About two hours later.
Pela glanced at Serval who was busy, then at the free-labor officer Dunn, and finally her gaze landed on March 7th in the corner.
She was still sitting face-to-face with Alice, maintaining a constant nodding posture.
"Hiss." Pela sucked in a cold breath.
Why did this posture look so familiar?
With some suspicion in her heart, Pela walked over and quietly approached the two.
What she heard was this.
Alice: "Miss March 7th, do you understand this part?"
March 7th: "Completely understood!"
Alice: "Then… could you repeat it back to me?"
March 7th: "Hmm, although I completely understand, I still feel like there are some details that aren't quite right. Please explain it again!"
Alice: "But… this is already the eighth time."
March 7th: "It's fine, repetition isn't a problem. The key is to make sure I seem more rigorous than that certain someone!"
Pela: "…"
Click—
In the midst of their conversation, March 7th felt something pressing against the back of her head.
Turning around, she saw a pitch-black gun barrel pointed right at her pink eyes.
Pela held the pistol steady and said word by word in a low voice:
"Miss March 7th, I advise you to act normal."
March 7th ducked to avoid the barrel and said in panic:
"That… that's not necessary, right?! I just wanted to be more rigorous… this, this is a good thing!"
Pela aimed the barrel again:
"No need. Just go through it quickly—hurry up!"
"But I feel like—"
Bang bang—!!
Two black craters appeared on the floor.
"!!!" March 7th hurriedly raised both hands.
Pela blew on the barrel and stared at March 7th:
"After observing you for this period, I've realized you and Zeig are cut from the same cloth. I won't make the same mistake again."
"??? Huh? How can you lump me together with him?!"
March 7th protested vehemently:
"No matter how you look at it, I'm a good person, right? Only he's the bastard—I'm an upstanding citizen!"
Pela said speechlessly:
"If you keep dragging this out, you'll be just one step away from ultimate bastard status. Hurry up!"
Under Pela's "special attention," March 7th restrained herself quite a bit and finally stopped nodding nonstop.
Then…
"zzzZZZ…"
"…"
Bang bang—!! Two more gunshots rang out in the museum.
"Lady Pela, please stop shooting at the floor! We still have to get someone to patch it." A Silvermane Guard knelt on one knee and pleaded.
"Doesn't matter. Expense it—deduct the money from her share."
March 7th: "…"
Another two hours passed.
Finally.
March 7th stood up, like a master who had been in secluded training for years, now emerging!
She spread her arms and breathed freely in the surrounding air.
"Hoo~ Haa!"
"I feel like I'm completely fine now!"
After March 7th "emerged from seclusion," Alice finally returned to her original spot.
Pela stood to the side and asked March 7th:
"You're really okay now?"
March 7th put her hands on her hips and laughed loudly:
"Of course! Did you really think I was the same as that bastard? Come come come, let me show you some high-level operations!"
Under March 7th's management, the museum indeed felt different.
Pela watched the tourists streaming out one after another and widened her eyes.
"Miss March, what the hell did you do!!!" Pela shouted as she turned back.
Alice poked Pela's shoulder and whispered:
"We… should we close early?"
Pela adjusted her glasses frame and said firmly:
"Close what? Now I'm actually curious what she did to make people run out in droves!"
Going to the back, Pela finally witnessed the "high-level operation" March 7th had mentioned.
She was driving people away.
"…"
March 7th leaned close to one tourist and whispered sneakily:
"Hey buddy, it's getting late! Time to head home for dinner."
Without waiting for the tourist to reply, March 7th moved to another tourist and repeated the same operation.
Officer Dunn looked at March 7th in disbelief—this woman… had already persuaded several of the little brothers he'd brought to leave.
"This is… Miss March who's with the executive officer, right? What exactly is she trying to achieve by doing this?"
Serval was also stunned in place, but after a few seconds of daze, she immediately clapped and cheered:
"Hahahaha… this is hilarious! Is this March's strategy? I don't really get it, but I'm shocked!"
Seeing March 7th rush past her, Pela quickly grabbed her and asked urgently:
"What are you doing?!"
"Oh, this is my new discovery!"
March 7th turned around and said excitedly:
"Think about it—they all bought tickets to come in, right? Hahahaha."
Pela curled her lip:
"What does that have to do with what you're doing?"
March 7th nodded vigorously:
"Of course it does! Think about it—since they already paid for the tickets, does it matter whether they stay inside the museum or not? The money's already paid."
She pointed toward the museum entrance with her index finger and said happily:
"If we shorten their stay time, we can save energy on explaining exhibits or guiding tours, which means we can hire even fewer staff. Saving money is making money, right!"
"…"
Pela, Serval, Alice, and the free-labor officer Dunn all froze upon hearing this.
Could it be.
She really is a genius?
…
Late at night.
The museum closed its doors.
March 7th walked toward Goethe Grand Hotel with both hands in her pockets.
At that moment, a familiar black-haired man holding a skewer in one hand and the other in his pocket came shambling toward her.
The man greeted: "Oh hey, March, you're off work? How was today?"
March 7th didn't speak, continuing to walk toward Zeig with both hands in her pockets.
Zeig: "?"
When the pink-haired girl got closer, Zeig finally noticed her mouth was wrapped completely in duct tape.
Zeig: "…"
March 7th: "…"
Zeig: "…"
March 7th: "…"
…
"Pfft hahahahaha…!! Fuck! How did you end up like this, hahahaha wait wait—I'm gonna take a pic first, hold on, hold on!!"
Snap—!!
Zeig quickly pulled out his phone and snapped a photo, then forwarded it to the train crew group chat.
March 7th: "…"
A few minutes later.
Zeig and March 7th sat on a bench in the corner of the square.
The girl clutched the balled-up duct tape in her hand and said furiously:
"Damn it, why did they forbid me from speaking! I was clearly saving costs!"
Zeig chimed in:
"Exactly, too damn evil! They're the real bastards! Why reject such a great plan? Bunch of ordinary mortals!"
March 7th nodded frantically:
"Right?! You feel the same way too, don't you?"
Zeig pulled out his phone and called Himeko.
Beep—beep—
The call connected.
"Hey, Teacher Himeko, I discovered a magical species. No more talk—let you hear her voice."
Zeig held the phone to March 7th's lips: "Come on! Please welcome our number-one seed contestant to speak."
The girl's gaze gradually went blank.
"…"