The situation was different now.
They were no longer involved with the Island of Despair. They were constantly investigating the organization. Moreover, the
Island of Despair was an underground organization, making it difficult for them to gather intelligence.
That was why there was a need for extensive pre-preparation. Otherwise, the later rescue efforts would be challenging.
After Rain left, Luke picked up the document again. Having already memorized it, he found it unnecessary and tore it into pieces.
Then, he tossed the shreds into the ashtray, watching them succumb to the flames until they were all but ashes.
Only destroyed information was truly secure.
Luke took the matter of the Island of Despair seriously because it affected him and Luca. Therefore, he was meticulous in every
detail.
A message notification came from his phone.
Luke checked his phone and realized it was a message from Luca.
It was a simple text explaining that Nina would be staying with them, along with her current situation. It ended with a reminder to
eat on time.
A faint smile played across his lips. He appreciated the concern expressed by Luca, even if it was just a short message.
After replying with a simple 'okay', Luke made an internal call and instructed Jason to bring him dinner.
He would heed Luca's advice.
...
In the university town, Vivian received a call and quickly excused herself from the evening self-study session. Carrying her
backpack, she rushed out of the campus gate.
She was slightly surprised when she saw a familiar tall figure. She walked toward him and asked, "Aaron, what brings you here?"
Aaron, the one sent by Ray to deliver the document to Luke, wore a shy smile when he saw Vivian.
A burly man showing such a smile struck Vivian with an indescribable visual impact.
It was quite shocking.
He was a man with ordinary features but a well-toned physique, but he wore a shy smile that seemed more fitting for a delicate
woman. The sight caught her attention...
"What's wrong?" Vivian asked again. Then, upon recalling something, she added, "Is my brother here?"
"No, Mr. Lacroix didn't come. Actually, I'm here to carry out the task assigned by Mr. Lacroix. I also came here to see you, Ms.
Vivian. Good evening!" Aaron performed a family salute while they were surrounded by the bustling campus crowd.
Vivian felt embarrassed. There were so many students coming and going. Aaron's gesture attracted a lot of attention.
There were many foreign students at Capital University, so seeing a foreign face was not that novel for them. Still, the salute
piqued the curiosity of many students.
"Aaron, we're not in Russia, and this is definitely not a family gathering. You don't have to salute me. People will gather around
us," Vivian reminded him in a soft voice.
Aaron noticed the puzzled look on the students' faces and awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, Ms. Vivian. I forgot."
"It's okay. Did you deliver the document?" Vivian shook her head. She did not want to put on any airs of a young lady of a noble
Russian family here.
Here in A City, she felt an overwhelming sense of freedom!
There was no need for her to put on the airs of a rich lady in front of these people. No one would heed her imperious commands.
Hence, she remained composed, personally dealing with every matter that came her way.
It felt a bit strange at first, but now, she was loving the independence. She could manage everything in her life herself, piece by
piece.
"It's been delivered. It's something important, so I handed it directly to Mr. Crawford before coming to see you," replied Aaron. He
was one of Ray's most reliable subordinates. He was at the top of his game.
"So, it's related to Mr. Crawford," muttered Vivian. Then, she smiled. "It's pretty late. You haven't had dinner, right?"
"Not yet." Aaron shook his head. He headed straight to T Corporation right after getting off the plane. The top priority was
delivering this important document to Luke. After that, he made his way to Capital University.
As for whether he ate or not, he had not really paid attention. After all, he often skipped meals during previous missions.
"You can't be like this. You're only delivering a document for my brother. Did you seriously forget about eating?" Vivian shook her
head, pondered for a moment, and said, "Come on. Let's go to my apartment first and drop off my backpack. We can grab dinner
together after that."
Her backpack was heavy, filled with books she borrowed from the library today. That was why she did not want to carry it to
dinner.
Plus, her single apartment was near the school. It would not take much time to get there.
"Sure." Aaron had no objections.
Vivian took a step forward and turned to look at the man beside her. "By the way, how did you get here?"
"I took a cab. I'm not familiar with this area," answered Aaron.
"Oh, my apartment isn't far from here. There's no need for a cab. Can you ride a bike?" asked Vivian.
Aaron felt a bit awkward as he answered, "I've learned it before, but it's been a long time..."
"No problem, it's easy. Let me get one for you." Vivian walked toward a rental bike nearby, took out her phone from her
backpack, and scanned the code on the bike.
"This is a rental bike. It automatically deducts money from your e-wallet when you scan the code. It's convenient. Here, this one's
for you." She pushed a bike toward Aaron.
Aaron awkwardly sat on it. He was tall and muscular, and he was a bit concerned about possibly breaking the seemingly fragile
bike.
Vivian scanned another bike for herself. When she saw Aaron awkwardly standing with both feet on the ground, appearing
awkward and restless, she explained with a smile on her face, "Don't worry. These bikes are sturdy. You won't break it."
Aaron felt embarrassed. He noticed that Vivian still had her backpack and said, "Ms. Vivian, let me carry your backpack for you."
"No need, it's not heavy. Let's go. I'll lead the way. Follow me,” replied Vivian as she pedaled her bike toward her apartment.
Aaron clumsily caught up, pedaling a few times. After realizing the bike could handle his weight without breaking, he quickly
caught up with Vivian.
After they arrived at the apartment, Vivian said, "Wait here for a second. I'll go upstairs and drop off my stuff. I'll come right back
down."
Aaron thought about going upstairs too, but considering it was Vivian's personal space and him being a subordinate, it would not
be right to tag along. Hence, he nodded and waited patiently downstairs.
After watching Vivian go upstairs, his gaze sharpened as he turned to look in a certain direction.
A man, completely covered, stood there.
Since Vivian left the campus, the man had been following closely behind them. Aaron knew about it, but with Vivian around, he
was reluctant to say anything. He did not want to scare the young lady.