"Hello?"
"I have something to tell you, but don't be scared!"
"...I'm a cop. I don't get scared."
"You're not a damn cop!"
"Then just say it."
Morin lay on his bed and yawned. It was already three in the morning. Lu Mingfei had suddenly called, his voice filled with excitement he couldn't hide. Morin guessed what it was immediately, but he didn't say it outright. He patiently played along.
"A Professor Guderian-the one who was the only contact saved on that phone-called. And he told me..."
"That you were admitted?" Morin interrupted.
"How did you know?" Lu Mingfei was stunned.
"I told you already. You and I were the only two who would be chosen. Everyone else was a runner-up."
Morin sat up, poured himself a glass of water, and took a sip.
"And yet this afternoon, you were happily telling me that neither you nor Chen Wenwen passed."
"I wasn't happy about it!" Lu Mingfei lowered his voice. "Don't make it sound like I was gloating!"
"The intent wasn't there, but the nature of the situation wasn't much different," Morin said calmly. "So, is it time for you to be conflicted?"
"Conflicted? About what?"
"Don't you like Chen Wenwen?"
Morin's tone was calm, like a blade sliding straight in.
"If you go to Cassell College, separation is inevitable. She'll eventually find someone she likes and be with them."
Lu Mingfei stood there, dazed.
When he received the call, he hadn't reacted immediately. But now, Morin had laid everything out clearly in front of him, including the consequences of every choice.
How to choose?
"If you don't know how to choose, I can give you an idea."
Morin's voice came through while Lu Mingfei's thoughts were in chaos.
"What idea?" Lu Mingfei sounded like he'd grabbed a lifeline.
"First, I need to know what effort you've put in because you like Chen Wenwen."
Morin paused.
"Let me test you. Where does Chen Wenwen live?"
"What kind of weird question is that!"
"Then do you know what brand of underwear she likes?"
"You're definitely a pervert!"
"Good." Morin sighed. "Because I really didn't want to hear your answers. I suspect if I asked whether you had common interests, you'd say you both like the same brand of mineral water."
"How did you know?!" Lu Mingfei was shocked.
"Stop." Morin sounded tired. "Anyway, I know exactly how pathetic you are at chasing girls. And you know it too."
He paused.
"But this time, no matter what, you have to make a choice. Confess."
"No matter the result, at least you chose."
"If she agrees, you can live happily with Chen Wenwen-though I don't think that's very likely."
"And if she rejects me?" Lu Mingfei shrank back.
"Then take that romance that died before it even began, pack your bags, and get on the plane to Cassell College."
Morin waved his hand casually.
"Start your cool, badass, awesome new life."
"Hey, that's way too decisive!"
"Life should be decisive."
Morin's voice was steady.
"You're at a critical crossroads. How you choose is up to you."
Lu Mingfei was silent, listening like a lone soldier being sent to war.
"Then what should I prepare?" His voice trembled slightly.
"The important thing isn't what you prepare," Morin said. "It's who you are."
"If there's a chance, a confession over street-side spicy soup can succeed. If there isn't, even renting Notre-Dame, kneeling down with the biggest diamond in the world won't help."
He added calmly, "That might work on most girls, but you don't have those conditions. A cheap suit and a bouquet of roses are no different from ordinary talk."
"The outcome depends only on who you are."
...
The call ended.
Morin lay half-reclined on the bed, not in a hurry to sleep.
Two seconds later, a message arrived.
NoNo: "You know it's impossible for him and Chen Wenwen, right?"
Morin typed back: "Some things can only be understood after despair."
"You know the probability of her saying yes is close to zero. But as long as she hasn't rejected him, he'll cling to hope."
"The reason he never confessed before was probably because he didn't want to give her the chance to reject him."
"Honestly, he's really bad at hiding it."
"It's rare for a crush to be known by the entire school," NoNo replied.
...
After making up his mind to confess, Lu Mingfei struggled for a long time before finally falling asleep.
What he didn't know was that in an apartment on the same floor of the neighboring building, a tall woman with incredibly long legs and a black ponytail lowered the telescope she had been using to watch him.
She jumped onto the bed and stretched out fully, her long legs extending straight. She let out a breath.
At that moment, the phone beside her rang.
She answered.
"Calling Mai, calling Mai."
A lazy voice came through, accompanied by a constant crunch, crunch sound.
"What's the situation with White Rabbit One?"
"White Rabbit One is fine."
Mai Sakatoku lay on the bed, stretching lazily.
"He just finished a call with White Rabbit Two and fell asleep. No abnormalities detected."
"What did they talk about?" The crunching didn't stop.
"He told White Rabbit One to gather his courage and confess to that girl Chen Wenwen. No regrets."
Mai's voice grew languid.
"Don't tell me the Boss made me rush back just for this, Potato Chip Girl."
"First, don't call me that."
"Second, use your brain, Long Legs."
Su Enxi kept eating chips.
"Is this not important?"
"If White Rabbit One doesn't go to school, the Boss will be furious. He'd even be willing to kill Chen Wenwen just to make him go."
"As I see it, there's zero chance between them," Mai's expression darkened. "There's nothing to worry about."
"Right. But the Boss cares about more than that."
Su Enxi shook the empty chip bag and tossed it aside.
"Chen Motong-NoNo-has gone off-script. She's in contact with White Rabbit Two, but not with White Rabbit One."
"Originally, when White Rabbit One was at his lowest, she should've kicked the door open and started their ill-fated connection."
"So the Boss likes arranging unreachable, doomed relationships?" Mai asked.
"Who knows."
"But every one of the Boss's arrangements has meaning. They always come back into play."
"Then what's my mission this time?"
Mai began undressing.
"First, completely cut off the possibility of Lu Mingfei and Chen Wenwen succeeding. Any means necessary."
"That's easy." Mai smiled faintly. "Even if Chen Wenwen agrees, I just need to put on a uniform and strike a pose."
"Second," Su Enxi continued, "find out White Rabbit Two's identity. Prevent him from ending up with NoNo if possible. Even better, entangle her with Lu Mingfei."
Mai stopped mid-motion and sat up.
"White Rabbit Two's real identity?"
"On the surface, nothing unusual."
Su Enxi said slowly.
"But the Boss thinks something's off."
"All his current data has been sent to you. One thing to note-his IQ is extremely high."
"When dealing with him, keep your earpiece on and stay in contact with me."
"Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll sell us all out without realizing it."
"You're looking down on my intelligence!" Mai protested.
"My IQ is high too-it's just not comparable to a freak like you with Heavenly Calculation!"
"Exactly."
Su Enxi opened another bag of chips, then stopped herself.
"You're about to face someone else with the Speech Spirit: Heavenly Calculation."
"This isn't a joke."
"He can deduce terrifying amounts from tiny discrepancies. Word games are as simple as 1+1 for people like us."
"Fine, fine." Mai sighed. "But one more thing."
"How am I supposed to separate him from NoNo and push her to Lu Mingfei?"
"Even if I succeed, that loser already thinks she has something special with White Rabbit Two."
"According to calculations," Su Enxi replied flatly, "it's not impossible."
"Holy crap." Mai widened her eyes. "That wimp has the guts to steal someone else's girl?"
"Not openly," Su Enxi corrected. "But a secret crush is very possible."
"The kind known by the entire school?"
"How would I know?" Su Enxi snapped. "I've never been in a relationship either!"
"I'm just a strategist. Love and feelings aren't my specialty!"
"Well, neither are mine!" Mai shot back. "I'm only good at fighting and killing!"
"You can't send the strategist to the front lines."
"Zero is busy preparing for enrollment."
"And do you expect her to fall in love with that body and expression?"
"I want more manpower!" Mai shouted.
"Don't worry."
Su Enxi encouraged calmly.
"Use your beauty. Seduce White Rabbit Two. Make him fall for you. Then we get another member."
"You just want to be lazy." Mai snorted. "He's not a fighter. He can't do my work."
"Minor details."
Su Enxi waved it off.
"The priority is getting White Rabbit One to Cassell College."
"If all else fails, knock him out and tie him up."
"Second priority, confirm what's hidden behind White Rabbit Two."
"As for the rest, do your best. If it fails, it fails."
"But we absolutely cannot be exposed."
Mai started putting her clothes back on.
"What are you doing?" Su Enxi asked sharply.
"Did you install a monitor in my room?" Mai cursed.
"I've seen you naked before."
"And I didn't install anything. I judged by sound."
"Hmph."
Mai stood and put on her shoes.
"What are you going out for?"
"Night operation."
Mai's eyes sharpened.
"They just finished their call. Perfect timing."
"I'll sneak in and see if I can find any data."
"He might destroy something before leaving."
"That makes sense."
Su Enxi thought for a moment.
"Be careful."
"Relax." Mai smiled confidently.
"He doesn't have a combat Speech Spirit. He can't detect me."
"Still, be careful."
Su Enxi's tone was serious.
"If he's hiding something, bring weapons."
"Once I move, it's over."
Mai opened the door.
"And if I get caught, I'll just charm my way out."
"With his looks, I'm not losing out anyway."