After a brief phone call, Manranyama Souren understood Chongzong's thoughts.
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"Alright, I will arrange for someone to inquire on this matter. I will let you know if there are any updates." (Manranyama Souren)
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"It won't be so quick on Van's end. Get a good rest tonight, as you will be busy starting tomorrow." (Manranyama Souren)
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---Get a good rest first...? (Chongzong)
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Chongzong, after hanging up the phone, repeatedly whispered this sentence softly.
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In the current situation, being able to rest peacefully and have a good night's sleep truly requires an immensely strong heart to remain so indifferent.
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Concerns about the safety of the Uesugi family, potential unknown threats... these worries, anxieties, and uncertainties about the future, despite being able to keep up a calm appearance, Chongzong couldn't calm his inner self.
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But as Manranyama Souren mentioned, rest is crucial. If one doesn't prepare now and ends up making mistakes due to physical issues during future actions, they will truly regret it for a lifetime.
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What should be done?
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What can be done?
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Chongzong tidied up his messy home, washed up, then lied down, still feeling agitated and unable to sleep.
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And then, inexplicably, he suddenly felt the urge to sit quietly, to meditate.
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This wasn't a thought generated in his mind; it felt more like a set of actions already imprinted in this body.
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Just like reflexes that make one instinctively draw back from something hot or instinctively dodge when something is flying towards them.
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Yet, Chongzong himself had no impression of such behavior.
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Despite the unfamiliarity, he followed the instincts of his body, placed a cushion on the floor of the room, emptied his mind on it, closed his eyes, and began to meditate.
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...
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When Chongzong opened his eyes again, it was already the next morning.
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But for himself, it felt like he had only closed his eyes for a few minutes.
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In a remarkable manner, his entire body felt very relaxed, light, and unusually good.
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---I thought sitting and sleeping the whole night would leave me sore all over. This is really quite miraculous. (Chongzong)
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---But how did I fall asleep like that, without even dreaming? (Chongzong)
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As Chongzong was still pondering over what exactly had happened, Manranyama Souren called.
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"Uesugi, have you woken up?" (Manranyama Souren)
"Ah, I'm up." (Chongzong)
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"It's inconvenient to talk over the phone, please come to my place as soon as possible." (ManranyamaSouren)
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"Okay, I'll head over right away." (Chongzong)
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ManranyamaSouren's voice sounded calm, without any sense of urgency. It seemed that progress had been made regarding the two matters from last night.
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After hanging up the phone, Chongzong quickly changed his clothes, grabbed a piece of bread and a bottle of milk, and left.
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Since ManranyamaSouren mentioned coming as soon as possible, Chongzong decided not to jog there and instead took the bus, using the time at the bus stop to have his breakfast.
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When he arrived at the apartment building where Manranyama lived, Van was waiting downstairs as usual.
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Upon closer observation, one could see that her eyes were a bit swollen today, with heavy dark circles under them. She must have stayed up late or even pulled an all-nighter last night.
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—Everyone is working hard. (Chongzong)
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"Good morning, Van." (Chongzong)
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"Good morning, Mr. Uesugi." (Van)
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Despite looking tired, Van welcomed Chongzong according to her usual standards and led him upstairs.
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As soon as they entered, they saw ManranyamaSouren sitting on the sofa, holding a piece of bread in one hand and typing furiously on the computer keyboard with the other, creating a continuous tapping sound.
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The milk on the table had formed a layer of skin due to being left out for too long.
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Seeing Chongzong coming in, ManranyamaSouren excitedly took down the bread, her eyes wide open. She spoke with a volume twice as loud as her usual gentle tone.
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"Mr. Uesugi, you've done a great job!" (ManranyamaSouren)
