"Oh right, Rover, didn't Lady Sanhua give you four tokens yesterday? Why not let Zane and the Doctor take a look? Maybe they can figure out the message the Magistrate wants to convey."
After the five of them finished breakfast together, Yangyang suddenly remembered that their original purpose for going to the Huaxu Research Institute yesterday was to investigate the hidden meaning in those four tokens.
But who knew Rover would get trapped in the simulation field, and then that whole incident happened afterward.
Later, she and Chixia helped the patrol guards escort the criminals, and after going in circles, they actually forgot the main task.
After that, Rover told Zane and the Doctor about her conversation with Sanhua at the court.
Listening to this familiar riddle-like style, Zane felt it seemed oddly familiar.
"This land… no, that's not right, it must be… no, that's not it either. It must be Master Changli's doing!" Zane thought for a moment, rubbing his chin as realization dawned on him.
"I was wondering, after I caused such a big mess, why Sister Jihnsi didn't come out to beat me up when I returned to the court. Turns out she's not even there… So does that mean I'm in charge of the court now?"
In fact, Rover could have just set these riddles aside and directly asked Jihnsi everything after three days.
But compared to getting the answer directly, she actually enjoyed the process of solving the puzzle more.
Besides, since she had just woken up with incomplete memories, she also needed this method to understand the current state of Jinzhou.
"Rover, what exactly did Sanhua give you? Maybe I can help you think of something."
Hearing that, Rover took out a pink candy wrapped in a package, a small device, a strangely colored leaf, and a black fruit from her pocket.
"Here, these are the ones."
As she spoke, she handed the four tokens to the Doctor.
From their brief interaction yesterday, Rover had realized that among the four of them, the Doctor might be the only one who could help solve the puzzle.
"Hey, I'm the main character here, why are you giving them to her instead of me!"
Zane protested strongly against Rover's favoritism.
But Rover only smiled lightly, "Then I'll give you a question. If you answer it, you win."
"Fine, deal." Zane pouted. Surely no one actually thought he was that dumb.
"If 'dad' is called 'daddy,' then what should 'mom' be called?"
"Mom should be called… huh?"
Zane blinked, feeling like saying those two words might not pass censorship.
"Idiot, as long as you answer her question, you'll be wrong."
The Doctor held her forehead and sighed, glancing at Rover's sly expression before explaining to Zane.
"If you say 'mommy,' Rover can just accept it. If you say something else, you might get flagged. So the best option is to refuse to answer."
Meanwhile, Rover curled her lips in disdain.
"I don't want a son this dumb…" She suddenly paused, her pretty face flushing slightly.
She didn't say the rest. And no one seemed to notice her oddness, so no one could guess the girl's thoughts.
"Hey, who are you calling dumb!? Come out and fight me!"
'That's what you're focusing on?!'
The Doctor could only silently sigh at Zane's strange way of thinking.
Ignoring Zane's protest, the Doctor took out a terminal and began scanning the four items one by one.
"Hmm, this candy doesn't seem to be real candy… judging by the composition, it's more like an oral vaccine."
The Doctor looked at the data flashing on the terminal and said thoughtfully, "I remember there's a record about this vaccine in the public archive."
Squinting her eyes, she tried to simplify the long and complex data into something even Zane could understand.
"Simply put, to deal with the Feire virus, researchers developed an oral vaccine. But during transportation, they encountered a Remnant tide. Out of seven transport convoys, only one successfully reached its destination…"
The Doctor glanced at Rover, who was thinking, and continued.
"In that successful convoy, there was a mysterious Resonator who escorted it."
Noticing the Doctor staring at her, Rover pointed at herself in confusion, "Is there something on my face?"
The Doctor shook her head, "There's nothing on your face, but that mysterious Resonator is very likely you."
"Huh?"
Not only Rover, but even Yangyang and Chixia voiced their confusion.
As for Zane…
'Why can't I understand any of this?'
The Doctor seemed to have expected their reaction and explained calmly.
"This also involves another report about Jinzhou's first Resonator."
"The report states that the subject's resonance mark is located on the back of the right hand. After resonance, there were no obvious physical changes."
"When using abilities, both the resonance mark and pupils showed golden point-like glows…"
"Based on Rover's performance in battle yesterday, the probability that the Resonator in that report is her is at least over 90%."
"What about the other 10%?", At Zane's question, the Doctor gave him a look of pity.
"The other 10% would mean someone with a direct blood relation to Rover."
"Huh? Really? I didn't study much, don't lie to me."
"You actually believed that?!"
The Doctor was completely speechless. Looks like she could never get rid of the title of Zane's external brain.
"According to Jinzhou's records, at least for now, every Resonator has a unique resonance mark location, size, and manifestation. But at the same time, there's no evidence proving absolute uniqueness either."
"So that's why you didn't say it with certainty?"
The Doctor nodded at Yangyang, feeling that this gentle and smart girl should be the senior, not Zane.
"By the way, Yangyang, why do you call that guy Zane 'senior'? He doesn't act like one at all."
Yangyang looked slightly dissatisfied at the Doctor's tone, though she still smiled gently.
"You don't understand him."
She didn't realize she had fallen into the Doctor's trap.
"Even though he's carefree, always slacking off, annoys the Magistrate all the time, is dense, has lust but no guts, and can't walk straight when he sees a pretty girl…"
Zane, 'Um… Yangyang, can you stop now?'
Zane wanted to dig a hole with his toes and crawl inside forever.
"But…" Yangyang paused, recalling the past. She turned to Zane, whose face was full of despair, her expression softening.
"A senior is still a senior. Back then, I had just joined the Midnight Rangers. Since I was a girl, some veteran soldiers tried to pick on me. It was him who stepped in and dealt with them. I still remember what he said back then…"
"Wait, Yangyang, you don't have to say that part!"
Zane tried to stop her, but Rover grabbed the back of his neck like fate itself.
"'You guys bully others just because you're veterans. Then can't I bully you because I'm a veteran too?"
"Remember this, the nature of humanity is conflict. Violence only yields to greater violence. So become stronger, because only then will you be qualified to stand by my side!'"
"Ahhh, just let me die!"
With his dark history exposed, Zane was already digging out a three-bedroom apartment with his toes.
Chixia didn't understand why Zane said that back then, so she leaned over and quietly asked Rover and the Doctor. The two exchanged a smile.
"About that, it's probably just a little boy fantasizing about being a hero and accidentally having a chuunibyou moment," the Doctor explained with a smile. But Rover had no such kindness.
"Wow, violence only yields to greater violence… become stronger, only then can you stand by my side… what a cool line, I love it!"
"Stop it, stop it, please stop!"
Hearing Rover mimic his tone in a teasing, cutesy voice, Zane felt like bugs were crawling all over him. He covered his ears and rolled on the ground in agony.
Meanwhile, the instigator of all this, the gentle and cute Yangyang, smiled quietly to herself.
'Seriously, are all of you secretly evil inside?'
"But logically speaking, shouldn't things get worse wherever Zane shows up?"
Rover raised an eyebrow at him. Zane couldn't tolerate such slander and immediately jumped up, not even brushing off the dust, pointing at her.
"Hey, who are you looking down on? What do you mean things get worse when I show up?"
"Then take a look at this fruit."
"What fruit? Can you eat it?"
"…Forget it, go play somewhere else."
"Alright."
———
Finally free from that chaotic place, Zane could now seriously think about where to go mining today.
After all, women only slow down my farming and gacha speed.
But just as he was heading toward the Huaxu Research Institute, passing the main road leading to the city gate, he caught sight of a girl from the corner of his eye.
She wore a striking crimson outfit, walking openly toward the city gate without hiding at all.
The jade pendant hanging on her chest, bright and green, swayed casually with her light steps.
Such a conspicuous and unguarded piece of jade would naturally attract ill intentions.
Seeing the girl hopping toward the gate, Zane suddenly felt irritated. He quickly caught up in a few steps and grabbed a stray lock of hair sticking up from the top of her head.
"Ah! Zane, don't pull, it hurts! I was just… yeah, just going out of the city for a bit. I'll be back soon!"
The girl trembled as her hair was grabbed, immediately begging for mercy.
Even though she had her back to him, in all of Jinzhou, and even the entire Huanglong, there was probably only one person who would worry about her and grab her like this.
"Hmph." Zane snorted. "What kind of person goes out for a stroll with a freshly forged blade?"
As he spoke, ignoring her flushed face, he reached out and felt the pouch at her waist.
"Hmm… enough dragon beard candy for about three days… and you still say you're just going out for a walk?"
Danjin's lips twitched. She didn't expect Zane to have calculated exactly how many candies she needed per day.
Suddenly, she felt her head lighten as his hand let go of her hair. Before she could run, his hand reached out again.
This time, though, he just gently rubbed her hair.
"Let's go. I'll come with you. If it takes you three days to deal with those Exiles, leaving them alone would definitely cause trouble."
"I'm fine on my own…"
"Of course, I'm not helping for free. How about this, give me half of your dragon beard candy, and the rest follows the usual rules. Deal?"
"F-fine…"
Seeing Zane already take a piece of candy from her pouch and start chewing happily, a faint brightness passed across Danjin's face.
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