Bronya: Please Cooperate with Me!

Lin Hai sat alone on the living room sofa, surrounded by silence.

The glow of dusk streamed through a gap in the curtains, casting long patches of light across the floor.

Cipher couldn't stay here long-term and had quietly left last night.

After receiving affection for the second time, The Herta had also returned to the Herta Space Station.

The silence after the bustle was often harder to bear than loneliness.

Lin Hai's fingertips seemed to retain the warmth of touching The Herta, and her and Cipher's voices, one sly and the other cool, seemed to echo in his ears.

Lin Hai took out the Contract Lucky Star associated with Seele and curled his fingers around it.

A familiar glow flowed and surged before bursting into radiant light. A familiar figure appeared in the middle of the living room.

Seele appeared silently and spotted Lin Hai sitting on the sofa at once.

With barely a moment's hesitation, she stepped forward and threw herself into his arms, wrapping both arms around him.

Lin Hai could feel her soft breathing as she leaned against him with complete trust.

He lowered his head and placed a tender, affectionate kiss on Seele's forehead.

"I've prepared plenty of supplies," Lin Hai said softly.

His gaze swept over the neatly arranged, fully packed supply crates in the corner.

"Food, medicine, and some everyday necessities... they should be able to help everyone."

Seele's eyes lit up, and her heartfelt gratitude made her hold him a little tighter.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Lin."

"Seele, shall we take these things over now?"

Seele shook her head slightly, a hint of shyness on her face.

"I'd like to take a bath here first... is that okay? Over there, clean hot water is always a luxury."

"Of course." Lin Hai agreed without hesitation.

Before long, Seele finished bathing and changed into the clothes Lin Hai had prepared for her.

A light purple dress and a comfortable sports jacket.

The outfit made her look especially fresh and full of youthful energy.

Lin Hai looked at her, his eyes full of admiring amusement.

"Maybe... you could pair them with stockings? I think they'd suit you, and I like them too."

Seele's cheeks flushed slightly, but she nodded in agreement.

She put on a pair of purple-black stockings, their color complementing the dress and adding a touch of softness to the lively outfit.

Once they were ready, the two wasted no time. They took the large bags of supplies, gripped the Lucky Star, and returned to Belobog's Underworld.

Familiar scents hit them.

Rust.

Damp earth.

A faint, barely perceptible smell of smoke.

This was a world buried deep underground, utterly different from the bright surroundings of Lin Hai's home.

Seele's expression returned to its usual focused look. Still a young girl, she quickly gathered the members of Wildfire.

Everyone worked together seamlessly, and a supply distribution point was soon set up.

People who heard the news came rushing over and formed an orderly line of their own accord.

Lin Hai and Seele also stepped forward to help, handing portions of food, medicine, and necessities to each pair of eager or weary hands.

The whole process was busy, yet filled with warm hope.

Just as the last of the supplies had been handed out and everyone was beginning to relax, however, a stern voice rang out nearby:

"Mr. Lin Hai?"

Everyone turned to see a long-haired young woman with an upright bearing standing behind them. No one knew when she had arrived.

She wore a neat Silvermane Guards uniform, and her gaze was sharp.

"Under orders from the Upper District, I need your cooperation in an investigation. Please come with me."

The atmosphere instantly grew tense.

Before Lin Hai could respond, the Wildfire members around them moved swiftly, forming a human wall around Bronya in seamless coordination.

Lin Hai knew full well that he had a clear conscience about what he had done on this trip.

He had set foot in this forgotten underground district only a handful of times, but every time he came, he brought tangible aid.

Food, medicine, the necessities of survival!

For the resource-starved Underworld, these supplies were a godsend, not a crime!

In Lin Hai's view, Bronya of the Silvermane Guards had come under the pretext of investigating a case, and that sounded more like a carefully crafted excuse.

Her real purpose was probably to investigate him.

His origins.

The aid supplies that seemed to appear out of thin air.

To this day, Lin Hai's background and the source of his power remained a mystery to most people.

Only Seele knew part of the truth.

Even Oleg, the leader of Wildfire, did not know the whole story.

The Upper District's governing authorities had evidently noticed the unusual flow of supplies in the Underworld recently.

This irregularity had put the Upper District on alert, prompting it to send Bronya to investigate.

They were trying to uncover the truth and eliminate the uncertainties.

Facing Bronya, Seele stood firm and stepped forward.

"People from the Upper District aren't welcome here!"

Bronya tried to maintain a calm, businesslike demeanor as she explained:

"I'm only here to carry out my mission and establish the facts. If Mr. Lin has done nothing wrong, I naturally won't do anything to him."

Seele's resolve to protect him didn't waver. "No matter what happens, no one is going to threaten Mr. Lin!"

Bronya reiterated, "I don't wish to use force."

"Neither do we, but if anyone intends to harm Mr. Lin, we won't hesitate to use force!"

The atmosphere grew even tenser, and conflict was on the verge of breaking out.

At that moment, with tensions at their peak, Lin Hai spoke calmly.

"All right, I'll cooperate with your investigation. As for where we meet and talk, let's make it somewhere in the Underworld."

Lin Hai took the initiative to move the confrontation to a place more familiar to him.

Doing so would also put the people of the Underworld a little more at ease.

Bronya nodded slightly at his words. "Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Lin."

Her gratitude was sincere.

Whatever the reason behind the investigation, Lin Hai had genuinely helped the Underworld.

That was an objective fact!

His aid had improved the lives of many people.

That was a fact that could not be ignored.

Bronya had always wanted to bridge the growing divide between the Upper District and the Underworld.

She simply hadn't been able to find an effective way.

Lin Hai's arrival and his actions had, to some extent, stirred up the stagnant status quo.

Bronya took a deep breath and asked, "Where in the Underworld shall we talk?"

Lin Hai pointed to a small three-story building nearby. "There. It's fairly quiet."

"All right!"

Seele instinctively grabbed Lin Hai's arm, her eyes full of concern as she looked at him.

Lin Hai smiled and patted Seele's hand. "It's all right," he said quietly. "Nothing will happen."

Only then did Seele let go. She looked at Bronya. "I hope you follow the rules. If you dare lay a hand on Mr. Lin in the Underworld, we'll make sure you never leave!"

Bronya and Lin Hai walked side by side to the nearby three-story building. It was a restaurant, and despite having only three floors, it could be considered moderately sized given the Underworld's shortage of supplies.

Bronya and Lin Hai sat by the window. Neither showed any hostility; on the contrary, both seemed quite calm.