"Brother, you're amazing. You figured it out in no time."
Belle picked up a sandwich and started eating. There hadn't been many commissions lately, and after spending a large sum on renovating and upgrading the video store, she was practically out of money.
But when it came to breakfast, Belle wasn't picky—anything that filled her up was good enough.
"Heh."
Wise smiled wryly. He knew Belle had already thought about all this—she just didn't say it aloud.
On the TV screen, the image of an abandoned amusement park appeared—partially visible beyond the armed personnel blockade. Wise sighed.
"I remember that place used to be a huge underground black market. We even had a client who hired us to handle some related goods there."
"I don't know much about it, but the interests tied to that place must be substantial. And now something like this happens..."
"The municipal elections are right around the corner, and the Janus District has been seeing one incident after another. It's got some people running around in a panic."
Belle nodded, cheeks puffed slightly as she chewed. She mumbled through her food,
"Yeah, whenever I hear about municipal elections, I think of that official pushing for the eight-hour workday and the seven-on-two-off policy, plus all those other reforms. Hope this doesn't mess that up."
"Didn't expect you to care about that. But even if it were a six-hour workday, it wouldn't matter to us Proxies."
"I just wish we had more commissions."
Wise was starting to feel a bit uneasy about the video store's finances. If it ended up like Hare's House...
Just the thought was scary.
Right then, a steady knock came at the door.
"Hmm? A customer already?"
Belle turned her head, puzzled. The store wasn't even open yet. Was someone too eager to wait?
But she couldn't remember them getting any new blockbuster releases lately...
"Right, Belle—how's the investigation on that mystery person going?"
Wise got up and walked out to the front, opened the store door, and when he saw who it was, he called back,
"Hey, it's Zane. He's here for you."
Belle's eyes lit up. She quickly set aside her food and rushed over. When she saw Zane, her face lit up even more.
"Come on, come on, I have something to tell you."
Seeing her so excited, Zane was a bit confused. Did something happen?
Wise, who had been focused on the mystery person online, saw Belle so cheerful and his expression darkened.
His good mood from earlier was already gone.
"Huh? What's that Panta's holding? Boots?"
"They look like women's boots..."
After Zane entered, Belle noticed the boots in Panta's arms and asked, surprised and curious.
"They're spoils of war."
"Spoils?"
Belle looked even more stunned.
He considered girls' boots trophies?
Seeing her curiosity, Zane had Panta show her the blade hidden in the sole—partly to explain, partly to avoid being mistaken for a creep.
If Panta had been holding torn black stockings instead, there'd be no explaining that.
Belle stared at the gleaming blade under the boot, eyes widening. She slapped her hands on her shoulders and exclaimed in realization,
"Wait—Zane, did you run into some secret agent woman in the middle of the night and fight it out three hundred rounds before claiming your prize?"
"Was it a dark and stormy night, ambushed in an alley?"
She immediately pictured a scene from some movie—hand-to-hand combat under cover of darkness, with knives hidden in boots. That kind of opponent looked dangerous!
But going up against Zane? No way they'd win.
"Three hundred rounds?"
Zane thought about it for a second.
A quick scuffle or a drawn-out brawl—it was all about the same.
"I guess you could say that."
As they walked into the room, he suddenly remembered something.
"Hey, mind if I leave this here at the video store for now? It's not really something I can carry around. But if I ever set up an exhibition, it'll come in handy."
Goggles and badges were fine, but walking around with a pair of boots? Not ideal.
"Of course! There's a storage room—I'll have No. 6 find a spot for you later."
"But Zane, if you're collecting stuff like this, does that mean you've defeated a lot of people?"
Belle was clearly curious about the origin of the so-called trophies.
"Yeah, a few. Defense Forces, sheriffs, a psychologist..."
Just as Belle was about to tell Zane about the mystery figure from the rope net, her phone chimed with a message.
She checked it. A new contact.
Just as she wondered who it was, the message made it clear.
"Zane, Zhu Yuan got my number from the Public Security Bureau and messaged me—she's asking about you."
"She said to let them know if we hear anything."
Belle glanced up as she relayed the message. Then another one came through, and she looked surprised.
"Zane... is that white Hollow incident also related to you?"
Zane raised an eyebrow.
What did she mean, also?
That made it sound like he was some kind of disaster magnet...
"I just happened to be there. The commotion was pretty big, but I wasn't caught up in it."
"The store's got a phone, right? Let me borrow it. I should let them know I'm okay."
He hadn't expected the news to travel so fast.
But thinking about it, the Criminal Investigation Special Task Force wasn't just any group—of course they'd be quick to react.
If Zhu Yuan sent a message, it meant Qingyi was worried too. Might as well check in and ease their minds.
Not that he thought anything out there could really threaten him...
"Here, use mine."
The landline was a hassle, so Belle handed over her phone. Then she asked curiously,
"Zane, you haven't been out of the Hollow long—how come you're so tight with the Public Security Bureau?"
Last time she filed for legal ID, they even came in person. And she'd seen how familiar Zane and Qingyi were during the Dead End Hollow incident.
Now there was this concern too.
"Let me clarify—I don't have a good relationship with the Public Security Bureau."
Zane shook his head and continued, taking the phone,
"I'm just on good terms with Qingyi and Zhu Yuan. Qingyi's like a budget mentor, and Zhu Yuan's more of a friend."
"It's nothing to do with their official roles—it's just personal."
As he dialed, Zane thought back—Zhu Yuan first approached him to borrow money outside the bureau, and Qingyi... it all started with that cup of tea.
Tch...
Now that he thought about it, maybe he should come clean with them.
They were still investigating the Firepickers, and he had inside knowledge. Maybe it was time to tell them who he really was?
Zhu Yuan's disappointment on that rooftop had been real.
Yeah... maybe honesty was best.
Just as he was lost in thought, the call connected.