GR 276-297 (Patreon)

GR 276-297

(Last 2 chaps are one double and a triple chaptered one)

Chapter 11: Cat's Lost Things

Sensing something was wrong, Swire calmly observed her surroundings and picked up the scissors on the table beside her.

Because she had come back in a hurry today, she left her usual weapons at the Lungmen Guard Department and did not bring them home.

After looking around, Swire stopped directly at her tightly closed, large wardrobe.

After all, she knew her room well, and the most hidden place in this room was her wardrobe full of clothes.

After confirming the target, Swire moved toward her wardrobe with the scissors in hand. When she arrived, to ensure there was nothing inside, she did not stand directly in front of the wardrobe but stood to the side and pulled a little distance.

"Wow—"

Soon, Swire quickly slid open the door of the wardrobe closest to her without covering her ears. She looked down and found that there was nothing wrong with the closet. She then cautiously slid open the other closet doors in the same way and began to investigate.

…

Not far away, Pardo, who was curled up under the bed, covered her mouth with Can. Listening to the sound of the closet door being slid open, a drop of cold sweat trickled down her forehead.

At this moment, the cat’s heart was already filled with thoughts of "It's over, I'm about to be discovered."

"?"

After checking her closet completely, Swire found no living creatures and no signs of rummaging, and a question mark slowly appeared over her head.

However, despite her doubts, she did not lower her guard yet, because she trusted her intuition and the smell she had detected earlier.

Looking around her room again, Swire finally focused her gaze on the only two places in the room where someone could hide—her bed...

Then, Swire, who was standing next to the closet, did not give anyone a chance to react. She simply leaned over and looked under her bed.

"Eh?"

However, after seeing the situation under the bed clearly, Swire was slightly stunned.

————————————————

On the other side of the hotel—

"Wow, I was really scared just now; thanks to Boss Sentience for saving me!" Pardo who was sitting on the bed in the hotel, patted her chest in shock and then spoke to Senti, who was not far away.

"It's just a small matter. Not to mention, you are my little sister now, Pardo, and it is only right for the boss to protect the little sister," Senti said with a very pleased expression at Pardo's thanks.

"..."

While the two "children" were communicating, Hua, who was holding a teacup on the side, frowned as she looked at them, and a hint of doubt appeared in her blue eyes.

After a while, she finally couldn't help but interrupt the two people in front of her and asked with a hint of uncertainty, "Pardo, are you missing something?"

"Ah? Am I missing something?"

After being asked this, Pardo quickly stood up and turned around to check her body.

Finally, after confirming that she was not missing anything, she looked up again with a puzzled expression at Hua.

"You are indeed not missing anything, but where is Can? Did you put her away or..." Hearing this, Hua took another serious look and, after confirming that she did not see the familiar can beside Pardo, continued.

"......!"

"Ah! Can! I left her behind!" After hearing Hua's words, Pardo was silent for a moment, then reacted, and the whole person was shocked.

Just now, because she was too happy to be saved, it was not until now that the cat realized that there was a fat, greedy guy missing beside her.

"Ahem... So you and the cat are two separate individuals." After listening to the two people’s words, Senti finally understood what was going on and looked away with a little embarrassment.

"What's the situation over there now? Can we summon Can back now?" Looking at the surprised and embarrassed people in front of him, Hua shook his head helplessly and asked again with a serious expression.

Because only identities can communicate with each other, now except for Pardo, who can vaguely perceive the situation over there, no one knows what is happening.

"Well... let me see."

Hearing this, the surprised Pardo quickly calmed down and then perceived the situation over there.

"No, Sister Hua, Can seems to have been discovered. If it is summoned back now, it will be too easy to arouse suspicion."

After Pardo's voice fell, before Hua could say anything, Senti on the side raised his eyebrows and spoke first.

"Why rush for such a small matter? Swire will not hurt Can. You can just wait for it to come back at night. If it doesn't work, I will take you to get the cat back! No one will find out with me here!"

"Senti is right, Pardo. With Swire's personality, she will not hurt small animals. You can contact Can first and let him try to come back by himself. If he can't come back, let Senti accompany you."

Hua nodded in agreement with Senti's proposal.

"That's right. I'll contact her. With Can's skills, she should be able to escape by herself." Hearing this, Pardo nodded gently.

—————————————————

Schwire Villa—

"I thought it was a person, but it turned out to be a cat. Hmm... so fat, and looks very unique..." Swire looked at the cat in her hand with an indescribable expression, which she had spent a lot of effort retrieving from under the bed.

"Meow!" After hearing the "derogatory" words from the person in front of her, Can twisted his body in dissatisfaction and meowed unhappily.

"You look like you're still not convinced? When did you sneak in? Where's your owner?" Looking at the rebellious Can, Swire couldn't help but rub its chubby body and asked.

Of course, she didn’t expect to get an answer from a cat. After all, if the cat in front of her suddenly spoke, she would be the one frightened.

However, Swire was still very sure that the cat had an owner. Not to mention that the cat was so fat, let’s take a step back—it even had something on its neck.

Just as she was thinking about what to do, Can, who was held by two hands, suddenly retched twice and then reluctantly covered her nose with her chubby little paws.

"......!" Swire, who noticed Can’s little action, suddenly froze, her expression twisting for a moment. Then, she quickly settled the cat in a closed room, grabbed some clothes, and rushed into the bathroom.

Chapter 12: The New Use of Greedy Can and [Incredibly Infinite Intimidator]

After taking a shower and changing clothes, Swire felt a headache coming on after she went to the room where the cat was locked up.

To be honest, she had thought about it for a long time and still couldn't figure out how to deal with this fat cat that had broken into her house for no reason. Even if she wanted to help find its owner, that wouldn’t happen immediately, and settling the cat down in this situation was another problem.

Swire could be considered inexperienced in this regard.

"Hey, do you still remember where your home is?" Swire gently touched the furry back of the cat and muttered, feeling exasperated.

"Meow!"

Hearing this, the cat meowed softly, without nodding or shaking its head, and did not reveal any "abnormality" to Swire. Pardo had warned it not to expose itself, or it would probably be locked up with no food.

"Ah, it's really distressing. Should I call Hoshiguma?" Looking at the well-behaved little fat cat in front of her, Swire couldn’t help but reach out and rub its fur again.

However, before she could call her colleague, her colleague called her first.

"Hello, Hoshiguma, what's the matter?"

Seeing the caller's name, Swire's expression and tone of inquiry became serious.

"Yes, the case you are handling has made great progress. You need to come over quickly. How is the situation on your end?"

"I just came back to shower and change clothes. What’s the matter? But there are unexpected developments. I found a cat that climbed over the wall into my house. Now I don’t know how to deal with it..." At this point, Swire subconsciously glanced at the cat that was licking its fur beside her.

"Cat, can you confirm whether it is a stray or a domestic one?" After hearing what Swire said, Hoshiguma asked in a surprised tone. Clearly, she hadn’t anticipated that it was a cat that was slowing down her very decisive colleague.

"It should be a domesticated one—chubby, clean, and a breed I’ve never seen before..."

"If you don’t mind it and don’t plan to let it go back by itself, I suggest you get some food for it and lock it up first. After you finish the case, you can deal with this matter."

Hoshiguma on the other side of the phone thought for a while before making this serious suggestion.

"After all, if it has come to your house, it probably belongs to a nearby resident. At worst, you can wait until you finish work later and use the printer in LGD to print some lost and found posters."

"Well... okay, let’s do it your way, Hoshiguma. I’ll settle it down and then rush back immediately." After listening to Hoshiguma’s suggestion, Swire thought for a moment and agreed.

"Okay."

...

"Ah..."

After hanging up the phone, Swire sighed helplessly while looking at the cat beside her. She then stood up and opened the door of the room, intending to go to the kitchen downstairs.

At this moment, the cat seized the opportunity and, before Swire could close the door with her backhand, squeezed out of the room and rushed downstairs.

"Hey, don’t run around."

Seeing this, Swire didn't care about anything else for a moment and hurriedly chased after it. There were many things she valued downstairs, and she didn’t want the fat cat she found to run amok.

"..."

But when Swire went downstairs, she found that there was no running around; only a fat cat sat in front of the refrigerator, gazing at it affectionately.

"You really have a clear goal; no wonder you're so fat..." Swire said as she walked over to the cat and rubbed her forehead helplessly.

Finally, after leaving enough food for the cat and locking it back in the room, Swire hurriedly took a taxi and headed straight to LGD.

————————————————

On the other side—

"?"

After Pardo, who was chatting with Senti, realized what the cat was doing, a question mark slowly appeared above her head.

Pardo thought that if she remembered correctly, she had fed a lot of food to Can before taking her out...

"Pardo, what’s wrong with you?"

Looking at Pardo, who had suddenly stopped talking, Senti regarded her with curiosity.

"Hey, it’s just a small matter. Don’t worry about it, Boss Senti!"

Faced with Senti’s inquiry, Pardo scratched her head, smiled, and replied.

"Okay, if there’s anything important, remember to report it to me. No matter who comes, I’ll protect you." After hearing that it was a small matter, Senti didn’t mind; she just raised her hand and patted Pardo's shoulder, comforting her.

"Speaking of big things... I’ve encountered some trouble recently. I’ve been targeted by big shots! Although they can’t catch me, it has hindered me from delivering things to those who need help at night."

"Is there any way to solve it?"

As he spoke, Pardo’s ears on top of her head twitched slightly, and he blinked his heterochromatic eyes, looking at Senti expectantly.

"Isn’t this simple? Didn’t I give you [Ignorance of Current Affairs] before? If someone finds you, just use it on them, and I guarantee they’ll forget everything."

"You know, Ms. Herrscher of Knowledge’s products are exquisite."

After finishing, Senti, who was introducing with his hands on his waist, showed a hint of pride on his face, as if he was quite powerful and deserved praise.

Clearly, Pardo, who was sitting next to her, understood this easily and then generously praised her:

"Wow, you are worthy of being the boss; you’re so amazing!"

"Hehe~ you have some vision!" After hearing the praise from his "little sister," Senti nodded with satisfaction, appearing quite pleased.

...

After spending a few hours with Senti and Hua in the hotel, Pardo carefully left.

She planned to have dinner first, wait for Swire to get off work and let the cat escape, and then go to the nearby area to retrieve her fat cat that was locked up because of its greed...

As for why she didn’t rescue Can directly before work ended, it was obviously unreasonable. Pardo didn’t want Swire to find out that someone had entered her house; otherwise, her vigilance would definitely increase.

After all, under normal circumstances, Can's chubby cat paws couldn’t open a locked door; otherwise, it would have run away long ago after eating those things and wouldn’t have waited until now...

But when it came to saving cats, Pardo couldn’t help but hold her forehead in silence... Obviously, Can had a chance to escape when it went downstairs before.

Swire would never have caught her with her skills, but because there was food...

Chapter 13: The Current Situation and the Rat King's Candy Store

After the previous incident with Can being "trapped," Pardo became more vigilant in her subsequent investigations and actions.

Not only that, but her pace of purchasing goods also increased rapidly. This week, apart from eating, sleeping, and stuffing things into the slums, the cat was either purchasing goods or on the way to do so.

Because of this "hard work," Pardo achieved an impressive record in the first half of the mission. Of the 10 purchases in the first mission, 6 have been completed, with only the gift delivery to the slums pending.

Even Swire's home has been visited by the cat 5 times so far. Each time, it took away inconspicuous little things.

Most of these items came from the sundry storage room in Swire's home.

To be honest, Pardo’s favorite place in the entire house is now that storage room. She enjoys finding treasures forgotten by the "master" in small corners.

...

Lungmen Slum area—

"Ah, I can't find a solution at all." Pardo leaned against the wall behind her and "wailed" in distress.

Recently, due to various coincidences (good luck), Pardo has acquired many valuable items. However, despite their value, she doesn't like them and has no desire to keep them...

Since Pardofelis has only been here for a short time and has attracted the attention of [Rat King] Lin Kojui, she can't sell these items at all...

On the surface, she definitely can’t sell them directly. But if she tries to go through the dark channels, the [Rat King], the black boss, is watching closely... No matter how much Pardo has, there's no way around it.

"Forget it, I don’t want to think about it. Can, let’s go find something to eat and investigate the information along the way." After a short moment of distress, Pardo's face brightened with a smile as she decided to stop worrying.

Although she really wanted to sell the items and exchange them for gold or silver coins, if it couldn't be done, Pardofelis wouldn’t force it. She didn’t like letting small things affect her mood. Happiness every moment is the theme of her life!

"Meow!"

Upon hearing the word "eat," the cat’s eyes lit up, and it jumped onto Pardo’s shoulder skillfully.

————————————————

Time passed quickly, and the sun gradually slipped from the sky, leaving behind a dim sky and a gorgeous sunset.

In the slums—

Pardo, walking along a dark path, suddenly had a realization. She stepped lightly on a bulge in the wall and silently climbed onto the balcony of an uninhabited house.

Not long after she hid there, a new "passerby" appeared on the dark path. The cat upstairs watched the "passerby" from above and confirmed that she had completely left before muttering softly:

"Well, there are more and more spies. Really, I am not a big shot."

Although the people passing by downstairs were dressed in ordinary clothes and looked like typical residents of the slum, Pardo, who had been dealing with spies recently, was certain that they were Lin Kojui's agents...

"Meow~Meow!"

As Pardo was muttering and complaining, the cat beside her suddenly meowed softly and then stomped its fat paws with an impatient expression.

"?"

Understanding the full meaning of her fat cat, Pardo was slightly stunned. After a moment, she said, "Can, I think the first part of what you said is feasible. But the second part..."

Just now, the meaning expressed by the cat and Pardo could be roughly divided into two points. The first point was that the investigation was strict now, and the aid materials could be temporarily postponed or not delivered on time and as required.

The second point was to let Pardo steal from the Rat King's candy store while his attention was diverted! Create a diversion to strike directly at the store.

"Meow!"

"Well... Can, why are you so proactive today? Are you thinking about the candy in other people's stores? Cats shouldn’t eat too much candy." After understanding her cat’s intentions, Pardo smiled and spoke earnestly.

Finally, after being nudged by the cat, Pardo stopped joking and said seriously, "Since the aid has been postponed, it’s not impossible to tackle a big task. Let’s go."

Jokes aside, Pardo knew that the cat’s suggestion was the best solution at present. Now that she is somewhat wanted in the slums, it’s not suitable for her to continue delivering supplies and helping people.

Additionally, the reputation progress bar for the cat’s first mission had been stuck for several days. Through her previous experiences and experiments, she found that to fill the last 20% of the progress bar, she had to stir up the tiger’s whiskers.

Letting the big shots know her and leaving a deep impression was necessary...

So, after coming to a decision, Pardo left with the cat, carefully making her way.

————————————————

At night, the bustling city seemed to fall into a deep sleep. The buildings that once flashed bright lights gradually extinguished, leaving only some mottled light and shadows.

At this time, when most people were resting, a nimble figure was still sneaking through the quiet streets.

"Wow, it’s so quiet around here, and there are no guards. It’s a pity that there are surveillance cameras." Pardo, hiding in the street, observed the situation around the now-closed candy store nearby.

"Go, Can, turn off the power to the surveillance cameras for me—10 dried fish!"

"Meow!"

Hearing this, Can’s eyes lit up, and he ran out directly and flexibly without further urging from Pardo.

"... Greedy cat."

Watching the fat cat that was almost leaving an afterimage, Pardo couldn’t help but stroke her forehead and complain.

However, despite the complaints about the cat's greed, she had to admit that it was very efficient at handling food. After a short while, it had cut off the power to several nearby surveillance cameras.

After confirming there were no issues, Pardo adjusted the brim of her hat and left the alley where she had been hiding, heading toward the gangster's candy store.

This time, unlike Swire, she didn’t have a stolen key in advance. So, Pardo used her old skills to open the door.

"Click..."

Pardo’s exclusive gadget was used, and the candy store’s lock opened with a slight sound.

Then, she opened the door just enough to slip inside sideways.

Since the items she intended to steal were candies, Pardo took out a small flashlight and shone it around once she was inside.

However, as she used the beam of light to see the situation inside clearly, she couldn’t help but widen her eyes.

Chapter 14: Lin Kojui's Fury

With the help of the light, Pardo couldn't help but open her eyes wide, or even exaggerate by saying that her eyes were shining.

Under the illumination of the flashlight, many candies and candy wrappers on the shelves in the store reflected beautiful light, which looked shiny. It made people (or cats) feel an unknown impulse.

"Hey, it seems that I didn't bring any tools tonight!" With a chuckle, Pardo eagerly trotted to the shelf in front of her.

Normally, cats don’t need tools like flashlights to purchase goods; after all, she can see clearly at night. Today, mainly because the purchase location was a candy store, she brought a flashlight for a little sense of ritual. Who knew she would chance upon the other side of the candy?

But it didn’t take long for Pardo to start to struggle, as she found there were too many candies with shiny and beautiful wrappers. There were so many that if she took them all at once, she would definitely be hunted down the next day.

However, if she didn’t take them all at once, it itched her take them—all those shiny, beautiful, and edible candies!

"Can, what do you think I should do? Should I take them all or just a little?" Pardo touched her chin, thought for a while, then turned her head to look at Can, who had returned to her and asked.

"Meow~" Hearing this, Pardo licked her chubby paws and called softly.

"Can, you said it as if you didn’t say anything." After hearing Can defer the choice, Pardo scratched her head in distress.

However, this "distress" did not last too long. After carefully observing the shiny candies for a while, Pardo made a decision.

Adhering to the idea that since they were there, they should have fun first, Pardo took a small flashlight and collected the candies with beautiful wrappers from each shelf one by one.

Finally, after putting all the candies she liked into her space, the cat stopped her purchase this time.

"Great harvest! But..."

Pardo looked at the shop where she had moved almost half of the candy stock. After a moment of silence, she silently took out a thick stack of money from her system space and placed it in the corner of the counter.

If possible, the cat still hoped that while she was happy tonight, she would not be hunted down by [Rat King] Lin Kojui later...

After cleaning up and confirming that she had not messed up the store, Pardo raised her foot to leave. But before she walked out of the store, she seemed to remember something. Her tail flicked gently, and she quickly turned around and returned to the counter.

Then, she took out the box she had recently used to pack goods from her space, searched inside, selected a few valuable items she did not like and could not sell, and placed them next to the money on the counter.

"Hehe, the goods are gone!"

"Meow~"

After doing all this, Pardo happily turned around and cleverly exited the candy store with her cat. Before leaving, she thoughtfully restored the door lock she had opened with a special tool.

…

After finishing the candy store purchase trip that night, Pardo’s hidden breath circled outside a few times before quietly returning to her new secret base or foothold.

"Ah~"

"I haven't slept well for a long time at night. Good night, Can." Yawning lightly, Pardo whispered to the canned goods beside her.

"Meow~"

——————————————————————

The next morning——

After having breakfast with his wife and daughter at home, [Rat King] Lin Kojui slowly left home with his dragon-headed cane and headed towards the candy store he owned.

Although he had a little background, Lin Kojui still liked his identity as the owner of a candy store. If there was nothing important, he would go there in person every morning to open the store and enjoy a leisurely time in it.

Today was no different from any other day in Lin Kojui's opinion. It was a completely ordinary day. However, this thought disappeared the moment he opened the door and saw the situation inside.

"Damn it, who did this!"

Looking at the candies on the shelves of his own store that were almost half gone, Lin Kojui tightened his grip on his cane and then shouted with a dark face.

Although [Rat King] often talked about getting old, he never thought someone in Lungmen would actually come to tease his tiger (rat) whiskers and steal from him. It was simply outrageous!

If the stolen items were valuables, although they were all teasing his tiger whiskers, Lin Kojui could still understand that the "thief" took the risk to offend him for money.

But the lost items were candies. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed like someone deliberately came to provoke him.

Just when Lin Kojui calmed down for a while and went forward to check the stolen candies in the container, he suddenly caught sight of something in the corner of the counter.

“……”

After seeing clearly what was in the corner of the counter, Lin Kojui narrowed his eyes slightly and stopped walking towards the shelf.

After a while, he reached out and picked up a very exquisite porcelain tea bowl among a pile of small items next to the Lungmen coin.

“It turned out to be that little thief…”

Although Lin Kojui did not know all the items recently stolen in Lungmen, he was aware of the teacup in his hand. It was one of the items stolen by a small gang in Lungmen by the “righteous thief” who had appeared recently.

As for why Lin Kojui knew, he had, of course, sent someone to ask. After the organization's items were stolen, although there might have been some concealment when he sent people to inquire for reasons such as face and unclean things, the majesty and face of the Rat King meant that even if there was some concealment, what was revealed was almost all true.

"Hmph..."

With a light hum, Lin Kojui put down the teacup in his hand. He had lived for so many years and had become a shrewd man. He didn't need to think too much to vaguely understand the thoughts of the thief who patronized his store.

It was nothing more than that he had been pushing people too hard in the slums recently, and the other party couldn’t help but retaliate by patronizing his candy store. But in the end, he was afraid that Lin Kojui would really be angry and hold him accountable, so he left these money and "stolen goods."

"It's really wishful thinking. No one has provoked me like this for many years..."

Chapter 15: Law-abiding Good Citizen "Rat King"

After counting the "losses" in his store, [Rat King] Lin Kojui not only gave instructions to his men but also temporarily closed the store before heading to the Lungmen Guard Department at a leisurely pace.

Previously, because of the special nature of the items stolen by Pardo, Lin Kojui had not wanted to bring the matter to the surface, opting instead to investigate privately and put pressure on him. But now that his regular candy store had been robbed, he had a reason to report it.

After all, he, [Rat King] Lin Kojui, was a law-abiding good citizen of Longmen, and he naturally had to call the police when faced with such a situation.

As for his face and dignity, if it were before, [Rat King] might have cared about them. But since he found out that [Emperor] had also had issues and was investigating this little thief a few days ago, he no longer cared much.

In terms of items, he hadn’t lost much, and regarding face and dignity, there was a person of the same status accompanying him.

Of course, Lin Kojui's alarm this time not only involved the Lungmen Guard Department to put pressure on the thief but also reminded the people behind the Lungmen Guard Department.

Although the "thief" left money and stolen goods this morning, seemingly begging for mercy, after repeated tests during this period, [Rat King] did not think they were a simple person.

Just ask: how many people can succeed in every operation without exposure in Longmen, a place full of his eyes?

However, reminders are reminders. Lin Kojui thought that the guy should have known about this matter a long time ago.

——————————————————————

"Ah~"

"It's so pleasant to sleep in the sun."

Pardo, who woke up naturally, squinted her eyes comfortably, stretched her waist, and muttered softly.

"Meow~"

Noticing Pardo's actions, the cat next to her yawned lightly as if "infected," then stretched his fat body with all four paws supporting his waist.

"I don't know what's going on outside. I hope that, for the sake of the money I left, that old... 'Rat King' will show some mercy." As she said this, Pardo couldn’t help but think of Lin Kojui's angry and terrifying face.

To be honest, although Pardofelis knew what the Rat King looked like before she crossed over, after secretly seeing him in person a few days ago, she could only say that non-Terra people might not appreciate him very much...

After staying at the place for a while, Pardo finally couldn't sit still. She stood up with a helpless expression, patted her clothes, and said to the cat beside her:

"I'm still a little worried. Let's go out and take a look, Can. We can also solve breakfast and lunch."

"...Meow!"

The fat cat, initially uninterested in the first half, was suddenly excited upon hearing about breakfast and lunch. She quickly climbed onto Pardo's shoulder with enthusiasm.

"Can, you get so excited about food." Pardo took out a small dried fish from her space, handed it to Can, and said, "Use this as a cushion for now, and don’t rush forward when you encounter food outside later!"

Pardo was not exaggerating when she said this to Can. The fat cat had done something similar during an operation a few days ago... If it weren’t for its size, others might have thought it was being abused.

Can's greed had caused more trouble than this. Since being fed at Swire's house last time, it would sneak over to eat every now and then... This made Pardo feel a bit embarrassed.

After all, it was originally because of the mission that she was 'purchasing' goods like wool, and now her own cat was eating openly in there...

Now, when she was purchasing, Pardo couldn’t bear to look at Can and cat food Swire had just bought recently in her cabinet.

"Meow!"

Seeing the small dried fish handed to her, Can was not polite at all. She took a bite and started eating.

"Oh, I almost forgot!"

Glancing at the cat happily eating, Pardo suddenly seemed to remember something. She gently tapped her hand, took out a candy from her space, peeled off the wrapper, and put it in her mouth.

Feeling the refreshing sweetness spread in her mouth, Pardofelis raised the hand holding the candy wrapper lightly, then watched the wrapper glitter under the sunlight. For a moment, her already good mood improved even more.

Finally, she carefully put the candy wrapper into her collection box. Pardo then took the cat and carefully left the place to go out and gather intelligence.

————————————————————

If you don’t go out to investigate, you won’t know.

After going out to investigate, Pardo suddenly found that the worst-case scenario had occurred. Lin Kojui had actually called the police because of the candy store!

Now it's clear. So far, the three major forces of Longmen have more or less noticed her...

After hearing this news, Pardo felt unwell. She imagined many bad outcomes, even thinking that the [Rat King] was very angry and was using all his connections to "search" for her all over the city...

But Pardofelis never expected that the ruler of the slums and criminal underworld king would go to the police without any martial ethics or dignity!

"Alas, Can, it seems that our future will be difficult." Putting down the chicken leg she had bitten, Pardo said with a depressed expression.

For the current situation, Pardofelis is not afraid of her life being in danger or going to jail. The former is unlikely, and the latter can’t hold her at all. What she feels annoyed about is that she might be tired in the future.

As for what she is tired of... Of course, she is tired of knocking people!

During this period, under the increasingly intensive and careful search by the [Rat King], Pardo was not actually discovered by others, but she used [Infinite Intimidator] to "physically" clear people's memory.

After all, Pardofelis is not a superhero who can be invisible. With so many eyes watching, it would be a problem if she didn’t reveal any flaws.

What's more, she always "committed crimes" in the middle of the night to deliver supplies to those people in the slums. Just for this reason, she didn’t know how many times she had been awaited by Lin Kojui's men.

And this time, with the "multi-party" alliance, Pardo couldn’t imagine how many people she would have to knock out next...

"Meow~Awoo!"

Just as Pardo was "lamenting," the cat moved to her hand at some point and, taking advantage of her inattention, pounced and bit the big chicken leg in her hand.

"!"

"This is my chicken leg, Can!" After discovering that her chicken leg was bitten, Pardo snapped out of her previous state and fought with her fat cat for the chicken leg.

Chapter 16: Unexpected Situation

After "Rat King" Lin Kojui reported the case, the Lungmen Guard Department took the matter seriously due to his identity and began mobilizing the intelligence department to collect clues.

In just a few days, all sorts of tedious and fragmentary clues were placed on the desks of Ch'en, Swire, and others.

In the Lungmen Guard Department, Office of the Senior Superintendent of Police—

At this moment, the three members of the team who had taken over this incident were gathered together to sort out and discuss the relevant clues.

"Although a lot of information is still missing, we can roughly calculate the number of thefts this 'generous' suspect has committed so far," Ch'en said, pausing as she pointed to the whiteboard covered with photos and clues, then continued to speak to the person next to her.

"If Mr. Lin Kojui's speculation that [the suspect helps people in the slums after he steals] is correct, then we can estimate that the suspect has committed 13 thefts in total up until the candy store robbery.

"And we don't know if he has taken action again in the past few days since the candy store incident."

After listening to Ch'en's words, Swire and Hoshiguma, who were sitting next to her, nodded gently and had no objections because they thought the same way.

Then, Swire thought of something and sighed helplessly: "The suspect this time was surprisingly principled, stealing and giving back. It's a pity that because the 'Rat King' was chasing him too closely before, his actions became unpredictable."

"Don't even mention whether there will be any more actions in the candy store. In the previous 13 thefts, we still haven't figured out what the suspect stole in 5 of them, and no one has reported the theft."

"It is possible that the owner himself didn't know about the theft. After all, the suspect's thefts seemed very random, with no clear pattern at all," Hoshiguma added with a serious expression after listening to Swire's words.

"That's right. I hope those careless owners will realize it soon," Swire muttered quietly before focusing on the clues again.

……

On the rooftop of an uninhabited building—

"Ah~ This place is really suitable for sunbathing."

Pardo was lying on a lounge chair prepared in advance, basking in the sun, and sighed lazily.

"Speaking of which, I remember there's an event on a commercial street near the coroner tonight. I recall there are many food stalls. Do you want to go and have a look?"

"Meow!"

"Okay, I'll take you there to play tonight!"

Since she found out a few days ago that the "Rat King" had reported the candy store to the Guards, and that another group of people was investigating her, Pardo had started to enjoy life. These days, apart from paying attention to the news and the direction of the wind from various quarters, she hadn’t touched the first task at all.

In the past few days, Pardofelis had been eating, drinking, playing, basking in the sun, and sleeping. If she had time, she would go to Swire's house to buy some small things.

So far, although she had not completed the first task in 7 attempts, Swire's 'purchase' task had been successfully and smoothly pushed to the 8th time. As time passed slowly, night fell, and this prosperous city gradually lit up again.

"Wow, it's so lively here." Looking at the busy and crowded streets in front of her, Pardo exclaimed excitedly, as she had never seen the world. Although Pardofelis had been in Lungmen for more than half a month, she had only come out to play in the past few days. It was the first time for her to see such an event as today.

"Meow~"

Compared to Pardo's excitement, the cat on her shoulder, watching the scene in front of them, was less interested because it realized that on this crowded street, it would take a long time to line up to buy food... it was too slow.

"Well, although there are a lot of people, since we're here, Can, please come with me for a walk. I'll take you to other places to find food later." Pardo, who understood the feelings of her cat, smiled and whispered to comfort it.

"Meow~"

"Can is the best; let's go!"

After speaking, Pardo took her fat cat and followed the crowd to the commercial street.

...

Because there were so many people, Pardo did not queue up to buy anything after entering the commercial street. She simply strolled around out of pure curiosity, looking here and there, just enjoying the fun.

However, before she was halfway through her walk, she noticed that the crowd around her suddenly became agitated, with many people even pushing out against the flow of traffic.

"What happened in front?"

Skillfully avoiding the people pushing toward her, Pardo looked in the direction of the source of the commotion with a puzzled expression. However, she did not hesitate for long. Her confusion and curiosity got the better of her, and she nimbly ran forward against the chaotic crowd.

This agility did not last long, however, because the closer she got to the "site of the incident," the more crowded it became. Even the nimble Pardo couldn't move forward as easily as before.

Although she couldn't see clearly what was happening in front of her through the crowd, it did not stop Pardo from hearing key phrases such as "murder" and "someone died!" from the fleeing, screaming people.

Pardofelis herself really didn't like trouble. Especially now that it was so crowded, if it had been anything else, she might have just turned around and left. However, she had heard those words...

"Can, go! Go and see what's going on. I'll give you more cans later!"

Pardo, who rarely looked upset, lowered her voice and spoke to the cat standing on her shoulder.

"Meow!"

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the cat did not haggle over the canned goods. It quickly jumped up and began stepping on people's heads, charging forward.

...

On the other side of the commercial street—

The three who had already divided the tasks in the police car earlier quickly carried out their duties after bringing the police officers to the scene.

Swire stayed at the exit, commanding the police officers on both sides to quickly establish order, evacuate the people in the commercial street in an orderly manner, and rescue the injured and those who had been trampled.

Ch'en and Hoshiguma led another group of police officers equipped with riot shields and weapons toward the "scene of the incident," moving against the crowd to subdue the gangsters reported this time.

Chapter 17: About the "Thief" Sitting in the Police Car

In the busy middle of the commercial street, a man in black clothes with messy hair had a crazy light in his eyes. He held a blade in his hand and chased everyone around him with a ferocious expression.

"Why... why did I become an infected? Why do I have to suffer your contempt and discrimination again? You all die!"

"Meow!!"

Just as the infected man was about to attack again, a sharp cat cry suddenly sounded, followed by a fat paw and a sharp pain on his face.

"Ah! What the hell!"

The infected who was "attacked" instinctively covered his face. The severe pain made him more manic, and he waved the knife in the air, trying to defend himself.

However, before he could recover, a figure squeezed out of the crowd and rushed towards him at a very fast speed.

Pardo first kicked the knife out of the infected person's hand with a deft kick, then turned around and hit him on the head with a brick.

"Really, my shopping trip is ruined."

Looking at the "criminal" lying on the ground in front of her, who seemed to be sleeping soundly, and the empty, messy, and wounded streets, Pardo muttered with some regret.

As she spoke, she bent down to carefully check the "criminal's" current condition. After confirming that he would not wake up anytime soon, she turned around with the Can and planned to quickly catch up with the crowd and slip away.

However, before Pardofelis ran a few steps, a serious voice suddenly sounded not far behind her.

"Lady in front, please stay!"

"!"

This familiar voice startled Pardo; she stumbled and almost fell flat on the ground.

As Pardofelis staggered, a familiar figure quickly came in front of her and stopped her.

Looking at Ch'en, who stopped her, Pardo scratched her head nervously and asked, "Aha, is there... anything wrong?"

"You, ma'am, subdued this gangster, right? We are superintendents of the LGD. Please cooperate with our investigation and come back to the Department to make a record." Ch'en said with a serious face, showing her ID.

"I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am. Please cooperate with us." Compared to Ch'en, who looked fierce with a serious face and cold words, Hoshiguma's tone was much gentler.

"...Okay."

Looking at the two people in front of her, who showed an unquestionable expression, Pardo carefully weighed the pros and cons and chose to compromise.

In this legitimate situation, if she chose to run away, it would be too easy to arouse suspicion. After all, she didn't do anything wrong, so why run away?

Finally, after the police officers handled and arranged the "scene of the crime," Pardo, the bystander who bravely subdued the criminal, was forced to sit in the police car, escorting the criminal back to the LGD with them.

---

Although the overall process of this case was not complicated, it took a lot of time to investigate and collect evidence due to its serious nature, especially since someone tried to escape at the beginning.

This led to not only the police officers of the LGD working overtime, but also Pardo being forced to finish the record in the middle of the night...

To be honest, the person involved regrets it now.

Of course, Pardo did not regret subduing the criminal but regretted not running earlier. She should have been faster at the time and run immediately after hitting the person...

Now, not only did she not have time to go shopping, but she also didn't buy food and was still hungry in the middle of the night.

"Wait a minute, you've worked hard today; you probably haven't eaten yet. I just ordered supper for the overtime police officers. Come and eat with us."

Just as Pardo had left the office and was about to leave the LGD in a depressed mood, Swire's voice suddenly sounded behind her.

"Uh, that's not necessary."

After hearing Swire's invitation, Pardo turned around, subconsciously hid Can behind her, then gently waved her hand and declined.

"Come with us. Even if Miss Felis isn't hungry, your car should be. This time it can be considered a great hero." After hearing Pardo's refusal, Swire did not give up but cast her smiling eyes on the fat figure behind her and said.

"How do you know that Can is hungry?"

"..."

Hearing this, Pardo opened her mouth subconsciously. However, after realizing that her fat cat often went to other people's places for meals, she silently closed her mouth.

Pardo admitted it was wrong to eat for free... After all, which good cat would go to the owner's house to eat for free? It's okay to eat, but which cat would show off several cans of cat food and a big bowl of cat food in one meal!

As for why Pardo knew so much, it all started when Swire fed the cat and didn't take out the trash the next day...

God knows how speechless Pardo was when she saw the many empty cat food cans in the trash when she was 'purchasing' goods!

If she hadn't been sure she was feeding Can on time and the inventory in the space was constantly decreasing, she would have suspected she was neglecting the cat!

"So it's called 'Can.' This name is surprisingly suitable." After hearing the cat's name from Pardo, Swire thought of the cat food that was constantly consumed at home and couldn't help sighing.

"As for how I know, Miss Felis, you may not believe it, but it's just my experience!"

"Experience... Have you fed Can before? Did it cause you any trouble?"

Pardo naturally knew everything, but to prevent Swire from doubting, she smiled and pretended to be clueless.

After saying that, she couldn't help but secretly glare at the fat cat leaning on her shoulder.

"Pfft, Can didn't cause me any trouble. Well, since we are so destined, Miss Felis, don't refuse. Come with us; it's a good time to talk." After noticing Pardo's little action, Swire couldn't help laughing.

Then, she didn't give the person in front of her a chance to refuse, took a few steps forward, and carefully pulled her in directly.

After Swire found out that Pardo was the owner of the cat that came to her house for food, she had the idea of chatting and making friends.

However, because she has always been serious and focused during work hours and doesn't want to be distracted, she suppressed this idea until now.

Now that she finally had the chance to get to know her, Swire was not willing to let her go so quickly.

Chapter 18: Two Cats Communicate

In a quiet corner, two people eating supper were talking in low voices.

"Although it's a bit presumptuous, there is a question I've wanted to ask for a while." As they chatted, Swire seemed to remember something.

She looked up at Pardo, and asked after a little consideration: "Does Can not eat well at home?"

Every time she saw Can eating at her home, she was puzzled by the way she ate voraciously and overate.

If it weren't for the size of the cat, she would even suspect that the cat's owner abused it... and this time she had caught the opportunity, so she naturally wanted to ask about this matter.

"How could Can not eat well? She doesn't eat less — three meals a day plus snacks!" After hearing what Swire said, Pardo shook her head without hesitation and answered.

"..."

After hearing what the person next to her said, Swire fell silent for a while, but when she turned her eyes to a fat figure gnawing on a grilled fish fillet, she suddenly understood.

She realized she probably knew why Can was so fat. The owner fed her three meals a day without missing a single one, and she ran out for extra meals from time to time. How could she not be fat?

"So, Swire, you must have fed Can a lot of food recently. I'll pay you back for however much you spent." Pardo glanced at the silent Swire, touched her nose, and said with a guilty conscience.

Pardo thought she was a person with principles.

Let's not talk about the 'purchase' of goods.

Just in regard to Can eating for free, she felt she still needed to pay the "meal money."

After hearing what Pardo said, Swire came to her senses and shook her head, saying seriously:

"No, I bought those things for Can voluntarily. Compared to this small matter, I should apologize for feeding this little guy so much extra food."

"If there is any abnormality in her body that needs to be checked or treated, please let me know. I'll pay the relevant expenses."

Swire really had no experience in raising pets, which is why she was fooled by Can into opening many cans of cat food whenever she came to eat.

"No, no, no, I didn't keep an eye on Can and let her run away. As for the check and treatment, there's no need. She's very healthy right now."

Facing Swire, who suddenly became serious, Pardo, who already felt a bit guilty, became even more uncomfortable and waved her hand to refuse.

"Hey, is there really no problem? But the information I checked said that being too fat can also affect her health." As she said that, Swire couldn't help but reach out and touch the cat's round belly.

"Well, don't worry too much. Although Can looks fat, she's always been in good health."

Pardo wasn't saying this just to make Swire feel better. She knew her cat's condition better than anyone. Even if she ate something shs shouldn't, it was generally not a big problem.

Additionally, the reason Can was so fat was also because of her — or rather, "Pardofelis."

If "Pardo" hadn't subconsciously thought that cats should eat enough and be fat, Can wouldn't be in this condition.

"That's good." Hearing this, Swire patted her chest lightly and breathed a sigh of relief.

---

Outside the LGD

"I've delayed you a lot today. It's already late. I'll get a taxi to take you home," Swire, who had finished her midnight snack and just got off work, looked at the time and said to Pardo, who was leaving the LGD building with her.

"No, no need for that. I can get back by myself." Hearing this, Pardo shook her head and said.

If it were someone else, even other superintendents or police officers offering to take her home, Pardo might consider it, as she wanted to be lazy. But since this person was Swire... she didn't need to think about it at all — just say no!

After all, in addition to being a senior superintendent of the LGD, Swire was also a "sheep" who had been fleeced by her! If possible, Pardo didn't want to have any more contact with her.

Because the more you talk, the more mistakes you make. Maybe you'd accidentally expose yourself... Then the second task would be difficult to complete. She's still waiting for her sister Eden to come out and give her a sparkling gem.

"Really?"

"Yes, don't worry, it's okay. Even if I meet a bad guy, I can definitely escape!" Looking at Swire, who seemed a little worried, Pardo patted her chest confidently and said.

"Meow!"

"Okay, be careful on the road."

Seeing Pardo's insistence, Swire didn't force it.

After all, she could tell from what happened tonight that the person in front of her had some foundation. Even if she couldn't win in a dangerous situation, she could at least run away.

"Well, by the way, there's something I want to ask you." Hearing this, Pardo nodded first, then seemed to remember something and asked with a rare serious look: "Swire, can you tell me about the injuries tonight?"

Hearing Pardo suddenly talking about business, Swire slowly put away the smile on her face and answered seriously: "This... Under normal circumstances, according to the rules and regulations of the LGD, I can't tell you before the case is resolved. However, considering that Pardo was brave this time, I can tell you a little."

"There were many injured in this incident, including two seriously injured, but... no one has died so far. And this is thanks to you for subduing the criminals in time."

"Don't thank me. Even if I hadn't taken action at that time, your police officers would have arrived. And if I had known the record would be made so late, I should have run away right after knocking that person unconscious."

As she spoke, Pardo couldn't help but swing her long tail behind her and then look at Swire beside her with resentment.

"Ahem... Tonight's matter was relatively large and troublesome to deal with, so it took a lot of time to make the record. Please forgive me." Facing Pardo's resentful eyes, Swire's eyes shifted slightly, and she couldn't help coughing twice.

And because of the sudden interruption by the cat, Swire's complex and depressed emotions, which had just emerged in her heart due to the tragic case tonight, quietly eased and dissipated a lot.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Let's exchange contact information or add each other as friends. It will be easier for us to contact each other if anything comes up later."

"Ah...!"

Hearing this, Pardo, who was yawning and planning to say goodbye and run away, was suddenly startled and almost couldn't close her mouth.

Chapter 19: Earrings and Suspicion

"..."

In the silent night, while everyone was sleeping soundly, Pardo sat on the roof of the low building where she was staying, staring at the newly added contact on her phone.

Of course, the reason Pardofelis was staring at her phone in a daze wasn't because of a little tiger; she was thinking about what had happened that evening.

In short, the incident tonight was actually an attack. The situation itself wasn't particularly significant in one sense — no one had died — but it wasn't minor either, as many innocent people were injured.

Generally, if an attack like this were reported, it would cause anger, sadness, and perhaps relief, followed by demands for severe punishment.

But all of this assumed that the perpetrator was an ordinary person. What would happen if it were revealed that the perpetrator was infected?

Pardo could already imagine the public shock and the series of repercussions that this incident would cause throughout the city.

However, what happened next had nothing to do with Pardofelis. She had neither the means nor the skills to change the course of events.

Still, that didn't stop her from thinking about how things might unfold and wondering about what happened tonight.

"..."

Whether she had figured it out or not, Pardo, who had been staring at her phone with her head down, slowly raised her gaze to the starry sky, with its two full moons, and muttered softly:

"Sure enough, people shouldn't overthink... Thinking too much only brings unhappiness."

"But... I still want to do something."

"But what can I do?"

Pardo rarely worried about these things — in fact, she almost never worried about anything.

She had always been carefree, focusing only on the present. For her, living another day meant another day of happiness. If she had food to fill her stomach and sunshine to bask in, that was three times the happiness. She was so content that she rarely thought about anything beyond that.

Even if tomorrow were the end of the world, that was still tomorrow for Pardofelis, and she would remain happy today!

However, despite her easy-going attitude, her lack of great ambitions, and her belief that if the sky fell, someone taller would hold it up, [Reviere] Pardo still had things she wanted to do and little dreams she cherished.

---

A Villa with Lights on Late at Night

"Ah, I finally finished washing up and can rest."

Swire yawned, rubbing her fluffy hair that she had just blow-dried, and murmured in a low voice.

After everything that happened tonight, she was completely exhausted.

If tomorrow's vacation hadn't already been scheduled, she wouldn't have dared to take her time like this. Otherwise, she would have had to go to work tomorrow morning with dark circles under her eyes.

By then, she wouldn't just be in a bad mood; she'd also be laughed at by a certain street dragon...

"..."

Just as Swire was about to turn off the lights downstairs and head up to her room, she paused slightly when she passed the table with trays and decorations.

"Now that I think about it, wasn't there an earring I still haven't found?"

"Forget it, I'll deal with it tomorrow."

Pardo didn't dwell too much on the small thing she suddenly remembered. She turned off the lights and dragged her tired body upstairs.

---

Because she had stayed up late the night before, Swire didn't wake up early as usual. Instead, she indulged herself for the first time in a long time and slept in until almost noon.

"Ah~"

Swire, who had just woken up, squinted her sleepy eyes, yawned, and slowly sat up in her large bed. She glanced at the clock in the room and couldn't help but sigh: "It's been a long time since I slept in this late."

After waking up a bit more, Swire left her room to wash up. Although she was on vacation today, she had plenty to do.

For example, she called the cleaning lady to help clean, tidy up, and organize various items.

She was still thinking about her missing earring. Although it wasn't a very valuable item, it was one she used frequently.

Previously, she had been too busy to look for it herself, so she asked the cleaning lady to help, but it hadn't been found. Now that she had some time, Pardo naturally wanted to try to find it again.

Besides handling personal matters, Swire also planned to visit LGD to see if Hoshiguma or Ch'en needed any help.

If they did, she wouldn’t mind working overtime.

After all, Swire was different from others. Most people worked for money or other reasons, but she genuinely loved her job and was ambitious to make the department bigger and stronger — like becoming the Executive of the LGD and being Ch'en's boss!

Having planned her day, Swire wasted no time and quickly began her tasks.

...

"It's almost time. Let me tidy up and find the earrings." After a simple lunch and cleaning up the dishes, Swire began organizing her various small belongings.

This was a habit she had developed over a long time. To avoid causing unnecessary trouble for others, and because she didn't like people touching her things, she always tidied up before the cleaning lady came.

...

After spending some time putting away items she didn't want others to handle, Swire began searching for her missing gem earring.

However, no matter how thoroughly she searched — even moving the table where the earring had fallen — she couldn't find it.

"It's really strange. I clearly remember it falling here. Could it have been taken by a mouse?"

"Or... did someone take it?"

At that thought, Swire's professional instincts kicked in, and her mind subconsciously began to consider potential suspects...

But before she could think too deeply, the villa's doorbell rang, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Good afternoon, Auntie, thank you for coming today."

Swire walked to the yard, opened the door, and smiled as she invited the housekeeper in.

"Haha, good afternoon, Miss Swire. It's no trouble at all; it's just part of my job."

Facing her polite young employer, the housekeeper chuckled and responded.

"Well, then please get started." Swire nodded and said nothing more, casually closing the yard door and walking toward the house with the housekeeper.

Chapter 20: The Cat's Discovery and the Crazy Little Tiger

While the housekeeper was cleaning, Swire wasn't idle either. She continued searching for her earrings and sorting through her belongings.

However, it would have been better if she hadn't started counting. After checking, she found that several of her small items were missing.

If only one or two items were gone, Swire might have thought she had misplaced them. But with three items missing at once, it became suspicious.

She began to suspect there might be a thief in the house...

Moreover, the items found missing were only those she had counted so far. It was possible that other items had disappeared without her noticing yet.

After all, the "little thief" appeared to be taking only small objei — even things that she herself had almost forgotten about.

"…"

Thinking this over, Swire slowly walked out of her room, stood in the corridor on the second floor, and looked down at the housekeeper cleaning downstairs with a slightly suspicious gaze.

It was not surprising that Swire would suspect the housekeeper; after all, she knew the layout and details of the house better than anyone else besides Swire herself.

Among the items Swire noticed missing, there were several, like the earring that had fallen into a small corner. Outsiders who didn't know where to look would have trouble finding them, let alone stealing them intentionally.

Of course, suspicion was just that — suspicion. Without evidence, Swire wasn't about to accuse anyone of theft.

However, she was determined to get to the bottom of this. After all, she was a senior superintendent of the Lungmen Guard Department! It would be embarrassing if someone had been stealing from her home and she hadn't even noticed!

---

The Rooftop, Bathed in Sunshine

"Ah~"

After stretching lazily, Pardo slowly opened her misty eyes in the warm environment.

After returning last night, Pardo had been pondering what she could do, unable to sleep. So, in the second half of the night, she simply went out again.

As for why she went out, of course, she was going to deliver supplies after the people who had been investigating and chasing her had relaxed a little over the past few days.

To avoid needing to deliver goods for a long time in the future, Pardo kept busy all night, finishing only at dawn before sneaking back home.

"Oh, right! I almost forgot."

Pardo, who had been yawning repeatedly, suddenly remembered something, and her drowsiness vanished. She focused her mind and reached out to someone telepathically.

‘... Sister Snake!’

‘What a rare guest. Why did Felis suddenly think of contacting me~? Do you want to offer yourself up as research material?’

Although she had a pretty good idea why Pardo was contacting her, Mobius couldn't resist teasing her.

‘No, no, no, forget about that!’

Pardo, who had initially been serious, was immediately flustered by Mobius's teasing. Her expression changed instantly, and she quickly refused.

Neither she nor "Pardofelis" had any intention of becoming a research subject; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been hiding from Mobius.

"Hey, you're no fun... I thought you'd finally decided to be my guinea pig~"

"..."

Though Mobius's words appeared like a joke, Pardo strangely sensed a hint of seriousness behind them...

'Ahem, let's not talk about that right now. My mission is nearly complete, and I should have a lot of free time for a while... If Sister Snake needs anything for the research on Oripathy, I can help you steal... I mean, purchase it for free.'

Pardo cleared her throat, ignored Mobius's teasing, and got to the real reason for her contact.

To be honest, while she didn't intend to get involved in disputes between different factions, Pardo had thought long and hard last night. The best she could do was to help those around her as much as possible and to "assist" Mobius in developing a cure for Oripathy.

‘Heh~ There’s nothing missing for the Oripathy research, but another project could use a little kitten. Felis, are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?’

'No, I don’t have a cat here! Alright, I’ve made my offer. I’m going to get busy now, Sister Snake…' After saying the last words in her mind, Pardo quickly cut off the telepathic link, unwilling to dwell on Mobius's reaction.

What a joke! She just wanted to help out where she could, not end up on an operating table... She shivered at the mere thought of the cold, sterile lab in Mobius's research facility!

“Good thing I reacted quickly. It's getting late. Let's go find something to eat, Can.” After finishing her conversation with Mobius, Pardo turned to Can, who was sitting beside her.

“Meow!”

Hearing the word "eat," Can let out an excited cry and jumped onto Pardo’s shoulder without hesitation.

"Hold on tight! We're off!"

Besides finding lunch, Pardo also planned to head to the slums to check out the situation there.

After her sudden move last night, all the factions were likely on edge again. For her own safety, she needed to confirm what was happening.

---

Beatrix Schwire's Villa

"Really, no clues at all... Could it have been a rat that took it?" Swire, who had just returned from checking the surveillance footage at the property office, muttered in frustration as she lay on her sofa.

It had been several hours since she began her investigation, but she hadn’t found much.

There were no clear traces or remains at home, and the surveillance in the villa area hadn't captured any suspicious persons. Even the housekeeper's story was consistent and had no flaws...

But she couldn't shake the feeling that this matter was more complicated than it seemed, even though the various clues and theories didn't yet connect.

"Ugh, I just don't believe this!"

Suddenly, Swire sat up on the sofa, grabbed her phone, and made a call.

She had to solve this mystery; she absolutely didn't want to be mocked by Ch'en.

...

After giving some instructions over the phone, Swire decided to set aside the situation at home for the moment and rushed to the Lungmen Guard Department.

This wasn't just because she wanted to see if she could help out — Hoshiguma had also sent her a message…

Chapter 21: The Feline Cat is Shocked

Lungmen Guard Department——

"I'm here. What clues have you found?"

Swire, who had come all the way to the Lungmen Guard Department and returned to the office, looked at Hoshiguma impatiently and asked.

"?"

"Why are you here? Didn't I ask you to investigate tomorrow?" Hoshiguma was slightly stunned when he saw someone who shouldn't have been there at that moment.

"There's nothing going on at home, so I came to see if there's anything I can do for you." Hearing this, Swire blinked her eyes gently and answered without blushing.

"Really hardworking..." Hoshiguma paused halfway through her sigh, then seemed to think of something. She continued with a strange look on her face:

"Wait, you said before that you wanted to be the director. You weren't serious, were you...?"

"Of course. A senior superintendent who doesn't want to be the director is not a good superintendent." After hearing Hoshiguma's words, Swire spread her hands, as if it was a matter of course.

"You, a barbecued pork cat, really dare to dream high!"

Before Hoshiguma could say anything else, a voice with a hint of disdain broke through the indifference, accompanied by a big eye roll.

"What are you talking about, you punk! I will definitely get that position, and I will one day!" After hearing Ch'en's words and seeing her eye-roll, Swire was furious and retorted angrily.

"You? Stop daydreaming! Think about it when you lie in bed at night."

"You!"

...

"It starts again..."

Seeing the two bickering again, Hoshiguma shook her head helplessly.

"Okay, stop arguing."

"Hmph, who is arguing with this punk!"

"You barbecued pork cat!"

The two who were arguing fiercely fell silent after hearing Hoshiguma, glaring at each other before turning their faces away.

"Okay, don't be angry. Ch'en, go do your thing. I'll explain the current situation to Swire."

When Hoshiguma, the "peacemaker" of the trio, spoke, the other two said nothing. One continued to work with a cold face, while the other turned her head, waiting for the next words.

"...So, what's the situation now? What new actions has the Lungmen thief taken?"

Perhaps she couldn't wait any longer, Swire, who was standing next to Hoshiguma at that moment, asked in a low voice.

"There hasn't been another theft, but that person sent supplies to the slums again last night." Hoshiguma replied to Swire's inquiry, sharing the new intelligence with a serious look.

"However, due to various reasons, the people who were on watch last night didn't see that person."

"What are the plans for the next step? Will we increase the number of people on watch tonight?" After listening to Hoshiguma, Swire did not show any surprise but asked again with a serious expression.

"Yes, that's the plan for now. Today's visit and investigation have been canceled and will be rescheduled for tomorrow... Tomorrow, the three of us will conduct the investigation in plain clothes." Hoshiguma nodded gently, explaining all the arrangements she and Ch'en had made earlier.

"Is the investigation being blocked?" Although she was asking, Swire's tone was quite certain.

"Yes, the people in the slums have already started resisting our inquiries and investigations. Some even expressed extreme words and behaviors... They believe that our intervention has prevented them from receiving the [gift] from this so-called chivalrous thief for so long." At this point, Hoshiguma, who usually had a gentle expression, couldn't help but frown.

"Sigh... To be honest, although it sounds ridiculous, this was to be expected. After all, we didn't provide benefits to these people like that person did." As she said this, Swire sighed softly, her expression becoming a little complicated. However, this expression didn't last long. She seemed to think of something, muttering uncertainly:

"Wait, could this be the thief's plan? To gain these people's support and have them cover for him, or even shield him..."

"It's not clear whether the thief intended this, but it's obvious that reality is moving in that direction." After listening to Swire's muttering, Hoshiguma shook his head gently and replied. "Besides, I now suspect that this person might be part of a gang or has helpers." At this point, Hoshiguma's expression turned peculiar.

It's not her fault for being suspicious; the main reason is that the supplies sent to the people in the slums this time were somewhat excessive...

If the suspect only sent some clothes and a small amount of food during the previous frequent actions, then last night... it was like the suspect was afraid there wouldn't be another chance, and sent a large amount of staple foods, including but not limited to flour and rice...

If the amount sent had been relatively small or the delivery range limited, Hoshiguma might have understood it. But this time, the goods sent were not only plentiful and heavy, but the delivery range was also extensive...

Moreover, the person managed to do all of this quietly and avoided detection...

This has led the LGD to suspect not only that someone in the slums might be sheltering the thief but also that these thefts could be the work of a gang... Even if not, there must be helpers. Otherwise, if it was just one person, they might truly be superhuman...

"What details did you find?"

Hoshiguma's sudden words piqued Swire's curiosity.

"Take a look for yourself. These are the photos taken in the slums today." This time, Hoshiguma didn't provide an explanation. She simply took a few photos from a folder and held them in front of Swire.

"Let me see...?"

After seeing the contents of the photos, a question mark slowly formed in Swire's mind. After a moment, she spoke in an incredulous tone:

"Don't tell me that other people received supplies of this magnitude."

"Although we haven't confirmed too many families, unfortunately, it seems to be the case..."

"???"

"This... you...?"

Hearing this, Swire pointed at the heavy food in the photo, opening her mouth several times but unable to say a complete sentence. Finally, she managed: "That person sent these heavy things, and our people didn't notice at all??"

Chapter 22: Cat's Little Melancholy

"Ding~"

Just as Swire had taken some time to understand the current situation with Hoshiguma and was about to return to her seat to start working, the phone in her pocket vibrated, stopping her in her tracks.

Not wanting to disturb others, she held the phone and left the office to answer it. Although she hadn't answered the call yet, and hadn't even looked at the caller ID, Swire had already guessed who was contacting her and why.

"Hello."

"It's me, Miss Beatrix. I've done what you asked me to do. Do you need to come back and check it in person?"

As expected, it was something Swire had arranged earlier.

"No need. I trust you can handle it. Just open it when you leave," Swire replied indifferently to the respectful voice on the other end.

"Yes, then I won't bother you anymore."

"Okay."

After hanging up, Swire looked out the window, a dark glint flashing in her eyes.

Although she's currently more focused on the affairs and work of the Lungmen Guard Department, that doesn't mean she doesn't care about her family's matters. Swire has always balanced both.

---

Slums

After filling her stomach at noon, Pardo brought Can food to the slums during the day for the first time in a long while and conducted a simple investigation.

Since the last incident, Pardofelis had avoided coming here at night, and certainly not during the day as she did today.

After spending some time collecting intelligence and understanding the recent situation in the slums, Pardo felt a bit uneasy.

Instead of leaving immediately, she found a small teahouse by the roadside, ordered a cup of tea, and sat down.

"..."

At that moment, Pardo stared at the tea, its surface slightly rippled by the wind, with a somewhat resentful expression.

Once again, Pardofelis realized how hard it is to be human, and even harder to be a good person... As expected, she still wanted to be a carefree cat who only needed to worry about filling her stomach.

As for why she suddenly thought this way, it was because Pardo had learned about the attitude and behavior of the poor people she had helped towards the police officers of the Lungmen Guard Department today...

How should she put it? If it was just about protecting themselves and providing her with some small cover, Pardofelis could somewhat understand and accept that.

However, it was obvious that many people had crossed the line...

Just thinking about the unbearable words and malicious plans she overheard in the market today made Pardofelis, despite her usual big-heartedness, frown.

To be honest, Pardofelis doesn't think of herself as a saint. She delivers supplies to the slums for both good and selfish reasons, but generally speaking, she tries her best to help and has a clear conscience.

Even though those she has helped may want more and become dependent on her, Pardo doesn't mind and continues to help.

However, she truly despises those who, under the guise of protecting her, spread malice and harm innocent people for a small gain.

According to Pardofelis's investigation, during the commotion caused by the poor today, one or two police officers from the Lungmen Guard Department suffered minor injuries because they were caught off guard...

Although those who caused the trouble were eventually arrested, she was still a little speechless and angry.

"It seems I have to find a way to teach these people a lesson... I don't want to get into trouble because of this," Pardo muttered unhappily, lying on the table after considering how to handle the situation. After careful thought, Pardofelis decided to give these troublemakers a lesson.

Not only that, she also planned to be more selective about who she helps. She doesn't want to ignore those who truly need assistance and end up raising a group of "monsters"...

"Meow~"

Sensing Pardo's unhappiness, Can, who was squatting on the table, stretched out her chubby, furry paw and patted Pardo's forehead as if to comfort her.

---

After staying in the slums for a while and ending her melancholy, Pardo left with Can.

That afternoon, Pardofelis felt that her young mind had been greatly shaken, so she decided to take a walk around Swire's house while she was still off work to soothe her wounded mind.

Of course, after learning from the lesson of being trapped under the bed last time, even though there wasn't much time left for her mission today, Pardo went to the Lungmen Guard Department to confirm the situation before visiting Swire's house.

Although she had a way out of that situation, she'd rather avoid going through it again!

...

As it was getting late, Pardo chose to make a quick decision this time. After confirming that everyone was indeed at work, she didn't hesitate and headed straight to her destination.

"Well, the usual routine, Can, you..."

"Meow~"

After Pardo reached a blind spot outside Swire's yard, she pointed to the high wall in front of her, intending to send Can, who was perched on her shoulder, over first to scout.

However, before she could finish her sentence, the fat cat had already climbed over the wall impatiently and skillfully slipped inside...

"Can, you're really impatient and quite familiar with the way!"

After Can confirmed that no one was inside the villa, Pardo nimbly vaulted over the wall. As she landed, she even had time to gently adjust the brim of her hat.

After scanning the surroundings and finding no danger, Pardo quietly turned the key in her hand, walked towards the villa, and then skillfully unlocked the door.

As usual, to prevent anyone outside from noticing anything unusual, Pardofelis carefully and quickly closed the door after entering.

However, due to her overconfidence and the many successful attempts, Pardo, who had become a little "lax," failed to notice the small cameras in the corners of the yard, their lights barely visible in the sunset.

...

After entering Swire's villa this time, Pardo wasted no time or hesitation, heading straight to the utility room with a clear goal in mind.

After all, after frequenting this place for so long, there was nothing here that Pardofelis was particularly interested in, but for the mission... she still had to do her best.

Here's the text with corrected grammar and refinements:

---

Chapter 23: Angry Little Tiger

Although Pardo noticed signs of cleaning when she entered the house, it wasn't the first time she had seen it, so she didn't pay much attention—until...

"..."

Pardo stared at the spotless and neatly arranged utility room before her and fell into deep thought.

To be honest, the reason Pardofelis liked coming to the utility room before was because it was usually a bit messy, with forgotten items scattered in the corners.

But now... it was so clean and tidy that she had no idea what to do.

"I can't shake this strange feeling... Is it because the room's been cleaned too thoroughly?"

Pardo, coming back to her senses, found that not only did the cleanliness of the room leave her without any ideas, but it also stirred up a strange, uneasy feeling in her heart that had been suppressed by the familiarity of the surroundings since she entered the yard.

"Forget it, just grab one thing and let's leave quickly, Can."

Trusting her luck, Pardo quickly exited the utility room, following the faint feeling, and called out to Can, who was wandering around the room.

"Meow~"

Can heard the call, stopped running around, and quickly returned to Pardo's side, following her closely.

Deciding to leave as soon as possible, Pardo didn't spend time choosing and swiftly walked to the cabinet where Swire stored cat food and Can goods. She then took a box of Can food from an inconspicuous corner.

"Well... consider this a little surprise and compensation."

Pardo glanced at the expensive imported Can cat food in her hand, hesitating for a moment as she touched her chin.

Then, as if making up her mind, she took out two small objects from her stash with a pang of regret and placed them in the hidden spot where she had just taken the Can food.

The reason for hiding them, of course, was because she didn't want Swire to find them too soon. As far as she knew, the house was only cleaned and tidied occasionally.

By the time the next cleaning happened and the items were discovered, she would have likely completed her mission long ago.

After finishing up, Pardo didn't waste any more time. She swiftly flicked her tail and made her escape, ensuring there were no loose ends.

…

The moment she left Swire's yard with her usual skill and lightness, the faint strange feeling in Pardo's heart quietly disappeared, as if it had never been there.

"…"

This subtle change in her heart made Pardo, now standing by the wall, raise an eyebrow slightly.

When she first entered the yard, overwhelmed by a sense of familiarity, nothing had seemed out of the ordinary, so Pardofelis hadn't paid much attention to it. But now, she was certain that something was definitely different in Swire's house...

As for what it was, Pardo wasn't exactly sure. However, judging from her memory... it shouldn't be anything extreme or threatening.

After all, if it were something serious, Pardofelis's intuition would have sounded a warning long ago, instead of just a slight feeling of unease.

"Hmm... should I go back in?"

Even though she believed the unusual presence in Swire's house wasn't a big threat, Pardo hated unnecessary trouble... She didn't want to deal with these matters directly.

So now she began seriously considering the feasibility of sneaking back in to "shop" and complete the task directly.

However, before Pardo could put this idea into action, she heard the sound of a key turning in the lock at the gate of Swire's yard nearby.

"What a pity..."

Realizing that the actual owner had returned, Pardo was forced to abandon her thoughts and quickly, yet carefully, left the villa area with Can.

---

"Really, they actually made me come back."

Swire, who had returned home and didn't notice anything unusual, muttered under her breath as she changed into her slippers.

In fact, the Feline usually doesn't get off work this early, but today she had a day off... However, not long after she decided to work overtime, she was brought back by Hoshiguma (persuasion) and Ch'en (anger).

"Forget it, let's see what I can make for dinner tonight."

Although Swire regretted not being able to continue working, now that she was back, she wouldn't waste time and miss the chance to relax.

...

After leaving Swire's house, Pardo didn't go for a stroll as she usually would. Instead, she bought some food and returned home with Can.

She planned to get a good sleep after dinner because she intended to visit the slums again in the middle of the night. As for what she was going to do, it was, of course, to observe the nighttime deployment of forces and give certain people a bit of a wake-up call.

---

At Night, Swire's Villa

While Pardo was catching up on sleep in preparation for her night mission, Swire, lying in bed at her villa, found herself unable to sleep.

Staying up late last night and waking up late today had slightly disrupted her routine, making it difficult for her to fall asleep at this time.

"Ah..." Swire, who had been lying in bed with her eyes closed for quite a while, finally sat up, unable to bear it any longer. Although she knew she should be resting since she had to go out in plain clothes for a mission tomorrow morning, she just couldn't sleep.

"I can't sleep at all. I might as well go exercise for a bit..."

Swire, sitting on the bed, stretched and rubbed her eyes gently, muttering to herself. Then she lifted the quilt and got out of bed.

Swire's house had sports equipment, and there was even a dedicated room for it, though she didn't often use it. Even though she was active at work, most of the time, she was too tired after getting off work to want to exercise...

However, just as Swire left her room and hadn't yet turned on the lights in the corridor on the second floor, a faint red light from the living room downstairs caught her attention.

"...Come to think of it, I haven't checked today's surveillance footage. But in such a short time, no one should have done anything, right?" Standing in the dark corridor, Swire looked at the only red light in the house and muttered to herself with a hint of uncertainty.

"Well, forget it. I can't sleep anyway. Might as well take a look." After weighing her options, Swire chose to check the videos rather than exercise.

She poured herself a cup of hot water and went to the study where the computer was set up to review the new surveillance footage from that afternoon.

---

Half an Hour Later

Swire, who had quickly browsed through all the footage, was now wide awake.

"Pardofelis!!!"

Swire glared at the two small objects she had just taken out of the cabinet where the Can cat food was stored, her face dark with anger as she gritted her teeth.

The two objects were a silver coin with a cat's paw printed on it, shining under the light, and a beautifully wrapped candy.

Chapter 24: Association and Rage

The next morning at the Lungmen Guard Department—

"Hey, good morning, Swire...?"

After noticing the arrival of her friend and colleague, Hoshiguma instinctively greeted her as usual. But when her eyes swept across Swire’s dark circles, her voice gradually trailed off...

"Did you not sleep well yesterday?"

When Hoshiguma asked this, Swire thought of the previous day's events again. A trace of resentment appeared on her tired face, and she gritted her teeth before replying, "Nothing, just encountered a little issue..."

"Uh... If you're feeling unwell, you can stay in the Lungmen Guard Department to rest. Ch'en and I can handle the plainclothes investigation this morning." Hoshiguma spoke with some concern, noticing that Swire didn’t look like she had only encountered a "little issue."

"No need, I'm fine. I can go with you at any time." Swire quickly shook her head and responded firmly.

Although Swire couldn't sleep last night because of someone... what happened yesterday was still a private matter, and she didn't like letting her personal affairs affect her work.

Before Hoshiguma could continue to express her concern, Ch'en, who was reviewing some information nearby, turned around and spoke in a calm tone:

"If there's a problem, take care of it quickly so you don't slow us down later."

Although Ch'en spoke calmly, it didn’t sound that way to Swire. In an instant, she was furious.

"?!"

"You! Who are you saying is slowing us down!"

"I'm talking about you. If there's a problem, deal with it quickly."

"You're the one with the problem, hotpodge!"

"I'm not like a certain barbecued pork cat, who's listless early in the morning," Ch'en retorted, eyeing Swire meaningfully.

"You!"

"Okay, okay, Ch'en, Swire, stop arguing." Hoshiguma intervened, skillfully calming them with a helpless expression as they were about to fight.

"Ch'en, you've read the information, so take this opportunity to prepare a bit."

After calming Ch'en, Hoshiguma picked up a document from the table and handed it to Swire, saying, "As for you, Swire, take a look at this first."

"There's news so soon? Let me see." Swire sighed softly as she took the document and began reading it carefully.

"?"

"Wait, this content... It can't be what I think it is!" After a moment, Swire, having read the document's content, turned her head in surprise, looking at Hoshiguma for confirmation.

"Yes, the document in your hand contains a letter left by the theft suspect. It's a letter addressed to all the people she helped in the slums." Hoshiguma nodded first and then explained.

"He must have noticed the friction and conflict between those people and us yesterday, so he went around posting this letter in conspicuous places overnight to warn them."

"This... this intelligence capability is quite strong. Could it really be a team? Or is there an informant in the slums?"

"But what benefit does he get from warning those people? Wouldn't it be better for him if more people in the slums resisted us?"

After hearing Hoshiguma's explanation, Swire paused for a moment and then raised her doubts.

"Regarding your last question, Ch'en and I also analyzed it before you arrived, and we both agreed that it should be due to [care]." At this point, Hoshiguma paused, then continued to explain, "The suspect is likely concerned about the people in the slums. After all, if they fight against us, they won't come out on top... So, to prevent the situation from escalating, there's this [letter] we saw today."

"Well... This guess is reasonable. If he were truly heartless and ungrateful, he wouldn't have sent supplies to the slums to help others, let alone doing so many times..." As Swire analyzed seriously, a terrifying thought suddenly struck her, causing her pupils to shrink.

"What's wrong? Did you think of something?" Hoshiguma noticed the sudden change in Swire's expression and frowned slightly, unable to resist asking.

However, Swire, who was now piecing together various clues in her mind, didn't respond to Hoshiguma's question...

After a while, having connected all the clues, Swire, who was already in a bad mood, turned completely dark-faced. She sneered with anger and muttered:

"Haha! Now, now everything is connected... You! You’re really something..."

If Swire hadn't previously connected Pardo and the Lungmen Thief, it would have been fine... Although she was a little angry about her friend stealing things, it was still within negotiable bounds. After all, she hadn’t lost anything particularly valuable.

If her friend explained and apologized, she might have accepted it. That's why, after discovering the incident last night, Beatrix didn’t report it to the police but regarded it as a private matter to be dealt with privately.

However, now that private matters had become linked to official duties... Swire wanted to let it go, but it was hard to do so...

Because even though there wasn’t concrete evidence proving Pardofelis was the "Lungmen Thief," the various coincidences that Swire had connected still strongly suggested a connection between the two.

To be honest, Swire really didn’t expect her "good friend" to give her such a big "surprise"!

The more she thought about it, the more angry and embarrassed she felt! She had been discussing and complaining with her colleagues about those unlucky people who didn’t know they had lost something, only to realize... the unlucky person turned out to be her!

"Swire, are you okay?" Hoshiguma looked at Swire, whose expression became uglier by the moment, and couldn’t help but ask with concern.

"It's okay..."

Feeling Hoshiguma’s concern, Swire suppressed the turbulent emotions in her heart and tried to respond calmly.

"No, you don’t look okay."

Although Swire tried to appear calm, as a friend, Hoshiguma could easily see through it.

"It's really okay, I just suddenly thought of some clues about the thief." Facing Hoshiguma's concern, Swire gently shook her head and said.

As she finished speaking, everyone in the office, including Ch'en, quietly turned their eyes to her.

Chapter 25: Heart-Piercing Swire

"Ah~ I don't want to get up..."

Pardo curled up in the warm quilt, yawned, stretched out her hand to open the tent, and then squinted at the warm sun outside.

Last night, Pardo went to the slums in the middle of the night. She posted "notices" everywhere and scouted out spies from various factions. It drained a lot of her energy, making her a little lazy this morning...

"Meow!"

However, the cat squatting nearby was not as indulgent. When Pardo tried to be lazy and didn’t want to move, he directly patted her head with a paw and meowed urgingly.

"Oh, I know, I know, I'll get up now." After being patted by the cat, Pardo slowly sat up and stretched.

Although getting up at this time went against the cat's principle of happiness, there was indeed something important to do this morning. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have asked the cat to wake her up.

"Wait a little longer, Can. I'll get ready, and then we’ll set off. We won’t go anywhere else today; let’s just have breakfast in the slums." Pardo, who was getting dressed, said to the fat cat beside her while moving her hands non-stop.

"Meow~"

Hearing this, Can lightly stomped her little fat paws and yawned but didn’t have any objections.

As for why one person and one cat were heading to the slums so early in the morning, it was, of course, to see the effects of what they had done last night.

If everyone in the slums read the "announcement" posted by Pardo last night and no longer rejected or were hostile to innocent people (police officers of the Lungmen Guard Department) because of it, then everyone would be happy.

But if, after reading it, there were still people causing trouble under the name of the "Lungmen Thief," then the cat would not show mercy.

Even if the person was caught first, she could sneak into jail and teach him a lesson. After all, if people don’t understand words, they should learn through practical lessons.

...

"Okay, let’s go, Can. There are still many things to do today. After finishing the morning’s work, we still have to find a sushi restaurant before lunch." After Pardo cleaned up her living area, she waved to Can.

"Meow~"

"Hurry up, let’s go!"

As for why Pardo had to find a sushi restaurant before noon, it wasn’t because she wanted to eat but to buy it for Sakura, who was far away in Tremont, Columbia.

Because all the "announcements" that Pardo posted last night were written by someone, and that person was Sakura.

So, to thank her for her help, Pardo planned to treat Sakura, who was almost tired of the cafeteria, to something different at noon today.

---

Office of the Senior Superintendent of the Imperial Lungmen Guard Department

"So, you linked this Pardofelis and the thief together, and that's why your face suddenly turned so ugly?" After listening to Swire's general description, Hoshiguma touched her chin and said with a look of understanding.

"Well, although there is no direct evidence, my instincts tell me there should be some connection between the two." Hearing this, Swire nodded gently, then added, "But unfortunately, the things she took from my house were too inconspicuous, so I couldn't count them clearly... At present, including the canned food from yesterday, I have only confirmed four small items. So, it's possible she has also stolen small things from other people's homes."

After Swire finished speaking, Ch'en, who had been listening on the side, couldn’t help but comment, "Should I say that Officer Swi is lucky or unlucky, having your home robbed so many times?"

"!"

"Bitch, how many times have I said that my last name is not Swi! And can you blame me? What kind of thief only steals small inconspicuous objects?" Swire, who was accurately provoked, exploded again, retorting mercilessly.

"Okay, stop it!"

"You two, arguing after just a few words. Okay, okay, we're all friends, don’t hurt each other."

Looking at the two people who were about to start arguing again, Hoshiguma couldn’t help but hold her forehead. She quickly standing up and inserting herself between them, separating them.

What a joke, if these two were allowed to continue arguing, let alone sorting out clues, even the mission they were supposed to carry out together would probably have to be postponed.

"Who’s friends with this barbecued pork cat!"

"Who’s friends with a reptile!"

After hearing Hoshiguma’s words, the two retorted almost at the same time.

"..."

"Hmph."

Then, realizing what had happened, one turned away with a cold face, and the other snorted in dissatisfaction, neither paying attention to the other anymore.

"Ah... let’s get ready. It’s almost time, and we should set off." Looking at the two friends who were quarreling like children, Hoshiguma's eyes were full of helplessness.

"As for Pardofelis’s matter, let’s put it aside for now. After finishing this morning's business, we’ll find time to invite her out and confirm things."

"After all, we don’t have any definite evidence to prove that this person is connected to the thief."

At this point, Hoshiguma seemed to remember something. After a slight pause, she turned to Swire and continued, "When Pardofelis was taking notes, she left her contact information, but I don't know if it's true or not."

"I saw that you seemed very interested in her that night. Did you add her contact information?"

"...Yes."

After listening to Hoshiguma's words, Swire was silent for a moment before nodding in response.

At this moment, the little tiger feline admitted she was a bit hurt. She hadn’t expected that the new friend she made because of a cat would turn out to be this kind of a person...

Did that girl steal worthless small items from her? That was trust! It was really a waste for her to buy so many cat cans and cat food!

"That's easy. She probably hasn't discovered that you know about those things yet. Let's try to arrange a meeting after we finish our work this morning."

"Yeah."

---

"Achoo——"

"I have a feeling someone is thinking about me. I haven’t offended any big shots recently, have I?"

Pardo, who was sitting at a roadside stall in the slums eating breakfast, couldn’t help sneezing and muttered with a suspicious expression.

And just when the cat was distracted for a short while, a furry, mischievous fat paw quietly reached out toward her breakfast.

"Can!"

"Meow!"

Chapter 26: Encounter

After a simple breakfast on the street in the slums, Pardo began today's investigation, which included but was not limited to strolling around the places where the "notices" were posted and asking for people's opinions.

After a thorough investigation, Pardo was quite satisfied with the results, or at least they were within her expectations.

Although there were still many people who vented their negative emotions and resented innocent people in response to the incident, it was indeed much better than before. At least many of the people who were incited have calmed down.

As for the remaining individuals, just as Pardo thought before, if they don't cause trouble, she won’t intervene. If they do cause trouble and implicate others, they will be punished.

To be honest, Pardo doesn’t want to and doesn’t like teaching others a lesson. But since she was the cause of this incident, even if she doesn’t like it, she will keep an eye on it.

After all, if these individuals use the incident as an excuse to vent their emotions and accidentally hurt someone, it would be bad.

If the authorities decided to conduct a thorough investigation, Pardo would definitely be implicated. She doesn’t want to find out one day that her wanted posters are all over the city.

"The situation is okay, the problem isn’t too big. You worked hard to wake me up this morning, Can. Is there anything else you want to eat here? I’ll treat you~"

Looking at the intricate streets of the slums in front of her, Pardo turned her head slightly and smiled at Can who was lying on her shoulder.

Pardo's mission here this morning was basically completed, but since it was still early, she planned to continue strolling around and reward her fat cat along the way.

"Meow! Meow meow..."

After hearing Pardo's words, Can, who had been lazily picking at food, instantly perked up and cried out excitedly.

"So many? And... Can, why do you remember the snack locations so clearly!" Pardo couldn’t help but rub her forehead after hearing Can list off a string of names and locations.

"Forget it, forget it. I’m really impressed by you. But let’s be clear—when the time comes, we’ll leave. We still have to buy lunch for Sister Sakura at noon."

"Meow~"

---

On the Other Side

"How is the situation over there?"

Looking at the two colleagues and friends who had just returned from their investigation, Hoshiguma asked in a good mood.

Although it was still uncertain how things were going with her two friends, Hoshiguma’s own investigation had gone unusually smoothly. Even if some people still chose to remain silent, their attitude was far less resistant and hostile than before.

"Except for not getting any useful clues about the suspect, there are no major problems, and the people aren't as resistant as before," Ch'en answered after Hoshiguma's inquiry, shaking her head gently.

"Well, it’s similar on my end. Everyone’s attitude is much better than before, but there’s still no clue about that guy. Ah, it would be great if someone just bumped into him..." After she finished speaking, a hint of depression appeared on Swire's delicate face.

Since Swire suspected a connection between Pardofelis and the Lungmen Thief, she couldn’t wait to uncover the truth. However, so far, nothing had been found...

Ch'en glanced at Swire, who looked visibly upset, but she didn’t say anything further. Instead, she simply analyzed the situation seriously.

"Although there’s no clue, the suspect's letter played a significant role this time. At least it made people less resistant to us."

"Since they're no longer as resistant, it will be easier to deal with them. We’ll mobilize some people to help visit and investigate for clues later. Of course, safety still needs to be a priority."

When Ch'en mentioned safety in that last sentence, her expression shifted slightly, and a hint of complexity flashed in her eyes. However, she soon lowered her gaze to hide her emotions.

Hoshiguma, standing nearby, keenly noticed the emotional change in her old friend and looked at her with some concern. However, given the situation, she didn’t say anything at that moment.

Just as the atmosphere began to quiet down, Swire, who had been standing aside, suddenly narrowed her eyes, looking into the distance with a sharp gaze, like a tiger that had just spotted its prey.

"?"

Hoshiguma, noticing Swire's change, was slightly stunned. Then, following her line of sight with a curious expression, he saw a familiar yet unfamiliar figure and couldn’t help but say, "That person... seems to be the Pardofilis you mentioned?"

"Hmm..."

Swire barely suppressed the urge to rush over and confront her, then retracted her gaze and nodded to Hoshiguma.

"The suspect just posted the [Notice] yesterday. Whether it’s him or his subordinates, someone will definitely come to investigate and assess the results. Don’t you want to try it out?"

Ch'en, who had at some point quickly composed herself, looked at Swire with a serious expression and spoke with her arms folded.

"Go, of course, I have to go." After hearing what Ch'en said, Swire couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows slightly and then nodded.

In fact, even if Ch'en hadn’t spoken, Swire would have gone over to talk to Pardo and test her. She was only waiting to approach because she was mentally organizing her words and calming her emotions...

"What is the officer waiting for? The person is about to leave. If you're scared, I can do it for you Miss Swi."

Noticing that someone in the distance was about to leave, Ch'en looked at Swire expressionlessly and reminded her.

"Ah!"

Hearing this, Swire was slightly startled. She quickly looked towards Pardo, and after confirming that she was indeed leaving, she stopped wasting time and ran over.

Of course, before going, she didn’t forget to leave a parting remark.

"Fat Reptile, I’ve told you so many times that my last name is not Swi! I’ll teach you a lesson when I come back!"

"I’ll be waiting."

...

"It tastes really good~"

Pardo bought snacks from a roadside vendor based on Can’s recommendation, and while feeding him, she also tried some herself.

"Meow~"

The happy eating of one person and one cat didn’t last long. Pardo's movements suddenly slowed, and then she instinctively observed her surroundings.

The reason Pardo suddenly became alert was, of course, because she had a sudden sense of foreboding just now.

Then, as if confirming her intuition, Pardo noticed the trio who were quietly observing her from a distance...

Chapter 27: Escape and Curiosity

After noticing the trio, Pardo abandoned the idea of leisurely enjoying her snacks and pretended to turn around and leave.

Before she had walked far, Can, who was perched on her shoulder and looking back, noticed Swire approaching from a distance and quickly called out to warn her.

"Meow~"

Hearing Can's light warning, Pardo, already a bit nervous, instantly felt as if she were facing a serious threat and instinctively quickened her pace to flee.

If she had encountered Swire and the others before, Pardo wouldn't have hidden so dramatically...

But that was before. Now, whether it was the feeling she had while purchasing goods last evening or the ominous premonition in her heart at this moment, everything was urging her to run away quickly... Swire must know something.

Given the situation, Pardo couldn’t ignore her instincts. She had no desire to go to the police station, even if she could escape later!

Moreover, there's a difference between strangers and acquaintances. Pardo might not feel guilty around strangers, but she would feel guilty and a bit embarrassed in front of people she knew or considered friends.

"..."

Swire, who was approaching Pardo, noticed that her pace suddenly quickened. She was momentarily stunned, then gritted her teeth and sped up to catch up.

If Pardo's initial turn could be dismissed as her naturally walking away after making a purchase, the sudden acceleration now...

"She's chasing so closely; she must really have figured it out."

Realizing that the person behind her was closing in relentlessly, Pardo blinked guiltily, then whispered under her breath, "Hold on tight, Can. Get ready to shake her off."

With that, Pardo, who had been merely walking fast, suddenly pushed off with her feet and darted forward like a nimble cat, dodging pedestrians as she aimed for the next fork in the road.

"!"

Pardofelis's sudden burst of speed startled Swire, who was following behind. Without a second thought, she gave chase.

However, on this busy morning street, Swire couldn’t maneuver as nimbly as Pardo. By the time she reached the fork in the road, Pardo had vanished from sight.

"Damn it."

Staring down the street where her target had disappeared, Swire couldn't help but punch the wall next to her in frustration.

...

"She got away? Did she sense something?" After a moment, Hoshiguma, who had caught up, looked at Swire with a concerned expression and asked.

"Yeah, she must know I’m aware of her theft. Otherwise, she wouldn't have reacted like that." Swire nodded, her tone firm.

Although Swire couldn't quite understand how Pardo knew what she knew, she was certain of it based on Pardo's "panicked escape" just moments ago.

Of course, it’s possible she was just feeling guilty, but that seemed unlikely to the tiger feline... After all, running away out of guilt would practically confirm to others that you’re hiding something.

"The strength and agility of the suspect... really need to be investigated," Ch'en, who had been standing nearby, remarked thoughtfully as she looked down the narrow street where the target had disappeared.

Although she and Hoshiguma were far behind, they had still witnessed Pardo’s agility.

If Ch'en had initially wanted to investigate Pardo because she trusted her colleague's intuition and suspicions, now she had her own doubts and interests.

"Huh..." After a while, Swire slowly let go of her frustration, exhaling a deep breath. She then turned to her two friends and colleagues beside her and said, "Let's go. Standing here is just a waste of time; there's no value in it."

"Well, shall we continue the investigation? What do you think, Ch'en?" Hoshiguma nodded gently and then seemed to recall something, turning her gaze to Ch'en Hui-chieh, the leader of the special operations team.

As Hoshiguma finished speaking, Swire also turned her gaze to Ch'en, waiting for her answer. Although Swire had her own ambitions and was a bit headstrong, she knew that Ch'en Hui-chieh was her leader for now, and it was still necessary to follow the "superior's" directives during an operation.

"Let’s change areas and confirm again," Ch'en said after thinking for a moment.

Ch'en’s caution wasn’t surprising. She knew very well what the slums were like and had suffered setbacks there before... So, just to be safe, she planned to double-check.

This way, the officers who come to investigate later won’t face as big a risk.

"Yeah." ×2

---

On the Other Side

After running along the path to another street and confirming that Swire hadn't caught up, Pardofelis patted her chest and stopped, saying:

"Wow, that was really close. Luckily, I ran fast. Next time, I’ll never bring Can on such a long run to find food."

"Meow!"

Hearing this, Can, who was still perched on Pardo's shoulder, protested indignantly.

"It’s no use protesting. If they catch onto this, what will I do next time to throw them off!" Pardo replied, unable to resist pinching Can’s chubby cheeks.

"Meow meow!"

"Alright, alright, let's drop it and deal with something else first. After that, we’ll leave here as soon as possible." With that, Pardo turned and headed into a narrow alley as if guided by some instinct.

As for what she needed to deal with, it was, of course, catching a thief.

When Pardo was being chased by Swire, she had accidentally bumped into someone—or rather, someone had deliberately bumped into her. At the time, she was distracted, focusing on those chasing her, and even though she tried to avoid it, she couldn’t help but brush against the other person.

Why was Pardo so sure it was intentional? Because her wallet was gone, and not only that, but the person who bumped into her was a familiar face, a purple-haired Cautus.

At the time, she was worried that Swire and the others might still be following her, so Pardo didn’t make a fuss on the spot. But now that she was sure she had completely shaken them off, she planned to go back and get it back.

After all, no one takes money from Pardo unless she willingly gives it up!

In addition to this reason, there was also curiosity.

At this moment, both Pardo and Can, who was in tune with her, were actually a bit curious. They were curious why Rope, who had received a large sum of money not long ago, had returned to his old ways so quickly.

Chapter 28: The Reason for Going Back to the Old Ways and the Three People Being Targeted

"Huh..."

Rope rushed into the deserted alley she had chosen before and finally stopped after confirming that no one was chasing her.

Because of her previous experience, Rope did not stay around the scene of the attack this time but chose to run a long distance before stopping.

Although, to be honest, Rope felt that even if she ran so far, she might still be caught if she encountered the unreasonable woman from last time. But people can't always be unlucky...

Last time she stole something and met a weird person. She can't meet another one this time, right?

"Huh... cough, I'm so tired."

After taking a short rest, Rope, who had regained her strength, muttered softly. She then reached into her arms to take out this time's "trophy."

"This wallet looks much better than the last one... Unfortunately, I can't keep it." Looking at the cute lavender wallet with a cat head in her hand and thinking about the other one in her arms, Rope couldn't help but complain in a low voice.

After complaining, Rope opened the wallet in front of her and checked the contents.

Just then, a helpless sigh suddenly echoed in the deserted and quiet alley.

"Oh, it's really hard for us to find you after turning left and right!"

"!"

The sudden female voice made Rope pause, and her heart skipped a beat, sensing something was wrong.

Just when she thought for a moment and was about to throw the wallet in her hand and run away, the figure that suddenly came into view made her give up on her plan or expected action.

"Well... Let me think, you're called Rope, right?"

Looking at Rope, who was smiling but privately alert and looked like a frightened rabbit ready to run away at any time, Pardo gently touched her chin and said.

"Haha, no... I don't have a name."

Hearing this, Rope was shocked again, then responded with a laugh. Although she didn't know how the person in front of her knew her name, she had no intention of admitting it.

Not only did she not intend to admit it, but Rope was also frantically looking for and thinking about her next way out in her mind. Although she was very unlucky to be caught for the second time, if possible, she didn't want to end up in the police station at all.

Although there was food and accommodation there, she had to endure various ideological lectures from time to time, which was simply too annoying...

"Lying is useless. We already know your name."

After listening to Rope's evasion, Pardo gently spread her hands and continued, "Next, I have a few questions to ask you. If you answer honestly, this matter can be forgiven."

"What... thing? Let's talk about it first. I don't know about those kinds of important and confidential things... After all, I'm just a small person." After saying that, Rope shrugged helplessly at Pardo in front of her.

To be honest, Rope had planned to flee madly, but who knew there might be a chance for a direct solution.

"Don't worry, it's not a big deal."

Pardo organized her thoughts a little, then asked, "I'm just a little curious. Didn't you just get so much money before? Why did you suddenly go back to your old business?"

"!"

Hearing this, although Rope didn't show it on her face, this was the third time she was surprised in a short period. At the same time, she was on alert with the seemingly harmless person in front of her.

"...What other reasons could there be? The money was robbed. There are so many people here, isn't it normal for someone to rob money?" At this point, Rope couldn't help but curl her lips, looking indifferent.

Don't be fooled by Rope's indifferent look in front of Pardo, but... she was sad about this matter a few days ago. After all, no one will not feel wronged when they lose money for food and survival.

Even Rope, who had been in this city for a long time and witnessed all kinds of things, was no exception.

"..."

After hearing this answer, before Pardo could say anything else, Senti, who had been "peeking" at the screen, couldn't help but say:

"Who is so bold that they dare to snatch the things I gave them! Pardo, summon me quickly!"

"Don't worry, Boss Senti. If you suddenly appear, it will definitely scare Rope, an ordinary person. Let us handle this matter..."

After listening to Senti's words, in order to avoid trouble, Pardo hurriedly comforted her in her heart.

"..."

Looking at the person in front of her, who suddenly became dazed after hearing her answer, Rope thought for a moment, weighing the pros and cons.

After suppressing her urge to flee, she carefully asked, "Um... ma'am, have you finished asking?"

Rope's cautious words brought Pardo back to her senses. Then, she thought of the result of her conversation with Senti just now, stepped forward, patted Rope on the shoulder, and said seriously:

"So, girl, come and join us! Food, accommodation, and wages are provided!"

"!?"

---

On the other side of the slum

"Old Ch'en, did you feel it?"

Hoshiguma, who was walking at the back of the group of three, seemed to have discovered something and said to his two colleagues calmly.

"Yes, I feel it. Since we entered this area, we've been targeted. But we don't know what their purpose is yet." Hearing this, Ch'en replied in a low voice without turning his head.

"But for safety reasons, we should not split up this time."

"Well, what are the plans for the next step?"

Although Swire could probably guess what Ch'en would do next, she still asked again in a low voice just in case.

"Continue the investigation as planned, and then see what purpose these people who are targeting us have." After the voice fell, Ch'en looked at the street in front of her and thought of something, a hint of complexity flashing in her eyes again.

...

"The identities of those people have almost been confirmed. They should be police officers. We..."

"Wait for the right time, then take action... drive them out. We don't welcome these guys here."

Chapter 29: A New Member Joins the "Weird" Group

"!?"

"Eh... no... why?"

Pardo's sudden invitation stunned Rope, and she couldn't even keep her usual "frivolous" smile on her face.

"There's no need for a reason for this kind of thing, but if you insist on one, it's probably because you're talented, and I want to take you with me," Pardo replied after a moment of thought.

Of course, the reason given by Pardofelis wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. Apart from other factors, at least without Senti's promise and agreement, she would be too lazy to bring anyone along...

After all, it’s quite troublesome to have to consider other people besides herself.

"Huh? I'm talented...? Are you kidding!?" Pardo's words successfully turned Rope from stunned to surprised.

To be honest, Miss Purple Cautus never thought she had anything extraordinary enough to be called talented by others.

"Of course, how could I lie to you?"

"Meow~"

After Pardo finished speaking, she kept digging at the cans behind her, and couldn’t help but pop her head out to chirp in agreement.

"...Can I refuse?"

Looking at the girl and cat in front of her, who were smiling with a hint of unyielding determination, Rope was silent for a moment, then tentatively spoke.

Hearing this, Pardo gently shook her long tail and then answered "righteously":

"Of course... No! If you follow me, you won't suffer any loss, and you can make money!"

Looking at Pardo's firm attitude in front of her, Rope lowered her eyes to hide the "calculations" in her mind, helplessly spread her hands, and sighed:

"Alas... Okay, okay, I guess I'm out of options this time... What is your name, by the way? Here's your wallet."

After speaking, Miss Purple Cautus very tactfully handed the wallet and money in her hands to Pardo with both hands.

If she had a choice, Rope wouldn’t want to be under someone’s thumb, even if she had no food to eat. Not only would she lose her freedom, but she couldn’t confirm the other person’s character or predict how she’d be treated in the future.

But it was clear that she didn’t have much choice now, so she chose to temporarily agree. She's intending to pretend to cooperate with Pardo and find a chance to slip away later.

"My name is Pardofelis, but you can call me Pardo or Felis, whichever you prefer."

After briefly introducing herself, Pardo looked at the items handed to her, hesitated for a moment, and after some thought, suppressed the idea of taking the money back. Instead, she took only the empty wallet with a pained expression, saying:

"As for... forget it. Give me the wallet, and you keep the money. Just consider it this month's bonus. Work hard, Rope."

"Bonus...?"

After hearing Pardo's words, Rope was slightly stunned, and then a question mark slowly appeared in her mind.

Miss Purple Cautus really didn’t understand what Pardo was doing...

She could see that the person in front of her was heartbroken to lose the money in her hands, but because of this, she was even more confused. What kind of value did she have that made the person in front of her bear the pain and give money?

Rope thought she had almost nothing and was good at nothing except petty theft. In her opinion, she really had nothing worth being plundered...

As for her as a person...? How much could an infected person be worth?

After thinking for a while and still not figuring it out, Rope could only classify the person in front of her as another "weird" type, like the previous Herrscher of Sentience. After all, it couldn’t be that she really had some special talents, right?

"I've said it before, you won't suffer any loss if you follow me, I..."

"Gu~"

This time, before Pardo could finish speaking, a discordant sound suddenly interrupted her.

"…It's my fault for not noticing. Let's go. I'll take you to fill your stomach first." Pardo, who had reacted, scratched her head awkwardly, and then invited her.

"Uh, this kind of small matter I..."

"Oh! Stop talking so much. Why don’t you come quickly if we’re treating you? Hurry up. We have things to do at noon. After that, I'll take you to buy two sets of clothes."

Pardo, not wanting to listen to anyone’s nagging, interrupted Rope directly and pushed her out of the alley.

Although Pardo had initially planned to help Rope and teach those who robbed her money a lesson, since she agreed to Senti's suggestion to guide her and teach her some skills, Pardofelis would naturally not treat her poorly.

---

In a small restaurant in the slums—

"Eat slowly. No one is competing with you. How does this restaurant taste?" Pardo asked, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at Rope, who was eating voraciously across from her.

"Well... I’m afraid of wasting your time, Miss Felis. As for the taste, it's okay." Hearing this, Rope quickly swallowed the food in her mouth before answering.

Rope, who hadn’t figured out how to get along with Pardo, had formed a little idea after spending some time with her, talking and observing her more, so her usual smile reappeared on her face.

"Although I do have something to do at noon, I’m not in a hurry. Eat slowly. If you're not full, there’s another meal at noon."

"Yeah."

After listening to Pardo’s instructions, Rope nodded gently, obediently slowing down her eating and beginning to chew more slowly.

Pardo watched Rope chew slowly, a trace of satisfaction flashing in her eyes, and then she continued the conversation:

"Speaking of which, Rope, have you been living in the slums recently?"

"Well, but not only recently. I’ve been staying here almost all the time. If I have money, I’ll find a hotel, and if I don’t, I’ll find a safe place to stay. Why do you ask?" As she said this, Rope couldn’t help but raise her head and cast a curious look at Pardo, waiting for her next words.

Miss Purple Cautus didn’t choose to hide these small details about herself and instead told them truthfully.

After all, there’s nothing to hide about these things. If someone were interested, they could easily find out by asking around or investigating casually.

What’s more, it was Pardo, the "weird guy" who had reported her name and information right away. There was no point in hiding it at all...

"Nothing, just asking casually. Have you noticed any unusual movements or information here in the past few days?"

Hearing this, Pardo shook her head gently, then explained, "Unusual movements...? Apart from the recently famous [Lungmen Thief] and a series of events caused by the gift from this Thief, there doesn’t seem to be anything else."

"Wait..."

Chapter 30: Intelligence and Speculation

"Wait, that should be considered intelligence..." As Rope spoke, she seemed to suddenly remember something and muttered softly.

"Hmm?"

Although Rope's voice was very low, it was still heard by Pardo, who was sitting opposite. She looked over curiously and waited for more.

"It's just something that has nothing to do with us little people... No, it seems to be somewhat related..."

Rope, who was muttering softly, looked at Pardo, who was becoming more and more curious, and decided not to keep it a secret any longer. She continued to explain:

"I think, Miss Felis, you're also well-informed, so you should know about the incident caused by the gift from the thief, which later escalated. Everyone rejected and resisted it, and someone even injured the police officers from the Guard Department."

"Yes, I know. And then?"

Hearing this, Pardo raised her eyebrows slightly and continued to ask.

"Then this morning, I found out something. Last night, the thief went to the slums and posted many notices to appease everyone."

"Although it seems like this was effective, I'd say the actual impact is far less successful than it appears on the surface."

At this point, Rope couldn't help but shake her head, a trace of regret on her face.

"..."

After listening to Rope's evaluation of the notice, Pardo's eyes showed a hint of surprise, but she didn't rush to respond. Instead, she waited curiously for more.

"As for why I say that, it's because that announcement only appeased those who were instigated and incited, but these people aren't the real troublemakers. The hidden culprits don't care about this sort of thing at all."

"Not only do they not care, but they might even be angered by the announcement and become more aggressive."

After a brief explanation, and before Pardo could ask more questions, Rope quickly picked up her chopsticks and shoveled two more mouthfuls of rice into her mouth.

She noticed that her "boss" seemed very interested in this matter, so she thought it best to secretly eat a bit more before continuing, in case the food got cold later.

Pardo, who noticed Rope's little move, quietly waited until she had finished those two mouthfuls before speaking slowly:

"What kind of people are these guys? And the relationship you mentioned earlier, Rope... Wait, are these the same people who robbed you of your money?"

"Cough... cough cough..."

Rope, who was quietly drinking water while listening to Pardo, was so startled by her sudden change of tone that she choked.

"Hey, why are you so careless?"

Pardo, who had no idea what she said, gently spread her hands, then stood up and walked behind Rope to help her breathe.

"Cough... I'm fine. So, Miss Felus, you knew about this all along?" Pardo, who had caught her breath, waved her hand and quickly replied.

Perhaps because Pardo's guess was so accurate, even with the precedent of asking before, Miss Purple Cautus couldn't help but start to wonder if the person in front of her knew everything and was just asking deliberately to amuse herself.

"Oh, how could I? If I had known, I wouldn't have run over to ask you about the money! I was just guessing."

"But judging from your reaction, I think I guessed it right?"

After listening to Rope's words, Pardo blinked innocently and explained.

"..."

After looking at the innocent cat in front of her in silence for a while, Rope admitted resignedly, "Yes, my money was indeed taken by those people."

"Those people are infected with extremely extreme personalities and hate non-infected people very much... To be honest, in my opinion, they're all crazy!"

"They complain about everything every day, and under the guise of injustice, they cause trouble and bully others throughout the slums... And most of the people they bully are the weaker infected individuals."

Although Rope lowered her voice when saying these words to Pardo, no matter how low her voice was, it couldn't hide the anger contained in her words.

"And there's more..."

...

"..."

After quietly listening to all of Rope's complaints, Pardo waited until she calmed down, then leaned close to her with a sly expression and whispered, "Rope, do you want revenge? We can help you!"

Although Pardofelis is afraid of trouble and likes quietness, under normal circumstances, she doesn't like to take the initiative to deal with others.

However, this is only under normal circumstances, and this time... It's different.

Since Pardo originally planned to take action against those who still intended to cause trouble after the announcement, she didn't mind helping her younger junior Rope vent her anger, as a reward for the information she had provided.

It also saved Pardofelis the trouble of investigating or waiting for that group of people to show themselves.

"Eh? Revenge? That depends on you... You're not kidding!" After hearing Pardo's words, Pardo's face changed in shock.

It's true that Miss Purple Cautus doesn't like her "weird boss" very much, and doesn't know what kind of strength she has, but thinking of the crazy looks and actions of those lunatics she saw before, she felt she still needed to remind them, just for the sake of the money and this meal.

"Don't blame me for not warning you. Those guys are real crazies, and they have a lot of tricks. They've done plenty of things to deliberately turn non-infected people like you into infected people, and they even enjoy it."

At this point, Rope paused for a moment, then turned her face away slightly and continued:

"If you don't want to become... like me, don't mess with those guys lightly."

"They have many skills, and becoming infected..."

Hearing this, Pardo wasn't scared by what Rope said, but instead, seemed to remember something, and her expression became strange.

When the keywords of slums, tricks, and becoming infected were linked together, Pardofelis almost instantly thought of the "incident" when Ch'en Hui-chieh became infected.

The cause of that accident...

"Those guys you mentioned... they don't have Originium bombs, do they?"

Now it was Pardo's turn to change her expression after suddenly realizing something. Although she herself wasn't afraid of these. Not only was she unafraid, but she could even toss them around as toys.

She couldn't stop others from fearing them!

Chapter 31

The streets and alleys of the slums are always complicated, like graves where people can be buried. Even the busiest streets only reveal a narrow gap.

Everyone's actions are always quick and purposeful. Those who wander aimlessly are always looked down upon in the world of slums.

But today, there are a few exceptions in the slums.

The three people from the Lungmen Guard Department, who have already investigated this block, are now leaning against a street corner, silently contemplating what to do next.

At this moment, Swire stared at the trash can with an ugly expression. Ch'en took a notebook and quickly recorded their experience, her face also looking grim.

Hoshiguma leaned steadily against a cement pole covered with small advertisements and large printed recruitment documents, as if she had returned to her hometown.

Their investigation in this urban area had gone as smoothly as before. However, they had also encountered many things they had never seen before in this more chaotic place.

Those experiences had almost made Swire's hair stand on end.

The stench of the house, the vomit with Originium particles, and the 10-year-old girl struggling to survive with her seriously ill parents... and many other people teetering on the edge of life and death.

Although Swire already knew from reports that the thief had been helping people in the slums in his own way, the information was always just that—information—and it was far less shocking than seeing it with her own eyes...

At the very least, she was certain that without the thief's help, this family and these people wouldn’t have survived for long...

So, after witnessing these things firsthand, Swire didn't know what kind of mood or attitude she should adopt to investigate the thief’s affairs... After all, there are quite a few families relying on the thief's aid to survive right now.

The slums were the place she hated visiting the most...

Standing aside and subconsciously fiddling with her golden hair, Swire suddenly seemed to make up her mind. She looked up at Hoshiguma and said, "If the Lungmen thief is caught, how many people will die in this place during winter?"

"Ah?"

Hearing this, Hoshiguma was stunned at first. After giving Swire a strange look, she began to organize her thoughts, trying to find the right words to describe her experience without sounding too harsh.

Then, before Hoshiguma could speak, Ch'en Xian closed her notebook and coldly said, "There have always been many lives lost in Lungmen during winter..."

As soon as her finished speaking, Ch'en and Hoshiguma suddenly exchanged glances, as if to confirm something, and each took one of Swire’s hands, who was in a bad mood, and "guided" her to move.

"Eh?"

Swire, who was suddenly approached and restrained by her two colleagues, couldn’t help but let out a small exclamation.

However, neither of them explained. Their long-term cooperation had given them an extraordinary level of understanding.

So, when Hoshiguma noticed that the "surveillance" behind her suddenly shifted, she passed the information to Ch'en to confirm it.

Ch'en understood Hoshiguma's message very intuitively. After seriously considering it, he gave her confirmation.

It can only be said that in a plainclothes investigation, it’s never a good thing to be too conspicuous. Unfortunately, except for Hoshiguma, who could perfectly blend in, the other two seemed a little out of place.

Although the three of them noticed someone watching them when they entered the area, the feeling was faint, so they chose to ignore it for the time being and continue their task, allowing the person to follow them to see what they wanted to do.

But just now, the feeling of being watched became stronger and stronger, accompanied by a strong sense of malice... This made Ch'en, who had very accurate instincts, and the experienced Hoshiguma abandon the idea of staying any longer, grabbing Swire, who was distracted and hadn’t noticed, and leaving.

This time, because she could understand and empathize with Swire’s absent-mindedness, Ch'en surprisingly didn’t criticize her.

After all, when she first came to the slums, she wasn’t much better than the BBQ Cat... In fact, for some reasons, her mood was even more complicated for various reasons.

"So, what happened? Why did you suddenly hold me so fast?" Swire subconsciously wanted to break free from the "restraints" of the two.

To be honest, Hoshiguma was fine, but she didn’t want to be so close to a punk draco at all...

However, before Swire could break free, Hoshiguma’s soft words in her ear directly extinguished her thoughts.

"The person who’s been following and watching us has changed. I don’t know if he couldn’t hold back or if it’s a different person... There were too many people back there. Let’s go to a place with fewer people now."

"..."

After listening to the explanation, Swire nodded slightly, acknowledging her mistake, and stopped resisting. She let the two "guide" her and continued to move.

Although she didn’t like it, she wasn’t unreasonable. Since it was a serious matter... she would naturally cooperate.

Not long after, the three of them reached the end of a narrow street in an abandoned construction site. They gradually slowed their pace, focusing their attention behind them, wanting to see how the person following them would react.

However, the result was beyond their expectations. The owner of the malicious gaze didn’t show up but disappeared instead.

Ch'en and Hoshiguma, who noticed this, frowned, exchanged glances, and then released Swire, who had been holding her arm.

Swire, who had been walking quickly with their arm around her, almost lost her balance after being released. She steadied herself before speaking, "Can’t you give me some warning next time?"

"Ahem..."

Hoshiguma coughed twice, pinching his throat, and said, "Swire, are we going to eat Gubidan fish tonight?"

"Swire, we haven’t finished watchingThe Surveillance today. It seems that someone wants to watch it more than I do. Do you want to show it to him later?"

"Hmm..."

When Hoshiguma finished these two sentences, Swire immediately realized that Gubidan is extremely unappetizing, but it likes to monitor prey and act as bait. The Surveillance is a movie that Lungmen has been showing these past two days, telling the story of surveillance and counter-surveillance.

Recalling her own mistakes, Swire had a shy look on her face, showing her tiger teeth as she said viciously, "Ahhh... OK, I’ll pack the meal when I get back. This time it’s on me."

"Barbecued pork rice with three eggs, thank you," Hoshiguma replied with a smile.

"Forget it, nothing went wrong... But what is this place?" Looking at the unfinished construction site in front of her, Swire looked at Hoshiguma with some doubts and asked.

Hearing this, Hoshiguma put away her joking expression and seriously explained to the two beside her, "This place is called Black Street, where gang members bury traitors."

"What about our next move? The investigation is over. Should we continue to fish for information in the dark, or go back directly?" After listening to Hoshiguma's explanation, Swire nodded slightly, then continued speaking.

Originally, before coming here, the three of them thought that the problem of the conflict in which the police officer was injured last time was due to the ordinary people here. But now it seems... there may be a deeper reason or a mastermind behind the scenes.

Ch'en waved her hand and said, "Let's back directly. The investigation is almost done, and there's no need to send other people here later. It doesn't make much sense. Let's change tactics."

The other two had no objection to Ch'en's decision.

However, this time the three may be disappointed. Because sometimes monitoring doesn’t necessarily require the use of eyes...

On one side of the narrow alley, in the abandoned corner tower, in the concrete slab that collapsed into ruins, the crossbow had been strung——

The sound of the crossbow arrows broke the silence of the tombstones.

————————————————

At the same time, in another block of the slum——

"Hey, Miss Felis, don’t run so fast!"

At this moment, Rope, who was being dragged by Pardo all the way, couldn’t help but let out a series of "wailings."

As for why the two who were still in the restaurant just now suddenly took action so eagerly, that has to be traced back to when they were discussing the troublemakers.

Although at the end of the conversation, Pardo didn’t get a positive answer from Rope to the question, "Do they have mineral bombs?" and it wasn’t clear whether the trio had left the slums yet, the subtle premonition in her heart still made her take action.

The goal of this trip is the most active neighborhood of those guys, which Rope knows...

By the way, Miss Purple Cautus was very reluctant to lead the way at first, but who can resist someone’s money and "dignity"?

Chapter 32

Although time always treats everyone equally, it occasionally shows its fangs to those who are less fortunate.

The cemetery on Black Street is not a common tombstone or graveyard. The gangs throughout the Lungmen slums will not treat traitors so well.

Most of the gang traitors were 'built' into the walls or foundations of the unfinished buildings. Hoshiguma watched Black Street being built step by step.

Because of this, she, who is familiar with this place, also knows a "characteristic" here.

She doesn't know if it is the special location or for some other reason, but when the wind passes through the unfinished buildings on Black Street, the sound is always like a ghost demanding life, which is creepy. This phenomenon was later gradually spread by people as the cry of the traitors buried here.

For this reason, if there is nothing to do, the gang members are generally unwilling to come here, for fear of being contaminated by bad luck. Ordinary people are not used to it and don't dare to come here; after all, the environment and atmosphere always seem a little creepy. So, as time went by, Black Street was no longer inhabited or guarded.

It was because of this that Hoshiguma brought her two friends and colleagues here. Just to test the people following behind, this was definitely an excellent place.

But unfortunately, after coming to this uninhabited place, not only did they fail to draw people out, but they also made Hoshiguma, a know-it-all in the slums, re-acquaint herself with this place that should have been uninhabited.

…

"Ambush!"

It only took Hoshiguma and Ch'en a moment to realize this.

The sound of the wind would cover the sound of the crossbow breaking through the air, and the whistling wind would always be mixed with the smell of coal ash from the nearby incinerator, which would dull the powerful sense of smell of some races.

What is more troublesome is that Black Street has only one entrance and one exit.

If someone wants to jump from the corner of the ruins, the illegal buildings will let those who are brave enough experience the malice in the slums.

"Raise your shield!"

As a member of the draco clan, Ch'en sensed the hidden arrows in the ruins with her intuition, patted Hoshiguma, and forced her to turn to the defensive side. Then she turned her back beautifully and used Chixiao's scabbard to block the crossbow arrows that were shot at her.

Even though these crossbow arrows were blocked, the remaining force still penetrated the earth wall by two points.

After a while, it turned out that Ch'en's judgment was obviously completely correct. In just a short while, Hoshiguma's shield blocked at least four crossbow arrows. If it weren't for the fact that the performance of "Prajna" was far superior to other shields, Swire, who was hiding next to her, would have died on the spot.

While Hoshiguma carefully protected the people around her from hidden arrows, her battlefield sense as a senior inspector also allowed her to quickly capture the unfavorable situation.

There were almost no safe zones at the scene, and the source of the crossbow arrows had not been identified by the three of them.

"Old Ch'en, make a cover." As soon as the words fell, Hoshiguma held a shield in one hand, dragged Swire with the other, and ran towards the wall. In the process, an enemy wanted to shoot at the calves of the two with a crossbow, but they were successfully blocked by the little tiger holding a chain hammer.

Just as the two were moving, Ch'en also moved quickly. Taking advantage of the enemy's shooting interval, she drew her sword and slashed at the wooden tripod of an unfinished building.

The sharp Dragon Slaying Sword Chi Xiao only took a moment to cut off the main pole as big as a bowl.

The right force made the huge tripod fall towards the three people, and then it was built into a simple shelter at a corner of Black Street.

In this way, Ch'en built a shelter in the open space, relying on the wall and the collapsed tripod. Then, taking advantage of the gap when everyone's attention was attracted by the collapse of the tripod, she quickly jumped into the cover.

Behind the cover—

After taking a breath, Ch'en and Hoshiguma looked at each other, and then turned their eyes to Swire.

"As an expert in on-site dispatch of police officers, Swire, do you have any ideas?" Ch'en quickly summarized the situation and asked Swire first.

In terms of combat, she no longer counted on the barbecued pork cat. Please, the appearance of Swire's strange weapons is more threatening than their combat effectiveness.

Based on the characteristics of Swire's mace, Ch'en did not expect her to play any role in this escape battle.

"Punk Draco, I understand your very rude look, you can just say it." After noticing someone looking at her, Swire said unhappily.

While she was talking, her head was inadvertently exposed outside the cover. Then the next moment, a crossbow arrow shot straight at her head in the whistling wind.

Ch'en and Hoshiguma, who noticed this, quickly pushed Swire back into the shelter, and only then did they narrowly avoid the crossbow arrow.

Looking at the arrow that was so close and stuck on the wooden pole, with its feather tail still trembling, Hoshiguma couldn't help but frown slightly, and then looked at it carefully.

After seeing the tail of the arrow that was three feet into the wood, she was surprised and couldn't help but shrink her pupils, then cursed: "*Lungmen swearing, Originium arrowhead? The emergency action code must add a rule."

After hearing Hoshiguma's words, the two people beside her were startled at first, but soon forced themselves to calm down and continue to do what they should do.

After a while, Swire observed the terrain and immediately told the two people beside her the conclusion:

"We are in the gourd-shaped area on the front street. There is a narrow passage in the middle that only allows two people to pass through, so we can leave from the exit of the back street."

"The crossbow arrows just now came in from the entrance, and they must be blocked. Next, the narrow passage must not go straight. We will open a road from the side. Hoshiguma, I'll leave the support and the road to you."

After listening to Swire's command, Hoshiguma nodded clearly.

As a member of the special inspection team, she knew very well that there was no need for too much questioning during this period of coordination and cooperation. When saving time, she should let it rest well.

Not only Hoshiguma, Ch'en also liked working with Swire in a sense, of course, on the premise that there was no quarrel.

As for the reason, when encountering crises, Swire can always analyze the situation at a very fast speed, and plan what to do next in her mind. Others only need to be responsible for execution and filling loopholes.

In terms of analyzing layout and command, even Ch'en had to admit that Swire was excellent.

"Finally, Punk Draco, you can play baseball, right?" Swire said as she found a few stones of similar regularity and shape among the debris on the wall.

Hearing this and looking at her behavior, Ch'en immediately understood what she meant.

"Then..."

Swire put a confident smile on her face, raised her index finger, middle finger, and ring finger, and signaled to Hoshiguma and Ch'en.

Three, Swire put down her index finger. Ch'en and Hoshiguma were thinking about the shortest path in their minds.

Two, Swire put down her middle finger, and Ch'en and Hoshiguma began to calculate the position of the crossbow arrow just now, in order to increase the probability of defense and support.

Swire put down her index finger, and her raised hand was like a signal gun racing with the god of death. In the next moment, the two jumped out of the bunker and quickly separated, forcing the attacker to choose whom to target.

Ch'en's figure was like a blue thunderbolt, while Hoshiguma's movements were like a green torrent.

The bows and crossbows dispersed their attacks simultaneously, but Ch'en had already calculated their attack angles. With a slight sideways movement, Ch'en's physique completed a maneuver that ordinary people could not achieve, narrowly avoiding the arrows.

On the other hand, Hoshiguma's heavy shield was her best defense, and any crossbow bolts were consistently blocked by it.

Swire, who had been hiding behind cover, quickly dodged and left her position after hearing the sound of Hoshiguma's shield being struck, moving in tandem with her.

Then, after seeing Ch'en narrowly avoid another crossbow bolt, she quickly threw the stone in her hand at her and shouted, "Ch'en, hit."

Chi Xiao was raided, making thin line splitting the stone with a swing. Ch'en did not intend to break it, so she used the back of her blade.

After receiving the force, the stone shot toward the marked position with a trajectory almost like a bullet. As the stone struck the unfinished building, the excessive force directly shattered a corner of the window and flew into the house.

Ch'en couldn't be sure whether the enemy had died, but at the very least, this move neutralized one of the enemy's firepower.

Finding the tactic effective, Swire and Ch'en continued to employ it. After luring them into attacking, they knocked out the crossbow firepoints as if playing baseball. This tactic made the enemy too fearful to shoot again.

The exaggerated sword moves intimidated them, making them feel as though they had bitten off more than they could chew. While the enemies hesitated, the three of them had already sprinted to the end of the front street.

"Go through the window of the unfinished building. The probability of getting blocked at this bottleneck is extremely high," Swire shouted, worried that the others might have different ideas.

Without any hesitation, Hoshiguma and Ch'en chose to trust her. The three of them jumped into the unfinished building together, planning to exit through the back street and quickly leave this dangerous area.

Unfortunately, the group seemed to have bad luck this time. They had mistakenly entered another trap.

"..."

In the partitionless, unfinished building, more than 20 people stared at the three unexpected intruders, exchanging puzzled glances.

They hadn’t received any orders yet, so should they take action? It’s possible they might never receive any. The earlier chaos had completely disrupted their command system, and the higher-ups had no intention of making enemies with Lungmen's Guard Department.

The superb martial arts they had witnessed made them realize that if left unchecked, the Guard Department would deal them a cruel fate.

However, the boss stubbornly believed that since they had already crossed paths, it would be better to deal with them here than to let them escape. Capturing or killing them seemed necessary, as letting them go would lead to certain death anyway.

The indecision at the upper level of the group didn’t affect the lower level much, and the stalemate between the two sides lasted only a moment.

“Damn it, get these thugs out of here!” A minor leader charged at the three with an axe gleaming with mysterious colors.

"???"

Looking at the group of assailants in front of them, holding makeshift weapons made of Originium, the three were momentarily confused.

But they quickly adjusted and, without needing to speak, turned around and ran.

In such a narrow space, fighting a round-robin battle would be disastrous for the side with fewer people. Moreover, if their weapons were scratched, they risked infection.

For both emotional and logical reasons, the three decisively chose to flee.

Hoshiguma took a running start and smashed a hole in the unfinished wall using Prajna, and the three immediately filed out of the hole.

They stepped into the narrow alley connecting the front and back streets... just as they attempted to quickly pass through, they found the intersection blocked by more people.

More than 30 people were waiting at the back street’s intersection, staring them down.

And not only that, more people poured out of the hole and attacked them.

The original calm of the black street was shattered by the noisy commotion. Hoshiguma couldn’t understand where all these people were coming from. She even suspected that someone had turned this place into a stronghold without her knowledge.

But now wasn’t the time to figure that out—

Hoshiguma and Ch'en stood side by side and began breaking through the crowd. Luckily, it was a narrow alley, and their contact area with the crowd was limited.

Chi Xiao and Prajna were swift, and no thug could withstand their attacks. Their weapons always accurately struck down those attempting to attack.

If anyone managed to slip through, Swire’s mace taught them a harsh lesson.

The number of assailants surrounding them was visibly decreasing. Even if someone tried to use the crossbow again, they couldn't avoid hitting their own in close combat.

Even those brave enough to attempt using crossbows found their weapons quickly intercepted by Swire’s companions. Amid their screams, they abandoned the idea.

Even though they had the advantage of numbers and could wear down the trio’s physical strength in a prolonged battle, they couldn’t match the outstanding abilities of the three senior police superintendents.

With Ch'en, Swire, and Hoshiguma working together so skillfully, they actually were on the verge of victory...

The sight of over 20 people lying on the ground, writhing in pain, was shocking.

Seeing that he was about to lose, the enraged boss in the shadows kicked away those trying to dissuade him and cursed, “Damn it, what are you waiting for?!”

As his voice fell, two bundles of crudely made Originium bombs were suddenly thrown down from the high-rise buildings flanking the narrow alley.

"What is that...?!"

Ch'en, who had the most acute instincts and battlefield awareness, instantly noticed the two bundles falling at high speed.

When she realized what they were, her pupils contracted sharply, and painful memories of the past surged to the surface, causing the spot where she was previously injured to ache faintly.

Others might not recognize what it was at first glance, but Ch'en, who had suffered in the past, knew immediately: it was an originium bomb!

In the narrow alley, the explosion’s range would be enough to collapse the entire area, leaving them no chance of survival.

Watching the originium bombs descend closer, like the scythe of the Grim Reaper, ready to harvest their lives, Ch'en used all her strength to throw Swire away from her.

Swire, who was hurled aside without warning, didn’t have time to curse before her perspective shifted dramatically, bringing the rapidly falling bombs into view...

The lit fuse, the fast-descending explosives, and her comrades with no time to escape...

In that instant, Swire felt as though she was about to lose something dear...