Ha, this clumsy Nuwa is really interesting. No wonder Mobius keeps her around. Uh, when did this woman start needing 'happiness' as an emotion?
Ryan couldn't help but laugh out loud, then his smile froze. He stole a glance at Mobius and found her expression to be completely natural, with no hint of trying to please anyone.
She really has changed. How should I put it? From being secretly curious about me, she's now digging herself into a pit.
Ryan smiled again for the second time. It wasn't that surprising after all.
Just like how cold and hot can transfer energy to one another, Mobius was influenced by him, and he, in turn, had learned a lot from her. Especially the "thousand faces" concept.
At least it was a positive influence, and it somewhat made up for her tragic childhood.
Ryan continued working, setting up a break area in the corner of the lab with some sofas, then he finally had time to poke at Klein.
"What's this about a punishment?"
"It's a rule Dr. Mobius set. Whoever is late has to buy milk tea for the whole team. She loves milk tea," Klein wiped the sweat off her forehead, powered on the system, and entered the password. Once the screen lit up, she sighed in relief.
"She has this habit too? Why didn't I know about this?" Ryan glanced at the screen. There were a lot of movies scattered around on the desktop. He knew this was Mobius' personal computer.
Klein looked around before lowering her voice. "Because milk tea is way more expensive than instant coffee, so she's waiting for Nuwa to treat the team. That way, she can save a lot of money."
"Kl"
Before she could finish, a sinister voice suddenly whispered in Klein ear, making her jump and hurriedly shut her mouth.
Mobius, still with her friendly smile, had somehow appeared next to her desk without anyone noticing.
"Is there something fun you want to share with me?"
"N-no, Doctor," Klein stammered, feeling guilty for accidentally revealing the doctor's secret.
"But I see you and Ryan were chatting quite happily."
"Ahem, Klein meant to say that she's going to treat you to milk tea in the future. Actually, I can make it myself, no need to spend money on it." Ryan, unable to stand the awkwardness, stepped in and took the blame.
"Really?" Mobius' eyes sparkled. She smiled before feigning modesty, "Well, then I'll give you a chance to prove yourself. There's a supermarket here with a decent variety of ingredients."
"Why don't you just say, 'buy the ingredients and wait for me to come make it?' You were hoping to get it for free, huh?"
Ryan gritted his teeth lightly, then looked at poor Klein who was now in a bad position. He sighed and nodded in agreement.
"Fine, another free meal it is."
He felt a little agitated. He was trying to figure out how to get back at Mobius for this, but just then, the lab door opened suddenly.
A small robot shaped like a hunting dog walked in, its square head rotating before it made its way directly to Mobius.
"Dr. Mobius, the high-precision surgical table you requested has been completed. The great magician is waiting for your final payment."
"Didn't I pay already?" Mobius frowned, clearly irritated. She didn't want to hear about Vil-V at this moment.
"Because you needed it urgently, the magician dismantled several of our other units, so an additional payment is required."
Bang!
The electronic voice hadn't even finished when a pale hand slammed down onto the robot, causing its hard exterior to dent. Ryan grabbed Mobius' arm.
"Don't be impulsive. If you destroy this robot, the repair costs will still fall on you."
In an instant, Ryan saw Mobius' pale face turn slightly pink. She quickly retracted her hand, visibly trembling, then regained her composure.
"Nuwa, Fuxi, Klein, come with me to find that shameless woman and settle this!" She growled, clearly not pretending to be cold in front of Vil-V.
Klein remained silent, but Nuwa and Fuxi eagerly stood up. Physical work was nothing compared to the fun of watching the drama unfold, and so a group of women, all wearing white lab coats, walked out looking quite imposing.
"Wait, what am I supposed to do if you all leave?" Ryan felt something was off and hurriedly called them back.
"Finish cleaning up the lab! By the way, are you coming with us to deal with that shameless woman?"
"No, Vil-V hasn't offended me."
"Then go sit somewhere!"
Mobius glared at Ryan and walked away without turning back, leading her little "followers" with impressive authority.
"Truly an incorrigible pauper. It's all my money, so what's the point of internal circulation? Why get involved?"
Ryan pouted, quickly shaking off the thought. Dealing with Vil-V was better than dealing with himself. Besides, since Vil-V dared to raise the price, Mobius would pay it in the end.
'Forget it, I'd rather the dead friend than the poor Taoist.'
He chuckled, decisively dragging the chair over to relax. Mobius wanted to freeload again, but there was no way he'd let her have her way. After she came back, he was definitely going to make her work for it.
He looked at the ceiling, spun around in the chair a couple of times, and then got bored. Without thinking, he glanced at the computer screen beside him. There were movies scattered around, which triggered his obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
"She doesn't even clean up, and what terrible taste she has. All these horror thrillers—seriously? Human Centipede? And the mermaid in the sewer? Looks like Mobius can't be judged by conventional standards."
Ryan bared his teeth, feeling like he had done something wrong. He wanted Mobius to experience the joy of entertainment, but this person had taken it the wrong way.
Looking at the electronic clock, it was still early, so he clicked on a lighter movie and watched for a few minutes, only to straighten up suddenly.
Hmm, something's not right.
He noticed that the playback history was completely empty. As a connoisseur of old films, his instincts immediately kicked in.
Something's off, Mobius deleted it on purpose.
If it were Klein, she would probably think Mobius hadn't had time to watch it, but as someone who used to be obsessed with films, Ryan instantly realized that Mobius was hiding something. After a brief hesitation, his finger grasped the mouse.
"The operating system has been redone by Mobius, and the usual methods won't work. I need to access the backend and bypass the firewall to conduct a full search of the files."
Click-clack.
Ryan sat upright, his fingers flying over the keyboard. Anyone who didn't know him would think he was a professional programmer. Pages opened and closed rapidly, and soon he reached the second level of encrypted desktop. He opened dozens of folders in quick succession.
A few minutes later, his hands finally stopped, and he stared at several encrypted folders.
"Basic Biological Theory," "Neon Biological Theory," "European Biology"...
"A private computer full of movies, yet it's packed with work-related files? Do you really need to study basic biology, Mobius?"
Ryan paused for a moment, realizing he might be crossing a line. After a short breath, he glanced at the closed door behind him.
I haven't invaded her privacy, but since Mobius underwent fusion surgery, her mental state hasn't been stable. As a psychologist, I have an obligation to develop a treatment plan.
He started cracking the encryption again, and after a few more minutes, Ryan took a deep breath and opened one of the files. His indifferent expression gradually became more intense.
The reflection of the screen in his glasses revealed the contents. A man entered a "sage time" as he watched, clearly enjoying it.
Mobius weakness, I managed to get it.
..
Hmph, Vil-V, that idiot, still gave me a 20% discount.
At almost the same time, Mobius had just left the "magic factory" and was twirling her keychain. A small smile of triumph appeared on her face.
"Klein, have those scrap metals brought back. The delivery fee has already been included in the final payment."
"Yes, Doctor," Klein nodded lightly, wanting to say that Mobius had clearly been taken advantage of, but she didn't dare. She thought to herself that the doctor had gained face, Vil-V had received the final payment, and everyone had a happy future.
"Nuwa, come with me."
"Huh, Klein, it's after work hours."
"There's no such thing as after-hours at the Fifth Institute. The doctor needs to perform surgery tonight, or you'll come to help."
"Forget it, I don't want to stay up all night. Sister, let's go together."
The three of them tugged at each other and walked off, leaving behind a satisfied Mobius, her snake-like pupils gleaming.
She wasn't sure if that guy had done his job well. If he did, she would reward him properly, perhaps by making him an assistant in tonight's experiment.
She was happy with her current life, even though she still had a cold face towards the researchers who passed by. Her steps were light, and she no longer cared about the curious stares.
Clack, clack, clack.
The sound of her high heels echoed sharply, but when she passed the living area, her steps suddenly stopped. Her long eyebrows slightly raised.
"You two, what are you doing?"
Two pink-haired girls were tugging at each other by the door. On the outside was the annoying fat woman, and inside was the even more annoying seductress.
Elysia was holding Sakura's hand, her pink dress slightly disheveled. When she saw Mobius, her eyes lit up.
"Oh, what a coincidence, we meet dear Mobius here♪"
Mobius immediately showed a look of disgust, regretting speaking up. If she'd known, she would've sneaked away.
"So, what are you two doing?"
She walked over, acknowledging Sakura with a nod before instantly regretting it.
Why am I even acknowledging her?
"It's dinner time, right? I suggest we go to Ryan place and cook for ourselves. The cafeteria's been making me question life recently. Oh, by the way, I was going to call you and Vil-V."
Mobius silently listened, her expression first darkening, then softening slightly.
"So she doesn't want to go?" She glanced at Sakura, who was about to speak, and a wicked smile appeared on her face. She thought, this fox must be afraid of me.
Hmm, I won't give her a good look later. Let her run away on her own.
"Well, Miss Elysia proposed a cooking competition. We each make our signature dish, and the loser will be punished. I don't think I'm Ryan match, so there's no need to go." Sakura gripped a long knife, stared directly at Mobius, and with great difficulty swallowed the rest of her sentence.
In fact, she didn't even need to speak. Mobius had already frozen in place, her smile stiffening as she quickened her pace, walking past the two of them.
"Heh, I suddenly have something to do. I won't disturb you..."
Slap.
A delicate hand pressed down on her shoulder, and the pink fairy grinned, her purple eyes shimmering like stars.
"Dear Mobius, where do you think you're going?"