"Gū Lū…"
This was the sound caused by bubbles rising from the water and surging toward the surface. Of course, this sound was very faint; if it weren't for the surroundings, it wouldn't be audible at all.
However, in the deep, bottomless sea, such bubbles were quite common. They would occasionally emerge from various corners and rise to the surface, presenting a rather picturesque scene for anyone looking for them.
Amidst this underwater realm, a small submarine, akin to a torpedo, sped forward at an impressive pace.
Within the submarine's cabin, the lighting was provided solely by signal lights and instrument panels.
Fang Li was situated behind the pilot's seat, using an electronic telescope to observe the external scenes while watching Aria manipulate the control stick.
Only at this point did Fang Li finally understand why Aria had the confidence to operate a submarine with just a driving manual that came with Logi.
"Driving is completely automated; you only need to steer according to the radar. It's basically motorcycle-level difficulty."
"Open a hole and hide in it! Who told you that I would be operating it in its entirety"
Fang Li's retort barely had a chance to come out when Aria immediately blocked it with a single phrase.
However, Fang Li's retort wasn't entirely wrong.
This submarine had undergone significant modifications; not only was it fast, but even its piloting was nearly fully automated, offering a lot of convenience to the user.
Nevertheless, there were some downsides.
For instance, fuel consumption could be rapid, maintenance costs were high, and the depth for infiltration needed to be greatly improved. Just as Aria had said at the beginning, this was a submarine that couldn't venture too deep into the sea.
Yet, this level of capability was more than enough for their mission.
"From the radar, it seems I-U's submarine hasn't ventured too deep into the sea. Presumably, Demon Sword kidnapped your friend not long ago, and they've come up to welcome Demon Sword or other members," Aria's deduction was likely quite accurate.
Hence, the current situation was rather favorable for Fang Li and Aria.
"Reaching the destination will likely take some time. I don't think we will reach our destination before ten hours. If you don't have anything to do, you can rest for a bit and recharge," Aria said considerately.
"I'll sleep for five hours, then we can switch. That way, we'll be refreshed when the attack comes," Fang Li decided without much ado.
"Understood." Aria's reply sounded dismissive, but she probably heard him.
So, Fang Li leaned against the cold wall, closed his eyes, and entered a light sleep state.
The bullet-like small submarine continued its journey beneath the sea.
As time passed, the light had essentially faded at this depth, making the cabin progressively darker.
Fang Li slept for three hours, then woke up due to hunger. He and Aria had a simple meal and some drinks, satisfying their hunger. Afterward, Fang Li switched places with Aria, allowing her to rest.
It wasn't clear if Aria was putting up a front earlier, but she didn't seem to have much confidence in piloting the submarine in reality. This caused her to be somewhat nervous during the operation, consuming quite a bit of energy. In almost a minute, Aria fell asleep.
Fang Li took over the piloting from Aria, allowing the submarine to move in nearly automatic conditions, and he only needed to periodically check the display on the radar.
In this situation, all sound disappeared from the cabin, and only the slightly sweet sound of Aria's breathing lingered, seemingly raising the cabin's temperature a bit.
"Pā Tà…"
Suddenly, a peculiar sound echoed from behind Fang Li, who was seated at the helm.
Fang Li turned his head somewhat uncertainly and looked behind him.
A small booklet had fallen out from Aria's sleeping embrace against the wall.
"Butei Handbook?"
Fang Li immediately recognized the item's significance.
The Butei handbook, like a police officer's manual, was a portable notebook used to record small case reports and investigation notes.
Basically, every Butei carried it with them.
That's because within this Butei handbook were several small items attached.
For instance, lock-picking tools, emergency bandages for injuries, painkillers and stimulants with accompanying syringes, as well as small pills to enhance concentration— all these could be kept in the handbook's compartments.
In truly crucial moments, these small items could prove to be incredibly useful.
"To think such an important item was casually placed, no wonder it fell." Fang Li picked up the fallen Butei handbook from the ground.
However, within the Butei handbook, a photograph had fallen out.
"Huh?" Fang Li blinked, picking up the photo as well.
The next moment, Fang Li saw it.
In this photograph was a person.
A dashing man wearing an overcoat over a suit, sporting a detective's hat, and holding a pipe in his mouth.
The handsome man in the photograph seemed to belong to a different era.
Because, not only was the photograph black and white, but it also appeared quite antiquated.
Looking at the handsome man in the photo, Fang Li felt a sense of familiarity with the figure.
After a while, Fang Li finally recalled the name of the figure in the photo.
"Sherlock Holmes."
Even the textbooks at Butei High included pictures of this character— a figure renowned as the founder of Butei.
"I didn't expect this girl to carry a picture of her great-grandfather with her."
However, upon thinking about it, it wasn't so strange after all.
As a descendant of the Holmes family, there was no doubt that Aria held her great-grandfather in the highest regard.
Carrying his picture with her was probably a way to motivate herself to strive forward, following in her ancestor's footsteps.
"Well, one had already died and this one will be dead in another 80 or 90 years, so sooner or later they'll be reunited."
Fang Li, who couldn't form any emotional attachment to death, could only hold such thoughts.
At this moment, Aria unexpectedly turned over in her sleep, murmuring dreamily, "Great-grandfather…"
Hearing this, Fang Li chuckled, "Dreaming even about the person you admire the most?"
Just as Fang Li was chuckling, tears welled up in Aria's eyes, and she whispered incessantly.
"I found a partner… no longer a defective product… great-grandfather… I absolutely will save Mom…"
This sort of sleep-talking gradually wiped the smile off Fang Li's face.
Seeing a tear trickle down Aria's cheek, Fang Li couldn't help but sigh.
"Seems like Aria's life is tougher than I imagined."
Fang Li put the photo back into the Butei handbook and gently tucked it back into Aria's embrace.
"Drip— Drip—!"
Suddenly, the submarine's radar emitted a sound.
...
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