Chapter 174

Needless to say, how could the humanoid robot girl carrying a box of compressed biscuits and mineral water, along with Shen Gonglin, possibly keep up with the speed of the three Valkyrie? They hadn't gone far when Theresa's voice came over. Under Bronya's pursuit, the three of them quickly caught up. Theresa immediately spotted the two figures struggling to carry the things. Even at this point, they hadn't given up and abandoned their supplies to run away. It seemed that there must be something important inside!

But why are there two people? Bronya calculated that there should only be one humanoid machine. Is the other one her bodyguard?

"I'm sorry, but in order to find our friend, we'll have to trouble you to come with me... Eh! Shen Gonglin, what are you doing here? And this... isn't this a child?"

Theresa rushed in front of the two and blocked them. The small headmistress stopped the target in a deep voice. When she looked up and saw who was in front of her, she was surprised and widened her eyes. What was going on? They had been busy for so long to find the whereabouts of Shen Gonglin and Kiana, but who would have thought that Shen Gonglin was right here? This was the legendary effortless success.

"Oh, isn't this the headmaster? It's been several months since I last saw you. You seem to have grown taller. Headmaster, I've missed you so much."

Upon seeing Theresa, Shen Gonglin showed a look of surprise, while the android girl beside her turned to look at his face without saying a word. It seemed that this was the man often mentioned in the information. Just now, when watching the surveillance footage, this man had complained that the little nun opposite him was short and lacked femininity, and now he was saying the same thing again... However, this was not something she should be thinking about. This man was clearly in cahoots with the people who had taken down her guard mecha. Was making her carry things with him just a way to buy her time?

No, I have to find a way to escape quickly; it's not safe here.

"Is that so? I've grown taller again... I've been eating well lately, so that's why I've grown taller..."

Forgetting her mission for a moment, the headmistress became a little awkward. Seeing Shen Gonglin reminded her of the feeling when he bit her neck during the War of Schicksal. That experience was incredibly stimulating for the headmistress, whose body was that of a young girl. She had woken up in the middle of the night countless times from those dreams. And now Shen Gonglin was saying that he was thinking about her... Did he really think about her?

If he really thinks that much about himself, then why doesn't he bring Kiana back?

"Shen Gonglin! Where have you been all this time? And Kiana too, you two... why aren't you home?"

Theresa hesitated for a long time, unable to say anything of value. At this moment, Bronya and Mei also arrived. Although the school's principal had short legs, her mobility seemed to be stronger than the two of them. As expected of S-rank Valkyrie, Mei, who arrived a step later, rushed over when she saw Shen Gonglin's back. She hugged Shen Gonglin from behind and expressed her emotions. Finally, she saw Shen Gonglin. But where was Kiana? As Kiana's best friend, Mei was clearly not the type to forget her friends when she had a man. Wasn't Shen Gonglin supposed to be with Kiana? Where was she?

Damn it, Mei beat me to it! Bronya decided to send Mei's ugly picture to Shen Gonglin, Bronya also wanted a hug.

Bronya was lagging behind, thought darkly that she had been too slow and that she should be quicker next time she had the chance.

"Mei, don't hug me so tight, I can't breathe... I can't help it, Kiana's gone through her rebellious phase. Not only does she not want to go home, but she also dragged me and her away from home. Someone as warm-hearted as me can't just leave her alone and go back. I have to stay by her side and take care of her. As for where she is now... I think that silly deer is probably lost. I told her not to run around, really."

Without even turning around, she knew who was behind her. After all, no one but Mei could give her this kind of touch. Feeling the soft touch on her back, Shen Gonglin felt a surge of secret pleasure. As expected, Mei was definitely older than Kiana. Shen Gonglin was getting a little tired of rubbing against Kiana all the time, so a change of pace was really welcome. She hadn't expected to see them here. Since the War of Schicksal, she had been wandering with Kiana. Seeing the headmistress and the others made Shen Gonglin happy.

Kiana got lost? Actually, it should be... Shen Gonglin got lost on her own, right?

Mei and Theresa exchanged a glance. They knew Shen Gonglin's traits better than anyone. This guy was St. Freya's number one directionally challenged person. Not only that, he was also St. Freya's number one scapegoat. Heaven knows how he got here. Kiana must have felt a lot of pressure being with him for so long.

"Come here, Bronya, give me a hug. It's been so long since we last saw each other. Have you been eating well lately?"

Ignoring Theresa and Mei's glances, knowing that justice would prevail, Shen Gonglin extended his hand to Bronya. He had initially thought that Bronya wouldn't accept it given her personality, but to his surprise, the little girl took the initiative to throw herself into his arms. Although she was a kuudere (cool and aloof) girl, Bronya was full of emotions. Shen Gonglin was the person she trusted most. It had indeed been a long time since they had seen each other, and it was wonderful to see her again.

"Bronya has always been on a strict diet, eating the same type and quality of food as Mei every day. So, Bronya should have improved as well. Shen Gonglin, you can give it a try."

After speaking for a while, Bronya released Shen Gonglin and said these words, which surprised Shen Gonglin. How should she try it? Could it be... with her hands?

My gaze shifted slightly downwards from the girl's calm face. Could it be that Bronya meant this kind of growth when she spoke of it?

It seems like nothing has changed.

Chapter Thirty-Six: A trait similar to that of Shen Gonglin.

Oh my god, what is Bronya saying? If she doesn't intervene, this perfectly good reunion scene is going to turn into a pornographic scene! Look at the lewd things Bronya is saying! Theresa felt she had to do something. She knew Bronya and Shen Gonglin were close, but she hadn't expected them to be this close. Couldn't they see the atmosphere? They're still on a mission... Oh right, they're still on a mission!

As for why Theresa suddenly knows about doujinshi and the like, the headmistress, who used to only read comics, has quietly grown up.

"Wait a minute, Bronya, Shen Gonglin, you two shut up! We have more important things to do right now. Shen Gonglin, do you know the little girl who was with you just now... Wait, where did that little girl go?!"

Only then did Theresa remember the mission. She looked to the side in surprise. All her attention had been on Shen Gonglin. Where had the girl who had been with her gone? According to Bronya's deduction, that little girl should be the Cyborg handled so much information about Gray Serpent. How could she have disappeared all of a sudden?

"Headmaster, look over there! That child is trying to run away!"

Mei pointed to the other side of the alley, where the android girl was trying to escape without looking back. Taking advantage of the attackers' attention being drawn to Shen Gonglin, she secretly slipped away. According to her master's instructions before his death, she only needed to protect her own safety.

"Wait a minute, young lady, we have some questions for you."

Seeing her made things much easier. In the blink of an eye, Theresa blocked the android girl Valkyrie, Theresa could easily run 39 meters without any problem. She blocked the android girl's way. Although they had found Shen Gonglin, they hadn't found Kiana yet. Having finally grasped a clue, Theresa was not going to give up.

"Is this about transaction intelligence? I don't have time to answer children's questions. Have an adult ask the questions. The payment standard will be the same as usual."

After being stopped by Theresa, the android girl stopped thinking about moving. As an excellent assistant, android girl followed Gray Serpent's orders. After all, they were information brokers who made money by selling information.

"A little kid?! You... you... you're so rude! I'm so old..."

Theresa's eyes widened. The words of the android girl had deeply wounded the headmistress's pride. This was precisely the issue she cared about most. Bronya could grow through food, but her own body hadn't changed in years. She knew this wasn't the time to worry about such things, but Theresa couldn't help it!

"Headmaster, there's no time to get angry now. The most important thing is to get Kiana's information as soon as possible."

Mei rushed over, quickly comforted Theresa, saying that the headmistress was really easy to get upset about. Shen Gonglin, on the other hand, shook her head with some regret. She almost found out how old Theresa was just now. As Kiana's aunt, although Theresa looks like a child, she should be a complete adult. Hmm, a legal loli, she should be very useful.

Shen Gonglin glanced thoughtfully at Bronya beside her. Bronya would eventually grow up, and then probably only the headmistress would be able to retain that position... Perhaps Rosaria and Liliya, who stole her first kiss?

"Of course I know that! But this guy's attitude is just..."

Theresa was furious. Appearance was something Theresa cared deeply about. Despite being a very authoritative headmistress, she had suffered a lot of unfair treatment because of her childlike appearance. In Theresa's mind, she should be tall and long-legged like Himeko; if she were, no one would mistake her for a child. But now... Theresa felt like crying. Her image was probably already fixed.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Gray Serpent has met with misfortune. We were there to make a deal with him... business partners? Please don't worry, we're here to protect you."

Seeing that Theresa had no other choice, Mei put on her usual caring older sister demeanor. In terms of approachability, Mei was probably second to none in the entire St. Freya. She bent down slightly and looked directly at the little girl in front of her. The little girl had short, dark gray hair and a mask covering half of her fair and delicate face. Bronya had said that this child had also undergone biological modification. Such a young child was truly heartbreaking.

"Protection? You just dismantled all the mechs protecting me... Hmm, now I do need protection."

With her path blocked, she realized she couldn't reach the other base. The android girl described the situation expressionlessly. It was truly unexpected protection. As Gray Serpent's intelligence agency, she had always been protected by those mechas, but now that the mecha force had been completely destroyed, she did indeed need protection herself.

"... In order to find our friend's whereabouts, we would like to ask you..."

Mei subtly changed the subject. This did seem a bit off. To this girl, they seemed like bad guys who had trespassed into someone else's territory and destroyed all their defenses. But there was nothing they could do about it. In order to get information about Kiana, this was something they had to do.

"I already said, you have to pay to ask questions. Cash or card? Electronic payment is more convenient. Don't glare at me, it's the master's request."

Interrupting Mei, the android girl pulled out a POS machine from behind her back. Were these people really here to make a transaction? Then why couldn't they understand what she was saying? They asked questions and she answered them. It was only right that she asked for payment. Why were they looking at her like that?

This girl is so skilled! This is a great way to make money. Should I carry a POS machine with me like her someday? She looks so professional.

Shen Gonglin looked at the girl with considerable surprise, while Mei, Theresa, and the others cast strange glances at Shen Gonglin. This girl's money-grubbing nature was very similar to Shen Gonglin's; both of them were the kind of people who loved money more than anything. They had just seen Shen Gonglin with her; could it be that Shen Gonglin had taught this girl to be like this?

After all, this guy is quite adept at leading others astray.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Ambush

"Why are you all looking at me like that? What does this have to do with me? Don't always push bad things onto me. Didn't the child say that asking questions requires payment? Of course, you can ask me. Given our relationship, I can give you an 11% discount, no matter what the question is."

As if she had found a way to make money, Shen Gonglin blinked and tried to sell herself to Bronya and the others. Mei showed obvious interest. As for Kiana's whereabouts, they didn't plan to ask Rin Shen Gonglin. After all, he was hopelessly directionally challenged and had come here because he got lost. But what about other questions? Mei had many questions she wanted to ask him, such as what kind of girl he liked... She'd write that down. With his money-grubbing nature, she could find out about these things later.

"Alright, we can't linger here any longer. Let Bronya come."

The naive and emotionless Bronya was unaware that her seemingly innocent Mei sister Mei was already planning to use money to corrupt Shen Gonglin's heart. Both Bronya and Mei were quite wealthy; one was the heiress of the Raiden Family, and the other was a stock market expert. For them, money wasn't really that important. That wasn't their immediate priority. Bronya raised her hand, and the Heavy-duty Rabbit behind her also raised its cannon barrel at the android girl.

"Let's use this to pay the bill first, then come with us."

Seeing Bronya's actions, Theresa's expression was subtle. Was this really a child who had come from her academy and received her teachings? Bronya's method of threatening was very familiar. Could it be that she learned it from Shen Gonglin? Having received her teachings, they should all be good children. But Bronya's current behavior was quite cunning.

This must all be learned from Shen Gonglin. Whether it's Kiana running away from home or Bronya little girls now, they are both definitely influenced by Shen Gonglin.

"Then, Headmaster, you should retreat first. I'll stay here and stall for time... After all, if there are no fish here, the fishermen will immediately take other actions."

Seeing the android girl obediently raise her hands and follow Bronya, Mei turned to Theresa with a serious expression. Everything was going too smoothly, so smoothly that Mei was certain there was a problem. If everyone retreated now, it would be very risky, and someone had to buy time.

"Yes, Mei, be careful... Shen Gonglin, let's go together."

Theresa nodded, while Mei smiled at Shen Gonglin before returning to her hiding place. Shen Gonglin wanted to follow, but Theresa grabbed his hand. He and Kiana had acted on their own for so long, and now that they had finally caught Shen Gonglin, how could she let him go?

"But I need to go back to find Kiana. She's lost somewhere somewhere, which is really worrying. She can't do without me by her side."

Shen Gonglin tried to shake off Theresa, but the headmistress's fair little hand held on tightly. This girl really had no sense of self-awareness. Theresa trusted Kiana's ability to act alone, and Shen Gonglin was more likely to cause trouble by her side. Most importantly, this girl was a complete directionally challenged person. The fact that she got lost all the way here already proved that. If she let go of him, who knew what would happen to him?

Kiana and Shen Gonglin are both people they need to find. Now that they have finally captured Shen Gonglin, there is no reason to let him act alone. Bringing Kiana back is only a matter of time. As long as they can find a way to get this android girl to talk, it is all possible.

"Just follow us. Anyway, even if we asked you, you probably wouldn't be able to tell us where Kiana is, right? If you're bad at directions, you should be aware of that. Just stick with me for now. Seriously, what have you guys been through these past few months? Tell me everything later!"

Adopting the demeanor of a school principal, Theresa forcefully pulled Shen Gonglin along with Bronya toward the evacuation point. Since Shen Gonglin had been found, Kiana was sure to be safe too.

"Hmm? The traces have vanished here? This sudden turn of events... does it mean I've been discovered?"

Not long after Shen Gonglin and the others left, footsteps echoed through the factory, which had just quieted down. An elegant maid appeared on the ravaged battlefield. Her clean dress and perfect manners made Rita stand out from her surroundings. The maid carefully examined the area, noting that this was where she had disappeared. Unable to hack into Gray Serpent's electronic devices, Rita had deliberately left clues. Like a mantis stalking a cicada unaware of a oriole behind it, it seemed the mantis had discovered the oriole.

As expected, just as Rita anticipated, a flash of cold light pierced the night sky and struck towards Rita. The maid narrowed her eyes slightly, and a scythe glowing with green light appeared in her hand in an instant, blocking the blade of the katana. Looking at the figure holding the katana, Rita's rose-colored eyes showed no surprise.

"A sneak attack? Miss Mei, that's not exactly honorable at all."

She effortlessly caught Mei's attack. Although she looks like a delicate maid, Rita is actually one of the top combatants in Schicksal. With Mei's current strength, she doesn't even care about a sneak attack.

"Upright and honorable? It's ironic to hear that word from you. Compared to what you did to Kiana, my slash is nothing!"

The attack did not achieve the desired result, but Mei did not expect to kill the maid by sneak attack. The girl tightened her grip on the katana slightly. Mei had been holding back a fire in her heart. Just thinking about what Kiana, whom she cherished so much, had suffered made her feel sad. If it weren't for Schicksal, how could Kiana be in this situation now? And the maid in front of her was someone who belonged to Schicksal.

"I feel deeply sorry for Kiana's plight. It's not something I can decide, and... well, there's no need to talk about this with Mei. I'm curious, how did you know I would be here?"

Rita actually belonged to Shen Gonglin, she wanted to say that, but considering that Mei would probably be even angrier if she did, she kept quiet. Was Rita lying in wait for her here? But how did she know that?

Chapter Thirty-Eight: He'll probably be overjoyed.

Mei spread the blade of her scythe and distanced herself from Rita. Looking at the maid in front of her, Mei was filled with wariness. She did not expect to defeat Rita here. She had never been able to figure out Rita's strength. Mei had this feeling from the first time she met her, and Mei still felt the same way now. This maid was very strong, at least much stronger than herself.

"There are no signs that Gray Serpent's stronghold has been invaded by others, so it seems that we arrived first. But the murderer clearly took the bio-chip used for authentication from Gray Serpent... Why did she still choose to remain still? There are only two possibilities: one is that the murderer thought she had cut off all the clues and left with peace of mind; the other is that perhaps the murderer did not have the ability to crack Gray Serpent's device and find the information, and she preferred to wait for the rabbit to come to her... So, the bio-chip on Gray Serpent's wrist that we found was actually left by you on purpose, so that we could find the data and intelligence better."

While answering Rita's questions, Mei was also stalling for time. The maid opposite her didn't seem to realize Mei's intentions. She patiently listened to Mei finish explaining her reasons. The maid couldn't help but applaud Mei. She was really something. This seemingly naive young lady had such a side to her.

The Far East Branch is truly full of hidden talents.

"What brilliant reasoning! But where is Lady Theresa? Why isn't she here to support you? Could it be... that you've already found what you're looking for, and are leaving you here to buy time?"

As the applause subsided, Rita looked around and, after confirming that Mei was the only one there, the maid narrowed her eyes slightly. She wasn't stupid; although she liked to act recklessly, Rita was also quite intelligent. The fact that Mei was standing alone in front of her already proved a lot. It seemed she needed to quicken her pace a bit.

"Delaying time? Hmph, Miss Rita, you're far too confident."

Mei wasn't surprised that Rita had seen through her intentions. Even if Rita found out, what could she do? The result would be the same. The girl gripped the knife in her hand tightly. She had also grown. Although she could no longer use that power, it was not a reason for her to give up. Shen Gonglin possessed the power to change the battlefield, and she couldn't fall too far behind. The maid in front of her was the best test stone for her right now!

"Do we still have to fight? For Rin-sama's sake, I won't threaten your life, but if my life is threatened, Rita, I will take some necessary measures. After all, a living, fresh maid is what he needs, isn't it?"

Seeing the surging fighting spirit in Mei's eyes, Rita smiled slightly and twirled the scythe in her hand. She didn't mind exercising a bit in the evening. The maid said this meaningfully, and Mei blushed as expected. The girl gritted her teeth. What a fresh and hot maid! This woman is so shameless and wicked!

"Oh? Judging from your expression, Miss Mei, you must understand what I'm talking about, right? That's quite unexpected. I originally thought Miss Mei was the kind of pure and innocent girl, but I didn't expect... Mei, do you think my little Rin would be disappointed if he knew that you were actually this kind of girl?"

Noticing Mei's change in expression, Rita covered her face with one hand and smiled, squinting her eyes. It seemed that Miss Mei wasn't a clueless girl; on the contrary, she probably knew a lot.

"None of your business!"

Mei's face flushed red and then paled. The girl gritted her teeth and squeezed out these words, not wanting to talk to the maid anymore. Mei grabbed her dagger and rushed forward. So what if she knew? Anyway, everyone knew she was the kind of bad girl who secretly hid a lot of strange books in her room. Mei wasn't going to hide them anymore. What was the big deal?

And some people are saying that Shen Gonglin might be disappointed... He won't be disappointed at all, he'll probably be overjoyed!

Meanwhile, on the other side, Theresa and the others, who were temporarily safe, began to try to obtain information from the android girl. Theresa took a deep breath and carefully recalled the kindergarten teacher's behavior. Finally, the headmaster showed a very awkward smile. That should be it. But does such a smile really have any friendliness?

"Um... little friend, we're not robbers, you know?"

Theresa looked at the little girl in front of her with a strange smile. This girl was really difficult to deal with.

"You're forcing me to go with you with artillery? Well, since you say you're not robbers, then let me go."

The android girl's voice remained unchanged, sounding even colder than Bronya's emotionless demeanor. If Bronya was emotionless, then this girl was more like a machine.

"... Um, I'm afraid that won't work."

Theresa's smile became even more awkward. Letting her go was really out of the question. Gray Serpent was already dead, and all the defensive mechs had been dismantled by them. Several forces were now hiding in Sky City, and everyone's target was this little girl in front of them. Letting her go now would be too dangerous, and they hadn't even gotten the information they wanted yet.

"That's the kidnapper."

The android girl gave this answer: using artillery to force her to leave and now refusing to let her go, what else could this be but kidnapping? These people are all bad people. The seemingly harmless child in front of her is actually the mastermind behind her kidnapping. And if it weren't for that boy forcing her to help him carry things, she wouldn't have been caught so quickly. So these people are all not decent people.

"Huh?! We're good people, not kidnappers... Ah, I can't stand this awkward atmosphere anymore, Bronya, get this guy to talk... Bronya... Hey! What are you two doing while I'm busy gathering information? Shen Gonglin, don't bother Bronya, and Bronya... Don't obediently let Shen Gonglin bother you!"

Theresa was really bad at dealing with girls like this, and she just wanted to go crazy. After seeing what happened behind her, the headmaster was even more dumbfounded. What were these two doing while she was busy? Did they even respect her as the headmaster? Did they have any respect for the school rules?

Chapter Thirty-Nine is a pervert, that's great!

What harassment? Why does the headmaster always judge people with prejudice? I was just having a simple conversation with a patient. Can't you see how open and honest I am? The headmaster really doesn't understand anything.

Giving Theresa a disdainful look, Shen Gonglin continued with his work with a clear conscience. It had been so long since he'd seen Bronya, and this time he discovered that Bronya could move freely without her exoskeleton armor. Of course, Shen Gonglin had to give her a thorough check-up. It seemed that his previous treatments had really worked; the blood injected into her body had completely cured her problems. Those legs... wow, they were simply invincible.

Bronya sat on the steps, while Shen Gonglin held her calf and examined her carefully. They passed the time like this while Theresa and the android girl talked. Shen Gonglin was not just a naughty child; he also possessed remarkable medical skills. It seemed that Bronya had fully recovered her mobility and was now no different from a normal person.

"Bronya, does it itch?"

Reaching out a finger to tickle the girl's sole, and feeling Bronya's subconscious reaction to her leg, Shen Gonglin was completely relieved. Both her mobility and senses had returned, and her blood's regenerative ability was indeed remarkable, even able to heal Bronya's leg injury. She felt as if she had taken another step closer to a panacea.

"So-so... Shen Gonglin, Bronya feels she needs to continue treatment."

Suppressing the sensation in her soles, Bronya nonchalantly concealed her true feelings. If she had fully recovered, would she no longer be able to receive treatment? If so, Bronya felt she was still far from being fully recovered. It would be best if Shen Gonglin treated her every day... no, every week.