Achoo—
Ryan suddenly sneezed, rubbing his nose with a puzzled expression.
Had I caught a cold from the river breeze? That's impossible. What kind of wind would make someone like me, bearing two powers, catch a cold? He glanced around the restaurant. The environment was nice, with few people, facing the river, and offering a view of the tall buildings across the way.
A beautiful girl was singing Eden's song on stage, the same new track from earlier in the day, now sweeping the world with countless imitators. This girl seemed to have a music background and could sing well, but there was something missing—she couldn't evoke the same soul-stirring resonance that Eden could.
"Sounds great. It really calms everyone down," Elysia sat across from him, propping her head on her hand. Her cheeks were flushed from the beer she had drunk.
"She's far from Eden, but she's still riding the coattails of her fame," Ryan handed the waiter a fifty-euro tip, which was quickly passed on to the stage. The well-dressed girl gave a flirtatious look and had the waiter deliver an address.
Ryan just smiled it off. He didn't have time for developing overly friendly relationships.
After seeing Elysia and the others, he wasn't interested in ordinary people. But he didn't look down on such behavior.
As a scientist, Ryan thought deeply. He understood why the Fire Moth worked hard to maintain the world's order. Girls like this one could only survive under the protection of order. If the world became a free-for-all battle, her best chance would be to trade her body for survival. That would be far too cruel—better to just fish for a rich guy at a bar.
As for how long it would last, that depended on fate. After all, those abandoned areas had already become such chaotic worlds.
"This is why I tolerate the Fire Moth Council. These things can't be done with just power. It's easy to destroy order, but building it is hard," Ryan mumbled to himself.
"What are you talking about, Ryan?" Elysia asked, happily eating pizza and sipping her cocktail.
"Some sociological stuff. Elysia, it seems like you're happy with your life right now?"
"Yeah, I'm happy. If you look at the dark side, there was a lot of darkness before the Collapse too. But now that I see the light and love, even if it's just the two of us in the world, it's still a joy," the girl gently shook her head, enjoying life.
Ryan paused, nodding seriously, acknowledging that he had learned something.
Yes, staying by Elysia's side was truly relaxing. Despite her many whimsical ideas, she radiated warmth like the sun, dispelling darkness.
Just like now, he wasn't thinking about anything, not making plans, just leisurely enjoying the moment. With her around, even if he tried to fall into a trance, it would be hard. It made the Battle of Britain feel like it had never happened. No wonder he got along so well with Eden.
Just as Ryan was deep in thought, he heard his phone ring. Elysia picked it up, staring at the screen, and froze for a moment, her expression full of confusion.
"Eden?"
"No, it's Mobius. She sent a random text," Elysia turned the phone to show him. It was short.
Thief.
There was only one word, and Ryan couldn't make heads or tails of it. Just as he wondered whether Mobius had been overworked and was losing her mind, his phone rang again.
His heart skipped a beat. The contact was Klein. Instinctively, he answered the call.
"Dr. Ryan, bad news. The doctor's in trouble."
"What trouble? Is it another mutated super factor or did she mess up some experiment again?" Ryan muscles tensed, his gaze sharpening.
"It's neither. She... she just saw a photo, and then..."
"Klein!"
Ryan suddenly heard Mobius voice, and then the call was abruptly cut off. The line went dead with a beep.
Ryan and Elysia exchanged a glance, both completely confused by the nonsensical words.
"What's going on with Mobius?" Elysia asked.
"I don't know. She's always been eccentric, but Klein wouldn't lie." Ryan lowered his head, trying to piece everything together. Suddenly, his pupils contracted, and he cursed under his breath.
The photo. That damn photo!
But wait—Mobius shouldn't have seen it. She's always looked down on entertainment. Could it be that the website where I found her the pirated movies had ads? It's unlikely, but not impossible.
"Damn it. Mobius must've seen the photo we took," Elysia exclaimed, quickly realizing what had happened. A strange smile spread across her face, and she slapped her forehead.
"Oops, I messed up. I must've made Mobius upset."
As long as you're aware, it's fine.
Ryan shot her an exasperated look and lowered his head to think of a solution. The more he thought about it, the more something felt off.
Mobius and I are just collaborators. Why does this feel like we've been caught cheating and I'm busy explaining myself?
No, logically, Mobius is highly valuable. I can't provoke her. Yes, this is all for the greater good of humanity, far surpassing my own personal matters.
Elysia's gaze grew a little strange as she watched the show unfold. She wondered whether she should step in and explain. She didn't want Mobius to feel hurt. But just then, Ryan suddenly emanated a divine aura.
"Elysia, do you want me to explain? Though I really like you, our relationship can't affect Mobius. I'm still waiting to watch your sweet romance drama," Ryan said, his voice sounding strange, like something out of a harem drama.
Ryan couldn't keep up with the pace. He slammed his hand on the table, his face unusually serious: "I'm going out to call her. Don't follow me!"
"Okay." Elysia pouted but sat back down. Then she watched Ryan walk a few steps before quickly returning.
Smack.
He slapped his hand on the table and spoke with surprising seriousness: "And there's no romance drama. The reason I'm comforting her is out of responsibility for all of humanity. My personal honor is insignificant. I'll lose this face, and so be it." With those words, Ryan hurriedly left.
Elysia finally understood the source of the divine aura he had just emitted.
She bit her lip, contentedly sipping her beer and squinting her eyes.
"Heh heh♪ You two are just as stubborn."
Ryan didn't care what she was thinking, quickly leaving the restaurant. As soon as the river breeze hit him, he calmed down slightly. In the brief time it took, he had come up with a plan.
There's no need to explain. Mobius isn't stupid. She will definitely check the source of the information. She also knows, given Elysia's personality, that she wouldn't play for real.
She's not a fool, nor does she intentionally dumb herself down. This isn't going to turn into some melodramatic nonsense.
So the explanation isn't about the photo itself. It's about comforting Mobius pride without losing face, laying the groundwork for the next move.
"This is tough. Why do I have to outwit her? We're on the same intellectual level. It's hard to separate the winner from the loser, but damn it, this battle must be fought." Ryan gritted his teeth. "I'll have to bleed a bit this time. Mobius is upset because she thinks I'm out there having fun with Elysia while leaving her behind in the lab. Watch me pull her back with my words!" He stood tall, releasing a warrior-like aura, and quickly took out his phone.
After a brief busy signal, he heard a cold voice on the other end.
"I'm busy. Don't call me unless it's urgent."
"Klein said you're having some issues. Is it a side effect from the fusion surgery?" The line was silent for a moment before the cold voice replied.
"Yes, Sesa made me unstable. Sometimes I lose my composure, but it's fine now. It has nothing to do with you." The voice was defiant, but the body couldn't resist taking the out.
Ryan leaned against the railing, as if handling someone carefully, keeping his voice cold: "Want to know what I went to see Eden about?"
"I don't care..." Mobius glanced at Klein, buried under papers, before changing her tune.
"Tell me, if it's not related to me, then you're just wasting my time. I'm not interested in your nonsense."
"Of course, it concerns you. You know Eden donated 200 million euros to the Fire Moth, right? I went to see her, thinking she should make a special donation to the Fifth Research Institute. After all, your research is highly significant, and funding has always been lacking. She values you a lot."
What?
Mobius expression softened, her face becoming more pleasant. Compliments made her feel good, and she tightened her grip on the phone.
"Hmph, keep talking."
"But Eden is a very smart person. She wouldn't donate without getting something in return. So, I went with an artist's approach and made a trade with her." Ryan paused, biting his teeth to keep his voice steady.
"You? An artist?" Mobius raised an eyebrow, her usual sarcastic tone returning.
"I know more than you think. People like Eden, aside from artists, would they care about scientific research or murder?"
"Well, there's some truth to that, but what does it have to do with me?"
"I told you I'm trying to get funding for you, didn't I? How could that not be relevant?" Ryan raised his voice, taking charge of the situation. He hid his unease while saying, "The first deal was to take promotional photos for her. You know Elysia's personality, she didn't need me to trick her. She fell right into it. Eden was very satisfied with the photo and paid me handsomely."
Paid? Mobius stopped breathing, completely forgetting her previous irritation. She held the phone tightly.
"How much?"
"Five—no, three million euros. It should be in my account soon. I'll call you once it's done."
What? Three million euros for this crappy photo?
Mobius quickly turned her head to look at the screen, where the photo had a caption about the producer and meaning. She knew full well that these two hadn't actually married on the spot, but it had been a misunderstanding, and the meaning behind it had suddenly become about revenge.
So this is how it is. What a meaningless misunderstanding. No, after all the research, I never had any misunderstanding.
She had been grinding her teeth earlier, but now she was smiling from ear to ear.
The photo suddenly seemed pleasing to her. This wasn't a photo—it was a cute stack of money.
Three million euros... My repeated reimbursements... how many times would I have to see that woman's sour face to get that? And yet Ryan had it all in a few moments.
Not only that, but now Elysia had turned into her money-making machine. It gave her a sense of accomplishment, and she even started brainstorming.
With the funding issue solved, Elysia had lost to her once—and it was the first time. But more importantly, the feeling was this: Ryan, Ryan... Have you ever thought about this huge loophole in your explanation?
Why do you make money for me to spend? This seems to go beyond our cooperation, doesn't it? It's like... it's like...
She couldn't come up with an answer but knew she had to hold back. She couldn't provoke him now. If he backed out, it would be a huge hassle.
Once is an accident. Twice, three times... How will you explain that? The opportunity to overturn the result is already in my hands. Now, I just wait for the final blow.
Mobius lips curled into a smile, her voice softening.
"Heh, I didn't know you had this skill. When's the next photo shoot? That fat woman won't take a share, will she?"
Perfect. Now she was asking about the next time. She's so dismissive, Mobius.
Ryan twitched his lips in frustration, feeling a sting in his heart. His little treasure chest was in jeopardy, but he sensed something wasn't right.
But it's okay, I'll ask next time, and you're so mean, Mobius.
"Only once for the photo. Eden's no fool."
"Ah, only once?" Mobius suddenly sounded disappointed.
"But I'll write songs. That's how I'll keep making money," Ryan shamelessly revealed, then deliberately asked, "By the way, Klein said you're having some trouble."
"Heh, no big deal." Mobius chuckled softly, her mood swinging like a rollercoaster.
"I'm fine. Better than ever!"