When Pei Guang saw Serval, he blinked a few times and then shook his head.
Serval instantly understood that he was signaling her not to reveal their location. If it were anyone else, they might have exposed Pei Guang and his group, but not Serval. The idea of an assassination attempt on Cocolia intrigued her. She wanted to see who Cocolia was falsely accusing this time. Knowing her all too well, Serval decided not to give away their position.
After she threw the trash into the bin and casually closed the lid, everyone inside the bin let out a sigh of relief. As for the trash she threw in? Pei Guang quickly stashed it away. He had used up a lot of his throwable items earlier, and now he needed to replenish his stock.
"Big sis? What's wrong?"
Gepard was nervous when his sister suddenly went quiet. He watched as she nonchalantly tossed the trash into the bin and closed it.
Serval replied, "The smell is even worse than you guys: it's overwhelming. By the way, aren't you going to clean up? Even if you catch the criminals, it's going to be pretty uncomfortable in that state, right?"
Gepard felt that something was off with Serval, but when he noticed the trash on himself and Bronya, he fell silent. Standing like this in front of his sister like this was indeed a bit awkward.
"Big sis, stay safe. If you see anyone suspicious, make sure to contact us."
Serval nodded, "Sure, sure~ If there's any danger, I'll definitely call you guys."
After returning inside, Serval's words left Bronya deep in thought as she listened to Gepard's report.
"You're saying they disappeared after you saw them turn the corner?"
Gepard nodded, "Yes, they were gone when I arrived."
Bronya made a judgment, "They must be hiding in one of the nearby buildings. Seal off this street and conduct a thorough search! Tell the guards at every post to stay vigilant. Don't let the criminals escape. Gepard, you take some people and start posting wanted notices…"
Bronya issued orders rapidly. Although she initially found the smell on herself nauseating, she eventually got used to it. More importantly, she knew how dangerous this group was. From what she overheard last night, this group wasn't just outsiders: they had a large spaceship, and offered a chance to give everyone a better life.
But what she didn't understand was why her mother, upon learning that they were outsiders, ended up in conflict with them. Was it fake? That couldn't be—she had seen the golden light emanating from the trash can with her own eyes, something that couldn't be produced by ordinary means. Anyone who saw that light would believe their words.
However, Bronya still couldn't figure out why they would try to assassinate her mother, or why her mother would want to kill them. Was there some misunderstanding or hidden agenda?
Bronya had a vague sense that many things were amiss, but because Cocolia was her mother, she dared not dwell on these thoughts.
"Wait, the trash bin?"
Bronya realized she had overlooked something. She looked towards the nearby trash bin and walked over to it.
There was a small gap in the trash bin, and this gap seemed like an abyss, tempting her. What could be hiding in that dark crevice? If she opened the lid, would she find something related to the Aeons? Or perhaps a starship that could take everyone away? Or maybe an enemy? Could it hold the hope of saving this world?! Everything was unknown, and only by opening it could she find out what was inside.
As long as it remained unopened, everything was a mystery. As she stared into the dark crevice, she felt as though it was staring back at her. The feeling of gazing into the abyss, and the abyss gazing back, was something Bronya had never experienced before.
The dark crack was drawing her in, and she unconsciously moved closer to the trash bin, her hand 'accidentally' resting on the lid near the gap.
"It's just a trash bin: surely there's no way it could contain those things…"
Bronya reminded herself, but the gap seemed to breathe warmth into her hand. This warmth stirred her heart, and her hand instinctively began to press down.
Inside the trash bin, Pei Guang, March 7th, and Stelle were peeking through the gap at Bronya approaching. They started communicating silently.
March 7th: "Pei Guang! What do we do? Are we going to be discovered?"
Pei Guang, calm as ever, replied, "Don't worry. Since this was a plot-driven event, after the plot ends, no matter how suspicious this bin is, she won't have the chance to open it. If there were two bins to choose from, they'd definitely pick the empty one. This is just a normal experience. Back when I was wandering around a mental hospital with a camera, I maxed out my hiding skills, okay? Watch this..."
Through the gap, March 7th saw Bronya withdraw her hand. She had noticed Gepard and the Silvermane Guards watching her. As the heir to the Supreme Guardian, it wouldn't be appropriate for her to open a trash bin in the middle of the street. She decided to come back later, in secret.
She pulled her hand back and turned around to lead the Silvermane Guards in their search for Pei Guang's group.
The city was put under lockdown, and citizens were prohibited from leaving their homes freely. Gepard returned to his post to guard the rift, while Bronya took full charge of the criminal hunt.
However, unlike Cocolia's orders to kill them, Bronya issued a command to capture them instead.
Inside the trash bin, Pei Guang and March 7th watched through the gap as the guards patrolled around, even entering Serval's workshop for a quick inspection. It was a slight inconvenience, but hearing that the Supreme Guardian had been attacked, everyone willingly allowed the Silvermane Guards to search their homes, fearing the criminals might be hiding there.
Serval's home was also searched, but since she was Gepard's sister and had a good relationship with the Silvermane Guards, the search was more of a formality.
As March 7th watched the soldiers come and go on the street, she couldn't help but feel a thrill.
"I can't believe they didn't check this trash bin. Didn't they notice anything odd?"
Stelle proudly chimed in, "This trash bin is lucky. It's my treasure after all!"
Stelle spoke with a sense of pride, knowing that the trash bin she used had helped them evade capture, even when the enemy was so close. What did this prove? It proved that her luck was exceptional!
March 7th continued, "Look! Another group of Silvermane Guards just walked past us. This is so exciting~"
Watching the enemy pass by, searching countless buildings but ignoring their hiding spot, was a strange and exhilarating feeling:they had been chased, wanted, and on the run in many worlds, but never had it been this much fun.
Stelle curiously asked, "There seem to be a lot of patrols. That guy looks really angry."
Pei Guang responded, "He'd be crazy not to be. When I made that garbage, I added a little something extra to a few items. The smell can be washed off, but whether the room can be used afterward is another matter…"
March 7th giggled, "You're so bad~ but I love it. Let that wicked woman suffer."
Pei Guang replied, "She's the one who broke the rules and turned this into a plot-driven event."
At this moment, Dan Heng was sitting quietly in the corner, listening. What could he say now? They had already hidden in a trash bin; it was too late to say anything. But as they were chatting, someone approached them.
The person who came was none other than Serval, who had discovered their hiding spot earlier that day!