GR 298-325 (Patreon)

GR 297-325

Chapter 33: The Resolution of the Crisis and the Resentment of Swire

The goddess of luck never blesses without reason, but if someone is extremely unlucky at a certain point in time, she may be lucky the next moment.

Swire, who was thrown toward the exit of the narrow alley, stared at the falling explosives in the distance and felt that time appeared to slow down...

She didn't understand why Ch'en's power had suddenly become so great or why the first thing she thought of was to throw her out.

But she was really unwilling!

Swire wanted to change the next ending and save her friends in front of her, even if it was just an attempt. However, no matter how crazily she calculated and thought at this moment, the answer she got in the end was still unsolvable and deadlocked.

Because in just a few seconds, the originium bomb falling from the sky would explode. The impact of the explosion and the originium fragments would fill the narrow alley in an instant. The impact, originium fragments, and scorching high temperature would kill everyone in the narrow alley.

Thinking of what might happen next, Swire's heart was not only unwilling but also filled with a great sense of powerlessness. These strong emotions made Swire close her eyes subconsciously because she didn't want to see her friends turned into pieces or burnt charcoal.

At the moment she closed her eyes, her active brain started to work at high speed due to various stimulations. Countless scenes and pictures appeared in Swire's mind one by one, like a revolving lantern. Sometimes it was the cruel scene that she might witness later, and sometimes it was the scene of kidnapping in the dark—blood plasma, brain parts scattered, corpses—these images made her feel physically nauseous and fearful.

However, Swire's situation did not last long because her mind suddenly flashed with a picture of her rescue in the past. The warm memory eased her emotions and dispelled other bad pictures and scenes from her mind.

Then, no one knows what she thought of, but Swire instantly opened her closed eyes and stared in the direction of her two companions, as if she wanted to deeply engrave their figures in her mind.

Although she still had fear in her heart and could not do or change anything at the moment, Swire was ultimately unwilling to be a coward who closed her eyes and escaped everything.

Even if she could not change what was happening now, she should remember it and ensure her companions' sacrifices did not go in vain.

However, even though she thought so and tried to calm herself down, Swire's unwillingness, anger, and sadness still surged uncontrollably, eroding her heart.

If possible, if there really were a miracle, she hoped that someone could save her friends, just as she had been rescued when she was kidnapped.

Unexpectedly, this time, the "miracle" responded to Swire's expectations.

Just when she was about to fall to the ground and the tragedy in the distance was about to occur, a pair of warm hands caught her steadily.

"Can, crush them!"

"Meow!"

A familiar voice came from behind Swire, and the sky in the narrow alley suddenly changed. A huge cat appeared in a blade ring that had been thrown out at some point. The cat screamed and quickly fell to the ground.

In an instant, a cold air swept and covered the entire narrow alley at a very fast speed. The originium bomb that Can had taken special care of also instantly silenced. When it fell to the ground, it had turned into an ice lump that could not move.

When Can's huge body landed, a large group of people who had no time to react were directly knocked unconscious by it, and Ch'en and Hoshiguma, who had been deliberately avoided by it, were frozen by another wave of "cold wave."

"..."

After a while, Ch'en looked at the Can that had shrunk after the job was done and then looked at the guys lying on the ground in all directions. She turned her head and said to Pardo and Swire in the distance, "Thank you very much. We will thank you later. Swire, take a look at the scene next. Hoshiguma and I will chase those bastards who threw the originium bombs!"

After her voice fell, Ch'en did not wait for Swire to react and quickly raised her sword, rushing out with Hoshiguma with a clear goal.

After experiencing this kind of event today, neither of them would let these guys go, especially those who had thrown the originium bombs before; they must make them pay the price!

After watching the backs of her two friends who survived the disaster disappear, Swire finally reacted and, a little embarrassedly, broke away from Pardo's support and stood up by herself.

To be honest, she had not expected that a miracle would actually happen at that critical moment, and this miracle was the Pardofelis who made her feel complicated.

However, no matter what the identity of this "miracle" was, Swire felt fortunate at this moment.

That’s great—there was no need to face sadness, no need to face separation, and no need to see her friends on the list of casualties of the inspection team.

It's really great...

Thinking of this, Swire couldn't help but turn her back because she didn't want to let her unpromising appearance fall into the eyes of outsiders.

Pardo was happy to see this scene because she felt that this was a great opportunity to escape. After all, she knew very well what she would encounter if she continued to stay here and waited for others to react later. She didn't want to go to the police station at all.

Although Pardo could indeed escape, it would be a waste of time; it would be better to buy more goods with that time.

But before the Cat took two steps, she stopped. Her cat ears on her head made her keenly capture the almost inaudible sobbing sound.

"..."

After hesitating for a moment, Pardo helplessly spread her hands, then took out a tissue from her pocket, handed it over silently, and comforted her carelessly. "Oh, don’t be sad. It’s all over, and nothing happened."

"..."

Hearing this, Swire silently took Pardo's tissue, wiped her tears, and calmed her emotions. Then she suddenly turned around and grabbed someone's wrist, saying seriously, "Pardo, you are the Lungmen thief, right?"

"!"

Pardo admitted that she was nervous and even sweating when she was caught. But as a "purchase veteran," her observational ability was still first-class.

Slightly sweeping her eyes over Swire's face, Cat quickly found that from her expression, movements, language, and micro-expressions, all pointed to one possibility: as she had guessed, Swire now had some evidence about her purchases...

But so what?

Would Pardofelis take the initiative to admit it?

Of course not!

She was not stupid. How could she fall into the trap when the evidence was incomplete?

"Haha, how is it possible?" Thinking of this, Pardo scratched her head and responded with a laugh.

"..."

Hearing this, Swire, who was holding Pardo's wrist, was silent for a moment and then nodded as if "agreeing," saying, "Yes, how could you be a thief..."

Although she said so, the hand that the little tiger held onto the cat's wrist not only did not loosen but tightened, as if she was afraid that the person in front of her would run away.

"However, Pardo, there is one thing I am curious about: Why are you here at this time?"

As she said this, Swire raised her eyes and looked at the person in front of her seriously, waiting for her answer.

"Haha... I just came here while shopping and then happened to notice the movement here."

Although Swire's eyes were slightly red and she looked pitiful, there was not a single word in her response that would not make Pardofelis nervous and guilty.

Just as Cat was frantically thinking of a way to get out, the scene in the distance suddenly made her eyes light up, and then she quickly said:

"Ah, it seems that the police officers of the LGD are here?"

"Eh?"

Pardo's words subconsciously made Swire look toward the narrow alley leading to the back street, and sure enough, a large group of special police were rushing there in an orderly manner.

At the moment when Swire was distracted, the wrist that had been held in her hand was suddenly pulled out with great force. When she hurriedly looked back, all she could see was the back of the figure that was about to disappear in the distance...

"...Am I that scary? Really!"

Looking at that back figure, Swire suddenly felt a little resentful and complicated in her heart. It was obvious that she would let people go after asking questions, even if those answers were false.

"Forget it, let's settle this mess later!"

With that, Swire turned around with a vicious expression and directed the police officers who had just arrived to deal with the situation at the scene.

---

After Cat left for a while, Ch'en and Hoshiguma returned to the scene with the criminals. The radical terrorists who had escaped before were not difficult to catch. In addition to their poor work style, they had not received rigorous military training, so their evacuation was horrible. No one was willing to cover up, and they could not cover up their own tracks. Therefore, Ch'en and Hoshiguma quickly caught up with them.

Then, after an extremely violent process, except for a few who successfully escaped by blending into the crowd, the thugs who threw originium bombs and attacked the police were almost all caught.

…

“…”

Although the people were beaten and caught, at this moment, whether it was Ch'en, Hoshiguma, or Swire, looking at the large group of thugs in front of them, they all had a headache.

Chapter 34: Closing and Confluence

"How should we deal with these thirty or forty people? Not only are they infected, but most of them are seriously ill," Ch'en retracted her gaze from the thugs in front of her and said to Swire with a hint of meaning.

"Yes, how should we deal with these thirty or forty people?" After hearing Ch'en's words, Swire raised her eyebrows slightly and then asked her an unrelated question.

Earlier, after a simple examination by the medical staff, the physical conditions of these thugs—each more serious than the other—were laid out before the three of them.

It is not an exaggeration to say that even if this incident hadn't occurred, most of these people would not have lived much longer...

And this is exactly what concerns the three of them. Currently, there are not many places or resources to accommodate patients with Oripathy in the prison outside the slums. If it’s mild or moderate, that’s manageable, but for severe patients who are on the brink of death, there is no suitable place to house them.

In the eyes of many, the existence of patients with severe Oripathy is problematic while they're alive, and even more so if they die, as improper handling could lead to a new source of infection.

However, this is only the current situation. In fact, if we look back in time, these people would have been relatively easy to accommodate.

But since the incident involving Jiu and Ch'en, the higher-ups have begun issuing orders to gradually prevent the LGD from intervening in slum-related matters.

It can be said that now, except for special circumstances, the LGD no longer concerns itself with the slums.

"..."

Ch'en looked at Swire, who responded irrelevantly, acting as if she didn’t understand anything and was clearly trying to shift the responsibility. Ch'en couldn’t help but twitch her mouth.

But for some reason, she didn’t say anything directly after all, choosing instead to cast her eyes on Hoshiguma beside her.

"..."

Noticing the look from her old friend, Hoshiguma blinked innocently. Clearly, she had no idea why she was suddenly dragged into this "war."

"Hoshiguma, how are patients with severe Originium disease typically dealt with in the slums?" Ch'en asked.

"...Well... they’re either filled into the concrete walls or just buried somewhere."

Hearing Ch'en's sudden question, Hoshiguma was silent for a moment, as she didn’t want to discuss these matters. But under Ch'en’s gaze, she finally gave an answer.

"Otherwise, why is the Black Street divided into front and back?" At this point, Hoshiguma paused slightly, then looked toward a distant building and continued, "There are probably five or six hundred bodies buried under that building..."

"As for why they don’t incinerate them... it’s probably because [Rat King] doesn’t have enough money to build a centralized incinerator."

"Alas... what can we do about this?" After hearing Hoshiguma’s words, Ch'en sighed first, then glanced at Swire and sighed again.

Although she didn’t say anything furthis at that moment, the meaning was quite obvious. Even Hoshiguma subconsciously cast her eyes on Swire.

"..."

Seeing the desperate expressions of her two friends, it was now Swire’s turn to twitch her lips. But since the conversation had reached this point, she stopped pretending.

"Okay, stop looking at me like that. I'll try to coordinate a place to temporarily accommodate these guys."

"As for what to do with them later... I’ll also help contact the incinerator. After that, Punk Dragon, it’s up to you to figure out the rest!"

"Officer Shi, you’re generous!" Hearing this, Ch'en’s eyes flashed with a smile, and she gave Swire a thumbs up.

"Indeed, the boss is generous!" Hoshiguma, not wanting to get involved in the "war," nodded in agreement with Ch'en’s words while avoiding mentioning a certain sore spot.

And just as she had expected, her two friends began bickering after exchanging a few words.

"Lungmen, you foul-mouthed person! I’ve already told you, my last name isn’t Shi!"

"Who told you to call me Punk Dragon first? You deserved it!"

...

After the two finished bickering, Hoshiguma turned to Swire and asked, "Speaking of which, where’s the person who saved us? If I’m not mistaken, it was the Pardofelis from this morning, right?"

"Yes, that guy. But he left a long time ago. He doesn’t want anything to do with us." Swire replied in a dejected tone.

"That’s a pity. We really have to thank her. Without her foul language, Swire, you’d only be looking at my Prajna right now," Hoshiguma said in a grateful tone.

"..."

This time, Swire didn’t respond to Hoshiguma’s words. She couldn’t help but murmur to herself.

Why run so fast? She won’t eat anyone!

Every time she thought of Pardofelis's quick and straightforward departure, the little tiger felt a little unhappy. However, immersed in resentment and complex emotions, she completely forgot that it was normal for a thief to run away upon seeing the police...

"I really should thank her. As for the invitation task, I'll leave that to you, Swire. After all, you have her contact information and have spent time with her," Ch'en said, nodding after listening to Hoshiguma’s words, then turning to Swire.

"Huh?! Why does this task fall on me? I’m not even that familiar with her!" Hearing this, Swire, who had been distracted, quickly snapped back to attention and responded unhappily.

"Relatively speaking, you’re more familiar with her than we are. I even suspect that she helped this time, most likely because of you," Ch'en added, touching her chin and looking at Swire with suspicion.

"Huh? Absolutely not!"

"That’s the truth. You know, Hoshiguma and I barely exchanged a few words with her. So, this task falls on you."

Hoshiguma, standing nearby and listening to their conversation, suddenly appeared to remember something. She glanced at Swire and added, "This incident is huge. It’s likely that it won’t just be our thanks. The higher-ups will probably issue awards, certificates, or even bonuses."

"Since the task of contacting her falls into your hands, Swire, then when the time comes, those awards and so on..." As she said this, Hoshiguma winked at Ch'en, as if suggesting something.

Ch'en, catching Hoshiguma’s signal, finished the thought, "It’ll also be yours."

Seeing Ch'en and Hoshiguma working in sync and assigning her multiple tasks, Swire grew angry!

"Punk Dragon, Lungmen swearing"

The police officers and staff working at the scene were no longer surprised by their superiors' sudden outbursts and the gradually lighthearted atmosphere, and they continued working quietly.

————————————————————

While the cleanup of the Black Street and the narrow alley was progressing in an orderly manner, Pardo had already left the area and arrived at the place where she had agreed to meet Rope.

Earlier, since Rope no longer wanted to provoke those crazy people, even though Pardo had offered her a lot of money, she had been unwilling to approach Black Street. So, when Cat rushed in to save people, she stayed outside, waiting alone.

"Ah... you didn’t run away."

Seeing Rope waiting at the agreed-upon spot, Pardo blinked her heterochromatic eyes and spoke with a surprised expression.

Actually, it wasn’t surprising that Cat was so taken aback. The main reason was that there was little trust between her and Rope. After all, they barely knew each other and had only spent a few hours togethis. She had even been prepared to come back and not find her, thinking she might need Senti’s help to track her down.

"Ahaha... How could I run away?"

Hearing what Pardo said, the "frivolous" purple cautus lady laughed and responded.

"Your words don’t sound very convincing. Well, since you didn’t run, it saves me the trouble. After all, even if I knew where you were, it would still take time to find you."

Though she knew Rope was just deflecting, Pardo didn’t plan to make a fuss. In her mind, if she cared about every little thing, life would be far too exhausting.

"!"

Pardo’s offhand remark startled Rope, whose hair nearly stood on end.

After calming down a bit, she cautiously asked, "Wait, can Miss Felis easily track my location?"

"Of course! You’re my new little brother! What if I don’t know your location and you get bullied again?" Pardo responded with a matter-of-fact expression.

"..."

Pardo's straightforward attitude left Rope slightly stunned, and she couldn’t help but feel both conflicted and relieved.

She was conflicted by the person in front of her, who assumed their "concern" so easily, and relieved that she had given up the idea of slipping away not long ago.

"Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s go eat. After dinner, I’ll take you to get some new clothes." Glancing at the time, Pardo realized it was already late and didn’t want to waste more time.

"Yeah."

Although Rope had just eaten earlier and wasn’t hungry, she didn’t, and wouldn’t dare, object to the plans set by her "boss." She followed silently.

Then, under Pardo’s lead, the two quickly left the chaotic slums.

As they evacuated and searched for a sushi restaurant, Cat suddenly thought of something. If she wasn’t mistaken, Swire would likely be dealing with today’s events for a long time and would be quite busy, right? In that case...

Thinking about this, Pardo couldn’t help but curl the corners of her lips into a mischievous smile.

At the same time, on the other side, Swire, who was escorting prisoners, suddenly felt a chill run down her spine and then couldn’t help but sneeze...

---

Chapter 35: Sushi and Getting Along

Although Pardo suddenly had a brilliant idea during the operation, she was not in a hurry to execute it but continued to look for a sushi restaurant first.

She had already felt that Sakura had finished work and was having lunch. She was embarrassed to let someone go hungry all the time.

However, hard work pays off. After searching for a while, Pardo still found a sushi restaurant that looked pretty good.

"Does Miss Felis want to eat sushi so much?"

Rope looked at the sushi restaurant that Pardo had spent a lot of effort to find and asked in a low voice.

"Well, it's not... It's mainly because I promised a friend to bring her food. She's been eating fast food recently, maybe she is about to vomit. She wants to change her taste." Facing Rope's question, Pardo did not hide it and told the truth directly.

After all, this kind of thing is not even a small matter in the eyes of the Cat. It doesn't matter if you tell others...

"Rope, what do you want to eat for lunch? If you want sushi, you can eat here directly. If you want to eat something else, let's go somewhere else later."

"Uh..."

Hearing this, Rope did not answer in a hurry but first observed Pardo's expression quietly before saying, "What will Miss Felis eat for lunch? I will do the same as you."

Although, after spending this morning together, Rope had already understood Pardo's carefree and informal personality.

She planned to observe it again, considering that the person in front of her might not be an ordinary person. It was definitely not because she was afraid of being caught and punished for escaping, but because the food was too delicious.

"If you are the same as me... then let's go somewhere else to have lunch later." Hearing the question pushed back, Pardo thought for a moment and said.

Although Cat likes to eat fish, thinking about the way it is prepared in a sushi restaurant... Forget it, isn't grilled fish delicious?

"Since you don't plan to eat here, then wait for me here. And there's Can, hold it for me." As she said that, Pardo stuffed the fat cat standing on her shoulder into Rope's arms and then walked into the store without looking back, fearing that she would be caught up.

Some stores don't welcome pets, and Pardo still knew this, especially... She also had a clear understanding of the temperament of her own fat cat.

"..."

Rope, who suddenly had a "heavy object" stuffed into her arms, first looked at someone's running back with hesitation and then reluctantly lowered her head to look at the cat in her arms.

"Meow~"

Although Can was a little unhappy that someone bought food without it, it was not rude to the warm embrace. Not only did it lie down as a matter of course, but it also adjusted to a comfortable position.

After looking for a while to confirm that the cat in her arms was not a grumpy little animal, Rope carefully freed up one hand and gently touched it. While touching it, she sighed.

"It's really well-fed..."

"Meow~"

In fact, Rope had noticed this long before, and this was even one of the main reasons she had targeted Pardo.

You know, there are no sleek, chubby kittens like Can in the slums... So at that time, Miss Purple Cautus would take a liking to Pardo, who had such a well-fed cat, and target her in the crowd.

...

"Hey, I'm back, let's go!"

Pardo, who came out of the store, smiled softly after seeing Rope petting the cat and then took a few steps forward and said.

"Okay, give me Can."

After seeing that the boss who was forced to come out, Rope paused and consciously handed over the fat cat in her arms.

"Oh, if you like it, just keep holding it. Can feels good except that it's a little heavy!" Looking at Rope's actions, Pardo smiled and waved at her.

"..."

Hearing this, Rope did not say anything else but silently withdrew her hand, held the cat in her arms again, and rubbed it gently twice.

Feeling the soft and furry touch under her fingertips, Miss Purple Cautus couldn't help but narrow her eyes. She had to admit that her cheap boss was right.

But in addition to this episode, there was another thing that made Rope a little confused, and she didn't hold it back, saying directly, "Miss Felis, where is the sushi you packed? Is this store out of stock?"

"Ahem... this, I asked the people inside to deliver it. After all, we have more important things to do next." Facing Rope's puzzled eyes, Pardo coughed lightly and explained with a "serious" expression.

"So that's it, this kind of store can actually deliver."

"Of course... Okay, okay, let's not talk about this, let's go." 

In order to prevent her from being exposed in this conversation later, Pardo quickly changed the subject.

You know, Cat didn't do any sushi delivery. The reason she didn't hold anything in her hand was that she had simply stuffed it into the system storage space.

In fact, Pardo didn't care about letting others know that she had a space and could "take things out of thin air." After all, many people on the little loli's side already knew about this.

However, considering that Rope was just a newly recruited younger sibling and was originally a "frivolous" thief who had crawled out of the slums, Pardo decided to observe and investigate for a period of time to see if she could make her trust her for a long time.

Not only did Pardo herself guess that Rope should have the same idea as her. Just like she investigated the "younger sibling," Rope would also investigate whether she, the "boss," was qualified and worth staying.

Although Pardo didn't know why Miss Purple Cautus didn't take the opportunity to escape before, she knew that if she was not qualified in the future, then her new younger sibling would definitely seize every opportunity to escape.

...

After leaving the sushi restaurant, Pardo had a clear goal and took Rope directly to the largest snack street in Lungmen.

As for why they came here, in addition to the fact that there were more lunch options, it was also not far from the rich area of Lungmen, which was very convenient for Cat to carry out the next plan.

"Well, is there anything you want to eat? As long as it is not wasted, you can eat as much as you want." As she said, Pardo's eyes moved away from the dazzling snacks and small shops in front of her and turned to ask Rope.

"Ah this..."

Hearing this, Rope swallowed lightly and said, "Is it really okay to eat anything?"

Although Miss Purple Cautus was not very hungry now, she was still aroused by the aroma.

"Of course! Buy whatever you want to eat, as long as it is not wasted, we will reimburse you!"

---

Chapter 36: Hidden Lock: You can't just hire Me to Steal, Can You?

Although Pardo said that she would reimburse all the money, Rope didn't buy too many snacks in the end. She only bought a portion of fish balls and a few other things.

The reason for this was that, in addition to not being very hungry, Miss Purple Cautus was reluctant to spend...

Although the money Rope used to buy things was from Pardo's wallet, she had already considered it her own. Without being sure that this "boss" would definitely reimburse her, she couldn't bear to spend too much.

If there were any problems later, she would still have to rely on this money to survive... In her opinion, the fish balls and various snacks she bought now were already a rare luxury.

"Rope, you only bought this little? Can eats more than you eat!" Pardo, who had swept around with Can and returned with large and small bags, looked at Rope standing on the side of the road with only a few snacks and said in surprise.

"Um... these are enough for me; I'm not very hungry." After hearing what Pardo said, Rope raised her head and waved her hand.

"Well, although that makes sense, but..."

Pardo did not simply let go of Rope's explanation this time as before but stared at the person in front of her with an inquiring look.

"But in fact, You didn't dare to buy more because you're afraid that I wouldn't reimburse you, right?"

Although it seemed to be a question, the tone of Pardo's words was quite certain.

"!"

Rope was startled at first when her little thoughts were suddenly mentioned, and then she explained in embarrassment, "How could it be? I really just can't eat that much!"

Some things are one thing to think and arrange by yourself, and it's another thing to be exposed by others.

Although Rope thought that she was thick-skinned after so many years of hard work... at this moment, she still felt a little embarrassed.

"Well, I understand! I have some extra here; I'll give it to you later. Let's go find a quiet place to sit."

Pardo was keenly aware of the subtle changes in Rope's expression, and a flash of understanding crossed her eyes. Then she stopped pestering her and changed the subject with a rather detached mind.

"..."

Although she couldn't quite keep up with Pardo's thoughts, Rope quickly followed her steps after a moment.

…………

"Oh, it turns out that we still have to stay in a quiet place to enjoy the food!"

After taking Rope away from the snack street and finding a quiet and deserted place nearby, Pardo directly pulled Rope to sit down carelessly.

After sitting down, Pardo grabbed the Can with one hand and put all the food in front of Rope with the other hand, saying, "Here, I bought a lot; just take whatever you want to eat."

"Meow!"

Before Rope could react, Can held by Pardo cried out in dissatisfaction and protest.

"Don't worry, Can. We won't lack food for you. Let Rope choose first this time." Hearing Can's protest, Pardo touched its head and comforted it.

"Meow!"

"Oh, don't be so stingy."

"..."

Rope first looked at the many kinds of snacks in front of her and then looked at the man and cat playing beside her. Suddenly, a complex emotion mixed with warmth emerged in her heart.

"I'm really not very hungry. I just want this. Miss Felis and Can should eat quickly; otherwise, it will get cold..." Rope picked one at random, then pushed the snack in front of her back and reminded them.

"Really, you should learn more from Can! And here."

Looking at Rope's actions, Pardo shook her head helplessly. Then she let go of Can, reached into her pocket, took out a few bills, and handed them to Rope. "We may not guarantee other stuff, but we will definitely not treat you badly in terms of food, drink, and treatment!"

"..."

Looking at the dazzling blue bills in front of her, Rope did not accept them quickly as usual but turned her head slightly to look at Pardo and asked the same question again with a puzzled look on her face.

"Why?"

"Hmm? What why?"

While talking, Pardo stuffed the money in her hand into Rope's arms and then slowly picked up a snack next to her, eating while waiting for her explanation.

"...Why did you choose me and treat me so well for no reason?"

Rope looked at Pardo's beautiful heterochromatic eyes, and after a moment of silence, she whispered.

Miss Purple Cautus had asked a similar question at the beginning and got an answer. But... that answer did not satisfy her, or it could not convince her.

It was just that Rope did not care at that time, because her initial idea was to take the money given by Pardo, the "weird person," and find an opportunity to run away.

Since she had no intention of staying, she would not delve into it, nor would she care about the answer given by the cat.

But now it was different. Even Miss Purple Cautus herself found it incredible. After spending a short morning with the people around her, she actually had terrible thoughts such as "this is good" and "it should be good to stay."

And it was precisely because of these fleeting thoughts that Rope, who originally did not care about the "reason," now cared about it... It can even be said that the better Pardo treated her, the more she cared about the reason...

"Ah? Rope, why are you still entangled in this matter? Didn't I say at the beginning that I think you are gifted and want to take you with me!" At this point, Pardo took a bite of the string in her hand and then continued, "Also, when did I treat you well for no reason?"

"?"

Hearing this, Rope glanced at the snacks in front of her and the money in her arms, and a big question mark appeared on her little head.

Pardo, who was leisurely eating her lunch, silently took in Rope's expression, then smiled, shook her head.

"Ah, actually, I think Rope, you can think of yourself as a little more powerful. I have never been nice to you for no reason, because we are now in a normal employment relationship, although it seems that there is no contract or anything..."

Pardo was a person with a similar early experience to Rope, and now she understood the current entanglement of her "little sister" just by listening casually.

And the entanglement of the little Cautus was a good thing for the cat, and even a surprise. At least she didn't expect that this "entanglement" would come so early.

As for why she said that, it was of course because Pardo had long understood the truth that "if you don't care, you won't be entangled."

In the eyes of the cat, if Rope were really full of ideas to take advantage of her and run away with her money, then she would not be entangled with this problem at all.

"Although you said so, Miss Felis... I don't think I have anything worth hiring me for a big price. I don't know much. You can't be planning to hire me to steal...?"

---

Chapter 37: The Sensitive Cautus and the Helpless Cat

"Although you said that, Miss Felis... I don't think I have anything worth hiring me for at a high price. I don’t know much; you can’t be planning to hire me to steal…?"

Although Rope spoke with a smile, the uneasiness and vigilance in her eyes as she looked at Pardo, along with her unconscious change of address, revealed her true emotions in that moment.

No one can really blame Miss Purple Cautus for thinking this way. Everything felt too abnormal to her!

It was so strange. Her experiences and reasoning, gained from years of struggling, told her that there were no free handouts—something fishy was going on, and she should run away quickly.

However, she had to admit that, so far, Pardo had not done anything out of line or dangerous; in fact, she had been very kind to her...

"Hey, I didn’t expect Rope to guess it quite accurately. However, I don’t like the term ‘stealing’; I usually call it ‘purchasing.’" After hearing Rope's joking remark, Pardo chuckled.

"......?"

"???"

Pardo's sudden and enlightening words stunned Rope. Once she reacted, surprise flooded her features, and a row of question marks appeared above her head.

"You... you... this, I..."

Pardo looked at Rope, who had become incoherent due to her words, and blinked innocently. "Oh, are you so surprised?"

"Of course! Purchasing... Could it be that Miss Felis is a black-hearted dealer who specializes in kidnapping infected people and then makes them help you steal all kinds of things?!"

Gazing at Pardo’s innocent face, Rope immediately envisioned the worst possibility and spoke with a horrified and trembling expression.

"?"

"How is that possible! Do I look like someone who would do that kind of thing?! And keep your voice down; you know that walls have ears." As soon as Rope’s words left her mouth, it was Pardo's turn to feel uneasy.

Although Cat knew that Rope had worked her way up from the slums, and it was normal for her to think too much, she could tolerate it.

But she really didn’t expect things to escalate so outrageously!

Clearly, she just wanted to hire her on fair terms and fulfill her agreement with Senti to teach her a few tricks!

"Cute Bunny, don’t let your imagination run wild. I won’t do a bad thing. And if I may be frank, your skills aren’t as good as mine." While speaking, Pardo’s long tail flicked unhappily, and she quietly picked up the cold drink beside her and placed it against Rope’s face.

"Ah!"

The sudden chill made Rope, who was already feeling a bit nervous and on edge, shiver and nearly jump up.

"Are you calm now?"

Pardo watched Rope, who had been frightened by her, and tossed the cold drink into her arms with a flick of her tail. Then she continued, "Well, although we understand your concern that there are no free handouts, you shouldn’t say more outrageous things."

"Uh, I’ll try to calm down a bit…"

Hearing this, Rope held the cold drink in her hands, turned her head stiffly to look at Pardo, and nodded.

Although the physical chill had cooled her down, the surging emotions in Rope's heart didn’t diminish at all; her nod now was only a result of Pardo's "tyranny."

She felt like a frightened Cautus; if anything went wrong again, she would likely run away.

Observing Miss Cautus, whose body was tense in front of her, Pardo shook her head helplessly and said, "Calm down a little, stop overthinking, and finish your lunch quickly. After dinner, we have a task. I’ll take you to see the world and, by the way, show you your next job."

Cat really didn’t want to argue with Rope anymore; it was too exhausting. Relying solely on words would only worsen things. It would be better to let her see it with her own eyes and rely on time to gain her trust.

"Yeah."

After Pardo said this, Rope didn’t add anything else but nodded again with an awkward motion and then obediently resumed eating the food before her.

Just then, Can that had been flaunting its food suddenly stopped eating, as if it sensed something. It then leaped into Rope's arms with a few nimble steps and gently rubbed her chin, as if to comfort her.

"…"

Rope looked at Can that had “thrown itself into her arms” to comfort her and subconsciously reached out to pet it. The soft, furry sensation beneath her fingertips calmed her nervous and complicated emotions significantly.

However, while Rope was focused on Can and the snacks, she did not notice the flash of pain in Pardo's eyes as she played with a skewer beside her.

You see, in order to convince the greedy fat cat Can to put down the food in its mouth and comfort its sensitive "little brother," Cat paid a hefty price of five canned food cans!

---

"So, our target this afternoon is the rich people here? Isn’t that too risky? If we get caught, we..."

After lunch, Rope followed Pardo with a worried heart, but when they arrived near the destination and saw the target, she couldn’t help but ask.

Miss Purple Cautus obviously didn’t expect that the so-called target mentioned by Pardo was actually located in the famous wealthy area of Lungmen... She had never been to this place, let alone attempted to steal. Not only had she never ventured there, but she usually avoided it altogether.

"Haha, don’t overthink it. Relax, come with me~"

In response to Rope’s uneasiness, Pardo merely smiled and didn’t elaborate further.

"…"

At worst... At worst, I’ll end up in the police station for a while!

Thinking this, Rope gritted her teeth, glanced at the can in her arms, and finally followed Pardo.

Not long after they set off, Miss Purple Cautus was surprised.

She discovered that Pardo really knew this place well, taking shortcuts, avoiding surveillance, and evading patrolling security guards with such ease that it was clear she was exceptionally skilled.

...

Finally, after avoiding all obstacles, Pardo took Rope to a corner outside Swire's house.

"Okay, this is the target this time. And, Rope, you need to train hard."

Pardo, who hadn’t even broken a sweat after the whole operation, looked at Rope, who was already out of breath just from following her, and spread her hands.

"Huh... No, Miss Felis, you ran too fast..." Hearing this, Rope, who was supporting her knees and panting, couldn’t help but complain.

After today’s outing, Miss Purple Cautus truly grasped the meaning behind her cheap "boss's" earlier remark 'Your skills aren’t as good as mine.'

---

Chapter 38(303): the "Arrogant" Pardo**

"I'm not running fast; this is just my normal speed. Okay, Rope, stay outside and Help me keep watch."

As she said this, Pardo suddenly remembered something, grabbed Can perched on her shoulder, put it on the ground, and added, "This time, Can stay outside. Remember to Help protect Rope if something happens."

"Meow~~"

Hearing this, Can on the ground stomped its paws reluctantly and cried out in protest.

"Can, it’s useless for you to protest. Rope is still a newcomer and needs protection."

"Meow!"

"We just finished lunch; you can't open canned food anymore! If you keep eating like this, you'll become a pig sooner or later!" Pardo replied seriously, rejecting Can's bargaining.

Then, as if she didn’t want to give the fat cat another chance to negotiate, she put on her hood and said to Rope, "Help me keep an eye on Can; I’ll be back soon." she then flipped into the yard neatly and easily.

"…"

After taking a breath, Rope looked at Pardo's nimble movements and silent landing posture. she was momentarily stunned, then a flash of surprise crossed her eyes.

This was the umpteenth time Miss Purple Rabbit had been amazed by Pardo's actions during this trip... But there was no denying that her cheap "boss" possessed many skills she couldn’t match.

"Miss Felis is really as powerful as she claims… Can I believe in her a little now?" Retracting her gaze, Rope bent down to pick up Can on the ground, as if muttering to it or to herself.

"Meow~~"

Hearing this, Can's furry ears perked up slightly, and it cried softly in response.

"I was confused and forgot that you are just a cat. But you’re really smart." As she said this, Rope gently rubbed Can in her arms, then showed it a tender smile that Pardo had never seen before.

"Meow~"

---

After entering the yard of Swire's house, Pardo was not as cautious as before. her movements could even be described as careless and unconcealed.

After all, the owner was aware of this matter. In Cat's eyes, it didn’t matter if she was a little careless, especially since this might be her last visit.

This was because the second task only had this last purchase. After this purchase, the big star shining like gold would appear, and Pardo would have no reason to return here again.

As for hobbies... Cat could only say that after so many visits, anything that was interesting had already been discovered and collected by her.

"Oh, the lock has been changed. So I had been discovered."

Pardo stood at the door of Swire's house and looked at the changed lock without a trace of surprise on her face.

"But this isn’t difficult for me."

As she spoke, Pardo slowly raised the corners of her lips, took out her special tools from her system space with a sly expression, and began her skilled operation.

"Click--"

After a while, with a crisp sound, the newly replaced lock of Swire's house was easily opened.

Then, Pardo pushed the door open as if entering her own home and walked in with ease.

However, this time was different from the past. She didn’t search for any goods to purchase but went straight to the cabinet where Swire's canned food for Can were stored with a very clear purpose.

After coming here so many times, there was really nothing that Cat wanted to take away from every corner of this house. If she had to insist, the only thing still on her mind was almost the only thing left: the cat can food in this cabinet.

Since she and Can might not return again, Pardo adhered to the principle of not wasting and planned to pack them all up this time.

After arriving at this idea, Cat wasted no time. she opened the cabinet, took out Canned food inside, and placed it into the bag she had brought along.

"Oh, there really are a lot..."

After working hard for a long time to finally pack everything up, Pardo stretched her arms to wipe the non-existent sweat from her foreshead and sigshed softly.

After sighing, perhaps feeling that the cabinet she had swept clean was too "empty," Cat shesitated for a moment before closing the cabinet door. She took out a cute cat paw ornament from her pocket and placed it inside.

Unlike her previous cautiousness when putting the silver coins in—afraid of being discovered too quickly—this time, she placed the small item or one in her collection directly in the center of the cabinet, as if she were afraid others wouldn’t notice them.

"Okay, let’s go!"

After restoring the scene, Pardo picked up the "goods" from the ground and left the house happily and without regrets.

But just before leaving the yard completely, the cat suddenly became playful. She turned her head towards a reflective point in the corner of the yard, gently tossed the cans in her hand, and silently said, "I won’t be polite."

If it had been before, Pardo wouldn’t have dared to be so "arrogant," but now... it was the last time, anyway. She was no longer afraid.

...

Rope, who was hiding in the corner outside the wall and stroking the cat, looked at the bag that had been suddenly thrown out with a curious expression. But before she could csheck it, a figure landed on the ground right after it.

"Well... welcome back, Miss Felis, and congratulations?"

Rope looked at Pardo, who appeared before her, and congratulated her in an uncertain tone.

"Well, let’s not talk about this right now. Let’s leave quickly." As she said this, Pardo carried the goods in one hand and pulled her younger sister along with the othis hand to leave.

How should she put it? Although Pardo acted very "arrogantly" in the yard, she decided to leave quickly for safety once they were out of it.

After all, no one knew if Swire was so crazy as to connect the surveillance at home to her mobile phone for real-time viewing...

In order to avoid failure on the last mission and during her first outing with her younger brothis, Cat chose to leave quickly from the heart.

"Ah? Oh, did you cause any trouble?"

Rope asked with some confusion after being suddenly pulled by Pardo.

"It's not a big deal; it’s just for the sake of caution. Let’s go quickly. Today’s mission is also completed. I’ll take you to buy some suitable clothes later."

Hearing this, Pardo, who was focused on observing the retreat route and the surrounding situation, answered without looking back.

"Huh?"

Clearly, Rope hadn’t expected that the clothes Pardo had mentioned earlier would be fulfilled so soon.

---

Chapter 39(304): Rope: "Just Steal This ???"

"Ah~ Put the dinner on my tab tonight. You guys continue; I’ll head back first." After glancing at the sky outside the window, Swire yawned tiredly and said to her two friends beside her.

"Okay, then I'll keep drinking! Oh, by the way, remember to send a message when you get home," Hoshiguma replied with a smile.

"Don't worry, there's plenty of wine today! After all, aside from that guy, I'm bothering you today," Swire said with a smile as she waved her hand.

"Well, we're all colleagues; it's my duty. Since you're tired, go back and rest quickly. Ch'en stay for a while."

"Okay, see you later."

After saying goodbye, Swire didn’t linger any longer and turned to leave the restaurant.

She was going home to rest. What happened that morning had been a bit overwhelming for her, and after a busy afternoon, she was completely exhausted, both physically and mentally. All she wanted now was to go to sleep.

…

After watching Swire's figure disappear completely, Hoshiguma turned slightly to look at Ch'en, who was drinking silently beside him, and asked, "Are you in a bad mood?"

Although Hoshiguma appeared carefree on the surface, she was actually very perceptive in many situations. Her attentiveness allowed her to notice that her two friends were not in good spirits today.

However, compared to Swire, who was irritable and absent-minded due to her newfound knowledge and the situation with Pardofelis, Hoshiguma was more worried about Ch'en, who kept everything bottled up inside.

"I'm fine."

Hearing this, Ch'en looked up and shook her head gently at Hoshiguma.

"...... Oh, you’re all fine, but you're in a bad mood. Ch'en, please have a few more drinks with me today. It’s rare for Swire to treat us." Facing Ch'en's brief answer, Hoshiguma scratched her head and said with a distressed expression.

"......"

"Hey, Ch'en, you’re not going to refuse my small request, are you?" Hoshiguma said, reaching out to put her arm around her shoulders.

"Okay..."

"That’s better!"

---

After finally returning home, Swire couldn't wait to take out her key and open the door to her yard.

All she could think about was how to quickly wash up and go to bed. As she was about to unlock the door to her villa, she noticed tiny scratches on her brand-new door lock...

"..."

Swire stared at the door lock in silence for a few minutes, then slowly stretched out her hand to cover her face, gritting her teeth in pain as she whispered, "Pardofelis..."

Others might not recognize the mark, but as a senior superintendent, she was painfully aware of what it meant.

However, compared to her earlier anger, Swire, now exhausted both physically and mentally, couldn't even muster the energy to be angry. She felt like a broken jar.

"Hu—"

After a moment, Swire sighed and opened the door to her house. Although her mind was filled with thoughts of destruction and quitting, she still needed to check the situation. It was possible that the marks were made by other thieves, though she thought that was unlikely...

---

On the other side, in a restaurant—

"Ah, haha——"

"Did Miss Felis eat too much ice cream and catch a cold?" After hearing the noise from Pardo, Rope turned her head and asked.

"How could that be? I’m in good health and don’t get sick easily. Rather than being sick, I guess someone must be talking about me behind my back." As she said this, Pardo unconsciously pictured Swire in her mind.

It was no wonder Pardo thought of her; it was getting late, and it was almost time for someone to notice the "abnormal" things when they returned home from work.

"Talking?"

"Um, it should be the police or something." Facing Rope's puzzled expression, Pardo didn't elaborate too much, merely mentioning it casually before changing the subject. "Okay, okay, let’s not talk about this. Eat quickly. After dinner, I’ll take you to find a place to stay, and then we’ll take good care of ourselves. We still have things to do tonight."

"Hey, are there any plans for tonight?" Rope couldn't help but look surprised.

"Of course; let’s do something big tonight~"

At this point, a cold light flashed in Pardo’s eyes.

Tonight, Pardo didn’t plan to purchase or deliver goods; instead, she intended to take Rope to deal with the "garbage." She didn’t believe that the LGD could have cleaned everything up in just one morning...

"Do something big...?"

Hearing Pardo say this, Rope couldn’t help but think back to the scene when Pardo had shown her the big bag of cat cans and cat food she had stolen after leaving the villa area that afternoon.

To be honest, before Pardo opened the bag, Miss Purple Cautus had made all sorts of guesses... but she never expected it to be filled with cans and cat food.

Even Rope hadn’t thought that her cheap "boss" would actually steal valuable items and deliberately hide them from her.

However, when she saw Pardo "showing off" her spoils, she smiled from the bottom of her heart...

Miss Purple Cautus had finally come to believe that her cheap "boss" had gone to great lengths to break into someone’s house just for a bag of cat cans and cat food.

But still, Rope had one complaint about this:

Sister, with your skills, why just steal this???

"Hehe, you’ll know when the time comes." Pardo chuckled, keeping it a secret and not directly telling Rope what she was planning for tonight.

She feared that if she revealed her plan, Rope wouldn’t want to join her.

Although Pardo could work more efficiently alone and was less likely to be discovered, how could she go find the factory without her younger brother? She still remembered how this group of guys had robbed Rope of money and bullied her.

"Okay."

Hearing this, Rope didn’t hesitate much and silently sped up her eating.

After a day of getting to know each other, the sensitive Rope had finally developed a bit of trust in Pardo.

At least now she didn’t think that her cheap "boss" was a black-hearted dealer who wanted to sell her out...

---

Chapter 40(305): The Great Miss Herrscher of Sentience Appears, Celebrate!**

“…”

Sitting in front of the computer and watching today’s surveillance, Swire couldn’t help but cover her face again and fell into a long silence.

Obviously, after checking the surveillance, she found that she had indeed not wrongly accused anyone.

To be honest, this was the first time Swire had ever met someone like Pardofelis, who made her feel both admiration and hate, leaving her feelings complicated.

“What on earth are you trying to do?”

After a while, Swire slowly put down her hand, collapsed onto the chair, and muttered while looking at the ceiling above her head.

Although there was still no evidence so far, through Pardofelis’s reaction that morning, Miss Feline was very sure that she had a relationship with the “Lungmen Thief.”

If she had received this reaffirmation before, it would have been easy to accept.

However, after what she saw in the slums today, Swire couldn’t help but fall into a dilemma.

In fact, did Swire really not know about the malicious incidents that happened in the slums before?

Of course, she knew. Although she hadn't witnessed some things with her own eyes, she had heard about them...

However, sometimes, the difference between knowing suffering and witnessing suffering is actually quite large.

Swire believed that she was not a person who discriminated against or hated infected people, but because she had not had much contact with them and only had a vague concept, she had never cared about their situation, let alone provided help.

However, after witnessing the suffering with her own eyes today, she unconsciously felt complicated about the "Lungmen Thief" who helps these infected people.

Not to mention, this special existence was very likely to be Pardofelis, the one who stole objects in her own house and at the same time, saved her and her friends' lives.

Although Swire's values had always told her that this series of events should be discussed separately—if there is a reward, give it; if there is a problem, catch it—every time she thought of this, she couldn't help but remember what Ch'en had said in the slums before.

“There are always many lives lost in Lungmen in winter…”

"Ah, *Lungmen profanity*! Never mind! No one has been caught yet, so why think so much? Time to sleep!" After pondering for a while, Swire jumped up from the chair, slapped the table, and said.

She didn’t want to think about this at all; she just wanted to do whatever she wanted.

---

On the other side, on the rooftop terrace of a building—

"Is this the place you said to stay, Miss Felis?"

Standing on the roof of the building, Rope looked at the empty platform in front of her, turned her head stiffly, and looked at Pardofelis.

"Well, after all, my situation is special. If I rent a house or stay in a hotel, it's too easy to be caught." Hearing this, Pardofelis blinked innocently, spread her hands, and explained.

"That's what you said... But are we really going to sleep on the floor tonight?"

Rope accepted the explanation given by Pardofelis; after all, she now knew that the person in front of her was her colleague.

But understanding was one thing; Miss Purple Cautus still felt that the conditions were a bit too poor when she looked at the empty terrace in front of her, which was even more exaggerated than when she was alone before.

"Oh, so Rope is worried about this. Don't worry; I am always prepared." As she said that, Pardofelis put two tents and a series of living utensils in front of Rope like a magician.

"?"

Looking at the scene in front of her, a big question mark appeared on Rope's little head.

"Don't be so surprised; this is my ability. Two tents—what color does Rope like?" Looking at the puzzled "little sister" in front of her, Pardofelis did not explain too much, but simply handed them over.

In fact, regarding the matter of storage space, Pardofelis originally wanted to investigate Rope again before revealing it.

But that would really cause a lot of trouble for no reason. So, after an afternoon of "inspection," she decided to release the information but didn’t explain too much.

"The purple one..."

After hearing what Pardofelis said, Rope quickly put away the doubt on her face, pointed to the tent on the right, and answered.

After struggling in the slums for so long, Miss Purple Cautus still knew how to read people's expressions. She realized that her cheap "boss" didn’t want to say more, so she didn’t ask further and changed the topic very naturally.

"Here, fetch." Hearing this, Pardofelis smiled and handed over the tent and daily necessities in her hands. Then, as if she remembered something, she added seriously.

"Because I have something to do in the evening, just rest here foe a few hours. If you feel uncomfortable here, I will give you money so you can stay in a hotel in the future."

"......Yeah."

Hearing Pardofelis's caring words, Rope was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said softly, "Thank you."

"It's just a small matter. Okay, get ready and rest quickly."

"Okay."

---

Facts have proved that Pardofelis really overestimated the physical fitness of her younger sister.

She looked at Rope, who was sitting up but not fully awake, fatigue and sleepiness written all over her face. She shook her head helplessly and said.

"Forget it, I'll go alone. You can stay here to protect Rope."

After that, Pardofelis tucked Rope, who was not fully awake, and Can back into her tent and covered her with a blanket.

This time, Pardofelis felt that she had taken it for granted.

Because she was in good health and she looked very energetic, Pardo subconsciously ignored the fact that Rope was actually an infected and could not exert herself like she could.

"..."

Then, Pardofelis glanced at Rope's tent with a slightly apologetic look, confirmed that there was no problem, and then turned and left.

Although it was impossible to take her younger sister to do the job with the younger sister in the field, the cat in the field still had to do the job.

However, before Pardofelis had gone far, a voice suddenly sounded in her heart.

Check.

'Well, there is something very interesting but you don't bring your boss with you!'

'Hey, it turns out that you are interested boss; then can you come and help us?'

Hearing this, Pardofelis's eyes lit up, and then she quickly responded in her heart.

'Hmph, since you have begged me so much, I won't hold it against you for not calling me just now. Okay, summon me over!'

'Okay!’

After agreeing, Pardofelis quickened her pace and quickly ran into a dark, deserted alley not far away.

Then, as a faint light flashed by—

"The great Miss Herrscher of Sentience is here to make her debut. Let's celebrate!"

----

Chapter 41(306): Plans for the Future

"The great Miss Herrscher of Sentience is here to make her debut. Let's celebrate!"

"!"

Senti's sudden opening remarks startled Pardo, who quickly warned, "Shh, Boss, keep your voice down. It would be bad if someone finds out."

"Okay, okay, that's really troublesome. I'll be careful. Tell me, what is my younger sister's action plan for tonight?" Senti helplessly spread her hands and asked.

"I don't really have a detailed plan. I just plan to help Rope find a place to fight and then deal with the group of people who escaped earlier." Facing Senti's inquiry, Pardo touched her chin and answered after thinking for a moment.

"So, Boss, do you have any advice?"

"What else can I say? Of course, we'll find a place to fight first." Senti couldn't help but clench her fists and smiled excitedly.

"Rope is your younger sister now, and Pardo, you are my younger sister, so of course, my younger sister's younger sister is also my younger sister. Since they dare to rob the money I gave to my younger sister, they must suffer!"

"Oh! Boss is so powerful!"

After hearing Senti's decision and declaration, Pardo not only had no objection but also looked at her with sparkling eyes and praised her.

"Hmph, let's go."

Facing Pardo's "admiring" gaze and praise, Senti nodded vigorously.

"Yeah!"

---

As time passed, the shining warm sun gradually climbed into the sky, dispelling the darkness that enveloped the city.

"Hmm...!"

Lying in the tent, Rope opened her eyes in a daze. When she focused her eyes on the top of the tent, she was stunned, and her brain, which had not yet fully started, went blank for a moment.

"Meow~"

However, this situation did not last long. The soft meowing of the cat and the gentle touch in her arms made Miss Purple Cautus react quickly. She sat up and sighed, "Ah, I almost forgot that I have a cheap boss now. Good morning, Can."

"Meow~"

Hearing this, Can called again and rubbed against Rope in response.

"Wait... Did Miss Felis wake me up last night?" Rope, who was stroking the cat, remembered the vague dream-like memory from the middle of the night.

"Meow~"

"Hiss, I hope Miss Felis won't be angry!"

As she said this, Rope quickly put on her clothes and planned to leave the tent to see what was happening outside.

"Squeak——"

After putting on her clothes, Rope unzipped the tent and carefully poked her head out. Before she had time to observe, a lazy voice came over.

"You're up, good morning... I've put breakfast aside for you. I didn't know what you like to eat, so I just bought some."

Hearing this, Rope looked in the direction of the voice and saw Pardo, who was drowsy and lying on a rocking chair that appeared from nowhere not far away.

"Um... Miss Felis, are you still awake, or did you get up early?"

"Ah~ Of course I didn't sleep... We were busy all night last night." Facing Rope's cautious questioning, Pardo yawned with her mouth covered and then answered slowly.

"So, I plan to catch up on sleep in the sun this morning. You can move freely, but remember to bring Can... Oh, by the way, here~"

At this point, Pardo suddenly remembered something. She supported herself with both hands, and slowly sat up. She then took out a wad of money from her arms and shook it in Rope's direction.

"?"

Looking at Pardo's actions, Rope tilted her head in confusion.

If she remembered correctly, she didn't help last night...?

"Don't be confused. This is the money that was taken by those guys before. Take it quickly. If you don't take it, I'll take it!" As she said this, Pardo pretended to put the money back into her pocket.

After hearing the origin of the money, Rope was a little stunned, but after seeing Pardo's actions, she hesitated for a moment and went over to take the money.

"So last night, Miss Felis, the so-called big deal was to... You didn't get hurt, did you?"

"Don't worry, don't worry, we're lucky; it's not that easy to get hurt." As she said this, Pardo smiled, squinted her eyes, and lay back on the chair.

It's impossible to get hurt, not to mention that it wasn't just Cat who went to cause trouble last night. Of course, she didn't plan to tell her younger sister about the connection between her and Senti for the time being.

"...That's good, thank you, Miss Felis." After receiving Pardo's affirmative answer, Rope looked at her seriously for a while and, after confirming that there was no problem, finally carefully put the money close to her body.

Although Miss Purple Cautus likes money, she still has some principles. At the moment, when she still has enough money in her pocket, if the money in her hand is exchanged for the injury of her cheap "boss," then she doesn't want the money...

After all, the essence of her love for money is that this money can keep her alive...

"Wash up and have breakfast. Remember, if you want to go out, you must remember to bring canned food," Pardo said, facing the sun, and closed her eyes comfortably.

As a MANTIS, although she had been up all night, in fact, the cat was not that tired.

The reason she looked drowsy now was more due to comfort and relaxation.

However, Rope didn't know all this. So after Pardo closed her eyes, she looked at her with complicated feelings and subconsciously lightened her movements.

Pardo did not fall asleep immediately after closing her eyes, but silently thought about the next plan and things in her heart.

At present, she was facing two "serious" problems. The first was how she could often sneak over to Hua to chat with Sister Eden.

Actually, after completing the task and unlocking Eden yesterday afternoon, Pardo was not in a hurry to summon her, because it was inconvenient and she had take care of her younger sister now.

However, Senti was interested. After she separated from Cat this morning, she went back and summoned Eden.

And some things were just as Pardo guessed.

Big stars do have their own wealth, which truly made her jealous... She couldn't wait to rush over to communicate with them and chat.

Then the second problem was that the task time was almost up, and the reputation bar was not full yet.

Who should she steal from next? What should she steal?

---

Chapter 42 (307): About the Police's Invitation to the Thie

To enhance the reputation of the mission, Pardo will definitely do something significant or steal from some influential figures in the remaining three thefts.

Pardo found that, in addition to performing big deeds to make herself well-known, letting high-status individuals know or remember her can also significantly increase her reputation.

Now, there is just a little over a week left before the end of the mission, and Pardo has no idea about the next target to pursue.

Just when Pardo was basking in the sun and closing her eyes to think, a slight vibration in her pocket suddenly caught her attention. She fumbled for her phone and squinted at the screen.

"......?"

However, upon clearly seeing the message on the phone, Pardo couldn't help but adopt an expression akin to that of an old man looking at his phone on the subway.

As for what made Pardo display such an expression, it was, of course, because she saw the wrong message sent by the wrong person.

"Hmm? Did something happen?"

Rope, who was sitting next to the tent and nibbling on a bun, asked in a low voice, filled with confusion and curiosity, after she noticed the movement nearby.

This was the first time she had seen her cheap "boss" display such an indescribable expression.

"Well... something happened. A senior superintendent of the LGD is inviting me to accept a commendation..."

After meeting Rope's curious gaze, Pardo did not hide it but explained with a strange expression.

"Ah? Commendation?"

It would have been fine if she hadn’t heard this explanation, but once she did, it was Rope's turn to adopt a strange expression.

"Hmm, see for yourself."

Noting that Rope didn’t believe her at all, Pardo was too lazy to explain further and directly tossed her mobile phone to her.

"!"

Startled by the phone that was suddenly thrown at her, Rope quickly reached out to catch it. After hurriedly taking it into her arms, she said to Pardo in a somewhat "unhappy" manner.

"Ah... Miss Felis, be careful! What if you throw it and it breaks?"

"Oh, I believe you can catch it, Rope. It doesn’t matter if you don’t." Hearing this, Pardo, who was lying on the chair, waved her hand lazily and smiled.

"..."

After listening to Pardo's words, Rope shook her head helplessly and said nothing more, instead lowering her gaze to look at the phone in her hand.

Then a long message suddenly appeared before her eyes—

[Pardo, because you saved me and my two colleagues last time, the Department plans to issue you a certificate, along with a considerable bonus. When are you free to come and get it?]

"?"

"Miss Felis also saved the police before?"

After reading the content of the message, Rope stood up with a surprised expression, returned the phone, and asked.

"Well, it happened yesterday morning." Pardo took the phone, blinked her eyes gently, and answered confidently.

"Yesterday morning... you’re talking about the black street! No wonder you we're in a hurry."

Hearing this, Rope's eyes flashed with understanding, and then she appeared to remember something and continued, "You seem to have a good relationship. She should not know that Miss Felis is a thief. Do you want to keep the appointment?"

Looking at Rope, who was curiously asking about her, Pardo had a strange expression and said in a faint voice, "Rope, you are still too naive..."

"Who told you that she didn’t know I was a thief?"

"?"

"And you may not know that the villa where we went to buy cat cans yesterday afternoon is the home of the guy who sent me the message."

"???"

Pardo's short words directly filled Rope with question marks, and her brain momentarily crashed.

After recovering for a while, Miss Purple Cautus said in a trembling voice, "So, yesterday, Miss Felis and I went to steal together... from a senior police inspector of the Guard Bureau!?"

"Well, calm down. Swire can't catch us again, and it's not the first time I went there."

"No... If we offend that kind of big shot, we will definitely be wanted by the whole city! It's over! If we get caught, we may be treated specially!"

Rope, who didn’t have a very good impression of the "big shot" of Lungmen, couldn’t help but let out a wail, forgetting to continue chewing the bun in his hand.

"Don't think about it; those guys will only catch me if they want to catch someone. But I don’t think I will see my wanted order in the short term." Looking at the uneasy Rope, Pardo spread her hands and comforted him.

"Ah~ Okay, I'm going to rest for a while. Rope, you can do whatever you want." After her voice fell, Pardo rested her head on her arm and closed her eyes again.

"..."

It turns out that Pardo's words were effective. After listening to them, Rope calmed down quickly.

Just now, she had tied herself to her cheap "boss" out of habit, but now, thinking about it, she realized that she hadn’t really done anything recently. She had even stolen twice in a row and collided with a weirdo...

So, if the truth really came out, Miss Purple Cautus could completely push the responsibility onto Pardo...

Of course, Rope was just thinking about it now.

If the truth had come out yesterday, she might still consider this method. After all, it's better to let a friend die than to let me die.

But now...

Rope couldn’t help but look down at the buns in her hand, and a complex look flashed in her eyes.

That’s all; it’s just a stay in the police station, and there’s food and accommodation there.

...

On the other side, Pardo, who was lying down and contemplating how to reply to Swire's message, suddenly had a flash of inspiration that sparked some ideas.

She was still worried about whom to choose as her next target for purchase. Isn't this being delivered directly to her doorstep?

Of course, the target that Pardo suddenly thought of this time was not the Lungmen Guard Department, but the entity above it, at the top of Lungmen: Wei Yanwu.

However, if Pardo truly intends to choose Lungmen Governor Wei Yanwu as her target, then she needs to think carefully about the specific items to acquire.

No kidding—if she accidentally angers this kind of an individual, although Pardo will not be in any danger of losing her life, it would probably be really difficult to continue to blend in with Lungmen.

After all, with a city-wide wanted notice, a mass of surveillance, and even potential assassination, just thinking about it is annoying!

So, Pardo plans to devise a reasonable acquisition of goods, ensuring that the other party can deeply understand her while also swallowing this loss.

---

Chapter 43 (308): Intelligence Sharing

Lungmen Guard Department, Senior Superintendent's Office—

"Hasn't she replied yet? Could it be that Miss Pardofelis hasn’t woken up?" Hoshiguma spread her hands and teased, glancing at the silent phone in Swire's hand.

"That’s possible, especially since no one knows whether the Lungmen Thief carried out any new actions last night." After hearing Hoshiguma's joke, Ch'en calmly took a sip of water from her cup and then spoke seriously.

If the Lungmen Thief had made any unusual movements in the slums, the Lungmen Guard Department would have known. However, after withdrawing all the police officers, they were completely unaware of the latest situation.

...

Sitting between the two with a mobile phone in her arms, Swire stared at the device, waiting quietly, and did not participate in the conversation between her two colleagues.

To be honest, Miss Feline was feeling a bit uneasy, although she couldn’t quite understand why. As the waiting time stretched on, her nerves grew more frayed.

Suddenly, the crisp ringtone of "Ding Dong" rang out, alerting all three present and drawing their eyes to Swire’s phone.

On the screen, the latest message from Pardo popped up.

[Ahaha, it's just a small favor. Forget about the certificate and bonus. I'm busy now, so I won't be coming over!]

"It's an expected response." After quickly reading Pardo's reply, Hoshiguma leaned back in her chair.

"After all, the other side already knew we were suspicious of her, so it’s normal for her not to come." Hearing this, Ch'en nodded and then seemed to remember something. She turned to Swire beside her and said, "Besides, there's a certain barbecued pork cat who exposed herself."

"?!"

"Punk Dragon, you're back again, right? I said I just asked that subconsciously!" Swire, who was already in a foul mood, fumed at Ch'en, who looked at her as if she were foolish.

Although Miss Feline admitted it was silly to catch Pardo yesterday morning and ask if she was the Lungmen Thief, it felt different to acknowledge that mistake publicly.

"Is there something wrong with what I said?" Ch'en asked.

"You..."

"Ding Dong—"

Just as the quarrel between Swire and Ch'en was about to escalate, the crisp ringtone interrupted the building tension.

Swire picked up her phone again and found another message from Pardo:

[Oh, by the way, are you still looking for the people you didn’t catch yesterday morning? If you want to catch them, I can tell you where they are now.]

...

After reading the new message, Swire frowned slightly, a complex expression crossing her face. She realized that Pardofelis didn’t want to act in front of her.

After all, which ordinary person could grasp this kind of information?

It wasn’t just about being well-informed. Aside from the gangster boss like the Rat King who had spies all over Longmen, the only one who could perfectly evade pursuit in the slums was the Lungmen Thief...

"What’s the news this time?"

Noticing Swire's expression, Hoshiguma blinked curiously and asked.

On the other side, although Ch'en remained silent, the look she gave Swire revealed her curiosity.

"You can see for yourself."

Hearing this, Swire curled her lips slightly, not offering any explanation but handing her phone to the two of them.

"Oh, good news. She said you two aren’t familiar with each other, and she doesn’t mean to hide anything from you." After reading the new message, Hoshiguma’s eyes flashed with surprise.

Facing her friend and colleague's teasing, Swire retorted with a somewhat annoyed tone.

"I’m not familiar with her at all; who knows what this girl is thinking?"

"In that case, reply to her message quickly." Ch'en reminded her, looking at the stubborn Swire.

Hearing this, Swire didn’t argue further but began to edit a reply message seriously.

Although she complained, Swire had to admit that Pardo's sudden help was indeed useful.

After all, relying solely on their guards to catch these people hiding in the mixed slums was unrealistic. They would likely encounter danger or unexpected situations, and the chance of coming away empty-handed was quite high...

It was precisely because of this that after Pardo sent this message, they were calling it good news repeatedly.

---

On the other side, on the terrace of a certain building—

"Ah~ You’re so slow to reply."

Muttering, Pardo narrowed her beautiful eyes again.

In fact, sharing the location of those thugs was an idea that Pardo had come up with spontaneously.

She realized that Swire and the others were always looking to trouble her. So, it would be better to give them something to do and divert their attention.

It just so happened that Pardo could take advantage of the Lungmen Guard Department stirring up trouble in the slums to find an opportunity to investigate the situation regarding Wei Yanwu.

Moreover, if she didn’t hand over these thugs to the Lungmen Guard Department, Pardo would have to keep an eye on them constantly. Thus, even if they couldn’t catch them all, capturing more would lessen her workload.

So, sharing this information was a win-win decision for Pardo.

As for how she knew the specific locations of those people, that was thanks to her dear boss. As long as she marked them, she knew exactly where they were.

"Ding Dong—"

As her phone rang, Pardo glanced at the reply, which was predictable, and then began reporting the locations to the other side.

After reporting where all the thugs were, Pardo didn’t forget to add a note to Swire: [Come on, Swire, I’m counting on you! If those people change locations, I’ll let you know in time.]

"Ah~"

After doing all this, Pardo turned off her phone and stopped waiting for a response. Instead, she turned to Rope, who was playing with a can, and asked.

"Aren’t you going out?"

"No, the infected aren’t very popular in this city. Didn’t you see that when Miss Felis took me to act yesterday? So I won’t go out. It’s better to stay here." Hearing this, Rope stopped what she was doing and smiled.

"Is that so? Here’s your phone. Use it to play games. If there’s any news later, remember to call me." Pardo tossed her phone back to Rope.

"I didn’t have time yesterday. If you’re free today, I’ll take you to buy a phone. It’ll be more convenient."

"Huh?"

Rope was taken aback after receiving the phone.

"Okay, I’m going to sleep..."

Pardo didn’t give Rope a chance to respond. She yawned and closed her eyes; this time, the cat really wanted to rest.

"Sure enough, it’s better to sleep in the sun."

---

Chapter 44: Swire, Whose Scalp is Numb

"Woo~"

Without being disturbed, Pardo slept until almost noon.

"Good afternoon, it's almost time for lunch. Rope, do you want to eat anything?" Pardofelis, who was lying on the chair and propping up his waist, asked his younger sister lazily.

"Ah? I can eat anything; it depends on you, Miss Felis." Rope, caught off guard by the question, was stunned at first, then thought about it and answered.

When it comes to food, Miss Purple Cautus is really not picky. She eats whatever is available. Because of this, she can't decide and pushes the choice back to the cheap "boss."

"Me... what do you want to eat, Can?"

After hearing Rope push the choice back, Pardo thought silently for a while, then turned her head, looked at her fat cat, and asked.

There was no way around it; Pardofelis and Rope are the type who aren't picky about food at all. In order to avoid too much indecision, Pardo always gave the right to choose what to eat to Can.

And it is precisely because of this that Can now knows better than Pardo where to find delicious food in the city.

"Meow meow..."

Hearing this, Can instantly became interested and called out in a long tone.

However, before it could call out a few more times, Pardo interrupted it quite skillfully and said, "Okay, stop. Just name one!"

"In that case, let's go eat hot pot. We'll find a suitable restaurant later."

After saying that, Pardo no longer wasted time. She supported her lazy waist, stood up, and prepared to start packing up the things around.

There was no other way; it would take a lot of time to find a suitable restaurant later. Therefore, even the lazy, free-spirited cat had to take action.

After all, in Lungmen, there aren't many restaurants that allow her to eat with both her pet and the infected.

"..."

After hearing what Pardo said, Rope was stunned for a moment, then fell into silence with a complicated look in her eyes.

Obviously, she understood the meaning behind the cheap "boss" finding a restaurant, but that wasn't the reason for her conflicted feelings...

What made Miss Purple Cautus feel conflicted was Pardo's kindness toward her...

Over this period of time, Rope gradually confirmed that Pardo's kindness to her was genuine... but because of this, she sometimes became more confused.

In the values Miss Cautus had developed after years of struggling, there is no kindness or goodwill without reason in this world. As the saying goes, if someone is kind to you for no reason, they are either a traitor or a thief.

So it's no wonder Rope has always been "suspicious" of her cheap boss and wanted to uncover her real intentions.

If she couldn't figure it out, her heart would always be on edge. Although she might still benefit, she would not feel at ease.

'Alas...'

Thinking of this, Rope sighed helplessly in her heart. She looked at Pardo and silently made a decision.

That is, if this cheap boss of hers is still so good and doesn't betray her, then she will just follow along until something happens...

Then, she'll see what happens and decide whether to sell out the cheap boss.

"..."

"Rope, stop spacing out and come help pack up."

"Coming!"

———————————————

In the end, it turned out to be really hard to find a store that met Pardo's requirements.

After being rejected countless times, Pardofelis finally gave up the idea of continuing to search and instead ordered hot pot takeout, taking Rope back to the terrace for a good meal.

After today's unpleasant incident, Pardo secretly made a decision in her heart: to find an opportunity later to bring Bianka over and treat her younger sister. After all, it's too much trouble to find a restaurant every day. She can't always order takeout or take Rope to the slums for dinner...

"Are we going to do anything this afternoon?" Rope, who was helping to pack up after dinner, asked, his hands moving constantly.

"Yes, I have to collect some information. After all, the target for the next purchase is not small." Hearing this, Pardo nodded lightly and replied.

Although there are some things Pardofelis won't tell Rope for various reasons, she doesn't hide most things. After all, she is a good little sister.

"Except for certain times this afternoon, you'll be able to follow me most of the time. In this case, see if you can learn something."

"Well, I see."

Rope, who had seen and knew that Pardo had real skills, did not refuse her after hearing her words but answered seriously.

——————————————

Slums——

"I have to admit, the intelligence ability of the [Lungmen Thief] is terrifying..." Hoshiguma looked at the captured prisoner in front of her and couldn't help but sigh.

"The intelligence ability of the [Lungmen Thief] is indeed very strong."

After hearing Hoshiguma's sigh, Ch'en also nodded in agreement but then continued with a look of regret: "But it's a pity that two of them escaped this time. It may not be easy to find them next time."

At this moment, in the eyes of those present, Pardofelis was completely equated with the [Lungmen Thief].

Although this thief may consist of a group of people, they were sure that Pardofelis was definitely one of them. The information she provided was too detailed and accurate; it allowed them to catch the suspects with precision, which was quite terrifying.

If it hadn't been for the fact that these thugs had a special way of communicating and were slightly alarmed during the arrest, Ch'en and her team would have caught them all with this information.

"We..."

Swire, who had been listening to her two colleagues' conversation and was about to join them, was interrupted by a slight vibration in her pocket.

The little tiger suddenly had a premonition, and regardless of the fact that it was work hours, she quickly took out her phone to check the situation.

"......!"

Although Swire had guessed about this before she took out her phone, she couldn't help but feel a little numb when she saw the direction of the escaped fugitives sent by Pardo.

But she quickly suppressed this feeling, and then, under the puzzled eyes of her two friends and colleagues, she quickly mobilized the officers on the scene to launch a new operation.

After all, this information was different from the previous one and was time-sensitive.

---

Chapter 45(310): Swire's Selfishness and Medicine

"So, is this the information Pardofelis gave you again?" Hoshiguma pointed at the newly captured prisoner not far away and asked with a surprised expression.

Although she was asking, her tone was still quite affirmative. Since each of the members know each other's own affairs, she didn’t believe Swire could have this kind of ability.

"Yeah."

Hearing this, Swire nodded gently, confirming Hoshiguma’s assumption.

"What terrifying intelligence abilities. She's worthy of someone who can escape the pursuit of the Rat King. It seems she has a lot of spies in the slums... she might even be watching us right now." After hearing Swire’s confirmation, Ch'en, who was taking notes nearby, couldn’t help but look up and scan the surroundings.

To be honest, it wasn’t just Swire who felt tense and uneasy; Hoshiguma and Ch'en didn’t feel much better either.

"It’s a pity. It would be great if someone like that could join our LGD. With her abilities, we’d save ourselves a lot of trouble in the future." Noticing the increasingly tense atmosphere, Hoshiguma spread her hands and said jokingly.

"How could that girl, with who knows what in her head, ever join the Guard Department? Alright, now that everyone’s been caught, let’s go." After hearing Hoshiguma’s joke, Swire couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows and reply.

"Yeah, it’s time to head back. Our recent actions have certainly had a big impact here." Hearing this, Ch'en didn’t object. After nodding, she went to inform her subordinates.

As Ch'en walked away to give instructions, Hoshiguma seemed to suddenly remember something and approached Swire with a curious look. "Even though Pardofelis refused the award and bonus from us, do you think she might sneak in and steal the bonus?"

"Huh?" Swire was stunned by Hoshiguma’s question. Clearly, her friend’s sudden inquiry had caught her off guard.

"She wouldn’t, right...? If she really did steal from us, that would change things... She shouldn’t do something like that, right?" Though she said this, Swire’s tone was far from confident.

Sometimes, it wasn’t Swire’s fault for not understanding what went on in Pardo’s head. The truth was that Pardo’s behavior and motives were often baffling...

If you say Pardo is timid, she’s managed to rob the Rat King and steal from many gangs, even repeatedly swiping things from Swire, a senior superintendent. But if you say she’s brave, she leaves no evidence behind, and the stolen items are carefully concealed, making it hard for people to discover the truth. She usually tries to avoid the police altogether...

"No, no, not from us, but from the LGD. After all, you’ve been stolen from countless times." Hoshiguma couldn’t help but laugh and tease in response to Swire’s uncertain answer. "But from the way you’re acting, you don’t plan to pursue it?"

Faced with Hoshiguma’s teasing, Swire shot her a glare and then, with a headache, replied, "I don’t know..."

"My rational side tells me that what Pardofelis did should be dealt with separately, but... ugh..."

After listening to Swire’s troubled words, Hoshiguma smiled, then reached out to put an arm around her shoulders, comforting her casually.

"Oh, if you ask me, there’s no need to worry about this sort of thing. After all, we can’t even catch her right now. It’s better to leave this until we actually apprehend the [Lungmen Thief] and then deal with it."

"...You’re right."

Hearing this, Swire was momentarily lost in thought, but after coming back to her senses, she nodded.

"Alright, Ch'en’s almost done. Let’s go."

"Yeah."

Before leaving and getting into the car, Swire glanced back at the dark area ahead, this prosperous city, and a hint of complexity flashed in her eyes.

As a police inspector, out of duty and rationality, Swire felt she should follow the rules, but out of personal selfishness...

Perhaps it would be better if the [Lungmen Thief] wasn’t caught.

As for the things stolen from her house, she had never really cared much about them. Her anger and frustration had mostly stemmed from the disappointment and "betrayal" by Pardo, a friend she valued...

If Pardo was indeed the one behind it, and every time she stole something, she would send supplies to the slums to help those in need, then Swire had little to say about the minor things she lost...

It was just a few small items. What harm was there in losing them?

————————————————

On the other side——

"Achoo!" Pardo, who was gathering intelligence with her younger sister, couldn’t help but sneeze loudly. She then covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief and muttered, "Why do I keep sneezing? Am I really being targeted by some bad luck?"

"Could it be a sign of illness? If so, let’s buy some medicine when we get back..." Rope, standing beside her, suggested quietly.

Miss Purple Cautus admitted she was a bit concerned about the health of her cheap boss. After all, she was following her now, and the treatment wasn’t bad.

Given that, she naturally wanted her cheap boss to live longer.

Although, Rope thought, given Pardo’s status as a MANTIS, she would probably outlive her...

"No, my health is perfectly fine."

Pardo, rubbing her nose, shook her head gently and replied.

To be honest, it wasn’t Pardofelis boasting. Her body was rarely ill... if she ever did get sick, it would probably be a serious issue.

However, knowing that Rope didn’t understand the full situation, Pardo added, "But we can buy some medicine, maybe even stock up a little, just in case."

"Eh..."

Rope, who had initially thought her suggestion would be rejected, was surprised by Pardo’s sudden agreement.

"Haha, did you think I would reject your suggestion?" Noticing the look on Rope’s face, Pardo couldn’t help but laugh and tease her.

"Of course not. While I’m in good health, it’s still smart to stock up on medicine for your situation, Rope."

After Pardo joked, she looked around and, confirming there was no useful information here, said.

"Alright, enough talk. We’ve been here long enough, let’s move to a new spot."

"Yeah."

---

Chapter 46(311): Tallulah's Thoughts

After Rope switched places with Pardo, she finally couldn't help but ask, "So, Miss Felis, who are we investigating?"

It wasn’t Miss Purple Cautus's fault that she hadn’t figured it out yet. The problem was that Pardo had gathered too much complicated information that afternoon. As a result, although she had learned some skills, she still couldn’t figure out who their next major target was.

"Well, it's just basic intelligence gathering. As for the next target, Rope, you don’t need to know." At this point, Pardo was concerned that her younger sister might overthink it, so she added, "If you get involved, things could get bad."

Regarding the plan to steal from Wei Yenwu, Pardo never intended for Rope to be involved from start to finish.

After all, no one knew whether it would succeed. If things went wrong, Pardo could easily escape, but what if her younger sister got caught up in it?

To avoid that kind of trouble, she didn’t plan on letting Rope get involved at all. Even during the covert investigation of Wei Yenwu earlier that afternoon, Pardo had mixed it in with other trivial intelligence gathering tasks.

Of course, she did this not only to keep Rope from knowing and participating, but also to teach her few techniques.

"Hmm..."

Hearing this, Rope fell silent for a moment, then seemed to have a sudden realization. She took Pardo’s hand seriously and said, "Even though I don’t know what you’re planning, Miss Felis, please live a long life... I still need to rely on you for food in the future."

"?"

Rope's sudden statement caused Pardo’s ever-jumping thoughts to come to a brief halt. After quickly processing what she said, even her usual calm demeanor couldn’t stop her from giving her a playful slap.

"Ouch! That hurt..."

Rope cried out in pain after her head was suddenly “hit.”

"What are you thinking about all the time? We still have many years ahead of us!"

"I... I’m just worried about you, Miss Felis..."

Though she offered this explanation, Rope’s lack of confidence betrayed her.

Pardo noticed this, raising an eyebrow before delivering her final "verdict" to her younger sister:

"Hmph, you’re not worried about me; you’re worried about your meal ticket! It’s settled—tonight, you’re only getting a small bowl of noodles for dinner!"

"What?! How can you cut my food!"

...

After teasing Rope for a while and gathering some scattered information, Pardo decided it was time to find a place to eat in the evening.

Because she had brought someone along that afternoon, her overall efficiency in gathering intelligence had been lower.

And most of the intelligence they gathered had nothing to do with their next target, Wei Yenwu. Of course, Pardo couldn’t entirely blame herself for that, since even she had to admit that Wei Yenwu had done a good job of concealing information about himself and his wife.

Therefore, Pardo decided not to waste any more time with Rope and went to find a place to eat earlier than planned. She intended to send Rope back to their base after dinner, then continue working alone.

Her goal when acting alone was simple and clear: to investigate the large villa where Governor Wei Yenwu and his wife lived.

It wasn’t convenient to go with someone else, but if it was just her, she believed she could quickly figure out the villa's defense layout.

Once the investigation was complete and everything was ready, Pardo would make her move, and Wei Yenwu would suffer a quiet but painful loss!

---

On the other side of the distance, on the snowy plains of Ursus —

In Tallulah's tent —

Since Aylona had gone for training with Patriot and had not yet returned, Griseo, not feeling like painting today, stayed in Tallulah’s tent, quietly keeping her company as she worked.

"Is Tallulah writing a letter to someone?" Griseo asked curiously, noticing that after finishing her work and taking a short break, Tallulah had pulled out a piece of letter paper.

"Yes, it's for my sister, but I’m not planning to send it, nor could I send it even if I wanted to." Tallulah paused slightly, her hand holding the pen stopping momentarily. She then freed one hand to gently pat Griseo's head and explained with a soft smile.

Griseo’s beautiful violet eyes shimmered slightly as she looked up at Tallulah, her small face full of curiosity. "Does Tallulah miss her sister?" she whispered.

The little loli naturally knew who Tallulah's sister was, and not only that... she (Cat) had also rescued her just the day before.

"Yes, I do... I want to know how she’s been these past few years, and I also want to tell her that I’m doing well here." After saying this, Tallulah lowered her gaze to the blank letter paper in front of her, and a trace of longing appeared on her face.

"Hmm..."

Sitting next to Tallulah, Griseo absorbed every expression and blinked her big eyes, her mind starting to calculate.

Some time ago, Griseo had received a special mission from the system: to collect 10 beautiful colors that she liked.

The mission's reward was the unlocking of Cosmic Impression - Griseo's exclusive weapon.

But despite more than half a month passing, Griseo hadn’t completed this seemingly simple task and had only collected 7 colors so far.

The reason she hadn’t finished the task came down to two factors. First, the 10 colors needed to be brand new, and previously collected ones didn’t count. Second, there just weren’t many colors or people around here that Griseo liked. In fact, she had found all 7 colors purely by chance.

After all, if she had come across someone with such a beautiful color, she would have already latched onto them long ago, rather than waiting for the system to release the task.

The reason Griseo suddenly thought of this task now was that her mind had opened to a new possibility... If there were no new people with beautiful colors in this vast snowy plain or among the Reunion Movement, why not look elsewhere?

As for where to go... wasn’t there a ready-made target?

With that in mind, Griseo couldn’t help but glance at the letter paper on the table with "[Miss]" written on it, and at the person writing to "[Miss]"...

---

Chapter 47(312): The Reason Why Sakura is Busy

After finishing dinner with Rope, Pardo was having a mental conversation with someone else.

‘Griseo, are you thinking of coming over here?’

‘Yeah, I want to complete a mission there and help Tallulah fulfill her wish. Also… I want to see the dazzling Sister Eden.’ Griseo replied truthfully to Pardo’s question.

‘Well, that’s not really my business, but if you plan to come here for a few days, how will you find someone to anchor you or a way to return later?’

Pardo scratched her head as she raised the key question after hearing Griseo's response.

In fact, if the current mission wasn’t so time-sensitive, Cat wouldn’t mind switching places with Griseo to do some shopping. But with the mission being so urgent, she couldn't leave...

‘If you're not in a hurry, Griseo, you could wait a few days and I can take time off to replace you.’ Sakura suddenly interrupted their conversation.

‘Won't that be too much trouble for you, Sister Sakura? I remember you’ve been really busy lately.’ Hearing Sakura’s offer, Griseo wasn’t too excited and instead expressed her concern.

Everyone was on the same wavelength, and they all knew what was happening. The little loli was well aware of Sakura's current situation.

‘Heh~ It’s not a big deal. Once this busy period is over, things will settle down. And compared to people who don’t know much about the Reunion, it’s better for me to go there.’ Sakura chuckled and reassured her.

‘I remember your mission isn’t time-limited, right, Griseo?’

Although they were all in tune, everyone still had their own thoughts and ways of thinking. Sakura, the one directly involved, didn’t take Griseo’s concerns too seriously. In fact, this exchange might even feel like a break for her.

To explain why, we need to look at Sakura’s recent hectic schedule.

After experiencing the promotion of Mobius and dealing with various factors, Rhine Lab’s development had gone smoothly, just as planned from the start.

Thanks to the Control Chief's efforts, Rhine Lab successfully connected with Rhodes Island, and they successfully transferred their “patient” Ifrit, along with the staff taking care of him—Silence and Joyce.

After they arrived, Saria, upon hearing the news, also expressed an interest in going there. In fact, she's been busy handing over her duties for the past few days.

In addition to the handover of her work at the Defense Section, Saria had been doing her best to "train" Sakura during this time...

Though Saria suspected that even if she left, Kristen wouldn’t appoint a new chief for the Defense Section, she still hoped that once she left Rhine Lab, there would be someone else to lead or manage the department.

It was for this reason that Sakura had been so busy recently. She didn’t even have time to go out for dinner with Muelsyse, relying on cafeteria fast food every day instead.

But Sakura couldn’t refuse... She feared that if she didn’t handle things carefully, Saria would worry and either stay longer or delay her departure.

So, once Saria left, taking a few days off and heading to another area would serve as a much-needed break for Sakura.

‘Well, since there’s no time limit, I’ll take you up on that offer later, Sister Sakura.’ Griseo nodded and thanked Sakura sincerely after hearing her comforting words.

‘I’ll call you when I’ve wrapped things up here.’

‘Alright!’

After quietly listening to Griseo and Sakura's conversation, Pardo’s lazy voice chimed in again:

‘Oh, it looks like someone will come to keep us company in a few days. But considering you might run into Ch'en, Wei Yenwu, and the others, I should probably hurry up and buy some supplies before you get here.’

‘Go for it, Sister Pardo!’

...

"......?"

Not far away, a girl tightening the ropes on a tent noticed that her boss had been standing by the guardrail for a while, staring off into the distance. Curious, she walked over and looked out in the same direction.

"Miss Felis, what are you looking at?"

"Hmm? Oh..." Pardo, who had just finished speaking with Griseo, was a bit surprised to hear the voice beside her. After a brief pause, she smiled and explained, "I was just daydreaming, don’t worry about it, haha."

"Is that so? I sometimes daydream after a big meal too." Rope nodded thoughtfully, then seemed to remember something. Turning slightly, she asked in a low voice, "Miss Felis, are you going out tonight?"

Tonight, Pardo had taken her out for an early dinner, then bought her plenty of snacks to make sure she wouldn’t go hungry later. Rope noticed this “unusual” behavior and guessed that her boss was probably planning to head out again later.

"Oh, why? Are you worried about being left alone? Don’t worry, I’ll ask Can to keep you company." Pardo smiled, her differently colored eyes blinking playfully.

In truth, Cat didn’t really want to leave Rope behind, but she had no choice... To ensure her younger sister’s safety, she had to reluctantly let go for now.

"I'm not as fragile as you think, Miss Felis. I was just curious." Rope replied with a mock complaint, though the smile on her lips betrayed her good mood.

Pardo noticed the positive mood but, being mindful of her sensitive younger sister, still explained.

"The people we're investigating this time are a bit dangerous. Once your skills are more advanced, I'll take you with me next time~"

"I understand, but I still have to say this: Miss Felis, you’d better come back safe... No, come back and live a long life!" Rope nodded, then added slyly, a cunning glint in her eyes.

"?"

"Rope, you're at it again, aren’t you? I’ll definitely live longer than you!"

After hearing Rope’s playful remark, Pardo raised her eyebrows and lunged toward her, and the two began to playfully scuffle.

...

As time passed, night fell, and Pardo woke up to Can’s wake-up call.

"Oh, are we starting so soon? Once this mission is over, I swear I won’t be this diligent again... ah." Pardo yawned and muttered to herself as she woke.

Despite her grumbling, she didn’t hesitate to get up.

"Meow~"

---

Chapter 48(313): "Tricky" Questions

However, when Pardo sneaked to the vicinity of Wei Yenwu's luxurious villa at night, she encountered a problem.

To be honest, even though she was mentally prepared before coming, when faced with a huge villa full of surveillance cameras with almost no blind spots and regular patrols, Cat still found it a little tricky.

In fact, after hanging around Lungmen for a while, Pardo also realized the trouble with surveillance cameras, because it was too easy to be caught on camera by accident... There weren’t so many of these things on Lungmen Street before. It can only be said that the era... no, the world, is progressing.

"It's so airtight... so troublesome."

After simply observing the situation at the villa from a distance, Pardo backed off in her mind.

It’s not that Cat was afraid, but mainly because her purpose tonight was just to gather information, and she didn’t plan to take any direct action. Since she couldn’t get the information she wanted now, there was no need to waste time here.

Besides, this is the home of a governor, after all. If Pardo makes some noise tonight and tries to get what she wants later, she won’t be able to do it quietly. It will not be a purchase, but a "robbery"...

And once the "robbery" is over, the troublesome thing Cat hates the most will happen: a wanted order spreading all over the city...

So, to be on the safe side, Cat decided to retreat strategically today. This time, she had been careless.

...

'Haha, I didn’t expect Pardo to fail!' After noticing what happened to Pardo, Senticouldn’t help but come to "laugh."

After hearing Senti’s praise, Pardo, who was on her way to retreat, spread her hands and responded.

'We don’t have any other choice. We can’t just use the Divine Key you gave us to take them out one by one. In that case, when they wake up the next day, my city-wide wanted order will be out!'

‘Oh, Pardo, you just want to figure out the layout of the villa. Isn’t that easy? Just leave it to me. I’ll use a little trick tomorrow to get you what you want to know. Hum~’

After saying that, Senti snorted twice with pride.

After hearing what Senti said, Pardo’s furry ears suddenly stood up, and she said excitedly in her heart.

‘Hey! Really? Boss, you are so awesome! You’re so good to us!’

‘Oh, it’s good that you know!’

After Senti’s guarantee, Pardo stopped worrying about the matter, relaxed, and went back to her residence to sleep in a good mood.

Although the cat thinks she’s in great shape, who wants to stay up late when they can sleep?

————————————————

The morning of the second day——

“Did Miss Phyllis come back early last night?”

Rope got up in the morning, looked at Pardo, who was in good spirits, and asked in a low voice.

Hearing the inquiry from not far away, Pardo, who was stretching, paused, and then lazily replied. "Well, yesterday's action wasn’t successful. I’ve asked others for help today."

"Then... is there anything I can help with?" Hearing this, Rope hesitated for a moment before continuing to ask.

Although Miss Purple Cautus knew herself well and knew she couldn’t complete a task her boss couldn’t, for various reasons, she still felt the need to ask.

After all, she had been living with others for the past two days, which could be considered quite comfortable... It’s fine for a short time, but if she stayed in a state of slacking for too long, she might be disliked at any moment.

"Help... Although I don’t need it for the time being, I do have something to trouble you with." Facing Rope’s inquiry, Pardo reached out, touched her chin, and thought for a moment before saying.

"What’s the matter?"

Facing Rope’s curious look, Pardo didn’t beat around the bush and directly stated her plan:

"Just help me collect some lists or information about Lungmen [big shots]. After all, strictly speaking, I’m not very familiar with this city."

"That’s all?"

After hearing this, Rope, who thought there was some important task, couldn’t help but curl her lips.

Although Miss Purple Cautus knew she wasn’t qualified for such a dangerous task, this basic task seemed no different from slacking off in her eyes.

Especially since she had known a lot of news over the years and had recently learned some new skills from Pardo.

"Well, that’s all for now. I should be busy in the coming days, so you can act freely during that time, and I’ll let Can accompany you." Looking at Rope’s little expression, Pardo spread her hands helplessly and gave instructions.

"If we meet outside, just pretend you don’t know me. If you’re in danger when I’m not there, throw Can out and let it cover you!"

"Meow!"

As soon as Pardo’s voice fell, Can in Rope’s arms protested with dissatisfaction.

"Uh... isn’t that bad?" Rope said as she reached out to soothe the cat in her arms by petting its little head.

"Don’t worry, don’t worry, Rope. If you get into trouble, Can won’t. You have to trust it." Hearing this, Pardo waved her hand at Rope.

It’s really not that the cat doesn’t care about Can; mainly because in her opinion, her fat cat is much stronger than her fragile little sister, who isn’t in good health.

"Hey... so Can is that powerful?"

Although after these few days of getting along, Rope noticed the difference between Can and Pardo and observed the special bond between them, she had always attributed it to human nature and tacit understanding. So when the boss said this, she still felt a little surprised.

"Of course! Otherwise, why would we let Can accompany you every day? Sometimes we even let it stay behind to cover our retreat. But generally, when we do that, we pay a big price..."

"What... what price?" Rope looked at Pardo, who was keeping the secret to herself, and couldn’t help swallowing before asking.

"Of course it’s... canned cat food and dried fish! Haha, after all, cats need to be coaxed."

"Eh..."

"If you ever need help with any small tasks, you can also bribe it with canned cat food, snacks, etc."

"Is that possible?"

"Of course..."

...

Just when Pardo was imparting various bits of knowledge to her younger sister, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from the bottom of her heart, diverting her attention.

'Pardo, I’ve collected the information you wanted. It’s really just a trivial matter. It was easy for the great Miss Herrscher of Sentience to solve it!'

---

Chapter 49(314): Split Up (It's Back!)

‘Pardo, I have collected the information you wanted. It was indeed just a trivial matter. It is easy for the great Miss Herrscher of Sentience to solve it!’

‘So fast! You are worthy of being the boss!’

‘Hmph, all right, I will share what I have found with you.’ Facing Pardo's praise, Senti hummed with satisfaction.

Although Senti actually spent a lot of effort on this matter waiting for the people in the villa to come out to buy since dawn today, both she and Pardo chose to remain tacit about it.

‘Wow, so detailed!’

‘Of course, your boss can’t be anything less! Okay, I'm going out for breakfast. Call me if you need anything.’ After finishing her sentence, Senti stopped contacting Pardo at Hua's urging.

“...”

"Rope, let's go have breakfast too!"

After the conversation ended, Pardo looked up at Rope and asked with a smile.

"Ah... okay."

Although Rope didn’t quite understand why the topic had changed so quickly, she nodded.

...

After assigning the task of finding a breakfast shop to Rope, Pardo quietly followed her and studied Senti's memories to piece together the complete villa information.

But how should she put it? It would have been fine if she hadn’t studied it. Once she did, Cat felt a headache coming on. It seemed that when she took action later, she would need to ask for the help of Boss Senti again.

As for why she thought that... it was because Pardo once again realized that unless she acted recklessly, she couldn’t sneak in without being noticed, given her skills...

Even if she were lucky enough to avoid all the patrol officers, she couldn’t evade all the surveillance, not to mention that there were people in the surveillance room 24 hours a day...

"Big cities are so troublesome... Forget it, I'll just bother the boss when the time comes." After analyzing the information she had gathered, Pardo couldn’t help but mutter softly.

Although she chose the target herself and understood that it was normal for the target to be heavily guarded, Cat still couldn’t help but feel troubled. The cost-effectiveness was really not high; with this little effort, she could have purchased several batches of goods like in Sundown Alley...

But for the mission, and to continue having food, drink, and apprentices in this city, it was troublesome.

Just when Pardo was deep in thought, Rope, who was walking in front of her, suddenly stopped, turned her head, and asked with a puzzled expression, “Is Miss Felis in a bad mood today?”

“Hey, how could it be? I'm in a good mood.”

Being asked suddenly, Pardo was stunned at first, but then reacted and replied.

"It's really hard to believe what you’re saying. Miss Felis, you've already sighed twice since you got up this morning. Did something happen?" As she said this, Rope gently touched her chin, and then, as if she remembered something, she raised a frivolous smile and added, "If you encounter something serious, remember to notify me in advance so that I can run away."

“?”

Pardo, shocked by the words uttered by the "frivolous" thief again, complained helplessly, "Hey, hey, hey! Nothing has happened to me yet, and you’re already thinking about running away!"

"Oh, I'm just being cautious~" After saying that, Rope smiled, held the can, and quickened her pace.

"This kind of thing is not worth being cautious about, and why are you running so fast? I won't eat you!" Looking at Rope as she quickened her pace, Pardo lightly shook her tail and playfully chased after her.

---

Ater Breakfast—

"Well, breakfast is over. Let’s go our separate ways later." Putting down her chopsticks, Pardo wiped her mouth and said.

"Will Miss Felis come back at noon? Where shall we gather?" Hearing this, Rope looked up and asked curiously.

Although Pardo had told her about their separation and some related details that morning, she did not mention this aspect.

"Noon... it depends on the situation; I am not sure. As for the gathering place, it doesn’t matter. I will naturally find you if I am free." Facing Rope's inquiry, Pardo gently touched her chin and thought for a moment before answering.

"I see. I understand."

After hearing Pardo's answer, Rope nodded and didn’t say much. Instead, she changed the subject and continued to ask, "What foes Miss Felis think of those [big shots] that you asked me to find out about?"

"Well... those who are powerful and have money at home." Hearing this, Pardo lowered her voice and began to speak quietly.

"Okay, I'll pay more attention."

After hearing the straightforward words from her boss, Rope shook her head helplessly and replied.

"Haha, then I'll trouble you, Rope. Here, this is your lunch money."

"Hmm~"

After giving some instructions, Pardo separated from Rope, who was carrying Can.

...

After parting ways with her younger sister, Pardo leisurely slipped to the vicinity of Wei Yenwu's house. However, this time, she didn’t get too close but stayed on a tree at an important travel path near the villa.

As for why she remained here, of course, she was waiting for an opportunity.

According to her own investigation and the information collected by Senti, Pardo found that there was always a "master" staying at home in this huge villa, and usually, the one who stayed at home the longest was Fumizuki, the wife of [Lungmen Governor] Wei Yenwu...

With the master at home, it would not be easy for Cat to take action. After all, she couldn’t sneak in and hit Fumizuki with a brick... She believed that if she dared to do so, Wei Yenwu, who had "tracheitis," would ask Hei Suo to hunt her down that same day.

Although Pardo was not afraid, she would definitely not have a peaceful life in Lungmen in the future. At that time, her younger brother might also be implicated, and she didn’t believe that the intelligence capabilities of the "Lungmen Governor" could not find any connection between her and Rope.

So, for the sake of safety, Cat planned to wait for a while. Anyway, Fumizuki would not leave her home. When the time came, she would take advantage of her going out to find Wei Yenwu or take some time to go out for a car race before taking action.

“...”

Thinking this, Pardo rested her head on her arms, leisurely lying on the tree branch, squinting her eyes to look at the sky through the dense leaves, and continued to plan the details of her next action.

Chapter 50(315): Cats Sneak In

"Ah~"

Although Pardo had mentally prepared herself when she started waiting here, she still felt bored after thinking through her plans and action goals for most of the day. Not only was she bored, but she also began to feel drowsy while lying on the tree branch.

Just as she was dozing off with her eyes half-closed, a car speeding from the direction of the villa entered her sight and caught her attention.

"Huh?"

"!"

After clearly seeing the car, Pardo, who had originally been lying lazily on the tree branch, sat up instantly and became alert. 

"Oh, I've waited for you. I thought there would be no chance today."

After Pardo jumped down from the tree and landed lightly, she looked at the car that was about to disappear from her sight, smiled, and muttered, "It's worth it that I've been here for most of the day and didn't even have lunch!"

As for why Pardo was so sure that the opportunity had come, it was, of course, because the luxury car that had just disappeared from her sight was the racing car of Wei Yenwu's wife, Fumizuki.

Although Fumizuki's car was often replaced with the latest model, according to Pardo's investigation, the car she frequently used was the one she had just seen, and it was usually sent for maintenance. When going out, it was almost always driven by Fumizuki herself.

"Let's go~"

After Fumizuki's car completely disappeared, Pardo decided not to waste any more time. She shook her tail and left quickly.

Now she planned to go to the villa to confirm whether Fumizuki was really gone.

If so, Pardo did not plan to delay. She intended to seize this opportunity!

……

While sneaking into the villa, Pardo did not forget to communicate with others in her mind. After all, what she had said before about asking Boss for help again was not a joke. If you don’t use the convenience, you’re a fool.

‘Boss, super powerful Boss Sentience! Help us again!’

After receiving Pardo's request for help, Senti, who was about to lose a chess game with Hua, felt a spark of hope. She coughed lightly and said,

‘Cough... hum, you are such a troublesome person, but since you begged me, I will reluctantly help you.’

‘Okay!’

‘Summon me over.’

‘Yes.’

Then, Senti suddenly stood up a second before disappearing after being summoned. With her "accidental" action, the chessboard tilted, and the pieces fell to the ground one after another... The original deadlock vanished in an instant.

"..."

"Alas..."

Looking at the chess pieces scattered across the ground and at Senti, who had disappeared in front of her, Hua was silent for a moment. She couldn't help but sigh helplessly, then cleaned up the scene as usual.

You can't beat your own child to death; what else can you do if you don't spoil her?

...

"Tell me, what do you want the great Herrscher of Sentience to do for you this time?" Senti, summoned by Pardo, asked with her hands on her hips.

After all, even if they were in tune with each other, some procedures should still be followed; otherwise, it would seem so unimposing and faceless.

"Of course, I'll need to trouble Boss to help me in. The security here is too tight, and I'll be easily exposed by myself." Having said this, Pardo paused for a moment, then changed the subject and continued, "If I'm exposed, it will be a disgrace to your reputation, Boss!"

"Ahem... Okay, okay, I get it." Senti, flattered by Pardo's praise, coughed twice and said seriously, "Let me confirm first whether Fumizuki has really left."

"Yes."

Then, while Senti used her ability to confirm the situation, Pardo nestled in the corner and communicated with Hua again, asking her to do a small favor. Not long after Pardo finished communicating with Hua, Senti's voice quietly sounded in her mind, informing her of the current situation.

'It's confirmed that Fumizuki has indeed left the villa. Next, I will provide you with some small help. Seize the opportunity, but don’t disgrace your name, Boss!’

"Got it, Boss!"

---

Inside the villa——

In a room set up as a monitoring room, two men wearing headphones sat in front of a screen full of surveillance images with serious expressions, carefully checking for any abnormalities around them, ready to contact the guards at any time.

Just when everything seemed normal and nothing unusual had been found, a voice that couldn't have been any softer suddenly entered the ears of the two.

"I caught you."

Hearing this, both of them were startled and slowly closed their eyes.

Then, in just a breath, the two suddenly "opened their eyes" as if awakened, and after a moment of confusion, they continued to check the normal pictures playing in front of them as usual.

On the other side——

After receiving Senti's notification, Pardo, who had been fully armed and covered tightly with a mask and hood, took action. She carefully observed the movements of the guards, ready to sneak in at any time. However, because there was no Can for this operation, Cat actually felt a little uncomfortable...

After a while, noticing that the patrolman had walked away, Pardo seized the opportunity and slipped in silently.

If it had been before, Cat would not have taken such a bold action, but after the people in the monitoring room were trapped in an illusion by Senti, she felt fearless!

Now she boldly procured goods and planned to delete the surveillance footage after leaving—it was perfect!

With the Herrscher of Sentience on their side, how could they lose?

However, after putting the two people in the monitoring room into the illusion, Senti left and returned to play remotely.

After all, it would be too conspicuous to stay around the luxurious villa that has a huge area, and Senti was unwilling to hide in a bush or corner.

Upon entering the ultra-luxurious villa of Wei Yenwu, the Governor of Lungmen, Pardo went straight to her goal. This time, she didn't plan to engage in any messy or flashy antics. Her goal was crystal clear: to find Wei Yenwu's hidden private funds, which could be in his study or room, or perhaps the wine and cigarettes concealed somewhere.

What, you say there's none?

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

Cat doesn't believe there isn’t any.

With a clear goal, Pardo carefully avoided everyone and successfully slipped into the area where Wei Yenwu and his wife lived in the villa.

"Well... let's see what good things are here~"

-----

Author: Stuck... and an Announcement (Important)

I've been sitting in front of my computer these past two days, revising and deleting, deleting and rewriting... I can't seem to write any good manuscripts at all, and I've trapped myself in a dead end again.

It just so happens that today I want to talk about the problems with the novel. In fact, I know very well what the issues are, including the reasons why I've been stuck with the updates.

Aside from this volume, which has been hindered by character development and numerous plot problems, the reason I am stuck and writing slowly is that I didn't clearly define the core of the book from the beginning. In other words, this book appeared to lack a core...

Although I wrote an outline for this book, I didn’t think deeply about it at the start. The reason I began writing this book was simply to post and have fun, so the outline for each volume was merely an overview of how to proceed and the general process.

There are two problems here. The first is that the first edition of the outline is not very detailed, which leads to issues later on, like getting stuck over minor details. The second problem is that I just wanted to have fun and didn’t consider the core concept at all.

By "core," you can understand it as the true main story line and essence of the story. According to the current trend and the ending I have finally decided on, this book should be about [reducing the suffering of this continent and striving for peace].

However, up to now, regardless of the protagonist's identity, there has been no intention in this regard... You may not feel it, but I know it all too well.

The little loli wants Snake to study the antidote because she doesn’t want her friend to die.

Snake went to Rhine Lab because she wanted to satisfy the little loli (herself) and later made some transactions with the Control Chief.

As for Durandal, to be honest, the semi-forced meteorite summoning of Sirin was the result of my long discussions with others in the group.

I believe it somewhat violates the core of my book, which has not been shown, plus the character of Durandal... This incident ultimately cancels each other out, and Durandal is neither truly redeemed nor protected. After all, in a sense, the beginning of this incident is herself or her system.

In fact, this also reflects the problem of not writing in detail in the outline. I marked "a major crisis" in this section of the outline but did not specify the crisis, which caused me to get stuck while writing that section...

I have provided the above three examples, and there is nothing more to say about the others. After several characters, only Pardofelis actually helped the strangers in need without selfishness...

If I were to condense the above problems into one sentence, it would be that, compared to the Terra people who have faith and goals, the aimless and "acting" protagonists seem so leisurely and hypocritical to me...

In fact, I realized this core problem a long time ago, but I have been stuck for so long that I didn't know how to incorporate it.

Especially since I don’t enjoy watching this kind of plot.

---

Chapter 51 (316): Temptation and Cats

"Hmm... let's see what good stuff there is~"

After entering the residential area of Wei Yenwu and his family, Pardo did not rush to search but instead strolled around first to prevent any backup plans from being enacted.

After a simple observation and confirmation that there was no problem, Pardo finally began her search for goods.

With a clear understanding of her target, Pardo lingered in every corner of this huge villa.

There was no other option because Wei Yenwu, the Lungmen Governor, was a henpecked husband, and this time, Pardo's target was the "prohibited items" in his house.

However, hard work pays off. After spending some time, Pardo found her "goods" in many clever hiding spots throughout the villa. These included, but were not limited to, an inconspicuous hollowed-out book on the bookshelf in the study, gaps in some furniture, compartments, and a medicine box in the nearly brand-new medicine cabinet.

It can only be said that Wei Yenwu deserves credit. If someone else had tried to find these items, they might have failed. But who could blame the cat for being resourceful? Not only did she find everything, but she also planned to take it all for herself, leaving nothing behind!

Just as Pardo was vigorously collecting her spoils, a subtle sense of unease suddenly emerged in her heart, causing her movements to pause slightly.

Then, as if to confirm her instincts, a faint sound from outside reached her cat ears, which were slightly moving...

Listening intently to the noise outside, Pardo quickly understood what was happening: Fumizuki was back.

She looked down at her haul, fell silent for a moment, and made a decision that violated her ancestors... no, a "moral" decision!

---

In the courtyard of the villa—

"Racing is a good way to relax, but unfortunately, I have something to do today and can't stay out for long."

"Hehe~ Thank you for accompanying me for a walk, Shirayuki."

At that moment, a draco woman wearing a gorgeous kimono, with elegant manners, walked forward, speaking softly to her subordinates.

"It's no trouble; this is what I should do, my lord." Shirayuki, the ninja girl, responded briefly and concisely.

"Alas, Shirayuki, you are still the same. Forget it; let's not waste time. Let's go."

Fumizuki said helplessly, increasing her pace as she headed toward the residence. Even with her sudden increase in speed, she maintained the elegance that seemed to be ingrained in her.

As Fumizuki's personal bodyguard, Shirayuki did not say anything but silently followed.

---

Before opening the door, regardless of Fumizuki's thoughts or feelings, she became alert and anxious as soon as Shirayuki opened it.

After all, no one could remain unaffected upon discovering a stranger in their home. Moreover, neither Fumizuki nor Wei Yenwu were ordinary people, and this was not an ordinary place.

However, despite her fear, Fumizuki did not act rashly. She reached out to stop Shirayuki, who was ready to take action, squinting her eyes as she observed the "uninvited guest" in her home.

To be honest, Fumizuki's first reaction upon seeing the "thief" was to assume that this person was here to steal information. However, when she noticed the panic in the little figure opposite her, she temporarily dismissed this assumption.

Although she was curious about where the cash had come from and did not rule out the possibility that the intruder was acting, it was not Fumizuki's style to confront things directly.

So, after noticing what was hidden behind Pardo, her thoughts began to wander. If this little one was indeed seeking "wealth"...

Thinking of this and recalling recent events in Lungmen, Fumizuki almost instantly connected the dots to the [Lungmen Thief] who had recently gained popularity among the public.

"Heh~"

With some conjectures forming in her mind, Fumizuki chuckled softly and walked gracefully into her home.

"Master..."

Seeing Fumizuki's actions, Shirayuki instinctively opened her mouth to stop her. However, before she could say anything, her master's gesture silenced her.

Receiving Fumizuki's silent instructions, Shirayuki quickly closed the door of the villa without hesitation, then stood guard nearby, vigilantly observing the "uninvited guest" and ready to act at any moment.

"!"

After seeing the villa door close, Pardo, who was already feeling "panicked," almost exploded at this moment. She was ready to break through the wall at any second!

"I didn't expect that the Lungmen Thief who has been in the limelight recently would come to my humble home. What can I do for you?"

However, before Pardo could take any action, Fumizuki's gentle voice interjected between them, accompanied by her inquisitive yet oppressive gaze.

"Hey, how come you..."

Initially, Pardo spoke reflexively in response to Fumizuki's sudden authoritative presence, but she quickly composed herself and amended her words. "Ahaha, what are you talking about? How could I be the Lungmen Thief?"

"..."

Hearing this, a flash of understanding passed through Fumizuki's eyes. Although Pardo had quickly changed her words and muttered softly, Fumizuki's keen attention captured the detail.

However, verifying a small conjecture was not enough to satisfy Fumizuki's curiosity. She did not intend to let this "thief," who had intruded into her home, go easily.

After all, there were many things she wanted to uncover...

"Hehe~ Don't be so nervous. Sit down and have a cup of tea." Fumizuki gestured to Shirayuki, then calmly and elegantly walked to the sofa and sat down.

"I never had a chance to thank you for saving Ch'en-chan and the others before, so this time, I just happened to want to play the part of a gracious host."

After her tentative words, Fumizuki turned her inquiring gaze back to Pardo, observing her reaction.

"!"

At this, Pardo was taken aback.

Although she had long suspected that Wei Yenwu and Fumizuki would investigate her, or "Pardofelis," because of her involvement in saving Ch'en and the others...

She had thought that they would only uncover superficial information. After all, Pardo was merely a black household resident; what could they possibly find?

After this period of living and investigating, Pardo was almost certain that the three police officers had not reported their suspicions regarding her connection to the [Lungmen Thief] to their superiors.

It was because of this certainty that Pardo was surprised by how quickly Fumizuki had connected her two identities and brought them into question.

Should she praise her for being an insightful politician?

---

Chapter 52 (317): A Cat's Pitch**

After taking in Pardo's surprise, Fumizuki smiled, narrowed her eyes, and gracefully brewed tea with the hot water handed to her by Shirayuki.

"Please come in. It’s the host's fault to keep guests standing." After skillfully preparing the tea, Fumizuki set it aside and spoke gently.

"Hey, this... aren’t you angry?"

Looking at Fumizuki, who spoke softly and smiled in front of her, Pardo suppressed her surprise and asked curiously.

Although it was Pardofelis who had chosen to stay and deliberately revealed 'flaws' just moments ago, Fumizuki's calm demeanor still piqued her curiosity.

Before meeting Fumizuki, Pardo had imagined all kinds of reactions from her and had even prepared to fight with her guards to showcase her strength...

She could only conclude that Fumizuki appeared far too unintimidating and weak. Although she was indeed quite weak compared to others,

"Heh~"

Upon hearing this, Fumizuki couldn’t help but chuckle again. She then explained in a calm and gentle tone, "Why would I be angry? Angry that Miss Pardofelis came uninvited this time?"

"To me, this isn’t a big deal. In fact, aside from important matters, I can give you everything you found here this time."

"!"

"Really?!"

Pardo’s eyes sparkled with excitement at Fumizuki's words. This was a pleasant surprise for her. After considering contacting Fumizuki earlier, she had been prepared to give up some things, including the spoils of this venture.

"...What did you take?"

As she saw Pardo's sudden excitement, Fumizuki’s words were tinged with a rare hint of hesitation.

"This." Pardo was not stingy in sharing; she took out all the loot, including the private money, pipe, and cigarettes hidden behind her, placing them on the coffee table.

Looking at the items Pardo had laid out before her, Fumizuki appeared momentarily confused. However, this state didn’t last long. After examining the objects on the table, her gentle smile took on a hint of danger.

Of course, this hint of danger was not directed at Pardo.

After spending a few moments restraining her emotions, Fumizuki turned to Pardo again and said, "Through Ch'en-chan and the others, I've learned about your personality, Miss Pardofelis. So, I think you don't need to keep it a secret."

"These items aren’t particularly valuable. Can you tell me why you went through so much trouble to obtain them?"

While the pipe and high-quality cigarettes on the table could be worth some money, Fumizuki didn’t think it justified the effort of offending the lord of a city to acquire them.

Was this an attempt to cover up a more significant purpose?

Or was it something else?

Fumizuki felt a bit unsure.

"Uh, you're curious about that... Of course, it’s for reputation." Pardo scratched her head awkwardly and replied.

"Reputation? So what you did before was also...?"

Fumizuki was slightly taken aback by Pardo's response, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

She had expected various answers, or even outrageous excuses, but never anticipated such a straightforward response.

This made her wonder if there was a hierarchy of thefts among thieves.

"That’s about right. Except for a few items I like, most of the things I've acquired before were for this purpose." At this point, Pardo relaxed, choosing a small sofa farthest from Fumizuki to sit down. She continued, "After all, you can only get jobs if you’re famous, right?"

"You still take jobs? Stealing?" To be honest, Fumizuki was genuinely stunned by Pardo's words.

"Oh, don’t put it so harshly. I usually call this kind of business 'purchasing!' As long as the money is sufficient, I can get whatever you want!" Pardo's long tail swayed proudly behind her. She wasn't exaggerating; with her other identities supporting her, she could truly acquire anything for the [boss].

Even if Fumizuki wanted the Emperor of Ursus next door, the cat could manage it!

The main point was that if the money was enough, she could even bring back a piece of meteorite from the sky.

"Is it really possible to do anything?"

After hearing Pardo's confident assertion, Fumizuki's eyes flickered slightly as she asked softly.

Although she didn’t believe Pardo could genuinely steal anything, she thought that the person in front of her certainly possessed impressive "business acumen."

No one really thought that the home of the [Governor of Longmen] was so easy to infiltrate, right? Especially with such silent and completely unnoticed entry.

"Of course! We are a business of integrity. Would you like to give it a try?" Pardo stroked her chin thoughtfully, then added, "For you, we can give you a 20% discount for your first order!"

"Well... if you promise not to pursue any consequences this time and not to issue a wanted order, I can give you a 50% discount, not just 40%! I can't lower it below that!"

"Heh~"

Seeing the cute little figure in front of her, wearing a hood and pointing her finger to sell something, Fumizuki couldn’t help but laugh. Then she teased, "Miss Pardofelis actually cares about the wanted order?"

"I'm not afraid; it's just troublesome. If I can act openly outside, why should I hide? Once a wanted order is issued, I’ll probably be targeted by someone while I'm sleeping outside in the sun."

Faced with Fumizuki's teasing, Pardo spread her hands helplessly.

She really wasn’t afraid of the wanted order; her strength was sufficient. But it would indeed be inconvenient.

"Then how can I contact you, Miss Pardofelis?" Fumizuki narrowed her smiling eyes.

Fumizuki admitted she was somewhat intrigued at that moment. The girl before her didn’t look very old. If she could utilize her and cultivate her...

Of course, all of this was predicated on ensuring that her identity was secure and her background clean, so they would still need to investigate a few things.

"Well, you can leave me your contact information or reach me through Swire."

"Then please leave me your contact details."

"Okay, let’s discuss these matters on the table." Fumizuki’s gentle smile once again revealed a hint of danger.

---

Chapter 53(318): Fumizuki's Personal Experience

"Okay, now that we've finished talking about these matters, let's discuss what’s on the table." Fumizuki's face, which had been smiling gently, now showed a hint of danger.

"Well... I'll tell you where I hide these things. Will Governor Wei Yenwu have a grudge against me?" Looking at Fumizuki, whose expression had become dangerous, Pardo touched her chin and asked in a low voice.

The reason Cat chose these items as targets was that she relied on—or bet that—Wei Yenwu was afraid of his wife and would not dare to publicize it.

Now that his wife has discovered the matter, if she reveals all the hiding places, someone will definitely have a grudge.

Hearing this, Fumizuki smiled even more gently and said in a soft tone, "Don't worry; he won't do that with me here."

"Then I can rest assured."

Afterward, Pardo stopped wasting time and began to disclose all the hiding places she had found in various concealed spots in this house.

...

At the same time, on the other side—

A certain Lung male, who was sitting leisurely in the office flipping through documents, suddenly sneezed uncontrollably and then felt an unknown chill...

————————

"Hehe~ Thank you, Miss Pardofelis, for telling me these locations. Since you like these things on the table, take them with you when you leave later." After silently memorizing the corners that Pardo mentioned, Fumizuki smiled and said to her.

"Well, that's not necessary. Since you've discovered it this time, it’s enough for us to just take this."

After hearing Fumizuki's words, Pardo did not agree excitedly as usual; instead, she leaned over gracefully and took out a blue Lungmen coin from a pile of "trophies" on the coffee table.

"If you only take this, then Miss Pardofelis's trip will be in vain?" Looking at the girl's actions, Fumizuki couldn't help but tease.

She hadn't forgotten the purpose of this trip that Pardo mentioned earlier. If she only took a Lungmen coin that doesn’t represent anything, wouldn't it fail to achieve the original purpose?

"No, it's not, ma'am. I have achieved the purpose of this trip." As she spoke, Pardo blinked her beautiful heterochromatic eyes lightly, and a sly smile flashed across her face.

Because she understood the personality of the person in front of her and the faults of her superior, there were some things that Cat did not intend to hide from Fumizuki.

As for beating around the bush, she was even worse at that, so it was better to tell the truth.

"Oh? How do you say that?"

Fumizuki, who had roughly understood Pardo's personality during the conversation, did not conduct any secret tests but chose to ask directly.

"Because my goal from the beginning was to let the [big shot] know me." At this point, Pardo took off the cat mask on her face, smiled at Fumizuki, and then continued.

"As for why I set my sights on these things, it's because I'm betting that the big shot [Governor of Lungmen] will suffer this loss because of his wife!"

"Even if he might remember me behind my back, he won't publicize it."

After listening to Pardo's explanation, Fumizuki, who was sipping tea, had a flash of surprise in her eyes. She then put down the teacup and said:

"Miss Pardofelis didn't hide anything from me. But aren't you afraid that you'll lose the bet?"

"It's really troublesome if I lose the bet, and I might have to find a way to escape at that time. But I don't think the possibility of losing is high." Hearing this, Pardo shook her head gently and answered seriously.

"Hehe~ I didn't expect Miss Pardofelis to believe in our relationship so much." Hearing Pardo's firm words, Fumizuki couldn't help but squint her eyes gently.

Although she had heard about Pado's intelligence ability before, Fumizuki didn't fully appreciate it until now. Outsiders only knew that they had a good relationship, but they didn't know the specific situation or the discovery of these "prohibited items."

As for the possibility that Chen had told her, it was also ruled out in her previous investigation. This almost proves that the intelligence of the person in front of her was obtained by her own ability, but this is even more strange... Could it be that there is something wrong with the people around her?

Fumizuki felt that it was necessary to investigate and rectify this matter after this incident.

Also, she found that the "reputation" in Pardo's mouth that she initially understood seemed to have deviated...

"Of course, your relationship looks very good at first glance!" After listening to Fumizuki's words, Pardo didn't say anything more; she just smiled and changed the subject.

After all, what could she say? Tell the truth, that she knows them from the game? Who would believe it? Instead of sharing a truth that others wouldn't believe, it was better to let these meticulous politicians guess and investigate by themselves.

To be honest, although the conversation with Fumizuki is going smoothly now, Cat doesn't really like or is not good at dealing with smart and thoughtful people.

If it were like Sister Ellie, it would be okay; there is no malice, and she is just teasing "herself." However, if it’s the kind of purposeful temptation—openly and covertly—this really makes Pardo feel very annoyed.

"..."

After Pardo changed the subject, Fumizuki didn't continue to ask questions without knowing the tact. Instead, she shifted the topic to the misunderstanding she had just discovered.

"If Miss Pardofelis came here to purchase goods for fame and to add a 'potential' employer, then are the things you did in the slums also because of this?"

"Things in the slums? Do you mean helping those people or the candy store?" Seeing that Fumizuki didn't continue to ask, Pardo breathed a sigh of relief in her heart and then gently touched her chin as she spoke.

"Can you talk about both?"

Hearing this, a hint of curiosity flashed in Fumizuki's eyes.

Actually, she was only asking about the former mentioned by Pardo, but she was also quite interested in the latter.

Originally, after learning the "purpose" of Pardo's actions, Fumizuki subconsciously classified the theft incident of [Rat King] Lin Kojui as similar to her own, just to show her face and gain one more "potential customer."

But when she thought about the previous investigation, she found something wrong...

Who would win over "potential customers" like that?

Lin Kojui was so angry that he searched the entire slum for someone.

"Ah, if you want to know everything, I can tell you. I helped those people in the slum because I wanted to do something with my ability."

"As for the candy store..."

----

Chapter 54(319): Leaving Eden

"Ah, if you want to know, I can tell you. I help those people in the slums because I want to do something with my abilities."

"As for the candy store..."

Here, Pardo paused for a moment, took out a handful of candy from her pocket, and placed it on the coffee table. Then she looked at Fumizuki and continued, "Look, aren't these candies shiny and enticing enough to make people want to collect them?"

"..."

Fumizuki fell into a brief silence as she stared at the candies with their beautiful wrappers on the coffee table.

Was that it?

You went to so much trouble to steal someone’s candy store, and people are searching everywhere for you, just for candy?

To be honest, Fumizuki thought that if Lin Kojui knew the real reason why his candy store was stolen, his expression would be quite interesting.

"I remember that Miss Pardofelis left money when she took those candies. Why didn't you just buy them directly?" Fumizuki asked curiously, recalling details from the report made by [Rat King] Lin Kojui.

"Of course, it's because buying them is troublesome. Settling the details for so many candies would attract unwanted attention." After responding matter-of-factly, Pardofelis picked up a candy, peeled off the wrapper, and put it in her mouth.

After hearing Pardofelis’s explanation, Fumizuki took a sip of tea and said helplessly, "If that's the reason, then there’s really no problem. However, only Miss Pardofelis would do something like this in all of Lungmen."

Fumizuki's words were not sarcastic; they were a different kind of praise for Pardofelis's skills. After all, in this vast city, few could evade [Rat King] Lin Kojui's search as effectively as she could while helping others right under their noses.

"Oh, don’t make me sound so bold and powerful; I’m just weak!" After grasping the hidden meaning in Fumizuki's words, Pardo couldn't help but wag her tail and refute.

She didn’t want the politician in front of her to think she was powerful. What if she raised the stakes and "exploited" her to do dangerous and troublesome things?

Moreover, Cat believed she wasn’t that powerful. In fact, she had encountered several close calls where she almost got exposed recently. It was only due to Senti's [Infinite Intimidator] that she managed to survive.

If she had been a weak "person" from the beginning, she would have been noticed by so many spies and arresters, or even "caught."

"Heh~"

After listening to Pardo's rebuttal, Fumizuki couldn’t help but chuckle. She chose not to pursue the topic further.

...

After chatting for a while, Shirayuki, who had been standing quietly nearby, looked at Fumizuki as if she had received some news and nodded gently to her.

Pardo, who had noticed the subtle exchange, couldn't help but blink her gradient eyes and then smiled as she said, "It seems that Madam Fumizuki has confirmed it. Can we go now?"

"Of course! If you’re still worried, we can accept it if you withdraw!"

Others might not understand what the silent communication between the master and servant meant, but Cat did. It was nothing more than a private confirmation that they hadn’t taken anything extra, which Shirayuki had reported to Fumizuki.

"Hehe~ Of course, Miss Pardofelis, this is your freedom. However, please keep in touch with us later, as there may be big business." Hearing this, Fumizuki chuckled and then added in a gentle but meaningful tone.

If subsequent investigations confirm that Pardo is innocent, Fumizuki wouldn’t mind training and utilizing this "special talent."

If there is a problem, that's another matter...l

But in any case, maintaining contact would make things easier.

"Well, don’t worry. If nothing unexpected happens, we won’t suddenly lose contact." Having said this, Pardo stood up and stretched, then slowly said, "That’s it for this time. Sorry for bothering you." After that, Cat waved goodbye to Fumizuki and ran out without looking back, not giving anyone a chance to stop her.

At the moment Pardo quickly left the villa area, Senti, who was far away in the hotel, used her ability to create illusions, affecting the personnel in the monitoring room and allowing them to erase all traces of Cat from the surveillance footage.

...

In the villa—

"Master, are you just going to let her go?" After receiving the news that Pardo had completely left, Shirayuki, who had been standing quietly at the side, couldn't help but ask.

"It doesn't matter. Apart from a Lungmen coin, she didn't cause us to lose anything, right? Instead, she made us aware of our own issues." Fumizuki paused for a moment, placing the now lukewarm teacup down before continuing slowly, "Well, there’s nothing much to discuss about this matter. I’ll have someone check and investigate it later. For now... why don’t you help me prepare first, Shirayuki?"

As she said this, Fumizuki's meaningful gaze fell on the pile of scattered items on the coffee table.

"Yes." Shirayuki nodded gently, instantly understanding what her master meant, and went to help with the so-called "preparation."

...

In a certain office—

"A-choo—" Wei Yenwu suddenly sneezed for no reason and couldn’t help but frown.

What could be going on today?

Since a certain point in the afternoon, he had felt a little uneasy, as if something bad were about to happen...

But after thinking it over, Wei Yenwu couldn't find any major events or crises, so he had to suppress that feeling in his heart once again.

---

After leaving the villa, Pardo initially intended to take the opportunity to go to Eden to make her presence known, but after sensing that the other side was busy, she had no choice but to temporarily abandon that plan and go to meet up with her younger brother.

In recent days, aside from a few instances when Eden stayed in the hotel, most of her time had been spent understanding the history of this city and this world.

Although Miss Eden didn’t care much about money, she had to admit that money could indeed accomplish and achieve many things.

So, for convenience or other reasons, she planned to develop her own economy in this world. As for whether she would continue to sing later, who could say for sure?

----

Chapter 55(320): On the Value of Wei's Private Money

Beside a street in the slums—

"Can, is there any other place you want to go?" Rope gently touched the fat cat in her arms and asked in a low voice.

"Meow~"

In response to Rope's question, Can simply called softly and shook its furry head.

Although Can wanted to visit many places, it had already asked Rope to buy it a lot of food. If it continued to buy more, Pardo would inevitably find out at night and give it a lesson, or worse, the cat's canned food would be halved or something.

So after a moment's consideration, the fat cat temporarily gave up letting its "little sister" continue to feed it.

"In that case, let's go back. It's getting late, and I don't know when Miss Felis will return..." After noticing Can's little action, Rope nodded first, then looked up at the sky and whispered.

"Meow~"

Just as Rope turned around and left with Can, intending to return home, a figure appeared silently behind her, and a snow-white hand suddenly patted her on the shoulder.

"Ah!"

Even though she only felt a light tap, Rope was instantly furious. She quickly distanced herself and turned her head to look behind her vigilantly.

"..."

However, when Rope saw who had patted her, her nerves slowly relaxed. She then looked at the person with resentment and complained, "Miss Felis, do you know that scaring someone can give them a heart attack?"

"Oh, isn't this because we wanted to surprise you? Have you had dinner tonight? If not, let's go together." Facing Rope's resentful eyes, Pardo blinked her beautiful heterochromatic eyes innocently and changed the subject.

"..."

Looking at her cheap "boss," who scared her but appeared innocent, Rope couldn't help but twitch her mouth. After a moment of silence, she said in a "vicious" tone of revenge, "Let's go! I want to eat well tonight!"

Although Miss Purple Cautus wasn't very hungry because of the snacks she'd had earlier, it didn't matter whether she was hungry or not...

"Hey, no problem! Lead the way if you want to eat anything, and we'll follow you tonight." Looking at Rope's cute expression, Pardo smiled brightly.

"You..."

Hearing her "angry" joke agreed to by Pardo, Rope was stunned at first, then turned her face slightly and said in a somewhat unnatural tone, "This is what you said. Let's go... I'll eat you out of house and home today."

After that, Miss Purple Cautus didn’t look at Pardo’s reaction but turned around and left with Can in her arms, her back looking like she was running away.

"..."

Watching Rope leave quickly, Pardo spread her hands helplessly and then quickened her pace to follow happily.

...

"Ms. Felis, you came back so late today. Did you run into any big trouble?" On the way to dinner, Rope suddenly remembered something. She hesitated for a moment before asking Pardo in a low voice.

Pardo, who had noticed Rope's expression and was waiting for her to ask, touched her chin and replied, "Big trouble? No. On the contrary, we gained a lot today."

After saying this, Cat proudly took out a shiny Longmen coin from her pocket!

"...?"

Rope saw clearly what Pardo took out, and a question mark slowly appeared over her head.

It wasn't that Miss Purple Cautus despised this money, nor was it too little. After all, this amount was enough for her to survive for a week or two. The main reason for her confusion was the stark contrast. Think about how generous and careless her cheap "boss" had been before, and now look at her—she was so "serious" when taking out a piece of money.

To be honest, Rope was starting to doubt whether Pardo was down and out. Should she just eat something casual tonight...?

"Hehe, Rope, you don't understand the value of this money..." After noticing Rope's puzzled expression, Pardo snorted and planned to explain.

However, before Cat could say anything, a shop on the side of the road caught her attention, and she changed the subject: "Ice cream! What flavor does Rope want? Let's go buy it."

"?"

Before Rope could catch up with Pardo's jumping thoughts, she took her hand and walked toward the shop on the side of the road.

In no time, there was ice cream in Miss Purple Cautus's hand, in the small bowl held by Can, and in Pardo's hand as well...

At the same time, the money that Cat wanted to talk about just moments ago disappeared from her grasp.

"..."

Rope, who was eating ice cream silently and still hadn't recovered from her confusion, was savoring the rich taste she had never experienced before. Looking at Pardo and Can eating happily beside her, she murmured softly, "Is this the value of the money?"

"Huh?"

Hearing Rope's subtle voice, Pardo turned to look at her in confusion, then reacted and smiled, "Hey, Rope, are you still thinking about what happened just now?"

"The reason I said this money is valuable is that I bought it from a [big shot] today."

"In that case, why..."

Hearing this, Rope was startled. She glanced at the ice cream in her hand and then looked at Pardo with a puzzled expression.

After listening to her cheap boss, Miss Purple Cautus thought she understood the reason for Pardo's earlier "seriousness," but that only confused her further.

If the added value of the money was so great, why did Pardo use it up so readily...?

"Well, of course it's because it's not valuable—or not that valuable. After all, I don't plan to keep it as a collection." At this point, Pardo licked the melting ice cream in her hand and continued, "In that case, wouldn't it be more valuable to buy food and share it with friends?"

Cat wasn't joking; after eating the ice cream, she planned to keep the wrapping paper intact and put it in her collection box. It's just a piece of Wei Yenwu's private money. If she can take it anytime, how could it had the same worth as her memories and collections?

"Okay, don't think about it. With this little time, why not think about what to eat tonight and where we should go?"

"Hey... ahem, let's go eat barbecue." After being reminded by Pardo, Rope realized belatedly that under her "leadership," they were almost walking aimlessly out of the street.

"Okay, let's go."

---

Chapter 56(321): Wei Yenwu: "That, I Can Explain..."

Wei Yenwu, who had been feeling somewhat uneasy since the afternoon, put down his work and hurriedly left the office to head home after receiving a message from his subordinates at the villa near the end of the workday.

…

At the same time, at Wei Yenwu's house—

Fumizuki sat on the sofa, holding today’s newspaper in her hand, with a calm and relaxed expression.

However, this was just an appearance; at that moment, her heart was not as calm as it appears.

The reason for her unease began when Fumizuki checked the guards at home.

Because the house had been successfully invaded without attracting any attention, she wanted to investigate the cause to prevent any hidden dangers.

Initially, she suspected that the surveillance camera was broken, that the staff had been lazy, or that someone had been knocked unconscious. But after completing her investigation, she found that was not the case at all. No one was truly "lazy."

Everyone remained at their posts and worked diligently. There appeared to be nothing unusual, including the two guards in the monitoring room.

But sometimes, the absence of abnormalities is the biggest abnormality.

Fumizuki watched through the surveillance camera installed in the monitoring room as her two guards ignored the anomalies in the video, then suddenly deleted the footage related to Pardo as if they had received some orders.

Not only that, but when she called them over to ask, neither of them could recall the anomalies in the video or what they had done, which only deepened her suspicions...

Had the two colluded in advance, or was their perception affected by something?

Fumizuki believed the former possibility was unlikely, as those who served as guards here, especially those assigned to such an important place as the monitoring room, were either close to her or to Wei Yenwu. They were well aware of everything and had no reason to betray their trust.

If it was the latter, this ability... It seemed that the little cat who visited today still had many secrets she was unaware of.

Just as Fumizuki was sorting through the information she had gathered that day, Shirayuki walked in silently from outside and approached her side.

"Hmm? Is there any new information?"

Sensing the presence of the person beside her, Fumizuki retracted her thoughts, looked up, and asked.

"Yes."

In response to her master's question, Shirayuki nodded gently, placed the information she held in front of her, and said, "This is the trajectory of that person’s actions and what they did after leaving here."

"..."

Hearing this, Fumizuki quickly picked up the information and read it, but after just one glance, she squinted her eyes. "Pardo must have noticed our actions... How did she react?"

"She reacted very calmly and completely ignored our presence." After listening to Fumizuki's words, Shirayuki added in a serious tone the details that were not marked in the report.

"Really? I understand."

At this, Fumizuki nodded slightly, then, after a moment of silence, looked up and said to Shirayuki, "Sorry for bothering you. Let’s stop here for today. Go and rest, Shirayuki."

"This is my job, Master." After saying this, Shirayuki didn’t say anything more but quietly left as she had come.

Although Shirayuki was Fumizuki’s personal bodyguard, she didn’t work 24 hours a day. Since her master asked her to rest, she naturally wouldn’t refuse. Besides, the master had more than one personal bodyguard nearby.

After Shirayuki left, Fumizuki once again examined the information in her hand. It was not until she saw the list of people that Pardo had contacted and the relevant investigative information about Rope that she couldn't help but whisper,

"Deliberately exposing her weaknesses in front of us... or is it just a cover?"

If it was merely ignoring the people following her, Fumizuki could understand that Pardo wanted to "show weakness" to establish a deal with her. However, this blatant and careless behavior of exposing her friend struck her as strange.

Additionally, according to the investigation, Pardo had not known this friend for long and was still an infected person, which naturally raised Fumizuki’s suspicions. Of course, she did not rule out the possibility that Pardo knew she would be found out sooner or later and chose not to cover it up...

…

On the other side—

"Achoo!"

The cat, who was being suspected and speculated upon regarding her motives, seemed to feel something. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and sneezed loudly.

"Wow, what’s happened these days? Who has been thinking about me?" After putting away her handkerchief, Pardo frowned and said with a vigilant expression.

"Could it be that Miss Felis has offended too many people..."

Hearing this, Rope, who was sitting opposite Pardo and eating meat, paused his actions and said hesitantly.

"Ahaha, how is that possible?"

After listening to Rope's words, Pardo quickly shook her head and denied it. "How could I have offended anyone? That’s impossible, absolutely impossible."

But even as she said this, Cat could probably guess who was thinking about her behind her back... Not only that, but she could also guess what they were thinking.

Because of this, Pardo wanted to sigh at the complexities of the adults around her—wasn’t it troublesome to think about this and that?

In reality, Cat didn’t have so many convolutions in her thoughts. She didn’t care about the people following her, nor did she hide anything; it was simply that she found it troublesome and didn’t want those "big shots" to overthink matters.

After all, some people's existence could be discovered if one cared to look, so there was no point in hiding it.

Moreover, Pardo believed she had the strength to protect her friends, even if she was the weakest Flamechaser. At worst, if she couldn't defeat them, she could just run away with Rope.

"Forget it, don’t think about it. Let’s eat quickly, and then we’ll head back early after dinner and rest."

"Okay."

——————————————

Wei Yenwu, who rushed home after receiving the news, felt slightly relieved upon seeing the guards still patrolling his home, but he hurriedly strode toward the villa.

After all, a home invasion is no trivial matter, regardless of the family, even if there were no casualties.

Just as Wei Yenwu anxiously opened the door to his house, intending to say something to his wife, his eyes were first drawn to a pile of particularly familiar "gadgets" on the table. Then, when his wife looked at him, her expression was not one of warmth, so frightening that it made his draco body tremble.

"Well, I can explain..."

----

Chapter 57 (322): Wei Yenwu: "Good, It's You!"

"That, I can explain..."

"Don't say too much; come here first."

Seeing her husband's rare panic, Fumizuki did not blame him. She put down the information in her hand, waved at him, and said.

"..."

Hearing this, Wei Yenwu couldn't help but swallow his saliva. After hesitating for a moment, he closed the door and walked over slowly. However, for his own safety, he quickly changed the subject: "What happened at home this afternoon? Why was it invaded? Who did it? Fumizuki, do you have any clues?"

"Hehe~ Those details are not important for the time being. Wei Yenwu, why don't you explain to me what these are?" Looking at her husband, who was trying to change the subject, Fumizuki smiled more gently and glanced meaningfully at the things on the ground not far away.

"Uh, that..."

Seeing the increasingly gentle smile on Fumizuki's face, Wei Yenwu felt his legs soften and almost knelt directly.

Then he noticed the items on the ground and continued with some difficulty, "Can we not..."

"What do you think?"

"..."

....

"So, what happened this afternoon? Fumizuki, are you okay?"

As time passed slowly, after two difficult hours, Wei Yenwu was finally allowed to sit on the sofa. While asking his wife, he rubbed his numb knees quietly.

"Overall, there is nothing serious. Even if the investigation reveals some issues, we can still recruit a talent." Fumizuki glanced at Wei Yenwu, who was concerned about her, ignored his little actions, and handed over the information on the coffee table.

"Talent?"

Wei Yenwu, who hadn't heard these two words from Fumizuki in a long time, couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and took the information with a suspicious expression.

"Heh~"

Looking at Wei Yenwu's expression, Fumizuki couldn't help but chuckle and then said, "Yes, she is indeed a talent. She managed to perfectly breach the defenses here and find all your private money and these items without raising any suspicions. She's not just any talent."

"......?"

"!"

Wei Yenwu, who had originally started browsing this information out of curiosity, was stunned at first after hearing his wife's words. Then, although his expression did not change, his hands had already wrinkled the information in his grip.

At this moment, [Lungmen Governor] Wei Yenwu understood what had happened that day.

Good boy, it was you who handed over all my private money and made me kneel for two hours, right?! I must find a chance to deal with you!

"Wei Yenwu, why are you so frustrated?"

Although the expression on his face did not change, Fumizuki, having lived with him for many years, could see what he was thinking at a glance. She then said, "Don't harm her before you investigate and confirm that she has problems."

'Tsk...'

After listening to his wife's words, Wei Yenwu nodded gently but couldn't help but tsk in his heart. He was clearly very angry at that moment.

Of course, his anger stemmed not from being made to kneel for two hours but mainly from being provoked and tricked by an outsider for some reason... Anyone would be furious!

But he promised his wife that he would not take any action until he had investigated and confirmed the situation. Still, he wouldn’t allow any underhanded tactics or troublemaking.

He wanted to see who could make his wife look at him with new eyes... Did they really think his possessions were so easy to steal? And just hand them over!

Pardofelis, right? Just wait for me... Wait, Pardo? The Lungmen Thief!?

Wei Yenwu, who had calmed down slightly and continued to look at the information in his hand, was stunned when he saw the name and identity column.

To be honest, Wei Yenwu remembered these two titles, but he didn't connect them right away.

Compared to his wife, who had to avoid suspicion, he had more and more matters to handle every day. So it was normal that he didn’t make the connection immediately.

Moreover, one title was that of an "enthusiastic citizen" who had saved his niece and two subordinates and had not yet come to receive her award. The other title belonged to the thief who had recently caused chaos in the Lungmen slums.

If he remembered correctly, the thief also robbed Lin Kojui's candy store... Goodness, how bold! Stealing one after another, right?!

However, when he thought of Lin Kojui, another thought crossed Wei Yenwu's mind: maybe that guy's private money was also stolen, but he was too embarrassed to admit it, so he only mentioned that the candy store was robbed.

After all, he remembered that Lin Kojui had been at home, just like him...

"Ahem..."

After considering this possibility, Wei Yenwu, who had been furious, felt a bit better. Then he coughed twice, pulled his thoughts together, turned to his wife, and asked, "Fumizuki, what is going on? Tell me in detail, and what are your plans?"

"This is a long story. Let me think about where to start." Hearing this, Fumizuki gently touched her chin and organized her thoughts with a serious expression.

"..."

————————————————

On the other side—

"!"

Pardo, who had returned to her place with Rope and was leaning on the balcony railing to feel the breeze, suddenly felt a chill, causing the fur on her tail to fluff up slightly.

After so many similar experiences, Cat felt she didn’t need to guess this time. She wagered the canned food for tomorrow's meal that Wei Yenwu must have gone home, discovered the truth, and then was plotting against her.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Rope, standing next to Pardo, noticed her bad expression and straight tail and asked nervously.

"Nothing; maybe some narrow-minded person has been thinking about me." Pardo expressionlessly reached behind her and smoothed her fluffy tail.

"...Miss Felis, how did you know?" Hearing this, Rope was slightly stunned and then asked curiously.

"Of course it’s my intuition. Well, for safety reasons, I will sleep in the same tent with you tonight!" Pardo didn’t hide her reasoning in response to Rope's question. Whether she believed it or not was none of her concern.

"Well... it's possible, but I'm an infected person. Shouldn't Miss Felis dislike me?"

Pardo's sudden statement stunned Rope again, but soon she smiled and pretended to be indifferent.

"Ah? Why would I care? Are you going to attack me at night?" Pardo blinked innocently and asked back.

"Of course not! After all, I'm still waiting for the boss to pay my salary!"

"That's right; what am I afraid of! Okay, stop chatting, get ready, and rest early today!"

"...Okay."

---

Chapter 58 (323): Conversation with Alina

On the snowy Ursus Plains—

"Crackle..."

After dinner, the Reunion Movement members gathered around the warm bonfire, talking and joking to release the fatigue of the day.

"Hmm..."

Griseo, who was quietly snuggling with her friends, suddenly thought of something. She sat up straight, feeling curious, and gently tugged at Alina's sleeve beside her.

"What's wrong, Griseo?"

After noticing the movement, Alina turned her head and asked.

"Well, I have something to ask Sister Alina."

Griseo paused for a moment and looked at Tallulah, who was talking to Patriot in the distance. After confirming that they couldn't hear her, she continued to speak to Alina.

"Sister, do you know about Sister Tallulah?"

"Tallulah did mention it to me. Why are you suddenly curious about her?" Hearing this, Alina nodded gently, then reached out to rub the little head of the young girl beside her and said softly.

Feeling the touch on her head, Griseo first leaned into it and then slowly explained, "I just noticed that Tallulah seems to miss her sister very much. She has many letters that she hasn't sent..."

"So you saw Tallulah writing a letter to her sister. No wonder you brought it up. But I believe the two sisters will definitely have a chance to meet again."

After hearing this explanation, Alina's eyes flashed with understanding. She then looked at Tallulah, who was talking in the distance, and whispered to the two little ones beside her.

"Well, I think so too. Tallulah and her sister will meet again sooner or later." Griseo nodded her little head in agreement.

"Then here's what I want to say. If Sister Alina is willing to keep it secret, I can tell you first..." Griseo gently blinked her beautiful violet eyes and looked at Alina with a serious expression.

"Okay, I will keep it secret." Alina smiled indulgently at Griseo.

Although she didn't know what made this little girl so mysterious, she still agreed.

"Well... I have to go to Lungmen in a few days. I want to help Tallulah deliver those letters to her sister." Looking at the doting smile of those around her, Griseo didn't keep it a secret and directly stated her purpose.

"Griseo, are you going to Lungmen again? How long will it take this time? What about your safety?" Alina ignored the second half of Griseo's sentence and focused on the key point of the first half.

Not only Alina, but even Aylona, who was usually not very interested in this topic, became alert, looking at Griseo nervously, waiting for her answer.

"Sister Eden has [awakened] and is now in Lungmen, so I should stay there for a few days. Don't worry about my safety; there are several sisters there..." At this point, Griseo touched her chin gently and continued to add,

"As for here, I have already made an agreement with Sister Sakura; she will come to help protect everyone during the days I am away."

"As long as there are no safety concerns." After hearing Griseo's answer, Alina first sighed in relief and then changed the subject.

"We will take good care of ourselves while you're gone, and nothing will happen. Griseo, you don't need to trouble Miss Sakura to come over."

This isn't Alina being hypocritical or anything. If Tallulah were sitting here, she would say the same thing.

Both Alina and Tallulah genuinely want the [Reunion Movement] to be self-sufficient. They hope the organization can grow stronger and protect the other infected people who need help.

If Griseo is now considered a member of the Reunion Movement, it would be acceptable if she usually stays within the organization.

Now that she has been away for a few days, needing others to protect them is truly outrageous... If they can't protect themselves in such a short time, how can they expect to grow and become stronger in the future?

"꒪꒫꒪)"

After hearing Alina's refusal, Griseo was momentarily stunned.

To be honest, the little girl roughly understood Alina's thoughts. They just didn't want to rely too heavily on her or the power of the "organization" behind her. Griseo understood and agreed with this.

However, the main issue isn't that... Let's not talk about the safety and assurance of the Reunion Movement. Even if we take a step back, Sakura must come this time; otherwise, she can't return!

If she really relies on Griseo's short legs, it will take at least several months to get from Lungmen to the Ursus Snowfield—not to mention ten days or half a month.

Therefore, the little girl decided to rescue her. After all, she couldn't let Sakura sleep on the snowy plains while she was away.

Although the physique of the MANTIS wouldn't allow them to freeze to death, it was still too inhumane... The environment and food on the Rhine Lab side were much better than here.

Calling people to help and then leaving them on the snowy plains was truly unethical. Especially considering that the person was also "herself" in various senses.

"It's not like that. Even if everyone doesn't need Sister Sakura's protection, she will still come to bother you for a few days. As for the reason..."

At this point, Griseo slowly stood up and approached Alina, whispering, "Because only Sister Sakura can help me return quickly from other places."

"And after working for a period of time, Sister Sakura also felt tired and wanted to stay in another place for a few days..."

After that, the little girl sat back down and looked up at the people beside her, waiting for her next words obediently.

Like many things before, this time, Griseo still chose not to hide it from Alina, although she did not reveal all the details.

"So that's how it is. No wonder you returned so quickly last time. So Miss Sakura stayed in the snowfield all afternoon?" After listening to Griseo's explanation, Alina's face showed a hint of realization.

In fact, as early as when she received Griseo's gift, Alina and the others noticed the words of Colombia printed on it and even on those materials. It's just that out of respect, no one had asked about it.

"Well, it was a shorter visit that time..."

After hearing Griseo's words, Alina smiled and rubbed her little head again, saying softly,

"Okay, I understand. Since it's for those reasons, we have no reason to refuse. When you want to tell Tallulah about this, I will help you explain it to her."

"꒪꒫꒪)!"

"Thank you, Sister Alina."

---

Chapter 59 (324): Griseo: ꒪꒫꒪)?

After working overtime and finishing all her tasks, Ch'en declined Swire's invitation and went home alone at night, exhausted.

Upon arriving home, Ch'en promptly put away the things she brought back and took out a set of clean clothes to wash up.

After the recent busyness, even Ch'en, who had a high execution ability, couldn’t help but feel tired. This was also why she declined her friend's invitation tonight; she needed a good rest.

…

"Splash..."

As the sound of water in the bathroom gradually stopped, Ch'en returned to her bedroom in loose pajamas, wiping her wet hair.

After another busy period and drying her dark blue hair, she completely relaxed and lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

"So tired..."

As she spoke, Ch'en’s peripheral vision caught sight of something. She turned her head slightly to look at the photo in the frame on her bedside table and fell into a brief silence.

Then she closed her eyes, as if she were speaking to someone, and whispered softly, "I have been doing well recently, and today was also fulfilling... The danger I faced before has been averted. How about you? How have you been lately?"

"..."

"I miss you a little, Sister...Tallulah."

As the last words fell, Ch'en opened her eyes again. Her gaze, once filled with longing, returned to the figure in the photo, who was smiling and hugging the young her...

---

In the early morning, the sun rose, and the not-so-warm sunlight slowly spread across the cold snowfield of Ursus, adding a touch of warmth to it.

In a tent at the Reunion Movement's encampment—

"Hmm..."

With a few subtle sounds, a furry little head poked out of the quilt to escape the chill from outside.

Because something important awaited her that morning, Griseo couldn’t sleep in as she usually did.

"Did Griseo wake up so early today?"

After noticing the movement around her, Alyona rubbed her eyes gently and poked her head out to ask softly.

Hearing the sudden sound, Griseo paused slightly and whispered, "Well... I plan to go find Tallulah in the morning. If I wait too long, she may be busy with other things again."

"Did I wake you up? Sorry..."

"No, it has nothing to do with you. I should be getting up at this time." Hearing this, Alyona shook her head gently and replied softly.

This wasn’t a lie from the little white ursus; it reflected her real schedule recently. As her injuries improved, she had been waking up earlier and earlier.

As for what she would do so early, it was, of course, to help with tasks within her ability and to train.

Although Alyona believed that no matter how much she trained, she might not be able to surpass Griseo in terms of strength, she still didn't want to be the one who was always protected... She wanted to protect others, too.

Even if she might not surpass her friend, she never wanted to be the one holding them back.

"So early... Alyona, don’t you want to rest for a while?" After hearing her little friend’s words, Griseo was slightly stunned and then turned her head to whisper.

The little girl knew that Alyona had been getting up very early lately. After all, there had been many mornings when she woke up and found herself the only one left in the quilt.

"No need, I have an appointment with others for training. It would be too embarrassing if I arrived late." Alyona couldn't help but reach out to touch Griseo's furry little head.

"Well, let’s get up together today. It’s been a long time since I was with Alyona."

"Yeah."

...

After spending some time getting up and washing up, Griseo temporarily separated from Alyona. One went to Tallulah's tent to wait for her, while the other went to help with the bonfire.

In order to stay with her friends as soon as possible, the little girl moved quickly.

---

"Tallulah... are you free now?"

Griseo stepped barefoot onto the cold, soft snow, trotting all the way to Tallulah's tent, and then called inside in a calm tone.

"Yes, come in."

"..."

After hearing Tallulah's response, Griseo lifted the curtain at the door and entered the tent.

"Little one, why did you get up so early today?" Tallulah, who was organizing today's action plan, asked with a smile upon seeing her.

"Because I have something important to tell you, and you're usually too busy..."

"I really am busy lately. Tell me what you have to say, and I will listen carefully." After hearing the little girl's words, Tallulah nodded gently, saying so helplessly.

With the passage of time and Griseo's help with materials, Reunion was growing stronger and stronger, leading to more tasks at hand.

So compared to before, Tallulah was indeed very busy during this period. In fact, it wasn’t just her; Patriot and Yelena were busy as well.

"Wait..."

Before Griseo could say anything, Tallulah suddenly seemed to remember something, raised her eyebrows, and said, "Let me guess what Griseo wants to tell me. It won't be what you and Alina whispered about last night, will it?"

"Hey, how did you know, Tallulah? ꒪꒫꒪)"

Griseo, interrupted before she could speak, responded subconsciously after hearing what Tallulah said.

"It’s not like I can’t see it! Tell me, what secret did you whisper to Alina last night?" Looking at the cute little girl in front of her, Tallulah couldn't help but reach out and gently pinch her face, smiling.

"Well... I’m going to Lungmen in a few days. Is there anything I need to bring?" As she spoke, Griseo glanced at Tallulah’s table suggestively, then looked up at her expectantly, waiting for a response.

"..."

After listening to Griseo’s words, Tallulah fell into a strange silence. At that moment, she realized this was indeed a very important matter...

After a brief silence and clearing the messy thoughts from her mind, Tallulah asked in one breath,

"How are you getting there? Is it safe? How long will you stay? When will you come back?"

"꒪꒫꒪)?"

Listening to this familiar question and seeing the familiar scene in front of her, a question mark slowly appeared over Griseo’s little head.

She understood everyone’s concern for her and felt warm and touched, but! She had already hinted at her plans; why did they go off-topic again?

-----

Chapter 60: Rejection and "Duplicity"

"What's that expression on your face? Tell me quickly." Tallulah couldn't help but smile and pinch Griseo's smooth face again.

Griseo gently rubbed her face, which had been pinched twice, and then explained, "Don't worry, I'm with Sister Hua this time. Sister Hua is very powerful."

"Why do you want to go there, Griseo?" Hearing this, Tallulah nodded gently and said thoughtfully, as if she remembered something.

Although she prioritized Griseo's safety, she also noticed a little hint. She understood a bit of what it meant.

If 'that' is was truly the reason Griseo wanted to go to Lungmen, then Tallulah planned to refuse.

After all, this place is not very close to Lungmen. If she allowed a child (a new sister) to cross such a long distance to help her realize her "private matter" just because of her own desires, then she would be failing as an adult.

Even if this child has special powers...

"Because Sister Eden has woken up. She is now in Lungmen with Sister Hua and the others. I want to meet her. Also, I want to help Tarurua bring some things to your sister." After saying this with a serious expression, Griseo once again cast her expectant eyes on the letters placed on the table.

"So that's how it is. Since you have family there and there’s a chance to meet, let's go have a good time. As for bringing things for me..."

At this point, Tallulah paused slightly, turned sideways, and looked at the table. She then continued, "Forget it; she and I will meet again one day, and it won't be too late for me to hand it to her personally."

"꒪꒫꒪)!?"

Hearing this, Griseo's expression was stunned, and then she looked up at Tallulah in surprise.

To be honest, the little girl didn’t understand why Tallulah would reject her so straightforwardly. It was obviously such a good opportunity... and why did one or two of them refuse? Were they colluding in advance?

"Doesn't Tallulah miss her sister very much? Why..."

"That's true, but I'm not in such a hurry. Ahem... Okay, let's stop talking about this topic. You got up so early, little one. You probably haven't had breakfast yet, so let's go together." Looking at the puzzled expression of the little one in front of her, Tallulah cleared her throat and changed the subject.

Clearly, the draco did not intend to explain the reason for her refusal to Griseo. She knew the character of the little one in front of her very well; if she told the real reason, there would be no escaping the struggle that would ensue.

"꒪꒫꒪)..."

After hearing Tallulah's words, which clearly changed the subject, Griseo was silent for a moment, and finally whispered, "Okay then."

At that moment, the little loli's "Sister Help Plan" suffered a heavy blow before it even started.

"Well, let's go. We'll head out for breakfast together." As she spoke, Tallulah rubbed Griseo's little head with a helpless expression. Then she took the little girl’s hand and walked out of the tent.

"Well."

Griseo did not resist Tallulah's words or actions, but at that moment, she quietly considered how to restart her plan...

It seemed that Griseo felt she needed help from Alina.

……

Lost in her thoughts, while Tallulah was discussing matters with others during breakfast, Griseo and Alina gathered together and whispered.

"Really, little idiot... Why didn't you call me when you talked to Tallulah about this kind of thing?" Alina said helplessly after listening to Griseo’s whisper.

Obviously, she hadn’t expected the little girl to rush over without calling her so early in the morning.

Based on Alina's understanding of Tallulah, it would have been strange if she agreed.

Others didn’t know, but Alina knew very well that Tallulah felt a little embarrassed or sorry because of Griseo's series of offers to help, and now this happened again...

"Because I saw Sister Alina was busy before..." Hearing this, Griseo couldn't help but whisper in defense.

At the same time, the little girl realized that her understanding of some of Alina's previous words had been slightly biased.

Before, Alina had said she would help her and Tallulah clarify things. Griseo had always thought that it was just about Sakura staying in the Reunion for a few days, but now it seemed that the "this matter" she was referring to involved this entire situation.

"Although I am indeed busy, you can still call me. Little Griseo doesn’t need to be so sensible; it's okay to be a little willful." As she said this, Alina couldn't help but stretch out her hand and pinch Griseo's little face, which felt very good.

There was no denying that Griseo had been in the Reunion for a while, but compared to other children who needed to be taken care of... In Alina's opinion, she was truly very sensible!

When other children cried, Griseo was drawing. When other children asked her to tell them stories, Griseo was drawing. When other children played and fought, Griseo was either drawing or daydreaming...

How to say it? Although Alina had expected this, she wanted Griseo to be happier and more willful!

"It's not good to trouble Sister Alina, who is taking care of others, because of these little things..." Griseo paused for a moment, then smiled at Alina and continued in a low voice, "But since Sister has said so, I’ll leave it to you next."

"Okay~ Leave this to me. I'll find time to talk to Tallulah later."

"Yes."

---

Just when Griseo thought this matter had come to an end for the time being, and she sat down next to her friend with a potato in her arms, eating it in small bites, a familiar voice suddenly sounded in her mind.

'Oh, I woke up so early in the morning and found that you, Griseo, were actually worried about these little things.'

'Morning, Sister Pardo~'

Hearing the words that suddenly came to her mind, Griseo blinked lightly without changing her expression and then silently responded in her heart.

'Morning, morning, morning! Don’t worry about trivial matters; leave them to me. In my opinion, Tallulah is... saying one thing and thinking another!'

'Hey~ I’ll prepare something for you later; I guarantee she’ll give in after seeing it!'

"꒪꒫꒪)!"

Griseo, who noticed what Pardo was thinking at that moment, was slightly stunned and almost lost her grip on the potato.

Ps: Encountering a Major Problem.

It's a significant issue, everyone. While I was writing tonight, I discovered a terrible problem: I've hit a dead end.

You may not know exactly where things went wrong, but I can assure you it's very serious—so serious that I can't salvage it later. I've already blocked off all the parts I could have used to make adjustments in the previous chapters, especially what I wrote yesterday. In the end, even if I forced myself to make changes, it would come off as inconsistent and contrived.

After discussing this with my friends, I found that the best solution is to rewrite it. Fortunately, there aren’t many parts that need to be rewritten—only about five or six pages.

I will change the title of the problematic ending and move it to the announcement section, then start writing new content from the point where the issues arose.

Because the new content will differ from the previous material, you don't need to worry about me recycling content from the abandoned chapters. If I do need to use similar plot points, I’ll expand upon them, and you won’t incur any extra charges.

I sincerely apologize! I'm sorry for the trouble this has caused everyone. The main problem stems from content that wasn’t in the outline but rather a plot idea I originally conceived. After discussing it in the group and finding that many people were interested, I decided to write it. However, I’ve realized I can’t go back now.

I've learned my lesson this time and will never write anything outside the outline again. A loser like me should just stick to the established plan.

---