Wise entered the room to check on his sister Belle, while also discussing the issue of outstanding debts with Nicole.
Billy and Anby rested in the living room, watching TV.
Arden, however, pulled Yiji aside.
"Yiji, what do you think of Phaethon's Proxy techniques?"
"Strong… very strong!"
What Phaethon could do, Yiji could also accomplish—but the difference was significant. The Phaethon siblings could remotely control Bangboo through the HDD system from outside the Hollow, while Yiji had to enter the Hollow in person.
That difference was huge—like comparing a fighter jet to a drone. Even when carrying out extremely dangerous missions, the Phaethons didn't have to worry about their own safety.
"So, do you want to learn it?"
"Husband… you mean…?"
Hearing that, Yiji guessed what Arden had in mind.
"Exactly. I want you to stay here and learn Phaethon's technique."
Arden looked straight into Yiji's eyes.
Having played Hollow Zero, he understood the power of Phaethon's Proxy technique very well. Even though the siblings themselves entered the Hollow after version 2.0, mastering remote-control skills would be useful at some point.
"Yiji, what do you think?"
"I'll do whatever my husband wants."
"But… if I want to learn it, will they even teach me?"
"Hehe, leave that to me."
…
"Really… it's just a few million Denny. Can't you cut me some slack for an old friend?"
Leaving Belle's room, Nicole complained to herself while the siblings were alone.
Due to the hacker's attack, the "Phaethon" account had been lost, and they had to start over.
It was foreseeable that future income would drop sharply, so Wise thought of Nicole—Cunning Hares still owed them a huge sum.
Now, Nicole was in a bind. She didn't want to dodge payment, but Cunning Hares really had no money!
Originally, she had pinned her hopes on the safe, but now that income was gone too.
"Nicole, short on cash again?"
Arden's voice reached her ears.
"Hehe, Boss Xu!"
Seeing Arden approach, Nicole smiled awkwardly and rubbed her hands together. "I've been a little tight on funds recently… could you lend Cunning Hares some Denny? I won't borrow much… just a small loan of eight, teen-ish… million Denny should do."
Nicole knew well that Yunkui Summit's various industries were booming—there was plenty of Denny!
Arden rolled his eyes internally.
Not much… just eighteen million Denny? You really have the nerve to ask!
Yunkui Summit and Arden had money, but he also understood how hard it was to earn it. Besides, Cunning Hares was a bottomless pit—any amount of Denny could be spent on it.
"Borrow money? No."
But before Nicole could show disappointment, Arden shifted his tone.
"However, I have a highly paid commission. Will you take it?"
"Let's hear it."
"I need you…"
Whether it was Yunkui Summit or Arden, they were unfamiliar with Phaethon, so a direct approach would likely be refused. Arden wanted Nicole to broker it. Cunning Hares, however, were different—they had a long-term, highly trusted working relationship with Phaethon. As long as Denny wasn't mentioned, it would work.
Arden also knew Phaethon's financial situation was tight. By offering an irresistible "tuition" and with Nicole's persuasion, the chance of success would increase dramatically.
"Learning Phaethon's technique… this commission is a bit tricky!"
Nicole looked hesitant.
"Stop talking nonsense. Are you taking it or not?"
"I'll take it… how could I not?"
At this, Nicole revealed her business smile. "But whether it succeeds depends on how high the reward actually is."
"I'm willing to pay this amount…"
Arden held up one finger.
That much!?
Nicole suppressed her excitement.
"I want it to be…"
She grabbed Arden's hand and held up her middle finger, "This much!"
"Deal!"
Twenty million Denny for Phaethon's Proxy techniques—worth it!
…
Arden found Wise, first pretending to ask for treatment fees for Belle, and then, at the right moment, proposed leaving Yiji behind to learn Proxy techniques from the siblings.
With an irresistible tuition and Nicole's persuasion, Wise finally agreed.
Outside the "Random Play" video store, Arden said goodbye to Yiji.
Ju Fufu was still waiting at Yunkui Summit, and Arden didn't plan to linger. No matter what earth-shattering events happened in New Eridu, his wife and children came first.
"Yiji, study well here, don't overwork yourself. If you miss me, come back to Yunkui Summit for a few days."
Yunkui Summit wasn't too far from Sixth Street—within the city limits, just a few hours' drive at most.
"Mm, I know!"
Yiji was reluctant to part. She knew her task wasn't just learning Proxy technique, but also monitoring. If anything happened with Phaethon, she would report it to Arden immediately.
...
That day, Arden leaned on the sofa in a private room at Yum Cha Sin, checking Yiji's reports.
Since Ju Fufu married Arden, Yum Cha Sin had also become part of Yunkui Summit's holdings.
Ju Fufu had moved to live with Arden, while the restaurant was managed by disciples. Of course, Ju Fufu would occasionally return to check on things and provide guidance.
"Red Fang Gang… exposed Vision Corporation… new Cunning Hares member Nekomata… handled strange intelligent machinery… discovered Sacrifice."
Yiji, studying Proxy technique diligently, also transmitted intelligence back.
"Cunning Hares… the siblings selling videos are really busy."
Though many events had occurred, in reality, they only spanned a few days.
"Next should be Phaethon helping Victoria Housekeeping clean up the Ballet Twins Hollow, right?"
Mentioning Victoria Housekeeping, a JK with a fluffy tail and a lollipop popped into Arden's mind.
"By the way, it's been a while since I last saw Shark Girl."
The last time Arden saw Shark Girl was during his wedding. Since then, he had been busy with his wife—and with Ju Fufu pregnant, he had neglected the other girls a bit.
"This won't do. I still have the [All-Thunder Collector] breakthrough task to complete."
Arden decided that now, with Ju Fufu's condition stable and Yixuan Shifu taking care of her, it was time to focus on other members of his harem.
Ding! You have new messages, please check.
As Arden thought about his next steps, a notification popped up on his phone.
He glanced at it and chuckled knowingly.
"Hehe… just say Shark Girl, and a Shark Girl arrives!"
Indeed, it was Ellen herself, proactively sending a message inviting Arden to the movies.
===BREAK===
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