this particular death row inmate has survived to this day. Although his disposition is a bit vile and his methods cruel, at least up until now, he hasn't expressed any goodwill towards the Beast Clan. Otherwise, I wouldn't have brought him out. Keeping him in prison is too much of a waste. I hope he can be of some use to you by your side!"

Shi Zhongming said this so casually in front of both of them, even though one of them was the subject himself.

However, to Wang Zhan's surprise, the middle-aged man actually seemed somewhat grateful to Shi Zhongming and said in a low voice, "Thank you, State Governor, for making this possible!"

Shi Zhongming glanced at him.

"You don't need to thank me. Just remember, this is your last chance. I won't stop you from conducting your own experiments, but there's one condition: I don't want to see ordinary Federation citizens become your victims again."

The middle-aged man responded, deeply grateful, "Yes!"

Wang Zhan's gaze was strange; he couldn't figure out what tricks they were playing, be it Shi Zhongming or this middle-aged man. So how could Wang Zhan believe them so easily? He needed a more reliable guarantee.

"Although I'm not afraid of a Martial King, a Martial King's destructive power is far too great. Keeping one by my side is like a ticking time bomb. So, I'm sorry, but I cannot accept."

Shi Zhongming hadn't expected Wang Zhan to refuse a Martial King bodyguard so decisively. This was no longer a matter of greed; rather, his self-control and self-awareness were already strong enough to warrant serious attention.

But Shi Zhongming was an old fox, after all, and naturally reacted in an instant.

"Are you worried he'll pose a threat to you?"

Wang Zhan nodded frankly.

"Yes! Moreover, I doubt whether the 'Miss' you speak of even knows about this. In other words, I also doubt your sincerity."

Shi Zhongming nodded with increasing satisfaction.

"Caution is a good thing. How about this: you call Miss Qin Ying and tell her that I, Shi Zhongming, have found a Martial King Realm Dao Protector for you. See if she agrees. If she agrees, I presume you won't have to worry. As for countermeasures, hehe, there will always be some..."

So, Wang Zhan actually called Qin Ying right there in front of the two men.

This made Shi Zhongming chuckle, while the Martial King had a strange look in his eyes. That's not right. Wasn't Wang Zhan the brave and fierce fighter from that night, the one who didn't care about betrayal and was incredibly strong? Why is he acting so cautiously with me now?

What they didn't understand was that Wang Zhan's confidence stemmed from his fearlessness of a Martial King Realm's intimidation and his ability to go all out. But if a Martial King were to stand by his side as a trusted confidant, without some investigation and getting to the bottom of things, he'd just be courting death.

Soon, Wang Zhan hung up the phone. Qin Ying seemed a bit busy on her end; he heard someone calling her name. Even so, Wang Zhan didn't completely let his guard down. He could rely on others for some things, but ultimately, he could only depend on himself.

So, he smiled at Shi Zhongming, with a bit more politeness and respect than before.

"I didn't realize you were truly from the Qín Family. My apologies for the disrespect. However, I must state upfront, even if I accept him, there will be an observation period. If he doesn't pass, then it has nothing to do with me."

Shi Zhongming said meaningfully, "Once someone becomes a death row inmate, they are no longer considered part of the Federation. Therefore, if he truly fails, you can send him on his way. This isn't a crime; this is upholding justice for the Federation."

Just like what those powerful Martial Artists usually like to do! Although Shi Zhongming disliked it, it didn't mean he didn't understand these means; he might even be more proficient.

Only the middle-aged man, though his face showed some trepidation, mostly listened calmly as the two discussed his life and death, as if they were discussing a stranger, a third party.

Little did they know that during the time Wang Zhan made the call and Qin Ying responded with a video call...

「Meanwhile, on Qin Ying's side, a noisy office suddenly fell silent.」

"Hey, who called the Qin Demon King just now? What's with that smile on her face?"

"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask! But it feels a bit strange. Is this still our Qin Demon King?"

"And she's been smiling a lot more recently, especially after Yu Lan left. Sometimes her smile is so sweet. My heavens, could the Qin Demon King have found herself an attractive younger boyfriend?"

"Damn! Shh! Keep it down! You want to die, but we don't! How dare you openly discuss the Qin Demon King's affairs... Besides, isn't it a good thing that the Qin Demon King smiles more? A smiling demon king is a good demon king!"

"Huh, that seems right too!"

The group whispered amongst themselves. Just then, someone sensed the Qin Demon King's gaze quietly watching them and immediately became stern and righteous, saying seriously,

"What are you doing, what are you all doing? Don't you have work to do? Hurry up, get next month's meeting agenda processed as soon as possible. And also, hand me the battlefield summary report immediately..."

"You, you, you, I'm talking to you! Is your logistics plan done yet? Still chatting here without regard for seniority? Believe it or not, I'll have you cleaning toilets tomorrow!..."

Finally, after Qin Ying noticed that the office seemed unchanged, she quickly opened the video call with Wang Zhan, her smile sweet as they looked at each other's familiar and longed-for faces.

But the peaceful moment didn't last long. The very next moment...

"RING! RING! RING!..."

A piercingly loud ringtone suddenly made the entire Federation office erupt.

Everyone's expression changed!

"Line One..."

"It's Line One..."

"Boss, Boss, it's Line One! Line One is ringing!..."

The so-called Line One was the primary line in the Federation Secretary's Office. Of course, there were other more confidential dedicated lines above Line One, but this was already the highest level of secrecy the people in this small office could access.

Qin Ying quickly blew Wang Zhan a kiss, then hung up and rushed back to deal with the matter. Little did she know, the girl behind her was completely stunned by that little gesture Qin Ying had just made.

My heavens! The Demon King is playing so openly now?

And it was a blown kiss!

How were they, the eternally single ladies, supposed to endure this? It was simply a devastating blow.

"What's wrong? What's wrong? What happened?"

"I was blocked, we didn't see anything. Quick, tell us..."

However, when those equally curious colleagues also rushed over to ask, this girl felt a shiver run through her entire body, a taste of bone-chilling fear. Quietly, after noticing a glance from Qin Ying, the girl quickly changed the subject,

"Ah! Ah! Just now, I saw a colorful rainbow suddenly flash by! It startled me. It looked like a person!"

"Ah! Where?..."

Everyone was bewildered, completely fooled. After the girl managed to brush them off, she also heaved a sigh of relief.

As for Qin Ying, her expression was solemn as she answered the call. Immediately after, she received a fax from the Earth Federation.

It read:

"Federation Internal Enemy Elimination Operation Plan No. 235!"

Just by looking at the serial number, one could clearly see that this was far from the first time the Earth Federation had faced such a crisis. Alas, Wang Zhan's strength was meager, and the things he could come into contact with were naturally minuscule, with a vast ocean still beyond his reach.

However, it was obvious that what caught Qin Ying's line of sight wasn't such a minor operational plan.

But the operational roster on the second page!

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