"It's alright, little Holly, you did the right thing!" Wise said, his voice soft, offering comfort to Holly, whose quiet sobs had yet to fully settle.
Qingyi, standing at his side, responded with a composed nod.
"The Assistant is correct. A disappearance is no trivial matter and falls under the jurisdiction of Public Security. Holly, do you happen to have a photograph of Teddy?"
"Yes, I have many, but... last time we moved, we were in such a hurry to catch the evacuation train... all the luggage..."
Holly's voice trailed off, a shadow of dejection settling over her. Qingyi quickly reassured her that it was fine, then asked a few more questions about Teddy's height and weight.
Little Holly answered each without hesitation. Carefully, Qingyi sketched a portrait from her descriptions. Teddy turned out to be a Sharkboo.
"He looks exactly like this, right?" Qingyi handed the paper to Holly.
Her eyes widened, sparkling with excitement, as she nodded.
"Yes! Officer, your drawing is amazing! This is Teddy! After so many days... can he still be found?"
"Citizen Holly, your case has now been accepted."
Holly's face lit up with pure joy at the formal reply. Wise, watching from the side, let out a quiet smile. She truly was a gentle senior.
Afterward, Qingyi asked where and when Holly had last seen Teddy. Upon learning it was at the Gravity Cinema, she felt a flicker of surprise.
That place was right next to the Public Security substation—she hadn't expected a disappearance so close to home.
"Is this what they call 'darkness under the lamp'? Definitely worth looking into."
Wise understood the sentiment perfectly. After all, he was also hiding his Proxy identity behind the façade of a video store.
The two first ensured Holly was safely returned home before proceeding together toward the Gravity Cinema in Lumina Square. Upon approaching the place, Qingyi came to an abrupt halt.
"Wait a moment... I've already scanned all 283,019 surveillance videos in this area."
"H-How amazing! Should I say it's worthy of Qingyi?"
"I simply retrieved the footage from the database, then ran data analysis and pattern recognition," she said calmly. "There is indeed footage of Teddy, though something about it is strange. That day, he walked out of the cinema carrying popcorn and kept glancing around as he moved, as if searching for something. His figure last disappeared somewhere in this parking lot."
Qingyi swept a careful look across the area. Several days had already passed, but thoroughness still mattered.
"Then leave it to me."
Wise was well-practiced in finding things. From Proxy commissions tracking lost items to retrieving missing underwear and stray socks, nothing had ever posed a real challenge.
"Youth is so energetic. Then I'll leave it to you, Assistant Officer."
Wise took on the task of searching the surroundings, while Qingyi returned her attention to re-analyzing the surveillance footage, making certain nothing had been overlooked.
It didn't take long. Wise finished searching for clues and returned to Qingyi, whose soft "Huh?" slipped out the moment she saw his expression.
"From your face, it seems you found something?"
"Yes, though I'm not sure how useful it is. You'll probably need to see it yourself."
"Alright."
Qingyi nodded and began examining the evidence Wise had brought back. Her eyes soon fixed on a poster. Across it, written in smeared and uneven handwriting, were the words: "To Holly."
A closer scan brought something else to light: traces of highly active Ether residue, left behind by what appeared to be a violent reaction. The readings were far from low.
The fact that objects outside the Hollow could be contaminated with such a high concentration of Ether was highly suspicious, but it also made the search considerably easier.
Qingyi had also spotted a suspicious vehicle parked nearby around the time Teddy disappeared. If it were connected to the case, that car would likely carry Ether residues as well.
The two immediately made their way to the parking lot to inspect the vehicle in question—a classic white van.
Sure enough, traces of highly active Ether substances remained on the rear wheel, remnants of what appeared to be a violent reaction.
"So, this car's owner is highly suspicious."
"Hmm, but a criminal investigation requires solid evidence. For now, we must remain calm. It's fine; I'll handle staking out this car. Besides, I don't need to sleep," Qingyi said, calmly spreading her hand.
Wise, however, could not share her nonchalance.
"No, if you don't rest at all, even if your body holds up, your mind will still grow tired, won't it?"
"Oh, Zhu Yuan always tells me the same thing. I can only say it's overthinking, isn't it? One after another, they're all like this—Zhu Yuan, little Holly, and now even you, Wise. Humans are truly interesting creatures, projecting so much emotion onto something that clearly isn't alive."
Qingyi chuckled softly and shook her head. There was a quiet heaviness in her expression and tone that felt unlike her usual self.
"Helping citizens is a Public Security Officer's duty, of course. But Teddy is, at the end of the day, just a Bangboo. Ultimately, the purpose of intelligent machines is to be discarded in place of humans when danger arises."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"Even though I am an advanced model, the 01 Neo-Genesis VI type, I am nothing more than a Bangboo with slightly more complex functions. When it comes to matters of life and death, I believe Teddy and I are the same. We ourselves have no particular obsession with it. I simply didn't expect Holly to care so much."
"Isn't that only natural?!" Wise cut in sharply.
"Eh?"
Qingyi froze for a moment, clearly caught off guard by the sudden intensity in his voice. He steadied himself before continuing.
"Sorry, Qingyi. I want to ask you something. What do you think humans are supposed to be like?"
"What do you mean?"
"Humans aren't cruel by nature. We have emotions, and we grow attached to things we've spent time with. Holly is heartbroken over Teddy's disappearance because, to her, Teddy is a friend—maybe even family. And beyond that, there are my Bangboos, and there's you, Qingyi. Aren't you tied by bonds of your own? We care about you, which is exactly why we can never bring ourselves to speak so lightly of life and death."
Wise's words left Qingyi in silence, quietly turning them over in her mind. After a long moment, the corners of her mouth slowly curved into a soft arc.
"So, humans are truly interesting creatures after all, aren't they? But rest assured, Wise: neither Bangboo nor Intelligent Constructs are as fragile as humans."
Her tone shifted back to its composed steadiness.
"Today's investigation has been very fruitful. With these clues, we can apply to the Public Security Bureau for a formal search warrant."
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Novels Available:
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