A Show of Force

"What, you're a fan of Eden? If you want an autograph, I can take you to her."

"A fan?" Mei shook her head. "I've only been to one of his concerts—I must say, it was heavenly music, and it was an unforgettable experience, but I wouldn't call myself a fan yet."

"Ha! That's great. I'd be in trouble if my partner were that guy's biggest fan." Vil-V smiled.

Mei then revealed a hint of nostalgia. "Actually, when it comes to fans, my two junior brothers were the real die-hard fans. They did something ridiculous like skipping school to go to a concert when they were in school—but they were caught by me and my teacher afterward."

"You have a junior brother?" Vil-V raised an eyebrow. "How good is he? Can he help you out?"

"They might ruin the lab. They're not research-oriented people—actually, they're two noisy guys who are always a headache. As the teacher puts it, they're like two huskies."

"It's hard to imagine how you ended up with them."

Vil-V touched her chin, and the image of Pardo appeared in her mind.

Yeah, she's definitely a cat lover, I guess.

"Well..." Mei's usually cold face softened slightly. "Although they can be an eyesore at times that make me want to fill them with cement and sink them into the sea, they are actually honest and reliable people."

"..."

Hey, hey, hey? Did this guy just use a gentle expression to describe some really cruel methods?

Suddenly, Vil-V felt that this guy's style seemed a bit off...

However, this made Vil-V feel quite natural—after all, how normal could the guy who could hang out with her and Mobius be?

Perhaps she's already gotten used to the eccentricities of her peers...

Okay, Vil-V admits that the one whose art style is most seriously out of whack is actually her. If her lover personality comes out, the art style will directly turn into a yandere weirdo. Compared to her, Mobius is normal.

"... So, you actually really like your junior brothers?"

"Yes, I treat him as my own son." Mei nodded in agreement.

Vil-V: "..."

Did this guy really not use the wrong idiom?

Who uses the term "treat as one's own child" like that?

Vil-V couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

But as a PhD, I shouldn't use idioms incorrectly in this kind of situation... right?

"It's just a euphemism for 'an elder sister is like a mother.'"

Seemingly noticing Vil-V's subtle expression, Mei added, "She can't exactly say she wants to go from being a 'senior sister' to a 'master's wife,' can she?"

This statement is considered extremely treasonous, even by the standards of treason.

Moreover, with an outsider like Vil-V, it's about time to establish a relationship; continuing beyond that would be self-destruction.

"... That's right, you really are my senior sister."

As expected, a puzzled expression appeared on Vil-V's face, but seeing that she had no intention of explaining further, Vil-V could only nod in agreement, pretending to be calm.

"Speaking of which, your teacher must be quite wise to produce a student like you, right? Is he currently working at the Moth Chasers to Fire?"

"This... is not here, he's already gone."

Vil-V paused slightly, then gave an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, please accept my condolences."

"... Ah, he's not dead, it's exactly what he said. The teacher went out a while ago, and we don't know when he'll be back."

Mei's face now displayed an even more vivid expression of wry smile.

Was what I said really that misleading?

Vil-V looked slightly embarrassed, but her gaze towards Mei also held a hint of curiosity.

So this guy isn't completely expressionless after all.

Seeing the changes in the other person's expression after she brought up two things in a row, Vil-V found it quite interesting.

I might get along with this guy—at least better than with Mobius.

"Sorry, sorry, so there are only three of you in your sect?"

"No, there is another senior sister, but... she's nothing to fear—ah no, I mean she's a very good person."

Mei's expression hardened—she realized she had been too relaxed and had even blurted out her innermost thoughts.

However, my senior sister is really nothing to fear. Apart from being considerate and having excellent cooking skills, what else is she good at? Can you find a third womanly quality in her?

Okay, maybe it's those round, taut thighs.

But there is absolutely no fourth place that exudes femininity!

The final battlefield will ultimately be a "battle" between myself and that guy Mobius —although saying this really feels bad for my senior sister.

Mei started the conversation, but then her mind started to wander off-topic. However, as a wise person, in this kind of leisurely chat, as long as her brain doesn't freeze, she can still keep talking to the other person even if she goes off-topic.

Then, as Mei thought about it, she remembered Elysia, who was a bit of a troublemaker—okay, she had to admit, she was a good person, just a bit annoying.

And most importantly, that guy looks like he's forever seventeen, so shameless.

According to his resume, this guy was already active on the battlefield during the Second Honkai. Judging by his age, even if he wasn't the same age as Mobius, he should be about the same age as Dr. Vil-V in front of him.

Looking at the other person, Mei could only sense that he looked about seventeen years old...

It has to be said that Mobius's "leftover woman whispers" did have some effect, actually making the 18 or 19-year-old Mei anxious, and now she even has a bit of an automatic hostility towards people who look younger than her.

I should definitely stay away from that guy Mobius from now on.

Mei composed herself, and the two chatted for a while before they realized they had arrived at the laboratory.

"This is the laboratory. Mei, take a look and see if there's anything else we need to install."

After Vil-V verified her identity, the door in front of her slowly opened, revealing a rather exquisite laboratory.

—Forgive me for not having a very rich vocabulary, so I can only describe this laboratory as exquisite.

In Mei's eyes, the various devices in this laboratory resembled precisely meshed gears, exuding a beauty of contradiction and unity—to be honest, Mei thought this PhD student might have the potential to be an artist.

However, Mei feels that she may not be used to this environment full of contradictions and unified aesthetics. Apart from the equipment, Mei's requirements for the laboratory are extremely simple.

The kind of setup we see right now... well, even among scientists, it's rare. Mei is really curious how the other person managed to fill the lab with such a strange style—even though there aren't any special decorations in the lab.

Then, Mei remembered an unassuming title Mobius used when introducing the other person—Master Architect.

So that's what you meant?

"...What an amazing laboratory," Mei exclaimed.

"I knew you wouldn't notice!" Vil-V's face lit up with joy. "How about it? It's a great style, isn't it? If the budget hadn't been limited to a few decorations, I would have used gears as the theme to create a super laboratory!"

"... That sounds pretty good."

Although Mei genuinely felt that this idea was meaningless, it didn't stop her from praising the other person a couple of times—after all, such words didn't cost anything.

"Then you can tour it first. I'll find a place to process your Divine Key Project. If I'm not back by the time you're done touring, come find me at headquarters."

Vil-V glanced around and, seeing that she hadn't left any dangerous items in the lab, immediately prepared to let Mei tour the lab herself—this was also a way of showing trust.

She wanted to go find Liu Bai.

To be honest, the proposal for the God Key is a bit ahead of its time. Although Vil-V understands it, she still feels a little unsure. But after thinking about it, she realized that the only thing she could do was ask Liu Bai.

So now, Vil-V is like she's running away to find Liu Bai to discuss this matter.

Mei, of course, had no idea what Vil-V was thinking. She simply took it as a sign of trust in her and calmly nodded, letting Vil-V leave.

"... Something feels off."

Watching Vil-V leave, Mei rubbed her temples a little uneasy—probably just her imagination.

Mei really doesn't know how Vil-V adapted to this style that is full of contradictions and unity. After staying here for a while, Mei felt that her thoughts were starting to become a little disordered.

Staying in a place like this for too long might cause a mental breakdown, right?

"Liu Bai! Liu Bai! Help needed!"

Vil-V burst into Eden's design studio in a flurry of activity.

"Vil-V, would you like to try this bikini?" Eden casually turned to look at Vil-V, who had barged in.

"..."

For a moment, Vil-V didn't know how to describe the scene before her.

Sakura, looking bashful, was wearing a bikini that revealed over 95% of her body, while Eden calmly directed her to remove her hands from her upper and lower body and straighten up.

—To be honest, wouldn't any woman with a normal sense of shame be shy?

Vil-V couldn't figure out if this was ELM's signature bullying or something else, but her expression twisted for a moment—the other personalities in her mind were suppressing the desire to put on a bikini and then go crazy as a lover.

"Did I come at the wrong time?"

Vil-V glanced at the corner of her mouth.

"It's alright." Eden seemed completely oblivious to the implication in Vil-V's words. "I also prepared a swimsuit for you, Vil-V."

Eden picked up three small pieces of cloth that were connected by thread from the table.

"..."

Vil-V glanced at the corner of her mouth.

Although she admitted that wearing this thing might actually attract Liu Bai's attention... but those three little pieces of cloth are just too outrageous!

Eden, have you, a world-class fashion designer, stooped to making such vulgar clothes?

"... Eden, next time, how about you try using three Band-Aids directly?"

"I tried, but Sakura wouldn't agree no matter what I said, so I had to make a swimsuit on the spot." Eden said calmly.

As for Sakura, the model, she was so overwhelmed with blood that she was about to faint.

"You actually tried it..."

Vil-V's expression became even stranger—this was definitely a typical example of bullying in ELM!

"It's quite unusual that someone wasn't staring at the other person the whole time."

"I'm not a pervert."

Liu Bai said confidently.

Isn't it just a bikini?

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"It seems so..." Vil-V was taken aback by Liu Bai's self-righteous attitude, but then had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Little did anyone know that Liu Bai was responsible for at least 95% of Sakura's current shyness—although Sakura was open-minded in some ways, she was ultimately a traditional woman.

If Sakura had simply been tricked into wearing this thing, she wouldn't have cared at all. She knew who Eden was, and he probably created this thing because he wanted to wear it himself. But the problem was that Liu Bai was right next to her.

As her beloved scrutinized her large expanse of skin, Sakura, an independent and self-reliant female swordsman, felt an overwhelming urge to bury herself in shame.

Even though Liu Bai had long since passed the stage of being unable to control his gaze, he still caused Ying considerable embarrassment.

This level of exposure is clearly something you'd only see on your wedding night...

If it weren't for her strong side trying to hold on, Sakura would already be teary-eyed—but if Sakura were really teary-eyed, this contrast might actually be even more endearing.

However, Vil-V obviously didn't pay much attention to that and immediately waved to Liu Bai twice.

"Liu Bai, there's something here, could you take a look at it for me?"

Chapter 366 A Show of Force

"What is that?"

Seeing Vil-V waving a document, Liu Bai approached curiously.

"An interesting and bold... even crazy proposal."

As she answered in a deep voice, Vil-V handed over the documents in her hand.

"Although I can understand most of it, there are still many aspects I'm unsure about. I was thinking maybe you could give me some advice?"

Liu Bai took the document, glanced through it briefly, and his expression immediately became somewhat strange.