An An sat next to Huo Rou, exceptionally clingy, cutting her steak and blowing on her milk.
"What's wrong?" Huo Rou asked, amused. Though she had indeed looked unwell that morning, she didn't think it warranted such meticulous care.
An An leaned his head against her, mumbling, "Nothing, Mom. You've worked hard, eat your breakfast well. It's rare you've woken up so early."
Huo Rou had indeed eaten breakfast in a rush before, so she didn't press further.
After An An returned in the morning, he watched television for a while, and the TV was still on.
During the morning news, a report was suddenly broadcast.
"
Very quickly, Ling Xiao's call came through. "Boss, I've inquired. Country A intends to protect him, but it's unlikely he'll be able to stay. Also, I received intelligence that Stoosno secretly entered our country today. The Taichuan City SWAT team is the closest, and their major has temporarily brought him to the SWAT headquarters."
"What?" Huo Rou's brows furrowed upon hearing this.
Taichuan City SWAT?
"Where did you get this information?" Huo Rou asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
"I have a friend in Country A who holds a relatively important position. The information shouldn't have leaked." Ling Xiao immediately understood her unspoken concern.
Since Stoosno had openly...
"Wait, let me think again." Huo Rou hung up without further elaboration.
She rummaged through her contacts for a moment, found someone she hadn't contacted in a long time, and dialed their number.
"Brother." The call was answered, and Huo Rou addressed him.
This single word drew all of Qin Ningyi's attention. He had investigated Huo Rou and knew she had no family. This was the first time he had heard her use such a term of endearment for a relative.
The person on the other end was clearly surprised. "Why are you calling me? It's not even Lunar New Year yet."
Huo Rou didn't engage in pleasantries and asked directly, "Was it your decision to bring him back?"
She hadn't explicitly stated who "he" was, but the person on the other end, combined with his recent actions, understood immediately.
"Yes. If we let him roam around outside, he might not survive an hour," the person said seriously. "After all, our country is not safe right now. I didn't even dare to report this in detail over the phone, speaking only in riddles."
"Sister, your news is truly well-informed. It seems your status and position are much higher than mine."
"Be careful." With the confirmation, Huo Rou became even more worried.
"Brother is being very cautious now, don't worry. It's fine. You're good with computers, they might contact you later, so you also need to be safe." He reciprocated her concern.
As if on cue, the phone rang again.
Huo Rou glanced at the contact labeled "Minister Zeng" and realized this matter might be more serious than she had imagined.
Before Qin Ningyi could even ask Huo Rou about this "brother," he saw her gravely pick up another call.
His phone also rang at that moment; it was his grandfather.
To avoid interference, he walked out to take the call.
On Huo Rou's end, after she answered, Minister Zeng's clear voice boomed, "Huo Rou, you should have already received word about why I'm calling you."
"Yes." Huo Rou knew that ever since she left, Minister Zeng had only secretly visited An An once and had never contacted her for any other reason.
On the contrary, when she attacked Country M last time, Minister Zeng had vouched for her.
"This time, we need you. Later, the higher-ups will send people to interrogate him, and we might need your technical support for the transcript."
"No problem. As I said, if there's a battle, I'll return." Huo Rou agreed readily.
"Alright, you're in Yuchang City now, correct? I'll send someone to pick you up and take you to a private jet."
After agreeing to this, the dinner engagement for the evening was naturally canceled.