Chapter Summaries

Ye Hua and Yue Chen reviewed a recruitment list from Ji Yeling as they began building an organization in District 25. Jonas learned they were contacting locals and ordered continued surveillance, hoping to catch them in the act.

• Ye Hua told Yue Chen that someone at the underground bar had watched her, but she had evaded him and secured the chip.
• Ji Yeling explained that Ye Hua and Yue Chen needed to recruit locals and build their own power base in District 25, then sent them funds.
• Ye Hua and Yue Chen found that many people on the recruitment list had already been crushed by Jonas, so they decided to seek safer recruits near the end of the list.
• Ye Hua and Yue Chen discussed naming their organization, but Yue Hua took Yue Chen’s joking suggestion of “Whatever” seriously.
• Eiffel told Jonas that Ye Hua and Yue Chen’s movements seemed suspicious and that Ye Hua was contacting locals.
• Jonas ordered Eiffel to keep monitoring the two diplomats without alerting them, then said he hoped to reel in a big one.

Eiffel baked handmade cookies for Jonas after learning he wanted to try them, then brought them to his office for afternoon tea. Jonas recognized they were homemade, and Eiffel joined him in eating them.

• Eiffel presented Jonas with the Alt Conglomerate's quarterly financial report, which showed revenue growth, healthy cash flow, and rising costs.
• Eiffel asked Jonas whether he liked the cookies the purchasing department bought, then went home and baked pistachio and chocolate cookies.
• Eiffel brought the cookies to Jonas's office and claimed the purchasing department might have changed suppliers.
• Jonas praised Eiffel's cookies and invited her to sample them with him, and Eiffel agreed.

Ye Hua gathered intelligence on District 25’s gangs and identified the Bonecrusher Gang, led by the notorious Rake, as a potential first target in the effort to unite local gangs against the Alt Conglomerate. After Yue Chen reported that she had established an organizational framework, the two decided to visit the Bonecrusher Gang before dawn and make an example of them.

• Ye Hua disguised herself as a drunk at a bar and learned that the Ironblood Brothers and Wild Wolf Gang resented the Alt Conglomerate for taking over their turf.
• Ye Hua heard that the Bonecrusher Gang was District 25’s largest gang and that its leader, Rake, held a grudge against the Alt Conglomerate.
• Ye Hua researched the Bonecrusher Gang online and discovered that Rake had committed numerous brutal crimes, including torturing victims with an addictive drug.
• Yue Chen returned and told Ye Hua that she had established a basic organizational framework for consolidating gangs.
• Ye Hua and Yue Chen agreed to visit the Bonecrusher Gang before dawn and use force to make an example of them.

Ye Hua and Yue Chen infiltrated the Bonecrusher Gang’s territory, drawing its members away with explosions before confronting its boss, Rake. After Ye Hua defeated Rake, she challenged the gang to fight her if they rejected her takeover.

• Ye Hua and Yue Chen subdued the Bonecrusher Gang’s patrolmen and prepared to confront the gang while their allies created a diversion.
• An explosion at the gang’s warehouse threw the Slums into chaos, and the pair used the distraction to reach Rake’s bar.
• Ye Hua and Yue Chen entered the bar and told Rake they were taking over the Bonecrusher Gang’s affairs.
• Rake attacked Ye Hua, but she outmaneuvered him and cut through his mechanical nerve center, leaving him unable to move.
• Ye Hua offered the gang members a chance to challenge her, declaring that the Bonecrusher Gang would be hers if no one could defeat her.

Shigure Ryoko, Celine, and Amau Sueko investigated a deadly explosion in the Slums and discovered that the Bonecrusher Gang was being helped to seize territory. After taking control of the gang, Shigure Ryoko forced its leader Rake to choose between serving the Alt Conglomerate and dying.

• Shigure Ryoko received a report linking the Slums explosion to the Bonecrusher Gang and decided to investigate with Celine and Amau Sueko.
• The three entered the Slums, where residents discussed the Bonecrusher Gang’s growing power and its promises to resist the Alt Conglomerate.
• Celine used psionic energy to kill the Bonecrusher Gang members at their warehouse while Amau Sueko captured Rake.
• Shigure Ryoko questioned Rake and demanded that he reveal who had aided the gang and continue leading it as an Alt Conglomerate informant.
• Rake knelt and begged to live, accepting Shigure Ryoko’s demand that he become the Alt Conglomerate’s dog.

Jonas spent the morning watching District 25 before Esnie called about staffing shortages at the Alt Conglomerate. She later visited him under the pretext of replacing her damaged Combat Suit and openly confessed that she wanted to see him, leaving Jonas in her embrace as she asked him to prove his love.

• Jonas watched the busy streets of District 25 from the Alt Conglomerate's Office and made himself iced coffee.
• Esnie called Jonas to report that several departments were short-staffed, especially technology and security, and said she would discuss one more issue with him later.
• Esnie brought her damaged Combat Suit to Jonas and explained that she wanted a replacement made with better materials.
• Jonas teased Esnie for coming to him in person instead of contacting the R&D department or using the Communicator.
• Esnie admitted she had come because she wanted to see Jonas, embraced him, and asked him to prove his love.

Jonas confronted Yue Chen about her activities in the Slums, then questioned her about Dragon City’s bloodline-based hierarchy. After agreeing with his criticism, Yue Chen clashed with Ye Hua over her silence and returned to their apartment feeling their relationship had grown distant.

• Amau Sueko reported that Ye Hua and Yue Chen were linked to the Slums’ gang activity, and Jonas told her to bring Celine and the others back.
• Jonas summoned Yue Chen, but instead of confronting her directly about the Slums, he asked her to describe Dragon City and its ruling families.
• Yue Chen confirmed that bloodline controlled access to power in Dragon City, and Jonas condemned the system as harmful and limiting.
• After Yue Chen left, Ye Hua rebuked her for staying silent while Jonas criticized Dragon City, and Yue Chen apologized despite agreeing with his assessment.
• Yue Chen returned to the apartment wondering whether bloodline theory was right, and felt that she and Ye Hua were no longer as close.

Jonas reviewed Dragon City's history and the effects of cultural exchange with District 25, while Eiffel prepared a report on their cooperation. After delivering it, Eiffel offered Jonas a very personal taste of Dragon City cuisine, appearing in a snug white qipao.

• Jonas read a book on Dragon City's history and confirmed that Yue Chen's account largely matched it.
• Jonas considered how Dragon City's art, performances, and crafts had spread through District 25, while criticizing how cheaply its specialties were sold.
• Eiffel compiled and sent Jonas a report on the results of cooperation between Dragon City and District 25.
• Eiffel visited Jonas's office and told him she knew where he could try Dragon City dishes.
• Eiffel dropped her secretary's outfit to reveal a snug white qipao and invited Jonas to taste her dish.

Yue Chen argued with Ye Hua over their mission and Dragon City's class system, then tried to prove herself by leading the Bonecrusher Gang against a rival gang. She escaped a staged battle and returned injured to the apartment, where Ye Hua waited for her.

• Yue Chen told Ye Hua she would move out and continue their mission alone after Ye Hua urged her to smooth things over with Jonas.
• Yue Chen prepared the Bonecrusher Gang to attack rival gangs and led them into the Iron Hook Gang's warehouse.
• The warehouse battle turned against Yue Chen as disguised Alt Conglomerate security personnel and Bonecrusher Gang moles secretly sabotaged her forces.
• Yue Chen broke through the enemy lines and fled, while the supposed gang members ended their staged fight and revealed their ties to the Alt Conglomerate.
• Yue Chen returned to the apartment wounded and found Ye Hua waiting suspiciously on the sofa.

Yue Chen argued with Ye Hua after returning from her failed attack on a small gang, then encountered Jonas while drinking alone on a bridge. The chapter ended with Ye Hua receiving an email from an anonymous user.

• Ye Hua confronted Yue Chen about her defeat in the Slums and accused her of betraying Dragon City by joining Jonas.
• Yue Chen insisted she had nearly died in a trap and had not defected, then left the apartment after Ye Hua continued to doubt her.
• Yue Chen drank alone on a bridge and complained about Dragon City's system and her own efforts to rise through it.
• Jonas approached Yue Chen and invited her to visit the Alt Conglomerate, while she cautiously accepted without committing herself.
• Jonas left, satisfied that he had laid the groundwork, and Ye Hua later received an email from an anonymous user.

Ye Hua reported Yue Chen’s conversation with Jonas to Ji Yeling as possible evidence of betrayal and demanded a new partner. Ji Yeling tried to investigate and asked Yue Chen to return to Dragon City, but Yue Chen refused and angrily blamed Ye Hua.

• Ye Hua received an anonymous video of Yue Chen speaking with Jonas and suspected Yue Chen was considering help from the Alt Conglomerate.
• Ye Hua reported the video to Ji Yeling and twice requested a new partner, while Ji Yeling warned that the footage did not prove betrayal and promised to speak with Yue Chen.
• Ji Yeling called Yue Chen and asked her to return to Dragon City, telling her she would still receive her mission payment.
• Yue Chen realized Ye Hua’s suspicions had prompted the call and refused to leave District 25, insisting that Ye Hua should go instead.

Jonas showed Iris a holographic gauntlet toy, and Iris tried to encourage him by stroking his head. With help from her other self, Iris prepared to confess her feelings, but Jonas mistook her hints for a demonstration and asked her to be his girlfriend; the chapter ended with Iris back in her room, flustered and still not answering.

• Jonas demonstrated the holographic gauntlet toy to Iris and explained that it projected the appearance of real equipment.
• Iris praised Jonas's effort and stroked his head, leaving him unsure why she was acting differently.
• Iris used a rabbit doll to hide her face while her other self urged her to tell Jonas she liked him.
• Jonas took the doll and demonstrated how to confess, asking Iris to be his girlfriend in his own voice.
• Iris returned to her room without responding, then hugged her pillow while her other self lamented that she had not said yes.

Shigure Ryoko delivered parts to a doll shop owner who secretly ran an intelligence network, and learned that a component Jonas had given her came from the Alt Conglomerate’s advanced security robots. The owner suggested she turn it into jewelry and give it to Jonas, leaving her considering the idea.

• Shigure Ryoko brought a sack of parts to the doll shop owner, who supplied her with intelligence.
• The owner recognized one component as a part from an Alt Conglomerate security robot and warned Shigure Ryoko that using it could be dangerous.
• Shigure Ryoko explained that Jonas had told her she could keep or discard the component because the Alt Conglomerate was phasing it out.
• The owner suggested Shigure Ryoko make the valuable component into jewelry and give it to Jonas, prompting her to consider the idea.

Shigure Ryoko turned a gear Jonas had given her into a necklace and tried to give it to Chelsea, but Chelsea encouraged her to give it to Jonas instead. After Jonas arrived and accepted the necklace, Chelsea pressed Ryoko to ask for a return gift, and Ryoko said she wanted Jonas, though the soundproof office concealed the rest.

• Shigure Ryoko had a shopkeeper make Jonas's discarded gear into a necklace, intending to give it to Chelsea.
• Chelsea recognized the gear as a part from an Alt Conglomerate security robot and teased Ryoko about originally wanting to give the necklace to Jonas.
• Chelsea told Ryoko that Jonas was coming for a work discussion, and Jonas arrived before Ryoko could explain herself.
• Chelsea presented the necklace to Jonas, and he thanked Ryoko and promised to give her something in return.
• Chelsea urged Ryoko to ask for her return gift immediately, and Ryoko said she wanted Jonas before the office's soundproofing muffled her final words.

Esnie waited restlessly in Alt Tower's Security Department until Jonas called to say Celine wanted to see her. Esnie went to Jonas's office and overheard Celine explaining that she had used one of her rewards because she wanted to.

• Esnie found the Security Department peaceful and felt bored because she had no excuse to see Jonas.
• Jonas called Esnie and said Celine wanted to see her but could not make the call herself.
• Esnie headed to Jonas's office after saying she would arrive in about two minutes.
• Esnie entered the office and overheard Jonas ask whether Celine had used one of her rewards for this.
• Celine replied that she had done it because she wanted to.

Jonas took Esnie and Celine shopping after disguising what he and Celine had been doing as a plan to give Esnie a day out with her sister. After the women chose outfits, both separately messaged Jonas that they were coming to his room, and the chapter ended as they pushed him inside together.

• Esnie questioned Jonas and Celine about the suspicious scene in his office, but Jonas claimed Celine had used her mission reward to arrange a shopping trip with her sister.
• Esnie admitted she had already figured out what Jonas and Celine had been doing, then enjoyed private time with Jonas in a fitting room before asking him to carry her on his back.
• Celine tried on several outfits and asked Jonas for advice, and he helped her put together a black outfit with a tank top, jeans, a trench coat, and Esnie's sword.
• Esnie and Celine compared their purchases, then both persuaded Jonas to try on various outfits while they shopped.
• Celine and Esnie each messaged Jonas that they were coming to his room, and they pushed him inside together when he opened the door.

Eiffel finished her work at the Alt Conglomerate and invited Jonas to lunch, where she asked about his shopping trip with Esnie and Celine. Jonas agreed to take Eiffel shopping that afternoon, and she revealed she had already booked a hotel room for them to rest afterward.

• Eiffel completed her remaining paperwork while checking business news and evaluating companies that could affect the Alt Conglomerate.
• Eiffel called Jonas, teased him about getting up to mischief, and invited him to lunch.
• Jonas agreed to meet Eiffel for lunch, and they ate together at a restaurant.
• Eiffel asked Jonas about taking Esnie and Celine shopping and suggested that he take her shopping too.
• Jonas agreed to go that afternoon, and Eiffel said she had booked a hotel room where they could rest.

Iris tried to prove herself by learning the Alt Conglomerate’s business data so she could help Jonas, then sought to comfort him with a hug. The chapter ended with Iris blushing as Jonas struggled to contain his reaction to her affectionate, motherly embrace.

• Jonas listened to District 25’s morning news and commented on its absurd stories.
• Iris secretly watched Jonas while struggling to understand business data, then completed her first deal with a distributor.
• Iris asked Jonas to explain the data, and he reassured her that she was welcome to spend time with him and had already helped him greatly.
• Iris asked to hug Jonas, then embraced and comforted him while he felt his self-control beginning to falter.
• Iris loosened her arms, leaned close to Jonas’s ear, and told him it was all right if he was the one, her face flushed red.

Ye Hua investigated Yue Chen’s refusal to return to Dragon City and followed her through the night, suspecting she was meeting people connected to Jonas and the Alt Conglomerate. Yue Chen caught her following and attacked her in an alley, leaving the former partners facing off.

• Ye Hua learned from Ji Yeling that Yue Chen refused to return to Dragon City and blamed Ye Hua for the problem.
• Ye Hua obtained Yue Chen’s address, searched an abandoned warehouse, and used surveillance to locate her residence and learn when she usually went out.
• Ye Hua put on a disguise and followed Yue Chen through the streets, but Yue Chen sensed she was being tailed.
• Yue Chen led Ye Hua through several alleys, then ambushed her around a corner and threw a punch.
• Ye Hua retreated and decided to fight Yue Chen so she could force her to explain whom she was meeting from the Alt Conglomerate.

Ye Hua, disguised by a human-skin mask, fought Yue Chen in a narrow alley as they traded blows and dagger attacks. Yue Chen finally trapped Ye Hua, tore off her mask, and recognized her.

• Ye Hua confronted Yue Chen about her ties to Dragon City and the Alt Conglomerate, then attacked her in the alley.
• Ye Hua and Yue Chen exchanged hand-to-hand attacks, with each gaining and losing the advantage.
• Yue Chen drew a concealed dagger, and Ye Hua drew one of her own; both weapons were knocked away before they retrieved them and resumed fighting.
• Yue Chen baited Ye Hua into an attack, stabbed her shoulder, pinned her down, and drove a dagger into her palm to make her drop her weapon.
• Yue Chen tore off Ye Hua's human-skin mask and exclaimed in shock when she saw her face.