Where's MEI? Where's my MEI?
Kevin, having searched the entire Chiba Academy, was lost in confusion.
How could MEI disappear just a day after he saw her?
—Needless to say, this was naturally because MEI had been abducted by a certain pink-haired girl.
Just like the original intersection between MEI and Mobius, the original Mobius was also a brilliant scholar, but disappeared without a trace shortly after joining Fire Moth.
Now, just a student, MEI found it much easier to handle the琐碎 details compared to Mobius. At most, she just needed to deal with MEI's father, the famous electromagnetic physicist.
Of course, this naturally caused dissatisfaction among some members of the organization.
For example—
"Hehe, Elysia~ When did you start working in recruitment?"
A slightly sarcastic and dissatisfied voice echoed in Mobius's office within Fire Moth.
Needless to say, judging by Mobius's angry expression, the source of her dissatisfaction was naturally the resume on the table—
Just like Vill-V's before, only this time it was MEI's.
The recommender's section still bore Elysia's name.
"Hmm~ You know I have a good relationship with everyone in the organization. When I was chatting with colleagues in the recruitment department, I overheard them complaining about the lack of manpower~ I was just helping the organization solve its problems."
"Besides, MEI is different from Vill-V. Her resume is spotless~"
The smiling pink-haired girl didn't mind Mobius's anger at all. On the contrary, she found the snake-like girl quite cute and amusing in this state. She cheerfully placed a cup of poured tea on Mobius's desk.
The latter took a sip and said grumpily, "I know."
Mobius actually had no objections to the clean-backgrounded MEI.
Although unlike the original timeline, it wasn't because of MEI's quantum mechanics paper that she specifically approached and invited her.
But after a brief assessment, with Mobius's discerning eye, she could naturally see that MEI was undoubtedly a genius no less than herself, a gold mine waiting to be unearthed.
She was simply dissatisfied with Jiang Qiao's frequent recruitment.
"I'll resign from this position later. If you want to bother someone, bother someone else, don't bother me!"
Mobius was more enthusiastic about staying in the lab. This kind of review for special recruits was just a part-time job forced upon her by the higher-ups.
It was originally no big deal. After all, this special recruitment method wasn't very common in Fire Moth's early stages. But this Elysia…
Mobius glared at Elysia. She was in the middle of an experiment before coming here!
"However…"
"First Vill-V, then MEI, you're so actively recruiting these people, what are you planning?"
Her tone changed, her snake-like green eyes fixed on the girl in front of her, a hint of playfulness in her voice.
Both Vill-V and MEI were undoubtedly top talents in scientific research.
Just a Fire Moth warrior, even if Elysia was the hero who defeated the Second Herrscher…
But—
Pulling these two into the organization with such a clear purpose, Mobius couldn't help but suspect that she had some ulterior motive.
Jiang Qiao didn't reveal any flaws, naturally showing Elysia's smile and blinking:
"Oh dear~ What do you mean 'these people'? Don't talk about Vill-V and MEI as if they're bad people~ Look, before being geniuses, they are first and foremost beautiful and lovely girls, aren't they?"
Among the three scientific giants of Fire Moth, the most difficult to deal with wasn't MEI or Vill-V, who joined later, but Mobius, one of the founders.
She was not only suspicious but also had very sharp intuition.
See, just a little action had already made Mobius wary.
The pink-haired girl sighed inwardly, but outwardly, she raised her hand to cover her mouth, feigning a delicate and vulnerable appearance:
"But Dr. Mobius~ You're paying so much attention to me, could it be… that you have feelings for me?"
"Hmm~ If it's Dr. Mobius, I might consider it~"
"Hmph, I don't care about you."
"However—"
"You better restrain yourself. If you continue doing this…"
Mobius didn't finish her sentence, but Jiang Qiao already guessed what she meant.
As the hero of the Second Eruption, Elysia did have significant influence and symbolic importance within Fire Moth.
But precisely because of this, she was also under close scrutiny by the Fire Moth higher-ups.
If she interfered too much in matters she shouldn't, and incurred their displeasure…
Just like MEI, who proposed the Divine Key plan and was opposed by some, leading to an assassination attempt, who knows, maybe some early donkey-eared guy with a sword would come looking for trouble with Jiang Qiao.
After leaving the warning, Mobius hurriedly left.
Leaving the office, Jiang Qiao saw MEI, who had received her daily necessities and uniform from the logistics department and had already changed into the attire commonly worn by researchers.
"Hmm~ You have the air of the Dr. MEI I know~"
The pink-haired girl circled MEI, appraising her with a smile. Then, as if thinking of something amusing, she tapped her chin and said playfully:
"However… Kevin's expression must be very interesting right now~ I really want to see what he looks like. The girl he's pursuing suddenly disappeared, will he be very disappointed?"
"…You only invited me and not Kevin. Could it be that you have such mischievous intentions?"
MEI, wearing her glasses, looked at the smirking girl and twitched the corner of her mouth.
From Jiang Qiao's words, MEI already knew that she would be Kevin's girlfriend in the future.
Of course, she didn't feel anything about it now, at most just a slightly strange feeling—I'll actually be together with that shy boy?
As for other things, having learned the truth of the world, she really didn't have the heart to think about such romantic feelings.
"From a certain perspective, you've broken up a couple."
"Hmm~ Indeed. It seems I'm a truly wicked girl~ So, should I compensate you, MEI?"
MEI put her hand on the girl's face as she leaned in. Although she still blushed a little, Dr. MEI calmly refused:
"No need."
"Really~ So cold, completely different from the cute look you had when we first met!"
Elysia puffed out her cheeks, looking annoyed and frustrated.
"You haven't answered my question yet."
"Hmm~ How could I? A cute girl like me wouldn't have such bad intentions."
"However—"
He smiled, his gaze towards the window as if he could see the boy anxiously searching for his sweetheart in distant Nagazora City:
"If it's Kevin, I still hope that before pressing the fast-forward button, he can enjoy the life of an ordinary person a little longer."