Part 33
The netizens of Sanyao were still unsatisfied, tipping while acting cute in the comments section, as if their earlier arrogance at the start was nothing but an illusion.
“Cleared the instance, throwing flowers~ Tossing some here, tossing some there【花花】. Boss, love you~”
“Welcome, boss, to come analyze crime cases again next time~ Followed you, your little fan is waiting for you with love~”
“The plot exploration rate should be 100% this time, right? This instance can be sealed off now.”
“Yet another instance where I got my face slapped. Leaving fully satisfied. 【捧脸】”
“As expected of a boss with a score of 92, I knew from the start you weren’t ordinary! So, when’s the next instance opening?”
·
Julian Grant felt a bit dizzy when he logged out of the simulator.
He pressed his forehead, trying to pull his emotions out of the instance as quickly as possible.
A young voice called out by his ear, “Brother Q.”
Julian Grant glanced over coolly, a clear hint of menace appearing on his handsome face.
The young man scratched his head and grinned foolishly, pretending not to notice, holding up a report as he said, “The system’s final evaluation is a perfect pass. So, can we upgrade her instance selection permissions now?”
Julian Grant didn’t answer directly, but instead started walking out, asking at the same time, “Where’s The Vault?”
“In the lounge, just logged out too.” The young man followed with cheerful little steps, “Boss, are you going over to check on her?”
Julian Grant put on a businesslike expression: “Mm. I need to check her mental state after the game, see if she’s really adapting to it.”
The young man pursed his lips, silently mouthing complaints behind his back.
— Hypocrite. A man who uses public business for private gain!
·
The lounge where The Vault was had a huge floor-to-ceiling window. The room was stocked with various nutritional supplements and food, and a doctor was on duty nearby.
Since very few players could qualify for 【凶案解析】, the lounge was still very quiet.
The Vault was sitting near the door, a paper bag by her side, wearing a trench coat, looking livelier than in her photos.
Julian Grant walked to the door, already pressing his finger to the lock, ready to enter. Suddenly, a pair of hands reached out from the side, stopping him.
Julian Grant turned his head and saw it was his friend, Quinn Shelby.
Although the name sounded like a woman’s, Quinn Shelby was very much a man—a big, muscular, strapping guy.
Julian Grant smiled and said, “What’s up? Why are you in such a hurry to find me?”
“Didn’t I warn you?” Quinn Shelby said seriously, “You shouldn’t have let The Vault participate in 【凶案解析】.”
It was precisely because of his last-minute advice that Julian Grant had run an extra qualification check on The Vault.
Julian Grant’s expression grew more serious. “The Vault meets the qualifications and is exceptionally capable. Sanyao has its own rules. Since there are rules, I choose to respect them.”
Quinn Shelby said urgently, “You don’t know how dangerous she is!”
Julian Grant glanced at the quiet figure inside, smiling as he said, “I really don’t know.”
Author’s note:
Julian Grant: This petty woman, she definitely...
The Vault: This petty man, just how much trash has he talked about me in his heart? 【抠鼻】
Chapter 20: Danger
Julian Grant’s smile gave Quinn Shelby a huge sense of crisis; he felt his brother was falling, or maybe losing his mind.
Just then, The Vault inside turned her head and saw the two standing outside the door.
Her emotionless gaze stared at them deeply, giving the illusion of being watched.
She probably recognized Quinn Shelby, deliberately lowering her chin so her features looked even more sinister in the light. At the same time, she curled her lips into a rather nasty, even provocative, smile.
She knew exactly how to get under Quinn Shelby’s skin. And she succeeded.
Quinn Shelby instantly felt a chill crawl up his spine, swallowing back everything he wanted to say.
His fear of The Vault, after years of rivalry, had become a kind of fuse rooted deep in his heart—just seeing her in person was enough to bring him to the brink of short-circuiting.
He instinctively looked at Julian Grant, wanting his brother to see the creepiness behind The Vault. Anyone who’s met The Vault in person knows she’s dangerous.
But Julian Grant’s expression was perfectly calm, even nodding politely in greeting.
Julian Grant had experienced that look before, at their first meeting. Though he didn’t know much about The Vault, he was convinced she did it on purpose. It was her way of playing pranks, like teasing a child.
Last time it was because he was late; this time, it was aimed at Quinn Shelby.
As Julian Grant was thinking this, Quinn Shelby had already grabbed his arm and hurriedly dragged him away.
The Vault watched them for a while, then turned away, bored.
The two of them went to the end of a nearby corridor, where Quinn Shelby solemnly had Julian Grant stand opposite him.
Quinn Shelby put one hand on Julian Grant’s shoulder, pointing at him sternly: “You think I’m joking with you?”
“This isn’t about jokes, it’s a difference of opinion. Old Xie, Sanyao’s operations have their own requirements, it’s not as free as you think.” Julian Grant paused, then added, “And I trust my own judgment.”
“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.” Quinn Shelby gave a bitter smile. “She seems cold and distant, but that’s what makes her scarier. Once she lets her guard down around you, you’ll think you’ve broken through her defenses. You never know when you’ll be affected by her—that’s her psychological tactic.”
Julian Grant said, “Aren’t you making her sound a bit too mystical?”
“She’s even more formidable than you think!” Quinn Shelby widened his eyes. “Didn’t you see her acting skills?”
Julian Grant nodded in satisfaction. “She’s really good. Our 【凶案解析】 needs exactly this kind of talent.”
Quinn Shelby was nearly driven mad with anger.
He let go of Julian Grant and stood in front of the balcony’s glass door.
The transparent glass reflected his figure, his tightly furrowed brows clearly showing his anxiety.
Quinn Shelby spoke heavily: “When The Vault was working at A University, she was already a very unconventional person. She was a specially appointed lecturer at A University, with no research pressure, and rarely took on students. But the few students she personally mentored were all extraordinary.”
“One of them was the serial killer who shocked the nation back then, now sentenced to death.” Quinn Shelby recalled, still feeling a creepy chill, “He was a vicious criminal, a complete psychopath. Highly intelligent, extremely good at misleading the police. He committed crimes in many places, seemingly at random. To this day, we haven’t released the full details of the case.”
Julian Grant said, “I’ve heard about it.”
Quinn Shelby: “Every time he committed a crime, he’d clean the scene thoroughly, but would deliberately leave something related to The Vault behind.”
Julian Grant was taken aback—he really didn’t know that detail: “He hated The Vault?”
“No!” Quinn Shelby said, “He worshipped his teacher, or rather, he believed in her! He did it to show he was killing in the name of a god, and that god was The Vault. If you’d met him, you’d know just how disgusting he was.”
Julian Grant lowered his head in thought.
Quinn Shelby: “And there was another student...”
Julian Grant raised an eyebrow: “Who?”
Quinn Shelby: “That news story the media’s been blasting everywhere lately. About a juvenile murderer who, after serving his sentence, tracked down the witnesses who testified against him and killed them one by one in revenge. He then managed to escape the police dragnet and is still at large. You know about it?”
Julian Grant said, “Of course.”
The authorities had been roasted online countless times for it. You never realize just how sharp netizens’ sarcasm can be.
“He was also her student, and she taught him for many years. While he was in prison, he corresponded with The Vault three times a week. You could say he was personally trained by The Vault.” Quinn Shelby’s eyelids twitched, so he rubbed his eyes, “When the police were chasing him, the last call he made was to The Vault. The call lasted 32 seconds. I don’t believe The Vault didn’t help him at all.”
Julian Grant half-closed his eyes, as if weighing things.
Quinn Shelby thought he was finally listening, and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, “So—”
Julian Grant suddenly pinched his chin and said, “What’s this phenomenon called again? Dr. Fang Qi said it’s called the halo effect.”
Quinn Shelby snapped, “I’m being serious!”
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