The more Mo Xin thought about it, the more his head hurt. He closed his eyes to rest, and his consciousness gradually blurred with the swaying of the car.

When he woke up, it was already dawn outside. He was draped in a thin coat, and the driver’s seat beside him was empty.

Mo Xin blinked his dry eyes and looked up to see two figures sitting side by side in front of the car. From their backs, they should be Liang Qiuchi and Wu Yahui.

The two of them were chatting quietly, Wu Yahui had her arms crossed, a cigarette in her mouth, occasionally reaching out to clip the cigarette between her fingers and puffing out smoke in a dull manner.

Mo Xin didn’t immediately get out of the car to interrupt.

He first glanced at his phone, wanting to call Vincent to ask for specific information. Since he resigned, Vincent had also left San Lorenzo and returned to Danga to handle security affairs by Mo Qi’s side.

Vincent should know some information that the outside world couldn’t hear.

But the phone prompted that the battery was low. Mo Xin found the data cable, plugged it in, and when he looked up again, he met Liang Qiuchi’s gaze as he turned back to look at him.

Liang Qiuchi’s slightly furrowed brows relaxed in that instant, and the gloom on his handsome face dissipated.

“Awake?”

Liang Qiuchi waved at him, and Mo Xin pushed the door open and got out of the car, scanning the surrounding environment.

The mountain forest was dense, and there was a winding path underfoot.

“Where is this?” Mo Xin naturally walked into Liang Qiuchi’s arms. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

Wu Yahui said softly from the side, “You were sleeping so soundly. He even wanted to chase me away when I smoked, afraid it would disturb you.”

Liang Qiuchi smiled and hugged Mo Xin, pointing in the southeast direction. “That’s the Lugo base over there. You’ve been there.”

Mo Xin nodded and took out a jewelry box from his pocket, handing it to Wu Yahui.

“For me?” Wu Yahui raised an eyebrow, took a deep drag of her cigarette before throwing the cigarette butt away, and curiously took the jewelry box. “What’s this?”

Liang Qiuchi said, “A gift promised to you.”

Wu Yahui opened the box to reveal a bracelet made of pearls and shells.

The pearls were different in color, shape, and size, personally selected and strung together by Liang Qiuchi and Mo Xin.

Two grown men could assemble firearms in half a minute, but it took them a whole day to string a bracelet.

“It’s so beautiful! I love it!” Wu Yahui stuffed the bracelet back into Mo Xin’s hand and extended her wrist, “Put it on me quickly.”

Mo Xin uncomfortably helped her put it on, teasingly asking, “Can’t you do it yourself?”

“This is called ceremony, what do you know?” Wu Yahui boasted, shaking the bracelet in her hand. Suddenly, she reached out and hugged Mo Xin and Liang Qiuchi together.

Her tone was flat, but her arms trembled as she hugged them.

“Take care of yourselves, both of you. You must.”

Liang Qiuchi hugged her back, moved, and said, “Jie, you also need to stay safe.”

Wu Yahui nodded, patting their backs, then let go of the embrace.

“I’ll be fine in Lugo. You don’t need to worry,” she urged, “Go on, if Pei Ji comes later, you won’t be able to leave today.”

Liang Qiuchi and Mo Xin got back into the car. After the engine started, Liang Qiuchi deeply looked at the woman who had fought alongside him for eight years, feeling somewhat choked up.

“Take care.”

“Go,” Wu Yahui waved her hand, retreating into the bushes to clear the way for them.

The mountain road twisted and turned, and her figure was soon blocked by the jungle.

Mo Xin glanced back and asked Liang Qiuchi, “Is she staying in Lugo?”

“Yeah,” Liang Qiuchi said, “She’s originally from Lugo, so staying here is also fine.”

Mo Xin nodded and checked his phone’s battery, which was charging very slowly.

Liang Qiuchi understood that he must be anxious at the moment, so he stepped on the gas, increased the speed, and finally arrived in the capital of Danga before dinner.

Mo Qi received the news, canceled the meeting, and returned home with Vincent.

“Why are you so tan?” Mo Qi walked to the wine cabinet, took out a bottle of vintage wine, and grabbed three goblets before returning to the sofa. “Let’s drink and chat.”

Mo Xin didn’t have as much leisure as him.

Now that he was home, surrounded by his own people, he hoped everyone could speak openly.

So he asked directly, “The Federation’s advance troops have already set off. What do you plan to do?”

Mo Qi handed a glass of wine to Liang Qiuchi without lifting his head at the question, just smiling, “It’s just a bluff. Regardless, you need to show some momentum first, you should know this.”

Mo Xin certainly understood, but he also knew that underestimating the enemy was a big taboo.

“But once the fighting starts? Danga has a population of fifty million residents. Who will ensure their lives and safety?” Mo Xin finally caught Mo Qi’s eye.

But instead of immediately answering Mo Xin’s question, he turned it back on him, “Are you asking these questions to decide to come back and help me?”

Mo Xin pursed his lips and fell silent.

Liang Qiuchi, who had remained silent since entering, suddenly spoke up, “Forgive me for being blunt, but Danga, as a former federal ally, should not have the authority to form an army. I think Mo Xin is concerned about this.”

There were a total of 44 states in the Federation. Except for areas like Lugo, which had local militias, only the top three states had a certain scale of quasi-military forces for maintaining order and other duties.

Although quasi-military forces also received tactical training, compared to the Federation’s regular army, their strength should still be somewhat lacking.

Mo Qi, wearing a shirt vest, loosened his tie and leaned back on the sofa, crossing his legs, looking calm and unmoving.

“How should I answer this question?” He rubbed his chin with his hand, deliberating his words, “Let’s put it this way, although Danga was formally under the jurisdiction of the Federation, it actually had a high degree of autonomy. Many things, even if the federal law prohibits them, Danga can do them regardless.”

“How much specifically?” Mo Xin asked.

Mo Qi casually replied, “30.”

Mo Xin clearly didn’t quite believe it, “Really?”

Mo Qi thought for a moment and said again, “Currently active 300,000, plus reserves, they must have reached a million.”

Under normal circumstances, the number of active and reserve forces in a state would not exceed 100,000. But now Danga had quietly increased by more than double this number, even someone like Mo Xin, who was a seasoned veteran on the frontline, couldn’t help but feel shocked.

Liang Qiuchi was equally shocked and suspicious. “How did they do it?”

Even if the Federation allowed Danga to equip its army, it shouldn’t have allowed it to reach such a scale.

Mo Xin then asked, “When did this start?”

He didn’t believe Mo Qi could mobilize so many people to join the military in such a short time.

Mo Qi’s gaze swept over the two sitting opposite him and smiled, “Why do I feel like you two are interrogating me together?”

Mo Xin’s face was serious, “I just want to know the truth.”

“Nine years ago, after the Liang family incident, I had this idea,” Mo Qi glanced at Liang Quichi and continued, “At first, dad disagreed, but it was me and a few uncles who persuaded him.”

Unlike Lugo, where armed forces with a bit of scale would start provoking constantly, Mo Zhenghong insisted on a conservative and peaceful path. He believed that with his strength, he could save this crumbling federation.

“So these years, Danga has been low-key, not causing trouble, staying neutral. If it weren’t for our dad’s accident, perhaps we could have continued to develop in this neutral way for decades.”

Mo Qi lowered his head, silent for a moment, and when he looked up at Mo Xin again, his face was determined.

“But I’m not dad, and I don’t want to save the federation. I just want to break away from that decaying shell and cultivate our three acres of land. Maybe there will be some cost, some sacrifices, but this is the only way forward. Someone has to take the first step. Xiao Xin, Qiuchi, I hope I am that person, and I hope you can help me. With you two, I’ll have more confidence.”

Mo Xin held Liang Quichi’s hand tightly, falling into silence again.

Mo Qi didn’t press him further. “I’ll give you two time to think it over. Discuss it together.”

After dinner, Mo Qi took a phone call and hurried back to the government council under Vincent’s escort.

Mo Xin and Liang Quichi stood side by side on the balcony, silently finishing a whole cigarette.

They both understood that once they agreed, there might not be any peaceful days for the next few years.

Mo Xin didn’t want to ruin the peaceful life that Liang Quichi had earned through nine years of hard work. But if he left, he would feel guilty towards his elder brother, and he couldn’t swallow the bitterness of the federation issuing an A-level arrest warrant against him.

Liang Quichi, on the other hand, didn’t have as much mental burden as him. “It’s just delaying retirement for a few years, nothing too serious.”

Mo Xin frowned, about to speak, when his phone in his pocket rang.

Answering Vincent’s call, urgent voices poured into Mo Xin’s ears.

“General! There’s a drone attacking the office! Mr. Mo is injured…”

Mo Xin’s mind went blank, his father’s bloodless face before his death suddenly occupying his mind, almost making him unable to stand.