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Dan Heng: Video file attached.
Himeko: Impressive, Bochang... You can even play bass! Would you be interested in performing on the Astral Express sometime?
Welt: Young folks always have such energy. At my age, attempting that dance might just strain my back.
March 7th: Uncle Yang, don't say that—you're still quite young!
Stars: Thumbs up emoji.jpg
Bochang: Cat peeking out emoji.jpg
This brief exchange concluded swiftly.
Bochang then entered the kitchen to get busy, this time alone as Stelle was whisked away by March 7th. The two girls seemed engrossed in some game upstairs.
They only descended once Bochang had finished preparing the meal.
As everyone gathered around to eat...
Bochang spoke up first, "There's one more thing. After finishing my meal, I need to head to the shop. Earlier, Serval and I agreed to rehearse together today, so I won't be able to practice shooting tonight."
"Bochang joined their band," Stelle added.
Dan Heng responded, "Go ahead then, but remember to find opportunities for gathering information. Don't get too carried away with the fun. Right now, we must assess the situation with the Architects; it's not prudent to act hastily. The success of the Trailblazer team relies on you."
"And don't forget about me!" March 7th suddenly chimed in.
Despite two consecutive days without any leads, she still believed she had great potential.
Dan Heng shook his head with a sigh.
Even Stelle looked away.
"Why do you guys make such faces...?" March 7th crossed her arms, pouting slightly. "I've been working really hard, you know."
"Well, March, could you please tell us what clues you've discovered over these past two days?" Dan Heng asked, spreading his hands expectantly.
Dan Heng spread his hands helplessly.
A hint of embarrassment crossed March 7th's face as she said, "Ah... this... I just had bad luck... The boss knows nothing; every day, she only has me take photos for customers. There wasn't much I could do..."
"How about this? Later, I'll go with Bochang, and we're bound to gather information about Stellaron."
March 7th clenched her fist determinedly.
Dan Heng placed a hand on his forehead, sighing. "I think it's better if you don't create more chaos over there..."
For some reason, Stelle felt that March 7th simply wanted to watch the rehearsal.
The pink-haired girl seemed somewhat indignant.
However...
In the end, Dan Heng did not allow March 7th to interfere recklessly.
After finishing his meal, Bochang left alone. Before departing, the stoic little azure dragon gave a parting instruction, "Be careful on your way."
It took them several dozen minutes to arrive at the machine shop.
By now, it was around 7:30 PM.
When Bochang entered, Serval, Lynx, and Pela were already rehearsing.
The machine shop had been transformed into a rehearsal space for their rock music. With excellent soundproofing, there was no concern about disturbing neighbors late at night.
Bochang's arrival seemed like fitting the final piece of a puzzle into place.
Serval warmly welcomed him, making Bochang feel somewhat overwhelmed by the attention.
Soon after...
Just like their daytime outdoor performance, they began rehearsing. However, during the evening practice sessions, the music occasionally paused for adjustments or tweaks as needed.
Additionally, they practiced Serval's new song.
Time slowly slipped away amidst the rocking tunes.
Before they knew it, it was 8 PM.
Feeling slightly tired from the rehearsal, everyone decided to take a break.
"Here." Serval handed a bottle of water to Bochang. "Stay hydrated."
"Thanks." Bochang accepted it casually.
Lynx gazed at the black-haired youth with her large, watery blue eyes.
"Bochang, you play bass so well. Who did you learn from?"
Belobog, after all, was just a moderately sized city. It's quite normal for those with some talent to know each other, especially when it comes to bassists, who are in high demand and short supply from various perspectives...
A completely unknown yet highly skilled bassist seemed rather peculiar, almost as if he had appeared out of thin air.
While neither Serval nor Pela intended to delve deeper, Lynx couldn't suppress her curiosity.
Bochang was taken aback by the question.
If he were to name a teacher, it would undoubtedly be "Dating Options."
However, revealing this truth was impossible; even if he tried, it would likely be dismissed as a joke.
After waiting several seconds...
Without waiting for any mention of "Dating Options," Bochang simply replied, "Well... I taught myself."
Whether others believed it or not didn't matter.
At least Bochang did believe it.
"Taught yourself..." Lynx clearly wasn't convinced, but with no further explanation forthcoming from him, she had little choice.
As Pela had mentioned earlier, these individuals held secrets.
Serval intervened, saying, "Alright, Lynx, don't pressure Bochang. From now on, he's part of our band. It doesn't matter where Bochang learned to play bass; that's not important."
"Fine."
With Serval's intervention, Lynx abandoned her questioning, remembering Dan Heng's advice.
Throughout the break, Bochang had been pondering how best to ask Serval about Stellaron. This seemed like the perfect opportunity. If he didn't inquire now, there might not be another chance later during rehearsal time.
Once rehearsal started, there would be no time for such discussions.
After some hesitation, Bochang finally spoke up.
"Um... boss, during today's outdoor rock concert, I overheard someone mention that the young Silvermane Guard officer—Gepard—is your brother. Is this true?"
"Of course it is..." Lynx nodded.
Speaking of Gepard Landau, Lynx knew him well; after all, he was her elder brother.
Bochang scratched his head and said, "I wasn't aware of that before..."
"If you don't follow such news, it's perfectly normal not to know. Additionally... I hope our friendship isn't affected by this connection."
Serval didn't particularly like being referred to as the sister of a young guard officer. It implied a secondary status attached to someone else's identity. However, Serval never considered herself subordinate to anyone.
"Of course not, I was just curious. By the way, I've heard that our boss used to be a researcher for the Silvermane Guards. Later on, something happened, and she was expelled from the Architects' group. Do you know why?"
During their break time, Bochang began cautiously probing for information.
Serval responded, "Do you really want to know?"
"Yes," Bochang nodded.
With a soft sigh, Serval's eyes filled with reminiscence.
"It's a long story. I was expelled due to a particular research project."
At that time, Serval had clashed with Cocolia over her investigation into Stellaron.
And then...
As thoughts of Stellaron surfaced, Serval recalled Stelle and remembered how he mentioned the word "Stellaron." A strange sensation started creeping up her spine.
"Something's off about Stellaron... There must be more to it. Are Bochang and Stelle investigating Stellaron?"
This thought surfaced in Serval's mind, refusing to dissipate. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that it seemed somewhat unreal.
After all...
How could they possibly know about Stellaron's existence?
Even within the Architects, only a select few were aware of its significance.
"Am I overthinking this?"