After two days of preparation, the Cunning Hares crew had gathered all the necessary information on the target Hollow. With everything ready, they were finally able to proceed with the commission.
Early that morning, Nicole brought Anby and Billy to the parking lot behind the Video Store. Seeing Wise and Belle arrive, Nicole was the first to greet them.
"You're here! I've already found the location of the safe. How did the thing I asked you to do go?"
"You mean the USB drive? It's been repaired, and just as you predicted, it really does contain the safe's password."
Hearing this, Nicole immediately brightened with joy.
"That's great! I was worried you and Anby might be too busy with other commissions to handle this."
When Nicole said that, Anby, who was standing behind her, seemed to recall something and inexplicably blushed, while Belle beside them looked full of questions.
"What's wrong, Anby? Your face is so red. Do you have a fever?"
"No, and a red face doesn't necessarily mean a fever. It could be for other reasons… In any case, it's none of your business," Anby said, trying to hide her flushed face.
Belle could only give up, scratching her head in confusion. If Anby wouldn't say, she decided she would ask Nicole later.
Meanwhile, Wise, hearing Nicole's words, spoke with a hint of guilt.
"Please don't question our professionalism."
His guilt came from the fact that he had already 'dealt with' her subordinate, literally.
Fortunately, Nicole didn't know and was focused entirely on the upcoming commission.
"Alright, alright, I wasn't questioning you. After all, we've collaborated so many times. Thanks to your help this time, the preparations are complete. It's time for the next step," Nicole said, then motioned for Anby to come forward.
"Anby, come over and tell us the plan."
"Oh, okay. Everyone, please look at this map of New Eridu," Anby said, taking out a brand-new, complete map from her bag.
She pointed to the location of the target Hollow on it and continued, "The plan is to enter the Cretan Hollow, defeat the High-level Ethereal Dullahan, and retrieve the safe."
After saying this, Anby fell silent.
Belle, standing beside her, paused and couldn't help but ask, "And then?"
"There's no 'then'," Anby blinked, replying plainly.
Wise, standing nearby, looked a little helpless.
"Was there any special reason for spreading out this map of New Eridu?" he asked, pointing toward the map.
"Hmm, Nicole said we needed to look professional so our collaborators wouldn't look down on us. Otherwise, it would be hard to haggle over the price afterward— Mmm, mmm, mmm!" Anby answered honestly, her hands lightly clenched in front of her chest, but she was cut off halfway through her sentence.
"Oh dear, why are you adding extra things again? Billy, why aren't you keeping an eye on her?"
Nicole looked at Billy with a hint of blame, while he replied innocently, "It's not my fault, Boss Nicole! I didn't know Anby's 'professional meeting' was like this… Ah! No wonder she watched several detective movie scenes with meetings before we gathered!"
Billy suddenly clutched his head in realization, but they clearly overlooked one thing.
"Um… we can hear you, you know?"
Belle said this, tilting her head with a hint of exasperation. Nicole then cleared her throat awkwardly a few times.
"Ahem, ahem! Anyway, the plan is as concise and clear as Anby said: find the safe, then retrieve it. The in-Hollow support and routes are up to you."
After saying this, Nicole immediately sprang into action, while Wise and Belle had long been ready and could start at any moment.
Meanwhile, Nicole and the others found a gap in the blockade and successfully entered the Hollow.
"Alright, we're in the Hollow. Let's hurry and find my safe," Nicole said, striking a confident pose and gesturing for them to move forward.
"Okay, but speaking of which, Boss Nicole, how did you figure out the safe's location?" Billy asked, curiosity shining in his eyes.
"Hmph, that's a trade secret. But everyone here is one of us, so revealing a little isn't a problem," Nicole replied with a pleased smile, clearly enjoying the attention.
It seemed Billy's question had played perfectly into her intentions.
"Nicole, you weren't just planning to show off by telling us, were you?" Wise asked, making Nicole pause mid-response, her confident smile faltering for a moment.
Anby then spoke up thoughtfully, "Please don't rush to expose her. Nicole can be surprisingly sensitive in situations like this."
"Hey, Anby, I told you not to add extra details!"
Nicole's embarrassed expression made it clear she had been seen through. One could only say that Anby was truly her little 'rascal.'
However, Nicole still explained how she had obtained the information. Simply put, she had an acquaintance at the Hollow Investigative Association and had made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
Then, using careful comparisons and methods, she managed to pinpoint the exact location of the safe.
At that moment, a sudden signal lag made Wise sense that something was wrong. Logically, the HDD system shouldn't behave like this.
Unless it was in a place with too dense Ethereal energy, but the Cretan Hollow clearly didn't meet that condition.
"Belle, I think the HDD system might be having some issues. Check it while I continue guiding Nicole and the others."
"Mm, okay. Leave it to me, Brother."
After assigning the task, Wise focused on Nicole's side, while Belle began checking the HDD's system data.
"Hmm, that's strange. Why is there an error message in the HDD system background?"
Belle was a bit puzzled but still began debugging. On the other side, Wise also felt something was off because the signal was unstable, making it impossible for him to even hear what Nicole and the others were saying.
So, to be safe, he decided to provide them with the route and all potential dangers they might face in one go.
"Stop, stop, stop! Proxy, you're saying too much at once. How are we supposed to remember all of this? Can't you go slower?" Nicole exclaimed.
"Um, I remember it," Anby said calmly.
"Anby, can you stop always undermining me?" Nicole said, covering her face helplessly.
Hearing this, Anby obediently stayed quiet. At that moment, Wise began to explain.
"For some unknown reason, my signal here is a bit unstable. To be safe, I'm giving you all the information in advance. I also suggest you quicken your pace."
After Wise finished, he directed Nicole and the others to continue moving forward. However, they had barely gone a short distance before the signal completely disconnected.
Seeing this, the siblings immediately started debugging, trying to reconnect.