A familiar voice came through the handset—Shepherd's, half teasing and half unable to hide his surprise.
"So, Phaethon… you're actually doing it for real this time?"
Belle was sprawled lazily into the living-room sofa, one hand holding her phone, the other absently twirling a lock of hair. Shepherd was an old acquaintance from the Inter-Knot—an experienced slick operator who'd clearly called the instant the "Inter-Knot Collaboration & Development Foundation" post started flooding everyone's feeds.
His nose for news was always freakishly sharp.
"Heh. Of course it's real."
Belle chuckled, her voice bright. She shifted her posture; the sofa gave a soft creak.
"What about you, Shepherd? You not supporting it?"
There was a brief silence on the other end—only the faint hiss of the line.
A few days ago, when Phaethon's account had been erased clean, Shepherd had privately clicked his tongue and assumed the sibling duo would have to start over again—back to splashing around in the pond, stirring up chaos.
Who would've thought they'd be able to dredge their core data back out of the Inter-Knot's garbage heap by force?
Even now, just thinking about it made Shepherd's molars ache.
"It's not about supporting or not."
His tone slid back into his usual world-weary drawl.
"Still… having the industry be a bit more standardized isn't bad. At least people won't have to live this on-edge all the time."
He paused, like he was weighing his next words.
"So what now? You really planning to be… a savior?"
"Savior's a bit much."
Belle's gaze flicked to the single armchair beside her, where Wise sat with his head down, tapping at a data pad.
"I'm thinking of putting together a supervision team. Or an evaluation committee—something along those lines. Haven't finalized the format."
Her tone shifted into an invitation.
"You wanna join, Senior Shepherd?"
"Senior?"
Shepherd let out a short, self-mocking laugh.
"Heh. Sorry, Phaethon. As a properly cynical adult, I'm going to keep watching from the sidelines for a few more days. This water's too deep, too muddy. When you've… actually planted your feet and proved this isn't a spur-of-the-moment stunt—proved it isn't just a brief fireworks show—then maybe I'll step in and lend a hand."
There was fatigue in his caution.
"So even Shepherd didn't agree on the spot?"
Wise looked up, frowning.
He set the data pad down. Its screen was full of the foundation backend—streams of numbers jumping nonstop.
Belle tossed her phone onto the sofa armrest and leaned back with a long, resigned sigh.
"Well… look at what the Inter-Knot used to be. Scams, betrayal, survival of the fittest—it was the default. People got used to going solo, guarding their backs, distrusting everyone. And now someone shows up and says they want to build order? Trust doesn't appear overnight. Watching and waiting is… completely normal."
There wasn't any resentment in her voice.
This was already day two.
Last night, after Miyabi completed the task—"Clear the Special Physical Damage Test in the shortest possible time"—using that "slash from the future," they'd confirmed it was possible to draw out and stimulate the dormant Creator Authority inside Belle.
But when Belle tried issuing another task to Miyabi, Eisen had pointed out that this time it didn't trigger any resonance.
They tested several more times. Same result—failure.
Eisen thought it over and concluded they'd likely hit some kind of cooldown—maybe time-based, maybe something else. Either way, they couldn't push tasks again for the moment.
Miyabi hadn't stayed the night at the video store, either. She'd slipped out of the Star-Studded estate in secret; she still had to appear there the next morning, or someone would notice.
As a high-profile Void Hunter, her every move was watched by countless eyes. Any anomaly could invite suspicion and trouble.
Just then, Fairy's electronic voice cut through the lull.
"Master. Morningstar's account transfer has been confirmed. 500,000 Dennies."
Hearing that, Belle finally relaxed.
"That should improve Morningstar's situation a lot."
Then Fairy continued, voice still calm:
"Master. A gang unit has been detected moving toward Morningstar's neighborhood. Based on intercepted browsing data and encrypted call logs, their objective is clear: surveil and abduct Morningstar, with intent to seize the foundation payout. Estimated arrival at the target area: fifteen minutes."
Belle's brows snapped together.
"Not even half a day and someone's already trying to muddy the water."
Wise—who'd been listening quietly—also frowned, his expression turning heavy.
"Belle, this is urgent. Should we contact Nicole and her crew? Have them protect Morningstar?"
His hand moved toward the communicator in his pocket on instinct.
But Belle shook her head.
"No. If this is happening inside the city, we go through the proper channels—notify the Public Security Bureau. And, honestly… don't you think this is a perfect chance to establish contact with Zhu Yuan and her people?"
—
At the same time, inside a dedicated meeting room for Zhu Yuan's squad at Public Security HQ, the atmosphere was solemn.
Zhu Yuan stood at the head of the table. Her fitted uniform outlined her shapely figure with merciless clarity. Her expression was serious as her eyes swept across her team.
Seth sat straight across from her, back rigid, left hand gripping his phone, right index finger hovering over the screen as if ready to record every word and punctuation mark.
He looked so intensely earnest he bordered on stiff.
To his right was a completely different picture.
Qingyi—an experienced veteran—was leisurely fussing with a compact set of white porcelain tea ware. Hot water went into the pot, steam curling upward. She watched the leaves unfurl with quiet focus, unhurried and unbothered, carrying an elegance so relaxed it looked out of place in a tense meeting.
The contrast between Qingyi's languid composure and Seth's tight-wound vigilance was almost comical.
Other senior officers leaned somewhere in between—some flipping through documents, some reclining with arms crossed, eyes distant with the smooth, practiced neutrality of career veterans.
Zhu Yuan broke the silence.
"About that suddenly appeared 'Inter-Knot Collaboration & Development Foundation'—what does everyone think?"
Seth's hand shot up almost reflexively. After Zhu Yuan nodded, he spoke immediately, loud and full of conviction.
"Report, Captain! I believe this is a positive development worth acknowledging! At this stage, the foundation has a clear, demonstrable effect in guiding behavior toward the good. This could be an excellent opportunity—we can attempt cooperation with the foundation and gradually clean up the Inter-Knot environment!"
His eyes shone with the kind of purity reality hadn't managed to grind down yet.
"Heh."
A soft laugh came from Qingyi's side.
She lifted her tea, gently blew away the foam, and didn't even look up.
"Cleaning up the Inter-Knot? Nice idea. But if you really scrub it spotless and make it 'proper,' the big shots who live off that gray zone will start squirming. And when that happens, the headache won't be the Inter-Knot."
She paused, letting the words land.
"It'll be us."
Zhu Yuan rubbed her temple, helpless.
"Senior… say less."
She understood exactly what Qingyi meant. It just wasn't the kind of topic she wanted unpacked openly in front of the whole team.
Qingyi took a slow sip and glanced at Zhu Yuan with an innocent look.
"Didn't you say 'speak freely' and share honest thoughts? I'm just being sincere."
She set her cup down; porcelain clicked against the tabletop.
Zhu Yuan decided not to bite. She turned to the rest of the room.
"Then what about everyone else? How should the Bureau respond? Observe, or intervene proactively?"
Seth jumped in again, even more resolute.
"I believe we must make contact proactively! Phaethon has demonstrated powerful technical capability and a certain degree of social responsibility. Establishing a cooperation channel with them is the best way to improve Inter-Knot ecology and expand the Bureau's influence in virtual space! I even believe we can attempt to bring the entire Inter-Knot under effective Bureau supervision!"
His eyes blazed with ideals.
Qingyi sipped tea again and let out a satisfied little sigh.
"Ahhh… kid, having drive is a good thing. But whether the Inter-Knot answers to the Bureau, how it's managed, and who has authority—that's not something our little squad can decide. It's not even something the Bureau can decide alone."
She tapped the table lightly with a fingertip.
"That's a chessboard for the big people upstairs. We're just pawns on it. They give the orders, we move. Thinking too much doesn't change anything."
Her tone held the detached calm of someone who'd seen too many games.
"Senior! I can't agree with that!"
Seth snapped toward her, suddenly heated.
"Maintaining justice and protecting order is our duty! If we back down because it's hard, then what are we even here for? The opportunity is right in front of us—we should fight for it, not sit and wait for instructions!"
He looked like a young lion trying to defend his beliefs.
Watching Seth bristle while Qingyi continued sipping tea as if she were on vacation, Zhu Yuan felt a familiar headache creeping in.
She opened her mouth, ready to force an end to this pointless argument and drag the room back on track—
Bzzzz. Bzzzz.
A sudden, persistent vibration came from her uniform pocket.
Zhu Yuan stiffened. Her brow furrowed.
At this hour…?
Mom?
She'd specifically told her not to call during work.
With annoyance and helplessness at being interrupted, she pulled out her phone.
Then her pupils constricted sharply.
The caller ID wasn't a familiar contact name.
It was—
PHAETHON.
Zhu Yuan's gaze turned razor-sharp. She raised her right hand, fingers spread, and flashed a silent but unmistakable signal:
All units—alert.
The entire room snapped into combat posture, as if a pause button had been released and replaced with a trigger.
Veterans who'd been half-daydreaming sat up. Eyes sharpened. Hands shifted subtly.
Seth went instantly rigid, face taut with seriousness.
Even Qingyi—who'd looked so unbothered—had a flash of light in her eyes. The moment Zhu Yuan raised her hand, Qingyi was already piggybacking the phone's connection, attempting to lock onto the call's source.
And then Qingyi paused—genuinely surprised.
The signal was a ghost.
No IP trace. No tower location. No physical path to chase.
It was as if the call had jumped straight out of empty space.
Qingyi's mouth curved into a playful little smile.
Interesting. Phaethon's tech really was… something else.
Zhu Yuan inhaled, forcing down the surge in her chest, and hit Answer, lifting the phone to her ear. Her voice stayed controlled, but warning edged every syllable.
"Hello?"
The voice on the other end was nothing like what she'd expected.
It was clear, bright, energetic—almost playful. It sounded like a cheerful blue-haired teenage girl with an impish grin.
"Hi, Officer Zhu Yuan~"
The contrast made Zhu Yuan falter for a fraction of a second—then she recovered, her tone turning colder.
"Phaethon? What do you want?"
Her eyes swept the room. Qingyi gave a tiny shake of her head—tracking failed.
"I do have some things I want to talk to you about."
The girl on the line stayed light, even smiling as she spoke.
"But Officer Zhu Yuan… letting other people listen to our conversation isn't a great habit, you know? Basic privacy still matters. Don't you agree?"
The tone was casual—yet it hit dead center.
Zhu Yuan's grip tightened. Her silence was answer enough.
They not only knew she was in a meeting—they knew there was monitoring.
The caller didn't seem to care about the silence and continued smoothly.
"Alright, jokes aside. There's something big I want to discuss, but—"
The voice dragged the word out deliberately.
"Let's wait until you're done with work and can find a quiet place to talk."
We have nothing to talk about.
Zhu Yuan almost said it.
A shadowy Proxy who stirred trouble on the Inter-Knot didn't get to negotiate with her.
But the words stuck in her throat.
Because: the foundation. Because: if this could actually make the Inter-Knot cleaner, reduce nasty incidents, that was still worth something.
She forced herself to stay calm, her voice steady but carrying a thread of probing suspicion.
"I'm not busy right now. Say what you need to say. Now."
"Now?"
The girl on the line gave a soft laugh.
"I'm afraid, Officer Zhu Yuan, you're about to get very busy."
Her tone snapped from playful to formal in an instant.
"I am making a实名 report as a concerned citizen of New Eridu. At this moment, an armed gang unit is gathering at XX Street, with a clear target and intent. They plan to break in, kidnap, and rob a woman living alone within a short time window. This is urgent. Every minute counts. I request that you—Officer Zhu Yuan—immediately and personally lead a unit to intervene. If you're late… it may be too late."
"What the hell are you doing?!"
Zhu Yuan's voice spiked, sharp with anger and disbelief.
But even as she snapped the question, she was already moving—turning on her heel and striding out of the meeting room toward the equipment bay, steps fast and controlled.
Qingyi sighed without a sound—yet her hands were already working, packing away the tea set with impossible speed. She rose and followed, her pace light.
Seth started to stand, reflexively ready to go—
Zhu Yuan cut him off with one fierce gesture: You stay here.
Seth's mouth opened. Then he swallowed it down and sank back into his chair, unwilling, eyes tracking his superiors' backs as they vanished.
Zhu Yuan moved down the corridor, phone pressed to her ear, voice tight with urgency she was struggling to suppress.
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
She needed the caller's real intent.
The girl on the line laughed softly again, still bright.
"My intent is very clear, Officer Zhu Yuan."
Her voice stayed breezy.
"Just like I said: once you've handled this job and can be alone somewhere quiet, we'll talk properly about the big thing. For now, focus on the public safety issue in front of you."
"Wait! You—"
Zhu Yuan tried to press for more.
The only answer was a clean, decisive beep—the call ended.
"…Bastard."
Zhu Yuan slammed her fist into a cold metal locker with a dull, heavy boom.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 155)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter200)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter110)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter230)
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Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 200
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 180
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/5
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 230
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 220
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/30
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 120
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 135
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 110
I Can Copy Unique Skills 100
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 100
My Harem Is Indescribable 90
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 95
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
Still playing traditional Honk 69
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 80
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 70
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 75
Checking In in Demon Slayer 80
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 85
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 70
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 65
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 70
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 70
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 65
Why did they assign me to Uma 65
MYGO Beauties 65
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 55
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 65
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 45
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 45
The Uma Musume Who Became 40
I'm Definitely Not the King of 45
After Maxing Out Every Class 45
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