They traveled through time at the same time, but the villainous scientist

Chapter 485 Commission and Consortium X
The rain in Fengdu always comes suddenly and quickly, as if it wants to wash all the secrets accumulated in this city into the sewers.

Inside the Narumi Detective Agency, the air was filled with the aroma of coffee and the smell of old wood.

Shotaro Sakata was half-lying on his desk, his fingertips unconsciously tapping on a client file that had been thoroughly examined.

His gaze passed over the typewriter on the corner of the table and landed on the closed garage door across the street.

A note written neatly by Philip was pasted on the door:

"do not disturb."

It's been seven days already.

Since the last investigation failed, Philip has locked himself in his garage and devoted himself to the design and manufacture of the new drive.

He sighed deeply, rested his chin on his arm, and stared listlessly at the reflections of the neon lights outside the window.

The firm's business was never particularly prosperous to begin with, and now that he'd lost the driver, he had no interest in taking on any more cases.

This feeling of emptiness from having nothing to do made him more anxious than facing any vicious adversary.

Just then, footsteps came from behind.

Before he could turn around, he was struck with a precise and heavy blow to the back of the head.

"Snapped!"

The crisp sound was particularly loud in the quiet office.

"it hurts!!"

Shotaro clutched his head, sprang up from his chair, and crashed into the edge of the table, wincing in pain.

He roared and turned around, glaring at the culprit who was still standing there with his hands on his hips, gritting his teeth.

Akiko Narumi, the self-proclaimed head of the agency, is currently holding up her signature green slippers and looking at Shotaro with a "disappointed" expression.

"Honestly! You have no motivation at all! Hurry up and find some more commissions!"
The office rent, this month's coffee beans, and those expensive parts Philip is researching—none of them are free!

She rattled off a string of words like a machine gun, then crossed her arms, raised her chin, and said in a deliberately harsh, imitative Chinese tone, "..."
"If it were a tough detective like my dad, he would never be discouraged by such a small setback!"

"Okay...okay..."

Shotaro rubbed the back of his head, his face full of helplessness.

He could tell, of course, that behind Akiko's seemingly harsh criticism was actually her way of encouraging him in her own unique way.

"A commission isn't like cabbage growing on the roadside; you can't just get it whenever you want..."

He muttered to himself and sat back down in his chair.

Ding-dong-

Just then, the firm's old doorbell suddenly rang.

"The request has arrived!"

Akiko's eyes lit up, and she became excited.

She rushed to the door in three strides, not even having time to see who the visitor was, and flung it open with the most enthusiastic, business-like smile on her face.

Outside the door, under the curtain of rain, stood a man quietly.

He wore a well-tailored white trench coat, stood tall, and had a calm demeanor.

"Excuse me, is this the Narumi Detective Agency?"

Sudo Kirihiko's gaze passed over the excited Akiko and landed on the bewildered man inside.

"That's right! I am the director here, Narumi Akiko!"

Akiko didn't recognize the other person at all, assuming it was a high-quality customer, and immediately puffed out her chest, patting it loudly.

"That guy over there in the hat is the detective here! May I ask if you have any requests for help?"

Shotaro had already stood up from his chair, his body tensing involuntarily, his eyes filled with vigilance.

Sudo Kirihiko ignored Akiko's enthusiastic sales pitch and instead smiled at Shotaro with a complex expression.

"Ah……"

He chuckled softly.
"I'm not here to delegate my own business. I'm here on behalf of my boss to issue a request."

As he spoke, he placed the silver briefcase he had been carrying in his left hand on the coffee table in the center of the office.

"Click."

The box was opened.

Shotaro's pupils contracted sharply. Akiko also curiously leaned closer, then let out a gasp.

Under the soft light inside the box, a device they were all too familiar with lay quietly—the Double Driver, belonging to Kamen Rider W.

Next to the drive, several Gaia memory chips were neatly arranged.

Besides the Joker and Cyclone that were taken, there were also several memory modules that he had never seen before.

"puff--!"

Shotaro picked up his coffee cup to try and hide his shock, but ended up spitting out the entire cup of coffee, looking utterly disheveled.

He didn't bother wiping himself; he just stared intently at Sudo Kirihiko and the contents of the box, his mind completely blank.

What's going on? Why is he here with their drives and memories? And who is his boss?
Countless question marks exploded in Shotaro's mind.

Sudo Kirihiko closed the box, pushed it in front of Shotaro, and then bowed slightly, making a solemn invitation gesture.

"Well then, listen to my request, Kamen Rider W."

……

Meanwhile, at the other end of the city, the museum company building

The atmosphere in the reception room was even more somber.

Saeko Sonozaki, dressed in a well-fitting black suit, sat gracefully on the sofa.

She tried her best to maintain the elegance and pride of the eldest daughter of the Sonozaki family, but the knuckles of her hands, clasped on her knees, turned slightly white from the force.

Her gaze kept drifting to the composed man beside her—Zhang Qi.

Her new husband, who became a high-ranking executive at the "museum" overnight through marriage, is now nominally in charge of the technology department.

Opposite them sat a group of even more special guests.

They were all dressed in white uniforms, expressionless, and their posture was as precise as if measured with a ruler.

The man in the lead, named Jia Tou Shun, is a member of Consortium X. They are the largest investor in the "Museum" and a group of ruthless businessmen who are only interested in profits and data.

"The above is the optimization report of Gaia's memory distribution network for this quarter, as well as the research and development progress of new memory."

Zhang Qi's calm voice echoed in the reception room, explaining everything in the simplest language.

Several brand-new Gaia Memory units were placed in front of him.

The outer shell of these memory modules has a texture that blends metal and crystal, and the internal patterns are more intricate and complex than any product on the market. The energy fluctuations they emit are also purer and more stable.

Jia Toushun picked up one of the memory modules, codenamed [ZEUS], and examined it closely.

"amazing."

Finally, he put down the memory chip and spoke in praise, but his voice, like his personality, was devoid of warmth.

"Without increasing the user's mental burden, the energy output efficiency has been increased by 15 percent."

Moreover, this new data stabilization structure can effectively reduce the risk of getting out of control.

Mr. Zhang Qi, your talent is truly admirable.

"Mr. Jia Tou, you flatter me. This is just part of the technical department's job."

Zhang Qi smiled and replied.

"No, this isn't part of my job..."

Jia Toushun shook his head, a slight smile appearing at the corners of his mouth for the first time.
"The Sonozaki family's 'museum' is, in the end, just a regional testing ground."

Its scope is too narrow.

Saeko Sonozaki's face instantly darkened. Jun Kato's words were tantamount to a direct denial of her father's, and indeed the entire Sonozaki family's, proud business.

However, Jia Toushun's gaze never fell on her; instead, it remained fixed on Zhang Qi.

"The amount of additional investment in the next quarter will increase by 20%..."

He took a document from his attendant and pushed it to the center of the table.

"This is recognition of your abilities."

He paused, leaned forward slightly, and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"However, I personally believe that your value goes far beyond that."

Are you interested in joining Foundation X...?

(End of this chapter)