I'm on the Ark, and I start out as Gretchen.

"Hehe, good afternoon, Ms. Swire. It's nothing, just part of my job."

The housekeeper chuckled twice in response to the young and polite older employer.

"Well then, let's get ready to begin." Upon hearing this, Swire nodded gently and said nothing more. She then closed the courtyard gate and led the people toward the house.

P.S.: I'm so sleepy, and I'm writing this late again. Sigh, everyone.

Chapter 20 The Cat's Result and the Frustrated Little Tiger

While the housekeeper was cleaning, Swire didn't rest either, continuing to search for her earrings and organize and take stock of her little things.

However, it would have been better if we hadn't checked; upon checking, we discovered that several of our small items were missing.

If only one or two items were missing, Swire could have just assumed they were lost by accident, but the disappearance of three items at once was very suspicious.

At least she herself began to suspect that a thief had broken into her house...

Moreover, the number of "missing" items is only what Swire discovered with a simple count; it's entirely possible that some items have disappeared but she hasn't found them yet...

After all, it seems that the "petty thief" has only stolen small items, even things she herself had almost forgotten about.

"..."

Lost in thought, Swire slowly walked out of her room and stood on the second-floor corridor, looking down at the cleaning lady who was cleaning with a slightly inquisitive gaze.

It's no wonder Swire suspected the housekeeper, because this person was indeed the one who knew the house's structure and details best, besides herself.

It's worth noting that among the items the little tiger discovered were some like that earring, which had fallen and been placed in a small corner, making them virtually unnoticed by unsuspecting outsiders, let alone someone who would intentionally steal them.

Of course, while there may be doubts, Swire would not slander or accuse others without evidence.

However, she would definitely investigate this matter thoroughly, after all, she was a senior superintendent of the Imperial Guard! It would be incredibly shameful to not even know that her own house had been burgled!

-----------------

A sun-drenched rooftop retreat—

"Ah~"

After stretching lazily, Pado slowly opened her still slightly misty eyes in the warm environment.

After returning home last night, Pado couldn't sleep because she was thinking about what she could do. So, in the middle of the night, she simply went out again.

As for what he was going out to do, he was obviously going to deliver supplies while the people investigating and surrounding him had relaxed their vigilance these past few days.

To prevent being unable to deliver things for a long time afterward, Pado was busy for a long time last night, only finishing the event just before dawn and sneaking back.

"Oh right! I almost forgot."

Pado, who was sitting up and yawning, seemed to suddenly remember something and became much more awake. Then she quietly made a connection with someone in her mind.

'...Um, Sister Snake!'

'What a rare guest! Phyllis, why did you suddenly think of contacting me? Are you offering yourself to me as research material?'

Although he roughly knew why Pado was looking for him through their telepathic connection, Mebius still couldn't help but say something with a mischievous grin.

'No, no, no, let's just forget about it!'

Pado, who had originally intended to say something more, was immediately silenced by Mebius's wicked remark, her expression changing drastically as she quickly refused.

It's important to know that neither she nor "Padofelis" had any fetish for wanting to be studied, otherwise they wouldn't have been avoiding Möbius.

"Ugh, how boring... I thought Phyllis had finally come to her senses and wanted to be my guinea pig~"

"..."

Although Mebius's words sounded like a joke, Paddo strangely detected a hint of seriousness in them...

"Ahem, let's not talk about that now. My mission is almost finished, and I should be pretty free for a long time... If Sister Snake needs anything related to Oripathy research, I can steal it for you for free... and get it all sorted out."

Pado coughed twice, quickly ignoring Mebius's words, and then revealed the real "reason" for her contact this time.

To be honest, without intending to get involved in the conflicts between various parties, Pado thought long and hard that night, and the best answer she came to was to help those around her as much as possible within her capabilities, while also striving to "cooperate."

This helped Möbius complete the development of a cure for Oreosis.

'Heh~ We don't lack anything for Oripathy research, but we're lacking a kitten for other research. Phyllis, are you really not going to consider it?'

'No, I don't have any cats here! Okay, I've left my promise, I'm going to get busy now, Snake Sister...' After saying the last sentence in her mind, Pado quickly disconnected, no longer bothering to find out Mebius's reaction.

What a joke! The cat just wanted to help out by doing what she could, but she didn't want to risk her life... Just thinking about the cold lab benches in Möbius's laboratory made her shudder!

“Luckily I reacted quickly. It’s getting late, let’s go find something to eat, canned food.” After finishing her conversation with Mebius, Pado turned to look at the canned food sitting next to her and said.

"Meow!"

Upon hearing the word "food," the canned food let out an excited yelp and climbed onto Pado's shoulders without hesitation.

"Hold on tight, we're getting ready to go!"

Besides solving the lunch problem, Pado also planned to go to the slums to check on the situation there.

After her sudden outburst last night, all the factions must be in turmoil again. For her own safety, she felt it was necessary to check the specifics.

----------------

Shihuai Villa —

"Honestly, they didn't leave a single clue... Could it really have been a rat that carried it away?" Swire, who had just returned from checking the surveillance footage at the property management office, was sprawled on her sofa, muttering "resentfully."

Several hours have passed since the investigation and search for clues began, but Swire hasn't made much progress.

There were no obvious traces or remains in the house, the surveillance cameras in the villa area didn't capture any suspicious persons, and even the housekeeper's words seemed perfectly plausible and without any flaws...

But she always felt that this matter was not so simple, yet she couldn't connect the various clues and ideas.

"I refuse to believe this!"

Suddenly, Swire, who had been sprawled on the sofa, sat up abruptly, picked up her phone, and stood up to make a call.

She was determined to resolve this matter; she absolutely did not want to be ridiculed by the idiot dragon.

……

Finally, after giving instructions via her mobile phone, Swire temporarily put aside her family matters and headed towards the Guard Bureau.

This time, it wasn't just that she wanted to see if she could help, but also because Hoshiguma had messaged her...

P.S.: I've put it up, but not completely. I've had a lot going on at home lately, plus my royalties this month are a complete mess, so it's in this state. Updates will return to normal next month.

Chapter 21 The Shocking Char Siu Cat

Imperial Guard Bureau——()*6′Pomegranate°Two≯Ryu(Ring≈Forest￡Ⅷ≤Ear°2∞？Skirt~<$#^

"I'm here. What new clues have you found?"

Swire, having returned to her office at the Guard Bureau, looked at Hoshiguma with an eager expression and asked.

"?"

"Why are you here? Weren't we supposed to be investigating tomorrow?" Hoshiguma was slightly taken aback when she saw someone who shouldn't be here at this time.

"I just came over because there's nothing going on at home, so I thought there might be something I could help with." Upon hearing this, Shi·HomeMatter·Huaiya blinked lightly and answered without batting an eye.

"So diligent..." Hoshiguma paused mid-sentence, then, as if struck by a sudden thought, her expression turned somewhat strange as she said:

"Wait, you weren't serious about what you said earlier about wanting to become the bureau chief, were you...?"

“Otherwise, a senior superintendent who doesn’t aspire to be a police chief isn’t a good superintendent.” After hearing Hoshiguma’s words, Swire shrugged matter-of-factly and said.

"You little brat, you really dare to dream!"

Before Hoshiguma could say anything more, a cold voice, tinged with disdain, rang out. Along with the voice came a large eye roll.

"What are you saying, you worthless dragon! I'm determined to get that position, and I'll definitely get it one day!" After hearing Chen's words and receiving a glare from her, Swire snapped back angrily.

"You? Stop daydreaming! Think about it tonight in bed."

"you!"

……

"It starts again..."

Watching the two bicker again, Hoshiguma shook her head helplessly.

"Okay, stop arguing."

"Hmph, who's arguing with this pathetic dragon!"

"You little brat!"

The two people who were arguing fiercely gave Hoshiguma some face when they heard what she said. After glaring at each other, they turned their faces away and stopped arguing.

"Alright, you two, don't be angry. Old Chen, you go ahead and do your work. I'll talk to Swire about the current situation."

Once Hoshiguma, the peacemaker of the trio, spoke up, the other two didn't say anything more. One continued working with a cold face, while the other turned his head and leaned closer to her, waiting for her to continue.

"...So, what's the situation now? What new moves has that notorious Dragon Gate thief made?"

Perhaps because she couldn't wait any longer, Swire, who was standing next to Hoshiguma, couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

"No further thefts have occurred, but yesterday..."

That night, that person delivered supplies to the slums again. Facing Swire's question, Hoshiguma earnestly recounted the new information he had obtained that day.

"However, for various reasons, the people who were staking out there last night did not see that person."

"So what are the plans for the next step? Should we increase the manpower for a stakeout tonight?" After listening to Hoshiguma's explanation, Swire didn't show any surprise on her face, but asked again with a serious expression.

"Yes, that's the current arrangement. Today's interviews and investigations have been cancelled and rescheduled for tomorrow... Tomorrow, the three of us will conduct the investigation in plainclothes."

Upon hearing this, Hoshiguma nodded slightly and recounted all the arrangements she and Chen had made.

"Is the investigation stalled?"

Although she was asking a question, Swire's tone was quite certain at this moment.

"Yes, the people in the slums have become resistant to our inquiries and investigations. Some have even gone too far with their words and actions... They feel that it was our interference that prevented them from receiving this chivalrous thief's 'gifts' for so long."

At this point, even Hoshiguma, whose expression had been relatively gentle, couldn't help but frown.

"Sigh... To be honest, although it seems absurd, this was indeed expected. After all, we didn't give these people any benefits like that person did."

As she spoke, Swire couldn't help but sigh softly, her expression becoming somewhat complicated.

However, this situation didn't last long. Lost in thought, she seemed to have thought of something and muttered uncertainly to herself: