Illumi stood by the window, lightly raising his wine glass, and drank it all.
"Beep..."
At the same time, he pressed the hang-up button.
At this moment, inside Machi's single dorm room.
"He hung up."
Pakunoda handed the phone back to Machi. Machi lowered her head, gazing at Illumi's name for a moment, then put the phone back into her pocket.
"What are your plans now? Do you want to stay here and play for a while, or leave now?" Machi asked, looking around at Chrollo and the others.
Feitan, Nobunaga, and the other four all looked at Chrollo, waiting for him to make a decision.
"We plan to..."
"Knock, knock, knock..."
A knocking sound interrupted Chrollo's speech. Everyone's gaze immediately focused on the door, and the atmosphere grew tense.
Machi, meanwhile, rose and walked towards the door. Looking through the peephole, she saw a burly man in a black suit standing ramrod straight outside.
"Don't worry, it's a bodyguard." Machi said, turning sideways, easing their wariness slightly. She gripped the doorknob, twisted it gently, and with a "click," it opened.
"What is it?" Machi stood at the doorway, her face cold, as she questioned the bodyguard. Aside from a few people with special connections, she presented a cold demeanor to everyone else.
"Miss Machi, an order from above." "If you plan to leave with these individuals, please proceed to headquarters. The airship is ready."
"Why?" Faced with this inexplicable order, Machi questioned him with an icy expression.
"The Chief Instructor will personally inform you once you arrive at headquarters." The bodyguard's face was devoid of expression. He was merely responsible for relaying the message; he didn't know the specifics.
"Why don't we just leave? They might not even find us anyway." Nobunaga's right hand moved, his five fingers slowly gripping the katana at his waist, a smirk playing on his lips. He was eager to test the bodyguards' skills.
Feitan and Uvogin also grew serious, ready to make a move at any moment.
The bodyguard at the door's expression tightened. He keenly noticed the change in atmosphere within the room. His right hand slowly rose, his index finger pressing behind his right ear.
"Snap!" The bodyguard's raised right hand froze. Machi's left hand gripped his right arm tightly, preventing him from raising it further.
"Give me ten minutes to prepare." The bodyguard cast a deep gaze at Chrollo, who was indifferent behind Machi, then nodded plainly and turned to leave.
"Hey, Machi." "We just reunited, you're not actually going back to that headquarters, are you?" Uvogin came to Machi's side, his rugged face full of discontent. "That bastard on the phone went back on his word; he clearly said he wouldn't interfere."
"Uvogin, don't get agitated." Chrollo also walked over, standing in front of Machi, and asked, "The headquarters they're talking about, is it the headquarters of that Umbrella Corporation?"
"Mm." Machi nodded. Headquarters naturally referred to the company's headquarters.
"Since it's a public company headquarters, then we can go together." Chrollo's lips curled into a smile. After all, it was information that could be searched online, a place anyone could visit.
"It'll be a good opportunity to visit the headquarters of the world-renowned Umbrella Biohazard Corporation."
Ten minutes later, Machi, carrying the things she needed to take with her, boarded the car heading to Patellus Financial Center.
12:23 PM.
"Screech..."
A black sedan stopped in front of the Umbrella Biohazard Corporation branch building. The car doors opened, and a bodyguard followed by six young men and women successively got out.
"This is the Patellus branch of the Umbrella Corporation." Chrollo and the five others looked up at the thirty-story, high-end Grade A office building before them, a strange sense of discomfort rising in their hearts.
"What are we eating today?" "How about hotpot?" "Ah~ I want sashimi..." "A new Campbell Steakhouse just opened in the food street..."
It was currently twelve o'clock, lunchtime. Elite white-collar workers in stylish, casual attire emerged from the office building lobby. As they passed by, one could hear them discussing their lunch choices for the day.
All of this made them feel even more out of place.
"Aren't we going to headquarters? Why are we coming here?" Feitan asked, frowning. The happy smiles and cheerful atmosphere radiating from these people's faces made him feel annoyed.
"We're taking a helicopter from the branch to headquarters; otherwise, driving back would be too slow." Machi explained, clearly not for the first time. "Let's go."
Immediately, Machi and the six others, led by two bodyguards, entered the General Manager's private elevator in the lobby.
Soon, a "ding" sounded inside the elevator. Looking up, the thirtieth floor was reached.
The elevator doors slowly opened with a "clack." A tall figure in a white suit stood outside the elevator, hands clasped behind his back, a smile on his face.
"General Manager."
The two bodyguards were the first to step out of the elevator, nodding and greeting Alvin.
"Oh my~ isn't this Miss Machi?" Outside the elevator, Alvin smiled, nodded to the two bodyguards, then looked at Machi, who was carrying a black backpack, and said with an amiable smile, "What, are you taking your good friends home?"
"Are you specifically waiting for me here?" Machi looked at him with a cold expression. She didn't like the aura about this person.
"Hmm, Miss Machi misunderstands." Alvin's expression didn't change. He raised the prestigious watch on his left wrist, pointing to its hands, and said, "It's 12:30 now, lunchtime."
"Miss Machi and your friends, would you like to have lunch with me?"
"Thank you for your kind offer." Machi stepped out of the elevator, waving her hand as she passed Alvin. "We're in a hurry."
"That's a pity." Alvin, still smiling, stepped aside, watching Machi, Chrollo, and the others walk step by step towards the top floor stairs, then he stepped into the elevator.
"Clack~" The elevator doors slowly closed. As the gap in the elevator doors grew smaller, Alvin's amiable expression gradually returned to normal.
"Who was that guy just now?" Feitan said in a deep voice, walking behind Machi. "The moment he appeared, I instinctively activated Ken."
Nobunaga, Uvogin, and Pakunoda also nodded in agreement. Chrollo also looked at Machi, waiting for her answer.
"He's the head of this branch, named Alvin Elmore." Machi said as she walked. "He was originally a financial elite, and now he serves as the General Manager of the Umbrella Biohazard Corporation."
"He often represents the company in negotiations, consultations, and collaborations with dignitaries from various countries and representatives from top global companies."
"He's very cunning, highly capable, and a very difficult person to deal with."
Machi also gave Alvin a very high evaluation. In her impression, among the company's high-ranking executives, it seemed only Illumi and King Bradley could keep him in check.
As for the others...
Various figures with different demeanors flashed through Machi's mind. She had too little contact with those people; she didn't know them very well.
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