Undertaking an official diplomatic mission to the Heavenly Kingdom, it is indeed the company's first time.

Ye Zhao also felt a bit uneasy.

Although he had never left Sand Port in his entire life, he was aware that the Heavenly Kingdom was the strongest world power on the surface of the earth.

He went to seek help from Red Kestrel.

"Minister, you've got to help me, I don't know anything, I don't know what to do..."

The drone said, "Just do your job well."

"Zhou values you because you are quick-witted and adaptable. You've managed the autonomous rule of the clawed pig very well."

"This time it's an official mission to retrieve someone. The Heavenly Kingdom won't stop its citizens from going abroad for medical treatment. It's just that Tuo Zhu has a special status, as Panda Man is after all royalty, and you might encounter some unexpected situations."

"You'll need to rely on your own flexibility to handle it."

Five days later.

Ye Zhao and Tuo Zhu boarded a medium-sized manned glider together, taking off from the Sand Port airstrip. This long-haul flight would pass through the Shuanghe Region, then head north to arrive at Pearl Island on the border of the Heavenly Kingdom, before taking a business flight from Pearl Island to the Panda Autonomous Region.

Along the way, Ye Zhao and Tuo Zhu gradually got to know each other.

Communication between Guangna Species is usually easier.

But Ye Zhao felt that Tuo Zhu was still a bit too hasty. The secret development of the electric cat experiment was still underway, with further advancements being tested intensely.

As one of the key experts in cat breeding, Tuo Zhu's departure at this time put all the burden on You Ai, the Electricity Engineer.

"I know this isn't right."

Panda Man also admitted, "The safest approach would be to wait for the related technologies of the electric cat to be fully developed before considering others. This would also prevent technical leaks."

"But it's my dad... my dad is getting dumber and dumber."

"Ye Zhao brother, you don't understand. Though he's in an Empire-built sanatorium and used to be an A-class life form, now that his brain is damaged, there's no difference from other dementia patients."

Panda Man's face showed a deep sadness: "I hold no official title, and the hierarchy within the sanatorium is strict."

"If a patient is visited regularly by influential relatives, they get better care. If not, it's a different story. Patients are given rotten food and dirty water, punches to vent on them when there's nothing wrong, and it's totally normal for them to not have clothing changed or baths taken..."

"No one cares about such a group of dementia patients... but he's my dad, and I care."

Ye Zhao immediately understood Tuo Zhu's feeling: "That's true. It's better to move him to our company sooner. Even if he can't be cured, our medical services here are more stable and reliable."

"Exactly, that's what I thought."

Tuo Zhu raised his paw and slammed the table hard: "My dad used to be strong, a good deal bigger than me. But since he's been in the sanatorium, he's become as skinny as a bamboo stick."

"I know what they've done, they know what they've done, but I just can't do anything about those vermin. The Empire is getting worse and worse because of them!"

Ye Zhao could only comfort him: "It'll be better once he's transferred to our company, everything will start to improve."

Pearl Island, though an island, is actually a sizeable piece of land.

This place is dotted with watchtowers and fortresses, with the vast majority of the area under military control, and only a very small portion designated for civilian life.

The soldiers are all human, dressed in uniform black military uniforms with brown-red belts and carrying standard Knight Firearms and marching backpacks, patrolling around in pairs and groups.

Upon entering the Heavenly Territory, what struck Ye Zhao the most was its high degree of mechanization.

Steel equipment, blast furnaces, and pipes covered every place, as well as boiler structures for heating platforms that can dry wet clothes and provide hot water.

"That's pretty normal."

Tuo Zhu told it, "Ever since the Heavenly Kingdom stopped its external expansion, it has allocated funds to mechanical transformation. The mixed Guangna Species legions were split up and received more mechanical equipment support, reducing the number of regular troops while maintaining combat power."

"Many people outside think that the Heavenly Kingdom only has tremendous combat power, but in fact, the logistics of the Heavenly Kingdom are not bad at all. War is a battle of logistics."

To get from Pearl Island to the autonomous region, one needs to take a direct public service flight.

Ye Zhao followed Tuo Zhu. The journey was unimpeded, and they eventually arrived in the Panda Autonomous Region deep within the Heavenly Kingdom.

Since the vehicle route needed direct access to the sanatorium, Ye Zhao could only observe the area through the car window.

It found that the natural environment of the autonomous region was very good, with dense vegetation and bamboo forests, nestled against hills and waters, with a suitable temperature. It could see Panda People strolling in the wilderness, practicing boxing, and sunbathing.

The sanatorium was vast and almost filled with patients.

Those with dementia and who were completely unable to care for themselves resided on the top floor. To prevent these patients from affecting other floors and wandering off, this place was sealed off all year round, with outdoor outings prohibited, and activities limited to indoors.

Tuo Zhu arrived here to take his father.

In fact, the sanatorium was very welcoming of patients' family and friends taking people back with them, as this could reduce their expenses and manpower pressure.

Tuo Hai was a gaunt Panda Man, half a head taller than Tuo Zhu, wearing a set of old white hospital clothes. Because he was so thin, the clothes hung loose on him, like a big sack.

The Panda Man with dementia was dirty and shaggy all over, drooling from the corners of his mouth, his eyes unfocused. Sometimes its jaws moved up and down as if it was muttering, but the voice was too low to make out what it was saying.

Ye Zhao noticed that Tuo Hai's right claw was clenched tightly, gripping something unknown.

Not until they boarded the public service plane to leave did Tuo Hai open his claw, revealing a small irregular nut.

He held it out to Tuo Zhu.

It seemed to be specially left for his son.

The Panda Man took it and chewed vigorously, making a crackling sound, his eyes reddening.

"It's not a walnut, it's a stone... Damn it, they even want to take away the walnut left to me by my dad, a bunch of vermin!"

But Tuo Zhu chewed up the stone and swallowed it.

Because Tuo Hai was watching him—although he was still drooling foolishly.

Most of the time, Tuo Hai sat quietly. Although his gaze was dull, he didn't do anything out of line.

It took a long time for Ye Zhao to understand that Tuo Hai was repeating one sentence over and over.

"Home... Going home..."

Ye Zhao envied Tuo Zhu.

At least he still had a dad.

His own father never returned from a hunting trip, said to have been killed and eaten by a passing Red Monster.

However, since taking off from Pearl Island, Ye Zhao felt that something was not right.

First, the Dead Sea suddenly became shrouded in dense fog, with this anomaly continuing all the way, as if the glider had entered a maze of clouds.

Moreover, the machine deck service malfunctioned, unable to contact the outside world.

The situation became tense for a moment.

The pilot up front said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have lost our bearings now, and the Reconnaissance Aircraft we were following has also lost contact. We can only wait for rescue from behind, so please remain calm."

But why?

Could someone want to eliminate Tuo Hai?

Unlikely.

It seems like they were aiming for Tuo Zhu.

Ye Zhao immediately asked Panda Man, "Did you mention our trip to anyone else?"

"I only mentioned it to Guste; we're old friends, and he's practically one of our own."

Tuo Zhu recalled, "Besides, I didn't bring anything..."

"Electric cat, did you bring the electric cat?"

"Well... I brought the Thunderclap 5, but I never took it out."

Ye Zhao immediately said, "They're definitely after the electric cat!"

Panda Man's complexion turned ugly, "Are you saying they have a way to detect the electric cat?"

"Most likely."

Ye Zhao was exceptionally calm now, "You're a Panda Man, so they only dare to act outside Heavenly Territory. After taking your father, we're the most vulnerable to control. The enemy came prepared this time."

"Give me the electric cat."

"Huh?"

"Give it to me!"

"Oh, oh, okay..."

Ye Zhao opened its mouth and swallowed the entire glass cat house, instantly shattering the glass, and the metal coils slipped into its throat.

It had to destroy the cat house to avoid leaving the enemy a replicable sample.

A wave of cramps and stabbing pain swept through its belly, nearly rendering it unable to breathe, as if several sharp blades were gutting it from the inside.

Intense numbness and a burning sensation invaded every pore, racing wildly within its body. Ye Zhao felt like it was on the verge of death.

In a dazed state, it heard people arguing.

"...Hand it over!"

"There's none."

"Do you want to lose your father?"

"There is none! Check all you want! You are provoking Wasteland Company and Heavenly Kingdom!"

"Slap! Slap!"

Then came screams.

"Shut up or we'll slaughter you! Come with us!"

Then Ye Zhao felt itself being hurled from the air, plummeting towards the fog sea.

When it made contact with the icy mists of the Dead Sea, its body, originally aflame and numb, became unbearably hot again, as if rapidly disintegrating.

I want to survive, survive...

I don't want to die!

A strong will to live made Ye Zhao struggle fiercely.

In that instant, something in its mind seemed to unlock, as if an opening had formed within its body, merging something with itself.

Its scalding remains began to quiver violently, with bizarre thoughts racing through its mind.

Coming to its senses,

Ye Zhao realized it had transformed into a bolt of lightning.

What?

What's happening?

Its entire body, composed of lightning and sparks, turned into an electric clawed pig.

Ye Zhao felt light and sharp, filled with an overwhelming power it had never experienced before.

In a flash, it returned to the skies, quickly locating the glider.

Barging in, Ye Zhao found that Tuo Zhu had lapsed into unconsciousness, and Tuo Hai remained lost and confused.

Three peculiar Guangna Species were searching around inside.

They had wide wings and long antennae, their bodies light and slender.

The appearance of Ye Zhao startled the three Guangna Species.

"What is this thing?"

"Electric, an electric ball?"

Ye Zhao directly clawed through two of the Guangna Species, instantly killing them with electric shocks. The last one was spared by Ye Zhao, useful for taking back and reporting.

During interrogation, the creature, already scared witless, stuttered out the confession of their crime.

After a while, Tuo Zhu groggily regained consciousness.

"Huh? Ye Zhao, weren't you thrown into the Dead Sea? You're okay! That's great."

Panda Man was overjoyed.

"Are we... safe now? Wasteland Company reinforcements arrived so quickly? Huh, but I don't see them. Did you take care of them?!"

Ye Zhao said, "More or less."

"What exactly is..."

Panda Man noticed the only survivor, now huddled in a corner, looking at Ye Zhao with eyes full of terror.

"This is a Grade-C Guangna Species, Psychedelic Butterfly. Their ability is to create illusions, weaving the Illusion Realm, a form of consciousness attack... It looks like they've been targeting us all along, setting up an ambush in this area."

Tuo Zhu was astonished, "How did you do that? You not only broke out of the Illusion Realm but also took down three!"

"I'm not sure myself, but... take a look."

Saying this, Ye Zhao transformed once again into a constantly flickering state of lightning.

Tuo Zhu's eyes widened in amazement, "This, this... what in the world?"

"Right, you swallowed the cat house and Thunderclap 5."

"Could it be..."

"Can you turn into a Swordsman? Change your current flashing form?"

"That's not hard."

Ye Zhao adjusted its electric structure and transformed into a human-shaped electric light Swordsman.

Panda Man was shocked, "Spark... Swordsman!"

"You've become a Spark Knight!"

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