It's worth mentioning that during this period, Mobius gradually relocated the First Research Institute to Sapphire City, and her work naturally continued there.
No big deal.
Just from the bits and pieces she mentioned, it was clear things were progressing fairly smoothly.
But because of her high-profile move…
Quite a few people had taken notice.
Whether it was journalists sniffing out a story or shady figures looking to stir up trouble, they all set their sights on Mobius. The relocation of her lab attracted even more attention, with many itching to dig up some insider info.
It all left Mobius more than a little annoyed.
Thankfully though…
Klein had just settled in.
Blanca hadn't left yet.
So with a "might as well make use of her while she's still here" attitude, Mobius pushed Blanca out front to handle the press.
Blanca was used to it anyway.
No way was she going to send fresh interns like Nuwa and Fuxi—still wet behind the ears—to just add to the chaos.
She could only comfort herself:
Just hang in there a bit longer, and then you're free.
No more routine 996, or the occasional brutal 007 shifts.
But the more she thought about it, the more it stung.
Ah well~
Meanwhile, Kiana's mom, with time to kill, idly scrolled through the news and came across the recent press conference from Mobius' lab announcing the move.
She clicked in to watch.
"Ms. Blanca!"
"Why did Dr. Mobius decide to move her entire laboratory, including the whole First Research Institute, to Sapphire City? Is it really because of the Herrscher of Finality rumored to be here, as spreading online?"
"All I can say is that the Doctor's relocation was due to work requirements. The Shenzhou government provided considerable funding support. That's all."
"You've seen the surveillance footage circulating online, right? Is it authentic?"
"You should be asking the Sapphire City police, not me."
"Dr. Blanca, rumors suggest that Fire Moth is also considering moving its headquarters to Sapphire City. Can you confirm this?"
"That's a matter for Fire Moth's upper management. How would I know?"
Reporters raised their hands one after another, firing off questions.
Blanca stood there poised and graceful, calm and scholarly—yet every answer was impeccably diplomatic.
The shutter clicks of cameras sounded now and then.
At least the flashes were off; they weren't needed.
So…
The atmosphere was definitely there.
But overall, it wasn't too out of hand.
However—
Right at that moment.
A young reporter stood up.
Eyes shining, full of energy.
"Dr. Blanca, regarding what's been said on the 'Sky Screen' about the romantic entanglement between you and Dr. Mobius—is it true? Could you elaborate?"
"False! All of it is false!" Blanca stated firmly.
"The Doctor and I have a professional relationship, with some friendship mixed in. There are no inappropriate feelings between us. I have a husband, I love him very much, and my child is adorable. Understood?"
"Ohh~" The reporter nodded thoughtfully.
So…
People can be pretty contradictory.
Even now, many folks sometimes believe what the Sky Screen says, and sometimes they don't.
It's like they're stuck in some kind of Schrödinger's state of belief.
Mention Honkai?
Nah, I don't buy it.
Bring up unofficial histories?
Now that's definitely real!
Whether you believe it or not, I do.
That's how it is online, and offline too.
After all, where there's smoke, there's fire.
If you're willing to gossip with me, you're a friend.
Even right there on site—
After that reporter broke the ice, others started chiming in with their own questions about the rumors from the Sky Screen, asking whatever caught their interest.
Blanca felt a headache coming on.
She kept her answers tight and neutral, but her mood was far from pleasant.
Watching the livestream on her phone, Kiana's mom couldn't help but chuckle.
Maybe because she'd had more contact with Mobius and the others, she'd come to understand the real people behind the rumors—not just the gossip.
Mobius might be sharp-tongued and tsundere, but she was undoubtedly a good kid. She had her own gentle side too.
She could also tell that there likely wasn't anything between Mobius and Blanca.
If anything, Mobius seemed more interested in her own daughter than in Blanca.
She wasn't like Elysia, who genuinely seemed to want a romance.
But her attitude toward Kiana was… ambiguous.
Probably, it was just to get closer to Kiana—but these little quirks of hers weren't exactly off-putting.
Actually…
Kiana's mom wasn't completely in the dark.
Since the family had tacitly allowed her to come take care of Kiana, a lot of the family's dealings, contacts, and even insider info from the outside world were passed along to her.
Just so she'd know what was going on.
Back when Kiana's identity as the Herrscher of Finality was exposed, plenty of people started getting restless.
Scientists in particular.
"Learn the truth in the morning, die content by evening."
Even if provoking the Herrscher's displeasure could drag the whole world down—so what?
As long as they could answer the questions in their hearts…
As long as they could achieve results…
To research the Herrscher of Finality—everything else could go to hell.
The same thing happened later when Elysia's identity was revealed. A natural-born Herrscher? The Authority of Origin? You're telling me no one wanted to analyze that?
You're just fine staring at a treasure right in front of you but not being able to claim it?
They wanted to research!
You could say…
Back then…
Every nation, every organization around the world was in turmoil. From top to bottom, purges happened again and again.
It wasn't just the radical factions with twisted ideals.
Researchers were swept up too.
For a short while, those voices vanished, as if completely silenced.
But those who knew, knew.
Human greed is never satisfied.
There will always be those who can't resist.
Especially when some saw that Mobius was openly named as part of the Herrscher of Finality's… inner circle, giving her a more legitimate chance to get close to Finality—or to Origin. Just imagining it was enough to make them green with envy.
Even without having much contact with Mobius…
They couldn't help but feel jealous.
Whatever research materials Mobius wanted—was there anything she couldn't get? If she wanted Finality or Origin to cooperate with an experiment, it'd probably be a breeze.
What's worse than everyone failing to get cells, genes, or other samples from Finality or Origin?
Someone else getting them while you're left empty-handed, forced to watch helplessly. The thought alone was agony.
So…
People started suggesting again…
Maybe they could try to get something from the Herrscher of Finality or Origin.
Even a strand of hair would do.
You can't possibly tell me you don't shed any hair at all?!
Don't you people even consider metabolism?
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
20+ advanced chaps on my patreon.
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If you guys wanna check it out.