Chapter 80

As they spoke, they passed through the magnificent portico and officially entered the interior of the First Hall.

Despite bearing the name "Pontifical Hall," the actual functions of these seven Laterano chambers have long transcended the purely religious realm.

From the first to the seventh hall, they resemble a core administrative body with a clear division of labor, working together to maintain the operation of this mobile city-state.

The First Hall, dedicated to Law and adjudication, is the Laterano's de facto highest judicial body. The other six chambers, on the other hand, each undertake administrative enforcement and public management functions in different areas.

Therefore, when Han Fei actually stepped into the First Hall, he was not greeted by the hymns or religious murals he had imagined, but by an extremely familiar feeling—busy, solemn, and with a meticulous sense of order.

The gleaming marble floor reflected a cool, white light. Clerks in uniform hurried along, carrying documents and conversing in hushed tones. People waited quietly in line at the service windows...

Everything was in perfect order, exuding the atmosphere of a typical government office.

The strong sense of déjà vu made Han Fei mutter to himself: Good heavens, isn't this just the Laterano version of the "Supreme Court" and "Department of Justice Office"?

As a cardinal, Velliv was naturally very familiar with the procedures of the First Hall.

Without any unnecessary pleasantries, she gestured for Lemuen to follow, and they proceeded with practiced ease to the designated window for processing visitation procedures, beginning their efficient and professional process.

Han Fei had no say in this matter and was happy to be left alone. His gaze swept across the hall, and seeing that Lemuen's side clearly needed some more time, an idea popped into his head: Since we're already here, why not take this opportunity to scout out the area near the "gateway"?

If he gets lucky, he might seize an opportunity to pull the plug, wouldn't that be wonderful? Even if that doesn't work, he has a ready-made excuse for his "wandering"—his friend is running errands, and he's just looking around out of boredom.

Having made up his mind, he lowered his voice and briefly told Texas beside him, "I'm going to take a walk over there, I'll be right back."

Without waiting for Texas's response, he calmly stood up and walked straight towards the area behind where the gate was located.

The gate is not located in the open hall, but in a deeper core area, a full 230 meters away from the service hall.

The idea was nice, but the reality was harsh—this was, after all, the heavily guarded First Hall of the Pontifical Hall, not a park where one could wander around at will.

Han Fei hadn't gone far, and was just approaching the entrance to the rear area, when a staff member in a dark uniform, with a straight posture, appeared out of the shadows and silently and swiftly blocked his way.

The other person wore a professional smile, but their eyes were sharp and wary, and the gleaming Guardian Gun behind them silently exuded authority.

"Sir, is there anything I can help you with?" The guard's voice was polite yet distant, carrying an unquestionable tone.

Han Fei's gaze quickly swept over the gun holster at the other man's waist and the insignia on his uniform. He instantly weighed the pros and cons in his mind: starting a conflict here would definitely be the worst thing to do.

He immediately adopted a slightly confused and apologetic expression, explaining, "Oh, it's nothing. My friend is handling some paperwork over there, and I was getting a bit bored while waiting, so I just wanted to take a walk and get some fresh air."

The guard's smile remained unchanged, but his tone was more explicit, even carrying a hint of uncompromising admonition. "I understand your feelings. However, sir, this area in the back is not open to the public. For security and management reasons, please return to the public waiting area and wait patiently. Unauthorized personnel are prohibited from entering."

He turned slightly to the side, making a clear "please go back" gesture.

"Okay, I understand."

Han Fei was rebuffed, but he shrugged indifferently, showing no sign of annoyance. He turned around and strolled back to the waiting area, plopping down next to Texas once more.

Texas glanced at him as he sat down. Han Fei's slightly furrowed brows and the fleeting thought in his eyes were a clear enough signal to her—the matter had not been accomplished.

"Is there a problem?" she asked in a low voice, succinctly, "What do you need me to do?"

"I can't handle it for now." Han Fei shook his head, gesturing slightly in the direction they had just come from. "The defenses are tight, the roads are all blocked. I can't get in, and it'll be the same if you do."

He paused, looking into Texas's calm but clearly expectant eyes, before realizing he hadn't yet told her the main purpose of his trip.

Since even Lemuen knows, there's no need to hide it from Texas.

Han Fei leaned slightly towards Texas, lowered his voice to make sure only she could hear him, and efficiently and quickly explained the relationship between pulling the switch and evacuating.

Furthermore, this time, Han Fei didn't forget to tell her about the alternative plan of losing the package.

"I see."

Texas nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping across the bustling, solemn First Hall of the Pontifical Hall, and said softly, "Just give me instructions whenever you need them; I won't let this trip be in vain."

Han Fei nodded without saying a word, hoping that Lemuen's side could be more efficient.

Although he still has plenty of time, with another day to operate the circuit breaker, the experienced man doesn't want to try the extreme circuit breaker.

Just then, Lemuen appeared out of nowhere, bouncing around, holding three tempting ice cream cones in her hands. She approached the two like a prized possession, her big eyes full of curiosity. "Hey, hey, what are you two whispering about here?"

As she asked, she pushed the ice cream cone forward, with the characteristic enthusiasm of Laterano: "Just bought it! Freshly baked! Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, whichever you want?"

Han Fei casually picked up a chocolate-flavored one, took a bite, and said, "It's nothing, just chatting about something." He was more concerned about the time, turning to Lemuen, "Xiao Le, how long does this kind of process usually take with your sister?"

Lemuen shoved the remaining two ice cream cones in front of Texas, letting her choose. Hearing this, she shrugged helplessly, "Who knows! Sometimes it's lightning fast, sometimes... well, it can wear out your chair! It all depends on luck."

Han Fei clicked his tongue; it seemed he could only wait. He didn't ask any more questions and, together with Texas, ate their cold, sweet ice cream cones while patiently waiting for news from Lemuen.

After waiting for about an hour, things took a turn for the better.

Lemuen returned to Han Fei with her friends, her face beaming with joy.

"Han Fei, things went smoothly, we've obtained the permit!"

"So fast?!"

Han Fei was genuinely surprised. He had thought it would take at least until the afternoon, but it had only been two hours since he entered the room. This "lightning speed" efficiency was completely beyond his expectations.

He glanced instinctively at Velliv, who was following behind Lemuen, his eyes filled with inquiry.

The purple-haired cardinal seemed to have already anticipated his thoughts, shaking his head slightly, his tone calm and frank. "You don't need to look at me. I simply followed the rules to ensure the process went smoothly, without exerting any additional intervention. The role I could play was far more limited than you think."

Her words carried a businesslike indifference.

"Anyway, thank you."

Lemuen gave Velliv a grateful look, then looked away. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "But only three people are allowed to visit Mostima. Xiao Le, why don't you wait for us outside?"

Lemuen hadn't forgotten that Han Fei was going to pull the plug, and Fiammetta, who was also Mostima's old teammate, wanted to visit her as well.

Well then, I guess my sister will have to make do with this.

"Huh--?!"

Lemuen's face fell instantly, like a cat whose treat had been stolen, and she let out a long, resigned sigh.

She shuffled over to Texas's side, patted Texas shoulder in a condescending manner, and said, "Alright, alright, there's no other way! Looks like I, your sweet little darling, will have to stay and keep you Texas!"

Texas turned her head, glanced calmly at the hand on her shoulder, then looked up at Lemuen's feigned aggrieved face, and shook her head almost imperceptibly.

The meaning in their eyes was so clear it was almost palpable—who was accompanying whom? And who needed to be watched over more?

Seeing that everything was arranged, Velliv gave a graceful curtsy. "Now that everyone's business is settled, I shall take my leave."

"Thank you again from the bottom of my heart, Velliv!" Lemuen quickly returned the greeting, her words sincere.

"It was nothing, don't worry about it."

A faint smile appeared on Velliv's lips. She waved her hand gently, then turned around, and her serene purple figure quickly disappeared into the bustling crowd in the hall.

Lemuen watched as Velliv's purple figure disappeared into the crowd before turning around and giving everyone a gentle yet firm smile, "Alright, let's go."

"Let's go!" Han Fei responded immediately, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible urgency.

This time, with official visitation permits in hand, the process was exceptionally smooth. Under the guard's instructions, they surrendered their weapons and, then, under the supervision and guidance of an expressionless staff member, passed through the heavy door at the back of the service hall marked "non-public area," officially entering the supervised area of the First Hall of the Pontifical Hall.

The inside of the passageway was even quieter than the outside.

As Han Fei ventured deeper into the area, his heart began to race—the crucial "gateway" was drawing ever closer!

A spark of hope ignited in his heart.

However, just when he thought they would head straight for that area, the staff member leading the way turned left without hesitation at a fork in the road, leading them to another relatively independent, more simply styled white building.

"?!" Han Fei stopped in his tracks, almost falling behind, and was momentarily stunned.

This... this isn't the right direction!

But the next second, his sharp eyes quickly swept across the surrounding environment, and a crucial discovery made him perk up—the location of this small white building was no more than fifty meters away from the gate he had been longing for.

It's like finding a new path after a seemingly hopeless situation!

The staff member silently walked to a door in the small building, unlocked it with a key, stepped aside, and announced in a flat tone, "Ms. Mostima is inside." After saying that, he stepped aside, leaving the visitor with all the space.

Han Fei followed Lemuen and Fiammetta into the room.

This is not the cold, impersonal prison cell one might imagine; it's more like a simply furnished single dormitory room—a bed, a table, a chair, and a private bathroom. The environment is clean and tidy, but it exudes a sense of alienation and temporaryity.

At this moment, the room's owner— Mostima —was lying listlessly on her single bed. Her hands were behind her head, one leg was casually bent, and the other was dangling gently on top of it. Her signature eyes, which always seemed to carry a hint of lazy smile, were staring blankly at the pure white ceiling, seemingly unaware that someone had entered.

"Mostima".

Lemuen's voice brought Mostima back to her senses. Then, she looked at everyone with surprise and said, "What are you all doing here?"

We've come to visit you.

Lemuen sat down by the bedside and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

"Apart from not being able to leave this room, everything else is fine."

Mostima sat up straight, his gaze sweeping over everyone, then suddenly sighed and said, "However, you've really come at a bad time."

"Um?"

Lemuen made a questioning nasal sound.

Mostima smiled and said with unusual candor, "Tonight, I was planning to pull off a big heist, but now that you're here, it might get you involved."

"What do you want to do?" Fiammetta asked, frowning.

"I'm curious about something," Mostima said bluntly, "What exactly did Andoain see that caused him, who is usually so calm, to suddenly go berserk?"

"Why did you suddenly want to do this?" Fiammetta's brows furrowed even deeper.

"Because I'm bored."

Mostima spread his hands. "You see, I'm under house arrest here and can't do anything. People tend to overthink when they're idle, just like me. I suddenly remembered that incident."

"This is my only chance in this life. I know where those staffs are, and I know I'm about to leave Laterano. If I can't satisfy my curiosity before I leave, I might never have another chance."

After hearing Mostima's story, Fiammetta couldn't help but ask, "So, this was all on a whim?"

"Yes."

Mostima readily agreed, "I suddenly had an idea, so I want to do it."

Fiammetta sighed and said, "You Sankta are really..."

Mostima laughed and said, "Aren't you used to our way of thinking yet? I thought you were already used to it."

Fiammetta was speechless. Was she not used to it yet? No, she was already used to it.

The Sankta are just that spontaneous. If they see a pillar by the roadside and suddenly think it would be fun to blow it up, they will put that idea into action.

You could say they act on a whim.

But that's just Sankta is.

Han Fei, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, interjecting, "Forget tonight, let's do it now."

"Um?"

Mostima then turned his gaze to Han Fei, asking suspiciously, "You want to get involved too?"

"Yes, there are things I want to do too," Han Fei admitted.

Upon hearing this, Mostima gave Lemuen an inquiring look.

The latter nodded slightly, indicating that she was also aware of the situation.

Mostima didn't press further, saying, "It might be difficult. This is the Pontifical Hall; it's not as convenient to operate during the day as it is at night."

"I can't wait that long," Han Fei said bluntly. "Just like you said, I have to consider whether this is my only chance."

"Understood."

Mostima used his strength to propel her off the bed and said, "Then, shall I lead the way?"

Han Fei flipped his hand, and Hive Doctor's small drone appeared in the air above his palm. He said, "I also have a few smoke grenades, and my drone can also leave a long trail of smoke to cover our operation."

"You're very well prepared."

Mostima glanced at Han Fei in surprise, then nodded and said, "Then, let's set off. I hope we can both accomplish what we want to accomplish!"

Volume 1: Chapter 117 This is Real Space City

Han Fei stepped out of the room first, his sharp gaze sweeping across the corridor like a hawk's. Sure enough, the staff member who had led the way was standing not far away, his eyes fixed on the doorway.

"Visiting hours aren't over yet," the staff member said, a hint of wariness in their voice. "Would you like to leave early?"

"Not yet." Han Fei put on a flawless "friendly" smile and naturally moved closer to him. "It's a bit stuffy inside, I came out for some fresh air."

"I see." The staff member seemed to accept the explanation and subconsciously looked down at his watch.

In the blink of an eye, his gaze fell upon him!