"What? You're going to Shanghai?"
Almost simultaneously, Mobius's slightly languid voice cut through the air, causing the diners at the nearby tables to glance their way. She showed no embarrassment, merely leveling a cold stare at them.
Within seconds, no one dared meet her gaze, hastily distancing themselves.
Hmph.
Mobius settled back, stretching her legs and folding her arms. "Why Shanghai? If you need to relax, I suggest Switzerland. They have excellent spas."
"You're not my superior, so butt out." Ryan took a sip of soup, lightly tapping his chopsticks against the table. "Don't forget, this meal's on me. You, my impecunious friend, have no say in my itinerary."
You…
Mobius felt her composure faltering. She didn't know why, but being around this man always did this to her, leaving her consistently speechless. She picked up a piece of meat with her fork and put it in her mouth.
A drop of gravy escaped her lips. Quickly, a nimble tongue lapped it clean. Mobius propped her chin on her hand, drawing out her words.
"You… really don't want to be with me?"
A mix of languidness and seductive allure made Ryan's chopsticks tremble momentarily, but he quickly regained control.
He wiped his mouth, gazing at the stunningly cold face before him. After a moment's thought, he spoke. "Shanghai might be the epicenter of the third Honkai impact. I need to investigate."
Huh?
Mobius had prepared several plausible excuses for Ryan, yet his answer was entirely unexpected. Unconsciously, she leaned forward, her nose a mere inch from his face.
"How do you know? Fire Moth only pinpointed a general area, and Honkai is most likely to appear in remote locations."
Because I do.
Ryan thought to himself, though he wasn't entirely certain. He'd been here nearly twenty years; the butterfly effect had long since taken hold; who knew if anything would remain unchanged?
"Intuition. A warrior's intuition."
"Unbelievable. What intuition? It's completely unscientific." Mobius's disappointment was palpable. She had hoped Ryan would give her a way to accurately pinpoint the Honkai. She retracted, lightly stroking her dark calf. "Fine, let's assume your intuition is correct. Why would you rush towards the Herrscher? Shouldn't normal people stay far away?"
Ryan calmly ate his rice, not looking up. "The reason… don't you suspect it?"
Mobius's eye twitched. She leaned in again, her face alight with excitement.
"You can actually utilize those monsters to evolution! I knew you were up to something…"
"Stop. It's all your guesswork. I'm not saying anything. Besides, you've studied my body; there are no abnormalities."
"It's precisely that unknown quality that's so alluring. If you were evolving—"
"Then what would you do?" Ryan finished her sentence for her, lifting his coffee, calmly observing her.
The burgeoning excitement was quickly replaced by frustration, even a rare hint of dejection.
True, Mobius couldn't do anything. She couldn't restrain Ryan, nor could she use this suspicion to her advantage; she held little power within Fire Moth.
Her speculations alone wouldn't justify further action. Let alone Ryan's unknown backing, even a rebellion within the Far East Branch would be a significant undertaking.
"Heh, I love that gnashing-of-teeth helplessness you display." Ryan shrugged, no longer as guarded around Mobius as he once was. He allowed a sliver of information to slip, a hint of malicious amusement in his eyes.
As for why, he wasn't entirely sure, but he enjoyed it.
"So, we cooperate."
Mobius, immersed in her frustration, was taken aback. Disbelief warred with simmering resentment.
This guy was a master of psychological warfare. Every time she was about to erupt, she had to force herself to hold back. Thankfully, Mobius was known for her rationality. She took a deep breath.
"Tell me, how do we cooperate?"
"You can keep speculating, and I won't avoid you. Don't give me that look. The Nagazora City project will be finished soon; I'll simply leave, and what can you do to stop me?"
Mobius couldn't stop him, not truly. The warrior fusion project was just beginning, and she needed to return to her base for further research. She even suspected Ryan's mention of third Herrscher was a pretext.
But it was irrelevant. He wasn't her subordinate; he could go wherever he pleased.
"Continue."
"If you believe this is an evolution, you can choose to accompany me, become my… assistant. At the appropriate time, I'll offer some insights." Ryan's grey eyes were profound, like a superior being observing lesser mortals.
Of course, he didn't yet understand the complexities of Path, let alone sharing anything. He was simply exploiting Mobius's ambition.
The saying "greed blinds the eyes" holds true; the more one desires something, the more susceptible they become to manipulation. It transcended simple intelligence.
Mobius was clearly conflicted, her usually stoic face twisting into a knot. "This isn't fair. You'll have complete control."
"Look, given our relationship, I already have complete control." Ryan leaned on the table, calmly turning. "If you don't agree, fine. I can find Mei; her authority will soon surpass yours."
Ryan took a decisive step, only to feel his sleeve being tugged. He turned, a smile playing on his lips.
Mobius's expression was a complex tapestry of resentment, anger, ambition, and a hint of something she'd never shown before – vulnerability. She had no other choice but to accept this bargain; a torrent of emotions churned within her.
Heh, this power play broke her defenses completely.
Ryan wasn't sure why he thought that; heroic rescues or fawning didn't work on Mobius; you had to exploit her ambitions.
Simultaneously making her helpless while offering genuine assistance, adding a touch of ambiguity, precisely struck Mobius's heart.
Whether this was a form of ambiguity, Ryan didn't know, but the entanglement was undeniable, a knot that couldn't be easily untied—whether that was good or bad, he couldn't say.
"Fine, I agree." Mobius was genuinely frustrated. She'd studied Elysia's methods of manipulation, yet this infuriating man remained unyielding, leaving her utterly helpless.
She even found him more troublesome than Elysia; at least she could manage the latter; this Ryan…
Who was assisting whom, exactly?
"A wise choice. I knew Dr. Mobius wouldn't disappoint." Ryan smiled outwardly, inwardly celebrating his victory. He'd finally gotten even for all the work he'd put in.
"Stop the pleasantries. Tell me, what do you need?" Mobius turned away, revealing a delicate neck, abandoning any thought of using underhanded tactics to return Ryan to Mu Continent.
"Get these things ready for me, then deliver them to Shanghai. I've read your papers; you have considerable expertise in engineering and materials science." Ryan presented a piece of paper.
For some reason, Mobius's mood lifted slightly. She took the paper and examined it, subconsciously reading aloud: "Hyper-pressure alloy spears, high-molecular shielding armor… are you preparing weapons to fight the Herrscher?"
"Take a guess." Ryan narrowed his eyes, his smile warm.
Her chest heaved again. Mobius wanted to unleash a string of curses, but anticipated an even more unpleasant reaction, so she opted for a cold tone.
"I'll prepare everything you need, but what's the payment?"
"Guess again."
He remained enigmatic. Mobius's brain whirred, coming up empty. She glanced around; the restaurant was empty. Finally, she couldn't contain herself.
"Do you believe I can't discreetly get rid of you?"
She bent down, removed her short, heeled boots, and threw them at him. Ryan casually caught them.
He stroked the smooth black leather, his gaze falling upon Mobius's delicate foot, encased in a sheer stocking. The elegant curve was like a work of art.
"You're not averse to it. Besides, I'm a materials science PhD; you can't fool me."
"Sometimes I wish you were a simpleton." Mobius stood barefoot on the floor, breathing heavily, her eyes narrowed, revealing a subtle allure.
"So you can toy with me, then? By the way, you look beautiful today. Stripped of all pretense, revealing your true self. It's a relief. Mobius, you still possess a burning humanity."
Ryan's words were crazy, yet utterly genuine. If it had been the Mobius in Elysian Realm, he wouldn't have felt this connection.
Mobius caught that fleeting emotion, wondering if he recognized her. Then she saw Ryan bend down, helping her put on her shoes.
His hand brushed against her stocking, sending a shiver down her spine. He seemed to deliberately linger, causing her to instinctively twitch, the natural touch the most potent seduction.
But Ryan didn't push further. He withdrew his hand, bowing slightly like a gentleman. "I look forward to a pleasant collaboration. Goodbye."
Mobius said nothing. That brief anomaly had left her slightly dazed; it wasn't the usual calculated performance. A strange feeling had emerged.
Longing? Anxiety at his departure?
A complex interplay of emotions surged through her. By the time she recovered her composure, the man was gone, the automatically closing door concealing his back. For a moment, she felt the urge to smash the table.
But a moment later, she sat heavily back down, pulling out her communicator. "Blanca, find me some mental health medication."
"Doctor, are you unwell?"
"No, I just…" Mobius propped her chin on her hand, staring at the closed door, muttering to herself.
"I just find it… strange."