Early morning, high above Twilight Street.
Fu Li sat in a private jet, gazing at the gradually rising sun outside the window. He then glanced at Vill-V, who was sleeping soundly beside him, and reached out to poke her soft cheek.
"Hey... Vill-V, time to wake up. We're here."
"Mmm, I know, Li... just... let me sleep for five more minutes... just five minutes..."
Vill-V yawned, irritably swatting away the large hand that was bothering her face before snuggling into the blanket and burying her small head inside.
She looked just like a sleepy little kitten.
"Alright, stop fooling around. The plane is landing soon, what if you fall and get hurt?"
Helpless, Fu Li unceremoniously ripped the blanket away, slid his hands under Vill-V's arms, and plucked her right out of the bed.
His action was, of course, richly rewarded. Vill-V bit him without a moment's hesitation.
"Hmph, stupid Fu Li."
Her pleasant dream disturbed, Vill-V was naturally displeased.
However, after she was fully awake, she didn't say much more. She simply washed up, sat in her seat, and waited for the plane to land.
Just as Fu Li had said, half an hour later, they landed at Twilight Street's small airport. Waiting to greet them were not only his own subordinates but also the puppet godfather of Twilight Street, Anderson.
Seeing his old acquaintance's reserved and nervous demeanor, Fu Li couldn't help but let out a wicked smile.
"Long time no see, Godfather Anderson. I believe the last time we met was in London. Have you been well?" Fu Li greeted him with a grin.
"Hehe, thank you for your concern, Mr. Li. You've come from so far away, it's only natural that I fulfill my duties as a host." Godfather Anderson laughed heartily, but his palms were sweating.
The last time he went to London, this control freak had implanted a remote-controlled bomb in him.
He didn't dare to imagine what would happen this time if his service failed to satisfy Fu Li.
"Um, Mr. Li, seeing as you've just gotten off the plane, you must be hungry. I've already prepared breakfast according to the customs of Shenzhou. Would you prefer to eat first or rest? Or perhaps... you require some other service?"
"That won't be necessary, Godfather Anderson. If you don't mind, just take me directly to the Twilight Street Sanatorium. After all, I've invested so much capital, I'd like to see the results for myself."
"Of course, Mr. Li."
Hearing Fu Li's request, Anderson didn't dare to delay. He immediately summoned his personal driver and invited Fu Li and Vill-V into the car.
On the way, Vill-V asked with some curiosity, "Li, why did you invest in a sanatorium? Is there someone there worth so much of your attention?"
"Of course there is." Fu Li nodded. "Vill-V, Twilight Street is filled with talented people, but I only really care about two of them. One is Aponia, and the other is Pardofelis."
"Aponia? Pardofelis?" Vill-V frowned. For some reason, upon hearing these two names, she felt a sense of both familiarity and strangeness.
This was especially true for the latter name. Even though they had never met, a sense of wariness rose in her heart.
Maintaining her guard, after about an hour's drive, Vill-V and the others finally arrived at the only sanatorium-slash-orphanage in Twilight Street.
However, when Vill-V saw the scale of the place, she lost her composure in astonishment.
This was less a sanatorium and more of an exquisitely beautiful manor. Gardens, green lawns, and artificial fountains were all present. Looking from a distance, one could even see many children playing and laughing.
But... something's not right...
Vill-V's brows furrowed. She realized things weren't as simple as they seemed.
She understood Li. Although he was almost doting towards her and was fairly kind to his subordinates, he was utterly cold when dealing with outsiders.
This could be seen from the methods of Fu Li's number one loyal hound, the 'Witch of the Underworld,' Miss Irene.
Is it because of Aponia and that person named Pardofelis?
Vill-V felt a flutter of panic. Using a magician's unique powers of observation, she soon saw a director gathering a large group of children of various ages at the entrance, all of them wearing expressions of gratitude.
And among them, two young women quickly caught Vill-V's attention.
One was the leader of all the children, a melancholic girl with a face that seemed to perpetually carry a gentle, compassionate smile.
The other was standing beside the melancholic girl. She had brown hair and heterochromatic eyes and appeared to be trying to sell something.
Beside these two, everyone else was like green leaves setting off a flower, giving off a feeling of mediocrity.
Genius and commoner—Vill-V could tell the difference with a single glance.
Is this the real reason Li invested in this sanatorium?
Vill-V raised an eyebrow, the answer already forming in her mind.
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