Sky Striker Princess, but the swan song of Valkyrie.

Since the end of that operation, apart from carrying out the work she had originally agreed to do, she has spent most of her spare time trying to investigate Zero's past from various sources.

This is not an easy task. It requires extracting and organizing countless pieces of redundant, false, invalid, and repetitive information, and then making conjectures and inferences based on the extracted information.

Of these difficulties, the greatest comes from interference from some distinctive but invalid information during the information gathering process.

Those distinctive pieces of invalid information, through various shameful and eye-catching words and images, will launch a strong attack on Chris's physiological indicators and mental state, thereby significantly affecting the progress of Chris's investigation.

Despite Chris's immense willpower in sealing the invalid information on her computer's hidden hard drive to prevent interference, her efforts alone were ultimately insufficient. Throughout the investigation, she was repeatedly disrupted by new and invalid information, constantly delaying her investigation.

As a result, a week passed before she was able to collect most of the information that could be gathered, thanks to her increasingly rich experience in identifying invalid information.

"Ahem, now that the investigation is complete, what we know is that most of the creations are just terrible fantasies without any basis. The actual figure of Zero is not like that... Ah, no, wait."

Looking at the screen, Chris shook her head with a flushed face, trying to banish the junk information that had inexplicably popped into her mind and get her thoughts back on track.

"Chris, are you awake... Hmm, what are you doing, Chris? Are you exercising your neck muscles, or trying to relax your nerves?"

Just as Chris was recovering, Zero happened to push open the door and looked at the white-haired girl with a flushed face, asking in a puzzled tone.

"No, nothing, nothing at all, it has nothing to do with you, Lingyi. Besides, it shouldn't be breakfast time yet, why didn't you knock before coming in?"

The moment she heard Lingyi's voice, Chris immediately stopped all unnecessary movements and hurriedly got up to block the doorway and the computer screen.

"...I need to talk to you. I have some work that I need you to do, Chris."

Seeing Chris's unnatural expression, Lingyi remained silent for a while, and then revealed her purpose before Chris could hold on any longer.

"Work, a new job, now?"

Chris asked, shifting her body nervously to make sure no one would pry into her privacy.

"Yes, we need to get this done quickly, so Chris, you don't need to do anything else today. Just finish the work I'm about to give you."

Ignoring Chris's strange behavior, Zero calmly looked at the flickering screen and said...

"Ah, I understand. Just give me the arrangements, and I'll get on with it. So... Lingyi, if you don't have anything else, you can go now."

Chris immediately accepted and assured her that there was no point in refusing the work arranged by Zero anyway, so rather than continuing to ask and increasing the risk, she might as well just agree and then quickly let the other party leave.

"Is that so? Okay then. I've recorded the work details on the USB drive. The suitcase contains the tools needed for the job, and the instruction manual is on the USB drive. Chris, you should be able to use it after taking a look."

At Chris's slightly flustered request, Lingyi took out a USB drive and a large suitcase and handed them to Chris.

"Okay, okay, I understand, I understand."

"I snatched the USB drive and briefcase from Zero's hands very quickly," Xueyin Chris said breathlessly.

"..."

Seeing Chris's flustered appearance, Lingyi remained silent for a moment.

"What's wrong, Lingyi? Is there anything else?"

Chris tried to remain calm as she said this.

“Chris, you should know that I’m in charge of the defense of this outpost.”

In response, Lingyi simply supported her forehead with her hand and said to Chris in a helpless tone.

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

Chris didn't understand why Zero would say this at this time.

"Then why do you think that cybersecurity is not within my responsibilities? You must know that information security is not a very important issue, right?"

Seeing that Chris still seemed a little confused, Zero made this emphasis.

"..

For a moment, the atmosphere between the two became tense. With Zero's prompting, Chris suddenly realized a fact that she had not been aware of before, which might be terrible for her.

"Wait, it's not what you think. I'm just gathering information, not what you think. I would never do something so terrible."

"Either erupt in silence or perish in silence." Although her reputation with Lingyi may have already gone awry, Chris still tried her best to prevent it from declining further.

“Chris, I don’t need to say much. I just want to remind you to take care of your body and exercise restraint. I don’t want you to lose the battle because of your physical condition when it’s time for you to fight. You don’t need to promise me anything else.”

In response, Lingyi simply shook her head, showing no emotion, and said this.

"Hmm, is that all?"

Seeing that Zero didn't seem to care at all, Chris gradually calmed down.

"That's all. In the end, Chris, you don't need to take responsibility for anything. I'm just reminding you out of work-related concerns."

"So, Chris, get to work quickly, and after you're done, don't do anything that will harm your body."

Lingyi said, then turned around and prepared to leave.

"I already said I didn't do that!"

Chris blushed and echoed Zero's emphasis.

"Yes, I understand, and I'll hurry up and make you think about it."

Lingyi returned, then left Chris's room, closing the door behind her.

P.S. Goodnight.

Chapter 77 Preparations by Both Sides

"I still don't quite understand why she turned out this way."

Chris couldn't help but think as she looked at the closed door.

Although she conducted an investigation, she could only investigate some superficial phenomena. She always felt that she had missed some crucial information, and therefore could not deduce the truth at all.

"Phew, but thanks to her, I was a little sleepy, but now I'm completely awake."

Chris rubbed her eyes, completely dispelling any lingering sleepiness and waking herself up.

"Well then, let's see what work Lingyi has assigned me. Since she said to finish it as soon as possible, that means we need to get on with it quickly."

After regaining her senses, Chris turned her attention back to work.

On the one hand, it was because Lingyi emphasized the need to hurry, and on the other hand, it was to stop herself from focusing on that embarrassing thing that had just happened.

"Let me see what kind of job requires my intervention to solve..."

Chris casually sat down in a chair, crossed her legs, plugged the USB drive that Lingyi had given her into her computer, and opened the files on it.

Although her posture wasn't great, Chris wasn't worried about feeling uncomfortable because the straitjacket Zero made for her not only provided warmth in winter and coolness in summer, but also included massage and body support functions.

When Chris feels aches or pains, the slight vibrations will dispel her fatigue and provide just the right amount of support for her body depending on her posture.

This is also why Chris, who slept on the chair all night, was still full of energy and not sleepy when she woke up in the morning.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm, oh, is that so? You want me to do this kind of thing?"

It took Chris a few minutes to browse through the basic contents of the document. The specific operation was not difficult; she was simply asked to place the items wrapped in red crystals in certain locations according to the markings.

"It doesn't seem difficult at all, but do I really have to do this kind of thing? I can do much better jobs."

Chris felt somewhat dissatisfied, as if Lingyi had looked down on her.

If the process is as described in the document, it's at most a bit tedious, but not difficult at all; it's a job that even a fool could do.

"Never mind, let me see where to set it up. It's such a simple task. After I finish this, I might be able to do something else."

Chris thought that as for the other thing, it was, of course, the date that Zero had agreed to, which she had made Zero agree to.

With that in mind, Chris opened another file that Zero had given her.

"....?"

Then Chris realized that Zero didn't treat her like a clueless fool, but Chris would rather Zero really have treated her like a fool.

After all, being treated like a fool is always better than being treated like a laborer.

"We need so many places?!"

As a series of dizzying 3D model images came into view, Chris's confident expression was instantly replaced by one of utter astonishment.

Chris finally understood today that if you want to make a simple task daunting, all you have to do is repeat it in a terrifying amount of time.

"No, don't underestimate me. This kind of simple work will definitely not be difficult for me. Besides, Lingyi shouldn't give me a task that I can't complete."

Looking at the almost impossible target displayed on the screen, Chris's hand holding the mouse trembled slightly, but she still bravely held back her tears.

"Let's go. I'm determined to make that guy look at me in a completely different light."

After muttering these words to herself, Chris imported the files to her phone, then picked up her slightly heavy suitcase, left her room, and embarked on a hellish journey called work.

So why did Finney have to have something come up and can't come back at this time? Ugh, I wish someone could share this workload.

However, contrary to what she was saying to herself, Chris didn't seem to think that way at all.

Achoo!

Meanwhile, in the underground section of the Second Division, Sakurai Ryoko, who was organizing Tachibana Hibiki's physical data, sneezed slightly.

"What's wrong, Ziju? Do you have a cold?"

Beside Sakurai Ryoko, Kazanari Genjuro asked with concern, as he was waiting for Ryoko's report on Tachibana Hibiki's physical condition so that he could train Tachibana Hibiki more scientifically.

"It's nothing. I'm just a little unaccustomed to the new environment these past few days. By the way, Genjuro-kun, can't we go home yet?"

Ryoko Sakurai responded and made this inquiry.

Since the battle with Zero, the entire Section 2 has been under martial law. Entry and exit checks have become extremely strict. In order to reduce the risk of infiltration and information leaks, everyone has been prepared to take care of all their needs at headquarters, which means they are allowed to enter but not leave.

As for Sakurai Ryoko, her movements have also been restricted, and she hasn't been home for over a week.

"I'm sorry, but we must take a serious enough stance before we achieve results that satisfy the higher-ups, so that we can silence any objections from the government."

Kazanari Genjuro said helplessly.

"Furthermore, including the last operation, all of Zero's actions against us have demonstrated an unusually high level of intelligence about us. Although I don't want to doubt it, I cannot rule out the possibility that there is a mole among us." 27

Kazanari Genjuro continued.

"So, is this tight blockade also partly to verify how Zero obtained our intelligence? If they failed to obtain the intelligence, it means there is a mole among us. If they still obtained the intelligence, it means they have other means of spying on us."

Listening to Kazanari Genjuro's explanation, Sakurai Ryoko pinched the bridge of her nose and added with a tired expression.

"That's about it, so I'm sorry, Ziju, please bear with it for a few more days."

Kazanari Genjuro nodded, confirming Sakurai Ryoko's statement.

"I don't really care, even though the living conditions here are ridiculously bad, it's still bearable. Here, this is Xiao Xiang's health report for today. Take your time reading it. I need to go get some sleep now. *yawn*"

While replying, Sakurai Ryoko handed the report in her hand to Kazanari Genjuro, then yawned and left the room.

"Thank you for your hard work, Ziju. Next is Tachibana-kun's health report. Hmm, it's basically normal and steadily improving. So, based on this premise, let's devise a training plan for her."

After receiving Sakurai Ryoko's report, Kazanari Genjuro spoke to her as she left, and then began to formulate a training plan to make Tachibana Hibiki stronger based on the physical report prepared by Sakurai Ryoko.

P.S. Goodnight.

Chapter Seventy-Eight: A Short Break After Work

Workdays always feel both long and short; before you know it, another full day has passed.

"Phew, I'm exhausted. My mouth tastes like mud."

In the dead of night, when all was quiet, Chris, wearing the cheap blue overalls that Lingyi had given her before she left, collapsed onto the sofa, her face covered in dust and exhaustion, and complained in an unseemly posture.

"That's just your imagination. The equipment I gave you includes an oxygen tank. If you operate it properly, the dirt won't get into your mouth."

On the other side, Rei, wearing the same outfit as Chris, was letting down her hair, which she had tied up for work, and smoothing it out, gave this reply.

"It's just a description, nothing more. By the way, Lingyi, is there really any point in us doing this?"

Chris lazily rolled over on the sofa, half-closing her eyes as she looked at Zero and asked.

"I don't know. It certainly has significance, but whether that significance can be realized depends on the situation at the time. I only chose a plan with a relatively high success rate."

Lingyi responded, then took off the cheap work clothes she had bought in advance, revealing the undershirt underneath.

"Ah, is that so... Never mind, Rei, you probably already know the answer, so I won't worry about it."

Chris selectively ignored Zero's lengthy explanation, figuring that Zero would always find a way to solve the problem anyway, and offering her opinion would only be a waste of time.

"More importantly, Lingyi, can I take a day off tomorrow? After working all day today, I feel like my legs are going to give out."

Chris propped herself up, sat up, put her legs on the ground, held her legs, and asked Zero.

"Of course, today's unusually heavy workload is a last resort under emergency circumstances. It's unreasonable to force people to continue their normal work after already working excessive overtime."