Avatar - Conquering the Elements-Chapter 164

City of Tienhai. Café "Auntie's Embrace." Yo.

A respectable establishment, even by Tienhai's standards, this café had never known silence since its opening day. Whether it's the excellent chefs or the top-notch service, it's hard to say. Though any man knows exactly why the café enjoys such wild popularity: the waitresses. They're like magnets, drawing in men of all ages, from teenagers to seasoned gentlemen. No, there are hardly any young girls on staff, but there's another killer force—aunties in their prime. No revealing outfits or vulgar flirting, but the women here don't need that. They know their worth, masterfully wield subtle feminine charms, and I suspect they've taken specialized courses in psychology.

*"I might as well admit it—I've always had a thing for older women..."*—as evidenced by my early fascination with ladies like Kaya, Shizuka, and Ursa.

*"Would you like anything else, Sir?"* the waitress assigned to me asked in a sultry voice.

*"Pour me some more tea,"* I replied. What a stellar staff! Her warm, inviting smile never left her lips, and her body language screamed obedience. Where did they find so many skilled women? Most importantly, in all the café's years, not a single rumor of intimate relations has surfaced. From what I know, if anyone oversteps, they're promptly shown the door. There are invisible boundaries here, and crossing them lands you on the blacklist fast.

*"Anything you desire, Sir,"* she said, gracefully bowing and leaning forward slightly to refill my tea. The pleasant scent of her perfume tickled my nose, and my eyes caught the bounce of her chest as she moved. And there was plenty to bounce!

*"I think I finally understand the poor souls who come here several times a week..."* Even I, hardened to female beauty, felt a bit tight in the pants.

Fifteen minutes later, the first candidate for my secretary position joined me. Of course, this wasn't the ideal spot for an interview, but I'm used to combining business with pleasure.

*"Senator Yo, greetings!"* a well-preserved man said, repeatedly glancing around as if by accident. He'd likely never heard of this café. Immediate strike. If women distract him more than a new job, we're not a match. After a few routine questions, I politely dismissed him. He only seemed to realize his mistake at the very end.

*"The agency for finding specialists didn't meet my expectations,"* I thought. I should've handled the search myself, though there are still other candidates ahead.

*"Hello, hello, Senator!"* a pleasant-looking woman waved. *"I hope I'm not late! You won't believe it—there was a terrible accident, a carriage collided with a satomobile!"* She unloaded all the latest news on me. Her voice echoed distantly in my mind, though amidst the useless chatter were some interesting tidbits. This one was a chatterbox and a laugh-a-minute. Keeping her close would be risky—she'd blab something and forget she did. But in a government office, she'd be perfect for extracting information. After all, serious matters are always discussed in the "smoking room."

After barely escaping her, I promised to help her find another position. For five minutes afterward, my mind was filled with ringing silence...

The next person on the list didn't even show up. Strange—I'd specified that a senator was hiring. Maybe they thought it was a joke, or they don't want to get involved in politics. Working for me means diving into that world headfirst. Honestly, I don't need a secretary just for the sake of it. After a thorough vetting period, I plan to initiate them into the secret of my identity. Besides playing the roles of all four of my bodies, each senator must show some activity, and I'm signing four times the documents. I want to offload some responsibilities onto someone else. Plus, in the coming months, I'll need to closely monitor one organization's movements.

Until nearly sunset, no one even remotely met my requirements. As often happens, the last candidate outshone the rest. I'm joking. I deliberately saved her for last because she had the most, shall we say, polished experience. A graduate of Gaolin University, with work experience in various fields and decent positions. At twenty-seven, she'd built an impressive resume. It also helped that she was a canonical character. And here she was—Zhu Li Moon, from the animated series, assistant to billionaire Varrick, secretary, mechanic, bodyguard, soldier, politician, and eventually President of the United Republic. If she has even a fraction of her canonical qualities, I'd cling to her with every limb. Where else would I find such a versatile, loyal, and capable person?

*"Senator, my full name is Zhu Li Moon. Pleased to meet you,"* she said, followed by a perfectly executed bow. Her official blazer and pencil skirt fit her like a glove, as if she'd been born in them, paired with black tights. Either she always dresses like this, or she prepared specifically for our meeting. Though it doesn't really matter.

Looking at her, I saw no difference from the woman I'd once seen on my laptop screen. The same chestnut hair in a simple style, round glasses, and the face of a model student—my mind couldn't find another comparison.

*"May I be frank? Many points in the job requirements are quite vague—I'd like more specifics,"* she adjusted her glasses. I knew I'd overcomplicated the description, trying to hint at a more responsible and personal role, only to confuse everyone...

*"I'll explain as best I can,"* I nodded, thinking Zhu Li Moon was far more confident—she took charge immediately. *"Apologies, but I can't reveal everything now, but I assure you, the job isn't shady. It's just a matter of trust. Once I'm certain of your loyalty, I'm ready to make you... my right-hand woman, so to speak."*

A more constructive conversation followed. Before I knew it, we'd stayed until closing. Zhu Li, as she allowed me to call her, lived up to her impressive resume. And there was a distinct business aura around her—a concentration of focus, purpose, and calm. We moved to another establishment, where she thoroughly reviewed the contract and signed it. Parting on a pleasant note, we went our separate ways—or so she thought. In reality, I made sure Zhu Li Moon got home safely. It was late, and she'd won me over as both an employee and a person. Of course, I can't always watch over her, so her combat and weapons training would start the next day. Unfortunately, my "scan" of her body revealed she's a direct descendant of those who cultivated life energy. Magic isn't impossible for her, but even if her gift awakens, she'll never surpass the student level. I'll need to teach her life energy techniques later. But only after I'm sure she's trustworthy!

Back home, I cuddled Shiku and Chitara, then spoke with Dria and Selin to prepare them to mobilize based on my location. Tonight, I wanted to find the Equalists' base, but first, I'd check on the organization's "sleeping agents."

*"They're persistent..."* I shook my head, sensing the Equalists still posing as ordinary citizens, not even trying to contact their leadership.

By elimination, I knew they were hiding somewhere in the mountains. I felt nothing beneath the city, and I'd forbidden anything but sewage systems underground. Countless movies, shows, and cartoons say it plainly: unused underground spaces are immediately occupied by villains. They couldn't hide in water either—we're not that far into the future. Only the surrounding terrain remained.

*"I'll take Chitara with me!"* I decided after failing to find a trace in the air. Over time, the scents of the people I sought had faded, and the Equalists seemed to stay in their burrows. *"Strange—Chitara's a spirit by nature, but she can track like any predator."*

An hour later, we found three small, unregistered villages in Tienhai! Chitara had tracked the hunters from these settlements, but she also mentioned other human traces.

Two hours later.

*"The trail leads here,"* Chitara said, wrinkling her nose amusingly. The paranoid bastards had tangled their tracks across the mountain, making us circle six times! *"Good girl,"* I said, my hand instinctively resting on her head. The kitten never objected to my petting—she enjoyed it. Still, one thing bothered me... Chitara wasn't rushing to deepen our relationship, and I'd long wanted to taste her. Plus, the female side of our family had already accepted her. *"Though, let things take their course."*

Next, it was my turn. Before us was ordinary rock, indistinguishable from the rest of the mountain. But thanks to the breeze slipping through every crack, I "saw" the artificially created tunnels—their edges were too smooth. Within a minute, I found a small hidden lever, opening a wide passage. It was unguarded. I'm glad they at least lacked their usual vigilance this time...

*"Move as quietly as possible,"* I said, concealing my energy completely.

Soon, we encountered the first people—organization members, identifiable by their uniforms. Luckily, the dim lighting made our bodies crawling along the ceiling nearly invisible.

*"Not bad!"* I whistled silently. About a thousand people were here. I was even more surprised next. There were training halls, labs, barracks, and many other specialized rooms, all bustling. Scientists worked, warriors trained, and someone underwent brainwashing...

*"Good that some are held here by force,"* I thought. Loyal members' bodies wouldn't experience severe stress. *"So, since you couldn't take Tienhai's minds, you moved to other cities..."* Some of those working here had gone missing worldwide. How prudent! They took not the famous minds, but second-rate ones. *"And you've already copied satomobiles!"* The vehicles looked shoddy but functioned. No surprise—they'd had time to buy and dismantle cars repeatedly. A few satomobiles stood there too.

*"Very strange—I don't sense a drop of dark energy,"* I thought. When I met the Fire Sages, I always felt their otherness, their inhumanity. Likely, Vaatu's using a different strategy now. I simply don't believe he hasn't touched this organization.

Eventually, we reached an office where the strongest rational mind sat.

*"Yakone, after all,"* I sighed, immediately recognizing the man behind the mask. Listening to conversations, I realized that aside from their goal of stripping magic from all benders, they were far more sane than their predecessors, the Fire Sages. Oh, my heart tells me their methods will only be bloodless for so long.

By the way, they'd twice tried to take bases protecting the portals between worlds. After all, the holes directly ruin their plans for an ideal world. They can't eliminate current benders before new ones are born. Unfortunately for them, the fortresses are ordered to destroy any unsanctioned movement toward them. The Equalists hadn't even acted before arrows, fireballs, and other deadly objects flew at them. They quickly realized there was nothing to gain there. In cities, they could at least use civilians, but the bases are mostly staffed by soldiers—nervous, suspicious people.

*"Task one—find all of Amon-Yakone's close associates. Task two—ask Dria and Selin to plant many little ears and eyes here. And finally, find a way to detect dark energy particles,"* I thought. Just what immediately came to mind. Looks like fun days await me.

*

Same place and time. A fragment of Vaatu.

*"Is someone watching me?"* wondered a small energy entity hidden deep within Yakone's spiritual body.

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To remain unnoticed, the fragment had buried itself at the very bottom, limiting its abilities. For instance, it could now only see, hear, and feel what its host did—no more, no less. Again, the fragment isn't Vaatu's entire body, so it lacks all his powers, forcing it to sacrifice some abilities.