In the parking lot of an unnamed video store on Sixth Street, the siblings Wise and Belle were meeting with Nicole and the other two members of the Cunning Hares.
Nicole: "You're here! Perfect timing!"
Wise: "Nicole, do you want the truth? We've actually been waiting for ages."
Nicole: "I got here fast enough, okay? I had the pedal to the metal the whole way, blasting through every normal green light and every green light with an R value of 255.
Oh, right, I checked along the way. No 'tails' followed me!"
After hearing Nicole's remark, Billy seemed to think for a moment, then sidestepped over to Anby and asked quietly:
Billy: "Anby, what does green with an R value of 255 look like?"
Anby: "Like your jacket."
Meanwhile, the three big bosses were discussing the commission fee.
Belle: "Nicole, we've already rescued your people. Can you pay what you owe now?"
Nicole: "Hang on! We're not done yet, are we?
My commission was: 'Bring out my people and the thing I want.' You've only finished the first half!"
Wise: "Don't worry, Nicole, we remember. We were just joking."
Nicole: "I knew Phaethon was the most reliable and trustworthy."
Nicole waved to Anby behind him, and Anby understood what he meant. She stepped forward to explain what they had learned about the safe back then.
Anby: "Based on what we saw before withdrawing, the target safe is within a high-threat Ethereal's area of activity.
Its registered name in the Hollow Investigative Association's Ethereal catalog is 'Dullahan.' It's an elite Ethereal."
Billy stepped forward to chime in:
"That's right, that one! The Red Fang Gang's boss was unlucky. He was corrupted by highly potent Ether matter and turned into that high-threat Ethereal.
Anby and I tried taking the safe by force, but that guy was no pushover. We still hadn't managed to get it back when we withdrew.
Boss Nicole, just what's inside that box, anyway? Is it worth risking our lives like this?"
"Heh-heh, we'll find out soon. Take a look at this."
As Nicole spoke, he took out a finely crafted, gold-and-red crescent pendant. Of course, it was more than a simple ornament.
Billy: "Huh?! Isn't that the gold pendant I just gave you? Ohhh, I get it. Boss Nicole, you want to use this pendant to cover the Proxy's commission fee."
Nicole: "Idiot! Do you really think this pendant is worth anything? It's just a finely crafted little trinket.
But whether it's valuable depends on what's inside."
Wise had noticed what was different about the pendant, and Nicole's words confirmed what it was.
Wise: "It looks like an exquisite necklace, but it's actually a data drive, right?"
Nicole: "Exactly. It's a small storage device belonging to Bailao. Billy happened to pick it up near Dullahan while escaping!
Judging by its design, I'm guessing it belonged to Bailao, and he was carrying it on him.
If so, it must contain information about that safe, like its password."
Anby: "But he seems to have suffered some damage."
Billy: "Oh, right, the drive's casing is scorched here. Am I the only one who thought it was just an ordinary valuable?"
No one answered him, however. They continued discussing the small storage device.
Nicole: "Phaethon! Can you figure something out? With that complicated computer in your store?"
Belle: "Most of the HDD's processing power goes toward handling Hollow data, but if we're just extracting the drive's contents...
Brother, I could try repairing it using the Inter-Knot's computing power."
Nicole: "Great, then it's settled! We'll try to track down the safe's location in the Hollow first. Once we have a lead, we'll come find you.
Oh, don't forget to extract the data!"
Billy: "See you, Manager!"
Anby: "Goodbye."
Nicole: "Ah... right, Phaethon, there's something else I'd like to discuss!"
The instant Wise heard Nicole say "discuss," he replied:
"Nicole, no discounts on this commission."
Billy: "Manager, you know him too well..."
Nicole: "Hey, don't turn me down so quickly! I won't mess with Phaethon's official rates. Just make an Inter-Knot alt and give me a discount, like before..."
Anby helpfully supported Nicole from the side.
Anby: "Proxy, give us a discount, or Nicole won't let us eat. Cry here."
As she spoke, her face... remained completely still.
Nicole: "Don't read that last part out loud! -But we really need this discount! That tiny difference is peanuts to Phaethon, isn't it?"
Wise: "Hmm... sigh, fine. I really don't know what to do with you."
Nicole: "Yay! Then it's settled! Bye, Phaethon. Don't forget to extract the data!"
Nicole climbed into the car as he spoke. Then he floored the accelerator and hurried off with Billy and Anby, as though afraid someone might change his mind.
Watching Nicole's whole performance, Belle spoke to Wise with a hint of reproach:
"Brother! You're just too softhearted!"
Wise: "Huh? Ahaha... It won't happen next time. It won't."
Wise gave an awkward laugh, then led Belle back into the video store to work on the pendant.
Where... is... this?
A white-haired girl woke up in an unknown place.
It feels... so... familiar... and yet... so... strange...
She was submerged in a liquid that seemed to be a nutrient solution, but she felt nothing, like a soul detached from its physical shell.
Captain... everyone...
Her consciousness and thoughts came in fragments. Memories returned one moment, only to be forgotten the next.
"Conscious activity detected in life-form. Signs of awakening present."
...What...
"Hmm? I only just finished putting her back together, and she's already trying to wake up. She's developing drug resistance a little faster than expected."
Huojin stood in front of the machine containing her, one finger still inserted into a slot in the console.
He watched the limbless girl in the nutrient tank before him. A long tubular machine as large as her head was attached to it, with others attached to various parts of her body. He watched the sutures on her torso heal completely at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Master, how should we proceed?" the butler asked, facing the girl whose eyes had already opened a millimeter.
...Proceed... with me...
Huojin withdrew his right index finger and put on a glove. "Just keep her asleep. We've squeezed almost all the research value out of her. I'll see what use I can make of her later."
...I... have no... value...
"Yes, Master."
With that, the butler connected to the operating system.
"Main system instruction received. Initiating test subject storage procedure."
...Test subject... Captain... everyone... I...
The girl had only just opened her eyes halfway and could barely think, but she felt her consciousness growing hazier and hazier. Her eyes closed again.
Huojin: "Butler, where is my daughter now?"
Butler: "She's already planning to return to the Hollow to retrieve the commissioned item, Master."
Huojin: "Hmm, looks like it's time I made my move too."