Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

"Then, there's a simple screening process. Those who clearly bring companions can be eliminated. Given the level of vigilance and caution you've shown in your emails, you certainly wouldn't bring companions to such a meeting, at least not the kind who chat all the time. Twenty out of thirty-three can be eliminated in one go. Our meeting is a serious matter, and those dressed too casually, like those pretty ladies over there in hot pants and tight tops..."

Wayne raised his head slightly to the side:

"That type can also be ruled out, leaving only five people. Among these five, only you showed a thoughtful expression while facing the electronic device, while the others were simply browsing irrelevant information. Finding you was easy, Ms. Client. This is the basic quality of an excellent journalist."

Hammer opened his mouth in surprise.

Wayne nodded in satisfaction. He'd been fooled.

In fact, most of the above were "finding plans in Wayne's head." In actual execution, he only needed to take the first step—looking at the people in the coffee shop using electronic devices—to spot Himer.

Even so, it wasn't enough for Wayne to immediately conclude that Himer was the client. What solidified his resolve was the adorable little girl, Waifan, who was with Himer.

As everyone knows, Himeru is actually the true head of personnel at Rhodes Island in Arknights... *cough cough* Just kidding.

Hermer perfectly fits the search plan he outlined above, and she's clearly accompanied by a little girl who could be the starting point for the incident. It's hard for Wayne not to identify her as the true identity of his client.

Sure enough, as soon as they asked, they found the answer. With a combination of luck and skill, they managed to complete this small Pulitzer Prize-winning test of finding someone in an unconventional way.

"Then, please tell me in detail about your request, Miss Client."

Wayne took a sip of his matcha Frappuccino and asked.

Chapter Seventeen Did you curse me? Didn't you curse me?

Miss Hammer asked Wayne for something that could prove he was Pulitzer, but in reality, for Hammer, nothing proved a legendary journalist's identity better than his judgment and insight. After Wayne found her so easily, she was already largely convinced.

Seeing Wayne begin asking questions, Himer glanced around, closed his laptop, and stood up:

"It's not convenient to discuss business here. Please, Pulitzer reporter, let's find another place."

Wayne nodded indifferently and casually asked:

"Where?"

Hamer answered seriously, "My home."

Wayne nodded subconsciously, then realized what was happening and glanced at Himer.

Wow, so Himeru, you're the kind of person who can just bring anyone you've met home after only one meeting? How should I put it, you're really trusting?

What's even more amazing is that I wasn't paying attention and didn't sense anything was wrong at all. Is this your charm? No wonder you're destined to be the future head of Rhodes Island's personnel department; your ability to "snatch" (recruit) is only slightly weaker than that of Kal'tsit, the old lynx who can pick up operators just by walking around!

Looking down at his watch, it was only 3:10, so he figured he should make it in time and wouldn't miss out on Kal'tsit's opportunity. Wayne nodded and followed behind Himer.

Hemer owns a car and even has her own driver's license. Just as Wayne was wondering how Hemer, with one wing and one hand, could drive, the most biologically unconventional scene in the Terra world appeared: Hemer actually folded her wings and transformed her right arm back into the shape of a human right hand!

Good heavens, I already thought it was terrifying enough that Kal'tsit's spine could fit an entire Mon3tr, but this one can also freely switch between arm forms. Is Terra some kind of magical world?

Hmm... it doesn't seem wrong?

To avoid being taken out of context, Wayne would like to clarify beforehand that he does not particularly like winged orcs, nor is he a furry enthusiast; he is simply very curious about this anti-scientific phenomenon.

Noticing Wayne's gaze, Hermer awkwardly raised his arm and asked:

"Mr. Pulitzer, what are you looking at?"

"Look at your hands."

Wayne replied, then suddenly realized that it had a bit of a Kira Yoshikage vibe, and quickly added,

"What I mean is, it's incredible that your hands can change shapes."

"It's just a little trick. Basically, all Liberians with reverted genes can do it. The only difference is the degree of reversion and the individual's willingness. The most skilled professors can even switch freely between their reverted form and human form."

Wayne stared in surprise.

Should we say furry lovers are overjoyed, or heartbroken? Do you like beast girls who can freely switch forms?

Hammer was clearly interested in these academic topics, and when Wayne brought them up, he launched into a long, detailed explanation. The atmosphere in the car did indeed lighten up a bit, but Wayne, as the listener, grew increasingly uneasy, his face a mask of disbelief.

What is all this? Umineko, you need to step up your game! You didn't tell me about these settings.

"arrive."

Finally, Himer stepped on the brake, unbuckled his seatbelt, and said.

Wayne opened the car door and got out. He looked up and stared at the building in front of him, which was clearly the opposite of the style of downtown Silicon Valley. His lips twitched.

Unlike the majestic steel jungles of downtown Silicon Valley, Hermer's neighborhood is located at the border between the undeveloped and developed areas. The housing prices here are cheap, and most of the houses are old-fashioned buildings from the Victorian era, mainly detached villas and seven-story buildings, with the tallest building being no more than twelve stories.

Such architecture is not uncommon in Colombia. As a former mobile city under the Victorian Empire, post-independence Colombia inevitably bears the marks left by the empire. Although it tries its best to erase these marks, which it considers oppressive, humiliating, and filthy, it is a long process to completely eliminate the influence of Victoria, the continent's most powerful nation.

Thus, such buildings are scattered along the border of the new city of Columbia, serving as the last remaining warmth of housing for the Sarkaz people who wander the streets, the elderly who can no longer work, and the infected and beggars who are barely surviving and hiding everywhere.

Himer wasn't living here because she was poor. At Rhine Labs, even the lowest-ranking intern researcher received enough salary and allowance to afford a house on the outskirts of the city. Even if they were struggling financially, they could choose to live in the company dormitory at a low price. A large part of the reason Himer lived here was to cover up Fiona's whereabouts.

Walking up to the seven-story building where Himer lived, and opening the somewhat old-looking security door, the interior of the room was laid out in full view.

The pale pink wallpaper, the minimalist marble furniture, the simple decor, and the large stack of research books still piled up even after the bookshelf in the corner of the living room was full. The yellowed notes, the crumpled pages, and the dry coffee cup on the coffee table all indicated that just recently, perhaps yesterday, Himer was sitting on the living room sofa facing the computer and notes on the coffee table, completing yesterday's work.

"This is my home. It's a bit messy, I haven't had time to tidy it up yet, please forgive me. Please wait a moment, I'll make you a cup of tea."

Hemer walked into the kitchen, leaving only Wayne sitting on the sofa and the timid little girl, Vayvan, staring at him blankly.

This is definitely not a baby dragon.

Because of the dimensional reduction after his transmigration, Wayne's memories are now like a meticulously organized encyclopedia, freely accessible. This means she absolutely cannot mistake any of the operators who appeared in her mind before his transmigration. In fact, even without these cheat-like abilities, he knew that the silver-haired, golden-eyed girl before him had absolutely no connection to Ifrit.

Who is she?

Wayne had a rough idea of ​​what was going on. This was probably the reason why Hamer got involved in the Loken Water Tank incident, the child she described as having been "subjected to inhumane human experiments."

But how did she meet Himer?

After thinking for a moment, Wayne decided to start with the children. After all, theoretically, they were much less guarded than Hermer, and it would be easier to dig out the information he wanted.

"Little friend, what's your name?"

Wayne bowed and asked with the most amiable expression he could muster.

Suddenly, a child's voice, sounding completely out of place, rang in my ears:

"Pah! The person who said that doesn't seem like a good person at all. I advise you to stay away from Miss Hermer!"

Wayne blinked, looked at Fiona who had turned her head away, her eyes brimming with tears, paused for a moment, and pointed to himself:

"Were you the one who was cursing me just now?"

"I...I didn't...Waaah."

The voice is somewhat similar, but the tone and intonation are completely different. Such a young child shouldn't be that good at lying, right?

Wayne scratched the golden retriever and asked in confusion:

"Didn't you yell at me? Are there other children your age in the family?"

"No...."

Wayne sat back on the sofa, looking at the little girl who seemed about to cry, and asked himself:

"What's going on? Did I hear that right?"

Chapter 18 Her siblings have a strong presence.

Hamer came out of the kitchen carrying two cups of black tea, placed them on the coffee table in front of Wayne, scratched his head, and said apologetically:

"Sorry, I forgot to buy tea. Is black tea okay?"

Wayne blinked, suppressing the urge to utter a sarcastic remark that no one could possibly understand, and replied, "...It's okay."

Fiona made way for him, and Himer sat opposite Wayne. After gathering his thoughts, he began to explain:

“Pulitzer reporter, I won’t waste any more words and will get straight to the point. I have only one request for you: please investigate the illegal human experiments conducted in the Loken tank.”

As she spoke, she glanced at the researcher's white lab coat hanging on the coat rack by the door and gave a helpless smile:

"As you may have noticed, I am actually a researcher at Rhine Lab, but I can swear here that this commission is not on the orders of the company, nor is it for any benefit to Rhine Lab. What I am doing is for this child."

She reached out and gently stroked Fiona's silver hair.

These words might seem superfluous, but Himer really didn't want the Pulitzer reporter to misunderstand her motives. She believed that with the Pulitzer reporter's keen observation skills, he must have already discovered her identity. Rather than waiting until the Pulitzer reporter exposed her later, it was better for her to be frank from the beginning and increase mutual trust.

Wayne nodded slightly.

What Himer didn't expect was that, although she didn't want Wayne to think that she was using him as a tool in corporate competition, Wayne already had plans to suppress Loken Tank and support Rhine Life.

Regardless, Himer's candor did increase Wayne's positive impression of him. He pulled out a pre-prepared prop from his pocket: a notebook and a pen, ready to take notes, and asked:

"Then, let's talk about the information you have now in detail."

Himer nodded, stroking Fiona's silver hair as she spoke:

"It all started when I found this child."

............

As Himer recounted what had happened, Fiona's mind was also racing.

Looking at the blond boy in front of her, for some reason, the girl felt a faint sense of fear. This fear did not come from her, but from her "brothers and sisters".

Brother, are you scared?

Fiona hesitated for a moment, but couldn't resist her curiosity and spoke to her brother in her mind. The male voice addressed as "brother" didn't hesitate for a second before immediately retorting:

What nonsense are you spouting? Has your brother ever been afraid of anyone?

But Fiona immediately contradicted her, saying, "You were afraid of the professor, weren't you?"

"Brother" could only grunt angrily and spit out:

Loken Williams, that guy, he doesn't even deserve to call himself a professor. I'll bury him with my own hands sooner or later.

As for this film in front of you, I ask you, sister, do you believe it?

Fiona glanced at Wayne and pursed her lips:

Miss Himer believes in him, so I believe in him.

Then you don't need to care about our opinions. You are the owner of this body; we are merely guests staying here. We will give you advice, but we will not make decisions for you.

What is your brother's suggestion?

"Brother" gave a cold laugh and suddenly changed the subject: