One month... a thousand?

"Ah... ah?" Elysia doubted if her ears were playing tricks on her.

What did she just hear? Little Li said she'd pay?

She wanted money just for holding hands?

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Lin Li asked, though she didn't have much confidence herself.

She had just asked the System, and it was okay to earn money this way, but... the amount had to be small.

But it was fine, even a mosquito's leg was meat. It would accumulate bit by bit.

"..."

Elysia put on that wronged expression again, puffing out her cheeks.

"Don't look at me like that." Lin Li turned her head away, not daring to meet Elysia's gaze.

The more she looked into Elysia's eyes, the more a sense of guilt gnawed at her.

"Fine, I'll give it to you then, honestly..." Elysia forcefully took Lin Li's hand and squeezed it tightly. "You little money grubber, is this how you earn money?"

"How much?"

"I... I haven't decided yet..." Lin Li lowered her head, like a child.

"Then you owe me for now."

Elysia sighed helplessly, looking at Lin Li like this, her lips curved slightly again. She found it quite amusing.

Forget it, if she wanted money, she wanted money. At worst, she'd hold Little Li's hand all day, and no one would get her to let go!

Wait, speaking of which, if holding hands cost money... then what about sleeping with Little Li tonight...

"What are you two whispering about? Fidgeting like that, can you hurry it up?"

Dr. Mobius said impatiently.

"Coming, coming." Elysia replied, pulling Lin Li along as they followed Dr. Mobius out.

The three of them arrived outside the villa, and Lin Li finally got a good look at her new residence.

It was a villa with an elegant style, its exterior walls predominantly a warm beige, accented with delicate white decorative trim that outlined the villa's silhouette.

On the second floor of the villa, a large floor-to-ceiling window was framed with intricate carved borders. Through the transparent glass, Lin Li could see a study room on the second floor.

It was probably a study room; she hadn't been to the second floor, it just looked like one.

She didn't like reading books; novels on her phone were more appealing to her.

The villa was situated on a patch of lush green lawn. Colorful flowers bloomed on both sides of the stone steps leading to the main entrance. She didn't know their species, but they blended perfectly with the villa, complementing it beautifully.

To the right of the villa was a small garden with a fountain in the center. Under the shade of trees, curved benches were arranged on either side, further enhanced by the surrounding flowers, creating an atmosphere of peace and warmth.

If Lin Li hadn't caught sight of the base outside the villa's perimeter wall, she might have truly believed this was a secluded paradise in a desolate land.

But it wasn't.

Still, this was pretty good, considering this was the only villa in the entire area, with apartments and the like surrounding it.

It seemed like this was where Flame-Moth resided.

Lin Li thought, feeling her hand being squeezed again.

She looked up at Elysia, who was watching her with a curious expression.

"What are you thinking about, Little Li? You look so engrossed, can you tell me?"

"It's nothing." Lin Li shook her head and asked back, "Where are we going?"

"I don't know either. Just follow the Doctor."

"But I don't want to be an assistant anymore. The salary there is so low, why do we have to go?" Lin Li asked, confused.

"Less nonsense, just follow."

Hearing the two bickering behind her, Dr. Mobius grew somewhat annoyed and said coldly.

"..."

Lin Li was speechless, seemingly intimidated by the other's aura.

Elysia chuckled, covering her mouth.

She tried to change their hand-holding grip to interlaced fingers, but Lin Li didn't give her the chance.

After trying for a long time without success, Elysia simply gave up.

Lin Li followed Dr. Mobius to the laboratory like this.

She found it strange because, along the way, she hadn't seen a single person, not even a shadow.

However, fearing that Dr. Mobius would give her that look again, she didn't dare to ask.

As the laboratory door was pushed open, a cool breeze instantly greeted them.

Leading the two into the laboratory, Dr. Mobius closed the door, a slight curve on her lips.

The laboratory was complexly arranged, or rather, cluttered. Many high-tech research machines were placed to one side, while on the other were biological specimens and the like.

The lighting was a cold, sterile hue, matching the silver walls of the laboratory, giving anyone who entered the feeling of falling into an ice cave.

In a corner, a woman with white hair, wearing a white lab coat, was bustling about like a ghost, engrossed in something.

"Doctor, you're back!" Hearing the footsteps behind her, she turned around and exclaimed with surprise.

She noticed the two people behind Mobius but didn't recognize them, so she didn't ask any further questions.

"Mhm, Bianca, why the fuss?" Mobius asked, shifting her body slightly to look behind Bianca.

A corpse lay peacefully on the operating table, its heart pierced and emitting a faint yellow glow.

She walked forward, and Elysia, curious, followed, pulling Lin Li along with her.

"Doctor, look," Bianca pointed at the Herrscher's heart. "I just extracted a bit more of the Herrscher core, but strangely, when I tried to remove it completely, I suddenly appeared next to the trash can."

"I don't know what happened, so I didn't dare to touch it again."

"..."

Mobius stroked her chin upon hearing this.

"We'll talk about that later, I want to introduce you to a new colleague first."

She moved aside, allowing Bianca to see Lin Li, who was holding Elysia's hand. At the same time, unseen by anyone, a hand reached for a remote control on the counter behind her.

"Wait, who said I was coming here to work?" Lin Li suddenly felt like she had fallen into a trap.

Elysia also sensed something was amiss and looked back towards the laboratory door, hearing a faint "click."

When she looked back again, Mobius had already slipped her hand into her pocket, clearly holding something small and square.

"Didn't you say that before?" Mobius retorted. "Don't worry, if it's about salary, I can offer you more."

"How much?" Lin Li asked.

Mobius held up a finger.

"Ten thousand?"

"A thousand."

"..."

Lin Li frowned. After confirming she hadn't misheard, she looked at Mobius with a strange expression.

A moment later, she pulled Elysia towards the laboratory door, intending to leave.

But the door wouldn't open!

"Don't waste your energy. Even if you bomb this door with cannonballs now, it won't be damaged."

Mobius smiled and walked in front of them.

"Uh... Dear Doctor Mobius, I just remembered Captain Hen said he wanted to see Lin Li after she woke up. Perhaps..."

"Don't even think about it," Mobius interrupted.

She didn't believe Elysia, and even if she did, it wouldn't matter.

Damn it, the mention of Hen made her furious.

It was Hen, the captain of the Third Special Squad, who had lured Bianca away.

She truly hadn't expected Bianca to hide her true intentions so well for so long, deceiving even her.

Mobius's snake-like eyes fixed on Lin Li, as if trying to see through her.

"Uh, what do you want? I'm telling you, I'm very capable..."

As Mobius approached, Lin Li mustered her courage and said a few words, but her voice weakened as the other woman got closer.

Capable of what? She probably couldn't even beat a strong elementary schooler right now.

Lin Li tugged at Elysia, who naturally understood and shielded Lin Li behind her.

"Doctor Mobius, this doesn't seem right, does it?" Elysia said with a smile, her eyes constantly vigilant.

Although she had always spoken to Mobius in a flippant and casual tone before, it didn't mean she didn't know what kind of person Mobius was.

Ruthless, decisive, and headstrong.

She should have run away with Lin Li on the way here instead of walking into a tiger's den.

"What's wrong? I just want to recruit an assistant, why are you so wary of me?" Mobius said calmly. "Bianca will be leaving soon, and I'll be bored alone in this lab."

"But a thousand is too low," Lin Li mumbled.

Mobius heard this.

She smiled, walked past Elysia to stand behind Lin Li, leaned down, and whispered in Lin Li's ear:

"Then how much do you want?"

"..."

Listening to Mobius's voice, Lin Li's scalp tingled, and she moved closer to Elysia.

Why was there a faint, almost imperceptible smell of blood? Was it coming from Mobius?

Elysia saw this and pulled Lin Li into her arms.

With the soft, fragrant jade in her embrace, Elysia's mood greatly improved.

Thank you, Dr. Mobius, for this gift!

No, that's not what I should be thinking about right now. I need to help Xiao Li escape this predicament quickly.

"Cough..." Elysia composed herself, turned her head, and was about to speak when Dr. Mobius shot her a glare.

"..."

"Bianca, when are you supposed to resign?"

"In a week, Doctor."

"And those two people you mentioned? When are they coming?"

"In half a month," Bianca replied, not understanding why the Doctor was suddenly asking this.

The Doctor had just asked this two hours ago.

Is this for Elysia and Lin Li to hear?

Elysia's eyes lit up upon hearing their conversation, and she immediately said, "Doctor, look, since Miss Bianca isn't leaving until a week from now, could Xiao Li come a week later too? That wouldn't be too late."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Dr. Mobius pondered for a moment, walked back to the operating table, and nodded slightly:

"What about her?"

"Hm?"

"Lin Li's thoughts."

"The same as mine. Xiao Li and I are telepathically connected, you know?"

As soon as Elysia finished speaking, she felt a sharp pinch.

She wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but in a daze, she could hear a voice:

"No, can you please not involve me when you speak..."

"Tsk, fine, you can go then."

Dr. Mobius took out the remote control again, pressed the switch, and the heavily locked door could now be easily pushed open.

Elysia quickly pulled Lin Li and ran out.

"..."

Bianca watched this scene, somewhat stunned.

Why did the Doctor just let her go so easily? Judging by the Doctor's initial stance, shouldn't she have been determined to capture Lin Li no matter what?

Her confusion was naturally noticed by Dr. Mobius.

"No need to worry, they'll definitely come back."

"..." Bianca didn't ask why and continued listening to Dr. Mobius.

"Someone who single-handedly defeated a Herrscher, yet doesn't even have the courage to face me. Don't you find that strange?"

"Lin Li gives me a strange feeling, like an inexperienced ordinary girl who somehow possesses immense power... People like this aren't suited for Flame-Moth, but thankfully, Elysia seems to like her very much."

"The reason I wanted her to come to my research institute was partly to protect her as my assistant, but more importantly, to uncover the secrets she holds..."

"You always think of everything, Doctor," Bianca praised.

"You think so too?" Dr. Mobius smiled. "I was just saying that casually. In reality, I just found Lin Li pleasing to the eye and decided to have her as my assistant."

"..." Bianca rolled her eyes.

However, even with the Doctor saying that, she wouldn't believe it.

"Let's continue working on the Herrscher cores. They won't give us much time."

"Understood, Doctor."