Qi Sha looked utterly surprised: "What? Really?" Qingya gave him a withering glance. "What's so strange about that? Haven't you always been in Europe? It's just that he hasn't shown his face recently." "That doesn't make sense," he said, stroking his chin. "He was hit by a nuclear blast—just a blast injury wouldn't allow him to recover so quickly. So now he's back, where's Meili?" The beautiful Commissioner shook her head. "We haven't heard anything from her. The Director suspects this might be a magical strategy to lure us into action, so he's strictly ordered everyone not to leave without permission. We need to gather more information before making any final judgment." It's clear now that the old Master Li really was intimidated by Meili last time—otherwise, why would he be so cautious and careful. The woman continued: "I think the Director is right. That charming woman has so many tricks up her sleeve; she might easily deceive us if we're not careful. What's your expression? As if you just swallowed two flies!" "How am I supposed to speak?" "Qin was slightly displeased, saying, "I don't think this is a scheme at all—what if Mei Li has already left Europe?" "You mean she's gone to China?" "Exactly. That's what I'm most worried about." Qing Ya raised an eyebrow, saying, "It's unlikely, though. Her team is still there. How could she possibly go alone? What kind of damage could one person cause?" Qin shook his head. He believed Mei Li was just as unconventional as himself—someone who never hesitated to break the rules and could accomplish anything. Just as he had anticipated, the beautiful magical being had arrived in China and was now strolling through the city streets, browsing for restaurants. Her companion, the Dragon Shark, remained hidden deep in a valley some fifty kilometers away, undetected. She was tall and wore a long gown reminiscent of medieval European women, her hairstyle distinctly different from that of modern-day citizens. Combined with her striking, unconventional facial features, she immediately became the center of attention as soon as she stepped onto the street. With each graceful step, the delicate leather shoes clicked crisply against the pavement. A few bold pedestrians approached, only to be deterred by the cool, composed expression on her face. Ahead lay a well-known restaurant in the capital, its entrance bustling with an array of luxury vehicles. Peering up at the grand bronze characters on the sign, Meili murmured to herself, "This must be a great place—otherwise, how could there be so many people here?" She walked straight toward the main entrance, where the receptionist promptly greeted her warmly, "Good afternoon, how many guests are there with you?" "One," she replied, raising a slender finger. The hostess' face immediately tightened, saying, "I'm sorry, but today our guests have been absolutely overwhelming—we may not be able to accommodate you, and that's truly disappointing." Even a single diner requires a table, and one person can order several dishes, so such a loss-making arrangement is certainly considered negligible in busy restaurants. "But isn't your seating area full?" Meili frowned, clearly seeing several empty tables inside through the glass windows on either side of the entrance. The hostess smiled politely, "We do have seating available, but since you're only one person, we find it rather inconvenient to seat you—again, we're truly sorry." "Who says we only have one person here? We have two—would that be acceptable?" a slightly casual voice interjected. Mei Li turned around to see a man dressed in top-tier fashion, with perfectly styled hair and polished appearance, in his early thirties, smiling with a self-assured air, radiating arrogance and an air of superiority. The receptionist immediately changed her expression—now eager to leap forward and offer her services with a flirtatious smile, saying, "Oh, it's Mr. Liu! We haven't seen you here in a while. Is this lady one of your friends? I'm truly sorry—I didn't recognize her as one of yours, otherwise I would have welcomed her without hesitation." Mei Li didn't hold back, firmly stating, "I don't know him." Mr. Liu had been observing her for a long time. Though he never lacked women around him—women of all kinds—he found that compared to Mei Li's beauty and grace, all the women he usually encountered seemed rather ordinary. He was deeply pondering how he might find an opportunity to strike up a conversation with this foreign beauty when he saw her being turned away. Now, what was he waiting for? The moment had arrived. It was time to step in and lend a hand. "Hehe, your Chinese is truly excellent, though we haven't met before—after dinner, won't we be acquainted?" said the young lord with a cheerful smile. "I sincerely invite you to dinner—would you be so kind as to accept?" Mei Li gazed at him, a slightly complex expression on her face. Just as she was about to decline, the young lord added, "Madam, my father is the director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—he specifically handles matters concerning people like you. Should you encounter any difficulties in Beijing, I can certainly assist you." "Ah, the director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—that sounds like a very important position," she replied with a smile. Unaware of the subtle condescension in his words, the young lord was delighted and said, "Well, actually, not that impressive—my father is just someone who always manages to get the courtesy of others. Heh, he's quite ordinary." In a city where officials are so numerous that even department-level officials barely stand out, a mere director of a bureau like Liu's is truly setting himself apart—this is clearly a case of self-praise. A group of foreign affairs officials often come here for meals, which is how the receptionist came to know the bureau director, Liu, and subsequently met his son, the young Liu. "Very well," Mei Li smiled, "since the young Liu has been so kind in inviting me, I can't possibly refuse." The young Liu was delighted: "Your Chinese is truly excellent, please proceed." As they entered the main hall, he proudly declared, "I'd like a private dining room—don't tell me you don't have one. If you fail to honor my friend, you'll have to eat it on the spot." The manager quickly bowed and nodded, saying, "Of course we have private rooms—we'll certainly give your esteemed presence the honor you deserve. Please follow me to the third floor." At that moment, another group of guests approached, with the lead guest saying, "Manager, we'd also like a private room—we have more people." The manager immediately frowned and sighed, "Private rooms are now gone—we'll have to settle for the main hall." "Didn't we just have them just a moment ago? And both of your guests have already gone upstairs—what about us six?" "That gentleman just arrived is Liu. Could you tell me where your father is working?" the manager inquired, with a sniff. "Wow, it's all about family connections," Liu replied. The manager glanced at him. "Exactly—how can it be otherwise? You two should sit in the main hall. If you don't move soon, even that will be gone. By then, who's going to eat? Shall we switch to another restaurant?" Well, the guests had a good business, so although they were annoyed, they couldn't do much—only their own lack of a strong family network was to blame. Seeing guests continuously entering the building, they quickly settled themselves into an available seat.