Ruan Mei unconsciously scraped at her fingernail—a small habit she had when thinking.
Wei Qing's words had, admittedly, struck at the core of her motivation.
Her cooperation with the Luofu and her participation in the Stellaron research had never been about the Luofu. It had always been about getting close to the anomaly standing before her—this envoy-like existence walking three Paths at once.
"You're very confident, Mr. Wei Qing," Ruan Mei said, her voice still even, though the interest in her eyes was no longer hidden. "So what trade are you here to propose? Surely you didn't appear at this risk merely to satisfy my curiosity."
"A trade requires mutual benefit." Wei Qing took a step forward. The isolation barrier around them rippled faintly, ensuring that neither instruments nor perception could pry into what followed. "You want to decipher the Paths—especially a special case like me. And I need you to confirm one thing."
"Go on." Ruan Mei inclined her head.
"I want to know how much you understand about Polka Kakamond—the Silent Lord—and whether you have any contact with her."
A flicker of surprise crossed Ruan Mei's gaze.
"Ms. Polka Kakamond? The fourth seat?" Her tone turned cautious. "She is… a singular and dangerous existence. Even within the Genius Society, information about her is extremely limited."
"And you, Mr. Wei Qing, should also know that more than a few geniuses have died by her hand. I would not—and could not—have any contact with her."
She lifted her eyes to him, full of probing curiosity.
"I'm more interested in why you are asking. To my knowledge, she has no direct connection to Destruction. Unless… you've already come into contact with her?"
Wei Qing didn't answer directly. Instead, he countered:
"As I understand it, Polka Kakamond pays particular attention to 'geniuses.' Since you two have been on the Luofu, has she tried to establish any form of contact?"
Ruan Mei's brow tightened—only slightly, but it was enough.
She exhaled softly, as if conceding a point.
"Yes. Around the time this museum was established, I received an encrypted transmission."
"The source was untraceable. The encoding was archaic and extremely precise. As for its content…"
She paused.
"There was nothing inside. Empty."
"You recovered it?" Wei Qing pressed.
"No." Ruan Mei shook her head. "I believe it was more of a test… or bait."
"I examined the transmission. Its technical level exceeds current universal standards by a wide margin. I initially suspected a prank from Herta, but the style did not match."
She continued evenly, "Later, I brought it up to Herta by chance and discovered she'd received something similar—same lack of origin, no return address. We attempted reverse tracing. We found nothing."
Wei Qing understood immediately.
So the Silent Lord's gaze hadn't been fixed solely on him—or rather, her true target might still be him, but the presence of two geniuses on the Luofu made the board more interesting.
"Then, Madam Ruan Mei," Wei Qing asked, finally placing the real question on the table, "in your judgment… is it possible she is currently on the Luofu?"
Ruan Mei fell silent for a moment, weighing the implications.
"I cannot confirm it," she said at last, cautious as ever. "If not for you, I wouldn't have even suspected her hand."
"Polka Kakamond's whereabouts are among the hardest mysteries in the cosmos. If she intends to remain unseen, even fellow members of the Society can fail to detect her."
"But as for probability…" Her gaze sharpened. "The Luofu currently holds a Stellaron, two Genius Society members, and someone as anomalous as you. Even for the Silent Lord, that combination is… noteworthy."
Her eyes fixed on Wei Qing.
"Still, since you asked, does that mean you've already sensed her presence?"
Wei Qing didn't hesitate this time.
"Those Annihilation Gang prisoners were placed here by her."
"The Annihilation Gang?" Ruan Mei's expression turned faintly strange. "I assumed they were your handiwork."
"How could they be?" Wei Qing scoffed softly. "I don't play in the same sandbox as those trash-tier zealots."
Ruan Mei's fingertips rested lightly against her lower lip. Understanding flickered through her calm face.
"Then what do you intend to do next? If she's involved, the Luofu's waters will be far more turbulent than anticipated."
Wei Qing's answer was immediate—almost casual, as if the thing he proposed wasn't absurdly dangerous.
"With your help, I'm going to drag that elbow-eyed woman out into the open."
"And I don't want some creepy stalker watching me from the shadows. That feeling is unpleasant."
Ruan Mei fell into a brief silence.
Not because of "elbow-eyed"—a bizarre nickname was hardly the oddest thing she'd heard from a man like him.
Rather, she didn't see why Wei Qing believed cooperating with her would be enough to lure the Silent Lord.
Herta was reckless and provocative; Ruan Mei was neither. She valued her life, and she had never been eager to move closer to the path that had ended with other geniuses hunted down by Polka Kakamond.
But lack of interest wasn't the same as fear.
A genius's pride still sat quietly in her bones.
"Drag the Silent Lord out," Ruan Mei repeated, her tone acquiring a subtle edge. "Mr. Wei Qing, do you understand what that implies? Polka Kakamond is not an ordinary opponent. Provoking her may not be wise."
"I understand perfectly." A thread of Destruction curled around Wei Qing's fingers—restrained, but unmistakably real. "But waiting passively isn't my style."
"She has already moved. She placed the Annihilation Gang as a piece on the board. I can't pretend not to see it."
"If she's comfortable in the dark, building her layout at leisure… then I'll flip the table and force her into the light."
Ruan Mei tapped her finger lightly against her arm—once, twice—an analytic rhythm.
"And how do you plan to do that?"
Her gaze sharpened further, connecting the dots.
"You want me to cooperate… to stage an 'accident' or 'discovery' compelling enough to draw the fourth seat's attention."
"A performance," she murmured, precise and cool. "One designed to trigger her curiosity."
Ruan Mei paused, eyes steady on Wei Qing.
"You want me to help you put on a scene—one that even Polka Kakamond can't ignore?"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
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Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 206
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Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
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The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 106
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 125
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 105
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Checking In in Demon Slayer 59
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 73
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 45
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Why did they assign me to Uma 35
MYGO Beauties 43
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The Gacha Merchant Who Started 31
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