The First Formal Meeting Between Two Snakes (So to Speak) / The Unknown Deal Between Two Snakes

But her curiosity and thirst for knowledge compelled her to seek out Mobius.

"Researcher Mobius, are you really not going to open the door? The gift I brought this time is something you'd be interested in, but it's research material and papers that you can't see anywhere else."

Because of her repeated setbacks, Ho'olheyak's voice had become much softer and more insecure.

Although the gift Ho'olheyak had prepared beforehand, she had actually been thwarted by Mobius that morning and didn't really want to come over in the afternoon.

The reason she's standing here now is because, after having another close encounter with Mobius this morning, she belatedly noticed a quality in her that sparked her curiosity.

"Click..."

As time passed, just as Ho'olheyak was beginning to think about leaving, a sudden noise came from the office, and then the door opened.

P. S.: This adjustment was pointless. I've realized it really can't be done any earlier. I'll find a chance later to make up for the two photos I took off yesterday. That's all, everyone.

Chapter 85 The First Formal Meeting of the Two Snakes (Just kidding)

"Click..."

As the office door opened, Mobius's delicate face, tinged with a hint of impatience, came into Ho'olheyak's view.

"That's quite a bit of perseverance~ But didn't anyone teach you not to bother others so casually, little snake?"

At this point, Mobius paused slightly, then changed the subject, saying, "Or perhaps the warning last time was too lenient? So you completely disregarded my words?"

As Mobius finished speaking, a terrifying aura silently appeared, instantly putting immense psychological pressure on Ho'olheyak.

"... How could that be? I've always kept Miss Mobius's words in mind. It's just that some of the qualities you've shown have really piqued my curiosity and made me yearn for them."

Feeling the intense pressure, Ho'olheyak calmed her nerves slightly before organizing her thoughts to reply.

Honestly, Ho'olheyak admitted that what she was saying now was already somewhat of a gamble.

"Yearning? Is that why you were shouting so loudly outside someone's office door this afternoon?"

At this point, Mobius's sarcastic remarks carried a hint of speechlessness.

There were two reasons why Mobius chose to open the door this time. First, she was genuinely curious about the gift that Ho'olheyak had brought.

Secondly, she felt that someone was too high-profile and would bring her a lot of trouble, so it was necessary to teach them a lesson to prevent it from happening again.

You know, let alone next time. Just what they said openly in the cafeteria this morning, plus what they did this afternoon to find Mobius and say those things at the door... is enough to draw a lot of attention to this place.

For an ordinary, unassuming person, it would be fine; they would simply listen to it as gossip and move on. But a person with a keen eye would remember it... Therefore, Ho'olheyak's actions completely contradicted Mobius's usual low-key approach.

"Uh, I didn't think that through..."

Upon hearing this, Ho'olheyak was slightly taken aback, then said in a somewhat embarrassed voice.

After investigation, Ho'olheyak also discovered that Mobius had always wanted to keep a low profile within Rhine Lab... but there was nothing she could do about it.

Although the other person might not believe it, bumping into her at the cafeteria that morning was purely coincidental. She was just there on business and happened to have breakfast there. As for starting a conversation with Mobius, that was really somewhat subconscious...

Ho'olheyak initially tried to knock on the door, but the office occupant wouldn't open it, so she couldn't speak.

"Heh~ Fine, come in. If you keep standing there like this, people will think I've done something to you."

After speaking, Mobius glanced at Ho'olheyak again before slowly withdrawing his gaze and turning to walk into his office.

"..."

Watching Mobius's retreating figure, Ho'olheyak swallowed hard, a long-absent hint of tension and even wariness flashing in her beautiful eyes.

It was as if what lay before her was not Mobius, but a lair of some man-eating monster.

However, while Ho'olheyak hesitated, Mobius had already sat back down at his desk, watching her with a hint of mockery in his eyes.

"... Excuse me, Miss Mobius."

Ho'olheyak had some initial hesitation, but it vanished completely when she met Mobius's mocking and sarcastic eyes.

After saying something politely, she didn't hesitate any longer, stepped into the office in front of her, and closed the door behind her.

"Click..."

As the door closed softly, Ho'olheyak, though outwardly expressionless, was suddenly startled.

However, she knew there was no turning back now; she could only gamble... gamble that at least Mobius, to keep a low profile or something else, wouldn't kill her on the spot...

"Heh~ Miss Ho'olheyak, why do you look like I'm going to eat you up?" Looking at Ho'olheyak's expression, Mobius chuckled as if he had seen something amusing.

"Compared to researchers like you who disregard academic ethics and are spies with no principles, I am clearly the weak and powerless little researcher."

"!"

Mobius's casual, playful remark immediately made Ho'olheyak was still standing at the door, instinctively freeze in her tracks, her mind in turmoil.

Although she suspected that Mobius was no ordinary being—either a god or an ancient being—she never imagined that this extremely ancient being would know so much.

"Why are you so nervous? Didn't you come to me first, Miss Ho'olheyak? Please sit down. Standing here makes people think I'm unhospitable."

Seeing that Ho'olheyak was becoming increasingly agitated because of his words, a flash of pleasure quickly crossed Mobius's eyes, and his mood improved considerably.

"... Forehead."

Ho'olheyak was already in a state of confusion, and Mobius's teasing made her even more nervous and uneasy.

However, as mentioned before, Ho'olheyak's decision to confront this ancient being directly was inherently a gamble.

So, even though she felt uneasy, she eventually came over, placed the gift on Mobius's desk, and sat down in a chair not far from him.

Of course, compared to her ease when she is alone or in front of others, Ho'olheyak now much more restrained, both psychologically and physically.

"..."

However, Mobius paid no attention to anyone's thoughts. She reached out and gently flipped through the documents that Ho'olheyak had placed on her desk, giving them a quick overview.

After all, wasn't that one of the reasons she let people in?

While she could certainly obtain these things herself if she wanted, why waste her time when someone was offering them to her so readily?

"..."

Ho'olheyak, watching Mobius flip through the documents, had a fleeting hint of nervousness in her eyes. She looked like a primary school student waiting for their poorly written homework to be graded by the teacher...

Honestly, ever since she became aware of herself, she's never been this nervous or well-behaved...

P. S.: You didn't expect this, did you? I'm updating in the middle of the night. It's getting weirder and weirder. I got back too late and was too tired yesterday, so I slept for 4 hours first, then got up at 2 am to write. There'll be another page in a bit, before 6 am.

Chapter 86 The Untold Deal Between the Two Snakes

"Tell me, what exactly does this treacherous spy want to know from me?"

After a moment, Mobius stopped browsing the documents, slightly curled the corners of his lips, and looked up at Ho'olheyak.

"... What kind of being are you?"

After listening to Mobius's words, Ho'olheyak considered for a moment and asked her first question.

The answer to this question will determine her subsequent attitude and questions, although she feels there's a good chance she won't get an answer...

"Heh~ Didn't I already say? I'm just an ordinary researcher with no combat abilities." Looking at the serious-looking little snake in front of him, Mobius's mischievousness surged again, and he said with a smile.

"..."

Even knowing that Mobius was dangerous, Ho'olheyak couldn't help but show a hint of speechlessness in her eyes after hearing her answer.

She's not stupid... how could she believe such nonsense?

Ho'olheyak even dared to guarantee that anyone who dared to treat the person in front of them as an ordinary person would likely suffer a terrible death.

"Don't joke around. Someone like you couldn't possibly be just an ordinary researcher. Putting aside everything else, just the fact that someone can so easily know my identity is no simple matter."

Looking at the person in front of her who was smiling happily, with "badness" written all over their face, Ho'olheyak answered seriously.

"Honestly, this is boring~ Let's make a deal, little snake."

Looking at Ho'olheyak, who was behaving obediently in front of him, Mobius lost interest in teasing her and spoke in a flat tone.

"What transaction?"

Upon hearing this, Ho'olheyak was slightly taken aback, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.

"I know you're a smart person, so I won't beat around the bush. In exchange for the answers you want from me, I'll give you some tasks to do."

At this point, Mobius paused slightly, then added, "Don't worry, they're all just small things, all within your capabilities."

"So, how about it? This kind of trade seems like a sure thing, you can't go wrong, so want to give it a try?"

At this point, Mobius narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

Indeed, compared to his previous idea of teaching someone a lesson, Mobius changed his mind after seeing the very detailed and truly useful "gift" he had just received.

If Mobius has any value, then there's no need to rush to throw it in the trash. Wouldn't it be better to use it a little before discarding it?

"Miss Mobius, please give me some time to consider it."

Faced with Mobius's offer to trade, Ho'olheyak immediately fell into deep thought, needing to carefully consider the pros and cons.

"I hope you can seize this opportunity!"

Upon hearing this, Mobius waved his hand dismissively, then lowered his head again to look through the useful documents on the table, absorbing the knowledge.

Meeting point--

"Huh? What happened? You look so upset."

Looking at Saria, who had arrived somewhat late this time, Muelsyse blinked gently and asked with a curious expression.

She did know that since they parted ways, her friend had been busy with something in the Structural Department, but she didn't really know the specifics of what had happened.

Muelsyse doesn't like to meddle in her friends' private affairs, especially since... she was having a happy lunch with her new friend Sakura at noon, she didn't have time to investigate.

"It's nothing, let's go, it's getting late. We should go investigate." Faced with her friend's doubts, Saria didn't offer an explanation, but simply shook her head gently and said.

Seeing that Saria looked like she was about to leave, Muelsyse sighed and stuffed the lunch he was holding into her arms, spreading his hands as he said:

"Okay, okay, it's fine if you don't want to talk about it. But let's have lunch first before we go, there's no rush."

"No need... I already had a simple meal before I arrived." Saria glanced down at the lunch in her arms and replied earnestly.

"Besides, time is of the essence, let's investigate first."

"... Sigh, I never imagined that our feelings for each other would fade so much in such a short time."

Seeing Saria about to rush out, Muelsyse paused for a moment, then changed her expression, wiped away "tears," and began to act.

"... well."

Gazing at the dramatic Muelsyse in front of her, Saria finally couldn't help but reach out and rub her temples, which ached from all the trouble she had been dealing with.

"Let's finish eating first and then go. I should be able to have another serving." In the end, because of someone's dramatic behavior, Saria made a small compromise.

"Looks like our feelings haven't faded yet... Hehe!" After smoothing things over, Muelsyse finally regained her previous cheerful demeanor.

"..."

Seeing this, Saria didn't even want to speak, because she was used to it all...

After finding a place to have a quick lunch, the two officially began their investigation that afternoon.

Mobius's office--

"So, Miss Spy, what's your decision?"

After reading the document in his hand, Mobius slowly looked up at Ho'olheyak, who had already made her decision but hadn't spoken because she was looking at the document.

"I agree, but it's mainly within my capabilities. If it exceeds my limits, I have the right to refuse." After carefully considering her words, Ho'olheyak replied.

"Heh~ Don't worry, it's definitely within your capabilities. After all, you couldn't do anything beyond your capabilities, could you?"

After hearing Ho'olheyak's answer, Mobius chuckled and asked in return, unhurriedly.

Mobius never intended to give Ho'olheyak any important tasks from the beginning; they were just minor things like organizing data and keeping annoyed guys at bay.

After all, in Mobius's opinion, it's safer and more efficient to entrust important and easily exploitable matters like "murder and robbery" to Sakura rather than to outsiders.

"..."

Although Mobius's words, coupled with her uniquely sarcastic tone, annoyed Ho'olheyak, she had to admit that the guy in front of her was right.