"This is the points card Dr. Lynette left for you. It has 500 points. Buy whatever you need," Jared said, his usually expressionless face seeming to tighten. "You know that points are the Control Bureau's universal currency, right?"
Serie nodded.
She had heard Dr. Lynette mention it once when they were out together last time.
"It can be exchanged for any currency outside, but not the other way around. Everyone in the Control Bureau, from top to bottom, basically gets their salary through this. As for interns like us…" Jared's mouth twitched slightly, his voice a bit dry, "we only get 50 points a month."
Serie now understood what was going on with Jared's expression.
The amount on this card was almost ten months of his salary…
Oh my goodness, Lord Lynette…
You're a rich woman, aren't you?
Serie reached out to take the card Jared handed over.
His hand was clenched so tightly that she had to use some force to pull it free.
Jared's expression became even more rigid.
Last time, she only explored a small part of the mall with Dr. Lynette. This time, Serie planned to walk through the entire place.
If she could finish browsing, perhaps… her exploration progress could reach 10%?
It was truly a long and arduous task.
She had barely taken two steps when she subconsciously looked back, but the space behind her was empty.
Jared was gone.
So, when an anomaly came out, it didn't need to be watched?
Serie was a bit surprised.
Although she would be more at ease without the overly talkative Jared following her, she was still in an unfamiliar place, and having someone accompany her always made her feel safer.
Since he was gone, there was nothing she could do.
Serie composed herself and could only steel herself to continue browsing.
It was still early, just past four in the afternoon, and the crowd in the mall was much sparser than last time.
However, even so, amidst the coming and going of people, Serie could clearly feel the surrounding employees' gazes on her, some surprised, some hostile.
Honestly, this feeling of being treated as an anomaly was very uncomfortable.
Serie began to miss the times when Dr. Lynette was with her. With Dr. Lynette by her side, these gazes were either diluted by admiration and adoration for Dr. Lynette, or they were simply filled with curiosity and confusion.
At the same time, Serie was still pondering the last question of "Rebirth."
Was it to transcend everything, or to ignore everything…
Lost in thought, she wasn't paying attention and suddenly bumped into something soft.
The impact made her stumble backward, almost losing her balance.
She looked up and saw that she had bumped into a black-haired, green-eyed girl, who had a slender figure and was followed by a man and a woman.
The man wore glasses and seemed a bit timid.
The woman looked somewhat familiar, with an Asian face, twin pigtails, and a white lab coat…
Wait, wasn't this person the twin-tailed researcher next to Hayato in the Cold Condensation Experiment?
Serie recognized her, but they weren't close, so she just whispered, "Sorry," and tried to step aside to go around.
Unexpectedly, the black-haired, green-eyed girl shifted her foot and directly blocked her path.
This made Serie freeze. So, it wasn't that she accidentally bumped into someone, but that they deliberately blocked her?
Serie's alarm bells rang. She looked up at the three, wondering what they were up to.
"You're Serie? The legendary Anomaly S-413?" The black-haired, green-eyed girl stood with her hands on her hips, looking down at her.
That scrutinizing gaze carried a heavy sense of oppression, forcing Serie to subconsciously take half a step back.
"Yes… it's me. Is there something you need?" Serie asked warily in return.
The green-eyed girl was quite pretty, but her cheekbones were slightly high, making her look like a venomous, sharp-tongued snake. Her personality was indeed like that, her voice sharp, like a wicked stepsister from a fairy tale: "Heh, it's really you."
"Come with us."
The green-eyed girl said, and without waiting for Serie's answer, she grabbed Serie's arm and dragged her out without explanation.
"Hey, wait! What are you doing?!"
Serie was completely bewildered. She struggled, trying to shake off the grip, but the other's hand was like an iron clamp, unmoving.
Her strength was like pushing a wall in the other's hand, and she was dragged forward, stumbling.
During the struggle, the green-eyed girl suddenly pulled her arm back, directly encircling Serie's slender waist and half-lifting her off the ground, treating her like an item, and dragging her away from her spot.
"You're hurting me!" Serie was not like the "tough-skinned" Mad Eater Witch and Wildfire Witch; her body was light and soft, her skin thin and sensitive. Being treated so roughly by the green-eyed girl, tears were almost coming out of her eyes from the pain.
Serie couldn't even call for help. An anomaly asking for help from other Control Bureau members? Saying that Control Bureau members were catching her? They were all on the same side!
Serie was dragged into the corridor leading to the emergency exit.
The light here was dim, people were sparse, and it seemed to be a blind spot for surveillance.
The green-eyed girl finally let go and dropped her onto the ground.
Serie stumbled and leaned against the cold wall, subconsciously rubbing her reddened wrist.
Before she could catch her breath, the girl had already closed in, step by step, completely cornering her against the wall.
"What exactly do you want to do?!"
Serie steeled herself and activated "Feigned Pity." Her eyes quickly reddened, a thin layer of moisture clouded her vision, and her shoulders trembled slightly, adopting an innocent and pitiful demeanor.
This trick seemed to have some effect on the man with glasses; he nervously pushed his spectacles, his gaze avoiding hers.
But the green-eyed girl's face showed only icy indifference.
As for the twin-tailed one… she had been daydreaming, and it was unclear what she was doing.
"Save it," the green-eyed girl sneered, taking another step closer, almost nose to nose with Serie. Her sharp green eyes locked onto her like will-o'-the-wisps, "I ask you, have you been clinging to Dr. Lynette lately?"
Serie's pitiful expression froze on her face, her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly pretended to sob as she explained: "Dr. Lynette is my supervisor, and she is indeed very kind to me, but… us… how can you call it clinging? And even if it were…"
"Is it not allowed?"
Suddenly, the air was thick with the scent of tea.
"Hmph, pretending won't do you any good," the girl's voice was sharp and cold, carrying undisguised contempt. "You think your little tricks can really fool everyone? Dr. Lynette fell for your act because—"
"She once had a younger sister who was misidentified as an anomaly."
Serie's pupils suddenly constricted, and she instantly understood.
So that's it…
Those subtle special considerations from Dr. Lynette, those sympathetic glances different from others, their root cause was here?
So, it was she who reminded Dr. Lynette of her sister.
A complex, indescribable feeling surged within her.
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