"Jackal, you can't go on like this."
"You're going to single-handedly ruin World Serpent's reputation!"
"Think about how your colleagues and superiors have been looking at you lately! You're about to become number one on World Serpent's 'Most Unpopular' list!"
The brown-haired scientist stood before the mirror in her private bedroom, looking at her reflection. She slapped her cheeks hard, trying to pull herself together.
"No! I can't go on like this anymore!"
"I must do something to salvage my image!"
Jackal slammed her palm on the counter, seemingly having made up her mind.
She could almost hear the wills of her ultimate predecessors, Doctor Mei and Doctor Mobius, calling out to her:
"Little Jackal, show them something truly spectacular."
That was easier said than done. What exactly should she do? Ms. Cleo fell into deep thought.
First, the plan had to be good, not terrible. Second, it had to be new, not just old wine in a new bottle...
"Hiss... It seems I have no choice but to proceed with the final experiment ahead of schedule. If I can't produce any tangible results soon... I'll really be kicked out of World Serpent or become the lowest rung on the organization's pecking order...."
Thinking about the life of being kicked out or working as a bottom-tier grunt, Jackal shivered and solidified her resolve.
-
"Raven, what's the Stigmata vaccine vaccination rate in Arc City?"
She contacted her colleague and received a reasonably acceptable number:
"Vaccination rate? Around 98%. The remaining 2% are mostly unregistered individuals, people that Arc City's government and our official data statistics department can't cover."
"98%...? That's enough."
"What do you mean, 'enough'? Jackal, what are you planning now? The trouble you caused a few days ago still hasn't blown over!"
"The whole of Arc City is buzzing with rumors that Heliopolis Life Sciences has a director who bullies little girls, pops kids' balloons, snatches lollipops from children to lick, and steals ice cream just to lick it once before throwing it on the ground..."
"What is all this nonsense? I just popped one kid's balloon! How was I supposed to know they'd send a whole division after me?! And what's this about snatching lollipops and ice cream? Licking something someone else has already licked? Isn't that disgusting?"
"You should ask yourself what kind of impression you left on them. I don't know if it's the psychological stress from the Honkai disaster or what, but a few mentally unstable copycats have emerged among the refugees."
"It's not like they're committing heinous crimes like murder and arson... they just learned all the wrong things from you and nothing else, doing everything I mentioned above. And they're even copying your outfit..."
"Can you imagine a burly, 150-pound man with broad shoulders and a thick waist wearing the same clothes as you...? Blegh..."
On the other end of the line, Black Dodo seemed to recall an unpleasant memory and audibly retched into the comms.
"...???"
On this end, after a moment of utter confusion, helplessness, and a brief existential crisis, Jackal understood one thing:
Her lifelong reputation had completely vanished in Arc City. Of course, this was just Doctor Cleo's self-perception... In Imhotep's words, she never had a good reputation to begin with.
[Your idiotic antics are infamous throughout Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent itself.]
"I'm hanging up. I need to be alone..."
-
Imhotep, who was playing cards with Delta and the others, looked at their faces covered in paper strips and her own clean face, then flashed a triumphant smile.
"Was that Jackal?"
Imhotep glanced at Cioara, who had slipped out mid-game to take the call. Black Dodo's face wasn't much better, with several paper strips stuck to it.
And for some reason, the White Blazing Cat next to her seemed to clash with her aura. Kiana had even called the Class Monitor over to draw a talisman and stick it on her forehead, making her look just like a zombie from Shenzhou folklore.
"Don't even get me started. She suddenly went crazy and asked about Arc City's vaccination rate... and made me remember those bizarre Jackal impersonators..."
"Forget those eyesores... And she asked about Heliopolis Life Sciences' vaccine coverage in Arc City, right...?"
Imhotep seemed to have thought of something, lowering her head in contemplation for a moment...
"What is it, Little Ancestor? Did you figure something out?"
Raven irritably tore the yellow talisman from her forehead, tossed it into a nearby wastebasket, and looked at her Little Boss, awaiting her reply...
"Mmm..."
"Our World Serpent's most unpopular employee of the year, the universally loathed number one... the clueless moron wolf, Ms. Jackal, is now launching her grand plan to salvage her reputation and prestige within the organization, avoiding being kicked out or demoted to a bottom-tier grunt."
"She has another plan???"
Cioara and Owl, who seemed to be flirting intensely nearby, shuddered as if suffering from PTSD. They looked at Imhotep and offered their suggestion:
"My dear Little Ancestor, my respected Little Boss... how about we send Jackal back to jail for another week or two???"
"...Is it really that serious???"
Imhotep gave Cioara and Owl, whose faces were etched with disgust, a strange look.
"Bronie can answer that. Lately, the bar patrons have been teasing Mr. Owl about Mama Cioara's official job as Heliopolis Life Sciences' external consultant in Arc City..."
"Mmm... The customers have been betting on what the balloon-popping Doctor will get arrested for next, with guesses ranging from stealing lollipops and ice cream to swindling kids out of their pocket money..."
Owl shook his head helplessly, pressing a hand to his forehead...
"Fair enough... So..."
"Raven, I have a plan..."
"Shut up! Still going on about 'I have a plan'???"
Cioara leaped up as if she'd been electrocuted, glaring at Imhotep, who had sneakily whispered in her ear.
"Ahem, anyway, we don't have a PLAN. No matter what crazy stunt that moron Jackal tries this time, we'll just unleash the White Blazing Cat."
"With General White Cat at my command, I can slay the enemy general, Jackal!"
In a corner, Kiana, who was locked in a staring contest with Stan, one person and one cat facing off, perked up her cat ears alertly...
"My dear Kiana, I have a plan..."
The Knight Princess immediately shivered, sensing trouble.