Chapter 513: The Gathering at Dawn

Two hours later.

After cutting through layers of tightly guarded troops, Yenir silently trailed behind the Secretary General and stepped into the central office.

He had been summoned by Li Xuanguo.

Confirming that Wang Tian wouldn’t receive his skill until tomorrow, Yenir decided not to waste any time and came early to see Li Xuanguo.

Even though the matter with Lu Haishan seemed settled, the Death Duel wasn’t scheduled for another three days, and Yenir knew all too well that complications were bound to arise in the meantime.

The Capital’s stance was, in fact, quite peculiar…

Even Lu Haishan’s hasty exit—resembling an escape—hinted at deeper implications.

“Commissar Yenir, the Prime Minister’s Office is here.”

“You can go in on your own; I won’t accompany you.”

The Secretary General smiled politely at Yenir—having met him a few times before—and gestured toward the pair of wooden double doors that marked the entrance to Li Xuanguo’s office.

It was unremarkable; there were no guards at the door, and it looked like a standard meeting room.

But when Yenir looked up at the plaque hanging before the office, he realized that this was the nerve center not only of the Capital but of the entire Huaxia Battle Zone.

Unless something unexpected occurred, protectors like Liang Lie were surely lurking nearby.

With a slight nod, Yenir didn’t bother with formalities and pushed the door open immediately.

To be honest, he was quite curious about what Li Xuanguo had to tell him.

Creak

The old wooden door let out a creak. In the immaculate, slightly chilly office, Li Xuanguo—seated at a large desk piled high with documents—looked up with a smile as Yenir entered.

“You’re here?”

“Find a seat; I still have some files to review.”

After nodding and settling in, Yenir curiously scanned the room.

It was already early morning, yet it was clear that Li Xuanguo had been working nonstop since yesterday.

In his past life, after ascending to a high rank in the Military, a different person had occupied this very office.

Lost in thought, Yenir couldn’t help but suddenly recall that man.

……

Ten minutes later, as Li Xuanguo looked up once more, he slowly set his pen down and rubbed his furrowed brows wearily.

He stared silently at Yenir for a moment before, meeting his calm gaze, he softly began:

“Yenir, I know your nature, so I’ll keep this brief.”

“I summoned you for two reasons—one concerning Lu Haishan and the other…”

After a brief hesitation as he mentioned the second matter, the Prime Minister seemed reluctant.

Moments later, as if having reached a decision, he stepped straight up to Yenir and, with a hint of emotion, spoke earnestly:

“Your innate talent is truly formidable.”

“Frankly, you might be among the most gifted in China’s history, perhaps even among the most talented Awakeners globally.”

“Yenir, I truly admire you.”

With a complex smile, Li Xuanguo shed his usual formality and moved to sit beside Yenir.

Listening to the Prime Minister’s praise, Yenir simply nodded calmly, without a trace of humility.

Of course, he knew his talent was exceptional; in his previous life, everyone who encountered him lavished him with high praise, seeing him as a beacon of hope.

Not to mention this life.

But he couldn’t help but wonder—was Li Xuanguo really calling him over just to express admiration?

“Prime Minister, are you trying to persuade me to abandon the Death Duel? It concerns Lu Haishan…”

“I’m sorry, but my mind is made up. There’s no room for reconciliation between us.”

Speaking first, Yenir made his stance clear—despite facing the highest authority in Huaguo, he was unafraid to stand his ground.

Lu Haishan must die—their enmity had escalated to a life-or-death rivalry.

He had no doubt that Lu Haishan, out for vengeance on behalf of Lu Tianming, would even target his own family. Even with the Military’s protection, Lu Haishan would stop at nothing to sabotage his plans in the future.

He simply could not allow that to happen!

Cutting through the complications like a hot knife through butter, he was determined to face any challenges that came next head-on!

In the ensuing silence, Li Xuanguo paused, then let out a bitter chuckle and sighed.

“I know we can’t sway you.”

“In fact, the reason I called you here this time isn’t actually because of that…”

Before Yenir could even raise an eyebrow in surprise, Li Xuanguo spoke again in a deep tone:

“Yenir, perhaps you should know some things.”

“Although it might not be entirely proper to say them aloud, you’re already involved.”

“I trust your keen observation—you must have noticed that Lu Haishan and his cohorts aren’t entirely in sync with the Military!”

With his expression tightening, Yenir remained silent.

As the Prime Minister’s final words echoed, he suddenly realized that today’s conversation held far greater significance than he’d ever imagined!

Sure enough, after drawing a deep, complex breath, Li Xuanguo grew unusually solemn and began to speak in a low tone:

“Yenir, three hours ago, after Commissar Hu and I returned, the entire Military convened an emergency meeting! And at its core… was you!”

“If you want to kill Lu Haishan… go ahead!”

“In fact, major issues have already emerged within the Huaguo Military!”

“You weren’t originally meant to know about this, nor were you supposed to be involved! But it seems it’s time for you to learn some truths…”

As his words died away, the atmosphere in the office suddenly grew oppressive.

In an instant, Yenir sensed several presences subtly encircling him from the outside, and his heart skipped a beat.

Internal issues?

In that moment, Yenir realized that what Li Xuanguo was about to reveal might very well be the tangled mysteries he had long suspected!