At the center of the stadium, Nicole spotted a Golden Bangboo and a Platinum Bangboo swaying their bodies as if dancing.
As the two Bangboos wobbled back and forth, golden gear coins and sparkling Dennies clinked onto the ground, scattering everywhere.
Seeing this, Nicole's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Billy, step on it! The Bangboos are right there!"
Billy was just as thrilled. "Got it, Nicole—we're striking it rich...!"
...
At the same time, in the center of the stadium, the Golden Bangboo and Platinum Bangboo didn't seem to have noticed the approaching off-road vehicle from Hare's House. The two of them were bickering animatedly.
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm (I have more gear coins)..."
"Mm-hmm, da (I have more Dennies)..."
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm (my gear coins are prettier)..."
"Mm-hmm, da (my Dennies shine brighter)..."
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm (admit it, I'm the richest Golden Bangboo)..."
"Mm-hmm, da (my Dennies outnumber yours)..."
...
Golden and Platinum Bangboo refused to back down, standing face to face and arguing nonstop. They kept swaying, as if competing over who could drop more money.
Then—
Golden Bangboo boasted again, "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm (I completely tricked those bad guys—I'm better)."
Platinum Bangboo snapped back, "Mm-hmm, da (if I hadn't warned you, you'd have been caught already)."
Golden Bangboo: "Mm-hmm (gold is smart, platinum is dumb)!"
Platinum Bangboo: "Mm-hmm, da (platinum is good, gold is bad)!"
They bickered like two toddlers.
Just then, Platinum Bangboo seemed to notice something and looked to the side in a panic.
"Mm-hmm, da, mm-hmm da (bad guys are coming—gold, cover me! I'm running first)!"
Without another word, Platinum Bangboo stopped swaying, didn't even bother picking up the scattered Dennies, and bolted for the stadium exit—fast.
As it ran, more Dennies tumbled off its body, leaving a trail behind.
Golden Bangboo wouldn't be outdone.
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm (I'll run first, you stay behind)!"
And just like that, Golden Bangboo took off as well, leaving a glittering trail of gear coins in its wake.
...
Watching the two Bangboos flee at top speed, Soldier 11, seated in the vehicle, stepped into command mode.
"Corporal Billy, pedal to the metal—go full throttle!"
Nekomata shouted excitedly, "Meow! Golden Bangboo, don't run! You can't outrun a cat! Meow meow!"
Anby placed her hand on the hilt of her blade, ready to act at a moment's notice.
But then—
A loud screech of tires against pavement rang out, and the off-road vehicle skidded to a sudden halt.
Nekomata blinked in confusion. "Billy, why'd you stop? Don't tell me the car broke down?"
Billy shook his head. "Nope. Nicole told me to stop..."
Everyone turned toward Nicole.
Nicole grinned broadly. "Weren't we here for Dennies? There's a huge pile of them right here! Nekomata, Anby, Sam Li, Billy, Soldier 11—stop gawking and help me scoop them up!"
With that, she jumped out of the SUV without hesitation and began stuffing scattered Dennies into her suitcase.
Seeing her, the others quickly followed suit.
To her credit, Nicole had incredibly fast hands. In just over a minute, she'd already cleaned up most of the coins the two Bangboos had dropped.
Then—
She looked toward the direction the Bangboos had fled—more precisely, at the trail of scattered gear coins and Dennies left behind.
Nekomata was eager. "Nicole, let's catch up with them now!"
Nicole smiled. "No rush. While we chase them, don't forget to pick up every single Denny and gear coin we find. That's serious cash!"
She took off with her suitcase in hand.
Nekomata: "..."
Anby: "..."
Billy: "..."
Sam Li chuckled softly. "Relax. Those two Bangboos won't get far."
With a breadcrumb trail of gear coins and Dennies, tracking them would be easy—especially with Sam Li around.
So, everyone set off, collecting money as they went.
By the time they'd left the stadium, Nicole's suitcase already held over 100,000 Dennies and gear coins—a solid haul for Hare's House.
Unfortunately, the further they went, the fewer coins they found. By the time they exited the stadium, there were hardly any left to gather.
Just then—
A familiar patrol car came speeding toward them—it was from the Public Security Bureau.
Zhu Yuan rolled down the window. "Mr. Sam Li, Ms. Nicole—what are you doing here?"
Nicole responded with a straight face. "We're here for the Golden and Platinum Bangboos, of course. Officer Zhu Yuan, Officer Qingyi—you're here for the same reason, right?"
Zhu Yuan nodded. "Exactly. According to the radar, they should still be inside the stadium—"
Before she could finish, Seth cut in eagerly.
"Captain Zhu Yuan! Let's hurry in and check!"
Zhu Yuan realized they were already behind, but she stayed calm. A quick glance into the Hare's House vehicle confirmed the Bangboos weren't inside.
Clearly, Hare's House hadn't caught them either.
Their arrival had been thanks to two things: Sam Li's guidance, and Belle hacking the communications of both the Public Security Bureau and the Hollow Investigation Association.
So, Hare's House was already one step ahead.
Nicole cleared her throat. "Ahem—since we know each other, I'll give you a heads-up. The Bangboos already fled the stadium. They're fast. We're heading after them now..."
She turned to Billy in the driver's seat. "Drive."
Without hesitation, Billy fired up the engine and sped off in the direction where the Golden and Platinum Bangboos had disappeared.
Once Hare's House was gone, Zhu Yuan looked down the road. There were still a few gear coins and Dennies scattered around—clearly left behind in the rush.
Nicole hadn't lied. The Bangboos had truly escaped.
Nearby, Seth asked, "Captain Zhu Yuan, should we still check inside the stadium?"
Zhu Yuan shook her head. "No need. Nicole was right. They're long gone."
Seth asked seriously, "So what now? Should we follow the coin trail like Hare's House?"
Zhu Yuan shook her head again. "That's too inefficient."
Immediately, she contacted the rest of the Public Security Bureau and the Hollow Investigation Association, shared the situation, and ordered a coordinated effort to pinpoint the Bangboos' current location.
...