Thunk!
Without rewiring anything or tampering with any internal components, Chen Ze simply stood on tiptoe, tapped a few buttons, and a fully heated cup of instant noodles dropped out automatically.
Smooth, efficient—almost as if he'd actually paid for it.
This was precisely why Chen Ze had chosen this particular, more advanced vending machine among the many lined streets.
Because if it had been one of the simpler, more mechanical types, with lower automation, he might not have been able to identify a programming flaw so easily.
After all—the more complex a machine or program, the more likely it is to have bugs.
In the hacker world, that was nothing but common sense.
"So hacking can be done in the human world too?"
Renamon had always thought hacking applied only to the digital space of the internet. Chen Ze breaking into a vending machine's system completely overturned that assumption.
"The info-tech of this era is way too primitive. Back in my original world, I could hack any networked device with just a personal terminal."
He wasn't exaggerating at all. High-level informationization brought convenience to humanity—but also countless vulnerabilities.
Especially for someone like Chen Ze, who lived to exploit such flaws, finding and using program loopholes was practically instinctive. Not to mention the fact that this "old‑model" vending machine was generations behind by his standards.
"I see."
Renamon nodded thoughtfully, then without further comment, reached into the dispensing slot and retrieved the steaming hot cup of noodles.
"…Why do I feel like you interpreted that in a very different way than I intended?"
Chen Ze threw her a suspicious sideways glance. Something about her expression made him think they were not thinking about the same thing at all.
"You're not going to eat?"
Fortunately, Renamon changed the subject before he could dwell on it.
"Of course I am! I want two—no, three cups!"
Standing on tiptoe again, Chen Ze finally realized how short he truly was in Agumon's body. He couldn't even reach the vending machine's buttons properly.
"Hit that button for me! The spicy flavor!"
"What's that?"
While Chen Ze and Renamon happily devoured their noodles, on the balcony of a nearby apartment building, a young girl leaned over the railing, staring curiously at them.
"Daddy! I think I found two weird animals!"
Her innocent voice brimmed with pure curiosity. The girl had no idea what she was seeing—she was simply reporting it to her parents by instinct.
"Mimi, it's bedtime!"
With a weary sigh, her father, Keisuke Tachikawa, walked onto the balcony and followed her pointing finger—only to see nothing at all.
"Mimi, if you keep tricking Daddy like this, Daddy will tell Mommy you were secretly watching cartoons past bedtime."
Blinking in confusion, Mimi turned to look again—and discovered the two strange creatures she'd just seen had vanished entirely.
"Huh? But they were right there!"
Her father didn't bother listening further. He simply scooped her up and spoke in a doting tone:
"All right, Mimi. If you keep this up, Daddy will tell Mommy."
The threat instantly reminded Mimi of a far more pressing issue. She scrunched up her face, tugged her father's cheeks, and shouted:
"Then I'll tell Mommy YOU were drinking beer today!"
"Eh?!"
Keisuke froze instantly. Then, with a face full of pleading horror, he whispered:
"Mimi, didn't we agree not to talk about that? You're breaking our promise!"
Mimi stuck out her tongue mischievously. She had never intended to help him hide anything to begin with.
"Humph! That's because Daddy didn't believe me! I really saw two weird animals!"
"Yes yes, Daddy believes you. Mimi really did see two strange creatures earlier."
"That's such a half‑hearted tone! Daddy doesn't believe me at all! Also, Mommy is standing right behind you."
"…Ha?! Mimi you— Satoe, I can explain! This is all a misunderstanding!"
As a chaotic ruckus erupted inside the apartment, the father and daughter promptly forgot all about the two mysterious creatures.
"That was close—we were almost spotted!"
Hiding behind a large tree near the vending machine, Chen Ze let out a heavy sigh only after seeing the little girl leave the balcony.
"Why are we hiding?"
Renamon, however, looked genuinely puzzled. To her, that tiny human "cub" didn't pose any threat at all. Why bother hiding?
"If we don't hide, do you plan on seeing your face on tomorrow morning's headlines?!"
Rolling his eyes, Chen Ze felt quite numb toward Renamon's almost supernatural level of emotional cluelessness ever since learning she was a Digimon.
"Or do you want to get caught by the human military and dragged into some research facility as a test subject?"
Chen Ze didn't deny Agumon's physical strength—but he definitely didn't consider himself capable of taking on modern firepower head‑on.
"No."
Renamon shook her head immediately—firmly.
Having learned about the human world primarily through the internet, she had seen plenty of movies featuring monsters being captured, dissected, or experimented on.
In fact, aside from basic common sense, most of Renamon's "knowledge" of the human world came from various anime and films.
The truth was, most of her time inside Chen Ze's computer had been spent watching movies and anime. The sensory experience—so different from Digimon culture—had enriched her daily life immensely.
If Chen Ze's computer had contained more anime and fewer hacker files…
then the creature standing beside him might not have been a quirky, brilliant "fox hacker,"
but a full‑fledged, trope‑spouting otaku Renamon.
"But I don't think hiding is going to help us anymore."
Just when Chen Ze thought Renamon had finally grasped the seriousness of the situation, her next words raised the danger level even higher.
"Because our battle with Angemon earlier… seems to have been recorded by the nearby electronic cameras."
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T/N: wow no T/Ns for 10 chaps? i was locked innnn