"Huh?"
Qingyi's hands froze mid-motion, her expression full of surprise.
The underground black market... exploded?
"What did you say?"
Thinking she'd misheard, she asked Zhu Yuan again, incredulous.
Zhu Yuan blinked. Was her senior's low battery also affecting her hearing?
"Senior!"
"I said—!"
"THE! UNDERGROUND! BLACK! MARKET! BLEW! UP!"
Zhu Yuan leaned close to Qingyi, cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted each word clearly, like a megaphone.
"Alright, alright, Zhu Yuan, I heard you."
Qingyi waved her hand, frowning as she thought. If Zane was following his usual habits, there was a high chance he was in the underground black market handling Ether materials.
Zhu Yuan had clearly thought of the same thing. The moment she got the news, Zane was the first person that came to mind.
"Senior, we need to contact Zane. The report said the black market suffered heavy damage—I'm worried he might be in danger…"
Qingyi nodded. As his mentor, she was naturally even more concerned than Zhu Yuan.
But then a thought hit her, and her frown deepened.
"This is bad. If I remember right, Zane still doesn't have a communicator. Our only point of contact with him is the video store on Sixth Street."
"All our previous encounters—Dead End Hollow, the first half of the night—were all just well-timed coincidences."
After thinking for a moment, Qingyi looked up and asked,
"Since the info came to you, that means there's a mission, right? Like investigating who's behind this, or maintaining order. Either way, we'll need to head over there, won't we?"
Qingyi knew the Security Bureau's procedures well and could easily guess the next steps.
"Yes, Senior."
Zhu Yuan nodded, and Qingyi immediately stood up, preparing to leave for the black market site. But she paused, glancing at Zhu Yuan with concern.
"You're looking pale. Why don't you rest? I'll handle it."
After what happened with Vision Industries and the overnight Dead End Hollow incident, Zhu Yuan should be on break.
She still had to coordinate post-op work on Vision Industries and juggle a pile of tasks. If she kept pushing herself...
But Zhu Yuan shook her head.
"Senior, I'm going with you."
"Even without Zane, a black market explosion is a serious matter. As the leader of the Criminal Investigation Special Task Force, I should be there."
She knew Qingyi was worried and gave a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, Senior. Seth's still on his break—he can help with the Vision Industries follow-up later. I'll be fine."
Seth could be clumsy, but he was dedicated and dependable. He'd be able to take on some of the load.
Zhu Yuan's serious tone left Qingyi unable to argue. Once Zhu Yuan made up her mind, it was hard to change it.
Same as when she insisted on investigating the "Fire Picker."
Right now, Zhu Yuan's desk was stacked with information on the "Fire Picker"—official records, personal notes, even some video footage.
"Sigh…"
Qingyi let out a quiet sigh. She couldn't recharge directly anymore, so she strapped on her portable battery pack, which made her look a bit bulky.
Energy slowly began trickling back in. Stretching a bit, she rubbed her forehead.
"That troublesome disciple."
"He's always right in the middle of every major mess."
How long had it been since she and Zhu Yuan "picked up" Zane from the original Cretan Hollow site?
The Cretan Hollow upheaval, the Dead End Hollow disaster, and now this—an underground black market explosion in Janus District.
All in under a week.
And Zane had been involved in every single one.
"Don't tell me this guy has some kind of special constitution… Feels a little superstitious, but if there's time, maybe we should take him to see a master or something..."
Qingyi looked thoughtful. She didn't suspect Zane of anything.
The Cretan Hollow incident had been about the Defense Force and the Fire Pickers. The Dead End Hollow incident was caused by Vision Industries. The black market case was still a mystery.
Whichever way you looked at it—it wasn't his fault.
And yet, he kept getting caught up in everything.
"Let's go, Senior."
Qingyi nodded. Though she was worried about Zane, deep down she wasn't actually that nervous.
In fact, she felt oddly reassured.
She was aware of this unfounded confidence—and didn't quite understand it herself.
Maybe there was something different about him.
...
"According to our latest report, a white Hollow was discovered early this morning in an abandoned amusement park in Janus District."
"Eyewitnesses say the white Hollow appeared suddenly, radiating a blinding light. Unlike standard Hollows, it stopped expanding after reaching a certain size and disappeared shortly afterward..."
"Now let's go live to the scene."
"Viewers, I'm currently on a street near the site where the white Hollow appeared. This area has now been cordoned off by the Security Bureau."
"We'll now interview a local resident."
The camera panned, revealing an elderly man in a conical hat.
...
In the video store, Belle stretched lazily, having just woken up. She blinked at the familiar reporter on TV.
"Hey, this guy's the same one who first broke the story on Vision Industries' shady dealings, right? I swear, nothing good ever happens when he shows up…"
"You can't say that," Wise said as he opened a convenience breakfast pack without looking up. "He's just doing his job. Anyone can report good news—but running into trouble to report the bad? That takes guts."
"You've got a point. I just wonder... what is a white Hollow anyway?"
Belle stared at the TV, listening to the elderly man being interviewed. She couldn't help asking.
She'd been a Proxy for half her life, and not once had she seen—or even heard of—a white Hollow.
Wise walked over, handed her breakfast, then sat beside her and glanced at the screen.
"Based on the report, it's small—only about half the size of the amusement park. If it is a Hollow, it's one of the smallest ever recorded."
"And while the footage does show a Hollow-like appearance, there are big differences."
"'White Hollow' is probably just a name the TV station made up to grab attention. It's not official."
"We'll need to wait for a proper statement before drawing any conclusions."