Sir! Don't close the net!

Annie instinctively gripped the armrests of the wheelchair, partly because of Li Yili.

The wheelchair was pushed too fast, partly because of some of her own inner thoughts. However, Li Yili noticed Annie's nervousness but didn't pay much attention to it. Instead, she turned the wheelchair's armrests and made a swerve, pushing Annie out of the back door of Tipor's residence and into the warehouse.

"cough--"

Sensing that Li Yili had slowed down, Annie immediately coughed. "Mr. Yellow Raincoat, I suppose someone as careless as you wouldn't care about something as trivial as a young girl who's just taken a shower being exposed to cold air. So, is there something you need? Why are you in such a hurry?"

“There is indeed some urgent matter,” Li Yili said, turning Anne to face her. “Miss Anne, this is just a bold speculation of mine, but I think you need to know, and it is related to your wishes.”

Annie sighed inwardly. Realizing that continuing to rely on Li Yili would eventually drain her, even knowing that the road ahead would be difficult, she decided to walk it in her own way.

Perhaps now is the best time to be honest with Li Yili.

"actually……"

“The Church of Steam and Steel has probably cooperated with the Old Ones,” Li Yili said, raising a finger with an extremely serious expression. “Moreover, this cooperation may not have happened in the last two years; it may have existed for thirty years, or even longer.”

Annie's expression gradually froze, and the words that should have come out, "Sorry, I still intend to go it alone. Rather than having my wishes emptied out and being fulfilled in a way I can't accept, I'd rather fall on the road to fulfilling my wishes," were swallowed back.

"The Cult of Steam and Steel has joined forces? For—"

Annie felt a sharp pain and instinctively clutched her head. Her pupils contracted slightly, as if a steel bar had pierced her brain and was violently twisting it. She couldn't think, but all sorts of images flashed wildly before her eyes, piecing together a possibility she dared not imagine.

Why would she think that the Church of God, who treats wasteland inhabitants as guinea pigs for all sorts of induced experiments and even fine-tunes the steam and steel in their food and water, would not cooperate with the Old Ones?

They are a group of madmen who do some truly horrifying things for reasons unknown.

One was very good at disguising themselves, while the other was completely undisguised, telling the whole world that they were heretics.

"What are they after?" Annie took a deep breath to ease her headache and spoke with some difficulty, "Is it because 2012 is coming? The Cult of Steam and Steel... They are indeed madmen, but they are rational madmen. The Old Days were completely incomprehensible madmen whose brains were a mystery!"

"Thirty years ago! The Church of Steam and Steel wouldn't have felt there was no other way and chosen to cooperate with the old days thirty years ago!"

"Well..."

Li Yili held her chin, looking somewhat conflicted.

First, it can be confirmed that the Black Goat among the Old Ones is a true human being, just like him. Then the other Old Ones are either true humans or have some connection with true humans. Judging from the attitude of the Cult of Steam and Steel towards him, they probably know his identity, and therefore must also know about the Old Ones.

Therefore, it is perfectly normal for the Cult of Steam and Steel to cooperate with the Old Ones.

“Instead of asking about established and unchangeable facts, I think we should think about what they’re trying to do now. If the Great Old Ones are the behind-the-scenes funders who provided the Jurassic Circle with the true power to liberate the legacy of the ancient gods, and the Cult of Steam and Steel is cooperating with the Great Old Ones,” Li Yili said, hands on her hips, “that’s tantamount to the Cult of Steam and Steel supporting a rebellion in the Jurassic and Cretaceous spheres, and…”

Li Yili paused.

"The Cult of Steam and Steel became a conglomerate mainly to push the Cretaceous to the Jurassic zone."

Chapter 108 is about letting them get through 2012 on their own.

Anne felt as if she were in a deep, icy abyss, the chill like withered, deformed hands crawling along her limbs and into her body, gripping her heart.

"By the way, did you have something to say to me just now?" Li Yili raised her eyebrows. "You didn't guess something just by soaking in the hot spring, did you?"

Annie pursed her lips.

Now is the perfect time to tell Li Yili that she no longer intends to accept Li Yili's help, since she is prepared to fall on the road to fulfilling her wish.

“Actually, it’s about Dante and Ashley,” Anne turned her face away. “I think Ashley’s problem is probably bigger than Dante’s. Ashley and Dante both feel that they are not good enough for each other, but Ashley doesn’t know which way she should try to improve.”

"Hmm, that's how it is. But don't worry, I've already spoken with Tipole. While they won't offer any help, they definitely won't interfere. For Norman and Tipole, Dante and Ashley's marriage will only bring benefits, not harm."

Li Yili suddenly realized that the hot spring scene could indeed trigger a scene where she could speak her mind.

"It's good, but I'm afraid it's like Dante's one-way arrow."

"Ah."

"Little Miss Anne, are you alright? Are you not wearing a bra?"

Seeing that Annie seemed distracted, Li Yili moved closer to Annie and reached out to hook Annie's collar.

Annie's eyes twitched violently, but she had no interest in criticizing Li Yili's behavior; she simply raised her head...

He brushed Dante's fingers aside with his hand. "So... what do you think?"

"Um... While little Miss Anne may not need underwear, she can wear a little vest."

"It's not some trivial matter! It's about the collaboration between the Old Ones and the Cult of Steam and Steel!" Annie slapped the armrest with extreme frustration.

"Alright, alright—after all, I promised to help you. Now that I've promised, I'll definitely do my best to help you."

Annie's breath hitched. When Li Yili pushed her out, she was still determined to end the deal with Li Yili no matter what and no longer accept help from her.

“Well—but little Miss Anne, I must remind you of something: the purpose of the Cult of Steam and Steel is not to destroy the world, but to get through the coming year of 2012,” Li Yili walked around behind Anne and grasped the armrest of the wheelchair.

“To be precise, it’s about letting them get through 2012 on their own. As for the others? They don’t care at all. The entire wasteland is just a stepping stone for them to get through 2012,” Annie shook her head.

“That’s… true,” Li Yili tilted her head. “So, Miss Annie, what do you plan to do?”

"I do not know."

Anne let out a breath of utter bewilderment.

She felt like an ant before the giant wheel of fate. Whether she ran away or faced it, she would be mercilessly crushed by the wheel of fate. If she hadn't known that the Church of Steam and Steel was cooperating with the Old Ones, this impending war might very well have been the result of their joint efforts. She probably would have been able to hold firm to her beliefs, preferring to fall on the road to fulfilling her wishes rather than be unknowingly hollowed out by Li Yili.

But now she knows too much, so much that she's lost her confidence.

"Well—but that's pretty normal."

Li Yili raised her hand and patted Annie's head. When she was about to pat her a second time, Annie dodged. Li Yili scratched her empty right hand and grinned with some regret. "After all, little Miss Annie is only this tiny. If you had been born ten years earlier..."

“It might not be my poor sister Penny who disappears, but me,” Anne said quietly, raising her head.

Li Yili turned his face away somewhat awkwardly. He couldn't very well pull Penny out now, grab her by the chest, and ask Annie, "Look! Doesn't she look familiar?"

Annie didn't notice Li Yili's change in expression. Instead, she held her chin and frowned. "But I don't understand what the connection is between cooperating with the old days, pushing the Cretaceous to the side of the Jurassic, and luring the Jurassic into war, and getting through 2012? Although no one knows exactly how 2012 will happen, as far as I know, when 2012 arrives, all traces of civilization on the ground will be erased."

“Galarhorn senses an enemy from outer space, so it is actively preparing for war,” Li Yili added.

"In this situation, is it really reasonable to let the wasteland descend into chaos? Do they want to reap the benefits and establish a new country in the wasteland? But is it really necessary to use such extreme methods to obtain what is already in their hands in such a limited time?"

Anne numbly discovered that the more she explored, the more questions she had.

However, one thing is certain: war must be avoided at all costs.

"Ah... I have some news that I don't know whether to call it good or bad. Little Miss Anne, the Cretaceous Circle did indeed help the Jurassic Circle smuggle the relics of those ancient gods that had unleashed their true power. Tipole admitted to this quite readily and even showed me the bills."

"As expected—it really is terrible."

"But they only helped with smuggling once, and those goods are now in the hands of the Jurassic Circle."

Anne was stunned. She blinked, rubbed her forehead, and remained silent for a long while before recovering. Her voice was stiff as she asked, "They only smuggled once? Are you sure... you're not lying to me? If this gets out, it won't just be losing everything..."

“He readily admitted to his involvement in this matter, which are all capital offenses. There’s no need for him to deliberately conceal a less serious one,” Li Yili shrugged. “If he admitted to smuggling but not to his involvement, I would suspect that he was hiding something.”

"That...is indeed..."

Anne pouted and hesitated for a while before nodding.

"So? Could it be that the rest is being handled by the Cult of Steam and Steel? They certainly have that capability."

“It’s possible, but I don’t think it’s very likely,” Li Yili frowned. “The Jurassic Circle gangs are a group of rebels who hate it when others try to control them. Moreover, their revolution failed because the Cult of Steam and Steel was a thorn in their side.”

"The Jurassic Circle's gangs certainly know that the Cretaceous Circle is no longer helping to smuggle the legacy of the ancient gods that has unleashed their true power, but the legacy that unleashed the power of the ancient gods is being continuously supplied to the Jurassic Circle. Do you think the Jurassic Circle's gangs would laugh and start using it?"

“The gangs in the Jurassic Circle are certainly aware of the nature of the Cult of Steam and Steel. Even if the Cult of Steam and Steel provides them with weapons, they will absolutely not use them.”

Li Yili shook her head from side to side.

"But the Jurassic Circle gangs are preparing for war with great fervor, and they are fairly certain that the [power] sufficient to overthrow the entire wasteland regime is coming soon."

Chapter 109 Establishment

A system with numerous victims

“Um… Miss Anne, Mr. Yellow Raincoat, have you… finished talking? I’ve prepared some snacks and hot tea…”

Ashley leaned out of the door, cautiously probing.

“Yes, we’ve finished talking,” Anne smiled at Ashley and then turned her wheelchair to leave Li Yili behind.

Li Yili flicked her right hand, put her hands behind her back, and followed slowly, looking at Ashley with some curiosity. "Miss Ashley, can you make desserts?"

"Hmm? Those were prepared by the maid, they were delicious," Ashley answered politely, but immediately covered her cheeks nervously as if she had realized something important, her face full of anxiety. "Could it be that Mr. Dante likes girls who can make desserts!"

"Well... if only I could eat some desserts made by Miss Ashley herself..."

Li Yili tilted her head and imagined Dante, who usually handled the letters Ashley sent him with great care, eating the pastries Ashley made herself.

"Dante would most likely do a happy backflip."

"I see! I understand! I'll work hard!" Ashley's eyes lit up, she rolled up her sleeves, and nodded with great enthusiasm. "Speaking of which, how long does it take to become a pastry chef?"

"Eh……"

Li Yili hesitated. He wanted to encourage her, saying that as long as she was willing to work hard, it would only take two or three years. But Ashley's eager expression seemed to say, "I plan to spend a whole week learning! I'm so determined!"

"Well..."

“Miss Ashley, I don’t think you need to do this on purpose. Mr. Yellow Raincoat means that Dante will happily accept anything you do for him,” Anne didn’t forget to give Ashley and Dante a little push in their relationship.

If it were just a simple gift of sweets to Dante, that would be fine. But if Dante knew that Ashley had learned to make sweets for him, his opinion of her would immediately rise, and Dante would be even less likely to let her know his true self.

"Eh... back then, really?"

Ashley blushed, covered her cheeks, and turned around shyly. Then, she straightened her face and raised her finger.

"But, thinking about it carefully, Mr. Dante is so outstanding! I can't even make desserts. I really need to learn how to make desserts! If we get married and are together in the future... Mr. Dante already has a wife, but if he wants to eat desserts, he can only go out to buy them. People will definitely laugh at him!"

“Uh—I think that’s unlikely,” Li Yili blinked and retorted.

Putting aside the fact that Dante is the son of Norman, the godfather of the Mafia, Ashley is the daughter of Tipole, the king of the Cretaceous business world. Who would dare to laugh at the two of them?

“And…I think, as a wife…” Ashley blushed, twisting her hands together, “being able to make desserts for your husband is a very happy thing.”

“Huh? According to this logic, Ashley, don’t you still have a lot to learn?” Rebecca, who was standing to the side, picked at her ear and said carelessly, “For example, giving Dante a massage to relieve his fatigue after a long day, knitting a scarf for Mr. Dante to keep him warm, making boots for Mr. Dante, and cleaning our shared home together with Mr. Dante.”

Ashley blinked, then slowly opened her beautiful eyes wide, covered her face tightly, turned around, and squatted down in the corner. "I didn't realize I could do so much for Mr. Dante."

"See, there's still a lot to do—oh, right, the most important thing is still the bed—"

Before Rebecca could finish speaking, Li Yili slapped her on the back of the head, interrupting her increasingly absurd remarks.

To avoid Ashley being curious about Rebecca's last words, Li Yili raised her voice, "Miss Ashley, I don't mean to discourage you, but I want to remind you that these things aren't as fun as you think. Take making boots for example, no matter how talented a beginner is, they can't avoid injuring their fingers during the learning process, and those are no small injuries."

Anne chimed in, “Yes, Miss Ashley, you don’t have to go through any of this.”

“That won’t do! Not only will Mr. Dante become my husband, but I will also become Mr. Dante’s wife!” Ashley stood up and patted her chest forcefully.