After listening to their entire conversation from the side, Cipher fell into deep thought. 'Genesis Biotech… genetic modification…'
Luo Lin and the others mentioned it before. They've even asked her whether she had undergone any kind of gene-modification procedure.
As it turns out, the reason she was being targeted was because of her feline traits… They mistook her for someone from Genesis Biotech.
At that thought, Cipher flicked her tail irritably.
'Stereotypes! This is blatant stereotyping! Who said that having animal traits automatically means gene modification?! Can't someone just be born that way?!'
Of course, she was only venting to herself.
Just like in her previous life—if a catgirl really appeared, most people would probably just assume it was some extremely high-quality cosplay.
'Whatever. If they want to misunderstand, let them. Time to get down to real business.'
Pushing the gene-modification issue aside, Cipher's gaze shifted toward Shen Yan.
By now, Shen Yan had taken off his coat and seemed to be preparing for rest.
If she remembered correctly, his personal terminal was tucked right inside that coat pocket.
'This is my chance!'
At the sight of it, Cipher excitedly licked her lips.
In the next instant, the Coin of Reversal flipped into the air—
The flow of time slowed to an extreme crawl.
"Chrono Surge, activate!"
The moment those words left her mouth, Cipher had already appeared beside Shen Yan's coat.
After rummaging briefly, her eyes lit up as she pulled out his personal terminal.
"As expected. Right in the upper pocket. I didn't misremember!"
She immediately stored the terminal in her system inventory and opened its detailed description.
[Shen Yan's Personal Terminal] (White Item)
"The personal terminal of Shen Yan, Branch President of the Mercenary Association's Undercity Division. According to mercenaries, this man is notoriously greedy. If you cooperate with him, he'll eat the whole slab of meat—you might get a sip of broth at best. However, others hold him in high regard. One such review states: He is exceptionally trustworthy. Unlike certain powerful figures who discard people once they've been used, as long as you have value—no matter how humble your status—you won't have to worry about being stabbed in the back."
Credit Points: 342,189
"So basically, he's just greedy, but not completely heartless?"
Cipher rubbed her chin thoughtfully after reading the description.
But soon, she shook her head.
"What does his conscience have to do with this cat? He recorded my video without permission and even showed it to someone else! That's a violation of my privacy!"
With that, she took out the Quantum Storage device she had drawn earlier.
Holding the USB-like object in her palm, she muttered,
"I wonder if this still works while Chrono Surge is active… Guess I'll find out."
She plugged the Quantum Storage into the terminal. (Personal terminals have USB ports.)
The instant it connected, a string of numbers materialized above the device in a faint holographic glow.
A thought surfaced in her mind—she instantly understood what the numbers meant.
Input a number, and the Quantum Storage would withdraw or deposit that exact amount of credit points.
"So it works even during Chrono Surge. As expected of something produced by the system! Then let's withdraw 100,000 credit points first. Consider it compensation for infringement."
The moment that thought formed, the holographic numbers shifted to [0/100000].
In the next instant, the zero began fluctuating wildly. Within mere seconds, it became [100000/100000].
"That was fast…"
Watching her little treasury instantly gain 100,000 credit points—and seeing the credit amount in Shen Yan's terminal drop from 342,189 to 242,189—
For a brief moment, everything felt unreal.
But she quickly steadied herself.
'In the game's storyline, Cipher accumulated wealth for over a thousand years. Even if it was only a means to defy prophecy—and most of it was distributed to the poor—money must've long since become nothing more than a number to her. So what's 100,000 credit points? Besides, I didn't take everything. Just call it robbing the rich to help the poor!'
At that thought, a mischievous smile curled onto her lips. Humming softly, she strolled back at a leisurely pace.
After slipping the terminal back into Shen Yan's coat, she waved toward him.
"Goodbye~ And thank you, generous Mr. Shen, for providing this poor kitty with such substantial compensation. As for the video, this cat won't pursue the matter anymore."
She even gave him a playful wink.
Then, catching the still-spinning coin midair, she sauntered down the stairs.
[Stole 100,000 credit points from Shen Yan. Stellar Jades +160]
"A free pull right away? How generous. And hey—this isn't stealing! It's compensation! Compensation, okay!"
★ ★ ★
"I didn't expect cat ears and a tail alone would cause such a huge chain of events. When I go on a mission with Luo Lin and the others, I'll see what that 'Brother Tan' is really up to."
As she spoke, Cipher moved aside the steel plate covering the entrance.
Staring at the dog-sized hole in front of her, she let out a gloomy sigh.
"Why didn't Luo Lin and the others make this entrance bigger back then? Crawling through a dog hole every time is such a hassle…"
Even so, despite the complaints, her body was honest. She obediently crouched down and crawled through.
Reaching the door, Cipher raised her cat ears and listened carefully. Aside from two steady breaths and one loud snore, there was no other sound.
"Looks like they didn't notice I slipped out. Good. At least I don't have to come up with another excuse."
Satisfied, she nodded.
She quietly opened the door and slipped inside without making a single sound, returning successfully to her room.
The moment she entered, she kicked off her boots and leapt forward—
Landing face-first onto her bed.
Burying herself in the warm, soft blanket, Cipher blissfully narrowed her eyes.
"Sleep!"
Before long, within the hidden house buried beneath the ruins, there was another steady and peaceful breath, softly blending into the silence of the night.