Billionaire's Long Journey of Chasing His Love-Chapter 430 - 376: You’re Doing a Good Job as the Vanguard (Third Update)
Laiwang Island was originally the training base for the Oldrich family, and the Duke’s Ten Tigers all came from here.
For various reasons, the training base was relocated to another island, and this place became a tourist attraction.
Back in the day, Long Che and Tong Yao held their wedding ceremony here, making this location the top choice for newlyweds. Rumor has it, reservations are booked until this time next year.
Yi Luowa came here for the first time and found everything fascinating, curiously glancing around at every corner.
"After lunch, I’ll take you on the sightseeing bus to explore," Tong Airui pointed to the other side of the island. "That used to be the training field for the base; now it’s transformed into a CS warfare simulation center. John, Tingting, and I used to play there as kids."
"Who won?" asked Yi Luowa, her fatigue momentarily forgotten as curiosity took over.
"Of course, the Oldrich family kids won!"
"Oh, aren’t you full of yourself!"
Yi Luowa chuckled and hopped into the car driven over by Yuan Hang.
Watching through the window, Yi Luowa noticed a crowd of tourists standing nearby and asked curiously, "What are they looking at?"
Tong Airui glanced toward the spot where the sea met the sky and smiled, "You see that glass bridge?"
Yi Luowa leaned forward to look, spotting the glass bridge extending deep into the ocean.
"Dad and Mom held their wedding on that glass bridge. It’s now one of the island’s main tourist attractions. Back then, I was even a flower boy for their wedding."
"Pfft~ Most kids don’t even get to see their parents’ wedding, yet you got to serve as a flower boy?"
The more Yi Luowa thought about it, the funnier it seemed, and she burst into laughter.
Tong Airui pinched her cheek playfully and said, "Is it really that funny? I think it’s quite meaningful—a whole family witnessing such a joyful moment together."
Yuan Hang laughed, "Grandpa, when you and Engineer Yi throw your wedding, let our little dukes be your flower boys."
"You guys better hurry up and have kids yourselves; then all of them can be my flower boys!"
Yuan Hang sighed, "I haven’t even had my first taste yet; kids are a long way off!"
Tong Airui teased, "Having trouble diving in?"
Yuan Hang smirked, "I’m not as beastly as you!"
Tong Airui raised his hand and gave him a light smack, "Keep talking trash, and I’ll toss you into the sea! By the way, how long before Kou’er is old enough to marry?"
Yi Luowa pursed her lips, "Fourteen more months."
"Still a bit young..." Tong Airui thought for a moment before asking, "Has Kou’er’s status been transferred to the Eagle’s Nest base yet?"
Yuan Hang tapped his forehead, "Not yet—things have been so busy lately, I completely forgot."
"If it hasn’t been transferred yet, that’s perfect. When you do the paperwork at the base, just adjust her birth year earlier by two years."
Yuan Hang scratched his head, "Is that okay?"
"Many base kids don’t have accurate birth dates anyway; whether modified up or down, it’s all decided by the base personnel. With the big competition over and the second half of the year relatively quiet, take a month off—handle the paperwork, and spend the remainder however you two like."
"How could we do that? If both of us leave, you and Engineer Yi won’t have anyone around."
"Old Eight and Dapeng are already back, you two go ahead!"
"And what about Haotian’s affairs?" Yuan Hang asked suspiciously.
"Putting Kai Di in prison was both a blessing and a curse. Emperor Haotian knows we planted people in his domain and expressed strong dissatisfaction to King Muta. For now, we won’t arrange any more spies in Haotian’s area."
Yuan Hang slammed the steering wheel furiously, "Damn! What’s his problem? After all the help we gave him, he has the nerve to be ungrateful?"
Tong Airui smirked faintly, "You think Emperor Haotian doesn’t know what’s going on? He’s aware of Kai Di’s every move and was simply waiting for someone else to take the hit for him."
"That makes sense—he just took down his own brother and is now monitoring his sister. If this got out, he’d face criticism. But under these circumstances, it’s different: first, someone else stirs the pot, and then, locking Kai Di up during a looming invasion avoids public backlash."
Yi Luowa laughed softly, "I’m quite curious about what kind of person Emperor Haotian is. Some say he’s awful, others say he’s good. Judging from recent events, he seems to value loyalty and emotions. Plus, besides being a fierce warrior, he also has a brilliant mind."
Tong Airui chuckled and shook his head, "You got the last part wrong! The one with the brilliant mind isn’t Emperor Haotian—it’s his wife!"
"The Haotian Empress?"
Tong Airui nodded, "Legend has it she’s a woman of breathtaking beauty and wisdom. But because of her beauty, she attracted a lot of trouble, so after marrying Emperor Haotian, she always covers her face with a black veil. No one has seen her face since."
"So does that mean she had a major role in toppling Du Ma and imprisoning Kai Di?"
"Yes, not only was she involved, she played a leading role. If it were solely up to Emperor Haotian’s loyal personality..."
The car came to a halt, cutting off Tong Airui’s voice.
Kou’er was already waiting outside the hotel, opening the car door for Yi Luowa.
Yi Luowa followed Tong Airui into the hotel lobby, where many team members were waiting.
Tong Airui smiled, "Head upstairs, everyone."
The crowd ascended in groups to the second-floor banquet hall. Once Tong Airui entered, the banquet hall, packed with nearly a thousand people, fell silent.
Before anyone could stand, Tong Airui said with a smile, "You’re all heroes! Tonight is your celebration feast, so relax—but one rule: you can indulge in food, but not alcohol! After the celebration ends, you’re free to move around but be back on the ship by 10 pm sharp. One last reminder: wherever you are, always remember your identity!"
"Rest assured, Captain!" The team responded in unison.
Tong Airui smiled and led Yi Luowa into a private room.
Mi Chenxuan complained, "You two finally made it; I’m starving!"
A few older teammates chuckled helplessly.
Tong Airui frowned slightly, "You know everyone’s status here, so don’t be disrespectful!"
"You think I want to eat with you all?" Mi Chenxuan grumbled, "Captain Min dragged me here—he said I’m responsible for pouring tea for everyone."
Tong Airui laughed, "If that’s the case, then stand behind me. If anyone’s cup is empty, you’ll..."
Mi Chenxuan indignantly interjected, "Captain, that’s not fair—I contributed plenty in the competition!"
Captain Min laughed, "You did a great job in the vanguard role; I’ll make sure you’re recognized with an award."
Tong Airui turned to Captain Min, "Captain Min, you want to give Mi Chenxuan an award? Don’t you think that requires reconsideration? He’s your student and my brother!"
Captain Min chuckled, "True merit eclipses nepotism; we can’t overlook the contributions of a hero."
"Captain Min’s absolutely right!"
"Mi Chenxuan’s actions in this battle were definitely commendable!"
A few more people chimed in, clearly impressed with Mi Chenxuan.
Tong Airui glanced around at the group and turned to Mi Chenxuan, "What do you think?"
Mi Chenxuan responded earnestly, "Every team member who fought is a hero; I only did my duty. I don’t care about recognition—just give me something to eat!"
The room erupted in laughter.
Tong Airui smiled faintly, "Recognition will follow due process, with voting at every level."
"Alright, we’ll follow the Captain’s lead!" Captain Min nodded with a grin.
"Don’t forget someone else deserving recognition!" Mi Chenxuan suddenly stood and pointed to Yi Luowa beside Tong Airui. "Without Yi’s selflessness, our victory wouldn’t have come so quickly."
Yi Luowa smiled, "You’re calling me selfless, but isn’t that a sacrifice already? Might as well declare me a martyr!"
Tong Airui shot her a dark look, "Never bring up the word ’martyr’ again!"
Yi Luowa pouted and nodded obediently.
"Alright, let’s eat," Mi Chenxuan joked to diffuse the tension.
Tong Airui picked up his chopsticks, only to set them down again, and said seriously, "Yi Luowa disobeyed orders this time. While her actions contributed to the battle’s progress, her merits don’t cancel out her mistakes."
Mi Chenxuan slapped his own mouth in frustration, "Damn my mouth—why can’t I ever say the right thing? What a misstep!"
Yi Luowa pulled Mi Chenxuan down to sit and smiled, "Stop the fuss—let’s just eat. Everyone has barely had a decent meal lately."
Mi Chenxuan glanced at Tong Airui reluctantly before sitting down.
Yi Luowa raised her tea cup and stood, "Here’s my first toast to everyone. Thank you for showing me what true courage looks like. From now on, you’re my role models—I’ll work hard to better myself and try not to burden anyone further."
The group stood up one by one, raising their tea cups and drinking in unison.
