Since they did not know each other, they could hardly be called friends.
Ch'en found it strange. What was the purpose behind the maids hunting down Ursus spies everywhere? They could not even be said to know one another. It could not possibly be for Lungmen's safety, could it?
Ch'en gave nothing away, her body bobbing in the hot spring. Every so often, she flicked up a beautiful splash with her tail, as though she were soaking in her own bathtub.
The misty water vapor blurred everything, while the heat warped the light. Nothing within sight looked quite real.
The essence of a hot spring was soaking until every inch of one's body went limp before climbing out. Ch'en pulled herself free from that warm, comfortable softness and changed into her work clothes before heading to the Lungmen Guard Department, immediately throwing herself into tense work.
Bomb disposal expert Mayer had already arrived at work.
Though Rhodes Island called itself a medical company, its elites were genuinely useful. Every now and then, some brilliant oddball would pop up who could handle special problems. When it came to bomb disposal, no one in the Guard Department could remain as calm as Mayer, with hands that did not tremble in the slightest.
At that moment, Mayer sat in a classified laboratory, carefully studying the dismantled components beneath an optical magnifier. Her face was filled with contemplation, and she had not even noticed Ch'en's arrival.
"Doing research this early?"
"I never left last night. The more I looked at it, the more interesting it became. I just couldn't bear to put it down."
Mayer responded without looking up. Only after a while did she raise her head. "Oh, Inspector Ch'en. Do you need me out in the field to defuse a bomb?"
"Not