And while things were moving along outside the world, Xu Qianghua, for once, there were no reports on his desk.
No maps floating in the air.
No casualty numbers scrolling past his eyes.
Just the sound of crashing waves.
Xu Qianghua sat on the wide wooden deck of a coastal villa, legs stretched out, arms resting on the sides of the chair.
He wasn't wearing his usual robes. No layers. No formal colors. Just a loose shirt, thin pants, and bare feet.
The sea breeze hit his face.
It felt… strange.
But good.
After so many sleepless nights, so many blood-soaked updates, and too many lives weighed on every decision, this was the first time he had taken a real breath in days.
No one knew he was here.
Not even his closest aides.
He didn't leave a message. No notice. Just left a minor clone projection back in the Xu family subspace to give the illusion he was still working.
Because he knew there was nothing left to do right then.
Not really.
