Fatui Headquarters.
In a meeting room shrouded in dim light, a small-scale Harbinger meeting was underway.
Pierro sat at the head of the oval conference table, his expression cold as frost.
Seated on either side were Dottore, Arlecchino, Pulcinella, and Pantalone.
Pierro turned his head slowly, his gaze piercing toward Dottore like a knife.
“Dottore, don’t you think you owe us an explanation?” “The serial maiden disappearances have nothing to do with me,” Dottore said in a calm tone that hid a touch of hard-to-conceal anger.
He had always prided himself on being the most brilliant schemer in the world.
When had he ever imagined that one day he would be framed like this?
What made it even more infuriating was that now everyone assumed he was the one behind it.
Sitting opposite him, Arlecchino asked indifferently, “Who else could easily accomplish such a feat besides you?” “I don’t wish to answer any more of these meaningless questions,” Dottore shot back coldly.
“Dottore,” Pierro stared at him with a blank expression, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“You must answer.” Those words felt like a public slap to his face.
Dottore took a deep breath, forcing down the surge of emotions in his chest, and explained, “The serial maiden disappearances should be connected to that Vacher.
During an adventure, his girlfriend suffered an accident.
Afterward, he used those maidens for human experimentation in an attempt to revive her.” If Ye Xun had been on the scene, he would have been thoroughly amazed: Dottore’s deduction was practically identical to the actual truth!
Hearing this, Pierro frowned slightly.
“So…
it is still human experimentation?” “Yes,” Dottore admitted helplessly.
For Snezhnaya, this was no different in essence from the deduction printed in *The Steambird*.
They could not rely on the truth to completely clear their own name.
Pierro fell into deep thought, his fingers unconsciously tapping the tabletop, producing a low, rhythmic *thump, thump*.
The people present carried different expressions, each harboring their own thoughts.
After a long while, he stopped his movement and shifted his gaze toward Pulcinella.
“Mayor, tell us your thoughts.” Pulcinella weighed his words for a moment before speaking slowly, “Our side should flatly reject Fontaine’s demands.
We must never allow them to inspect our medical research institutes.” “Mr.
Mayor,” the corners of Arlecchino’s lips curled up slightly, a derisive smile flickering in her eyes.
“With such a cold response, aren’t you afraid of completely escalating relations between our two nations?” Pulcinella didn’t argue.
Instead, he candidly acknowledged his error: “It seems I failed to consider the matter thoroughly.” Hearing this, everyone present sneered silently in their hearts.
This old fox hadn’t failed to consider it at all; he simply wanted to keep his hands clean and avoid offending anyone.
Pierro shifted his gaze to Pantalone, who had remained silent all along.
“And you?
What is your opinion?” Pantalone offered a warm smile, his tone relaxed.
“I believe Lord Arlecchino’s concerns must be given proper weight.” Northland Bank had deep financial interests in Fontaine.
He did not wish to see relations between the two countries deteriorate.
Hearing this, Pierro once again slipped into thought, his fingers lightly tapping against the table.
After a long time, he reached a decision in his heart.
The benefits brought by Dottore’s human experimentation were already lower than the price that had to be paid.
If that was the case, it would be better to simply abolish it.
He stopped his tapping, preparing to announce this decision.
However, just at that moment— Dottore suddenly spoke up: “Director Pierro, before you announce your decision, please come with me to look at an interesting subject.” Pierro paused slightly and replied indifferently, “Very well.” So long as the other party could demonstrate sufficient results from the human experiments, he didn’t mind changing his mind.
Dottore stood up.
Before leaving, he shot a meaningful look at Arlecchino and let out a soft laugh, then led Pierro off in the direction of the laboratory.
“Arlecchino,” Pulcinella looked at their departing figures and let out a deep sigh, his face full of regret.
“You all did well enough…
what a pity, though.” Arlecchino didn’t bother to watch his act any longer.
Expressionless, she stood up and turned to leave, her high heels tapping on the marble floor with a crisp, resolute echo.
Inside the meeting room, only Pulcinella and Pantalone were left.
“Mayor, whose handiwork is this, really?” Pantalone’s voice held a tinge of admiration.
“To think there is actually such a figure among the Fatui!” Pulcinella lifted his head slightly, his cloudy eyes gradually growing deep.
“Just a shameless bastard!” “Perhaps this is as far as he goes.” “Perhaps…” Later that evening.
Snezhnaya officially rejected Fontaine’s request through a diplomatic note, sternly declaring that the serial maiden disappearances had absolutely no connection to Snezhnaya.
This declaration convinced the citizens of Fontaine that the truth was precisely as reported.
Driven by a surge of public outrage, Palais Mermonia ultimately issued an announcement: they would continue to investigate Snezhnaya’s human experimentation.
…
In the afternoon.
Under the lazy sunlight, Lynette stood near the doorway, her chin raised slightly as she watched the figure squatting on the ground, repairing a broken door with wooden strips.
“Ye Xun,” she said with a hint of gloating in her tone, “Father had me pass along some bad news—your plan failed.” Ye Xun seemed to have expected this outcome all along; his expression remained calm, and his hands didn’t stop working.
Seeing him completely unbothered, a flicker of annoyance flared in Lynette’s heart, and her voice involuntarily rose: “Hey!
Did you hear me?
Your plan failed!
You bastard, why aren’t you hurrying up and running for your life?” It wasn’t until he pounded the final nail securely that Ye Xun slowly stood up and patted the sawdust off his hands.
He turned around, his gaze warm yet laced with a bit of mischief as he looked directly into her bright eyes.
“Lynette, I am your elder.
Next time you talk to me, please call me ‘Uncle’.” “You—!” Lynette instantly glared at him, her cheeks puffing up in anger.
The slender cat tail behind her swished rapidly back and forth, making her look just like an irritated cat.
“Go to hell!
I will never call you Uncle!” Dropping that line, she turned and walked away without looking back.
Ye Xun watched her storming figure leave and shook his head helplessly.
It seemed he would need to educate her properly in the future.
After tidying things up, Ye Xun left his home and walked toward the Machinery Research Institute.
As a believer of the Moon Goddess, it was time for him to pay tribute to his deity.
Since Rosalyne had given him a generous amount of “allowance,” his financial situation had noticeably improved.
So this time, he was unusually generous and bought two loaves of dalieba.
Before long, Ye Xun reached his destination and waited quietly by the main gate of the Machinery Research Institute.
About an hour later, Columbina’s delicate figure appeared in his field of vision, light and graceful as she drew near.
“Lord Columbina, please accept this offering from your believer.” Once she walked over, Ye Xun stepped forward quickly and handed the two loaves of dalieba to her.
Columbina reached out her fair, delicate hands to take the dalieba.
“Ye Xun…
I still cannot feel your faith.” “Perhaps…
it’s because my faith isn’t pure enough,” Ye Xun said casually.
Then, he shifted the topic: “Lord Columbina, I heard that you are a kind and gentle deity who often helps her believers.” As soon as those words left his mouth, a quiet tinge of disappointment crept onto Columbina’s face.
As expected, he had only approached her because he wanted something from her.
[Columbina Favorability -10] Hearing the system prompt, Ye Xun instantly realized she was viewing him as a manipulative petitioner.
He quickly clarified, “Lord Columbina, you misunderstand.
I don’t want you to help me, but rather to help those poor children.” He immediately recounted the darkness of human experimentation, adding a bit of dramatic flair.
Once he finished, the system’s voice sounded once more: [Columbina Favorability +10] Columbina’s expression softened slightly compared to before.
“I’m sorry…
I’m afraid I might not be able to help you.” “You can help me,” Ye Xun said with a serious expression.
“I only need you to do one thing.” “What thing?” Columbina pressed.
Ye Xun explained what he needed her to do.
Upon hearing it, Columbina showed a moment of hesitation.
“Ye Xun…
I’m afraid…” “I believe in you.” He gazed at her, his eyes clear and firm.
That single sentence gently plucked a long-dormant string deep in her heart.
After a brief silence, Columbina nodded slightly and agreed to the matter.
Ye Xun thereupon took his leave.
In the orange-gold glow of dusk, Columbina unwrapped the paper around the dalieba.
Sitting on the steps in front of the research institute, she began munching on them without the slightest hint of distaste.
In no time at all, she had devoured both of the basin-sized loaves of dalieba.
She let out a satisfied burp, rubbed her slightly round belly, and hummed that familiar tune as she strolled back into the research institute.
“Do…
*burp* …rmi, cara…
*burp* …
Columbula…”