I am a hero of the former civilization.

Having already expressed his praise, Ryan had no choice but to nod reluctantly: "Of course, technology changes lives, and this can improve our work efficiency."

“Excellent! You are indeed more knowledgeable than Dr. May. Every idea has its value, and we cannot focus all our attention on the war.”

However, it is also important to distinguish between primary and secondary matters.

Ryan added in his mind, smiled and nodded, then saw 'Ideal' Wilvie also smile slightly, and the two smiled and looked at each other.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

Ryan's smile gradually froze, and he had no choice but to break the silence: "Vilvie, just say what you have to say."

"Actually, there's something I want to ask you. Dr. Mei is withholding my funding. With my hacking skills, I could easily hack into the bank system and steal money from it..."

“We can’t do that. We all possess superhuman strength, and we must be good at self-discipline. Morality is that red line.” Ryan interrupted seriously, putting down his coffee cup. “Unrestrained power can only bring destruction, and once this red line is crossed, there will be a second time. In the end, it’s hard to turn back, and you can no longer be called human.”

“Well said. Just like how the Fire Moth strictly manages the Fusion Warriors, if they are allowed to run wild, they could easily end up over there.” Velvi clapped her hands, her eyes smiling. “Dr. Mebius is like that, and so are you. Human morality is truly a fascinating subject. For example, integrity is one of them.”

Integrity? Okay, so you've gone through all this trouble just to uncover some hidden meaning, haven't you!

Ryan finally realized where his bad feeling came from. He had promised Wilville that if May cut his funding, he would make up for it himself. It was just a joke back then.

But looking at the serious-looking Velvet, he couldn't bring himself to say that he was joking.

What's going on? You either want my body or my money!

Chapter 179 Virvi's Pleasant Personality~

He was indeed a master con artist. He first struck up a conversation with me using the persona of a 'magician', which made me lower my guard unintentionally. Then, under the guise of gratitude, he took me to see his work.

Her main goal was to steer the conversation to a philosophical level, and she even guessed what I was going to say.

“Non-human power must be restrained by human morality, otherwise it will inevitably sink into collapse.”

Ryan's persistence is not hard to guess; he can then use this as a starting point to explore his true goals.

Wow, that's impressive. The way she guided me so effectively that I convinced myself. She used psychological tactics to the fullest extent.

Ryan applauded inwardly. Then the question arose:

"How come you all have such elaborate schemes for dealing with me?"

"What are you saying? I don't quite understand." Virvi looked completely innocent and spread her hands. "I'm just giving you an opportunity to put your will into practice."

"Okay, so how did you know I recently made a small profit?"

"Uh, you can see for yourself."

Vervi clapped her hands again, and a beam of laser light projected a holographic image: the green-haired man in the white coat was none other than Möbius.

She specifically ordered a batch of experimental equipment from Vervier, since the latter's craftsmanship was far superior to mass-produced products from factories. However, the Fifth Research Institute was expanding too rapidly, and there were too many places where money was needed.

Mebius then opted to buy on credit, and when faced with questions from the equally 'impoverished' Vervie, she casually remarked...

“Ryan will pay for me, haha, he’s my assistant.”

"But Ryan doesn't even get a salary, and he's not on the Science Committee's payroll, so how did he become your assistant?"

“You don’t understand. Ryan has ways to make money, and his official position doesn’t matter at all. He’s mine. Just remember that fact.”

"Oh my, it seems the rumors are true. It must be really tough being a man who earns money to support his family."

Mebius slightly raised his chin and said slowly, "Vilvie, you have a good eye. Do a good job, and you'll be well rewarded afterwards."

The video ended there, leaving Ryan's eye twitching. It really was...

You will not live if you do your own evil!

Undoubtedly, Mebius was somewhat carried away by his success, unaware that he had made a promise to Vervière, and there was an underlying sense of warning about it.

They were definitely setting a trap, just waiting for the day I would be unable to defend myself.

Ryan put his hands in his pockets, a cold smile on his face, then gritted his teeth: "Fine, I'll keep my promise and give you 20% of the funds."

He's somewhat given up on treatment. As the saying goes, "If you're heavily in debt, don't worry about it. If you lose both your money and your loved ones, so be it. Life is always full of misery."

"How come it's only 20%?"

"I only said I would provide funding, not a percentage."

"That's a bit unfair, isn't it? Do you think my research is less valuable than Dr. Möbius's?"

Ryan paused for a while before answering, "Well, there's always a first-come, first-served principle. I'm transferring this money from a secret account, so you absolutely must keep it a secret. It'll be a real problem if she finds out."

The explanation was somewhat far-fetched. Looking at Velvi's slightly smiling gaze, Ryan began to miss the 'Magician'. If it were that Velvi, she would be jumping for joy right now.

"Deal." After a moment's hesitation, Virvi finally nodded.

He certainly had great self-control and didn't get entangled.

Ryan breathed a sigh of relief. He was in a daze because of poverty. He felt that he would soon go from being a small-time rich man who could stay in five-star hotels to eating instant noodles. After thinking it over, he could only convince himself.

At least if this money is used to deal with the Honkai, even if only one of the brilliant ideas is useful, it will be worth the price of admission.

But it still hurts so much.

"Mei has to call a meeting tomorrow morning, so I'll go back and prepare. Remember to have 'The Magician' come next time you see me."

"You think she's easier to bully?"

“Yeah, at least they’re easy to fool.” Ryan readily admitted, then turned around only to be stopped again.

"Don't you feel that your relationship with her is a bit twisted?"

Her? Mebius.

Ryan turned his head, surprised that this "true self" of Wilvi was quite gossipy, but as long as we don't talk about money, we're good friends.

"What's twisted about it? We all fight for humanity, complement each other in every way, and are my best partners within the Firemoth."

"Is he even better than me?"

Nonsense, you just ripped me off.

Ryan nodded without hesitation and casually said, "We know each other pretty well. Sometimes it's tiring, sometimes it's easy. It's just that we're both unwilling to admit defeat. She wants to suppress me, and I want to control her. Hey, don't make that funny face."

Vilvi gave a faint smile, which inexplicably made people a little angry.

"So there's a personality disorder, or there's Alicia or someone else blocking the way?"

Ryan immediately became alert. An invisible current swept through the corridor without any response, and he sighed.

"I am still self-aware. It's easy to become friends with Alicia, but it's incredibly difficult to take things to the next level."

"It sounds like you really like Alicia?"

"Nonsense, does anyone hate her? Alright, alright, let's leave this stupid question at that. I have to go back and finish my manuscript."

After saying that, Ryan quickened his pace and disappeared from Velvey's sight in a few flashes. He felt remorseful and decided to treat the 'Magician' better in the future.

That's really interesting.

Wilvi stared at the disappearing figure, her smile turning strange, as if containing an extreme sense of pleasure. But when she turned around, her expression returned to its usual coldness.

Snapped.

She snapped her fingers, and the light screen disintegrated, revealing a holographic image with long green hair—it was Möbius.

Are you satisfied with this answer?

“Not bad, but you’re really scary. Not many people can fool him. You truly deserve the title of ‘fraudster.’” Mebius twirled a strand of hair behind his ear with his fingers, his snake-like eyes filled with amusement.

Hmph, I can't do anything about you, but you know how to find outside help, huh? Now I finally understand what you're thinking.

You're still somewhat considerate, at least you have some conscience. It turns out you can feel relaxed around me. It turns out you're not a toad after all; you knew that fat woman was difficult to deal with. Alicia, you were definitely lying to me.

She recalled her conversation with Alicia earlier, and her legs were getting numb from standing. She was even on the verge of breaking down. Upon receiving a signal from Velvi, she immediately used the excuse of going to the toilet to slip away, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

What mutual affection? I told you Ryan was a smart idiot. Thanks for your philanthropy, Alicia. Keep it up, you have no chance of winning.

Möbius's mind became increasingly clear, and he raised his hand to cover his mouth to hide his laughter.

'Trying to manipulate me, hahaha, Ryan, you're so cute.'

"What are your plans for the future? At least you've gained some important intelligence," Velvi asked calmly, seemingly an outsider.

"This has nothing to do with you. According to the deal, I will personally perform the fusion surgery for you, and all previous debts will be wiped clean." Mebius said calmly, lightly brushing his long hair aside, thinking to himself that he would first go and save face in front of that fat woman and give her a good mockery.

Let you show off, do you really think I'm stupid?

Seeing her expression, Wilvi guessed what she wanted to do. She neither pressed for details nor tried to persuade her further. She simply nodded and then closed the communication.

The corridor was silent, and pitch black after the lights were turned off. In this darkness, a few menacing white teeth gleamed.

He only mentioned Alicia, not the others. Besides, people can change.

"If observing such things truly brings a strong sense of pleasure, then let's call this personality 'Joyful'."

......

When Ryan returned by elevator, the buffet was over, leaving only food scraps scattered on the floor and busy waiters.

It ran away before I even got there. Hmm, there were no signs of a fight, so it probably didn't go berserk.

Ryan couldn't figure out if Mebius was smart or stupid. He was always picking on Alicia, and even he couldn't handle her enthusiasm. He wanted to stay far away from her, but he also wanted to stick to her side.

Just then, he turned his head slightly and saw that Sakura had silently come up behind him.

"Ryan, are you looking for Miss Alicia and Dr. Mebius?"

"Well, let's talk about the results of the surveillance." Ryan also used tactics, giving a slight snort to himself.

I'm leaving, but I'll bring in outside help.

"The two of them talked for a total of 37 minutes and 25 seconds, then Dr. Mebius went to the restroom, and when he came back, they talked for another 7 minutes and 15 seconds until Dr. Mebius announced the end of the banquet."

"Judging from the changes in her expression, Miss Alicia had the upper hand in the first half, but when Dr. Mebius returned, she regained her composure."

That's a bit strange, how come there are two different changes?

Ryan stroked his chin, somewhat confused about the situation. Unfortunately, Sakura couldn't get too close and couldn't hear what the two were saying.

"You've had a tough time, Sakura. It seems there's been some unexpected trouble."

"Hmm, should I find out more?"

“No need. It has nothing to do with combat anyway. It’s just some trivial matter.” Ryan shrugged indifferently, glancing at Sakura’s tense face. “Alright, alright, this matter is not important. It only concerns me, uh, my emotional issues. You’re not interested in this kind of thing, are you?”