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Zhang Qiu has made up his mind to stay in Africa, and no matter what happens, he will not change his decision. The lunch ended in a quarrel, marking the first time the trio's relationship has soured since arriving in Africa. K slammed the table and left, causing the dishes to clatter. Halfway out, he turned back to warn, "What you're doing disregards the country's image; sooner or later, it will lead to chaos!"
"Why did he get so angry? Isn't it common to have differing opinions? How can everyone think the same way?" Lucia stared at K until his figure disappeared from the porch.
"K thinks differently from us; he's a soldier, accustomed to collectivism and absolute obedience," Zhang Qiu understood K's behavior. It's normal for a soldier who has been through blood and fire to have a fiery temper.
Your Highness's bodyguard in black pushed open the door and walked in: "Your Highness is waiting for you."
Zhang Qiu and Lucia stood up. As they walked, Lucia pondered about K: "What if K doesn't agree with your staying? What will you do?"
"If he doesn't want to stay, then he can go back on his own; I won't leave regardless."
"Is that really okay?" Lucia was worried for Zhang Qiu. "K seems to be hinting that if you don't go back with him, you might face punishment."
"Don't worry; I haven't broken any laws. My Motherland isn't that bad."
Zhang Qiu's words did not alleviate Lucia's concern. By the time they reached the conference room, discussions about K had to be temporarily set aside. In the familiar conference room with familiar faces, Prince Banan was still sitting in the same spot as yesterday. Upon seeing Zhang Qiu and Lucia, he smiled and waved. However, that smile seemed somewhat forced in Zhang Qiu's eyes, leading him to wonder if something had happened.
Zhang Qiu and Lucia sat closely together on the sofa. The tea set lay idle on the Tea Table, giving off a sense of desolation. A Servant approached to pour water for Zhang Qiu and Lucia. Prince Banan raised a hand and said, "You all can leave now."
"Yes!" The Servants and bodyguards in the room exited together.
The last Servant closed the door behind them. Prince Banan smiled lightly and got straight to the point: "Today might be our last meeting."
Both Zhang Qiu and Lucia were taken aback; Zhang Qiu thought something must be wrong.
"What’s going on?" Zhang Qiu and Lucia asked in unison.
Prince Banan shook his head. "This was supposed to be confidential, but I won't hide it from you any longer. The situation in the country is very uncertain. There are reports that my father is regrouping in Southeast and will gather an army of one hundred thousand to launch a concentrated attack on the north. Last night, I summoned military and political leaders from dozens of major cities to the palace to discuss defense issues concerning the cities bordering Southeast. The meeting lasted until dawn, and a tense atmosphere hung over the entire discussion."
"Are we really at a point where we must fight our own people?"
"I don't want war either; it will inevitably bring heavy disaster to the citizens. However," Prince Banan looked gravely at Lucia, "my father will not agree to relinquish power. And I will not give up on reform. So," Prince Banan forced a bitter smile, "you should pack your things and return home. Although this is the palace, it is no longer safe here. I will arrange for someone to escort you out."
"We're not leaving!" Zhang Qiu said. "Prince Banan, Lucia and I have discussed this; we are all Jade Pendant Heirs, and we should face difficulties together. There is an old saying in China: good brothers share both blessings and hardships."
"I appreciate your goodwill," Prince Banan shook his head. "But the current situation is unpredictable; anyone could die, and I am prepared for that myself. You do not belong here; this kind of suffering should not fall upon you."
"But..."
"Enough!" Prince Banan interrupted Lucia. "Listen to me, this afternoon, I will arrange for someone to escort you away. If I can safely navigate through this turmoil, I will come find you."
"Prince Banan, do you have your jade pendant with you?" Zhang Qiu suddenly changed the subject.
"Yes, I've always had it with me. Why?"
"Hand it to me." Qiu Wan then said to Lucia, "You give me yours too."
Lucia was already reaching for her jade pendant, eager to see what would happen when the three pieces came together.
Prince Banan took out his jade pendant and placed it in Zhang Qiu's hand, confusion evident in his gaze as he shifted between Zhang Qiu and the pendants. Zhang Qiu first placed Lucia's pendant alongside his own, producing a sound as clear as a water droplet.
"This... this..." Prince Banan was left speechless by the miraculous scene before him.
"When I first met Lucia, I had the sudden idea to combine the two jade pendants, and the result was just as you saw. This is also why we were eager to find the third Jade Pendant Heir. Now, I am going to combine the three pendants."
Qiu Wan flipped the pendant in her hand and gently pressed Prince Banan's pendant against the two above it, producing a crisp sound like a water droplet.
"Is that it?" Lucia curiously stared at the combined three pendants, thinking that something different should appear.
"The fact that the pendants can make a sound when combined is already quite magical," Prince Banan said, examining the three pendants with great interest. "However, this does seem a bit simple."
Zhang Qiu felt disappointed with the result of the three pendants coming together. It was like a group of workers who had gone through great hardships to find a resource-rich mine, only to discover after digging a few times that they had made a mistake and there were only a pitiful few ores here.
"Look!" Lucia suddenly shouted.
Zhang Qiu and Prince Banan turned to look; the top of the pendant was changing colors, and its area began to expand from a single point. Zhang Qiu instinctively placed the pendant on the Tea Table, and all three held their breath in unison, watching this miraculous scene unfold. This was more like it, Zhang Qiu thought; what was happening now matched the legendary status of the pendants.
The chandelier on the ceiling flickered continuously, and Prince Banan went to turn it off himself. Bright sunlight streamed through the window into the room; even with the lights off, it wouldn't be dark. The phenomenon of the pendants lasted for about a minute before the changing light disappeared. Just when Zhang Qiu thought it was over, the pendant began to float slowly. Zhang Qiu, Lucia, and Prince Banan all widened their eyes at this incredible sight as the pendant floated steadily above the Tea Table, completely unaffected by gravity. The room was eerily silent until a loud bang startled everyone, but there was no change in the pendant.
"Your Highness," a voice called from the doorway; it was White-Bearded Man rushing in.
Zhang Qiu, Lucia, and Prince Banan all turned their gazes toward White-Bearded Man. His attention was firmly captured by the floating pendant. What was going on? A large piece of jade was actually floating in mid-air!
"Shut the door!" Prince Banan shouted angrily. "What are you doing here?" His tone carried an air of reproach; clearly, Your Highness did not want anyone else to see what was happening with the pendant.
"I apologize, Your Highness," White-Bearded Man said quickly as he noticed Prince Banan's anger and shifted his focus away from the pendant. "Just now, there was a sudden power failure in the palace's electrical system, and all communication systems have gone down. I was worried about Your Highness's safety, which is why I rushed in despite being stopped. Your Highness, should we proceed with an emergency evacuation?"
"No need!" Prince Banan turned back to look at the pendant. After combining them, as soon as they began to flicker, he speculated that the power failure and communication breakdown in the palace were likely caused by interference from the pendant. He then looked at White-Bearded Man and pointed to the sofa. "Sit down."
The White-Bearded Man walked over to the sofa and sat down, his gaze once again drawn to the jade pendant.
The jade pendant, floating in mid-air, changed once more, emanating a greenish glow, with symbols faintly dancing within it. Zhang Qiu, Lucia, and Prince Banan had grown accustomed to the waves of surprises brought by the pendant, while the well-informed Chief Administrator, the White-Bearded Man, was left dumbfounded.
The green light spread outwards, forming a transparent screen on which images appeared. Groups of primitive people draped in animal furs were running, shouting in a language incomprehensible to modern ears. Suddenly, several pillars of fire descended and exploded among the crowd, leaving the unfortunate people bloodied and wailing.
The scene shifted to the sky, where a massive Silver Disc floated above. Pillars of fire erupted from the bottom of the disc. Some individuals riding flying dragons charged towards the disc, wielding oddly shaped weapons. Just as countless smaller discs burst forth from the larger one, the scene changed again.
Injured individuals stood atop a high mountain, holding various weapons and torches. There were Yellow People, White People, and Black People among them. The distant mountains were covered in white snow, and it seemed as if they were stepping on clouds. Before them stood a grand palace engulfed in flames; metal pipes at its peak had burst apart, scattering dark fragments everywhere. A large gray sphere with numerous pits slowly ascended as people cheered and jumped beneath it.
"Is that... the Moon?" Lucia suddenly asked.
"Yes!" Prince Banan and Zhang Qiu answered in unison; they were all too familiar with the appearance of the Moon.
The images continued to unfold as someone emerged from the palace holding three fragments of jade pendants. Three leaders stepped out from the crowd—one with yellow skin, one with white skin, and one with black skin. The three appeared to be discussing something when one of them put away a piece of jade pendant. Subsequently, three blood-stained hands of different colors clasped tightly together.
A group of grotesque creatures moved about in a technologically advanced room. A massive screen on one side displayed a blue planet. One of the ugly beings extended its long claws towards that blue planet just as the image abruptly stopped. The jade pendant returned to calmness and slowly descended onto the Tea Table, with one piece sliding off to the side.
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