AnZe and Lu Feng exchanged glances. Lu Feng's expression was his usual calm indifference, his gaze steady; he was serious. AnZe stumbled over his words: "No... no need." If the box contained something else, and Sir Judge had whimsically offered to help, despite his reluctance to interact too much with this person, he wouldn't refuse. But the box now, it contained no good thing. AnZe also placed his hand on the handle, attempting to take it back from Lu Feng: "I can manage on my own." "Can you?" Lu Feng looked at him, a slight furrow in his brow, "You live on the first floor?" "I live on the fifth floor, but I can manage." "Oh." His hand pressed down on AnZe's fingers, and somehow, with a flick, AnZe's hand was pried from the handle. With a click, the handle was smoothly pushed back into the box, and Lu Feng, with one hand, effortlessly lifted the entire case. AnZe: "…!" He said: "Really, it's not necessary." Lu Feng: "Fifth floor?" Alright. AnZe realized he had inadvertently given away his floor number. But before he could react further, Lu Feng had already started towards the apartment entrance, forcing him to follow—before entering the building, he glanced back at Qiao Xi, who looked back at them with uncertain astonishment, not moving a step. Mr. Xiao had once said that if he got involved with a formidable mercenary, Qiao Xi would certainly avoid him. It seems that might be true, even though he was with a Judge, not a mercenary, and he actually had no relation with Lu Feng. However, just that moment of distraction had AnZe falling several steps behind Lu Feng. The Colonel had longer legs; he had to quicken his pace to catch up, entering the stairwell with Lu Feng. To save electricity, only the emergency lights dimly lit the stairwell. It was dark and narrow, silent except for the clear sound of the Colonel's military boots on the floor, each step echoing in AnZe's heart. From what he knew of Lu Feng, the man was likely to ask next, "What's in the box?" But until they reached the fifth floor, Lu Feng remained silent. AnZe stood at the door of Apartment 14, taking out his ID card to unlock the door. With no curtains, the aurora surged through the window as the door opened. The bright colors filled much of the dark sky, primarily in green, with large swirls of orange and purple at the edges. Entering, AnZe turned on a small light inside. Out of human decency, he turned to the Colonel by the door: "Please, come in." Lu Feng stepped in gracefully, placing the suitcase beside the wall. AnZe, observing his expression, thought he seemed to be in a surprisingly good mood, and didn't seem like he wanted to leave. He ventured, "Do you plan to continue your patrol?" Lu Feng, arms crossed against the wall, replied indifferently, "No need." Those cold green eyes fixed on AnZe, who felt even now, after all this time, that Sir Judge hadn't fully trusted him to be human, still critically searching for any possible flaws. In a quiet voice, AnZe asked, "What will you do next?" "Return to the defense base to rest," he heard Lu Feng say. AnZe tried to converse in a human manner, "Won't you return to the tribunal?" Lu Feng: "It's too far." AnZe: "…Oh." Feeling it prudent under the circumstances to offer the Colonel a seat, but very much wanting him gone because the room, appearing to house only one Colonel, actually contained two. He asked, "When will you go?" Lu Feng glanced at him. AnZe dropped his gaze, pressing his lips together. Lu Feng ordered, "Get me a glass of water." —Not a suggestion or a proposal, whatever he said sounded like an order. AnZe: "Yes." He picked up a cup from the table, stepped out; the communal water dispenser wasn't far. Debating whether Lu Feng preferred hot or cold water, he quickly chose the latter. If ice water was available, he would have certainly chosen it for Lu Feng. After filling the cup, the heavy-hearted journey back to face Lu Feng weighed on him. A late-night Judge assisting in carrying a box upstairs, just for a glass of water—was he thirsty after a night patrol? This experience, when shared with Mr. Xiao tomorrow, whose brain housed only one matter, would certainly provoke him to say, "He wants to sleep with you." That's incorrect. AnZe halted suddenly in his steps. Suddenly, he remembered why Mr. Xiao left the box with him. —With Jin Sen previously acting proper in the black market, suddenly gone missing, Mr. Xiao suspected something was off, choosing not to bring the Judge's doll back to the shop. His brow furrowed as he recalled Lu Feng's every action. Judges' patrols usually move in groups, like that time at the black market entrance; Lu Feng brought three others. Why was he alone now, and why appeared right downstairs at his home? Moreover, Lu Feng seemed like a mind reader, his slightest anomaly always uncovered; why then did he not question what was inside the box? AnZe's hand stopped on the door handle. He felt, perhaps, the Judge had come for him. Quickly withdrawing his hand, he took out his communicator, AE77243, Mr. Xiao's number. On the black and white screen of the communicator, four words appeared: "Unable to connect." Alarm bells rang in AnZe's mind. However, at that moment, from behind the slightly ajar door came a voice chilling as death: "Come in." AnZe's heart pounded several hard beats. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door. Lu Feng still stood where he was, head slightly bowed, lost in thought beside the upright suitcase. Taking a few steps forward, AnZe offered the cup: "Colonel, your water." Lu Feng remained still. In a swift realization, AnZe slowly turned his head towards the other side of the room. And then, he locked eyes with the real Lu Feng. Lu Feng sat at his desk, legs crossed in a lofty posture, holding a piece of paper, looking up at him. AnZe experienced the despair of being toyed with. But at that moment, he could only slowly advance a couple of steps, placing the cup on the desk: "Your water." Lu Feng took the cup, sipped lightly, then slightly frowned, "Cold?" AnZe didn't want to speak, feeling he had done yet another wrong thing. Lu Feng set the cup back on the table, along with the paper, looking at him. AnZe quickly admitted fault: "I was wrong." Lu Feng didn't respond for a full ten seconds before he said, "What crime have you committed?" AnZe: "Not giving the Colonel hot water." Lu Feng simply stated, "Cold is acceptable." AnZe, looking at the brutal "Against the Acts of the Judges" flyer in Lu Feng's hand, felt colder, admitting, "Participating in an illegal march." Lu Feng: "Not to that extent." That settled it. The only possible crime he was left with— What would be the charge for creating a doll of a Judge? AnZe hated himself for not paying attention to the Base Law back then, as he searched desperately for words. Dolls, those used for unsavory purposes— The words Lu Feng had spoken to Qiao Xi below flashed through his mind, and AnZe despaired, "…Lewd conduct?" Seeing a trace of amusement in Lu Feng's eyes, "Ever read the Base Law?" "No." "Come here." AnZe stepped forward. "Stretch out your hand." AnZe obediently extended his hand. With his usual brevity and commanding tone, Lu Feng said, "Place it here." AnZe hesitated for a moment before slowly resting his hand on Lu Feng's left chest, his uniform's silver badge and pinned emblem were cold, surfaced with some texture. He didn't understand why Lu Feng asked for this. Click. The cold metal handcuffs were once again locked around AnZe's wrists. Lu Feng, expressionless: "Indecency." AnZe: "…?" Immediately after, Lu Feng picked up the communicator. "Arrest complete, contraband seized," he said, "Send support." * The defense base's corridors were darker and colder than residential buildings. AnZe was taken to the basement level, under dim lighting where everything was doors of iron. He realized this might be the human version of a prison. He was locked in one of them. "Interrogation tomorrow," Lu Feng locked the iron door, "You have ten hours to prepare your defense." AnZe: "I have no defense." Lu Feng: "I thought so." With that, he turned and left without a backward glance, leaving behind a final word: "Rest well." AnZe, clinging to the iron door, watched as Lu Feng's figure disappeared down the corridor. Whispers came from across him. "I told you, none will be spared." "How did Hubbard make it outside? Otherwise, he wouldn't miss his jail meal. He asked me to take photos secretly. You both screwed me over, you owe me when we get out." "Go find Duse. It was her order, and she hasn't paid the balance yet." "Then take me to her." It was Mr. Xiao and Jin Sen's voices. AnZe looked towards the two locked up across him in the dim light, struggling to recognize them: "You're here too?" "Indeed." Jin Sen said, "I was just selling phones peacefully when I was taken by the tribunal's men." Mr. Xiao sighed, "I was separated from you and hadn't made it to the station when I was captured." Jin Sen: "What about you? How were you captured?" AnZe didn't respond. "Master," he said. Mr. Xiao: "What's wrong?" AnZe: "Do I really seem easy to bully?" "You're just realizing this?" Mr Xiao said lazily, "Why ask now?" AnZe didn't answer; he inquired, "What were you charged with?" "As if that needs saying," Mr. Xiao replied, "Illegal acquisition of Judge's information." AnZe: "Is that so." "What about you," Mr. Xiao asked, "the same?" AnZe: "Yes." Mr. Xiao laughed long, "Even your speech has changed. Has someone bullied you?" AnZe coldly: "No."