"Mrs. Meilin?"
Ellen and Phaga couldn't help but feel suspicious. They had never heard of this person before.
"Yes, Mrs. Meilin. She was one of the executives at TOPS Alliance and also the backer of Victoria Housekeeping."
Corin tugged at Phaga's arm as she explained to the two.
"Corin, you actually know her?" Ellen was even more puzzled. How could Corin know something she herself was unaware of?
"Yes, Mrs. Meilin rarely visits. The last time she came, Miss Ellen hadn't joined Victoria Housekeeping yet, so naturally she wouldn't know about it."
Little Corin tapped her chin, recalling the memory.
"I see. No wonder Victoria Housekeeping dares take on assignments targeting TOPS—they have someone at the top..."
Phaga murmured under his breath, recalling the fourteen million-yuan commission he'd taken on shortly after joining Victoria Housekeeping, which still remained unfinished.
If both the vampire clan and Victoria Housekeeping's backers were now exerting influence, surely this meeting would be a foregone conclusion?
Phaga pondered this as he continued reading.
Sure enough, neither the TOPS's titanic power nor the vampire clan at the height of its influence were entities the city's elite wished to antagonize. Even the once fiery old mayor had chosen to lay low, maintaining silence—effectively tacitly agreeing to halt Phaga's arrest.
Everything appeared calm and steadily improving.
Until...
[Breaking News! Major News!]
A sudden commotion erupted in the meeting as a middle-aged man in law officer attire stumbled into the conference room. The moment he entered, his gaze instinctively drifted toward the TOPS representatives.
[Bringer, you are one of my successors. Don't be so reckless.]
The old mayor, displeased by Bringer's flustered demeanor, snapped sharply.
[Don't be like that, Mayor. Anger isn't good for your health.]
Mrs. Meilin smiled gently, her beautiful eyes immediately settling on Bringer as she asked softly,
[Tell us, Mr. Bringer. What's this major news?]
Bringer took two quick breaths, gulped down a glass of water handed to him, and hurriedly continued:
[The Doppelgänger Hollow is slowly moving. According to calculations from the Helios Institute, its speed will cause corruption to surrounding structures as it advances, then accelerate!]
[At most, six days! The Doppelgänger Hollow will border Hollow Zero!]
[What!!!]
The crowd gasped in shock, leaping to their feet. Even Mr. Bern and Mrs. Meilin looked stunned and uncertain.
The Black wants to go to Hollow Zero?
What is it planning!?
Soon, Bern guessed the answer, a faint smile curling his lips as he remained calm.
Not a bad thing. Let it proceed.
But the city's high-ranking officials didn't seem to agree.
[Members of TOPS,]
After a long silence, the old mayor finally spoke, his eyes cold as iron.
[Will you continue to shield Phaga?]
[How can this be called shielding? I have always believed that only a fair trial, where fierce verbal defense unfolds in the courtroom, is the sole standard to measure a person's right or wrong.]
A dissenting voice suddenly emerged from the TOPS seats. An elderly businessman, stroking his long beard, voiced a different perspective.
Mrs. Meilin turned her head, silently gazing at him without a word.
The old merchant showed no intention of explaining, merely sitting there with a distant look.
TOPS had never been united. Previously, they had given Mrs. Meilin a modicum of respect out of neutral interests, tacitly allowing her to step forward and raise the banner—that much was acceptable.
But now, with the Black clearly problematic, allowing Mrs. Meilin to continue representing the prestige of the entire TOPS would severely hinder future profits!
Those seated at other TOPS seats nodded silently. Though they spoke not, they tacitly agreed with the old merchant's words.
Phaga, TOPS is finished!
The sudden reversal of momentum, with the TOPS defecting at the last moment, brought a flicker of joy to the faces of the city's high-ranking officials.
The old mayor's expression grew visibly agitated, his face flushing crimson with excitement as he exclaimed:
[In that case...]
[In that case, I believe the very existence of the vampire clan is an abomination. Why not begin by assessing the crimes of the vampire clan?]
Just as the old mayor was about to speak, Bern cut him off. His predatory gaze swept over the assembled crowd, and many held their breath, daring not to breathe.
Only then did they recall that TOPS had always been a powerful spineless entity, ready to flee at the slightest shift in the wind.
But the vampire clan was different!
In the New Eridu, where human civilization now reigned supreme, human culture flowed unimpeded. Even the Thiren observed human holidays and adopted human traditions.
The Oni Clan had been exterminated for attempting to preserve their own civilization. Yet the vampire clan persisted. Why?
Was it because they were benevolent?
No. It was simply because they were powerful!
[Vampires are a vital part of New Eridu's multiracial society; they aren't inherently sinful.]
Gritting his teeth in extreme reluctance, the old mayor could only utter these politically correct words against his better judgment:
[Though my intention was merely to bring Phaga to trial, legally defining him as innocent... Upon reflection, disrupting a lawful citizen's daily life without cause is indeed unfair.]
Politicians speak with two tongues.
One set clings to principle, the other to sentiment.
Regardless, today's hurdle was cleared for Phaga by the vampire clan.
Yet as the saying goes, yin and yang maintain order—one half of the world faces the light, while the other inevitably faces the darkness.
The old mayor's fist clenched and unclenched, his chipped teeth gnashed repeatedly. Resentment filled his eyes as he glared at Bern, enunciating each word with deliberate force:
[But the matter of the Black must be resolved!]
His words weren't fiery, yet they carried a subtle, menacing edge. His face twitched slightly from the tension, like the ferocity of beasts locked in confrontation.
Bern glanced at him, then gave a cold snort:
[Leave it entirely to us.]
As he spoke, Bern gave the old mayor one last, deep look before walking away without a backward glance, waving his hand:
[New Eridu should prepare everything: newspapers, radios, TVs, livestreams...]
[Last time's defeat was too humiliating. We need a glorious victory to wash away the shame.]
[Vampire will help you reclaim that honor.]
...
The video froze on the scene of Bern leaving the meeting hall, signaling its end.
Phaga remained silent, saying nothing.
Suddenly, a strand of scarlet hair entered Phaga's vision, its fragrance wafting to his nostrils.
"Ellen?" Phaga asked softly.
Ellen leaned forward, blocking Phaga's view. She pulled the laptop from the desk toward herself, opened Notepad, and gritted her teeth fiercely:
"Shut up! I'm writing down every single one of these bastards' names!"
The little deep-sea shark unleashed her fiery temper, making even the keyboard wail in protest.
But that wasn't nearly enough.
For every name typed, Ellen double-checked it multiple times for accuracy. Then she took screenshots of every single person who had dared to pass judgment on Phaga, pasting them right next to their names.
Little Fish Snack gritted her teeth:
"Dare to judge my vampire? I'll remember this!"
"Um, Miss Ellen... it's fine, go ahead."
Corin offered a dry laugh. She had planned to calm Ellen down—after all, people in certain positions weren't allowed personal opinions, only political stances.
Making them shoulder the blame equally… was that a bit much?
But when Ellen turned toward her at the sound, her fierce, demonic expression made Corin flinch backward.
Ah well, whatever. Let them carry it—just not me.
Knock knock knock!
Just as Corin sighed, a sudden knock sounded at the door.
"Is it Mr. Lycaon and the others returning?"
Corin's heart leapt with joy. She scurried over to open the door.
Squeak~
"Mr. Lycaon, welcome— Ah!!!"
"Corin!"
Hearing Corin's scream, Phaga smashed his chair and leapt to his feet, simultaneously clawing five bloody gashes into his own right arm. Blood beads flew skyward instantly, spraying outward like bullets.
Clink~ Clink~ Clink~
A strange sound echoed, and white mist spread quickly through the entrance. The temperature in the air dropped sharply.
Phaga's brow furrowed.
Nevertheless, Corin seized the opportunity to flee back inside, shielded by Ellen behind her. The two older Victoria siblings watched the doorway with tense wariness.
"I mean, sure, we were enemies before, but you don't need to treat me like this, right?"
A torn edge of a black hood pierced the fading mist, followed by a thin figure.
A peculiar person, wrapped completely in clothing, stepped into view.
Phaga's eyebrow shot up.
"Bern?"
"Oh? Didn't think Grandpa would still remember my name. I'm honored."
Bern looked genuinely surprised—he'd only met Phaga once, never expecting the man to actually remember him.
But then his gaze drifted to half the laptop screen, and a familiar expression crossed his face. After thinking for a moment, realization dawned.
"Oh, I see. You previewed it ahead of time."
"Well, that makes this easier. Saves me from repeating myself."
Bern raised his hand toward Phaga, narrowing his eyes.
"Phaga, it's time to deal with Black!"
...