Head of State's Office.
When Ian Song arrived, he found that the Head of State and all nine Grand Elders had already beaten him there. He quickly apologized, "Head of State, Grand Elders, I’m sorry I’m late. Please forgive me."
"Haha, young people have a lot going on. We understand," the Head of State said with a smile.
"That's right, young folks are full of energy. Not like us—we’re all old now, really old," Elder Quinn joked.
It sounded like a joke, but there was a hidden meaning—he was referring to Susie and Kara Moran.
Ian didn’t mind at all. He’d never tried to hide Susie and Kara’s identities; otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent the Five-Man Task Force to handle their paperwork.
Of course, it was mostly because Ian was confident—he wasn’t worried about anyone discovering Susie and Kara’s background.
With his current strength, there was nobody in the real world who could threaten him. Not even a nuclear bomb—thanks to the speed of the Silverglow Skiff, he could fly thousands of kilometers away before it even landed.
A moment later, Ian said, "What a coincidence—I happen to have a special pill here that can improve your physique and extend your life. Would the Head of State and Grand Elders like to try it?"
"You really have something like that?" Elder Quinn’s eyes lit up. The government had gotten plenty of Spirit Medicines from the Secret Realm and made all kinds of nutrient solutions, but the research was still new. Compared to the pill-refining arts of the Immortal-Dao civilization, handed down for countless generations, they were far behind.
That’s why, no matter how advanced the scientists’ nutrient solutions were, they still couldn’t compare to real pills in terms of effectiveness or stability.
Ian replied matter-of-factly, "I wouldn’t dare trick the Head of State or the Grand Elders! Of course, even though we’re all familiar, if you want the pills, you’ll have to pay—ten thousand yuan each, limit two per person."
Everyone laughed at Ian’s words, secretly admiring how he handled things. Making them pay was his way of keeping things fair—he didn’t want them to owe him any favors. Besides, pills that could improve physique and prolong life weren’t something you could just buy with money.
"Works for me. I’ll take two—but I didn’t bring any cash. Can I pay you later?" Elder Quinn said.
"Sorry, small business—no credit!" Ian replied.
"You...!" Elder Quinn was momentarily stunned, pointed at Ian, then burst out laughing. The others joined in, filling the room with laughter.
Jokes aside, Ian quickly took out ten jade bottles and handed them to the Head of State and the nine Grand Elders.
Elder Stone was the impatient type. He grabbed a bottle, popped the cap, and poured two pills into his palm.
The pills were emerald green, giving off a faint, refreshing fragrance.
"Ian, is there anything special about these pills?" Elder Stone asked.
Ian answered, "Not much to it—you can take them anytime, but..."
"Then I’ll give it a try right now."
Before Ian could finish, Elder Stone had already swallowed one of the pills.
Seeing this, Ian was speechless. "Elder Stone, you’re way too impatient! I wasn’t finished—after you take the pill, your body will expel a ton of impurities. So it’s best to strip down and wait in the bathroom!"
Elder Stone glared at him, "Why didn’t you say so earlier!"
"Look at Elder Stone’s face!" Suddenly, one of the Grand Elders pointed at Elder Stone.
Everyone looked over and saw Elder Stone’s face covered in thick, black, greasy filth. The amount kept increasing—within moments, he looked like a man made of mud.
"Ouch, my stomach! I need the restroom!"
Clutching his stomach, Elder Stone rushed to the restroom—so quickly he didn’t even close the door. Soon, a series of sickening noises echoed from inside.
"Ian, is Elder Stone going to be okay?"
The Head of State asked, a little worried.
"He’ll be fine. Elder Stone is older, so he’s built up a lot of impurities—his reaction is just stronger than usual," Ian assured them.
"Good to hear," the Head of State nodded. "Let’s wait outside, so Elder Stone doesn’t feel embarrassed."
No one objected—the commotion Elder Stone was making, and the smell, were just too much. The entire office was now unbearable.
As everyone left the office, Ian suddenly said, "Elder Stone’s uniform is probably ruined. Someone should get him a new one!"
A guardsman was waiting outside. At the Head of State’s command, someone immediately went to fetch new clothes for Elder Stone.
The guardsman was quick—less than ten minutes later, he brought over a brand-new plain military uniform.
But after delivering the uniform and stepping out of the office, the guardsman’s usually cold face was bright red—not from embarrassment at seeing Elder Stone undressed, but because he’d been holding his breath. The stench inside was so intense, it was like chemical poison gas.
Half an hour later, Elder Stone emerged from the office, completely refreshed and transformed.
The Head of State, Elder Quinn, and the others instinctively looked his way. They immediately saw that Elder Stone’s formerly gray hair was now jet-black, most of his age spots were gone, his wrinkles had vanished, his complexion was rosy, and his posture was straight. Overall, he looked twenty years younger.
"Elder Stone, how do you feel?" one of the Grand Elders asked.
"Haha, this is freaking amazing! I feel like I’m thirty years younger—full of strength!" Elder Stone laughed, so happy he even started cursing.
Seeing the transformation with their own eyes, the Head of State and the others gripped their pill bottles tightly and looked at Ian with newfound gratitude.
That office was now unusable—the smell hadn’t faded at all.
They switched to a new office and continued the meeting, though everyone was clearly distracted.
Under those circumstances, they finalized the Dragon Guard Directorate’s headquarters, personnel grades, and core duties.
As soon as the meeting ended, the Grand Elders hurried off—obviously eager to go home and take the pills.
"Ian, wait a second!"
Just as Ian was about to leave, the Head of State called him back.
"Head of State, do you have instructions?" Ian stopped and asked.
"Take a look at this," the Head of State said, handing him a red encrypted file.
Puzzled, Ian opened the file.
He speed-read the short document, taking in ten lines at a glance.
Closing the file, Ian looked at the Head of State. "Head of State, you mean...?"
With a grave tone, the Head of State said, "To get this file back to our country, a total of 125 agents sacrificed their lives. To verify its authenticity, 36 top-tier agents have already died, and five more are missing. So I’m asking you to go, but if you’re unwilling, I won’t force you."
"When should I leave?" Ian asked.
"The sooner, the better!"
"Should I go through normal channels, or covert ones?" Ian asked again.
"It’s up to you," the Head of State replied.
Ian thought for a moment. "Alright, just get my passport and plane ticket ready. I’ll fly out tomorrow!"