I am a hero of the former civilization.

Ryan threw down his pen. He had noticed this twilight street long ago, but he hadn't had time to pay attention to it then. He also wanted to test whether fate was persistent.

Qianjie met me a long time ago. Is he still on Twilight Street? If he is, our conversation probably wasn't very pleasant.

Ryan flexed his wrists. Thousand Tribulations was the kind of person who preferred to communicate with his fists and ignored verbal attacks. Dealing with him was a real headache. Moreover, Aponia was also dangerous. If he fell for her commandments, he would be a complete idiot.

Wait, Aponia shouldn't know the Commandments yet, but she should have some similar ability.

This dungeon is tough. Should we start it now or postpone it? But right now, the Herrscher is hiding like a coward, and I have nothing to do.

thump.

Just then, a water glass was placed heavily on the table. Ryan peeked out and found that it contained tea leaves.

"Why did you switch to brewing tea? And you've put in way too much tea leaves. What's with these flower petals? They look like they were just picked from the rest area."

"Are you going to drink it or not?!" Mebius frowned immediately, picked up the glass, and prepared to pour it out.

"Drink, what's with the jerk?" Ryan slapped her hand away, took a small sip, and sure enough, his mouth was full of bitterness, but it did clear his groggy head considerably.

"Why did you suddenly start making tea? Did Sakura remind you...?"

"What does it have to do with her? This was a gift from someone, and I was worried it would expire, so I just took it out and used it. Do you have a problem with that?"

LOL, nobody's going to give you anything. Aren't you calling yourself a den of demons?

Ryan glanced at the messy lab, which was littered with documents and unassembled machines. Danzhu was huffing and puffing as he tidied up the mess, then slipped and made a mess of the floor.

This is Mebius's new hideout, which has become even more notorious due to the multi-departmental collaboration and competition for funding. Mebius deliberately placed the Fifth Institute in a peripheral area.

"Are you laughing at me in your heart?" Mebius narrowed his eyes, as if he could see through what Ryan was thinking.

"No, I just think it's kind of deserted. It's just a few of you. It's not as lively as the desert."

“I’ve left the regular research staff to Mebius. They’re all clumsy anyway. I can handle the core research. Why bother with so many people?” Mebius squinted, seemingly complaining, but actually a little smug.

The peripheral members of several research institutes were consolidated and placed under the management of the General Affairs Office, which reduced the number of personnel and improved efficiency.

Most importantly, Mei also took care of their salaries, so there was no longer any need to pay them extra.

"Yes, yes, yes, go ahead and exploit honest people to the fullest." Ryan took another sip of tea, and seeing Danzhu struggling to collect the documents, he slowly got up and stretched his shoulders.

"What are you doing?"

"Anyway, I don't have anything to do today, so I'll just do you a small favor and tidy up the lab for you."

Instead of thanking him, Mebius became wary: "Let me make this clear first, I won't pay you."

"Hmph, you really only have this much vision."

Ryan chuckled dismissively, then rolled up his sleeves and began moving the heavy equipment.

Without using his hands, he used electromagnetic force to make the instruments move on their own. At first, Mebius was worried that he would damage his precious equipment, but then he discovered that Ryan's control was extremely strong and that it had no effect on the internal parts at all.

So she relaxed, sat on the table, crossed her legs, took off her stockings, swiveled around in her chair, held her coffee cup gently, took a sip now and then watched the people in the room busy at work.

Occasionally, she would exchange a few words with Ryan, who looked down on her, saying things like, "I'm a researcher, not a porter."

As he looked, his snake-like eyes softened, and he suddenly had a similar feeling to Ryan.

This peaceful life is quite nice. Time flows by unnoticed, and it's not as wasteful as I used to think.

Recently, I've learned to watch movies, to daydream, and to appreciate the beauty of the ordinary. I never even thought about setting traps for him.

Mebius watched quietly as Ryan placed the instruments in various locations, Danzhu and Cangxuan organized data, and Klein installed the computer, occasionally exchanging a few words of laughter amidst their busy work.

'If only this slow-paced life could continue, if only Ryan could stay in this lab forever.'

Her expression turned strange as she suddenly realized that these changes were all influenced by that man, just like the slap from another man when she was a child, etched into her soul, the only difference being whether it was a positive or negative slap.

Why him? Why him? It seems that besides that desire to explore, there are many other things involved.

"Doctor, why don't we let the robots help?"

Mebius snapped out of his reverie and casually replied, "Because that bastard Wilvi has set a price, the rent is very expensive, there's no way to have such an extra expense."

Ha ha ha.

Poverty breeds despair, which drew a chorus of low laughter and filled the laboratory with a cheerful atmosphere.

"Don't laugh. The first rule in my institute is to be frugal. Every penny must be spent wisely!" Möbius emphasized seriously, not as terrible as the rumors suggested.

"Dr. Mebius, could you lend me a hand? I remember you're a Fusion Warrior, right?" Danzhu complained, putting the neatly organized documents on the table. Inadvertently, she dropped her water glass, spilling the milk tea all over the floor.

Mebius glanced at the wet ground and put on a friendly expression: "Danzhu, you want me to help you? And when did you secretly go and buy that milk tea? What about the punishment we agreed on!"

"Uh... I'll go get a rag!" The girl turned and ran, bumping into the corner of the table in her haste, and cried out in pain.

When will this idiot ever become reliable?

Mebius covered his face, a smile peeking through his fingers, casting aside the influence of Ryan, which he could never admit.

This atmosphere made her very happy, and she began to understand what Ryan had told her back in the Far East:

That so-called sense of being alive.

Chapter 188. Clue Acquired!

Ha, this clumsy Danju is really interesting. No wonder Möbius kept her by his side. Uh, when did this woman need the emotion of 'happiness'?

Ryan couldn't help but laugh out loud, but then his smile froze. He secretly glanced at Mebius and found that the latter's expression was very natural, without any intention of trying to please him.

She really has changed. How should I put it? She fell into the trap the moment she became interested in my secrets and started investigating.

It wasn't surprising that Ryan smiled for the second time.

Just as cold and heat can conduct to each other, Möbius was influenced by him, and he also learned from Möbius the concept of a thousand faces in a thousand people.

At least it's a positive impact, and it can be considered as making up for the huge pitfall of her tragic childhood.

Ryan continued working, and only then did he have a moment to poke Klein in a corner of the laboratory hall where a sofa had been set up to create a rest area.

What about punishment?

"It's a rule set by Dr. Mebius: whoever is late has to buy milk tea for the whole group. The doctor really likes milk tea." Klein wiped the sweat from his forehead, turned on the power, entered the password, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the screen light up.

"She has this quirk? How come I didn't know?" Ryan glanced at the screen, which was cluttered with movies, and knew that it was Mebius's personal property.

The girl glanced around and lowered her voice: "Because milk tea is much more expensive than instant coffee, she's waiting for Danzhu to treat her, so she can save a lot of money."

"Klein~~"

No sooner had she finished speaking than a sinister voice rang in Klein's ear, startling the girl so much that she quickly shut her mouth.

Mebius, still wearing a friendly smile, appeared out of nowhere from the table.

"Is there anything interesting you'd like to tell me?"

"N-no, Doctor." Klein felt a little guilty, knowing that he had let something slip and exposed the Doctor's secret.

"But you and Ryan seem to be having a very pleasant conversation."

"Ahem, Klein meant that I should treat you to milk tea in the future. Actually, I can make it, so it doesn't cost any money." Ryan couldn't stand it anymore and had to step forward to take the blame.

"Really?" Möbius's eyes darted around. He smiled first, then feigned modesty: "Then I'll give you a chance to show off. There's a supermarket here with a pretty complete selection."

Why didn't you just say you'd buy the materials and let me do it? You were thinking of getting it for free, weren't you?

Ryan gritted his teeth slightly, then glanced at the pitiful Klein and had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Okay, I've been taken advantage of again.

He was feeling a bit annoyed and was trying to figure out how to get back at Mebius when the laboratory door suddenly opened.

A small robot resembling a hunting dog entered, its square head spinning once before it strode onto four legs and came straight to Mebius.

"Dr. Mebius, the high-precision operating table you requested has been manufactured, and the great magician is awaiting your final payment."

“Didn’t I already give it to you?” Mebius frowned. At this moment, she didn’t want to hear the name of Vervière.

"Because you need it urgently, the Magician has torn apart several of our brothers, so you have to pay extra."

boom!

As soon as the synthesized voice finished, a fair hand pressed down on it, causing the hard armor to dent, and then Ryan grabbed her forearm.

"Don't be impulsive. Even if you dismantle this robot, the repair costs will still be charged to you."

In an instant, he saw Mebius's fair face flush slightly, and he withdrew his hand with a slight tremor before quickly regaining his composure.

"Danzhu, Cangxuan, Klein, come with me to settle accounts with that shameless woman!" she roared, clearly not needing to feign indifference in front of Velvi.

Leaving Klein aside, Danzhu and Cangxuan stood up with great interest. Doing physical labor was nothing compared to watching a spectacle. Then a group of women in white coats walked out, looking quite imposing.

"Wait, what am I supposed to do if you leave?" Ryan sensed something was wrong and quickly called them back.

"Finish tidying up the lab. By the way, are you coming with me? Will you help me deal with that shameless woman?"

"No, Velvi didn't do anything to me."

"Then go stay out of the way!"

Mebius glared at Ryan, then turned and walked away without looking back, leading a group of 'lackeys' with considerable presence.

What an incurable pauper! It's all my money, so why should I question the internal circulation of funds?

Ryan pursed his lips and quickly stopped himself from thinking about it. It was better to deal with Velvi than to deal with him. Besides, since Velvi dared to ask for more money, she must have been sure that Mebius would pay.

'Fine, better to die for your fellow Daoist than for me.'

He chuckled, then promptly dragged over a chair to slack off. This Mebius was trying to get something for nothing again; he wouldn't let her have her way. When he got back, he'd make her do the work.

After glancing at the ceiling and spinning around in his chair a couple of times, Ryan suddenly felt bored. He subconsciously glanced at the computer screen next to him, where a bunch of movies were haphazardly arranged, making his obsessive-compulsive disorder flare up.

"He has no sense of order at all, and his tastes are so heavy, all of them are horror and horror. Oh my god, a human centipede? And a mermaid in the sewer. This Möbius really can't be judged by common sense."

Ryan grimaced, realizing he'd done something wrong. He'd wanted Mebius to experience the joys of entertainment, but the guy's gone astray.

He glanced at the digital clock; it was still early. Bored, he clicked on a milder film, watched for a few minutes, and then sat up straight instantly.

Hey, something's wrong.

He discovered that the player's browsing history was all zero, and as a film enthusiast, he immediately awakened a deep-seated instinctive reaction.

Something's strange; Mebius deliberately deleted it.

If it were Klein, he would only think that Mebius hadn't had time to see it yet, but as a former glue maker, Ryan instantly sensed that the other party was hiding something. After hesitating for a moment, his fingers gripped the mouse.