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

"...What else could it be? The money was stolen. This place is such a mixed bag, isn't it normal for someone to rob someone?" As he said this, An Su couldn't help but curl his lip, looking completely indifferent.

Don't be fooled by An Su's nonchalant attitude in front of Pa Duo; she was actually heartbroken about it a few days ago. After all, no one would be at peace if they lost their food and livelihood.

Even An Suo, who had been working in this city for a long time and had witnessed all sorts of things, was no exception.

"..."

Upon hearing this answer, before Pado could say anything more, Xiaoshi, who had been "peeping" from the back, couldn't help but say:

'Who dares to steal what I gave them! Paddy, summon me here right now!'

'Boss Xiaoshi, don't panic. If you suddenly appear, it will definitely scare this ordinary guy, An Suo. Let us handle this...'

After hearing Xiaoshi's words, in order to avoid trouble, Pado quickly reassured herself.

"..."

Looking at the person in front of him who suddenly seemed lost in thought after hearing his answer, he pondered for a moment, weighed the pros and cons, suppressed his urge to run away, and then cautiously asked, "Um... have you finished asking, sir?"

An Suo's cautious words brought Pado back to her senses. Then, remembering the results of her conversation with Xiao Shi, she took a few steps forward, patted someone on the shoulder, and said earnestly:

"So, young lady, come work for us! We'll provide food, lodging, and wages!"

"!?"

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

On the other side of the slum—

"Old Chen, can you feel it?"

Hoshiguma, who was walking at the back of the group, seemed to have noticed something and spoke to her two colleagues with a calm expression.

"Yes, I sensed it. We've been watched ever since we entered this area. We just don't know what their purpose is yet." Upon hearing this, Chen lowered his voice without turning his head and remained calm.

"However, just to be safe, let's not split up this time."

"Okay, so what are the next steps?"

Although Swire could roughly guess what Chen would do next, just in case, she still lowered her voice and asked again.

"Continue the investigation as planned, and see what these guys who are targeting us are really after." As he finished speaking, Chen looked at the street in front of him, a complex look flashing in his eyes as if he were thinking about something.

……

"The identities of those people are almost confirmed; they should be police officers, we..."

"Wait for the right moment to make a move... drive them out; these guys aren't welcome here."

P.S.: There was another update this morning, which counts as yesterday's. I'll continue writing today's update tonight... I did write one last night, but the quality wasn't great, and I didn't have the energy to revise it, so I didn't post it. I'll revise the other one properly later and then update.

Finally, the cat got a little brother (or sister).

Chapter 29 The "Weirdo" Group Gains a New Member

"!?"

"Eh...no...why?"

Pado's sudden invitation completely stunned An Suo, who couldn't even maintain her usual "frivolous" smile.

"There's no need for a reason for this, but if you insist on asking for one, it's probably because I see you have exceptional talent and want to mentor you?" Pado thought for a moment before answering An Suo's question.

Of course, the reasons given by Maomao above can't be considered lies, but they're not entirely unfounded either. Putting aside other factors, without Xiaoshi's promises or agreements, she simply couldn't be bothered to bring anyone along…

After all, having to consider other people besides yourself is a really troublesome thing.

"Huh? I have extraordinary talent...? Are you kidding me!?" Pado's words successfully turned An Suo from bewilderment into astonishment.

To be honest, Miss Purple Rabbit never thought she had anything extraordinary about her that would be considered a special talent by others.

"Of course, would I lie to you?"

"Meow~"

No sooner had Pado finished speaking than she, who had been rummaging through the cans behind her, couldn't help but pop her head out and let out a soft cry of agreement.

"...Can I refuse?"

Looking at the smiling face and the cat in front of him, which held an undeniable air of authority, he remained silent for a moment before tentatively speaking.

Upon hearing this, Pado gently flicked her long tail.

Then, with a "justified" air, he replied:

"Of course... no way! If you follow me, you won't lose out, and you'll even make money!"

He glanced at the resolute Pado before him, then lowered his eyes to hide the "scheming" in them, and sighed helplessly, spreading his hands:

"Sigh... alright, alright, I admit defeat this time... May I ask how this gentleman is addressed? Here, this is your wallet."

After saying that, Miss Purple Rabbit very sensibly handed over her wallet and money to Pato with both hands.

If given a choice, An Suo would rather starve than become a follower of a stranger, because not only would he lose his freedom, but he also wouldn't be able to ascertain the other person's character or his future treatment and experiences.

But clearly, she seemed to have no choice at the moment, so she chose to agree for the time being, intending to play along with Pado for a while, and then find a chance to slip away later.

“My name is Paddophilis. You can call me Paddo or Phyllis, whichever you prefer.”

After briefly introducing herself, Pado looked at the item handed to her, hesitated for a moment, and then thought of Xiaoshi before suppressing her urge to take it back. With a pained expression, she only retrieved her empty wallet, saying:

"As for... never mind, give me the wallet, you can keep the money. Consider it your bonus for this month, and you'd better work hard, An Suo."

"bonus……?"

After hearing Pado's words, An Suo was slightly stunned, and then a question mark slowly appeared above his head.

Miss Purple Rabbit really doesn't understand what Pado is doing now...

She could tell the person in front of her was heartbroken at losing the money, but that only made her more confused. What value did she possess that made this person so reluctant to part with their money?

An Suo believed she had almost nothing, and aside from petty theft, she didn't know many other skills. In her eyes, she truly had nothing to scheme for…

As for her as a person...? How much is an infected person worth?

After racking his brains without finding a solution, An Suo could only silently categorize the person before him into the same "eccentric" category as the previous Herrscher of Knowledge. After all, could she really possess some extraordinary talent?

"I already told you, you won't lose out by following me, I..."

"Goo~"

Before Pado could finish speaking, a discordant voice suddenly rang out between the two of them, silencing her.

"...It's my fault for not noticing. Come on, let me take you to get something to eat first." Pado, realizing what had happened, scratched her head awkwardly and then invited.

"Um, it's such a small matter..."

"Hey! Stop nagging, we're treating, hurry up and come over. Let's get this over with quickly, we have things to do at noon, after we're done we'll take you to buy two more outfits."

Unwilling to listen to any more of her rambling, Pado interrupted An Suo and pushed her towards the outside of the alley.

Although Pado initially only intended to help An Suo and teach those who stole her money a lesson, since she later agreed to Xiao Shi's suggestion to mentor her and teach her some skills, Maomao naturally wouldn't treat her unfairly.

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

Inside a tiny, run-down restaurant in a slum—

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you. How's the food at this restaurant?" Pado asked, resting her chin on her hand as she watched An Suo wolfing down his food across from her.

"Well... I was just worried about taking up Miss Phyllis's time. As for the taste, it's alright." Upon hearing this, An Suo quickly swallowed the food in his mouth before answering.

An Suo, who hadn't quite figured out how to get along with Pado before, had a better understanding after spending some time together, having more conversations and observations. So, her usual smile reappeared on her face.

"Although I do have something to do at noon, there's no rush. Take your time eating. If you're not full, there's another meal at noon."

"Uh-huh."

After listening to Pado's instructions, An Suo nodded slightly and obediently slowed down his eating speed, beginning to chew slowly and carefully.

Pado watched as An Suo slowly chewed and ate, a hint of satisfaction flashing in her heterochromatic eyes, before she continued the conversation:

"Speaking of which, have you been living in the slums lately, Anso?"

“Well, but not just recently, I’ve actually been staying here almost all the time. When I have money, I find a hotel; when I don’t, I find a safe place to stay. What’s wrong?” As she spoke, An Suo couldn’t help but raise her head and cast a curious glance at Pa Duo, waiting for her to continue.

Miss Purple Rabbit did not choose to hide these little things about herself, but told them the truth.

After all, there's no point in hiding this kind of thing; if you're interested, you can easily find out by asking around or investigating.

Besides, this is Pado, a "weirdo" who immediately revealed her name and information. There's no point in hiding anything...

"It's nothing, just asking casually. Have you noticed anything unusual or gathered any information about this place in the last few days?"

Upon hearing this, Pado gently shook her head and then explained.

"Strange activity...? Besides the recently infamous 'Dragon Gate Thief,' there's also a series of events triggered by this thief's gift-giving."

Aside from love, there seems to be nothing else.

"and many more……"

P.S.: This chapter was supposed to be revised, but it was actually rewritten, which took quite a bit of time. This is from yesterday; there will be more tonight, but I don't recommend waiting.

Because I haven't had perfect attendance this month, and I've been quite busy lately, in order to maintain quality, the update schedule will definitely be a bit unpredictable. You might stay up all night waiting, and then I'll update the next day.

Chapter 30 Intelligence and Speculation

"Wait, that should be considered intelligence, right..." As he spoke, An Suo seemed to suddenly remember something and muttered softly.

"Ok?"

Although the last sentence was spoken very softly, it was still heard by Pado, who was sitting opposite her. She looked over curiously, waiting for what would happen next.

"It's something that has nothing to do with us nobody else... no, it seems to have something to do with us..."

An Suo, who had been muttering to himself, looked at Pado, who was becoming increasingly curious because of his words, and decided not to keep her in suspense any longer, continuing to explain:

"I see that you, Miss Phyllis, are very well-informed. You should know about the incident that started with the gift from that chivalrous thief and escalated into something that everyone rejected and resisted, and even resulted in someone injuring a Royal Guard officer, right?"

"Yeah, I know. And then?"

Upon hearing this, Pado raised an eyebrow slightly and then continued to inquire.

"Then what happened this morning, which I only found out about recently. Last night, that chivalrous thief went to the slums and posted a lot of notices to reassure everyone."

"Although the results of this matter seem to be quite good now, in my opinion, the actual results are far less successful than they appear on the surface."

At this point, An Suo couldn't help but shake his head, a hint of regret appearing on his face.