So scary—Lucian's whole body broke out in goosebumps.
There was only a razor-thin line between "purehearted" and "stalker".
Lucian had always known Swire was very proactive about showing interest in him, but he never imagined she was this proactive. It was terrifying.
But that raised another question. While drinking his Soy Milk, he asked, "If Swire didn't want me to know, why are you telling me?"
"Because it annoys her," Yuxia said with a wicked little smile. "I hate cops, and I hate Capitalists even more—especially when a capitalist's daughter becomes a cop. If something can piss her off, and it's free, not doing it would be a waste."
She said it like not picking up money off the street would count as a loss. Lucian had no idea how to respond.
Despite her polished appearance, Yuxia's personality was extremely down-to-earth—almost too much so.
And she claimed to hate cops, but her police combat techniques were sharper than half the force's… Lucian didn't even know where to start complaining.
Anyway, this entire topic was a minefield. Lucian, being a smart man, let it pass in one ear and out the other.
He cut straight to the point. "So, Yuxia, what exactly do you want to know? I really didn't talk much about you with Mr. Lin. I went to see him for something serious."
"Then tell me what this serious thing is."
Her long lashes blinked. "I have the right to know what's happening in the Slums. A few streets are under my care too. If there's something you want to know, I can help. Think of it as an exchange."
"An exchange, huh…" Lucian sighed inwardly.
He understood exactly how Yuxia felt.
Raised by a very capable father, pampered as his precious jewel, she didn't become a spoiled Yuxia. Instead, she desperately wanted to prove she deserved the place she was born into.
In this, she resembled Swire—a hardworking rich girl—which was probably why the two of them, despite sitting on opposite ends of the social ladder, were so close… yet also constantly at odds in a strangely intimate way.
But Yuxia was a little too eager. Or maybe Lin's affection had gone too far.
Under a father like that, no matter what she achieved, people would chalk it up to Lin's abilities. They'd remember her as the Rat King's daughter—not as Lin Yuxia.
So of course she longed to prove herself, to involve herself in everything her father did… or, to put it bluntly, she wanted to replace him someday.
It wasn't quite a tragic father-daughter feud, but Lucian didn't want them going down a path they couldn't come back from.
Still, this matter wasn't too dangerous.
So he explained, "You know Chernobog, the city from the Ursus Empire that's been all over the news lately? The one with that Infected organization causing trouble—"
Lucian gave her a concise account.
This civilian-minded princess listened intently. Her focused expression was like a straight-A student in class—exactly the type teachers loved.
When he finished, Yuxia blinked. "I see. So an extremist organization of Infected is coming to Lungmen to recruit… Now that you mention it, the number of Infected arriving from Ursus has gone up. If someone's preaching to them, they'd get involved easily."
"Right? That's why this could cause real trouble." Lucian sighed. "It could even turn into a diplomatic issue. I don't care—it's enough if I can live my life. But if the higher-ups suffer, the common people do too. I just want to run my Tea Shop in peace and handle some logistics on the side."
The Yuxia shot him a look. "Don't even call that place a Tea Shop. And your company is not logistics."
He hadn't heard that familiar jab in a while. It felt oddly refreshing.
He had shared everything necessary—skipping over his bodily contact with Crownslayer, of course, to protect her reputation. Truly, a good man.
Lucian didn't expect Yuxia to do anything about it.
Anything affecting the entire Slums needed Lin's approval, after all.
But Yuxia thought otherwise.
She was even more serious than Lucian expected, resting a small hand under her chin as she muttered, "Ursus… Chernobog… Reunion Movement… Infected… extremist organization…"
"Yuxia?"
Lucian waved a hand in front of her eyes. "You okay? I'm gonna pinch your cheek if you don't answer."
"Try it." She shot him a sidelong glare. "Touch me and I'll scream that you're trying to assault me. The old man will come tearing you apart."
Lucian shrugged. "Not necessarily. Mr. Lin might be thrilled. He might drag us into a bridal chamber right there. That man goes too far sometimes."
"Guuuh…!" Yuxia let out a strangled cry. The image must have hit her hard—her face went pale.
She hugged a sofa cushion protectively to her chest. "Don't come closer. Stay at least ten meters away. And don't look below my shoulders."
"This apartment doesn't even have ten meters." Lucian sighed. "If that's all, I'll go. That's really all I talked about with Mr. Lin. I'm tired. I want to sleep."
"…Wait."
She stopped him as he stood up.
Still clutching the pillow, shoulders shrinking, her big bright eyes flicked toward him. "Just for reference—I want your opinion. In this situation… with chaos caused by Infected… if it were you, what would you do?"
"That's a troublesome question."
Lucian reluctantly sat back down.
This was the kind of question only politicians cared about—and the type Lucian hated most.
He'd spent his whole life avoiding this sort of thing. He'd never be in that position, and he refused to ever be.
But Yuxia looked genuinely serious.
He couldn't brush her off.
He sighed deeply. "Even I, an outsider, know the Ursus Empire has a terrible reputation. Mr. Lin doesn't care about the Infected issue itself—he's looking at the entire Empire. This unrest could give the Ursus Empire an excuse to make a move on Lungmen… but only an excuse. And excuses break as long as Lungmen denies everything."
This was where the Slums' unacknowledged status came into play.
Lungmen's government never officially recognized the Slums. Infected who smuggled in had no residency, no entry records. Whether they were robbed, abducted, or killed—on paper, none of it existed.
Cold, but effective.
Lungmen didn't need to take responsibility for the actions of people who officially didn't exist. Whether those Infected joined the Reunion Movement or anything else, Lungmen—meaning Wei Yenwu—just had to insist they didn't exist.
Even a barbaric nation like the Ursus Empire couldn't start a war in modern times over a flimsy "I am a savage, therefore I attack" excuse.
So in Lucian's view, the ideal approach was simple: maintain the status quo.
He said, "As long as Wei Yenwu and Mr. Lin cooperate and do their jobs, Lungmen and the Slums can keep going. Not all Infected in Lungmen are from Ursus—so they won't all join the Reunion Movement. And Mr. Lin can control the rest."
Yuxia stayed quiet.
She neither agreed nor disagreed. She simply listened.
Lucian's answer was idealistic.
As long as the Reunion Movement didn't pull off something massive, it would take years—maybe more than a decade—for their influence to spread beyond the Ursus Empire.
Lungmen had plenty of time. Lin, dedicated to maintaining the Slums' stability, would never let things get out of control.
…Of course, all of that assumed the Reunion Movement didn't do something huge.
But unlike Lucian's conservative stance, Yuxia seemed to have another idea.
She hugged her pillow, sipped her Soy Milk, looking small and insecure… her eyes drifting toward Lucian.
"I have an idea. It's just an idea. I only want you to hear it. Is that okay?"
"Go ahead," Lucian said.
She exhaled, gaze shifting away.
"I was thinking… what if, while this chaos is happening… we drive all the Infected out of Lungmen?"