[Bonus Chapter - 100 Power Stones]
"If I need your help later, I'll contact you. For now, I'll take my leave."
After saying this, Qingyi waved her hand and left without looking back. On her way home, her mind kept turning over Wise's words.
'The feeling of being cared for? Hmph, is it like how Zhu Yuan refused to let me sacrifice myself before?' she muttered aloud.
Even as the words left her lips, Wise's image appeared in her mind. It appears she's been taught a lesson by him.
Meanwhile, inside the video store, the moment Wise returned home, Belle, Odile, and Odette immediately approached.
"Brother, you're back! It looks like the Inter-Knot hasn't been eradicated yet, right? How did things go?"
"Please, how could it be dealt with so quickly?"
Wise shot Belle an exasperated look before recounting the day's events. The two sisters had already excused themselves to prepare dinner.
"So that's the situation? Perfect! No matter what, having connections with Public Security is essential. Whether it's Officer Qingyi or Zhu Yuan, Brother, you need to secure one of them. Or perhaps both?"
Belle tapped her lip with her index finger, appearing lost in thought. Right then, Wise suddenly leaned in, bringing his face close to hers.
"Ugh! Hmm... Why are you suddenly doing that?"
After unconsciously licking her lips, Belle gazed at Wise with a faintly flushed face. Although her mind hadn't caught up, her body had already grown accustomed to this.
"You don't need to worry about that. As an ordinary citizen of New Eridu, I can only wait for Qingyi's contact for now," Wise replied with a confident grin.
"Eh? Oh, right. Then I'll leave it in your hands, Brother."
At that moment, Odette's voice called from the kitchen.
"Master, Sister Belle, dinner is ready. Please come and eat."
"Okay~ We're coming."
Come to think of it, ever since the two sisters willingly took over the housework, Wise hadn't prepared a meal himself in quite some time. Not that it bothered him. He rather enjoyed being spoiled like this.
<<>>
Since their last joint investigation of the suspicious vehicle, Wise hadn't heard a word from Qingyi.
He sent a message to check on her progress, but she only replied that she was still investigating.
Just then, a knock echoed at the store door, and that familiar voice came through like she'd been summoned.
"For assistance, please contact the Public Security Point-to-point community service. I am Officer Qingyi."
Her tone this time sounded relatively normal compared to before; Wise wondered if she'd disabled her automatic mode.
When he opened the door, she launched into her script once more.
"It's a pleasure to meet you! I am Public Security Officer Qingyi. May I ask what service you require from the Public Security's community program?"
'There it is again, those familiar robotic lines. But why did she sound so natural when she knocked?' Wise mused.
Wise studied Officer Qingyi, who maintained a pleasant smile on her face, and a playful idea crossed his mind.
"Qingyi, congratulations on your appointment as Public Security Chief!"
"Oh? Excellent! My first order is: cease community service... Huh? Oh, it's you, Wise. Ugh, I seemed to have such a wonderful dream just now."
Qingyi's eyelids drooped, clearly disappointed at the abrupt return to reality.
Could it be said that her obsession with stopping community service ran this deep?
Wise refrained from teasing her this time, instead focusing on Qingyi's physical condition.
"Qingyi, you look exhausted. Are you alright?"
"Ah, it's just that I haven't shut down for too long. There's some redundant data accumulating, but it's manageable. I've been staking out the suspicious vehicle we identified last time, and I've finally captured evidence of it entering and exiting the Cretan Hollow," she explained.
"I've submitted an application to the N.E.P.S for manpower and a Carrot. Once the approval comes through, I can go retrieve Teddy. That way, you won't have to worry anymore."
As Qingyi spoke, she even perked up and winked at Wise. Right then, another knock sounded at the door.
"Excuse me for the interruption, but I believe I just saw a PubSec Officer heading this way? Ah, you must be Officer Qingyi, correct? My little Holly has really caused you quite a bit of trouble."
The man standing before him must be Holly's father. He thanked her while pulling out a brand-new Bangboo and handing it over.
"What are you doing?"
Qingyi stared at the man before her, somewhat stunned, and couldn't help forming a suspicion in her mind.
Holly's father's following words confirmed her hunch. The man felt embarrassed about troubling Public Security with this matter.
Considering that the previous Bangboo was lost anyway and was an outdated model, he simply purchased a new one, hoping Qingyi would treat it as the recovered Teddy and return it to Holly.
Wise, who had been listening to all of this from the side, couldn't help but interject.
"Is this really acceptable? Your daughter seems to treasure Teddy greatly."
"Precisely, please believe—"
Qingyi also concurred with Wise's statement, but midway through, she suddenly reconsidered.
"Hold on... I understand. If that's your intention..."
As she spoke, Qingyi reached out and accepted the brand-new Bangboo from the man. Wise, puzzled by her sudden change, chose to trust her judgment.
And Holly's father, witnessing this, departed with visible relief.
"He left quite decisively, but I believe Teddy might still be recoverable?"
Wise glanced at Officer Qingyi, who nodded.
"He's merely a father concerned for his daughter. As for the investigation's specifics, there's no need to dispute with him excessively. Besides, I just received a communication. This Teddy No. 2 might prove quite useful, perhaps? So I'll proceed this way for now."
Hearing Qingyi say this, Belle at the side immediately grew curious and quickly pressed for details.
"So? Did something occur?"
"The approval hasn't been granted. A miscalculation. Bangboos cannot be categorized as a citizen..."
Qingyi sighed, and what made matters worse was that because it couldn't be filed as a missing person case, it could only be processed as a theft incident.
Consequently, there was no method to requisition a Carrot and additional personnel. And in this manner, the Hollow rescue would inevitably face delays, and by that point, Teddy would likely be in potential danger.
"But you can't simply replace Teddy, can you? That's far too cruel."
"You're correct. I also had no intention of abandoning Teddy. I simply wanted to retrieve him intact. That's not particularly realistic."
As Qingyi said this, a subtle smile graced her lips, and she simultaneously lifted a slender index finger, then articulated her plan.
"Don't forget, the greatest advantage of intelligent machinery is replaceability. If an arm breaks, just reattach it. If the body is completely damaged, just buy a new one… as long as the core memory chip can be retrieved…"
She trailed off, but the siblings understood perfectly what she meant.
-+ + +-
-> To have access to more than 40 extra chapters, go to:
[-p -a -t -r -e -o -n . com/DysFiction.]
-> To make a don@tion go to:
[ ko - fi .com /dysfiction ]
-+ + +-
Novels Available:
-> Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street. (Translation)
-> Azur Lane: Don't Fight! You're All My Wives! (Translation)
-> Zenless Zone Zero: Death in White. (Original - P@treon Only Until It Reaches 30 Chapters)
-+ + +-