Wise's serious expression made Belle hesitate slightly.
"Brother, choosing a private agent is a pretty big deal for a Proxy. Maybe... we should spend more time around Zhong Yan first?"
She didn't disagree with the idea itself—but the problem was, they still didn't know much about him. Choosing someone they barely knew as their exclusive agent came with obvious risks.
"Spending more time with him just means working together a few more times. We might as well go ahead and try making him our agent. I mean, I was just throwing the idea out there—I mainly wanted your thoughts."
Wise gave a helpless chuckle. Ever since the last commission ended, he'd noticed how unusually invested Belle had become in Zhong Yan. They'd talked about his identity and motives multiple times, but there was only so much guessing they could do with the limited info they had.
That said, Wise would like to bring Zhong Yan on as their private agent. But given the lack of full trust right now, it was still too early to decide.
Besides, the decision wasn't just theirs to make. Zhong Yan would have to agree to it too. If either side wasn't on board, the whole idea was a nonstarter.
"Or... we could ask Nicole?" Belle suddenly suggested. "I remember the Cunning Hares seem to know Zhong Yan, right? Back in the Hollow, that was obvious."
Indeed, during their Hollow rescue, the three from the Cunning Hares didn't treat Zhong Yan like a stranger. That clearly meant they knew each other.
Which made Nicole the perfect person to ask about what kind of person he really was.
Funny, really—they used to be the ones Nicole always came to for help. Now it felt like the roles had reversed.
"Good idea," Wise nodded. "Let me make the call."
...
Meanwhile, at the Cunning Hares' new base.
Today was an unusual one—a rare day off. Or rather, the commissions from their sponsors weren't urgent, so Nicole had given the entire office a break.
Speaking of which, the Cunning Hares had done well for themselves lately. After completing a string of high-paying jobs, they'd earned enough money to rival what they made in half a year.
Thanks to that, they'd finally paid off all their debts. Their lifestyle had improved drastically—they'd even moved out of their shabby rental into a three-bedroom apartment.
Nicole still remembered how, just a few months ago, they owed so much rent that even their landlord didn't dare ask them for payment, afraid they'd just vanish overnight.
Now? They lived in a 100+ square meter place. Even with rent tripled, they had zero financial stress.
The only thing that hadn't changed was the Cunning Hares' sly, gray-area methods—something their clients still struggled to deal with.
But the fact remained: taking down a giant-class Ethereal was no small feat. In the Hollow Investigation Association, aside from the officially recognized Void Hunters, almost no one could solo such a monster.
As for "Uchiha"? He wasn't even officially part of the Hollow Investigation Association. So, he wasn't on any list.
Just then, a small green Bangboo waddled into the living room, holding a loudly ringing phone.
It was Amillion, the Cunning Hares' exclusive Bangboo in the game—and in real life, Nicole's partner, even considered family.
"Ehn-na ehn-na!" (Nicole, phone call!) Emilian squeaked, holding out the phone with both hands.
Nicole, who was in the middle of a face mask treatment, sat up and took the phone. When she saw the caller ID—Phaethon—she blinked in surprise.
Lately, the siblings had been calling her a lot more than usual. Not long ago, she had always been the one seeking them out.
Curious, Nicole answered. On the other end, Wise's voice came through clearly:
"Nicole, sorry for the sudden call. Do you know much about a guy named Zhong Yan? The one we helped out of the Hollow? If you do, could you tell me what kind of person he is?"
Straight to the point.
Nicole's brain fired up as she replied, "Zhong Yan… I've met him a few times, but I wouldn't say I really know him."
As she spoke, in the room next door, a certain someone perked up at the mention of that name. Anby slowly leaned out from behind the doorframe, eyes locked on Nicole, burger in hand.
Emilian noticed her and was just about to say something when Anby gestured for silence. Emilian wasn't sure why Anby was eavesdropping, but decided it was better to stay quiet—and walked off quietly.
"Is that so…" came Wise's slightly disappointed voice over the phone. "Sorry for the trouble."
He was about to hang up—
When Anby suddenly sprinted forward and stopped right in front of Nicole, mouth still half-full of burger. "I'm close with Zhong Yan! I know what kind of person he is!"
The suddenness made her choke—some of the burger had gone down the wrong pipe, and she started coughing hard.
But her outburst had done the trick. Wise didn't hang up.
As Anby recovered, her eyes were a little red from the coughing, but that didn't stop her from speaking with conviction.
"Zhong Yan is… a really kind person. Back when he saved me from the Hollow, he used up everything he had just to buy me a mountain of burgers. He's definitely someone you can trust. I swear!"
Her words made Wise fall silent in thought.
Meanwhile, Nicole sat there stunned.
In all the time she'd known Anby, she had never seen her act like this. Anby wasn't the social type. She rarely spoke to others, and didn't care about anything beyond movies and burgers.
And now? She was standing there, fiercely defending Zhong Yan?
Then Nicole remembered—Zhong Yan had been the one who brought Anby to her in the first place.
Putting two and two together...
The ever-sharp Nicole instantly understood everything.