“Me… Me?”

Monica swallowed hard and scrutinized Lin Han’s expression, trying to see if there was any hint of “just kidding.”

But clearly, Lin Han wouldn’t be joking at a time like this.

Ah—

A spark of insight suddenly flashed through Monica’s frozen brain.

Seeing Lin Han’s certain look, she suddenly recalled Miss Phil telling her to cooperate with Lin Han’s arrangements and not to act on her own.

So, that’s how it is?

Since Mr. Lin Han was Miss Phil’s informant, and since Miss Phil had told her to listen to him…

Then… it should be fine, right?

Monica braced herself and nodded, trying to force a confident smile, but her expression was so stiff that it looked more like half her face was cramping.

“Ah, ahem!”

“That’s right, exactly.”

“Of course I have a way.”

The moment she said it, Monica felt a wave of guilt, so she could only try her best to put on a “fully prepared” front.

“T-then, I’ll go out and prepare first.”

Prepare what?

She didn’t know.

Regardless, she had to get out first.

If she stayed in this room any longer, Monica felt like she was going to blow her cover.

Monica practically marched out of the room with her arms and legs moving in stiff unison.

After the door closed, everyone in the room looked at each other in bewilderment.

However, Team 7 had always followed whatever Lin Han said, and seeing that their Captain hadn’t spoken up, the members of the Special Operations Division didn’t raise any objections either.

Only Gu Xinglan couldn’t hold back any longer and asked Lin Han:

“……Just what kind of riddles are you two playing at? That person looks like they have no idea what they’re even supposed to be doing.”

Lin Han ignored her, instead lowering his head to play with his phone, at least, that’s how it looked to Gu Xinglan.

With everything going on, how could he be so unhurried?

Didn’t you just say there wasn’t much time left?

Just as Gu Xinglan was about to ask something else to dispel the unease in her heart, she saw Lin Han place his phone on the table, lean back into his chair, and rub the bridge of his nose.

“A lot has happened today. I’m going to take a break first.”

“Huh?”

Gu Xinglan’s eyes widened.

“A break? Now?”

“Just let Monica do her work alone. Don’t interfere. Call me after she gets a result from her questioning.”

After Lin Han finished speaking, he closed his eyes.

A few seconds later, his breathing became steady, as if he had truly fallen asleep.

The room fell silent for a moment.

Looking at how he could just fall asleep on command, Gu Xinglan’s lips twitched.

Even their Special Operations Division couldn’t get anything out of them, so letting that obvious amateur go in to question them would actually yield results?

Was he joking?

But in the end, Gu Xinglan had no other choice. She could only plop down onto the bed and mutter gloomily:

“Fine, I’ll just wait and see what she can actually find out…”

In the corridor.

The lights in the hotel corridor were somewhat dim, and the carpet absorbed most of the footsteps, making the silence of the surroundings feel almost surreal.

Monica stood by the wall, her hands twisted together nervously.

Mr. Lin Han had said she had a way, but if there was only one way she could think of—

“Miss Phil…”

Monica whispered softly.

“Miss Phil, you’re coming, right? I didn’t misunderstand, did I?”

In the next second, a familiar sensation came from her side, and Monica jerked her head up.

A silver-haired girl had appeared beside her at some unknown moment, her black dress almost merging with the dim corridor.

Monica breathed a huge sigh of relief.

“Miss Phil!”

As if she had finally found her pillar of support, her anxiety vanished instantly.

“Just as I thought, we still have to let Miss Phil step in!”

Phil raised her hand, her fingertip lightly tapping Monica’s forehead, though she didn’t actually touch it.

“I’m going to borrow your body for a moment.”

“Mm-hmm!”

Monica nodded immediately.

This wasn’t the first time Phil had controlled her body, so she felt no resistance at all.

Perhaps because the circumstances were special this time, she even felt a sense of peace in her heart, and she couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“Secretly meeting with Miss Phil in a place where people from SAVE won’t find out… it really feels like a secret rendezvous between members of an evil organization.”

She lowered her voice and said mysteriously:

“It’s so atmospheric!”

Phil glanced at her sideways and said speechlessly:

“Who’s the evil organization here…?”

Silence fell over the corridor, with only the sound of the rain outside drifting in through the windows.

The dim yellow light of the hallway fell at Monica’s feet, stretching her shadow long.

For a brief moment, it was as if another shadow crept silently out from the depths of the corner, slowly approaching Monica along the ground until it overlapped with hers.

That shadow was slender and elegant, like a hand reaching out from the darkness.

If anyone had passed by, they would likely have thought the light had flickered or that their eyes were playing tricks on them.

In the next moment, Monica raised her head again.

Golden strands of hair clung to the side of her face, but the look in her eyes was now completely different.

She lightly stretched her body.

“Well then.”

Phil said, using Monica’s voice:

“Let’s give it a try…”

In the room next door.

The drug dealer was tied firmly to a chair.

What bound him were no ordinary ropes, but the standard restraints of the Special Operations Division. Fine spell patterns pressed against his skin, leaving him without even the strength to channel his abilities.

However, he wasn’t panicking.

At least, not as much as he had at first.

Because just now, he had vaguely heard some conversation coming from the hallway outside.

—Someone had arrived.

And judging by the tone, those who had come were likely there to help him.

The drug dealer sneered inwardly.

Just as he thought.

The idiots who had caught him had no idea how deep the waters ran.

Did they think catching him would allow them to uncover anything?

What a joke.

In this city, there were some things they weren’t meant to touch.

With that thought, the drug dealer even felt a bit playful. He leisurely began to count the seconds, betting on how much longer it would be before he was released.

Ten minutes at most, right?

There was no way they wouldn’t let him go.

Once he was out, he would definitely find a chance to see what kind of expression that blonde brat who took him down would make.

The drug dealer reached the four hundred and eightieth second when the door opened.

Should he say he was surprised? It was actually faster than he had expected.

The dealer looked up and saw that the person entering was not the member of the Special Operations Division who had just been interrogating him, but a woman he didn’t recognize.

She wore a dark suit and walked with a composed stride. Her expression was cold and sharp, her gaze carrying a hint of aloof, superior scrutiny.

Closing the door behind her, she pulled a business card from her pocket and flashed it in front of the dealer.

Although he couldn’t see the words clearly, the dealer accurately caught the logo of the Radiant Foundation.

His eyes lit up.

They were here.

Just as he had expected.

The woman spoke the words he wanted to hear, her lips parting as she said—

“The misunderstanding has been resolved.”

“I am taking you out of here now.”

The smile on the dealer’s face widened immediately, tinged with a touch of fawning.

“I knew it would be like this.”

The strange woman walked behind him and began untying his ropes.

“Those people are from out of town; they don’t know the local rules.”

The drug dealer gave a contemptuous laugh.

“I figured as much. If they were locals, they would have realized what kind of trouble they were in the moment I mentioned the Radiant Foundation.”

As he spoke, his tone became fawning again.

“But it’s all thanks to the Foundation stepping in. Otherwise, a small fry like me wouldn’t have known how much longer those people would have tormented me.”

The woman didn’t respond, only slowly untying the ropes.

Seeing that she didn’t seem impatient, the drug dealer grew bolder and continued his flattery:

“I heard the Foundation is hosting a charity auction banquet tomorrow, right? All the celebrities of X City and the Transcendent Factions are sending representatives. It’s the first time all those powers and families have gathered like this in X City. The Foundation is truly flourishing these days!”

“You’re certainly well-informed.”

The drug dealer gave a sly chuckle.

“For errand runners like us, our ears have to be a bit sharp.”

The woman asked nonchalantly, as if she didn’t care:

“Then, do you know why they’re attending tomorrow’s banquet?”