Like a fortress, the Twin Towers stood tall.
They ascended in the central platform elevator, the platform as vast as a plaza.
Dozens of school staff and Executive Bureau logistics personnel escorted four container loads of goods.
They were imposing, their trench coats swaying, and they held advanced assault rifles, clearly well-trained.
The platform ascended quickly.
An Xiaoyi gazed at the bustling scenery of Honghu City, a jungle of skyscrapers and a intricate web of elevated roads.
Traffic flowed like a tide, and trains sped along the tracks.
Only when looking down did he realize how vast the city was, but it left him with a feeling of weariness.
Below at the airport, a group of fully armed elites quickly boarded helicopters.
The leading middle-aged man strode with powerful steps, his expression stern and sharp.
The black helicopter vanished into the distant horizon.
“Professor Wolf Douglas, a tenured professor at St. Antiona and one of the directors of the Executive Bureau’s operations department.”
Farrow watched the disappearing shadow of the helicopter and nudged An Xiaoyi’s shoulder, who was in a trance.
She whispered a reminder:
“He’s also a legendary enforcer. Here, geniuses are as common as hair. Even a passing student might have killed a pureblood vampire. Don’t show any weaknesses. You’re not just here to make friends today.”
“I know him. Last year, he single-handedly fought Stretch Ulysses, one of the twenty-four earls.”
“Earls and marquises in the vampire world are nothing now! The old monsters from the old era are long gone; they’re all new money. Only An Morang and Shirley, these two marquises, are worth mentioning.” Farrow said with disdain.
“Aren’t those my mom and dad?” An Xiaoyi thought to himself, wondering why he didn’t know that extraordinary couple had such a high evaluation.
However, he vaguely remembered his grandfather discussing their family situation.
It seemed to be a very old family that had completely declined by An Xiaoyi’s generation and fully integrated into human society.
“May I ask the Principal’s current rank?” An Xiaoyi asked.
“SS-rank.” Farrow beamed.
“Amazing!” An Xiaoyi exclaimed.
An SS-rank ability is essentially comparable to a Duke-level vampire.
While it might not allow for a solo fight, leading a fully armed team could at least achieve encirclement and annihilation.
There are only a few Duke-level vampires still alive in the world now.
Under the Executive Bureau’s encirclement, new vampire nobles find it difficult to rise to Duke rank.
The last awakened Duke ancestor was two years ago; as soon as he poked his head out of the grave, the Executive Bureau pressed him back down.
Thinking this, he casually inquired:
“What’s the effect of your power, Principal?”
“That’s a secret. Don’t go testing it out. Would your aunt harm you?” Principal Farrow patted the back of his head.
Just then, a black speck approached in the sky.
An Xiaoyi looked up, seeing a large, black cargo helicopter.
His vision was suddenly obscured by the helicopter.
Dozens of people stood at the airport, ready.
The helicopter landed safely, and they neatly transported away a large white box.
“What’s this?”
An Xiaoyi’s heart tightened.
He felt the presence of his kind, and images flashed through his mind of what was inside the box.
It was a person, a naked man, covered in wounds.
Inside the dimly lit box, he lay in a glass chamber, riddled with needles. Neurotoxins and strong sedatives were continuously pumped into his body.
“So fast.” Farrow was surprised.
She told An Xiaoyi:
“It’s a pureblood vampire. While we often get live blood slaves and familiars, pureblood vampires are almost unheard of. This is only the fourth case. It must have been transported from the Federation. St. Antiona has the best research institutes and scientific departments in the world. If we can extract some serum, it will be of great help in dealing with the awakening of the Princes in the future.”
“Princes… awakening?”
“The power of the [Eye of Nyarlathotep] can foresee vague disasters in the future, but it can only be used once in a lifetime. Three years ago, we found the last wielder of this power’s effect, a 16-year-old girl. She foresaw that in the future, Princes would awaken one after another, and the vampires would rise. After using this power, she died.”
Princes, then.
The most terrifying vampires, and the first monsters to be born.
The origin of these monsters is untraceable.
People firmly believe that the Prince vampires are the source of everything.
With a slight “clunk,” the central platform stopped on the 30th floor.
The tunnel was as vast as a semi-open runway for aircraft testing in a military base.
Hundreds of enforcers lined up in two rows, welcoming them in formation.
They collectively shouted, “Director Carmen.”
“I also serve as Deputy Director of the Executive Bureau, equivalent in rank to the Director. Within St. Antiona, I have more authority, but outside, the Director makes the decisions.” Farrow Carmen led him into the Executive Bureau’s interior.
First up was the Equipment Department.
It was closest to the transportation platform and the most convenient.
The entire floor was spacious, filled with drones, transport vehicles, and helicopters.
The research lab was at the very end, where a group of people were discussing the latest plans.
“This is Lieutenant Colonel Lin Liangjun, head of the Equipment Department, he’s from the military.”
“It’s rare to see such a young professor.” A scruffy old man gave a warm embrace.
“This is Deputy Director Manla.”
A taciturn blonde middle-aged man waved his hand as a greeting.
“This is Professor Wang Meimei of the Equipment Department.”
A middle-aged woman in a white lab coat extended her hand for a shake.
An Xiaoyi wondered why her coat had chili oil stains and noticed half a bag of snacks sticking out of her pocket; she was clearly a woman who loved spicy strips.
“This is Professor Todd March of the Equipment Department.”
“This is Professor Yamazaki-kun of the Equipment Department.”
“Assistant Professor Ding Wen…”
An Xiaoyi shook hands with each of the Equipment Department’s leadership and professors.
They all gathered around him like he was a panda, as it was rare for Principal Farrow to value someone so highly.
The process of meeting the Director of the Executive Bureau was quite arduous.
An Xiaoyi couldn’t remember how many people he’d met, but his hand was aching from all the shaking.
The on-duty supervisor of the Operations Department, in particular, was an extremely enthusiastic older woman who hugged him so tightly he couldn’t breathe.
There was also the permanent supervisor of the Operations Command Center, an old man completely permeated by the smell of cigarettes, which made An Xiaoyi dizzy.
An Xiaoyi didn’t dislike smoking and occasionally indulged, but it was his first time “shaking hands” with cigarettes.
However, he could understand it.
The Operations Command Center was a place of considerable stress.
“Who else do I need to meet?” An Xiaoyi looked at the Principal.
He was already contemplating retreating.
The atmosphere in the Executive Bureau wasn’t relaxed, and everyone there was skilled at eliminating vampires.
He was afraid of accidentally exposing himself, and it was even doubtful if Principal Farrow’s influence would ensure he’d be left with a full body.
“Too many, but those people aren’t important.”
Farrow stood before the alloy door of the conference room.
After a face scan, the door slowly opened.
“This is Li Tianyong, Director of the Huaguo Executive Bureau.”
The so-called Director Li was neither imposing nor stern.
He looked like a very ordinary middle-aged man, wearing a well-fitted black trench coat with neatly combed hair, but he had broad shoulders.
Clearly, he had just finished a meeting with others and stopped by to meet the new professor from St. Antiona.
This was the Director of the Executive Bureau, the most dangerous vampire enforcer? An Xiaoyi glanced at the phone on the table, encased in a two-dimensional anime girl cover, with stickers affixed to the table.
“Professor An is truly young and promising. The last young person Principal Farrow valued so much was five years ago.”
Director Li smiled, stood up, and shook An Xiaoyi’s hand.
“You didn’t expect me to be so ordinary, right?”
An Xiaoyi sat down, slightly nervous, and nodded.
“The Principal thinks highly of you. She’s introduced you everywhere. If she had children, they wouldn’t be as good as you,” Director Li said.
“How do you feel? Confident you can handle the professor’s job?”
“If I said I wasn’t confident, I’d probably disappoint the Principal greatly.” An Xiaoyi looked at Farrow.
“Farrow’s cultivating a successor, isn’t she?” Director Li chuckled.
“Alright, if you don’t know what to say, don’t say anything. You’re both introverted people, why bother with formalities?” Farrow clapped her hands without ceremony, pulling An Xiaoyi up.
“Come on, let’s go.”
Director Li looked a bit awkward.
He seemed to be quite an introverted person indeed, without the usual airs of a director.
After a long moment, he finally said: “I won’t keep you any longer. Principal Farrow handles all school affairs, Professor An. If you have any questions, you can go directly to her. I hope your future days at St. Antiona are smooth and successful.”
An Xiaoyi and Farrow left.
The door closed behind them.
An Xiaoyi whispered, “Is that… it?”
“Old Li is like that. He’s more enthusiastic about eradicating vampires than social interactions and management. He won’t mind. Besides, the longer you interact, the easier it is to expose your vampire identity.”
“It seems quite early still.”
An Xiaoyi glanced at the sun, which hadn’t yet set outside the window.
“Want to stay?”
Suddenly, an alarm blared throughout the entire Executive Bureau, and a large number of personnel ran through the corridors.
“What’s going on? Does St. Antiona also conduct safety drills?” An Xiaoyi instinctively covered his forehead.
The moment he heard the alarm, strange memories flashed through his mind: the same violent alarm, a dim corridor… countless children… The alarm triggered strange recollections.
“What happened?” Farrow grabbed an enforcer.
“It’s from the research institute. The newly captured vampire… it’s out of control! It broke free!”
Both of them exchanged surprised glances.
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