Starting from the Collapse World, I became the behind-the-scenes boss

"General Andrei is wounded."

The burly man kept his head down as he explained, showing no interest in peeking inside the car.

"alright."

Having accepted this reason, Raven finally lifted her foot, her high-heeled boots clicking on the stone slabs.

On the other side, Shihen, dressed in a white robe and mask, also got out of the car, and even Peggy put on a black cloak.

When it's time to conceal his identity, Shihen never hesitates.

“This car…”

"I asked the burly man."

"Stop here."

The raven spoke in a light, airy tone.

"Yes!"

The burly man bowed his head heavily.

Seeing this, Shihen nodded slightly behind the mask.

When acting as a mercenary, Raven's presence is truly imposing.

However, the hood deserves 110% of the credit for this oppressive feeling, after all, the mercenary queen's face is just too cute.

Shihen strongly suspected that if Raven didn't wear a hat, someone might foolishly run up and pinch her cheeks.

Hmm, I'll try it another day when the other person is asleep; it should feel really good.

Unaware that the boy beside him was beginning to change his filial piety, Raven followed the burly man deeper into the manor, and soon entered a luxurious villa.

"Andrei, you're a complete waste!" Raven had barely entered the villa when he saw a thin, middle-aged man standing in the hall. He sneered, "Two hundred thousand against forty thousand, and you still got beaten up like this."

In the recent chaotic battle, Cocolia had only 40,000 troops, while the opposing coalition had a full 200,000.

Although modern warfare is no longer determined by sheer numbers, the quality of equipment is now the key factor.

Even in terms of equipment, the coalition forces have the advantage.

To be routed under such circumstances clearly indicates a problem with ability.

Reprimanded by Raven, Andrei simply lowered his head, not daring to utter a word of rebuttal, and had to agree, saying, "Yes, yes, Lord Raven is right."

If Andrei's soldiers were to witness this scene, they would probably be utterly astonished.

After all, Andrei was known for his fiery temper.

But when faced with ravens, especially ravens standing here as executives of the World Serpent, Andrei could only lie down.

Otherwise, the only other option is to lie down.

"waste!"

Seeing Andrei's appearance, Raven's voice grew even colder.

Andrei remained silent.

After a while, seeing that the raven didn't intend to continue cursing him, Andrei raised his head slightly and said, "Knowing that you were coming, sir, I immediately had a feast prepared. What do you think..."

Raven glanced left and right at the silent Shihen and the expectant Peggy, then nodded gently: "Lead the way."

Now that she had found the other party, she was no longer in a hurry and could take her time to see what tricks they were up to.

"Please come this way."

He bowed and gestured "please," and Andrei personally took the lead, acting as the guide.

As for the burly man from before... he didn't even dare to enter the villa.

After all, how could you stand by and watch your boss get scolded? Would you rather be shot six times in the back and commit suicide?

Upon arriving at the opulent restaurant, Peggy was greeted by a long table already laden with food, each dish a delicacy typically found only in top-tier establishments. Peggy's mouth watered at the sight.

"Eat whatever you like."

The raven sat down in the first seat on the left, but acted like a master, giving orders.

Peggy swallowed hard and turned to look at Shihen.

"Listen to her."

Nodding, Shihen cut a piece of steak and put it in his mouth, and the mask below his nose disappeared automatically.

With its delicate texture, rich meaty aroma, and a touch of spicy seasoning, it truly lives up to its reputation as a chef-level product.

With permission, Peggy then began to eat the food in front of her, food she had only heard of but never seen.

At first, the girl tried to maintain some reserve, but after truly tasting the deliciousness that made her tongue want to swallow, she quickly let loose and began to eat heartily.

Seeing the girl's utterly uncouth eating habits, Andrei frowned, but with Raven present, he couldn't say anything. He could only cautiously ask, "Sir, who are these people?"

The ravens always came alone the last few times.

Moreover, putting aside the little girl, the other guy in the white robe gave him a very strange feeling.

Although he didn't sense any danger from the other party, Shihen remained too calm throughout. He wasn't respectful to Raven at all, but rather acted as if the two were equals.

"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask."

The raven said calmly, without even raising its head.

She didn't think Andrei was qualified to know about the Time Mark.

In fact, she was fully capable of completing this mission on her own.

But she just wanted to bring the boy to Siberia to see it for himself.

There is no need to consider combat capabilities.

She just wanted to do it, so she did.

"Yes."

With his head bowed respectfully, Andrei softly introduced the various dishes on the table to the group.

Listening to Andrei's explanation, savoring these priceless delicacies, and thinking of the soldiers patrolling outside despite the wind and snow, a line of poetry inexplicably floated into Shihen's mind:

The soldiers on the front lines are half dead and half dead, while beauties in the tents still sing and dance.

Andrei's defeat was truly well-deserved.

Chapter Forty-Five: The Art of Time Traces

After dinner, both host and guests enjoyed themselves.

Well, regardless of whether Andrei was happy or not, at least Shihen and the others ate quite happily, and Peggy's belly was bulging.

The girl swore that this was absolutely the best meal she had ever had since birth, even compared to when she was with Shihen and the others... well, let's not even compare.

After all, this guy only lets her catch rabbits by herself, and most of the time he doesn't even feed her.

"By the way, General Andrei, do you drink coffee when you're fighting?"

Shihen glanced at the thin man with slightly thinning hair and suddenly asked.

"???" Andrei was puzzled by Shihen's question, but he still answered honestly, "No, we usually drink vodka when we fight."

Siberian winters are very cold.

"That's it."

Shihen sighed.

"Is there a problem with this?"

Andrei asked cautiously, appearing very polite.

"Nothing, just asking," Shihen said casually, then turned to the blonde girl beside him, "Peggy, you should go to the bathroom."

Although I brought the girl along for a free meal, there are some things that are not suitable for a child to hear.

"Huh? But I..." Peggy was about to say she didn't need it, but meeting the boy's deep eyes behind the mask, she finally nodded obediently and jumped off the chair. "Excuse me, where is the restroom?"

Andrei quickly clapped his hands and summoned a female soldier.

This hospitality was very professional.

Shihen gave Andrei an approving look.

Raven waited patiently until Peggy left with the female soldier before slowly speaking, swirling the wine glass in his hand: "Andrei, the snake is very disappointed in you."

"I'm so sorry, Lord Raven!" Andrei, seated at the head of the table, bowed deeply, as if Raven were the master of the place. "This time, it was those guys from Bulwer who dragged us down. If I were given another chance, just a little more time, I would definitely regroup my soldiers, I would definitely kill that woman Cocolia, I..."

“Andrei,” Raven spoke softly, and Andrei’s incoherent voice stopped abruptly. “I’m not discussing this with you.”

The raven's tone wasn't strong, and its gentle voice had a beauty akin to a nightingale's song, but Andrei's expression instantly turned panicked, and large drops of cold sweat appeared on his dry, old face.

"No! Lord Raven, please give me another chance, please give me another chance!"

Andrei pleaded desperately, even getting off his chair and kneeling down, showing no regard for his dignity as a general.

"Hand over everything you have; this is your only chance."

Raven said calmly, without changing her tune because of the man's attitude.

The snake only cares about profit, and the defeated Andrei was no longer of any value.

Or rather, his only value lies in the resources he still holds.

Soldiers, land, property... these things will be taken back by the snake one by one and used as bargaining chips in the snake's next transaction with others, just as Andrei obtained all of this from the World Snake.

Remaining kneeling on the ground, Andrei remained silent for a long time, only his tightly clenched fists proving how turbulent his emotions were.

He had spent half his life struggling in the army, finally achieving his current status and position, but all of that would be taken away by a single, casual remark from Raven.

How could he accept this?!

"Don't make things difficult for me, Andrei."

"Raven said, his calm tone masking a deep threat," he said.

"...Yes, Lord Raven."

The man slowly loosened his clenched fists.

He knew that if he made the other party feel awkward, he would face a fate a hundred times worse than death.

Even with a thousand soldiers protecting him, Raven could kill him with ease.

Five years ago, before he was a general, Andrei witnessed firsthand how this woman had killed the previous general in a manner devoid of dignity.

Then he became the new general.

"Lord Raven, it's getting late. May I ask if you..."

Andrei knelt down to greet him.

He understood that at this moment he had to show obedience in order to have a chance to survive and start over in another place.

"Shall we stay here for the night?"

The raven looked at the boy.

She'd rather have a comfortable bed to sleep in than spend the night in the car, especially since the mission wasn't urgent.

"Listen to my sister."

As a follower, Shihen naturally had no objections.

"Fill up my car with gas; I'll need it tomorrow."

The raven gave the order to Andrei.

"Yes, Lord Raven."

Andrei was respectful.

"Let's go, it's a good time to take a shower, I feel like I smell bad."

As Raven walked out of the restaurant, it stretched and yawned.

During this period, they mostly took Peggy to various training sessions and rarely had the opportunity to enter towns.