"Confiscation?! How... how can you people of the Xianzhou be so unreasonable!"

Yanqing remained calm and said frankly, "Mr. Scott, if this were at Pier Point, if incoming cargo posed a safety hazard, the Company would also seize and dispose of it, correct?"

"Uh... that's true," Scott's momentum quickly faded. "But, but the Company also allows exceptions. For instance, for Xianzhou ships, the Company is always happy to make allowances."

As things stood, Scott felt the other party was quite articulate, so he decided to back down slightly. He wanted the Xianzhou side to grant him two days, as the matter was significant, and he needed to communicate with the Company Headquarters.

Yanqing immediately saw through the scheme in the other party's heart and spoke bluntly, "Mr. Scott is planning to use the 'Delay Tactic,' waiting until the ship is repaired so the Sky-Faring Commission will have no choice but to let you leave without inspection?"

"As long as they don't violate the law, people from the Company are naturally free to come and go."

Suddenly, a crisp, bell-like female voice came from afar.

Scott nodded, "You seem knowledgeable. Who are you?"

An elegant and intellectual black-haired woman walked gracefully forward. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lingsha, the High Elder of the Luofu Alchemy Commission."

—

Chainsaw Man.

"S-such a beautiful Older Sister!" Denji's eyes were glued, staring intensely at her two big white... oh wait, her red and white striped legs, as if afraid to miss any good scenery.

Finally, he came to a conclusion—"I really like this one!"

"So, please give an example of one you don't like," Hayakawa Aki's voice drifted out from the kitchen.

Denji immediately wore a troubled expression... This was much harder than addition and subtraction within ten.

"Denji, you're so universally loving. Since you like them so much, you're truly suited to win the Nobel Peace Prize." Power tossed the core of a half-eaten Apple to Denji. "Catch! Your Nobel Peace Prize reward!"

"Tch..." Denji securely caught the Apple core, which Power had only taken one bite out of, with his mouth. That girl only ever ate the most delicious part of anything; for the Apple, she only bit the reddest spot. Just as she said, if she was going to drink blood, it had to be the blood of children, women, and men. She had no interest in the blood of the elderly, which was past its optimal consumption period.

"That woman's hands and feet are all red, huh? I wonder what her blood tastes like?"

"If you dare harbor designs on a woman like that, you'll be pulverized by the Xianzhou the next second," Hayakawa Aki said while silently peeling an Apple nearby. "...Also, if you waste fruit, dinner will be entirely vegetarian."

"Bastard! Cruel and unusual punishment!"

—

Dan Heng lowered his voice, "Could she be...?"

Yanqing nodded, "Yes, she is the new High Elder who was dispatched here from the Zhuming Xianzhou."

"The Artisanship Commission sent a document stating that cargo containing unknown biological samples was detained here and required personnel from the Alchemy Commission to inspect it. Since I was idle anyway, I came personally~" Lingsha smiled slightly at Scott. "Mr. Scott, if you truly don't want us to inspect it, we won't. It makes no difference."

"How can you say it makes no difference?" Yanqing immediately grew anxious.

Lingsha did not reply, merely giving a soft smile.

Scott also sensed something strange. "Why have you suddenly become so accommodating? Since you said you won't inspect it, I will take this cargo container with me. You have no objection, right?"

"Objection? What objection could this concubine have? Not only this sample, but all the cargo on the transport ship, you can keep it all. We won't inspect any of it."

"Wait!"

Yanqing was about to step forward to stop him, but he saw Lingsha smile and give him a look. Although Yanqing didn't understand why, he complied anyway.

Scott was immediately satisfied. "Now that's more like it! With such a humane... I mean, reasonable attitude, there was no need to cause a scene earlier. Our ship will depart in a few days once the engine repairs are complete."

"The ship can certainly leave, but the cargo cannot."

Scott: "?"

Lingsha explained unhurriedly, "According to the import and export regulations signed between the Xianzhou and the Company, all biological products can only leave the port after it is confirmed that they pose no harm to the outside world or have lost their biological activity. However, since we cannot determine if it poses a threat, we can only wait for it to lose its biological activity naturally. Based on existing precedents... let me see... usually, forty-seven Star Calendar Years is sufficient."

"Only???"

—

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End.

"For long-lived species, forty-seven years might be nothing, but for short-lived species, forty-seven years is a lifetime."

"Indeed."

Frieren strongly agreed with this. For her, forty-something years was truly just a brief moment, like the time she adventured with Himmel; the memory was as clear as if it happened yesterday.

"Miss Lingsha looks very gentle, but her words... always give off a slightly malicious vibe." Stark scratched his head. He smelled the same scent on Lingsha as he did on General Jing Yuan—the scent of a clever person.

They shared one common trait in their speech—their words seemed calm on the surface, but waves were hidden beneath, and one could be swept away if not careful.

Clearly, Mr. Scott was about to be swept away.

"Stark, did you learn how she handles conflict?" Zane walked up from behind and threw an arm around the boy's neck.

"Uh... I can't learn it."

"Haha, I can't learn it either." Zane couldn't help but praise her. "That's why she can be the High Elder of the Alchemy Commission. It seems that to become one of the Six Commissions, besides having excellent professional skills, speaking is also a profound field of study."

—

Lingsha remained pleasant and amiable: "No need to be so surprised, right? You look quite young, and your energy is strong. Living for a few more decades shouldn't be a problem. Have some confidence in yourself!"

Scott ground his teeth audibly. "As expected of a Long-Lived Species, your words are laced with sarcasm. You might not care about the concept of time, but I will demand the Sky-Faring Commission compensate me double for every minute of delay!"

Lingsha smiled calmly. "It seems Mr. Scott is very confident that his career and life will last long enough to witness this victory."

"..."

Hearing this, Scott was completely at a loss. He shook his head with a grave expression and called out to the employees behind him, "Brothers, stand aside. Let them inspect."

"But, Mr. Scott..."

"Enough! Things are already troublesome enough... let them conduct the safety inspection." Scott finally snapped, roaring hoarsely at his own people, "At worst, I'll go back and personally kowtow and apologize to those Scholars—isn't that what this head of mine is for?"