He is the leader of the Tantric sect in Chagdu.

Chapter 25: Covering the mouth, stealing the car, and then exploring.

Downtown, outskirts.

"Officer, is it ready yet?"

Sherlock, like a condemned prisoner awaiting execution, turned his back to the crowd and murmured, "It should be time for the results... The Hume Tree's computing power has almost been completely depleted, and the damage assessment results are still pending?"

Ai was also staring at the dome in the distance. The sea of light that had just illuminated the entire suburbs had almost dissipated, leaving only scattered light particles wandering at the poles of the Hume Tree, their presence fading with the passage of time.

-Looks like something's gone wrong again.

With a "the more the merrier" mentality, Ai hid in a corner, grinning like a fox, secretly observing what would happen next.

Wilting had been pacing back and forth since the beginning, looking very agitated: "How should I know? The results should have been out by now... The Hume Tree damage assessment is just a formality, and the information is usually directly stored in the archive. How come there hasn't even been an automatic reply yet?"

She refreshed the private channel repeatedly, but all connections remained silent; the huge commotion from not long ago seemed to have vanished without a trace—"Where's my feedback?"

After repeatedly checking all the authorized channels, Wilting confirmed that he really hadn't received any damage assessment feedback. Such a high level of authority had been given out, yet there was no response at all.

That's absolutely insane!

She was indignant: "The Downtown Foundation is so corrupt... they even swallowed up the Hume Tree archives!"

Today they dare to gag an executive, tomorrow they dare to suffocate the entire hive—Vildin began to think about who to complain to, she had already mentally reviewed almost all of her connections in the upper city.

"Why don't you try calling headquarters, sir?"

Sherlock was still giving advice, while Virtue had already begun to act.

The girl remembered: she had been selected as a "Foundation's Rising Star" and received a spot on the Path to Glory. During the promotion process for those who leaned towards the "Inclined Ones," the Director of the Countermeasures Bureau had personally performed a secret ceremony for her.

This is it, the Foundation's internal director, "Tiev." Aside from those few "top bosses" who regularly occupy the Grand Prize Pool, this is one of the highest-ranking bigwigs that Veltin has ever come into contact with.

Opening the bureau chief's private number, Virtue took a deep breath, just about to dial—

"You have pending notifications (highlighted and bolded)."

A beam of light burst open the address book and lit up in the center of the girl's pupils. Virtin's spellcasting was interrupted, so he had no choice but to hold his breath and silently open the think tank pop-up.

"What's wrong?" Seeing that Virtue's expression was getting stranger and stranger, Sherlock couldn't help but ask.

"Feedback has arrived... Director Thiev personally stopped the file from being added to the database during the manual review process."

-Wouldn't that mean we're doomed?

Sherlock's lips twitched visibly: "Is it too late for me to switch jobs now?"

"No... the reason for stopping the train is not because the damage assessment failed."

Wilting was equally perplexed. "This is so strange. If our judgment is wrong—that there is actually no abnormality in the sewage discharge—then it will be judged as an abuse of authority, wasting the computing power of the Hume Tree, and the penalty will be automatically sent to my account along with the damage assessment results."

However, she did not receive a similar letter, indicating that the damage assessment process had been completed. Although the specific classification was still unknown, the abnormal sewage discharge was indeed included in the "hidden incident file".

Wilting frowned. "In short, I shouldn't have received such a vague and incomplete notification..."

She defied all odds and refreshed the think tank—

"It seems little Veldine is fighting on the front lines against evil again. How capable! If the younger generation of the Countermeasures Bureau could have half your diligence and ability, Hallownest would have a bright future—keep up the good work! (fairy heart emoji)"

After carefully reviewing the notes left by the bureau chief, Virtue was both amused and exasperated, feeling that nothing was quite right.

Even though she didn't say anything, she still felt... as if that person had covered her mouth.

What kind of thing is this?

The biggest impact of halting the entry of this secret file is that it temporarily conceals the abnormal sewage discharge in the suburbs from the foundation in downtown London...

Why hide it?

Who knows!

With too much crucial information missing, Veltin quickly gave up on further thought. She already had a hard time understanding that person's thought process, or rather... very few people in the entire Countermeasures Bureau could understand the thought process of a fairy.

As natural-born "moth" apostles, fairies, as a fantasy species, are often perceived in the public sphere as "unpredictable," "mischievous," and "capricious."

The fairies' erratic thinking patterns make it almost impossible for them to complete any task from start to finish. Letting them manage an organization would be a disaster from the very beginning.

But Tieves is the only exception.

Wilting suddenly remembered a rumor: about why the head of the Countermeasures Bureau was a fairy—it was said that Lady Tiev was the only individual among all the fairy races in Hallownest who walked in the "Awakening" phase.

It's incredible to think that the moth, hovering over the fluid in its abdomen, operates on the principle of passion. Meanwhile, Ikari, focusing on using the light in his head to enhance the power of insight, operates on the principle of reason.

Passion and reason, two principles that are completely opposite in direction. Once you step into one side, you can no longer look into the other side. As a fairy who is born as a "moth", she has embarked on the path of "enlightenment". That director is a complete freak among fairies.

It's roughly like this: "Tiev made a decision that went against the will of her race," or something like that.

"I really don't understand..." Virtue sighed heavily, finally giving up on the fact that his privileges had gone down the drain.

She rallied her spirits and supervised everyone as they stood up one by one from the corner, stretching their numb limbs. Not far away, Sherlock was frantically putting out his cigarettes—he had already smoked all his own, and this was a loan from Ai. While scolding him for "what's a high school student doing smoking," she said she would get him two packs of the Countermeasures Bureau's special supply when she got back.

"Let's go, we've been messing around for so long, it's time to get down to business."

Veldin quickly regained his captain's authority and then had Ai point out the exact location of the "legacy".

The group began their journey toward the mansion that Ai remembered.

Twenty minutes later, at 3:50 a.m.

"Mr. Wei, is what we're doing really appropriate?"

Ai looked at the human head beneath her feet, gripped her short-range shotgun tightly, and pressed it against the guy's forehead—"Isn't the Foundation supposed to be the good guys who maintain order in Hive City...? Why does it feel like we're the villains?"

"There are no good people or bad people. The foundation's employee handbook only has one principle: everything is to pave the way for completing the mission."

Wilting knocked the coyotes unconscious one by one as they lay on the ground, while Ai followed Sherlock, responsible for controlling a few fools who were still trying to put up a fight.

"Be honest—I don't think your skull can stop a bullet unless it's been modified. What? It really has been modified…"

On the other side, Lin leaned half her body into a wrecked vehicle, checking its performance... After a moment, she looked up, waving excitedly in their direction, and said, "This one's good, powerful, leather seats, has a sound system, and plenty of space, I'll take this one."

"Where are the others?"

Facing this cyber madman whose skull had been modified, Ai used the butt of his gun to deliver at least thirty blunt blows to the back of his head, making sure the unfortunate fellow's brains were almost completely scrambled and he wouldn't wake up anytime soon, before stopping and looking around—

Within a small area, coyotes lay scattered on the ground. These ferocious suburban indigenous people make a living by plundering, human trafficking, and reselling contraband. They are known for their tough and simple folk customs and have always been a part of the "regional culture" that the locals must experience.

Today, the coyotes were robbed by a group of newcomers.

"Don't worry about them, vultures will come to clean up the mess soon—we're just here to borrow a car, walking isn't really an option."

Sherlock's methods were much simpler and more brutal. In front of a pack of coyotes, he twisted their leader's expensively replaced "specialized metal" prosthetic leg into a pretzel shape with two fingers, and then no one dared to make a sound.

The crowd gathered around a giant steel behemoth.

"Wow... is this the mode of transportation in the suburbs?"

Aiira opened the car door, jumped into the spacious back seat that could comfortably fit five foxes, and curiously looked around: the black steel frame, the unpainted leather exterior, the completely rough-hewn body—this behemoth had almost abandoned all flashy and impractical appearances, piling all the dry materials into "performance".

The sheet metal covering the vital parts serves as the beast's skin, and the huge engine that hangs directly out looks extremely rugged. Various exposed pipes seem to be directly discharging waste oil into the cockpit. The most conspicuous are the tires on both sides of the vehicle, which are almost as tall as a person, and the menacing "movable chainsaw" on the front of the vehicle.

"This is a real gem—I spent ages choosing a target, robbing the richest pack of coyotes, just for something this big."

Wilting sounded proud and inexplicably excited: "The suburbs don't follow the traffic laws of the city. You can modify cars here however you want. You can even mount a rotary machine gun on the roof, although whether it can actually carry it is another matter."

"That's so cool!"

Ai's eyes lit up; no man could resist such a super-sized toy. He jumped into the driver's seat, shifted into neutral, and started revving the engine. The raging, scorching heat instantly dried up the surrounding damp soil, almost splashing dust all over the faces of the people around him.

Ai: "..."

"Get out of here! What are you doing driving a car, kid? Do you even have a driver's license?" With great foresight, Virtin opened a barrier to block the dust, then yanked Ai out of the driver's seat and threw her back into the back seat. He turned around and waved to the crowd—"Get in the car, let's go."

-You've clearly just figured it out on your own!

"Rush, rush, rush—"

"boom--"

Wilting's excited voice was instantly drowned out by the roar of the engine. Accompanied by a shock that almost made the red liquid spill out, the behemoth, as tall as two people, spewed thick black smoke into the sky. The chainsaws, now in operation, flattened the ruins along the way, its horsepower seemingly inexhaustible.

Beneath the dome, above the wasteland, black smoke billowed up like pillars of rock, the rotting world was leveled, and beasts with skeletons made of black steel roared as they drove toward the depths of the distant suburbs.

"Cough cough..."

Clinging tightly to the bicycle frame as a handrail, the little girl held the expressionless Nie in her arms, gently patting Ai's back, trying to ease his discomfort.

This huge thing is even more exciting to sit on than it looks – Ai felt like her vessel was almost shattered from the impact.

It felt like being bitten again by a moth.

"Hey, you haven't received any agent training yet, your physical fitness is too poor. Once you officially join the team, you're probably going to suffer a lot."

Veltin, clearly annoyed that the speeding girl's speed was restricted because of Ai's lack of effort, said, "Even a scruffy office worker with a lot of minor flaws is better than you, right, Lin?"

"Wait a minute, how come you're alright?"

Ai was a little unconvinced. It was one thing for Virtue and Sherlock, two professionals, to be honest, and Ne was a doll who wouldn't get carsick, but what was Lin's situation?

The condition of this car is definitely beyond the limits of what an ordinary person can handle. When turning and stopping suddenly, the acceleration is estimated to be five Gs. Although Ai Yi is a qualified person, neither of the two principles he possesses enhances his physical fitness, so he also suffered a lot.

"You wouldn't be secretly working out behind my back, would you?" His gaze turned dangerous, feeling as if I'd been deceived like never before. "You wouldn't be secretly practicing health regimens behind my back, trying to wear me down with your healthy lifestyle, would you?"

"Nonsense..."

Lin pouted, "I was born to be a racing god. Even if you throw up all over the place, I won't even get dizzy."

Ai was in a bad mood and didn't want to argue with her. Thinking that she wasn't far from her hometown and that another round of intense deception might be about to begin, she decided to try and get closer to Virtue: "Virtue, I have a question... that tree you just shouted about, with such a loud noise, won't it cause chaos in the suburbs?"

"The commotion...you mean that sea of light?"

While focused on driving, Wilting replied somewhat casually, "The Hume Tree isn't an ordinary computing system; it's Singularity Technology, the Foundation's supreme creation in the realms of technology and mystery. Its roots extend from the Great Pool, a mystical realm where all the roots are surging, invisible matter. The indigenous people in the far suburbs... probably can only see the guide lights on the dome, not the tree itself."

-I see.

"So only qualified people can see that tree...?"

"In fact, even ordinary qualified people can only see a small part. The fact that you can see the whole Hume Tree shows that your talent is high enough—your red sap is sensitive, and your vessel is sturdy."

Following the principle of "winning people's hearts," Virtue took the opportunity to praise Ai a couple more times. Sherlock, in the passenger seat, poked his head out from the open roof and glanced at the distance, saying, "It seems we've arrived. I can see the residential area."

- So fast.

Driving this thing through residential areas would be too "anti-urban." They found a secluded corner nearby, hid the car, and began exploring on foot towards the "heritage site" mentioned in the letter.

"From now on—stay close behind me. Sherlock will cover our retreat. Be serious, and don't think of this as a picnic..."

This was the first time Virtin had shown seriousness since arriving in the suburbs. "The mysterious person who can send out secret messages... can only be a member of the Cult. They are the agents' true enemies, their fellow travelers on the path to advancement."

Although he sent out his will, sending out a will does not mean he died.

"The mysterious power is formless and intangible, ever-changing and elusive. Even Sherlock and I cannot guarantee your safety from a cultist whose background is unknown. You must be careful yourselves."

"At the same time... this is your first time touching the true power of mystery. As future scholars of the mystery and prospective agents of the Countermeasures Bureau, I hope you can show enough determination to explore that red pool."

- Serious Mr. Wei, it's a bit unusual.

Under Virtin's sharp gaze, the three of them nodded solemnly at the same time.

"Lin...is there a problem?"

The young executive officer sensed something was wrong almost instantly. She frowned, and the principle of enlightenment bloomed in her mind—"You look uneasy, confused, afraid, and terrified... This is not a good state."

"...I'm fine."

Lin forced a smile, then lowered her head. "I'm just a little nervous... Give me some time."

She took two deep breaths, patted her cheeks to bring a healthy glow back to her pale face, and then said in a low voice:

"alright."

Wilting didn't dwell on it any longer. Fear was a normal phenomenon; anyone would feel fear when faced with the mysterious as a potential enemy.

But as long as the vessel is sturdy, I am indestructible.

"Then let's go."

The group walked deeper into the suburban residential area.

Lin quietly tidied her hair again, inwardly groaning.

Why can I see that tree too?!

Two steps behind her, Ai quietly watched the glimmer of light reflected off the back of Lin's head and tilted her head in confusion.

- Oh, so you're one of them too...