"I hope you enjoy the trip and achieve what you're looking for, Ms. Ling."
"Certainly, I will," Ling Qingyu nodded.
"The mayor sent his greetings and regards," the director spoke. "He wishes Ms. Ling to dine with his family tonight."
"I am grateful for his invitation. Please deliver my sincere greetings."
"Of course, Ms. Ling. It's only natural."
"As for the dinner, I'll have to settle my friends' needs and help them out." Ling Qingyu glanced at the pair of doctor and nurse in the distance. "So, I cannot confirm if I'm available tonight."
Mo Yunxi and Yin Jingfei waved and smiled back. The duo was currently busy taking pictures near immigration and border control.
The director followed her gaze and couldn't help but wonder if the main reason for this princess's trip was rely to accompany her friends.
Then, he shook his head to dismiss his nonsensical thought. How could soone who had already spent a lump sum before arriving be so whimsical? He didn't know he had stumbled upon the perfect answer.
After all, he had received a strong reminder from the mayor to fulfill every one of Ling Qingyu's needs and treat her as a guest of honor for the city. To see Ms. Ling show no reaction to the mayor's status blew his mind.
Seeing the director's moving lips, Ling Qingyu nodded imperceptibly and added, "Perhaps by tomorrow, I will et with the mayor and delve more into future investnts and cooperation. After all, I'm genuinely new here and must research carefully."
"Of course, Ms. Ling. I totally understand." The director sighed in relief after receiving the positive feedback he had hoped for. He had fulfilled his supporter's goal, and that was enough.
Standing next to Ms. Ling brought imnse pressure. He knew nothing about her, and the unknown was the most frightening. His political foresight and discerning eyes were rendered useless.
If Ling Qingyu heard the director's trepidation, she would sneer. Her past interactions with high-ranking officials were not for nothing. Speaking with these old foxes was like treading a road made of sharp pikes.
After a polite exchange, her eyes hovered over the other restless officers. She smiled and approached them with a gentle deanor, shaking their hands and offering greetings.
The officers were flattered until she shook hands with a man taller than her, possessing a strong and taunt physique.
She noticed the difference in this man's temperant. The air he carried was filled with discipline and steel.
Likewise, the man also spotted Ling Qingyu's hidden aura—not that of a chaebol or aristocrat. Certainly, she still wielded such airs.
But he felt as though the woman before him had killed many people. It was obvious the mont he glanced into her eyes. His instincts flared, warning him repeatedly that he mustn't fight against this woman or he'd be killed in an instant. It peaked when his hand touched her palm.
It was strange that there were no calluses—only gentle, soft skin. However, he trusted his intuition, which had saved him multiple tis. Ms. Ling was dangerous.
Naturally, Ling Qingyu recognized that the man had discerned sothing from a simple handshake. She had yet to realize her eyes were giving clues.
Though she thought her outlook hadn't changed much, her past actions had unconsciously left their mark. She had ended many lives personally, and many more through her orders.
Even if the victims were heinous criminals, the murderous aura remained. Ling Qingyu lanted her weakness in concealnt.
Look at Tang Ziyi and Xiao Yue—not many would dare imagine them as gods of slaughter. Even Xiao Yue, a forr warlord, displayed no aggressiveness. She still had much to learn.
In fact, it wasn't Ling Qingyu's fault. She had done her best to bury her sharpness. But fate had her et one of the most intuitive people.
From the uniform the officer wore, it appeared he belonged to the airport security team.
"Are you from the military? How long have you served?" Ling Qingyu asked.
Her question shocked the man. He didn't expect more than pleasantries. "Yes, ma'am. I served in the army for ten years, eight deploynts."
He subtly prodded his chest after answering. "By any chance, have you also served in the army?"
"Of course not. I'm just a simple businesswoman," Ling Qingyu replied with a smile. "Ten years with eight deploynts is quite a lot. I'd reckon you're from the special operations community."
Since her girls were from the military, Ling Qingyu had learned about deploynt cycles. Even in foreign militaries, the difference shouldn't be too great. Eight deploynts in ten years was excessive.
By now, the man trusted his earlier judgnt even more. Only a fool would believe Ling Qingyu's statent.
"Ma'am, I'm impressed by your knowledge."
"Please don't praise . I was just guessing and didn't expect to hit the bullseye." Ling Qingyu was more willing to befriend and spend ti with warriors than with cunning officials.
The other officers, including the director, raised their brows, never expecting the powerful woman to take interest in the head of security.
The man relaxed and asked, "If I may be presumptuous, could you guess my unit?"
"I'd be glad to play along," Ling Qingyu chuckled. "Green Berets?"
"Whoa, ma'am. How did you guess so accurately?" The man's eyes widened. He had never spoken to anyone about his unit. Was it really just another guess? "I thought you would've said the Navy SEALs. After all, they're more famous."
"People overly deify SEAL teams," Ling Qingyu shook her head. "The only special-operations force truly capable of unconventional warfare is the Green Berets."
Xiao Yue rolled her eyes at Ling Qingyu's playful behavior. Of course, that bastard guessed correctly—she was definitely cheating.
With Athena's presence, who could truly hide or lie low? Once sufficient interest was piqued, even naked truth had nowhere to hide.
Fortunately, Ling Qingyu was focused on the officials before her, not her 'secretary.'
Otherwise, Xiao Yue would shout injustice. Ling Qingyu truly hadn't cheated—she had deduced it purely through reasoning.
The chatter continued for a while until the first SUV erged from the aircraft's rear compartnt. One after another, vehicles rolled out to their designated parking spots.
The staff and officers fell silent—completely still. From the bulkiness and weight of the vehicles, and the heavy thuds when the drivers dismounted and slamd the doors, one word hovered in their minds.
Heavy and armored.
So observant eyes managed to gauge the thickness of the glass and door fras. Heck, if everyone hadn't been inford of the passengers' identities beforehand, they wouldn't have hesitated to designate them as a diplomatic security team.
No one would have disbelieved Ling Qingyu if she suddenly confessed that she was a diplomat traveling incognito.
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