(The two chapters from yesterday, especially the second one, weren't written very well. A normal person would have emotions and should have emotions when questioned about why they dared to make a move on Havier. I've modified it. There are also some detailed changes. Interested readers can take a look, but it's okay if you don't, as the overall storyline remains the same.)

...

Andrew naturally heard Ivan's words.

Just for a moment, like everyone else, he was somewhat puzzled: why did the other party suddenly change their attitude?

Thinking back to when I subdued Sabye earlier, at that time it was to counterattack with force, to meet Barbara's mother.

But when I tried to stop Havier afterward, it was no longer about the meeting; it was just my true intention.

And the angry retort afterward had nothing to do with the meeting or true intention, it was simply because: I was truly angry!

"So when I really got angry, the other party suddenly agreed to meet with me?"

Andrew was a bit confused—he couldn't muster any anger and was instead baffled!

He thought to himself: What kind of logic do these powerful families have in their heads?

"...Whatever, it doesn't matter anymore." Andrew shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it, "Since the other party is finally willing to meet, then let's meet! It doesn't matter why she changed her attitude."

By now, Andrew had come to terms with it.

He didn't think much of being the only one allowed to meet Barbara's mother.

"Because if they really want to kill me, even if I bring Ivan with me, it still wouldn't ensure my safety!"

Thinking this, Andrew took a deep breath and calmed down.

He sent a telepathic message to Ivan not to worry, saying he'd be back soon.

Then he whispered to Barbara, "Don't be sad. I'll go and talk to your mom first."

Saying this, he gently patted Barbara's shoulder.

"Alright, that's fine." Barbara forced a slight smile and then whispered, "Be careful. My mother has a bad temper, don't... don't provoke her."

Andrew thought to himself, I can't promise that. However, he still gave Barbara a reassuring smile, then turned to Susan.

He said in a deep voice, "Then I'd trouble you to lead the way."

With that, Andrew quickly followed Susan.

More accurately, it wasn't "following," but rather being "led" directly.

After hearing Andrew say, "Please lead the way," Susan turned and walked off. This time, Andrew barely saw that with each step Susan took, a crimson footprint was left in the air, like a fiery brand, or as if made from congealed blood, lingering without dissipating.

In just a few steps, Susan had already disappeared, moving as if on clouds.

Andrew, who hadn't reached Tier Eight and couldn't fly, naturally couldn't keep up with that speed.

Thus, he was enveloped by Susan's Fighting Qi power, floating lightly, following Susan towards the city's tallest and most central building where Barbara's mother, the most influential person in the Warm Fire Commerce Association after the chairman, was located.

Watching the figures of Andrew and Susan quickly vanish into the distance.

The people left on the scene fell into silence for a while.

Sabye, Debbie, and the others seemed unable to accept that Andrew had truly gotten the opportunity to meet the lady of the Commerce Association, their expressions were not pleasant, and they truly didn't understand: why? Why did she suddenly agree to meet Andrew?

Barbara, Leia, and Ivan looked equally upset. Because no one knew whether Andrew's meeting with Barbara's mother would be good or bad!

"Third Miss," Debbie walked over and intentionally said, "My brother will be back from the front lines soon."

Before Barbara could respond, Sabye suddenly turned and left. He didn't care about what would happen to Andrew after Susan took him to meet the lady; he only knew he had been thoroughly defeated by Andrew, a mage, in the area that the Crimson Knight excelled in—close combat!

Barbara ignored Sabye's departure; she only responded indifferently to Debbie's words, "Oh, is that so? That's great."

Seeing Debbie still seemed to want to say something.

Barbara frowned and waved her hand, having no interest in continuing the conversation, and called Leia and Ivan to leave with her.

"My mother still refuses to meet me; this... actually doesn't matter."

Barbara thought, telling herself that she'd been used to this since she was young, "The current priority is Andrew's safety issue. I still have to find a way to do whatever I can to help Andrew. I can't just sit and wait."

Right away, she called Leia and Ivan to go find Grandpa Falk together.

"Let's try to persuade Grandpa Falk to help Andrew." This was the best plan Barbara could think of at the moment.

Ivan nodded, "That's the only option now."

The three quickly left as well.

They planned to go to an artificial island in the south of Warm Fire City named Moon Bay, where Falk resided.

Watching the backs of Barbara and her group fade into the distance, the bright face of Debbie briefly clouded over, then she gritted her teeth with a vicious smile, muttering to herself in a voice only she could hear, "Pretend all you want. One day you'll be my brother's woman, hmph..." She turned to the others and said, "Alright, alright, everyone disperse." With that, she turned and stepped in the direction Sabye left.

Since Andrew had already gone to see Madam, no matter how things developed afterwards, it was no longer something Debbie could influence.

Furthermore, deep in Debbie's heart, she believed that even if Madam was willing to see Andrew, it might not necessarily be a good thing for him.

"On the contrary, it could be the beginning of a truly terrifying nightmare." Debbie thought maliciously as she walked.

The scene soon returned to order.

The cold drink shop and the pastry shop opposite also quickly resumed business.

As if the previous commotion had never happened.

As for the entire Warm Fire City, it operated like a high-efficiency machine, proceeding methodically and unaffected by the recent disturbance.

If anything, the recent commotion resulted in the name "Andrew" quietly spreading among some people in the city.

The residents of Warm Fire City already knew that the lady chairman was notoriously difficult, yet they now heard of a youngster named Andrew, possibly a friend of Miss Barbara, who seemed to have confronted the lady chairman head-on!

Of course, this could also be put another way: Andrew was tough, but the Madam... she was beyond being merely difficult; she might very well just take Andrew out with a burst of anger!

Many were curious about how Andrew's meeting with the lady chairman would turn out.

They were equally curious about, "What is the relationship between Andrew and Miss Barbara?"

The spirit of gossip exists in every world.

As Andrew's name gradually gained some notoriety in Warm Fire City, various rumors began to quietly grow.

In the blink of an eye, it was evening.

Warm Fire City looked even more beautiful under the setting sun's glow.

There was no further news on Andrew's meeting with the lady chairman... it was as if it had sunk without a trace.

Barbara and her companions failed to find Falk at Moon Bay, only encountering one of his aides, who said Falk was still in seclusion to recover from his injuries.

"When might he come out of seclusion?" Barbara was a bit disappointed, but still asked politely.

"Well..." the other party did not answer.

Barbara sighed, understanding this was likely another of Grandpa Falk's tactics to dodge being caught between the chairman and his wife. His injuries might be real, but probably not severe enough to necessitate seclusion.

His emergence was likely timed to when he didn't have to make any difficult decisions.

After entrusting the aide to convey her regards to Falk, Barbara and her companions could only return to their residence.

Now there was truly no option but to wait.

At this time, the three of them were on the balcony outside the room where Andrew had awakened that afternoon.

In the distance, the sunlight dyed the vast waters surrounding Warm Fire City a magnificent golden red.

But Ivan had no leisure to enjoy the view. He was pacing back and forth on the balcony, until Leia, feeling dizzy from his movements, pushed her oversized black-framed glasses and said, "Uncle Ivan, can you please sit for a while? Pacing like that isn't going to help."

Ivan immediately stopped in his tracks.

But not because of Leia's words, but because—

Out of nowhere, a melodious chime rang out through the entire Warm Fire City.

Upon hearing the bell, Ivan instinctively thought they were under attack again, just like three days ago at the Shield of Flowing Fire.

But he soon realized: the chime was not an alarm; it lacked a sense of urgent crisis.

"So, is it an evening chime for telling time?" Ivan thought again.

But he quickly dismissed this hypothesis as well.

Barbara and Leia, standing on the balcony, were visibly stunned upon hearing the chime.

As residents of Warm Fire City, they should know the meaning of the chime, and after a moment of bewilderment, they both showed expressions of extreme surprise.

Looking again at the city streets below, the docks, and even some ships that had been out fishing and were returning but not yet docked, all the residents had stopped their work and were looking toward the city center.

"What... is happening?" Ivan was baffled. Before suffering lung burns, he had been to the Scholar's Fortress and stayed for a while, but he didn't know much about Warm Fire City, so he looked at Barbara and Leia. "Can you tell me what's happening?"

Before Barbara and Leia could respond, Ivan's expression changed again.

He saw, at that moment, several powerful presences rising from different parts of the city into the sky.

Each of these presences was stronger than Ivan was at the moment, yet they all headed towards the highest building in the city center simultaneously.

As if responding to the summon of the chime!

"They're heading towards—" Ivan's eyes widened in realization. He quickly confirmed that all the figures rising into the sky ended up at the tallest tower in the city center, which was… the place Andrew and Susan had previously gone to!

Realizing this, Ivan was astounded, as a thought that seemed unbelievable came naturally to his mind: "So did Andrew… do something?"

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