As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

Ryūbei stared intently at the saber-toothed tiger hybrid before him through the black mist, his heart filled with shock. The same saber-toothed tiger memory, yet the power Lin Chen unleashed was on a completely different level from Mick's; the difference between them was like that between a ferocious tiger and a docile house cat—vastly different.

Facing the overwhelming domain of fear, Lin Chen's expression suddenly turned serious. This was a mental attack at the conceptual level, not simply a suppression of physical combat power. The mere aura emanating from it reminded him of the feeling he had when facing Dou Zhen.

He knew very well that, in his current state, he had no chance of overcoming the fear memory.

Without lingering in the fight, Lin Chen's figure flashed with yellow light, and he instantly withdrew from the battlefield using his extreme speed, decisively abandoning the idea of ​​seizing the memory.

In an instant, he returned to his secluded spot in the forest, the electric light around him faded, and he completely dispelled the hybrid transformation.

Sherrard, standing to the side, glanced coldly at him as he returned empty-handed: "It seems you've failed. If this is all you've got, there's really no need for us to cooperate."

Lin Chen remained calm, raising his eyes to look at Sherrard and slowly saying, "I haven't failed. I just defeated Nazca and the Forbidden Ones, achieving the desired effect. You don't need to rush to refuse; let's talk about it after you see what I asked you to repair."

In the open space behind the mountain, thick cream churned and surged, the dessert-like substance closing in on the kidnapped Mai Asakawa, its menacing posture clearly indicating its intention to kill. Just at this critical moment, Kamen Rider W arrived at breakneck speed, the two figures instantly entering the fray.

Seeing the opponent's attack approaching, Akiko suddenly broke free from her restraints and stood in front of Asakawa Mai without hesitation, shouting sharply, "Don't touch my client!"

The familiar words echoed in his ears, and Shotaro's heart trembled violently. In a daze, he seemed to see the figure of his master, Narumi Shokichi.

Without hesitation, W immediately faced the dessert hybrid head-on. The hybrid used the same tactic, spewing out a massive amount of cream, attempting to imprison W once more. Prepared, W instantly switched forms, blazing flames surrounding him, revealing his Gale Metal form. A scorching metal staff swept out, the intense heat instantly melting the oncoming cream, turning it into a pool of sweet liquid that fell to the ground.

Seizing an opening, W unleashed her powerful finishing move, Metal Branding, striking the Sweets Memory with tremendous force. With a crisp cracking sound, the Sweets Memory shattered, and the dopant armor covering Sasaki Yukiko slowly dissipated, revealing her as a normal human who collapsed helplessly to the ground.

Not long after, the Futo police arrived at the scene and successfully arrested Sasaki Yukiko. Following the trail, the group found the cave where she was hiding, and all the missing pastry chefs, including Asakawa Yuzo, who had been trapped for a long time, were rescued. The sensational pastry chef kidnapping case thus came to a successful conclusion.

Back at the Narumi Detective Agency, the atmosphere was relaxed and cheerful. Akiko was in high spirits because the case had been solved smoothly, busily packing her things with a pure smile on her face. Shotaro watched her quietly, and after some deliberation, he finally suppressed the urge to tell the truth.

He secretly decided not to tell Akiko about Narumi Shokichi's death on the first night. He believed that Akiko would only have the courage to face this heavy past when she truly shed her childishness and grew into a qualified detective capable of standing on her own.

At the same time, he and Philip finally realized what kind of enemy they were facing, but the enemy's strength was far beyond their current ability to contend with.

The scene shifts to the Sonozaki family mansion, where Sonozaki Saeko and Sonozaki Kirihiko stand before Ryūbei, carefully receiving the Forbidden Nazca Memory they had just regained. The two still bear the embarrassment of their earlier defeat.

Ryūbei's expression was calm, and his tone revealed neither joy nor anger: "The Saber-toothed Tiger Memory has fallen into the hands of that mysterious person. It seems that something must have happened to Mick. I didn't expect such a person to appear in this city."

Although his words were calm, those who knew him well could sense that the head of the Sonozaki family was burning with anger, though he was deliberately concealing his emotions.

"Father, please rest assured, I will investigate thoroughly and find out the person's true identity as soon as possible." Saeko Sonozaki bowed and agreed. Deep down, ever since she witnessed the power of Kamen Rider W, her desire for that unique Lost Driver and its accompanying memories had grown stronger.

Chapter 133 News about Foundation X

Inside a secluded roadside pavilion, Lin Chen and Sherrard sat facing each other, with the broken and damaged Earth Emperor's belt lying across the table between them.

Sherrard's gaze was fixed on the tattered belt. Years of dedicated work in Gaia Driver and memory-related technologies, coupled with her understanding of various transformation devices in museums, gave her a thorough grasp of the world's mainstream mechanical structures and energy transfer modes.

The belt in front of her was strange in every way. The material of the outer shell, the interwoven circuitry inside, the shape of the energy core, and even the interlocking structure between the components were completely different from the system she was familiar with.

Her brows furrowed beneath the bandages, a mixture of surprise and astonishment swirling in her eyes. She reached out a fingertip and carefully touched a cracked joint; the sensation and residual energy emanating from it confirmed her suspicions.

“Unbelievable…” Sherrard said in a low voice, his tone full of astonishment, “This is definitely not technology from this world.”

The Sonozaki family has been researching memory devices for over a decade, collecting rare items and ancient relics from all over the world, but they have never encountered such a unique design.

The energy operation logic and mechanical design concept of this device follow a completely independent development path. She turned to look at Lin Chen opposite her, her scrutinizing gaze becoming increasingly profound.

Only now did she truly realize that this mysterious person who suddenly appeared in Fengdu was far more complex and unpredictable than she had initially imagined.

"Are you from Foundation X?"

Lin Chen was visibly taken aback, his eyes filled with surprise, and he shook his head in reply, "No, I have no connection with Consortium X. Why do you think that?"

Sherrard did not respond immediately. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "I am not making unfounded speculations. Shortly after I left the Sonozaki family, someone claiming to be from the X Foundation came to me."

Her voice was steady, but carried a hint of barely perceptible heaviness: "They valued my research abilities and wanted to invite me to join them as a full-time researcher, promising me access to all sorts of unheard-of technologies. But I refused on the spot."

“Afterwards, I secretly investigated this organization,” Sherrard took a half step forward, his gaze becoming even sharper. “They lurked in the shadows, actually underground arms dealers who traveled all over the world. By secretly supporting their forces, they brought countless harms. I have personally witnessed the tragedies caused by power, and I have seen the madness of the Sonozaki family. I will never join such an organization again and create more misfortune.”

After he finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent once again.

The windmill decorations in the distance made a soft rustling sound.

Lin Chen's gaze fell back to the tattered Earth Emperor's belt on the ground, and he once again drew a clear line: "I am absolutely not on the same side as Consortium X."

After saying that, he went straight to the core issue, looking at Sherrard with a serious expression: "Putting all that aside, I want to ask, do you have any way to fix this belt driver?"

Sherrard looked down at the components scattered on the table and picked them up one by one to examine them.

“It can be fixed,” she said confidently, then changed the subject, “but I can’t do it alone.”

"Its technology system is unique, with a very precise internal energy circuit. It requires not only professional debugging instruments and special conductive materials, but also real-time stabilization of energy fluctuations during the repair process," Sherrard explained the current situation clearly.

"I'm working alone. First, I don't have enough equipment, and second, the wind is all in the Sonozaki family's territory. If the repairs cause an energy disturbance, it will be easily noticed by Ryubei, which will cause a lot of trouble. Also, I need someone's help."

...

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time to send Mick back to the Sonozaki family. The atmosphere in the Narumi Detective Agency was somewhat somber. Philip sat to one side, his gaze lingering on Mick, his brow furrowed with deep reluctance.

After the case of the dessert adulterant was closed, everyone used the past two days to summarize and sort out all the clues. Layer upon layer of evidence were linked together, finally concluding that the museum, which controlled the dark forces under Fuuto, originated from the Sonozaki family.

But everyone knew in their hearts that with their current strength, they simply didn't have the confidence or resources to confront this long-established and massive organization head-on. After much deliberation, they could only suppress their emotions for the time being, choose to lie low, and slowly plan their next move.

Seeing Philip's dejected appearance, Akiko stepped forward and gently comforted him, "Don't worry too much. Judging from Princess Wakana's attitude, the Sonozaki family values ​​Mikko highly and will definitely not harm him. You are only separated temporarily."

At this moment, Lin Chen stepped into the house. As previously arranged, he was responsible for handing Mick back to Sonozaki Kirihiko. He reached out and hugged Mick. But the little guy seemed to sense the impending separation. His docile state vanished instantly, and he kicked and struggled in Lin Chen's arms.

It kept turning its head to look in Philip's direction, letting out a series of aggrieved whimpers in its throat, its small body struggling desperately to move towards Philip's location.

Philip looked at Mick struggling and subconsciously raised his hand to touch him, but his fingertips hovered in mid-air and he ultimately couldn't bring himself to touch him.

Shotaro Zuo stood quietly to the side, his expression quite complex. He knew that he was powerless to change the current situation, and this separation was an inevitable outcome. Lin Chen calmed the restless Mike and walked towards the door, preparing to hand over the work to Kirihiko Sonozaki.

The executive offices on the top floor of the Dirga Corporation are quiet and elegant, with cool white walls and dark brown solid wood furniture, exuding the solemnity and luxury unique to large corporations.

Lin Chen stood outside the door, raised his hand and gently knocked on the thick wooden door. Three steady knocks penetrated the door and echoed softly in the corridor.

"Come in."

A gentle voice came from inside the door. Lin Chen immediately turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, and his view suddenly opened up.

The most striking feature of the entire office is a floor-to-ceiling glass window that offers a panoramic view of the entire city of Fengdu.

Wearing a sharp, dark business suit, Sonozaki Kirihiko stood tall behind a large desk. His back was to the door, and he gazed out the window at the bustling streets and towering buildings. The atmosphere around him was calm, as if he were deep in thought.

Lin Chen walked quietly to the front of the desk, and only when he stopped did Wu Yan slowly turn around. Upon seeing that it was Lin Chen, a polite smile appeared on his face, and he greeted him, "It's Kimura-kun. You contacted me earlier saying you had good news. What is it?"

Lin Chen's face lit up with a perfectly timed expression of joy. He turned slightly to the side, revealing the little one in his arms, and said with a smile, "Lord Wu Yan, please take a look."

As soon as he finished speaking, he carefully placed Mick gently on the desk in front of him. The little guy was listless since being separated from Philip, his ears drooping, and he lay listlessly on the desk, not even bothering to look up.

Wu Yan's gaze immediately fell on Mick, and his previously polite smile instantly became genuine, with an undisguised surprise welling up in his eyes.

When he initially entrusted the task of finding Mick to this newly promoted subordinate, he wasn't entirely confident. Mick was missing, and Wind City was a vast area; finding a cat in a sea of ​​people was no easy task.

Now that the other party has successfully completed the task, he secretly thought to himself that this new subordinate's ability to handle affairs was far better than he had expected.

Despite his surprise, Kirihiko remained cautious. The Sonozaki family valued Mick highly, and there were countless cats with similar appearances in Fuuto; he couldn't make a hasty judgment.

He carefully examined the little guy on the table, and was about to speak to probe further when the office door was suddenly pushed open without warning.

A clear, slightly spoiled female voice rang out first: "My dear brother-in-law Wuyan, how's the mission Father gave you going? When will we finally find Mick?"

Sonozaki Wakana walked into the office, her exquisite dress accentuating her beautiful features, though her brows carried the arrogance typical of a wealthy young lady. Hearing this voice, Kirihiko subtly gave Lin Chen a wink.

Lin Chen understood immediately and stepped aside to the empty space next to the desk, lowered his head and composed himself, adopting the respectful demeanor of an ordinary subordinate, and stood quietly to the side.

A gentle smile returned to Kirihiko's face. He pointed to the table and said softly, "Wakana, you've come at just the right time. Look what this is."

Following the direction he was pointing, Wakana Sonozaki looked up and when she saw Mick lying on the table, her eyes lit up and she exclaimed in surprise, "Mick!"

Forgetting all formalities, she hurried to the desk. Mick, who had been listless, seemed to instantly shed all his gloom upon hearing the familiar call; his droopy ears perked up, and his dim eyes regained their sparkle.

With a push of its four limbs, it nimbly leaped off the table and ran a few steps to Wakana's feet, affectionately rubbing its furry head against her ankles repeatedly, making soft, whimpering sounds in its throat.

Wakana smiled, her eyes crinkling, and bent down to hug Mick tightly, gently stroking its soft fur with her palm.

Held in the arms of his loved one, Mick nestled in her embrace and soon began to purr contentedly.

Seeing the affectionate interaction between the person and the cat, Kirihiko's last doubts completely disappeared. This was indeed Mick from the Sonozaki family.

After teasing her for a while, Wakana finally raised her head and looked at Kirihiko.

Her tone was somewhat teasing and blunt in her assessment: "I didn't expect that my brother-in-law, who usually seems so incompetent, would actually get things done this time. Don't worry, I will tell Father the truth about your performance."

After saying this, she hugged Mick in her arms, turned around and walked straight out of the office, without glancing in Lin Chen's direction even once.

In her eyes, the other party was nothing more than an insignificant employee under her brother-in-law, not even worthy of her giving him a second glance.

As Kirihiko watched Wakana's departing figure, the gentleness on his face faded slightly. He knew in his heart that this sister-in-law had been pampered since childhood, spoiled by the entire Sonozaki family, and was arrogant and willful, always speaking without restraint. He was already used to it and naturally wouldn't take it to heart.

Once the office door closed again, he turned his gaze to Lin Chen beside him, his expression returning to normal, and his tone filled with obvious approval: "Kimura-kun, you did a great job this time."

Lin Chen maintained Kimura Osamu's humble and modest character, bowing slightly and speaking sincerely and respectfully: "It is my honor to be able to share Lord Kirihiko's burdens; it is merely my duty."

Lin Chen's appropriate response and composed demeanor made Wu Yan even more satisfied with him. After a moment's thought, he slowly began to outline the next steps: "Very good. You've been running around looking for Mike these past two days, which must have been tiring. Now I have a new task for you. Once this matter is settled, you can rest for a few days. I will contact you again if there are any further arrangements."

"Lord Wuyan, please give your orders." Lin Chen stepped forward, his back straight and his expression respectful. "Your subordinate will do his utmost to complete all the tasks you assign."

Chapter 134 The Revengeful Boy and His Divergence

Sunlight streamed through the blinds of the Narumi Detective Agency, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

Lin Chen nestled in the sofa by the window, flipping through a hard-boiled detective novel that Zuo Xiangtaro had treasured. He had been resting for several days since the end of his last mission.

Akiko, wrapped in a thick blanket, huddled at the other end of the sofa, her nose stuffy and red, sniffling every now and then, complaining in a muffled voice, "It's so unfair! We got caught in the rain together yesterday, why am I the only one who caught a cold? Shotaro, you idiot, you really can't catch a cold!"

This sentence acted like a switch, instantly igniting Philip's curiosity.

He had been hunched over the table fiddling with a bunch of parts, but upon hearing this, he immediately sat up, his eyes lighting up: "'Idiots don't catch colds'? Is this a long-standing proverb in Fengdu? I need to immediately look up its origin, its spread, and its scientific basis."

Before he finished speaking, he had already turned and rushed into the underground base. Shotaro sighed helplessly, then turned to Lin Chen, his tone tinged with displeasure: "Hey you, didn't you already find that woman named Sherrard? Why are you still hanging around our office?"

Lin Chen turned a page of his book and answered without looking up, "The previous commission was indeed left unresolved, but the new commission is not yet complete."

A few days ago, he brought Sherrard to the detective agency, took out a wad of cash from his pocket and placed it in front of Akiko, wanting to hire Philip as a technical assistant to help Sherrard organize some research materials.

When Akiko saw the money, her eyes lit up instantly, and she immediately agreed on Philip's behalf. It was also the first time that Sherrard and Philip, mother and son, had met again. Because of the inexplicable closeness he felt to Sherrard, Philip did not refuse.

Shotaro Sakata had nothing to say.

Lin Chen leaned back on the sofa, his gaze somewhat unfocused. Actually, hiring Philip was just a pretext; the real purpose was to give Sherrard and Philip more opportunities to interact. After all, Sherrard was Philip's biological mother, and that blood ties were unbreakable.

But he hadn't expected that Sherrard would ultimately choose to leave Wind City. Recalling their conversation before she left, her voice was filled with reluctance: "Lin Chen, thank you. But I can't stay in Wind City. It's too dangerous for me here; I'll only bring trouble to Philip."

Sherrard's voice was low. "Besides, Philip's mind isn't mature enough yet; he can't bear the pain of the past. I beg you, don't provoke his memories any further. When he's strong enough, I'll come back and tell him everything myself."