Nine District, Advanced Integrated College of Mechanical Engineering.
In the brightly lit meeting room, Ms. Mapel placed a cup of coffee in front of Irene, then took her own cup, sat down beside her, crossed her legs, and said leisurely:
"We've already contacted the Security Bureau."
"Besides you and Eric, Lasjin and Daniel were also attacked. Daniel was shot twice and died from excessive blood loss."
"As for Molly... her family had guards arranged, and the robbers were knocked unconscious on the spot and handed over to the Security Bureau. We'll have to wait for the interrogation results."
Mapel took a sip of tea, recalling her subordinate's report.
It was said that the seemingly frail blonde girl single-handedly took down three strong men.
She was indeed someone from the circle.
Unfortunately... the robbers who attacked her were not the same as those who attacked Irene, so it's unlikely much will be interrogated from them.
"Ms. Mapel..."
Irene stared blankly at the coffee in front of her.
"What kind of research was my father involved in?"
Ms. Mapel paused, put down her teacup, and threw a stack of documents onto the table:
"We don't know what research he was involved in. But what we do know is that your father was most likely a spy."
"A spy?"
Irene's pupils dilated involuntarily as she reached for the documents.
Ms. Mapel continued:
"Although the Empire is powerful, this land is not home to just one country.
These documents are evidence that your father sold core steam technology to several neighboring countries.
Besides that, there's also evidence of his academic fraud and fabricated research results from previous years."
"Academic fraud? My father's knowledge is genuine!" Irene retorted irrationally.
But she was met with a light chuckle from Ms. Mapel:
"Perhaps. But the matter of his fabricated academic research results is set in stone. Although we support independence, some of the things he did have completely crossed the line."
Irene gritted her teeth, wanting to argue, but thinking of her complete ignorance and the taken Eric, she suddenly felt a wave of powerlessness.
"What do you... and those strange people... want?"
Ms. Mapel's gaze was chilling:
"What we want is to know what those people want, and what they have already obtained!"
Irene opened her mouth, unable to answer.
Mapel also understood that nothing could be extracted at the moment. She said coldly:
"During this time, you will stay at the college and think carefully about what your father once told you. We will send people to track Eric's situation."
"You're going to put me under house arrest?!" Irene bit her lip.
If she was confined to the college, how could she save him?
Putting all her hope in the college and the Security Bureau?
She didn't trust them!
Mapel ignored her gaze and slowly stood up:
"This is for your protection."
Irene watched the other party's retreating back, her body swaying, as she slumped weakly onto the table, sobbing softly:
"Father... what should I do...?"
At the same moment, it was already past midnight.
In the Miling Agency's study, the lights were still on.
The gray feather pen on the desk was "rustling" as it wrote another person's content:
【The lost Eric is being tortured. He actually doesn't know what the other party wants.】
【He found that the memories he inherited were incomplete.】
【He started to feel confused again. He doesn't know who he is now...】
"Identity confusion, and it involves a spy incident... Hmm, interesting."
Li Andy sat in his chair, his thoughts slowly diverging, guessing the connections.
Youxi, in his arms, withdrew her gaze from the text, her lips curving slightly. She turned around, wrapped her arms around his neck, and slowly settled down.
Molly, who was helping to record and organize documents nearby, paused, then gently lowered her head, pretending not to see anything.
As for Sophia, she couldn't understand these strange cases and was sound asleep in her room.
She slept until dawn, seemingly oblivious to everything, and went to the college as usual.
The next day, the sunlight was dazzling.
Irene slowly opened her eyes, her brain throbbing slightly from lack of sleep.
She hadn't gone to the room Ms. Mapel prepared for her last night, but had returned to the laboratory and stayed there for half the night.
She had searched her father's desk but found nothing.
"Father... what exactly did you do...?"
"Eric... who exactly are you now...?"
She wearily pushed herself up, accidentally knocking over a student's thesis manuscript.
A strange small card fell out from one of the pages.
"Miling... Detective Agency?"
Irene frowned, then her brows immediately relaxed as she thought of something.
"I can't go out now... but I can commission someone else to investigate!"
"This manuscript... it's Molly's."
Irene remembered the beautiful blonde girl who often came to pick up Molly.
She had heard some rumors from the lower grades that the girl's family ran a detective agency!
And they very publicly stated that they didn't take ordinary cases!
"Perhaps I can commission them!"
Irene's eyes sparkled as she rushed out of the laboratory.
She happened to run into Molly, who had come to the laboratory to retrieve something.
Behind Molly were the two detective girls!
Sophia looked at the excitedly approaching Irene and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, her body tensing slightly in preparation.
But when she heard the other party was commissioning an investigation, her body gradually relaxed.
Especially when she heard the praise for being a great detective, her lips couldn't help but curve upwards, and before Youxi beside her could finish thinking, she patted her ample chest and accepted the commission.
Youxi paused, her lips pursed slightly in dissatisfaction.
Although brother had anticipated today's scenario last night, Sophia's quick acceptance would seem very suspicious.
She decided that when Andy locked Sophia from behind tonight, she would fiercely attack from the front!
At the same moment, on the other side.
Li Andy was sitting in Ms. Mapel's meeting room.
Ms. Mapel, sitting opposite him, spoke frankly:
"I've actually heard about your situation in the circle.
I can apologize for yesterday's test.
But that was also to prove that you are not involved in this matter.
Now, I have a commission, I wonder if you are still interested?"
"I'm all ears," Li Andy replied.
"I hope you can assist Irene in finding what Youge left behind. And figure out who those people chasing him are."
"Why me?" Li Andy asked again.
Ms. Mapel explained calmly:
"Firstly, according to the clues I have, this matter clearly involves people within the circle.
Secondly, Molly is Youge's student, and she is connected to you, so even if I don't say anything, you would probably do something, right?
Finally, the situation is very chaotic right now, and you are new, making you very suitable for wading into these troubled waters."
Li Andy feigned hesitation for a few seconds before accepting the commission.
He subtly curved his lips, seemingly already accustomed to hitting two birds with one stone, getting benefits from both sides.