The time of song and dance celebrations didn’t last long; Bode came out from the stairs with Belli, and Bologue vaguely read a sense of exhaustion from Bode’s skeletal face.
"Compared to the other ministers we know, this minister is very approachable and quite eager to learn."
Afterward, Bode commented on Belli , but when mentioning the eager to learn part, he was clearly somewhat uncomfortable.
Bologue could already imagine the scene where Belli chirped endlessly, possibly even made demands, asking if things could be taken apart and looked at.
Back to the present, Belli glanced at the time and said to Bologue, "Are you done talking? I need to take Aimou back."
"Now she is an important asset of the Order Bureau, still under the watchful eye of the teacher, everything needs to be cautious, doesn’t it?"
Bologue affirmed Belli’s words; before the Field Operations Department could devise a hunting plan against Teda, Aimou must remain unharmed.
Aimou is both a hostage in the hands of the Order Bureau and the last chain restraining Teda’s sanity.
In Bologue’s understanding, Teda is a madman completely driven by desires, willing to become an enemy of the Order Bureau to seize the forbidden Immortal Heart.
Once Teda realizes he can never revive Alice again, only pitch-black despair awaits him.
A desperate Negative Power User carrying the Immortal Heart...
Bologue didn’t continue to think further; he just hoped the situation wouldn’t turn out that way.
"I’ll walk you back." Bologue stood up and put on his coat.
The Undying Club is very close to the Order Bureau, so close that the Field Operations Department could go on duty without needing any transport; just step out the door.
But Bologue remains uneasy; he thought getting answers from Serey would bring him peace, but the unease in his heart hasn’t diminished in the slightest; instead, it grows more intense, like a volcano ready to erupt, suppressing and accumulating a blazing flame.
"Leave Palmer to you guys." Bologue then said to Serey.
Regarding his unfortunate partner, Bologue still felt some concern, although only a little.
"Let’s go!" Belli placed a hand on Aimou’s shoulder, "Little junior..."
Just as Belli was about to whisper something to Aimou, the halo in Aimou’s eyes quickly cycled back and forth, then solidified.
"For safety’s sake, isn’t this way more secure?"
Aimou stepped aside promptly, causing Belli’s hand to land in vain.
After experiencing life and death trials, whenever Aimou and Bologue are in a Shared Chord Body state, Aimou spontaneously feels a sense of security.
With the Undying Body as a carrier, looking at it this way, Bologue is indeed a perfect, never-collapsing fortress.
Aimou trusts Bologue; she feels regardless of any difficulties or obstacles, Bologue, as an expert, will perfectly resolve them, and she only needs to provide support for Bologue.
She doesn’t need to communicate with anyone; just quietly hide in the dark corners.
After living a life at forks in the road for a while, Aimou realized that she has some fear of socializing.
Aimou’s tense emotions relaxed quite a bit, but the launch of the Shared Chord Body was stopped; Aimou was puzzled, when she saw Bologue with his arms crossed on his chest, rejecting her.
"Aimou, there’re a lot of people here."
Bologue lowered his voice, and after a brief pause, Aimou realized what would happen if the Shared Chord Body had been successfully launched.
At this moment, another layer of poor laughter began to emerge, and the person tried hard to suppress their emotions, but still couldn’t control them until they let loose loudly.
"It’s okay, little junior, I’ll find a way to get you clothes synchronized with Secret Energy later," Belli said, giving Aimou a thumbs-up.
This promise from the Sublimation Furnace Core minister is invaluable.
The hum of metal, Ether disturbance, the path of light swept across Aimou’s body surface, accompanied by her emotions, like flashing lights.
Serey gave a glance signal to Bode, Bode understood and greeted a few people, "By the way, since you’re here, let me take you to see some of our other members."
He should be referring to the old undead and that stone sculpture.
Belli didn’t refuse, Aimou was also invited; she glanced at Bologue, and Bologue indicated for her to relax; then Aimou nodded and followed Bode towards the door.
Only Bologue and Serey remained at the bar counter; Serey leaned beside Bologue and whispered, "Do you have any premonitions?"
"Probably... just feel very uneasy, as if something terrible is going to happen." Bologue was dazed for a moment and then said.
"Trust your instincts," Serey poured another glass of wine, "Among us, you are the debtor most deeply connected to the Devil; your instincts aren’t wrong, Aimou is not that simple."
"You felt it too?" Bologue looked sharply at Serey.
"No feelings, just experience," Serey said. "I’ve lived for so long, how can I not see through a young girl’s lies?"
"Lies... Aimou is lying?"
"Anyway, she didn’t tell the truth. She’s still too inexperienced to hide secrets," Serey glanced at Bologue suspiciously, "But you, how could the expert not notice this?"
"Me?" Bologue suddenly felt a bit deflated, helplessly said, "I’m an expert, but I’m only good at solving problems with violence."
Bologue wasn’t good at handling interpersonal relationships; he never had many friends.
"Indeed, violence is a very convenient means, it can solve ninety-nine percent of problems," Serey agreed, and then added, "But there are still some things that violence cannot solve."
Serey leaned back, propping one foot on the back of his chair, holding a wine glass in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
Footsteps came, and Belli led Aimou out. Belli still had a wild grin on her face, while Aimou seemed much more dejected, her eyes losing much of their shine after some struggles.
Once suspicion arises, it rampages through the mind.
If Aimou is lying, then what part of her words are true, and which are false?
Bologue trusts Aimou and also trusts Serey; he just thinks everyone has some unspeakable secrets, like the various secrets he’s carrying.
Do his problems involve Aimou’s secrets? So what is Aimou trying to hide?
Just as Bologue was thinking, Belli suddenly walked over and said, "Do you still have matters to settle? Then I’ll be leaving first."
"You’re leaving first?"
"What else? You just take Aimou back later, remember to send her to the Sublimation Furnace Core, not the Field Operations Department!"
Belli emphasized it, realizing that Bologue was indeed competing with her for someone.
"Don’t betray my trust, Bologue," Belli whispered in Bologue’s ear.
Bologue didn’t understand Belli’s words at all, and after realizing Bologue truly didn’t understand, Belli suddenly felt a bit stifled.
"Bologue, you..." Belli looked exasperated.
This only made Bologue more puzzled; he hadn’t said anything, so why was she angry?
"You fool, don’t mess up, take her to the Sublimation Furnace Core, understood?" Belli poked Bologue’s face.
Bologue waved his hands repeatedly, willing to do anything as long as he could get Belli to leave.
Belli glanced at the two of them, greeted Bode, "See you next time!"
It seemed Belli and Bode had a good rapport.
"She’s quite good, her eagerness to learn reminds me of my daughter." After Belli left, Bode murmured.
Bologue glanced at Bode, unlike the free-spirited Serey, Bode had always been quiet, rarely mentioning his past.
Bode didn’t say much, only picked up a mop, and started cleaning the bar.
"I hope to see you alive next time!"
Serey waved at Aimou. It sounded strange, but Serey was indeed being friendly.
Not long after Belli left, Bologue took Aimou out of the Undying Club. The sky was completely dark, pitch black, street lamps lit up one by one, illuminating the streets.
Aimou stood at the doors of the Undying Club, waved back, but Serey and Bode didn’t come out to see her off, only Sai Zong emerged, crouching at the door watching Aimou.
Even though Bologue had introduced these members to Aimou, she still couldn’t quite accept Sai Zong. When something becomes too bizarre, it only makes people uneasy.
Sai Zong barked twice at Aimou, then quieted down, watching them walk out of the alley and disappear into the street.
Suddenly, a piercing ringing shattered the silence of the alley. At the other end of the alley, a red phone booth stood at a fork, continuously ringing as if calling someone.
Sinister forces surged and lingered through the alley, everyone felt reverence towards this power, but Sai Zong ignored it and directly turned back into the Undying Club.
And dogs don’t answer phones.
The ringing soon stopped, and inside the red phone booth, it returned to darkness, with the door slowly pushed open from the inside...