In no time at all, Nekomata had cleared her bowl, slurping down every last drop of the broth.
It looked like she really had been starving.
Satisfied, she patted her slightly bloated little belly and slumped onto the sofa with an expression of pure bliss.
“So, you didn’t rush all the way over here just to eat ramen, did you?” Li Qianqiao looked at Nekomata sitting beside him, completely speechless.
“Ah, right, right! I almost forgot! It’s all that ramen’s fault!”
Wise couldn’t help but sweatdrop, thinking: What did my ramen ever do to you?!
“I saw the news on my way here—the demolition has been delayed! But those guys must have driven the train away in the end, which means Nicole and the others are still in deep trouble. What do we do? We have to move on to the next phase immediately! Hey, you damn pervert, use your invincible armor to figure something out!”
Li Qianqiao’s mouth twitched as he facepalmed in exasperation.
If I were really that overpowered, I would’ve stopped eating beef a long time ago!
Though as a flower of the motherland raised under the red flag, my solid upbringing makes it pretty unlikely I’d ever act like a tyrant.
The more Nekomata thought about it, the more anxious she became.
She began pacing around the sofa in circles, muttering incomprehensible words under her breath.
Wise stepped in to stop her before she ran straight into the corner of the table, looking at her with a serious expression.
“Nekomata, I understand you’re anxious, but before we figure out a rescue plan, we need to talk.”
Perhaps Wise’s tone was a bit too intimidating, because Nekomata didn’t dare look him in the eye, her voice instantly turning timid.
“Whoa, what’s with the sudden serious tone? You’re making the fur on my ears stand on end…”
“Let me handle the questioning, Brother Wise. Look how badly you scared her. Belle, don’t worry, I promise I’ll be serious this time!” Li Qianqiao patted Wise on the shoulder, gesturing for him to step back, before glancing over at Belle.
Belle didn’t say anything, only offering her signature, knowing smile.
Wise thought about it and realized he might have indeed come off a bit too harsh, so he nodded in agreement.
…
“Let’s begin! Confess and be treated with leniency, resist and face the consequences! Name!”
“Meow! Don’t scare me like that out of nowhere… N-Nekomata…” Looking at Li Qianqiao sitting across from her, Nekomata felt an inexplicable wave of guilt, as if she were facing the overwhelming pressure of a supreme authority.
“Gender!”
“Can’t you tell, meow?!”
“Hey, some people out there literally identify as an attack helicopter! Hurry up! Time is dollars!”
“…Female.”
“Height, weight, measurements, the color of your underwear today—wait, crap, sorry Sis Belle, force of habit, standard procedure, hehehe…”
Smack!
…
“Moving on! Tell us, what is your actual objective? And why were there people disguised as Public Security officers on that train?”
Nekomata stared at the bright red handprint on Li Qianqiao’s face, contrasting wildly with his deadpan, serious words and exaggerated interrogation expressions…
The tension she felt completely crumbled.
Finally unable to hold it in, she burst out laughing.
“Pfft, hahaha! No way, I can’t take this seriously, meow! What kind of cursed expression is that? Hahaha!”
Watching the whole farce unfold, Wise covered his face.
It gave him the distinct illusion that maybe bringing Li Qianqiao back in the first place had been a terrible mistake.
But since what’s done was done, Wise simply reached out and covered Li Qianqiao’s mouth to stop his ridiculous questioning.
Looking at Nekomata, who was still pounding the table in a fit of laughter, Wise spoke in a calm, measured tone, “If you want further support from Phaethon, you’d better answer A-Qiao’s question clearly and tell us what you’ve been hiding.”
Wise’s words felt like a bucket of ice water dumped over Nekomata’s head, instantly wiping the laughter from her face.
“I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you guys!”
“I really didn’t know there were people on that train beforehand, but I’ve seen guys wearing those exact same uniforms elsewhere!”
“Our goal is simply to save people!”
To save people.
That phrase instantly caught Wise and Belle’s attention.
Why did this entire situation involve saving people?
“Saving people? Are you saying that besides the Cunning Hares, someone else is caught up in this?” Belle couldn’t wrap her head around it, and Nekomata didn’t know how to explain it clearly either, so she pulled up the rest of the visual data for them to watch.
Crunch, crunch~
Suddenly, the sound of loud chewing drew everyone’s attention to the side.
Wise facepalmed, Belle sighed, and Nekomata snatched a handful to eat.
Wow, what a harmonious and beautiful scene!
…
“And that’s the whole truth… Nicole told me that they would stay in the construction zone first to gather the relocation authorization letters and monitor Vision Corporation’s movements.”
“My assignment was to find Phaethon and ask for help.”
The four of them huddled around the screen watching the playback as Li Qianqiao nodded along to Nekomata’s explanation.
Yeah, even though I already cleared this storyline back in the game, seeing it play out in reality… man, Vision Corporation really consists of absolute pieces of trash!
“I’m not lying to you! Whether it’s Nicole or the residents left in the demolition zone, everyone is on the brink of death right now!”
“Please, Phaethon, come with me to save them!” Nekomata grew more emotional as she spoke, looking at Li Qianqiao and the siblings with eyes full of desperate hope.
“Nekomata, we believe you now. However, as professional Proxies, it’s our duty to warn you about the risks of the upcoming operation.” Wise said.
“Yes. If we want to rescue all the residents, we are bound to enter into an open conflict with Vision Corporation…” Belle said.
“And little kitty, it might just cost you your life!
Li Qianqiao looked at Nekomata as fragments of his nightmares flashed through his mind.
This operation was highly likely to introduce unstable variables.
If they were just dealing with Vision Corporation’s regular grunts, Li Qianqiao could proudly declare that he wouldn’t even need to use a Finisher—ten seconds would be plenty to slice through them one by one!
But the real terrifying unknown was whether the Orphnochs were pulling the strings behind Vision’s demolition project.
With Li Qianqiao’s current strength relying entirely on overwhelming stat-checking, if he ran into an Elite-tier Orphnoch, his lack of actual combat techniques would turn him into a glorified loot box delivery boy!
But then again, there were many young children among the residents.
Could the ‘King’ he was searching for be among them?
What if the Orphnochs found him first…
By the time he snapped out of his thoughts, Nekomata had already demonstrated her absolute resolve.
Wise and Belle said no more, and Li Qianqiao had no objections either.
Thus, they gathered around to map out their strategy, finalizing the plan in no time.
The plan didn’t differ much from the game’s plot.
Although Li Qianqiao had toyed with the idea of going solo to handle everything, he needed to watch out for the shadows lurking in the dark to ensure they wouldn’t target the people close to him.
Moving together was definitely the smarter play.
“No time to lose, let’s get ready to move.” Wise said.
“Little Li, take Nekomata and Eous with you. Go meet up with Nicole first to explain the plan, and then…” Belle paused.
“Mhm… and then, we decide on—meow! Why are you lifting me up?!” Nekomata glared furiously at Li Qianqiao, who had picked her up by the scruff of her neck.
“You talk too much, just get on the bike already! Brother Wise, Sis Belle, see you later!” Li Qianqiao hoisted Nekomata, waved goodbye to the siblings, and swiftly made his exit.
“Stay safe out there!”
“Little Li, don’t bully Nekomata again!”
…
Inside Canvas Street.
An elderly lady handed the final few relocation authorization letters to Anby, unable to hide her worry.
“That little girl you sent to get help… why hasn’t she come back after all this time?”
Beside her, Nicole was also starting to wonder.
It really was taking an unusually long time.
Right at that moment, the roar of a motorcycle engine echoed from right above their heads.
Anby instantly drew her blade while Nicole shielded the elderly lady behind her, eyeing the upper level warily.
“Whoa-aaaah! Slow down! You’re driving so crazy I’m about to throw up, meow!”
“Hahaha, no way! Time waits for no man! Besides, there are so many obstacles on the road, what’s wrong with a little drift? Honestly, I feel like my driving skills are getting better by the day!”
“Even though I’m a Bangboo right now, I can’t take this abuse… I can’t hold it! Wise, quick, pass me a trash bag!”
Along with the roaring engine came voices that were incredibly familiar to the Cunning Hares.
“It’s the Proxies!” Nicole was overjoyed.
Li Qianqiao nailed the landing on his motorcycle right in front of Nicole and the others.
It should have been an incredibly badass entrance, but when it came to Nekomata and Belle, the vibe shifted completely…
One cat girl and one Bangboo stumbled off the bike on trembling legs, dropped to their knees, and immediately began vomiting rainbows.
The elderly lady was completely bewildered, looking back and forth between Nicole and the neon-colored waterfall next to the bike.
“Are you absolutely sure they’re reliable?”
Anby silently sheathed her sword while Nicole offered a deeply embarrassed laugh.
“Haha, don’t let their appearance fool you, Granny. These are top-tier professionals. Rest assured!”
“Hey, Little Li, get over here! Care to explain what the heck just happened?”
Seeing that the other two were still indisposed, Li Qianqiao temporarily took over as the narrator.
“I see. So your original plan was to intercept the cargo train to stop the demolition, but you didn’t expect it to be packed to the brim with Vision Corporation’s reinforcement troops.” Under Li Qianqiao’s breakdown, the sequence of events became clear, and Nicole caught on to the situation.
“Exactly. To keep the residents from fighting them to the death, Vision Corporation really pulled out all the stops.” Having finished her business, Belle through Eous walked over to Nicole’s side, not forgetting to shoot Li Qianqiao a sharp glare along the way.
“Hehe, Sis Belle, you can hand down my punishment after we finish the mission. I’ll take full responsibility.”
“Alright, we’ll settle that score later. The strategy the Proxies mentioned about hijacking the transport vehicle seems completely viable! As expected of the brilliant and courageous Phaethon!”
“Granny, you heard our rescue strategy just now. We’ll be counting on you to get all the residents gathered at the nearby subway station.”
The elderly lady had been listening intently, and knowing there was finally a way out, she happily agreed.
Seeing her agree so readily, Nicole took the opportunity to ask about the old stronghold of the Red Fang Gang.
…
Meanwhile, at the Vision Corporation Demolition Monitoring Post.
Charles Perlman sat in his chair in an exceptionally grand mood, already fantasizing about the massive stacks of Dennies that would flood his accounts once the demolition went through.
“Hehehe, how should I spend it all once this job is wrapped up?”
“A lavish feast? Nah, getting a bit tired of that. Travel? Uh… better not wander too far from that woman’s sight.”
While Perlman was deeply immersed in his daydream, a subordinate rushed over frantically.
“Director Perlman, you have a phone call!”
“Huh? At a time like this? Who’s calling?” Looking at the handed-over phone, Perlman furrowed his brows, taking it with clear displeasure.
Just as he was about to give whoever was on the other end a piece of his mind, a woman’s voice cut through the receiver.
“Perlman, there is a task that needs your attention right now.”
The woman’s voice carried a subtle hint of laziness, laced with an undeniable, sultry allure.
It was the kind of voice that would make any guy’s lower half want to stand up and salute.
But Perlman was in no mood to enjoy it.
The moment he heard that voice, a visceral chill ran down his spine, making his words stumble.
“M-Miss Sarah. Please go ahead, I guarantee the demolition will be completed flawlessly!”
“Two people will be heading your way shortly. Give them a proper welcome. If they want to enter the residential zone, do not stop them.”
Perlman’s expression turned dead serious.
He abandoned his chair entirely, snapping to absolute attention.
“Yes ma’am! Leave it to me! But about those two…”
“I’ve sent the details to your phone.” With that, the line went dead.
It took several minutes before Perlman finally collapsed back into his chair.
He felt as if he had just sprinted two full kilometers; his back was completely drenched in sweat.
“That wretched woman!”
But what could he do?
He was merely a puppet on the surface, stripped of any real executive power.
“Sigh, whatever. Let’s see what she sent.” Perlman pulled up the newly received file, skimming through it, only to freeze instantly.
“Rat? Leech? What kind of absurd names are these?”
Perlman couldn’t comprehend why anyone would have such bizarre names.
Deciding to stop wasting brain cells on it, he called his men over to prepare a suitable welcome for their guests.