Indeed, she is one of the most outstanding fraudsters. First, she used the 'Magician' persona to strike up a conversation with me, allowing me to unknowingly lower my guard. Then, under the guise of gratitude, she brought me to tour her achievements. Her core objective was to steer the conversation to a philosophical level, and she even guessed what I would say.
"Non-human power must be constrained by human morality; otherwise, it will inevitably descend into corruption."
Ryan determination was not hard to guess. She tapped into it from this aspect, reaching her true goal.
Impressive, she skillfully guided me to convince myself, using psychological tactics to their utmost extent. Ryan clapped silently in his mind. Then, a question arose:
"Why does it seem like every time you deal with me, it's all part of a well-rehearsed routine?"
"What are you talking about? I don't quite understand," Vil-V said innocently, shrugging her shoulders. "I just gave you an opportunity to act on your will."
"Alright, then how do you know I've recently made a small profit?"
"Uh, see for yourself."
Vil-V clapped her hands again, and a laser beam fell, projecting a holographic image. The green hair and white lab coat, it was Möbius.
She had specifically ordered a batch of experimental tools from Vil-V, as the latter's craftsmanship was far superior to factory mass-produced products. However, the Fifth Research Institute had stretched itself too thin, with many areas requiring funding.
Möbius, therefore, chose to buy on credit. When Vil-V, also 'destitute,' raised doubts, Möbius casually said, "Ryan will pay me back, hehe, he's my assistant, after all."
"But Ryan doesn't even have a salary, and his position isn't with the Science Committee. How did he become your assistant?"
"You don't understand. Ryan has ways of making money, and his position doesn't matter. He's mine, and you just need to remember that."
"Oh, so the rumors are true. A man who earns money for the family sure has it tough."
Möbius raised her chin slightly and spoke slowly, "Vil-V, you have quite an eye for things. Make sure to do your job well, and there will be rewards for you afterward."
The video ended there. Ryan eye twitched at the sight. It was truly...
Karma, perhaps!
Without a doubt, Möbius was a little too pleased with herself. Who knows what promises she'd made with Vil-V, though it vaguely carried a tone of warning.
Indeed, she set the trap, waiting for the day when I'd have no way to defend myself.
Ryan put his hands in his pockets and gave a cold smirk, then gritted his teeth. "Fine, I'll keep my promise and give you 20% of the funds to use."
He was starting to give up on therapy. As the saying goes, "No worries about debt when you have nothing left," and now that everything was lost, he resigned to the situation. Life, after all, was always full of hardships.
"Why only 20%?"
"I only said I would provide the funds, not the proportion."
"That's a bit unfair, don't you think? Do you really think my research is worth less than Dr. Möbius's?"
Ryan hesitated for a moment, then finally answered, "Uh, it's all about the order of things. I'll transfer this money from a secret account. You must keep it confidential. If she finds out, it will be troublesome."
The explanation was a bit forced. Looking at Vil-V slightly smiling expression, Ryan began to miss the 'Magician.' If it were that Vil-V, she would have been ecstatic by now.
"Deal," Vil-V hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Indeed, she had good self-control and didn't press further.
Ryan sighed in relief. He had been mentally fogged by poverty and felt like a small-time rich man who stayed in five-star hotels, but was now rapidly descending into the world of instant noodles. After thinking it through, he could only persuade himself.
At least this money was being used to fight Honkai. Even if some of the ideas turned out to be useless, it would still be worth it.
But it still hurt a little.
"Tomorrow, Möbius will be holding a meeting. I need to prepare, but when you see me next time, make sure to bring the 'Magician.'"
"Think she's easier to fool?"
"Yeah, at least she's much easier to deceive." Ryan admitted decisively, then turned around. He was stopped again.
"Don't you think your relationship with her is a bit twisted?"
Her? Möbius?
Ryan turned his head. He hadn't expected this 'id' Vil-V to be so nosy. But as long as money wasn't involved, they were good friends.
"What's twisted about it? We're both fighting for humanity, complementing each other in various ways. She's my best partner within the Fire Moth."
"Better than me?"
Of course, you just ruthlessly hit me with a rip-off earlier.
Ryan nodded without hesitation, casually saying, "I know her pretty well. Sometimes it's exhausting, sometimes it's easy. We're both stubborn, though—she wants to suppress me, I want to control her. Hey, don't give me that interesting look."
Vil-V smiled faintly, making Ryan feel frustrated for some reason.
"So there's a personality barrier, and is there also someone like Elysia or anyone else in the way?"
Ryan immediately became alert. An invisible current passed through the corridor without any feedback. He sighed.
"I still have self-awareness. Elysia is easy to become friends with, but going beyond that is as hard as climbing to the heavens."
"Sounds like you like Elysia?"
"Obviously, who wouldn't like her? Alright, enough with these silly questions. I have to go back and write my draft."
Ryan quickened his pace, disappearing from Vil-V line of sight, but kept regretting in his mind, deciding to treat the 'Magician' better next time.
Interesting, indeed.
Vil-V kept staring at his disappearing figure. Her smile turned strange, almost as if filled with a deep sense of delight. However, as she turned her head, her expression returned to its usual coldness.
Snap.
She snapped her fingers, and the light screen dissolved, revealing a holographic image—green hair, wasn't that Möbius?
"Are you satisfied with this answer?"
"It's okay, but you're really scary. Not many people can deceive him like that. No wonder you're called the 'fraudster,'" Möbius said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. Her snake-like eyes gleamed with amusement.
Heh, I can't do anything about you, but I'll get outside help. Now, I finally understand what you're thinking.
Talking about order, and having a bit of a conscience—turns out, it's easy to be around me. You're not a frog, and you know that fat woman is a tough one. Elysia, you really did trick me.
She recalled her conversation with Elysia earlier, her legs feeling numb as if she were on the verge of a breakdown. She received a signal from Vil-V and immediately used the excuse of needing to go to the restroom to hide. She felt a bit embarrassed.
"Mutual affection? I told you, Ryan is a fool, but he does have self-awareness. Thanks for your love, Elysia. Keep it up, and you'll have no chance."
Möbius's mind grew clearer, and she raised her hand to cover her mouth, hiding her smile.
'You want to control me? Hahaha, Ryan, you really are adorable.'
"So, what's your plan now? At least you've gathered important intel," Vil-V asked indifferently, seeming like an outsider.
"This has nothing to do with you. As per our deal, I'll personally perform the fusion surgery for you. All previous debts are forgiven," Möbius said calmly, lightly pushing her long hair behind her ear. She thought to herself, time to get back in front of that fat woman and get some face back, and mock her properly.
Let her gloat, does she really think I'm a fool?
Seeing her expression, Vil-V quickly guessed what Möbius intended to do. She didn't press further or try to persuade her. Instead, she gave a small nod and then closed the communication.
The corridor was silent, and after the lights turned off, it became pitch black. In this darkness, a few eerie white teeth gleamed.
He only mentioned Elysia, not anyone else. People change too, after all.
"Observing this truly brings a strong sense of pleasure. This personality will be called 'Joy,'" Vil-V thought to herself.
...
When Ryan came back in the elevator, the cocktail party had already ended, and only food scraps were left scattered across the floor, with busy servers cleaning up.
They didn't wait for me and just left. Hmm, no signs of a fight, so there shouldn't be any meltdown.
Ryan didn't understand if Möbius was clever or foolish. She always had trouble with Elysia, and even he couldn't bear the intensity of that passion. He wanted to keep a distance but also felt like he wanted to stick close.
As he was thinking, he turned his head slightly and saw Sakura silently appear behind him.
"Ryan, were you looking for Elysia and Dr. Möbius?"
"Yeah, tell me the results of the surveillance," Ryan said, playing his own tactical game, lightly humming to himself.
I left, but I'll call in outside help.
"They spoke for a total of 37 minutes and 25 seconds. Then, Dr. Möbius went to the restroom, and after coming back, they talked for another 7 minutes and 15 seconds before Dr. Möbius announced the end of the banquet."
"From their facial expressions, it seemed like Elysia had the upper hand in the first part, but when Dr. Möbius returned, Elysia regained her composure."
That's odd, why the two separate changes?
Ryan rubbed his chin, a little puzzled by the situation, but unfortunately, Sakura couldn't get too close and couldn't hear what they were saying.
"Good job, Sakura. Looks like something unexpected happened."
"Do you need me to investigate further?"
"No need. It's not related to the operation. Just some trivial matters," Ryan shrugged nonchalantly, glancing at Sakura's tense face. "Alright, alright. This is not important, just a personal issue. You wouldn't be interested in something like that, would you?"
"Actually, I'm really interested."
"Really? Hmm? Why are you so interested?"
Ryan almost didn't respond immediately. Seeing that Sakura wasn't smiling, but there was a warmth in her gaze, he was slightly taken aback.
"Because I want to understand you. Why are you both strong and gentle, why are you both cruel and kind?" Sakura said, crossing her fingers, her gaze like a gentle knife. "You're the only one I can trust in this apocalypse. I must understand you thoroughly."
Ryan was stunned, forcing a bitter smile, "Shouldn't we have enough trust by now?"
"This has nothing to do with trust. This is beyond trust."
What does that mean?
As an observer, Ryan was a little confused, but he knew Sakura was different from Möbius. The latter was stubborn and liked to hide her thoughts, whereas Sakura was decisive, like a knife hidden in its scabbard.
You can sense its sharpness but never see its true form.
"Well... it's up to you. I'll go check on the progress of the second phase at the Fifth Research Institute."
With business to attend to, Ryan didn't stay longer. It was important to prioritize tasks.
Sakura lowered her hand, a flicker of regret crossing her face. She was about to invite Ryan to her room to taste some new tea and talk about Rin and others, but she knew Ryan work was more important, so she didn't speak up.
Just then, Sakura suddenly stopped in her tracks, gripping the hilt of her knife.
"Who?!"
No answer. Only a pink figure suddenly leaped from the darkness, and something warm and soft pressed against her face. In the midst of the suffocating sensation, she subconsciously loosened her grip on the knife.
Elysia!?