"Are you really not going to deny that we've spoiled Xu Qi too much?"
The corners of Mobius's lips curled up as she said, "How could this kid who never grows up manage without us seniors backing him up?"
After hearing this, even Kevin's expression, which had remained as unchanged as an iceberg for ten thousand years, showed a faint smile at that moment. Su was completely stunned by the sight.
"Don't you think this is Cool?"
Su tilted his head.
"It is... Cool."
······
It was already deep into the night. Apart from the daily inspection workers who needed to work the night shift, there were basically no administrative or technical staff still working in the entire base.
But special circumstances couldn't be ruled out. That was Mei's job.
Unlike Pardofelis, Mei entered directly through the main gate. She was wearing Xu Qi's work uniform... It was a little big, but that didn't matter.
The security guard didn't even dare to stop her. After all, a beautiful female employee like her was a rare sight at the Metro Company.
Of course, even if he had stopped her, it wouldn't have mattered. Xu Qi's employee ID was in her backpack, and Vil-V had temporarily replaced the photo. Once the guard checked that, he wouldn't say anything more.
The first step had gone smoothly. Next was...
"After entering, keep going straight inside. When you see the stairs outside the first factory building, go up them and you'll reach the roof of the main depot."
The main depot...
This was Mei's first time at the subway base, and she looked around curiously. Separated by a wire fence, several parallel sets of tracks lay beside the road she was walking along.
Mei even saw a train pass by her.
"That's a returning train. The trains on the main line will gradually return to the base and wait for the daily inspection workers to board and carry out maintenance. That's the Metro Company's night shift. It's pretty tough."
Mei couldn't help asking, "Did you have to do this back then too? The night-shift inspections?"
"Yeah. All newcomers have to go through that phase. I just moved up rather quickly."
After hearing this, Mei suddenly felt a little heartbroken and ashamed.
Back then, she hadn't even noticed.
But speaking of which, this seemed to be her first time... visiting Xu Qi's company.
She was a little curious...
21, give it everything you've got. Whether it's Alysia or Mei, I'm taking them both down!
Following the stairs upward, Mei reached the place smoothly under the cover of night.
This should technically have been the roof of the maintenance depot, but the area was simply too large. Three buildings had been erected on it to serve as cafeterias and offices for the administrative departments.
The archives room was in the middle building.
Mei took a deep breath. It was just as Xu Qi had said: this late at night, no one from the company would still be working. The rooftop was pitch-black, and in that environment, Mei was the only person there...
"Have you reached the place, Mei?"
Mei's footsteps stopped, and a surge of strength welled up inside her—she seemed not to be alone after all.
"I'm here."
The building had a hollow central structure and four floors in total.
As Mei stepped inside, the sound of something landing suddenly came from beside her. It was so light that, if the surroundings hadn't been completely silent, she would never have noticed it.
She turned her head. Against the backdrop of her nightwear, Pardofelis seemed to have merged with the darkness.
When she saw Mei, she greeted her with a grin.
"Yo! Mei!"
Mei had absolutely no idea how this girl had gotten in...
Could she have climbed over the eaves and walls? That was way too exaggerated...
"The archives room is on the third floor, Pardofelis. Go straight up and search it. Mei, stay on the first floor and keep watch for Pardofelis. If you see anyone coming, go directly to the third floor and meet up with her."
"Got it."
The moment the words left his mouth, Mei received the answer to her earlier question—how exactly had Pardofelis gotten in?
She had really climbed over the eaves and walls.
Mei couldn't see how the catlike girl in front of her had moved at all. Within her field of vision, all she could make out was a black shadow flashing past. Then... Pardofelis was gone.
She had darted to the third floor at a speed beyond Mei's imagination.
Years of experience as a master thief also allowed Pardofelis to quickly locate the archives room.
In any case, only a few moments later, Mei heard the sound of the door opening through her earpiece.
"I'm in, Boss Xu Qi."
Wait! Wasn't the archives room locked? Or was it... simply that this girl had picked the lock so quickly that Mei had gotten the illusion it hadn't been locked at all?
Mei suddenly felt a little emotional. Were all the people living in the Golden Courtyard monsters?
Then... keeping watch?
Ha... That didn't exist.
Since she was already here, how could she not take a look at the place where Xu Qi worked?
Mei remembered it was the technical office on the first floor.
In front of the computer, Vil-V had already successfully hacked into the building's surveillance cameras. She naturally projected the monitoring feed over to Mei.
Then she saw the girl feeling her way through the darkness into an office whose purpose she couldn't identify.
Uh... Could that be Xu Qi's technical office?
Just like Vil-V, Xu Qi naturally saw this scene on his computer as well.
He raised an eyebrow and scratched his head.
There was nothing wrong with Mei's idea, but... she didn't have a key.
At that moment, Mei had clearly realized the problem as well while standing in front of the technical office. She twisted the doorknob... but couldn't push it open.
"Pardofelis, are you there? Can you help me open the door?"
There was no reply, but a few seconds later, a black shadow suddenly appeared beside Mei. She pulled out a piece of wire and fiddled with the lock a couple of times.
The lock opened...
"Hehe! I'm off, Mei!"
She had come and gone in a hurry...
Mei scratched her head. She's really amazing...
"Um, Miss Mei, I think you know that everyone in this communications room can hear you, right?"
The corners of Mei's lips rose. Although she knew perfectly well that Xu Qi wasn't beside her, she still tilted her head and said,
"What? Is there something shameful in your office? Let me think... A love letter to a young girl from the same office?"
"Even if I had something like that, I wouldn't keep it in the office..."
"So you really do have one?" Mei's tone suddenly turned dangerous.
"Spare me, Mei. Go inside. I won't say anything, all right?"
"Hmph~~"
It was as if she had achieved a complete victory in a bicker with her boyfriend. Her triumphant smile contained a hint of sweetness as well. After all, if Xu Qi didn't let her win, how could she ever win an argument against him?
Almost everyone in the communications channel who heard that exchange got goosebumps.
Pardofelis, who was still searching through the documents, shuddered even harder. So Boss has a side like this...
Inside the van, Yae couldn't help glancing back at Xu Qi.
"Hm?" Xu Qi removed his communications earpiece and asked, "What is it, Yae?"
His instincts told him that Mei couldn't be allowed to hear this conversation.
Sure enough, Yae also removed her earpiece and said, "What about Alysia?"
"Don't suddenly say things I can't understand at all!"
Xu Qi wasn't usually prone to losing his temper, but whenever the topic involved those two, he found himself in a rare state of distress.
Yae smiled in sudden realization.
"Then you'd better put in more effort. After all, they're both outstanding girls."
"That's enough, Sister Yae... Are you trying to make me turn into a scumbag of my own accord?"
"That would still be better than being a heartless man."
"Hahahaha!"
Vil-V, who had been listening to the conversation the whole time, finally burst out laughing.
Xu Qi slumped weakly against the seatback and rubbed his forehead. "You two are women, so could your outlook on this be a little more normal..."
On the other side, Mei entered the technical office and immediately recognized Xu Qi's desk at a glance.
After all... it was simply too easy to identify...
A model of MG Alahato and a figurine of the character named Keqing sat beside the computer. Apart from Xu Qi, she estimated that no one else would arrange things this way.
Faced with this situation, Mei could only say... Whoa! A true otaku!
She shook her head and cast aside that strange thought Xu Qi had infected her with.
To be honest, Xu Qi's desk was much tidier than she had imagined.
Temporary files and special reports were neatly sorted and placed in different areas, while tools such as a tape measure and utility knife were kept within easy reach.
It was very much Xu Qi's style.
A space had been deliberately cleared in the middle for working on the computer.
Even just by looking at the desktop, one could tell that its owner was organized and meticulous.
So this was Xu Qi's usual workplace.
Her curiosity had been thoroughly satisfied...
Upstairs, in the archives room.
Neko held a flashlight between her teeth while rapidly flipping through all kinds of documents.
Ten years ago... ten years ago...
Pardofelis's eyes lit up. She had found a technical report titled—"Investigation Report on the Main-Line Brake Failure of Train 956."
Author: Xia Ya.
But that wasn't the important part. While flipping through the technical report, Pardofelis had also noticed something hidden inside it... a letter?
Why was there a letter here?
Driven by Neko's curiosity, Pardofelis opened it.
"This!... This is!..."
Slowly lifting the hazy veil
Before you continue