Hearing this, Fu Zhu raised his eyebrows with great interest. To warrant an expulsion order from Sunday himself, this guest was likely more than just "unwelcome."
"It should be very simple for The Family to drive someone out, right? But now you're specifically asking me to do it. This person isn't an ordinary guest, are they?"
Sunday maintained his original smile, spreading his palms as he replied with a laugh, "Of course. This guest's identity is indeed not simple, but for you, Mr. Fu Zhu, it should be a very simple matter to escort her out. I won't beat around the bush with you, Mr. Fu Zhu. Her name is Acheron, a person who has infiltrated Penacony by impersonating a Galaxy Ranger."
"As you said, it's not difficult for The Family to drive someone out, especially someone who has falsified their identity. However, with the Charmony Festival imminent, The Family does not want to cause any incident that might affect it. Some of the guests invited to the festival have never been on friendly terms with The Family. If The Family were to make a move, some ill-intentioned individuals would inevitably stir up trouble behind the scenes."
"But you are different. You are a Nameless. Who in the cosmos doesn't know that the Nameless are a group of warm-hearted heroes? If you were to act, absolutely no one would have any objections. What do you think?"
Fu Zhu closed his eyes, his index finger tapping lightly on the tabletop. The vast office was filled with only the sound of his finger tapping, as the other three waited for his answer.
After a long moment of contemplation, Fu Zhu gave a vague reply, "I'll do my best."
Hearing this, Sunday also breathed a sigh of relief. Although it wasn't a definitive answer, for him, it was enough.
"Well then, I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Fu Zhu. And please, Dr. Chadwick, enjoy the Charmony Festival to the fullest."
Fu Zhu grunted in acknowledgment and once again turned to leave. Chadwick also nodded at Sunday before following him out.
Sunday watched as the office door closed, then took a deep breath. A black-and-purple raven suddenly appeared on the edge of his desk.
"Are you so certain he will go and deal with that Envoy of Nihility?"
Sunday shook his head decisively. "Of course not. Based on the intelligence the Hounds have gathered, Mr. Fu Zhu has always been a man whose thoughts are difficult to grasp. However, I did not reveal to him that she is an Envoy of Nihility. No matter how unpredictable Mr. Fu Zhu's thoughts are, he will certainly try to make contact with her. As long as he shows the slightest bit of hostility towards that Envoy... that will be enough."
The raven on the desk bobbed its head after hearing Sunday's words. "You are surprisingly quick to agree. I thought you would try to maneuver Fu Zhu into a direct confrontation with that Envoy of Nihility. An Envoy of Finality, an Envoy of Nihility... if not for our planned arrangements, I would truly wish to witness a clash between these two."
"How could I possibly have the time to watch two Envoys clash? Mr. Gopelmu, I'm afraid that next, you will need to step in and expel either that Envoy of Nihility or Mr. Fu Zhu. Otherwise, with two Envoys present at the same time, I cannot guarantee that they won't see through what we are about to do."
"...Fine, I understand."
---o---
Outside the villa, after the trio had emerged, Firefly clenched her little fists and looked at Fu Zhu with some concern. "Are you really going to do as Sunday said and drive out that guest? For a Family Head to make such a request, in his heart, the benefits of expelling that guest must be equal to keeping Dr. Chadwick."
"Of course not."
Fu Zhu let out an unexpected laugh. "Just because I came to negotiate doesn't mean I'll let them use me as a gun. Even you can see that this request isn't simple, so how could I possibly agree to it so clearly?"
Chadwick looked at Fu Zhu with some surprise and couldn't help but ask, "Then Mr. Fu Zhu, what do you plan to do next...?"
"Dr. Chadwick, it wasn't just The Family that imprisoned you. Naturally, we have to ask the other party as well."
Fu Zhu took out his phone and called Topaz. Fortunately, he had exchanged contact information with her back on Jarilo-VI. Otherwise, he would have had to go through Aventurine to contact someone from The Family.
The call connected after just a few rings, and Topaz's somewhat surprised laughter came from the other end.
"Mr. Fu Zhu? I didn't expect you to call me. Is something the matter?"
"Topaz, I need to discuss the matter of Dr. Chadwick with The Company. If you don't know about him, investigate it first and get back to me later."
"Alright, I'll look into it right now."
The conversation between the two was highly efficient. The matter was settled in just a few sentences. Next, Fu Zhu just needed to wait for The Company's reply and then go talk to them in person.
After finishing this step, Fu Zhu took out a milk bucket and handed it to Chadwick. "Dr. Chadwick, let's first remove the effects of that mind-blocking potion on you."
"This is... milk?"
Chadwick took the bucket from Fu Zhu with a look of confusion. He looked up at him and asked, "Mr. Fu Zhu, what do you mean by this? Is this milk any different? From what you're saying, it can negate the effects of a potion created by a genius?"
"Of course. This is milk certified by [The Abundance]. Just drink it. We'll talk about the rest after you've finished."
Chadwick nodded and, lifting the bucket, began to chug. At this point, he could only trust Fu Zhu.
A minute or two later, Fu Zhu personally witnessed the [Mind Block] debuff below Chadwick's health bar disappear. He finally relaxed. Fortunately, the potion made by that genius wasn't like Entropic Dissolution Syndrome, which continuously applied a debuff. It was just a simple debuff with a very long duration.
After finishing the milk, Chadwick felt his mind clear up considerably. Memories that had become hazy and indistinct were now becoming sharp and clear once more.
"It... it really worked?!"
Chadwick looked at the empty iron bucket in his hands, muttering to himself in disbelief. He then looked at Fu Zhu with astonishment. If the milk Fu Zhu casually handed him could neutralize the masterpiece of a genius, then Fu Zhu himself must also be a genius!
But Chadwick didn't understand. If Fu Zhu was a genius himself, why would he go through so much trouble to help him? Even if he wanted to recruit him as a subordinate, this deal was still a bad one.
"Mr. Fu Zhu, why are you doing all this?"
"First, I need your wisdom. Second, after learning about your experience, I'm a bit annoyed. Is that a sufficient answer?"
Fu Zhu offered an explanation, then took out his own phone.
"Dr. Chadwick, I'm sending you some data. I need your help to research the optimal solution for this machine. I'll need it soon."
Chadwick nodded and took out his phone to receive the files Fu Zhu had sent. He glanced at the file name and couldn't help but mutter it under his breath.
"World... Devourer?"