Chapter 82

Chapter 82

The conference room door cracked open, and a fluffy little head popped through. Tiny fingers gripped the doorframe, and round eyes widened further upon seeing the room packed with people.

"Ahem, ahem…" Zhong Shijin cleared his throat deliberately upon noticing the little one.

Chen Wang had been resting with his arms crossed, leaning back in his leather chair, an ice patch on his forehead and a magazine covering his face, his legs casually propped up on the round table.

Hearing the sudden silence, he lowered the magazine and immediately spotted the little head peeking in.

The child seemed to have just returned from outside—his snow-white nose was red from the cold, his ears and hands snugly covered in matching earmuffs and gloves, and half of his soft, fair face buried in a maple-colored scarf.

Utterly adorable.

Like a confused kitten stumbling into a serious gathering by accident.

It made even the sternest people unable to utter a single harsh word.

While doors opening and closing during meetings was common, the reason everyone had stopped was because they sensed a soothing, tranquil guiding energy.

As Luo Ci's physical condition improved, his abilities as a guide gradually began to manifest. Though he himself might not have noticed, his guiding energy had already started subtly influencing the surrounding sentinels.

Due to the scarcity of guides, sentinels—unless they had a personal guide—could never receive full mental regulation, often plagued by energy fluctuations. Yet the moment the child appeared, those chaotic energies seemed to be gently brought back into alignment, calming down as if by magic. It was like a person suffering in hell suddenly floating into paradise, every nerve in their body relaxing in bliss.

This is precisely why sentinels could only find peace through guides. The role of a guide was irreplaceable for sentinels, leading some to become dangerously obsessed with regulation, even to the point of attacking guides. The higher a guide's rank, the more immeasurable their influence, which was why major guilds protected their guides fiercely.

The moment the child's gentle guiding energy spread, the sentinel who had been speaking went blank entirely, forgetting his next words in such a serious setting.

Of course, the others were no better. No one cared what he was about to say next—almost everyone's minds and bodies were instantly captivated, immersed in that intoxicating regulation, unable to think of anything else.

Zhong Shijin frowned. A chilling gust of wind swept through the room in an instant, forcibly snapping everyone out of their daze.

He hadn’t expected the child's guiding abilities to develop so quickly. Even from this distance, these lower-ranked sentinels were completely entranced.

A deep sense of loss weighed on everyone's hearts. Some looked around disoriented, only then realizing they were still in a meeting.

"Huh?" The focus of attention, the little one, looked around curiously, as if searching for a familiar face. When his eyes landed on Chen Wang at the head of the table, they brightened, and he dashed over, throwing himself into those familiar arms. "Brother!"

The child wasn't even as tall as the table legs. Compared to Chen Wang's tall frame, his tiny body could easily be lifted with just one hand.

Seeing the snow-white bundle leap into Chen Wang's embrace, some of the still-dazed sentinels instinctively reached out, not out of any intention to snatch the child, but because Chen Wang's abilities were too terrifying. Fearing the child might be harmed, their sentinel instincts to protect a guide kicked in.

"..." Their arms froze mid-reach. Chen Wang shot them a glance, his indifferent expression enough to make the sentinels from other guilds snap back to reality, sheepishly lowering their hands.

"We hired a tutor for you. What exactly have you learned?" Chen Wang lightly tapped the child's red nose. "Didn’t your tutor warn you to stay away from me?"

This little one had no idea how dangerous this was.

A sentinel who hadn’t received regulation in a long time was like a time bomb, ready to explode at any moment. Regardless of the guide's rank, approaching such a sentinel was inherently dangerous.

In his current state, having Little Snowball before him was no different from tossing a piece of fresh meat before a starving wolf, or a desert traveler stumbling upon a spring after days of thirst.

How could one stay rational during regulation?

If not for his strong self-control, any other sentinel would have long since devoured Little Snowball whole.

Chen Wang had been trying his best to keep his distance.

Luo Ci puffed out his cheeks, swinging his little legs innocently. "But I can regulate you!"

Chen Wang's brow furrowed slightly.

Zhong Shijin cleared his throat. "Still, it might be time for Little Snowball to visit the Guides' Division for a rank assessment. The physician said he's in good health."

After a brief silence, Chen Wang nodded.

Time passed quickly... But an assessment was necessary. Little Snowball's abilities were already attracting attention, and his rank would determine the level of tutor he required.

"Then, after the meeting, take him to the Guides' Division."

Zhong Shijin agreed.

Luo Ci, nestled in Chen Wang's arms, peered at the others in the room. Most faces were unfamiliar, the badges on their uniforms indicating they were from other guilds.

A young guide, and a child at that—so adorable, with delicate features, his round face framed by the maple scarf like a ball of snow, his blue eyes like pristine gemstones. Even the stern-faced man across the table, weighed down by negotiations, managed a forced smile.

"Little Snowball? Is that your name?"

"Mm-hmm!" Luo Ci hid his face against Chen Wang's chest, peeking out with wide, blinking eyes. "Who are you, uncle?"

"Uncle is Zhuo Jian, leader of the Giant Sword Guild. Our guild is to the east of Snowbird City, not far from here."

"Oh..." Luo Ci nodded. "So uncle came to talk with gege?"

"Ah..." Zhuo Jian hesitated. That was... a difficult question to answer.

"Talk" was putting it mildly.

As an S-rank guild, Tansapa far outclassed the Giant Sword Guild, which was at the bottom of the A-rank list. Located too close to Snowbird City, most capable sentinels chose Tansapa over Giant Sword, leaving the latter caught in an awkward position between HMC and Tansapa.

Over the years, Tansapa had aggressively expanded its territory. Zhuo Jian knew it was only a matter of time before Giant Sword fell too.

After all, Tansapa's leader was Chen Wang—an exceptionally strong sentinel. While other guilds needed months of planning and full resources to conquer an A-rank gate, he could do it in a day or two. Under his rule, Tansapa was a firm believer in survival of the fittest.

Tansapa believed in seizing territory by force. Many A-rank guilds around Snowbird City had already been absorbed into Tansapa's domain.

Now that Tansapa had turned its attention to HMC, Giant Sword, sandwiched between them, stood no chance.

The outcome was inevitable, but Zhuo Jian had come hoping to negotiate for some leniency—at the very least, to preserve the name of the guild he'd built from the ground up.

Having only observed from afar before, facing Chen Wang directly now made Zhuo Jian understand why other guild leaders feared him so much.

Even with his eyes closed, the man radiated oppressive energy—like a coiled serpent, watching, waiting. An indescribable pressure made Zhuo Jian's spine prickle with unease.

But the atmosphere shifted the moment the child appeared.

"It's... not a negotiation..." Zhuo Jian's eyes reddened. The nearly two-meter-tall, burly man couldn't help but choke up thinking of his guild's impending dissolution.

"It is," Chen Wang lazily corrected, his tone unhurried. "And I’ve decided to agree. Giant Sword will become our affiliate guild from now on."

Zhuo Jian: "?!"

That was NOT what you said earlier!

"Indeed," Zhong Shijin, observing his leader's expression, quickly caught on and adjusted his glasses. "This meeting was to discuss future collaboration."

He and Chen Wang were on the same page. While Tansapa believed in survival of the fittest, taking Giant Sword by force had been the original plan. But for the sake of maintaining a warm, harmonious image in front of the child, cooperation wasn’t a bad alternative. The territory would still be theirs—just through a more roundabout method.

"Giant Sword Guild has valuable experience in sentinel abilities, numbers, and combat reserves... Collaboration would be beneficial to both sides."

With every word Zhong Shijin spoke, Zhuo Jian's face turned redder.

The meager resources of the Giant Sword Guild seemed almost laughable in the face of Tansapa.

Zhuo Jian stared blankly at Chen Wang, and seeing that he didn’t seem to be joking, he was too stunned to speak.

Even after being politely shown out of the guild hall by the friendly reception staff, he remained dazed, unable to process what happened. What he had thought was hopeless had taken a sudden turn for the better. "I—I didn’t mishear, did I?"

His fellow sentinels also wiped away tears in excitement. Only then did the group realize this was really happening.

Either way—

This trip had been worth it.

The news of Tansapa’s collaboration with the Giant Sword Guild was soon officially announced by the media. Originally, everyone had been waiting to see Tansapa conquer the Giant Sword Guild, but instead of conflict, the two sides had started working together.

Tansapa rarely collaborated with other guilds, especially small-time guilds like the Giant Sword Guild. Rumors and gossip quickly spread, with some speculating that the higher-ups of both sides had struck some kind of deal—perhaps the Giant Sword Guild had offered an S-grade weapon as leverage. But such baseless claims were soon drowned out by the chatter.

Of course, but that came later.

After the meeting, Luo Ci was picked up by Chen Wang and placed into Zhong Shijin’s arms. The rabbit ears atop his head drooped unhappily as his plump little hands clutched Zhong Shijin’s sleeve, tugging him along to find Chen Wang.

Too many people were waiting to see Chen Wang. One-Eye and Medusa were already waiting outside the meeting room, eager to brief him.

"Little Snowball, let’s go to the Guide Department first to test your level, okay? We’ll come back to see the Guild Leader later. You saw it yourself—he’s still busy," Zhong Shijin coaxed, cradling the little one in his arms.

Luo Ci was an easygoing kid. Seeing that Chen Wang was indeed occupied, he pouted and reluctantly lowered his head. "Okay then."

The Guide Department was located in the southeastern part of the guild, its building shaped like a peeled eggshell.

Luo Ci had often passed by on Sha Ni Lu’s motorcycle but had never gone inside.

The interior was filled with a high-tech vibe. Now that Luo Ci could recognize quite a few words, he read the display screen on the Light Elevator: the first and second floors were the reception hall, divided into regular and emergency reception areas; the third floor housed the examination department; and the higher floors were designated for guides, with higher-level guides assigned to higher floors.

The hall was full of sentinels waiting for guide services, many of whom greeted the Vice Guild Leader as they passed.

The Light Elevator stopped on the third floor, where Luo Ci saw the words "Examination Room" prominently displayed at the entrance.

The light door slid open, revealing a pure white room with snow-white walls and ceiling. In the center was an instrument resembling an electromagnetic rail, with several white-coated staff operating the control panel.

A young woman with amber hair stepped forward, scooping the little one into a big hug and gushing, "Little Snowball, you’re here! You’re quite famous, you know? I’ve been wanting to meet you. You’re even cuter than I imagined!"

Luo Ci tilted his head up, his little voice sounding out the name tag on the white coat. "Ku... Auntie Bo?"

"My surname is Cooper. You can call me Auntie Cooper," she said with a smile, giving the child’s soft, fair cheek a pinch. "Don’t be scared, little one. The guide examination doesn’t hurt at all."

His plump cheek showed a faint mark with just a gentle pinch. Sensing the Vice Guild Leader’s mood shift, Cooper guiltily withdrew her hand.

Who knew how these S-ranks had raised Little Snowball? His round, chubby face was as tender as freshly steamed glutinous rice cakes, wonderfully squishy when touched.

Cooper had intended to carry the child to the examination device, but Zhong Shijin interrupted, insisting on doing it himself. She stepped aside.

Luo Ci was lifted under his arms by Zhong Shijin and placed onto a snow-white platform, which was padded to prevent accidental bumps.

"Don’t move, sweetheart. It’ll be over soon," Cooper said skillfully, attaching sensor patches to the child’s chest, temples, and back before securing a silver band around his neck.

"It’s cold," Luo Ci murmured, his mouth opening like a little clam to reveal tiny grain-like teeth.

Cooper had never met Little Snowball before but had heard plenty of rumors. She had figured a kid spoiled by S-rankers would be either fierce or spoiled—never this soft and adorable.

His little fingers clung to Zhong Shijin’s sleeve, pursing his pink lips as he obediently let Cooper adjust the equipment. His big blue eyes shone so brightly that, if not for the Vice Guild Leader’s watchful gaze, Cooper would’ve pinched those irresistibly soft cheeks again.

Now it made sense how the nickname "Little Snowball" had come about.

"Sweetie, you’ll need to let go of the Vice Guild Leader’s sleeve. He can’t stay here."

Seeing the child reluctantly release his grip, Zhong Shijin frowned. "Not allowed?"

Cooper glanced at the usually expressionless Vice Guild Leader, surprised by his reaction. The little one didn’t want to let go, and the grown-up couldn’t bear to leave—you'd think they were being parted forever.

Then again, who could remain indifferent to Little Snowball?

"Sentinels aren’t permitted in the examination area. Please understand. It’ll only take ten minutes."

Reluctantly, Zhong Shijin stepped outside the isolation door.

At least only the first examination was this complicated.

Luo Ci obediently lay flat on the platform as instructed, trying to relax.

He gazed curiously at the lowering silver rail above him. A rainbow-hued glow enveloped him, and the white noise from the resonating energy particles formed a soothing melody in his ears. He felt drowsy and wanted to rub his eyes but remembered Auntie Cooper’s warning not to move, so he resisted the urge.

"Huh?" Cooper’s surprised exclamation drew the other lab-coated staff to the virtual panel displaying the progress bar.

Zhong Shijin: "What’s the result?"