Chapter 63: The Gullen Province - Permanent War Preparedness Zone

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: The Gullen Province - Permanent War Preparedness Zone

Early the next morning.

Rian Sinclair looked through the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching Ash Sinclair chase Bandage around the villa’s courtyard.

She thought he was incredibly childish and was tempted to march out and slap him for interrupting her sleep. Her mind had been racing with thoughts the night before, keeping her up quite late. Yet, here she was, rudely awakened by Ash at the crack of dawn.

Rian glared coldly at Ash, but he seemed completely oblivious as he chattered away. "Did you know, Rian? The island nation has already had over a hundred earthquakes recently."

"Oh? Is that so?" Rian chuckled. "Guess all those paper cranes couldn’t keep them safe?"

Ash couldn’t hold back a laugh. They were just reaping what they had sown.

Ethan Sinclair walked up beside Rian. "Miss, the dealership has delivered the car."

"Ash, go sign the contract." After swiping her card, Rian walked over and sat down on the sofa.

The Glacial Spire’s operations were fully planned out, and they were preparing to hire staff soon. Donovan Sinclair had already acquired several subsidiaries, and Fiona Sinclair was busy managing the foundation. Everything was gradually getting on the right track. Radiant Entertainment was currently laying low to build its foundation, and as for emerging tech... well, that wasn’t even worth mentioning.

Rian no longer needed to attend university classes either. Her only remaining requirement was to write her thesis, which she had already finished well in advance. As a result, she now had an abundance of free time.

She wondered what she should do to combat the sheer boredom. She didn’t want to work a strict nine-to-five schedule, even though she was the CEO. Going out shopping felt too dull, and standard entertainment venues outside seemed just as tedious.

Watching Ash bark back and forth with Bandage, she actually felt a twinge of nostalgia for high school. Despite the monotonous daily routine, it had still been quite fun.

Rian lounged limply on the single sofa like she had given up on life. For a moment, none of her subordinates knew what was wrong with her, nor could they guess what she was thinking.

Fiona Sinclair was observant. Noticing her state, she asked, "Miss, would you like to go for a walk? The foundation currently has some sponsored individuals. Would you like to go see them together?"

This piqued Rian’s interest. She wondered if this trip would allow her to witness the true realities of life. "Fiona, come to the study."

In the study.

Fiona placed the documents on the desk, and Rian picked them up, quickly flipping through the pages.

"The Gullen Province and Yunaris?" Curious as to why Fiona had singled out these two locations, Rian waited for an explanation.

"The Gullen Province and Yunaris border Namar and Boros," Fiona explained. "The Gullen Province is classified as a permanent combat readiness zone, so its economy isn’t as robust as the inner regions. Taking Veridia’s overall economic development into account, we selected these two locations."

"A permanent combat readiness zone?" Rian’s knowledge in the humanities wasn’t as strong as her grasp of the sciences, so she only had a vague understanding of the term.

Fiona didn’t answer verbally. Instead, she handed her a tablet playing a video. Rian pursed her lips and tapped the play button.

"A permanent combat readiness zone refers to an area that undergoes long-term preparation to respond to potential future wars or other emergencies," the video narrator explained. "It requires maintaining a high state of alertness and often demands significant investments of resources and energy, which inevitably impacts the region’s economic development.

"In the late 1970s, while all other provinces in Veridia were rapidly developing, the Gullen Province was still engaged in a defensive war against Namar, guarding Veridia’s southern gates. The conflict lasted until 1993, and they never once let their guard down.

"Meanwhile, Yunaris has a unique geographical location. Anti-narcotics and anti-fraud efforts are an intrinsic part of growing up there. The Yunaris Police Academy boasts the top anti-narcotics program in the nation. The majority of its applicants are youths from Yunaris, and tragically, they are also the ones who sacrifice their lives the most.

"Since then, ’Three Lives Education’—focusing on the value of life, survival, and personal growth—has been established, accompanying the people of Yunaris throughout their entire lives."

Rian watched in silence. In the comments section below the video, one line stood out: "They guard the borders; we guard them."

She finished watching everything in silence. There were always people carrying the heavy burdens so that others could live in peace. But these heroes were also someone’s children, a mother’s pride, or perhaps a child’s parents.

"When do we leave?" she asked. "I want to go see them."

Rian’s fingertips traced the photos on the documents. One showed a child smiling brightly at the camera, another was a family portrait, and yet another was... a group photo where someone was holding a portrait of the deceased.

"We depart the day after tomorrow at nine in the morning," Fiona replied.

Rian nodded.

Standing beside her, Fiona said, "Miss, it’s time to eat."

"Let’s go." Rian stood up and left the study, rubbing her throbbing temples.

Having signed the contract, Ash was lying lazily on his side on the sofa, casually teasing Bandage. He looked completely carefree.

Rian scooped up Bandage and delivered a swift kick to Ash’s calf. "Look at the way you’re sitting! You have absolutely no manners."

Ash looked utterly speechless at the reprimand. He thought to himself that his dear sister clearly hadn’t seen her own lazy posture just a while ago. However, not daring to talk back, he immediately sat up straight. "What are your orders, Rian?"

Just seeing Ash’s face annoyed Rian. "Have you done your homework? Did you finish your mock exams? Have you gone through the advanced practice papers? Everyone else in their senior year is incredibly busy, yet here you are, bored out of your mind."

Bombarded with these rapid-fire questions, Ash didn’t dare make a peep. He didn’t even know how he had managed to offend his sister. He shot a desperate, pleading look at Fiona, but she simply turned her head away. He then turned his gaze to Ethan, only to find the man looking back at him with a beaming smile, making no move to help whatsoever.

Finally, he had no choice but to look at Auntie Alden. Auntie Alden was an observant woman and naturally noticed the exhaustion on Rian’s face. She stepped forward and asked, "Miss, the food is ready. Would you like to eat first?"

Rian rubbed her temples, looking resigned. "Auntie Alden, you’re the only one in this entire villa who always speaks up for this brat."

Auntie Alden smiled kindly but didn’t say anything. She knew Rian had a sharp tongue but a soft heart; she might sound fierce, but she was softer on the inside than anyone else.

Ash chuckled and hid behind Auntie Alden, poking his head out to peek at his sister.

Rian decided to let him off the hook. "Let’s eat."

After lunch, Rian stood in the courtyard, watching Ash run ahead while Bandage chased after him. The dog let out occasional loud barks—the exact same noise that had woken her up that morning. Seeing Ash’s obnoxious face, she decided to just drive away from the villa. Out of sight, out of mind.

When Ash turned around, all he saw was a trail of exhaust. His sister was nowhere to be found.

Rian’s phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and immediately changed her route.

[Rian! Rian! We’re at the board game cafe on the fourth floor of Rivers Mall. Do you want to come play?]

[Wait for me.]

At Rivers Mall.

Upon arriving, Rian suddenly heard a commotion. She looked up and saw Jason Rivers waving frantically over the fourth-floor railing like a complete idiot. Rian headed upstairs. As soon as she reached the fourth floor, Jason hurried over to greet her, accompanied by a boy with bright red hair.

"Rian, Rian! I can’t believe you actually came!" Jason exclaimed. "My buddy organized a get-together to play some board games today. Oh, Rian, this red-haired guy is Wyatt Winslow, the second young master of the Winslow family of Kyoro."

Hearing Jason’s introduction, Rian finally shifted her gaze to the red-haired boy.

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The Winslow family of Kyoro?

Cedric Winslow’s younger brother?

Rian studied Wyatt, wondering why the two brothers’ personalities were so drastically different. The older brother, Cedric, was gentle and refined—the very picture of an elegant gentleman. In contrast, the younger brother, Wyatt, was practically overflowing with hostility and had an incredibly explosive temper.

Why call his temper explosive?

Because right after Rian came upstairs and Jason, acting as the middleman, finished his introduction, Wyatt immediately bellowed, "Young Rivers, do you know anything about fashion?! What do you mean ’red-haired guy’?! This is my freestyle!"