"Huh?" Hearing Talulah's words, Red was a bit dumbfounded. How did he end up in Yan? For a moment, he had the feeling that Talulah might be fooling him.
At that moment, a burly figure carrying a large hammer walked over from not far away. "Red, we're ready. We can set off at any time!"
"Uh, Big Bob, it seems we don't need to go anymore!" Red looked at him and then turned to Talulah.
"Leader?" Big Bob also looked over.
"We received news that Doctor Dropper has been rescued in Yan and is currently out of critical danger, so there's no need to go looking for him." Talulah nodded and repeated the information once more.
"Yan?" Hearing Talulah's words, Big Bob was also somewhat incredulous; after all, this place wasn't exactly close to Yan.
"It's true. The person who sent the news is one of ours. She didn't know about Dropper's disappearance beforehand; she just told Alina that she accidentally found Dropper in the wilderness and brought him back for treatment. So, the authenticity of this intelligence is certain."
Red felt relieved upon hearing Talulah's words. Although Talulah didn't say who it was, the Reunion Movement's acquaintances in Yan were either Ch'en Huijie or Flandre Scarlet. And the only one who could send news directly to Alina was Flandre.
"That's great then. Since Doctor Dropper is out of danger, I'll take everyone back to rest and reorganize." Seeing that it was true, Big Bob also let out a hearty laugh.
While the Reunion Movement and Rhodes Island were feeling fortunate about Dropper's successful rescue, Flandre contacted Ch'en Huijie.
"Dropper? How did you find him? How is the situation over with the Reunion Movement?" It took Ch'en Huijie only a second to remember that doctor from Rhodes Island. But wasn't he in the Reunion Movement's sphere of influence? How could he appear here alone? Did something happen to the Reunion Movement? Ch'en Huijie asked hurriedly.
"Don't worry, Sister Ch'en. I've already asked Alina, and everything is fine with the Reunion Movement. Doctor Dropper encountered a blizzard while heading to Chernobog with a Reunion Movement squad to pick someone up. He got separated from the main group and ended up wandering here after getting lost."
Flandre's words made Ch'en Huijie breathe a sigh of relief. "Then how is he? Does he need to be transferred to Lungmen for recuperation?" Since the Reunion Movement wasn't in danger, and this Doctor Dropper had been with them for a long time saving many Infected, Ch'en Huijie thought about bringing him back to Lungmen for proper care. Flandre said she would ask the doctor the next morning.
Then she went back to the inn to rest. Early the next morning, when Flandre arrived at the small clinic, she saw Dropper chatting with the doctor. They seemed to be getting along quite well. She then explained Ch'en Huijie's idea.
"That works. Bringing him back to Lungmen for recuperation is for the best. After all, he has several internal injuries that I can't handle here." The doctor was the first to speak after hearing Flandre's words.
"Is it really necessary to go through all that trouble?" Dropper was somewhat hesitant; he was still thinking about finding a way to return to his team.
"Just focus on recovering from your injuries. I've already informed Alina about the situation here, and I'm sure Rhodes Island should have received the news as well." Flandre looked at Dropper and comforted him.
"Ah? You have a way to contact the Reunion Movement?" Dropper was shocked.
"Yes, a special secret method, limited only to Alina and myself," Flandre replied.
"What about the others? Did they all return safely?" Dropper followed up immediately with a second question. Flandre indicated she didn't know but could ask. Then, she began to "cast her spell" right in front of the two of them. After contacting Alina, Flandre asked about Dropper's question.
"Over a hundred people came back. And it's a good thing your news came in time last night; otherwise, Red was prepared to lead a group back to where Doctor Dropper went missing to search again overnight." Alina answered Dropper's question, and Flandre relayed it to him exactly as it was told.
A smile appeared on Dropper's face upon hearing this news, and his entire body finally relaxed. "That's good!"
Seeing that Dropper no longer refused, Flandre picked up her phone to contact Ch'en Huijie. Before long, a van pulled up to the door. "So fast?" Everyone was a bit surprised. Upon inquiry, they learned that this was a Schwire Family vehicle. After Flandre contacted Ch'en Huijie, the latter had directly reached out to Beatrice. After all, sending a car from Lungmen would take half a day. But if there was a car available here, that time could be saved.
It just so happened that Flandre could also head back with them. Regarding what happened yesterday afternoon, she still wanted to ask Wei Yenwu what exactly was going on. As they lifted Dropper onto the stretcher and into the car, the doctor was still off to the side telling the driver to drive slowly and try to avoid any bumps on the road. Since the eldest miss had personally called to arrange the pickup, the driver didn't dare to be negligent.
Soon, the car carrying Dropper and Flandre sped toward Lungmen. It was around noon when the vehicle arrived at the entrance port of Lungmen. Ch'en Huijie, having received the news, had been waiting there for a while.
"Why did it take so long to get back?"
"The doctor said Dropper has several internal injuries and can't handle bumps, so he told the driver to drive slowly," Flandre explained. After hearing this, Ch'en Huijie hopped into the car. "No need to wait in line here. Driver, go this way!" Then, under Ch'en Huijie's lead, the group entered Lungmen directly through the Guard Department's special passage.
Dropper sat up and looked outside. "Is this Lungmen? It's so prosperous!"
"That's right, this is Lungmen, the home where Talulah and I grew up," Ch'en Huijie said with some pride. Dropper looked at everything outside; the bustling crowds gave him the illusion of being in another world. Everything here gave him the feeling of being in Columbia, that country dominated by emerging trends and technology. He hadn't expected to see a similar city so far to the east.
In the middle of their conversation, the vehicle soon arrived at Lungmen First Hospital. This was also a partner medical institution of the Guard Department. Upon entering, Dropper was scheduled for a detailed examination. The results showed he had frostbite all over, soft tissue contusions, muscle tears, as many as several internal hemorrhages, and several external wounds on the surface of his body. The doctor who had just finished the examination thought he was a soldier sent back from a battle on the front lines.
Fortunately, yesterday's treatment was appropriate. After studying the case, the doctor stated that he would likely need to be hospitalized for a week before he could walk, and it would take at least a month to fully recover. Flandre relayed this news to the Reunion Movement. Logos, having received the news, had Alina pass on a message from Rhodes Island, telling Dropper to rest and recover there with peace of mind. Once he was healed, they would decide whether he should return to the main ship or back to the Reunion Movement.
Upon receiving the message, Dropper was finally willing to lie down and recuperate peacefully. And this news reached Wei Yenwu's ears the moment they entered the city. He summoned the Shadow Guards who had been to the Reunion Movement before and handed them Dropper's photo.
"Do you recognize him?"
"We do! Dropper is a doctor from a medical institution called Rhodes Island that has a cooperative relationship with the Reunion Movement. He has very rich experience in treating the Infected and handling as well as preventing oripathy." They replied.
"Why would he appear here?" The Shadow Guards were also curious as to why this doctor, who clearly should have been with the Reunion Movement, appeared here, but no one asked. The one who spoke was Fumizuki by his side.
"According to Little Chen, Flandre happened to meet him by chance in the snow mountains. Flandre has already contacted the Reunion Movement and confirmed that he got separated during a previous operation in the heavy snow, was then pursued by the Reconnaissance Squad, and finally ran here in a panic. Furthermore, Flandre stated that her trip to the snow mountains was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and when she found him, he was already nearly frozen to death, so it's impossible that he was intentionally waiting for her there."
Wei Yenwu had summoned the Shadow Guards only to confirm the man's identity. "By the way, has any information been found on that organization called Rhodes Island?" As an organization allied with the Reunion Movement that also happened to specialize in the research and treatment of the Infected, Wei Yenwu would naturally arrange for people to investigate.
"Not yet, but isn't it said that Flandre has a better understanding of this organization? Why don't you just ask her? Given that child's temperament, if you ask her directly, she probably won't hide anything."
Wei Yenwu nodded after hearing this. "Then there's no rush. She should be coming to see me today." Fumizuki knew what Wei Yenwu meant and sat nearby to handle official business without any haste.
Flandre got into the car after following Ch'en Huijie to get the man settled. Before she could say where she wanted to go, Ch'en Huijie stepped on the gas. "Sister Ch'en, where are we going?" Flandre asked curiously.
"You're probably heading to the Governor's Mansion, right! I'll take you straight there!" Ch'en Huijie said while driving.
"How did you know? Flandre hasn't told anyone!" Flandre was pale with shock.
Ch'en Huijie glanced at her and said, "I guessed!"
"Sister Ch'en is so amazing!" Flandre looked full of admiration.
"By the way, I heard there was a strange thunderstorm in Flower Village yesterday. Do you know what happened?" Ch'en Huijie asked while driving.
"I don't know!" Flandre kept Wei Yenwu's words from yesterday firmly in mind: tell no one about this.
"I figured as much. It's not like trouble follows you wherever you go! When everyone was chatting today, I even heard someone say that when a strange phenomenon descends from the heavens, a divine weapon must be coming into the world." Ch'en Huijie joked casually, not noticing that Flandre's expression was a bit awkward.
To her ears, what Ch'en Huijie said made a lot of sense. It seemed like she really did encounter things wherever she went. Like the thunderstorm, and like saving Dropper. But fortunately, in her view, these things were all resolved very successfully. Soon, the car reached the Governor's Mansion.
"The Governor said you two can go directly to the office to find him." Just as they got out of the car, a Shadow Guard appeared before them and spoke. Clearly, the other party had already anticipated Flandre's arrival.
"Let's go!" Ch'en Huijie took Flandre's hand and walked into the Governor's Mansion.