NOVPUBThis island—
It was the most prosperous one they had.
And that was only part of it. The most crucial thing was its strategic location.
They had specifically seized it from another nation for this very reason.
If they lost this island, any attempt to move against Hua Country in the future would be immediately detected and intercepted.
Unacceptable. They couldn't agree to it.
"Pick a different island," one of them said. "Any other one is fine."
The Commander clicked his tongue a few times. "Ugh, why is my signal so bad... gotta go, bye."
"Wait!" They hurriedly called out.
The Commander sneered. "I suggest you take a good look at the current situation. I don't have time to waste words.
If you're not sincere—then this negotiation is over."
With that, he hung up the call.
Those in the room broke into a cold sweat, panicked.
They began blaming the one who had spoken—
"You just had to open your mouth. Now you've offended him!"
"What else could I do? Are we really going to give up that island? Can any of you stomach that?"
Of course not.
Everyone fell silent.
Just then, an assistant burst in, flustered.
"Bad news! The Boer family has gone bankrupt!"
What?!
The Boer family was the third wealthiest in A Country! How could they go bankrupt that fast?
The assistant looked grimly at the large screen showing Ye Lingfeng.
"Just now, someone released a classified document—it was the core blueprint of the Boer family's current project.
It fell into the hands of a rival in Country C.
Now, the Boers are saddled with enormous debt and were forced to declare bankruptcy."
At those words, the room spun for many of them. Some nearly fainted.
Of course they knew about that document. In fact, they were the ones who had sent Grover to get it—
Their original plan was to use it to control the Boers, to keep them in check.
They never imagined it would become the very reason for their collapse.
And in that archive room, it wasn't just the Boer files—
The top 2 most powerful families in A Country had their documents stored there too.
On the screen, they watched in horror as Ye Lingfeng reached for another file.
Their eyes twitched violently—they immediately redialed the Commander's number.
Before he could speak, they shouted:
"We'll give it to you! All of it!"
The general chuckled. "That's more like it. But besides that, you'll need to sign an agreement."
"What agreement?"
The general's expression turned steely.
"A non-aggression pact. From this day forward, for the next hundred years, you will not wage war against any nation.
Also, withdraw all your forces from Country Y."
"We..."
"Hm?"
"...Fine."
One by one, they choked out their agreement, their faces paler than death.
It was over. Everything was over.
All of A Country... ruined, because of one little girl.
Their economy had completely collapsed.
Their credibility was shattered.
Even if they had another 200 years, they couldn't rebuild.
Were they willing? Of course not.
But at this point, survival was the only priority.
This was what it meant to cut off a limb to save the body.
They had wanted to ask the Commander to tell Ye Lingfeng to stop,
But the Commander refused—
Not until they fully agreed to all terms.
With no room to bargain, no authority left,
They could only scramble to carry out the orders—
Not even getting the chance to pull any tricks.
As dawn finally broke, they managed to finish sorting through all the documents and made everything public to the world.
The moment the files were released, the world was in an uproar.
But what shocked everyone even more was this—
Hua Country had turned around and handed the newly acquired island directly to C Country.
That island originally belonged to C Country, and their relationship with Hua Country had always been strong.
Now, this gesture made their bond even closer—
And showed the entire world Hua Country's generosity and magnanimity.
Only A Country was seething with rage.
That island had been taken *from their hands*!
Yet in the end, both fame and benefit went to someone else.
In the office, people started fainting one after another.
One man, clinging to his final breath, pointed at the screen and rasped,
"Stop him... make him stop..."
The Commander suddenly remembered too and said,
"Don't worry. We, people from Hua Country, always keep our word. When we say we'll stop, we stop. Not like you people."
After that pointed jab, he dialed Ye Lingfeng's number.
They watched with bloodshot eyes as Ye Lingfeng glanced at his phone...
Ignored it...
Then picked up the final document, read it aloud, and only then answered the call.
After listening, he said seriously,
"Alright. I'll stop reading."
Even if he wanted to keep reading—
There was nothing left.
He had already read all the classified files!
The people in the office collectively rolled their eyes back and passed out cold.
The livestream cut off at the same time.
Zhouzhou and Ye Lingfeng exchanged a look—
The shameless father-daughter duo burst into laughter.
So satisfying!
Zhouzhou pouted in mock regret.
"If I had known it'd end up like this, I would've let them capture me sooner!"
The words had barely left her mouth before she got smacked on the head.
She clutched her head and looked pitifully in Ye Lingfeng's direction.
"Wuwuwu... Daddy, why'd you hit me?"
Ye Lingfeng gritted his teeth.
"You say one more reckless thing like that and I'll hit you again!"
Getting caught sooner?! Her heart was way too big!
His own heart had nearly jumped out of his chest because of her.
Zhouzhou's eyes twinkled mischievously.
She latched onto his arm with a bright smile.
"Don't worry, Daddy! I'm super awesome, you know. Even without you guys, I'd be fine! Didn't Ancestral Master say I'd live a long life? I'm totally going to hit a hundred!"
Ye Lingfeng nodded... then suddenly froze.
Wait.
He just remembered something he forgot—
Ancestral Master!
Ancestral Master was still up in the sky!
Right now, the poor old man had been tumbling around in the clouds all night,
His voice completely hoarse from shouting...
When Ye Lingfeng had been trapped with him, the Ancestral Master hadn't panicked. Zhouzhou would never forget to rescue her father, he'd assured himself.
But now? Now, terror clawed at his throat.
Not a single soul remembered him!
Help! Somebody—anybody—!
His frantic wails pierced the air until even Heavenly Thunder shot him an irritated glare. Such insufferable noise.
Finally—finally—Zhouzhou's voice floated through the void. "Huh? Dad, didn't Ancestral Master come back with you?"
Ye Lingfeng shook his head.
Zhouzhou pondered for half a breath before shrugging. "Meh, doesn't matter. Mr. Thunder won't trap him forever. He'll let him out... eventually."
...Excuse you?! The Ancestral Master's jaw dropped. "Eventually"?! What if "eventually" meant a century or two?!
Ungrateful little brat! His curses turned the air blue—not that Zhouzhou heard a word.
She was too busy tugging Ye Lingfeng's sleeve, beaming as she waved Qin Lie over. "Dad, let's go home!"
Home. The word melted the lingering tension between the two men. For once, they exchanged a genuine smile.
——
Aboard the aircraft, the view from above was telling.
A Country's skies hung thick with gloom, a nation choking on its own demise.
Yet Hua Country stretched beneath them, radiant—alive.
Zhouzhou's chest burned with quiet triumph. She'd sworn to see A Country crumble in her lifetime. Though not fully realized today... their downfall was inevitable.
Good. So good.
Her joy fizzed through her veins, scalp prickling with exhilaration—
Wait.
Her smile froze.
Slowly, she tilted her head up.
There, coiled directly above her, Heavenly Thunder crackled with ominous intent, its energy gathering for a strike.
"Mr. Thunder, what are you do—?!"
She barely shielded her head before the world exploded in light.
