“From the Starlink surveillance records, Chloe left the city late at night a week ago, following the hospital’s carriage, and was then kidnapped to the Scripps Family’s Danzhu Estate. After that, there were no records of her leaving.
At the same time, Auntie was sent to the hospital. After being discharged, she was taken to a villa in Jingsi Lake District…” Xixi explained as she guided Ashley in using the Starlink System.
“Oh, so Auntie still has some value and hasn’t been discarded. They’re using her to force Chloe into submission,” Ashley realized.
At the same time, she was secretly shocked by the Starlink System—it was terrifying. An overhead view with round-the-clock monitoring, invincible information warfare. No wonder the Jenkins Family needed the Tribunal’s chief to lead the pursuit. Even so, they hadn’t caught many, only destroying some hideouts.
“We’ll definitely be ambushed on the way to Danzhu Estate. Even if we take a detour to avoid it, it won’t work. The enemy has us under constant watch with sheer numbers, tracking our real-time movements. Unless…”
“Unless?” Ashley’s eyes lit up. Did her cousin have a plan?
“Danzhu Reservoir is the main source of drinking water for Fountain City’s residents. The water pipes from the treatment plant are generally 1.2 meters in diameter. We can wear the C-grade relic ‘Fishskin Peanut,’ swim upstream through the water pipes to the treatment plant next to Danzhu Reservoir, and launch a surprise attack on Danzhu Estate from there!” Xixi declared with finality.
“Brilliant!”
Ashley perked up.
This kind of spatial trick—sneaking through the underpass—not only struck at the heart of the enemy but also created a time lag, preventing their surveillance and ambush forces from redeploying in time.
With the method settled, Ashley returned to the room to select the participants.
Delwei lacked strong motivation to join, and Ashley felt it was inappropriate to drag an ordinary friend into this without permission, so she wasn’t invited.
Amber was from the Tribunal’s direct line and couldn’t act openly, so she wasn’t brought along.
Little Black Feet was a researcher and merely a collaborator, so she was left out too.
In the end, it was Nina, Little Doctor, Little Cousin, and Ashley herself.
Little Black Feet and Monster Lolita visibly sighed in relief. They weren’t close to Chloe at all, and Ashley’s rapport with them wasn’t deep enough for them to risk their lives for a near-stranger.
Xixi had devised the battle plan. She drew a tactical diagram on a whiteboard and explained her thinking.
The more Amber listened, the more horrified she became. Her little face paled, and after hesitating, she finally couldn’t hold back and spoke up.
“This plan is too cruel! Innocent people will be affected. No matter how evil the enemy is, that estate is a civilian facility protected by treaty. Not everyone in the Scripps Family is bad—Yinsu Helin is a good person, isn’t she? That proves innocents exist, and there are many! Ashley, are you going to kill them all too?”
Xixi turned around, facing away from the whiteboard, and looked at the black-haired loli seriously.
“Every attack must eliminate as much of the enemy’s living forces and resources as possible to reduce the strength of their next counterattack. We have no room for hesitation in our decisions.”
“But… this is inhumane!” Amber’s eyes widened as she stubbornly retorted.
Slap!
A resounding slap!
Xixi stood over the black-haired loli who had fallen to the ground, looking down at her coldly.
“We’re in a desperate struggle, Miss Justice. It’s like being surrounded by a wolf pack, yet you claim there are ‘good little wolves.’ Don’t you find that disgusting?
“If you want to uphold justice, go find your own companions. Why linger here?
“There’s only one reason: you want Ashley. You want to satisfy your desires with her. You crave her beauty, so you pinch your nose and tolerate values you don’t agree with, compromising again and again with what you call ‘evil,’ reconciling with yourself, fantasizing that one day she’ll be convinced by you, and you’ll beautify your past falls and wavering as a tale of redemption through sacrifice.
“Is that what your justice is? So pathetic it can’t even overcome desire? One day you’ll abandon it because it’s the root of your weakness!
“Personality is something that gets shattered and reformed repeatedly until it’s unbreakable—or utterly destroyed!”
Ashley was stunned. She’d never seen her little cousin so impassioned.
But she understood. Amber only had a vague longing and aspiration for justice, without true resolve. She’d never gone through the events that forged such resolve. Little Cousin didn’t hate, envy, or distrust Amber; she simply didn’t want to be with someone weak and immature.
Among those present, Little Doctor and Nina had endured tragic experiences and possessed iron wills. They both voiced agreement.
Amber’s little face burned with shame. She stared blankly at the poised and majestic girl, desperately wanting to refute her, but her lips moved without a word escaping.
A profound sense of powerlessness left her unable even to muster anger. Just the thought of resisting or fleeing had exhausted her.
She realized she’d been utterly crushed in this clash of wills.
The more Amber thought, the more panicked and inferior she felt. Her toes curled tight, her nose stung, and she bit her lip hard. She held out for a while but eventually broke down in tears.
“What… should I do… I…”
The blue-haired loli zipped over, hugged Amber tightly, and seized the moment to whisper rapid comforts in her ear.
“Don’t cry! At least you’re super firm about liking me—not one bit less than Xixi. It’s not that your justice is too weak; it’s that I’m too cute. No helping it~ Justice can’t beat cuteness!”
“Wah… she hit me…”
“Watch my kiss cancel it out!”
As the soft lips touched the numb, swollen spot, Amber’s heart trembled. Though she’d lost everything, there was this small bliss of a kiss. Her heart felt like an egg yolk scooped onto a spoon, wobbling, floating ethereally.
“Disgusting…”
Xixi crossed her arms and looked away.
“By the way, Amber-chan, you’re from the Tribunal and can’t act, but can you lend the metal lifeform to Nina?” Ashley chimed in opportunely.
Amber’s little head was already muddled. She nodded dazedly and lent out the ‘Silver Mask Swimming Fish Type.’
Nina, who had ‘Rose Blood Drain,’ lacked mobility and defense. With it, she was like a tiger with wings.
As for the practical and cheap C-grade relic ‘Fishskin Peanut,’ Ashley had prepared several sets long ago—no need to scramble.
“I want the shark one.” Xixi picked up a gray swimsuit with a pointed head and toothy mask.
“I don’t want the blue whale one. It looks like a dead school swimsuit.” Ashley frowned and refused.
“But it’s warm,” Little Doctor said.
“Nope.”
The four changed into their suits and reopened the theft hole in Saint Dormer Community, finding the municipal water pipe. Though only 80 cm in diameter, it was plenty for the lolis to squeeze through.
Ashley, wrapped head to toe in a black-backed, white-bellied dolphin fishskin, swam upstream through the pipe without feeling any resistance.
The two older girls had figures that were starting to develop, graceful and elegant as they glided through the clear water, trailing bubbles.
But the other two lolis were like belt fish, slicing through the waves.
Why don’t I have any curves? Damn it!
Ashley felt depressed.
–
After leaving the city, the pipe widened by double and had few bends, allowing full speed.
After a few hours, a humming pump sound came from ahead.
Xixi signaled to stop. This was the water plant. Beyond the pump was the clear water pool and the full water purification system.
Ashley pressed her palm against the inner pipe wall. Silver-gray metallic fluid circled around, cutting out a ‘manhole cover’ and pushing it outward.
Puff puff puff. The lolis emerged one after another with the water flow, flopping onto the ground like fish.
This was the piping area, deserted all around. The noise wasn’t an issue.
Ashley replaced the manhole cover, took out a mirror, aimed it at the sky, and confirmed no unusual activity from the Scripps Family. The four then dispersed, each following the plan.
The Starlink Level 6 access had a one-time function, its icon a bumpy circle, named—Dinosaur Slayer.
It was the key to the rescue plan.
