"Zane? What a coincidence—you're here too."
Just as Zane and Nekomata were leading their two Bangboos into an alley, planning to enter the Dead End Hollows from there, a voice called out from behind them.
Zane instinctively stopped. There weren't many people who both knew his name and could recognize him at a glance.
He turned—and sure enough, it was Qingyi, dressed in her uniform.
She looked genuinely surprised, one hand resting on her slim waist as she curiously eyed Nekomata.
This girl… she didn't look like your average civilian.
"Meow?! A security officer?!"
Nekomata hadn't expected to run into a cop here and suddenly worried that this might derail everything.
"Qingyi?"
Zane's face lit up in pleasant surprise. Then, without saying anything, he subtly reached out and nudged Nekomata, whispering under his breath,
"Take Eous and head in first. Don't wait for me—I'll catch up. Just stick to the plan."
Nekomata gave a quick nod and smiled.
"So you two know each other? Great! You chat—I've got urgent business, so I'll go ahead!"
Seeing that Qingyi didn't try to stop her, she slipped away with Eous, heading for another entrance to the Dead End Hollows.
Qingyi watched her leave, then turned back toward Zane. She clasped her hands behind her back and approached with a bright smile.
"Knew it. You're not a simple one."
No hesitation, no games—Qingyi said exactly what she was thinking.
Strangely enough, that blunt honesty made Zane relax. Her tone and attitude told him she still saw him as the same friend who drank tea instead of alcohol.
"To be honest, how much of what you said before was true? You know—the stuff about getting curious and poking around the shrunken Cretan Hollow, and how those tomb raiders bullied you?"
She leaned in, eyes sparkling with mischief.
Zane wasn't quite sure how to respond. He couldn't just admit the whole thing was fake, could he?
Still, based on her tone, it sounded like Qingyi believed most of what he'd said—just thought some of the details didn't add up. If she didn't, she wouldn't be treating him this casually now.
"Hm… Only Zhu Yuan would fully trust someone like you. You really are a bad guy—betraying her faith like that."
Qingyi spun around and didn't press him further about the Cretan Hollow. Instead, she asked,
"Anyway, what brings you out here?"
Since she was being so open, Zane didn't feel the need to keep up the "ordinary civilian" act.
He let a slight hesitation slip into his voice, then replied,
"Do you know Hare's House?"
Yep—Zane was planning to use them as cover. As long as he didn't leak any actual info, it wouldn't come back to bite them.
"Huh? Hare's House? You're connected to them?"
"You're with them?"
Qingyi's surprised reaction made Zane raise an eyebrow.
She really knew about Hare's House?
"Yeah. They're in trouble. I want to go in and help."
He chose his words carefully.
"Oh, I see."
"Knew it. You're basically doing the same thing those tomb raiders do."
She sighed lightly and smiled.
"So, should I arrest you?"
It was impossible to tell whether she was serious or joking.
"Senior Qingyi, maybe let this one slide?"
Zane went along with her assumption that he was a high-level tomb raider. Honestly, better that than having her link him to the Fire Pickers.
"Call me Qingyi… Eh, whatever. 'Senior' works."
Qingyi lifted the baton slung behind her back and gently tapped it against Zane's forehead, as if lightly scolding a junior.
"Aren't you curious how I know about Hare's House?"
She started walking toward the Dead End Hollows. Zane, seeing no way around it, followed after her—quietly thinking about how to slip away and rejoin Nekomata.
"I am curious, Senior Qingyi."
"Heh... Then I'll be merciful and enlighten you."
"Since you're with Hare's House, you know about that recent operation where the military retrieved its anti-Ethereal mechs, right?"
Zane nodded.
"Well, part of the reward included a nomination for the 'Outstanding Youth of New Eridu' award. After the Defense Force submitted the nominations, an investigation followed."
"It was a big deal, so the authorities went all out. Everyone nominated got thoroughly checked out."
"Don't underestimate official channels. They dug into everything—Gentle House, Hare's House, Hollow-related commissions... Every detail, fully exposed."
"Of course, it helped that Hare's House operates so widely and touches so many other groups. Made them easier to track."
Qingyi stopped just before the Hollow's edge and re-slung her baton.
"In the end, Hare's House's nomination was revoked. But because of their contributions, the Defense Force pushed to wipe their past offenses clean."
"One of their members seems to have played a key role in that outcome too."
"Nothing too egregious overall, so Public Security approved it. Otherwise, as a security officer, I'd have had to arrest you myself."
She stood on her toes and gave Zane's shoulder a few friendly pats. As far as the system was concerned, Zane—connected to Hare's House—was still a legal citizen.
She had no idea that this charming, obedient young man calling her "Senior Qingyi" was the same Fire Picker who'd once saved her life.
"So that's how it is."
Zane nodded with a thoughtful look. That random effort he'd made to clean things up through Hare's House had actually worked out.
He'd just wanted a temporary place to lie low—but it turned out to be a brilliant move.
"Don't get too cocky. I'm betting whatever you're doing now also breaks some public safety law, doesn't it?"
Qingyi's warning brought him back to reality. Their past record was cleared—but nothing about the future was guaranteed.
"Alright, relax. This time I'll turn a blind eye. Go save your friend."
"And as it happens, I've got business of my own in there too."
With that, Qingyi took the lead and stepped into the Hollow.
Zane followed right behind, asking curiously,
"What brings you here, Senior Qingyi?"
"Why isn't Zhu Yuan with you?"
"She's tied up with a case in the Criminal Investigation Task Force. As for me…"
"Zane, have you ever heard of... the Fire Pickers?"