"Brother, what do you think is really going on?"
"I'm not sure. We're just Proxies. We know a bit about Bangboo, but we're definitely not as skilled as Master Enzo."
Wise thought for a moment, then said,
"Let's just trust Master Enzo. We'll leave Panta here for now and explain everything to Zane once he's back."
"Don't worry. I'll take full responsibility."
He turned to Belle and added reassuringly,
"It's going to be fine. Panta spent all that time in the Hollows with Zane without a single problem—how could something go wrong just from hanging out at a video store for a day?"
Belle knew Wise was just trying to comfort her and was about to respond when a voice suddenly came from behind them.
"Mmm... (My body feels so sore...)"
Panta opened its eyes on the table but remained motionless, still sluggish.
"Mmm!"
"Mmm!"
"Yes! Panta's awake!"
"Mmm. (Feels like I slept forever.)"
"Mmm! (What a great nap!)"
Panta quickly perked up, as if it had just woken from a long sleep. It was full of energy again.
Master Enzo looked at Panta, now sitting up on the table, a question mark practically floating above his head. He pushed his glasses down and stared wide-eyed.
He hadn't really done anything—just tapped and patted it a bit—and now it was working again???
"Master Enzo, thank you so much!"
Belle was overwhelmed with relief and quickly expressed her gratitude.
"See, Belle? I told you we could trust Master Enzo. Everything's fine now. But Master Enzo... you sure you're not hiding some secret technique you just now decided to use?"
Wise chuckled, visibly more relaxed, and teased him.
"Hahaha, no, nothing like that. Just... a lucky break, I guess..."
Master Enzo didn't understand what had happened either, so he figured he'd just chalk it up to those taps doing the trick. Honestly, it felt a bit like fixing an old TV...
As long as it didn't damage his reputation, he could live with it.
Unsatisfied with the result of the repair job, Master Enzo voluntarily waived the service fee and vowed to keep honing his skills.
Belle and Wise initially tried to refuse, but couldn't talk him out of it and finally accepted the gesture.
After that, they headed back to the video store with the three Bangboos in tow.
...
Meanwhile, in the video store—
"Some birds are not meant to be caged. Each feather on their bodies glows with the light of freedom."
Zhu Yuan silently recited the line, stunned. She hadn't expected that a story Zane casually told would resonate so deeply.
Zane smiled at her reaction. Telling movies without any visuals inside a video store—he was probably the only one doing that.
He'd even modified parts of the story to better fit their current world, otherwise Zhu Yuan might not have caught all its deeper meanings.
"Zane, coming here today was the best decision I've made. I got to see some amazing magic—and hear such a powerful story."
"You're really something else."
"Becoming friends with you was a very wise move."
Zhu Yuan turned to him, full of praise.
"But..."
Her tone shifted. She straightened up, switching into her Sheriff persona as she looked at Zane with a serious expression.
"According to public safety regulations, playing with fire in a place like a video store is strictly prohibited."
"That magic trick you pulled earlier? I could've arrested you and given you a warning right there."
"And as good as your story was... prison breaks really aren't the best theme to promote."
Zhu Yuan paused, choosing her words carefully.
"Oh? So are you going to slap a pair of silver bracelets on me now, Officer Zhu Yuan?"
"Nope. Since you only did all that for my sake, I'll let it slide this time."
"But don't make a habit of it, okay?"
She pointed a pale finger at him in mock warning.
"Alright, alright. You're the boss, Officer. I'll be a good, law-abiding citizen from now on…"
Zane raised both hands in mock surrender, playing along.
As for whether he really was a law-abiding citizen...
He had just broken into a Defense Force base last night and beat down the Obol Squad. If that counted as obeying the law...
Well, whatever. Zhu Yuan didn't know about any of that.
To her, he really was just a model citizen.
"Okay, then I'll believe you."
Zhu Yuan nodded, satisfied. Even if she knew he was playing along, she still believed he could live up to it.
"Wait—Zane? You're actually at the video store?"
A voice called from the doorway. Zane looked up—it was Belle.
Behind her were Wise and three lively Bangboos.
"Should've checked in here on the way back."
Belle glanced at Zhu Yuan and immediately noticed the unique Sheriff uniform. She quickly recalled what Zane had said before about citizen ID verification.
"Hello, Officer."
Belle greeted Zhu Yuan confidently, and Zhu Yuan responded with a polite smile.
She had read their files and recognized Belle and Wise as the owners of the video store. As far as she was concerned, they were clearly on good terms with Zane.
Behind them, Wise finished settling the Bangboos and also came over to greet Zhu Yuan.
Seeing this, she wasted no time. She confirmed their identities and processed the necessary paperwork.
If something went wrong with Zane later, Belle and Wise would be legally implicated due to the registration.
Zane knelt and ruffled Panta's fur, saying a few words to it with a smile before watching Zhu Yuan get to work.
She really was efficient—tidying up everything in no time.
With the paperwork finished, Zhu Yuan didn't linger. She said her goodbyes and headed back to the Public Security Bureau.
Once she was gone, Belle finally relaxed and got ready to tell Zane what had happened with Panta.
The danger had passed, but as Panta's owner, Zane still had a right to know.
Just then, something occurred to Belle—
Wait... Panta doesn't have legal ID yet!
And so, the ever-helpful Belle sprinted out of the video store, chasing after Zhu Yuan, who hadn't gone far...
"What's going on?"
Zane could tell Belle had something important to tell him, but now she was suddenly running off. He turned to Wise, puzzled.