"It is you." Andrew stared at her for a moment, then reached out to her.
Gu Ning leaned back, her back hitting the back of the chair.
Andrew’s hand, covered by a military glove, paused in front of her. He helped pull her mask down. "It’s all wet. Isn’t it uncomfortable to wear?"
’And it smells like a puppy.’
Gu Ning let out a heavy sigh. ’It really is uncomfortable. It’s all that dog’s drool!’
"Take it off and put it on top to dry," Andrew said.
Gu Ning obediently took off her mask, and Andrew took it from her, placing it on the heater.
"Go on," he said, holding the document. He looked at the faint dark circles under the young female’s eyes and spoke gently, "You’re an adult female. And then?"
Gu Ning wiped her face with the back of her hand and spoke the words she had rehearsed in her mind countless times. "I can... choose... my own family members."
Andrew flipped to a page in the document, tapping a finger on a statute she had specially marked out. The corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. "Mm, yes, that statute exists. It’s the same as the law I memorized."
’Of course it’s the same,’ Gu Ning thought. ’I transcribed it all from the laws I researched.’
"So," Andrew said, "have you chosen your family members?"
Gu Ning took another document out of her satchel and placed it by his hand. "Admiral Andrew, your position... is very high."
Andrew picked up the document. "It’s decent. I have some pull in the Beast Alliance."
Gu Ning said, "I can ask you... to be my witness. I also have the right to..."
She continued to rummage through her bag.
Andrew watched with amusement as the young female rummaged through her little bag, curious to see what other treasures she would produce.
Gu Ning placed her camera sphere on the table and activated the recording function. "I have the right... to record our conversation."
Andrew glanced at the small sphere. "That’s one of our military’s reconnaissance devices. It’s not supposed to be in circulation."
Gu Ning: "...That’s not important." ’Stop interrupting me by asking about other things!’
Andrew smiled. "Did it take you a lot of time to memorize all this?"
Gu Ning: ’Yes. I’m dead tired right now. So stop interrupting me!’
"You may record." Seeing the young female’s earnest expression, Andrew stopped teasing her. "I am now the witness you have appointed for the formation of your family unit. I am honored you have bestowed this right upon me, Miss Gu Ning."
Hearing this, Gu Ning composed herself. She held the document and recited the statutes written on it. After she finished, she took a box of red ink paste from her satchel and pressed four fingerprints over the names at the end of the document.
"From now on, they are my family members. No one but me has the right to dispose of them."
"Until... they undergo aberration."
Andrew saw the names she wished to protect on the document, and his expression grew serious. "Are you sure, Miss Gu Ning? Once I sign this, the document will be in effect."
Gu Ning met his gaze and nodded.
Andrew looked at the names on the document, now covered by her fingerprints. He reminded her, "Two of the family members you’ve chosen are Mixed Breeds. According to Beast Alliance regulations, they are not supposed to have the right to be near a female."
Gu Ning gripped her satchel tightly, her expression turning tense.
"However..." Andrew continued, "your situation is special, and they have performed well. After inspection, I grant them approval."
Gu Ning’s eyes lit up.
"However..."
Gu Ning: "..." ’Can’t you just say everything at once!’
The amusement in Andrew’s eyes deepened. "However, a special family unit like yours requires at least one guarantor to help you shoulder this difficult responsibility. After all, Mixed Breeds are unstable. Otherwise, this application will likely be rejected by the Beast Alliance."
When Gu Ning heard the application had to be submitted to the Beast Alliance, her confidence wavered slightly. Her original intent was just to use the female protection statutes to offer Cook and the others a bit of shelter, but if Andrew involved the Beast Alliance... her tactic wouldn’t be as effective.
"A female’s personal information is strictly confidential within the Beast Alliance’s systems," Andrew said, as if reading her mind. "Your family members have already passed my inspection. Now you just need to find a guarantor."
Gu Ning asked, "A guarantor... Who should I find?"
Andrew replied, "Preferably someone who has some pull within the Beast Alliance."
Gu Ning’s gaze landed on his face.
Andrew asked, "Miss Gu Ning, do you have someone in mind?"
Gu Ning stared at him.
’Someone with pull in the Beast Alliance, and it has to be someone I know... Who else could it be but the man right in front of me?’
Andrew tapped his finger lightly on the document, patiently waiting for the young female’s reply.
Gu Ning lowered her gaze in thought for a moment, then raised her right hand and pointed at the Beastman before her. "You. Admiral Andrew."
Andrew’s expression didn’t change. He asked Gu Ning for a pen and decisively signed his name on the family unit document.