Back in Ninth Street, the temperature was noticeably warmer than at Scott Outpost.
As Zhong Yan walked through the quiet residential-commercial strip, sweat beaded occasionally on his forehead. From his place to the nearest supermarket was just over 200 meters, and only when passing by shops did he spot the occasional human silhouette.
Then, just as he neared the supermarket, he came to an abrupt halt in front of a small café.
Sitting at an outdoor table was a familiar figure.
She had a steaming cup of stimulant-grade coffee in front of her, surrounded by a mountain of documents so dense it was hard to count.
The signature drooping ears, the long, dexterous tail, and that almost artificially exaggerated, stunning physique—
It was Jane.
Her body still bore some bandages that hadn't yet been removed, indicating that her injuries hadn't fully healed.
Which begged the question: why wasn't she home recovering? Why was she out here so late, seated outside a café? Was she waiting for someone?
These questions hovered in Zhong Yan's mind, rooting him in place.
As a seasoned criminal consultant, Jane's senses were sharp. She quickly noticed Zhong Yan lingering nearby.
When their eyes met, the air between them seemed to freeze momentarily.
Then she broke the silence first, offering a wave and a faint, tired smile. "Hey, long time no see. Didn't expect to bump into you here."
They had only met once before, but she had formed a favorable impression of the boy who had the guts to take on criminals head-on.
She certainly hadn't expected fate to bring them together again so soon.
"I'm bored out of my mind. Got time to chat? Come sit. Coffee's on me."
She gestured to the empty seat across from her.
Zhong Yan didn't refuse, though he insisted on paying for his own coffee.
"Last time ended a bit abruptly. I'm Jane Doe. And you are, little guy?" she said playfully, eyeing him with a teasing smirk that looked like it might be followed by a chin tickle at any moment.
Zhong Yan didn't react to the flirtation. His attention had already shifted to the papers spread before her.
"You're still working? This late?"
Amid the clutter, he spotted a hand-drawn sketch. It was unmistakable—it depicted Tobi, the same masked figure who had wiped out the Mountain Lion Gang.
It was clear now: Jane was investigating Tobi. That was why she was out so late—and why she had come to Ninth Street. Whether it was coincidence or the result of actual intel remained uncertain.
Noticing his gaze, Jane pulled the sketch from the pile. "Do you know this man? Even if you've just seen him, I want anything you can tell me. Every scrap of info counts."
Bingo. Zhong Yan's hunch had been right—Jane was indeed digging into Tobi's identity.
But of course, he wasn't about to just admit that.
He shook his head and said casually, "Haven't seen him. Though the mask is pretty distinctive. Maybe it's a trend in New Eridu these days?"
The "trend" he referred to was the mask craze sparked by the Uchiha.
Influenced by his mysterious image, more and more Hollow Investigators and Raiders had begun wearing masks during expeditions—mostly to conceal their identities or deter bad actors. The popular choice? Uchiha's signature white mask.
After all, no one could ever be sure which masked figure was the real one.
It had gotten so out of hand, impersonators had started popping up all over New Eridu—online and in person—using Uchiha's name to run scams.
"I'm Uchiha. I urgently need 500,000 Dennies. Wire it now and I'll make you the next mayor of New Eridu."
Messages like that were so common now, they popped up on residents' phones regularly.
Zhong Yan had even received one himself once. It had left him completely speechless.
Maybe they really should let those guys play Uchiha instead.
Still, most people with a shred of common sense weren't falling for those cons.
"You're saying... he might be connected to Uchiha?" Jane's eyes narrowed slightly. She clearly picked up the implication.
But the mask Tobi wore was nothing like Uchiha's.
If anything, Jane was more inclined to think he was just a very strong Hollow Raider with an overly dramatic flair—not someone working under Uchiha's banner.
"It's possible. Might be worth doing some cross-referencing online—compare the two," Zhong Yan said as he sipped from his coffee.
Of course, Jane had already tried that.
She had searched the Bureau's archives for any files on Uchiha. All she'd found were vague keywords: Hollow Raider, High-Risk Individual. No details about his abilities. Nothing solid.
Only two security officers—Zhu Yuan and Zhao Anmen—had witnessed Uchiha's power firsthand. Even they weren't certain Red Moon Blade and Uchiha were the same person.
Not that it would matter.
Zhong Yan was confident he hadn't left any clues. Unless he wanted to be found, no one could uncover his identity.
In fact, he was intentionally letting Jane draw the wrong conclusions. The more misdirection, the farther from the truth she'd get.
"By the way, why are you looking into him so hard? Something happen between you two?" he asked suddenly.
Was she like the Hollow Investigative Association—trying to find him so they could try and recruit him?
Jane blinked at the question. Then she smiled slyly. "That's a secret, kiddo. But if you can give me a lead... maybe I'll give you a very special reward~"
Her tone was playful, but her intent? Still a mystery.