In the simply furnished private office, He Ao raised his wristband and answered the call.
The scene in his vision flickered, and a short-haired girl with a high ponytail, dark skin, and a capable-looking demeanor appeared before him.
"It's connected."
The girl looked at the screen, took a breath, then raised her head toward He Ao beyond it and smiled. "Hello, Mr. Lynn. I'm Penny, the person in charge of the Wilderness Wanderers Mutual Aid Society in Dawn City. You can just call me Penny."
"Hello."
He Ao gazed at the familiar face and nodded with a smile.
Penny was the girl from Ronald's camp. After her parents died in a beast attack, Ronald had taken her in and raised her like a younger sister.
After the Wilderness Wanderers Act was passed, Penny seemed to have remained in Dawn City.
She seemed to have shed much of her girlish immaturity. Though she was still young, she now appeared far more competent and mature.
He Ao was not surprised, however. The moment he saw the phone number, he knew Penny was the one calling.
He had personally chosen that number for Penny.
Seeing He Ao smile, the girl on the other end seemed to recall something and briefly lost focus. But she quickly recovered, composed herself, and continued.
"Mr. Lynn, here's the situation. Your commission was accepted by several veteran members of our Mutual Aid Society, but because your intelligence requirements were relatively high, it was transferred to me. Please rest assured, though, the entire process is confidential. Working in the wilderness is our specialty."
"All right. I trust you."
He Ao looked at the capable, serious girl before him and slowly asked, "So what information have you gathered?"
"I'm afraid it isn't good news."
At He Ao's words, Penny's expression