[New Eridu Midday News Report:]
[Yesterday, as Vision Industry—the commission holder for the city's most high-profile subway project—prepared to carry out blasting operations, a scandal was exposed by the grassroots organization "Cunning Hares" and the rising enterprise "Belobog Heavy Industries."]
[According to both parties, Cunning Hares discovered by chance that the residents of Canvas Street—whom Vision Industry had claimed were safely relocated—had in fact never been moved at all. They were still trapped in place by Officers disguised as Vision staff, who even used signal jammers to cut them off from the outside world.]
[Cunning Hares tried to rescue the residents, but the deeper they dug, the more obvious it became that Vision Industry was far too powerful to fight alone. After discussion, they turned to Belobog Heavy Industries for help.]
[Once Belobog Heavy Industries learned the truth, they were furious. Acting on humanitarian principles, they vowed to save the residents of Canvas Street at all costs. Not only did they join forces with Cunning Hares to slay the Dead End Butcher, they also deployed three colossal mechs to stop Vision Industry's desperate last-ditch efforts.]
[Now, let's join our reporter for an on-site interview with the heroes of Cunning Hares and Belobog Heavy Industries.]
...
Victoria Housekeeping Headquarters, Second Floor.
Ellen lay sprawled on the sofa, a lollipop in her mouth. The TV was blaring at full volume, yet she had no intention of watching. She lazily scrolled through her phone instead.
"Hey, listen..."
She touched the earpiece in her right ear, exasperated. "Do you really have to listen to the news right now?"
"What else would I do?"
Phaga's voice came through the earpiece, mixed with the sound of chopping vegetables.
"If you're willing to come down and cook, then sure—I'll go upstairs and watch the news from the sofa."
"...Tsk!"
Ellen thought hard but couldn't come up with a rebuttal. In the end, she clicked her tongue and gave up.
The truth was, as long as Phaga was there, she had no desire to cook. She knew exactly how skilled she was—or wasn't.
Sigh. Best to leave things as they were.
Ellen convinced herself: For good food, the occasional sacrifice is necessary!
So what if she had to sit there with headphones on, acting as Phaga's relay? With the TV blaring in one ear and the sound of sizzling oil in the other, she could endure it
"Hey, Phaga, got a question."
"Mhm."
Still scrolling through comments on her phone, Ellen asked flatly, "Why did Belobog Heavy Industries spend five million just to buy reputation from us?"
"They're willing to be suckers, and you're not happy about it?"
Sizzle!
Marbled pork hit the pan, sizzling over ginger and garlic. A plume of white smoke rose as Phaga flipped the ingredients.
"I asked you a question! Be serious!"
Ellen pouted, the lollipop stick twitching in her mouth as the candy crunched under her teeth.
"Fine, fine. Look at the news. Didn't it say the subway project would be rebid?"
Phaga sighed, pausing her stir-fry. A wry smile crossed his pale face as he explained.
"Yeah, I saw that. So what?"
"Last time, only Vision Industry and Belobog qualified for the final round. With Vision collapsing, Belobog should've taken the spot directly. So why reopen the bidding?"
Boom!
Phaga tossed in chopped chili peppers and dried tofu. Flames leapt from the pan, oil spitting and crackling as the pork sizzled.
He flipped the pan high, sending the pork airborne before it landed back in the skillet. In that brief moment, he added tomato paste and a dash of smoked paprika. The oil turned a fiery red, and after a few tosses, the pork gleamed appetizingly.
Upstairs, Ellen suddenly sat up, tilting her swan-like neck to sniff the air. She almost stood to head downstairs—but at the last second, she hugged her legs tight, pinning herself to the sofa.
No. Not yet. Dinner isn't ready!
Just hold on... another thirty minutes. No—give Phaga ten more minutes!
"Hmm, is lunch already cooking? Miss Ellen, why are you curled up on the sofa like that?"
Ellen turned to see Corin rubbing her eyes, shuffling down from the third floor in bear pajamas, clutching a teddy bear. She looked just as she used to before Phaga joined—half-asleep, half-adorable.
"Because... it's cold. Anyway, Corin, why are you coming down in pajamas?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Ellen realized how lame the excuse sounded and quickly changed the subject.
Corin tilted her head, her messy green hair only adding to her charm. "What's wrong? Mr. Phaga isn't an outsider."
Uh...
Ellen's eyes drooped, her face going blank.
Then Phaga's laughter came through her earpiece. "Hahaha, Ellen, ask little Corin what she wants to eat."
"Tsk. Why don't you ask me that?"
Clicking her tongue, Ellen pulled Corin onto her lap and picked up a comb, tying her hair into twin tails as she muttered, "Corin, that vampire wants to know what you want to eat."
"Huh? Me? Anything is fine."
Corin lowered her head, sitting obediently as Ellen worked on her hair.
Ellen sighed, ruffling her hair. "I knew it." She tapped her earpiece. "Corin likes sweets, like cake."
"Cake, huh? Let me check... As expected of a housekeeping company HQ—there's even an oven here. I'll bake a small cake, but lunch will be delayed about forty minutes."
"And add one for me. Push lunch back eighty minutes if you want."
Corin blinked and piped up softly, "Our oven isn't so fragile it can only bake one cake at a time..."
"...Hmph! Stay out of it!"
Ellen squeezed the comb so hard it creaked.
Corin curled up tighter, fighting to keep a smile from breaking through. Her teammates at home were just too much...
"Oh, right! You still haven't answered!"
Ellen muttered, "About Belobog Heavy Industries."
"Isn't it obvious? Remember, we analyzed this before—Vision Industry has someone backing them up at the top, right?"
"Right." Ellen nodded. "Vision Industry sold half its ass to someone in TOPS Alliance."
"Pfft!"
Phaga nearly choked on the piece of twice-cooked pork he had just tasted. He quickly wiped his mouth, covered the dish, and groaned. "Did you have to put it that way...?"
"But," his tone turned serious as he cracked eggs into the pan, "you're not wrong."
"Belobog's quality isn't in question. The only way to push them out is through someone in the upper decision-making ranks."
"As the saying goes, when you beat a dog, you have to consider its owner. Belobog didn't just beat the dog—they buried it. Reopening the bidding is basically a slap in their face."
"If Belobog did nothing, they'd never get the project. But they made their move early. Now everyone knows they crushed Vision Industry's schemes. Their name's too big now—too big to suppress."
"Spending five million to buy fame? They're making a killing... Hm?"
Click.
Phaga turned at the sound.
Victoria's front door opened, and a ghost in a maid outfit floated in impatiently, ignoring the Wolf-Thiren she left outside. She went straight to the kitchen, only to look disappointed upon seeing Phaga there. Hands on her hips, she pouted.
"Phaga, didn't we agree Corin's welcome banquet would be my responsibility?"
"Uh... well, you were gone for so long, someone had to cook..."
Phaga shrank back. "How about you handle dinner?"
Rina's eyes lit up. She clapped her hands, smiling in delight. "Deal!"
Click.
Both turned to see Lycaon's hand frozen on the doorknob. Feeling their sharp gazes, he coughed awkwardly and said with a straight face, "Apologies. I just remembered a commission that may take the whole day. Tonight's welcome banquet for Corin will go on as planned. Don't wait for me."
Rina, Phaga: "..."
You've got to be kidding!