[Inside MOTH]
Kalpas arrived at the archives early and, using his squad leader privileges, began looking through the file Elysia had filled out.
After seeing where she came from, a strange look appeared in his eyes.
After confirming that Elysia hadn't simply made it up on the spot, Kalpas took a deep breath.
"Thank goodness those people didn't notice."
Obviously, those people's confidence had reached the point of arrogance.
After guessing that Elysia was one of Mobius's people, they stopped investigating her identity.
As a result, they hadn't noticed that Elysia came from Vostok-51.
Based on the timeline, there was a very high chance that Elysia was the very infant MOTH had been searching for back then.
Thinking about it now, so much time had already passed. He'd grown more than a decade older, too.
The handsome young man he'd once been was long gone.
Kalpas suddenly had a strange thought process.
Hearing Elysia's confused voice coming from the other end of the phone, he collected himself and replied, "Don't tell anyone that you came from Vostok-51."
"If anyone asks, just name some city at random... like Nagazora City."
"?"
Elysia was confused. Was there something special about Vostok-51 within MOTH?
Why did she even have to conceal the fact that she came from Vostok-51?
"Don't ask too many questions. Just remember what I said."
Kalpas reminded her as he imitated Elysia's handwriting and modified her file.
After changing the paper records, he also updated the data on the computer.
As a squad leader, Kalpas had the authority to modify soldiers' files.
After ending the call with Kalpas, Elysia was left very confused by what he'd said. So she opened the group chat and asked the all-knowing Levi for an explanation.
On his way to meet Qingque, Levi received Elysia's message.
After reading what Kalpas had told Elysia, he immediately understood what Kalpas was worried about.
It was nothing more than the higher-ups in MOTH learning that Elysia was the infant they'd been looking for back then and doing something harmful to her.
As an 'old hand' in MOTH, Kalpas had a fairly good understanding of the people above him.
Good people were still in the minority. Most people had their own agendas.
Especially now, when MOTH was receiving funding from the entire world.
Things within MOTH had become even more complicated.
Kalpas had taken a huge risk just to tell Elysia those things. Afterward, he'd probably also risked a great deal to modify her file.
All of this was simply because he was worried about Elysia, his friend.
"I was just curious about what happened at Vostok-51. Why can't I mention it to other people?"
"Because you're at Vostok-51."
"?"
'What did he mean by 'because you're at Vostok-51'?'
Elysia wanted to bring up Levi, point a finger at his nose, and tell him to stop being cryptic.
They were in a group chat, and everyone knew each other. What was the point of being so cryptic?
However, compared with the other illiterate people in the group, Elysia was still much smarter. She quickly connected the dots with the unusual circumstances surrounding her own existence.
She guessed that MOTH had very likely investigated Vostok-51 in the past.
And the person they were investigating was probably... herself.
Only... sigh! They hadn't found her!
Afterward, Elysia told him about the arrangements Levi had made the previous night and how Mobius had already obtained the things he wanted.
As a top-tier talent, Mobius held quite a few patents.
Letting just a little of that technology leak out would be enough to give those businessmen a feast.
What's more, this time, several patents had been handed over at once, and they were apparently quite useful.
According to Blanca's description, that guy had been grinning so hard his mouth nearly split in two.
His mouth had nearly split from smiling?
Hearing Elysia's description, Levi began to laugh as well.
Go ahead and laugh. Laugh as much as you want. Just wait a little longer, and you won't be able to laugh anymore.
Just imagine.
If a dog had a hundred credits in its mouth, what would its owner do?
And what would the dog, which regarded those hundred credits as a priceless treasure, think when that happened?
———
Following the location Qingque had sent him, Levi quickly found her leaning against a wall, her arms folded across her chest despite holding nothing, looking thoroughly displeased.
"I had my eye on this place first."
"So what if you saw it first? Is it yours? Have you paid? Have you signed the contract?"
"Hey! Why are you so uncivilized? Don't you understand the principle of first come, first served?"
Qingque looked even more annoyed. She'd been negotiating with the merchant just fine when this guy named Scott had suddenly shown up and stuck his nose into the matter.
If it weren't for the several fully armed company employees following behind him, Qingque would've already gone up and beaten him to a pulp.
It would've been the perfect opportunity to see whether her fighting skills had gotten rusty.
"First come, first served?" Scott lowered his glasses slightly and looked Qingque up and down, taking in her plain clothes.
He let out a mocking laugh. "All I know is that if you haven't paid and haven't signed a contract, anyone can make an offer."
"Besides, can you even afford to buy it?"
After saying that, he ignored Qingque's furious glare and arrogantly took out the company's bank card and handed it to the merchant.
"Whatever amount of credits she offers, I'll pay ten percent more."
"Run the card."
Hearing this, the merchant immediately gave Qingque an apologetic look. Everyone was just trying to make a living. If they could earn more, of course they'd choose the more profitable deal.
At that moment, Levi's voice came from behind Qingque.
"So this is the location you picked? Looks pretty good."
His gaze swept over the building in front of him.
All the surrounding storefronts were available for rent.
Whatever else one could say, Qingque really was a native Xianzhou resident. Levi hadn't just never visited this area before, he'd never even heard of it.
"It is pretty good. Too bad a dog just snatched it away."
Qingque grumbled unhappily to Levi, who had just arrived.
Unfortunately, Levi was a little too late. Otherwise, they might at least have been able to compete with the other party in a bidding war.
Now that the other party had already paid, they could only look for another place.
"Hey! Wait!"
Just as Qingque pulled Levi along to leave, Scott suddenly reached out and called after them.
The company employees behind him stepped forward and blocked their way.
Folding his arms across his chest, Scott looked at the two of them with an arrogant expression.
"Apologize."
"Apologize? What for?"
"Don't think I didn't hear you. You called me a dog! Insulting a company representative is a serious offense. Even if I teach you a lesson right here, nobody will be able to do anything to me."
"So you'd better apologize obediently. Maybe if I'm in a good mood, I'll let you two go."
"You...!"
"That's just how I am. So what?! If you don't like it, suck it up!"
After finishing his exchange with Qingque, Scott turned his attention to Levi, who was standing beside her.
"You need to apologize too!"
"Huh? Me?"
Levi pointed at himself in surprise.
He'd only just arrived and hadn't done anything yet, and now he was supposed to apologize to this guy?
How about waiting a little longer?
"You're on her side. When your companion does something wrong, how can you have the nerve not to apologize?"
Scott looked impatient.
"Hurry up! I've got places to be!"
"If you're any slower, I'll get the Cloud Knights to arrest both of you!"
After saying this, Scott suddenly noticed that the two people in front of him had started laughing.
"Sure, go ahead and call them."
"If you don't, I'll do it myself."
Qingque promptly took out her jade abacus, but Scott was one step ahead of her and called the Cloud Knights' hotline first.
"..."