"Don't worry, I've got experience. I guarantee the neighbors won't be affected. At most, it'll be a little loud and a little bright, and I might give this block a new layout while I'm at it. An open plaza, maybe. It's all perfectly in line with artistic innovation."
"Oh, right."
As if something had just occurred to him, he added:
"During the test, I might also check how well the addresses on this list are protected."
He waved the paper Miss Hound had written on earlier. The hiding places of several family heads were clearly marked on it.
"Could I trouble one of your family's higher-ups to fast-track the approval? Or... let the people on this list know to find sturdier toilets or pillars ahead of time?"
The air froze again.
This time, it was a true, deathly stillness.
The Hound Captain opened his mouth, but his throat seized up. He couldn't get a single word out.
The toughness and principles he took such pride in seemed laughably feeble before this "application" from someone who played by no rules and had the power to back it up.
The junior family managers behind him turned even paler. They understood the terrifying implications of Yan Huan's words better than the captain did.
It was no empty threat. That crushing mental pressure was proof enough.
They exchanged frightened looks and instinctively stepped back.
Miss Hound had gone completely numb. Her mind was blank save for one thought.
Family heads... you're on your own... Or hurry up and find another planet to sleep on...
Only the little girl seemed too frightened by the strange atmosphere to keep crying. She stared up at the figure standing on the tall metal frame with wide, curious eyes and murmured:
"But... my mom's gone..."
Yan Huan heard her.