The sky was getting dark, and it was time to rest and have dinner. As usual, Rengatsu and Ma Youcai would probably just fill their stomachs with water and bread, then roll up their blankets and spend the night in the dark and cold rented room.

But...

"Gussy, how about we find a hotel instead? It's uncomfortable to stay here without even a bed," Ma Youcai scratched his head and asked Gussy for his opinion.

"I'm sorry, Youcai-kun, but the hotel is crowded and not safe from a security standpoint. This place is the best option," Gussy replied.

"The tiled floor is so hard..."

"I'm a girl and I can endure it. Why can't you, Youcai-kun?"

"Alright..."

Although Rengatsu said that, she also really wanted to find a place with water. It had been a few days since she last showered and she felt like she was starting to mold. But other than the wilderness, there was nowhere safer than here.

Just because the association hadn't attacked them with surveillance before didn't mean they wouldn't in the future. They might quickly make up for their weaknesses. After all, it would be a mistake to view the world with a stagnant perspective.

"No problem, let's go to a nearby hotel," Gussy agreed to Ma Youcai's request without hesitation.

"Really? That's great!" Ma Youcai instantly smiled with joy.

Rengatsu sighed, unsure whether to be happy or worried.

Before leaving, they destroyed all traces as customary. Otherwise, these remaining items could become mediums for the God of Destruction's attacks.

How thoroughly should they be destroyed? It would be best to leave no trace behind, not even a single strand of hair.

Burning them would be the best choice.

"Fire element, heed my summons, incinerate the world!" Gussy chanted a strange incantation, raised his hand, spreading his four fingers, and turned everything that didn't belong to this place into gas.

With that done, they left the place.

...

In the United States, many working-class people live in the city center to save on transportation costs, while some wealthy individuals prefer to stay away from the downtown area for self-cultivation.

Where there is demand, there is a market. Upscale hotels and entertainment facilities can also be found in the suburbs, and some of these hotels are just as good as those in the city. Their locations are easy to find on a map, as they are surrounded by luxury cars and light pollution.

As they couldn't catch a taxi, the journey to the hotel was torturous for Miss Rengatsu. Along the way, she couldn't help but pant for breath, but fortunately, they finally arrived.

They didn't have to worry about identification issues as they had forged documents. Communication wasn't a problem either, as Rengatsu spoke English better than Chinese. As for Gussy, not having a passport was a bit troublesome, so it could only hide in Ma Youcai's backpack.

After the payment and paperwork were settled, the group took a private elevator to the top-floor presidential suite. It consisted of several rooms including three bedrooms, a living room, two large bathrooms, a dining room, and several small rooms with unknown purposes.

In the living room, which was also the entrance, there was a bar counter with various drinks behind it. Behind the counter, rows of sofas extended all the way to the elevator.

"Wow, it's so big!"

Stepping on the soft carpet, Ma Youcai looked surprised, "Wow, it's worth the $3,000 for a night!"

"Yeah, it's much better than the gold chain on your neck."

"I made an impulsive purchase."

At that moment, Gussy emerged from the backpack, squinting and looking around to make sure they had privacy. "Stay here and don't wander off alone, especially don't go to places with surveillance. God may be silently watching us."

"Huh? Is it that dangerous? Gussy, it seems like we were captured by a lot of surveillance cameras when we went to the city with the boss before..." Ma Youcai exaggeratedly gestured.

"No, the main body won't make such a low-level mistake. The main body has memorized the positions of all the surveillance cameras in Boston. The routes you have taken were planned in advance. Even if there were no blind spots in the surveillance, the light could be distorted to avoid capturing you."

Rengatsu asked, "So you're saying we have never been exposed under surveillance?"

"That's correct."Ma Youcai scratched his head and said, "Let's just order takeout. The outside world is too dangerous. I'll just stay here and be honest. I won't go anywhere."

"You can relax, it's safe here."

Rengatsu nodded and said softly, "Then I'll go take a shower. Ma Youcai, can you please order me a Fruity Mix... fruit yogurt dessert. What's the Chinese name for it?"

"Shuǐguǒ lāo?"

"That should be it."

Ma Youcai noted Rengatsu's request and looked at Gussy. "What would you like?"

"Two cases of life water!"

"...Alright!"

...

Rengatsu changed into a pale pink lace pajama, dried her damp long hair, and walked out of the bathroom with steam. There was a satisfied expression on her face. "It feels good-" Finally able to take a shower. God knows how she survived without water for the past few days.

At this moment, the takeout for the three of them had arrived.

Ma Youcai's dinner was a deluxe seafood meal, Gussy's was a vodka banquet. In comparison, Rengatsu's order seemed a bit meager, with only a lonely box of desserts. But she was very satisfied with it - she didn't want to participate in the dinner of those two weirdos.

Gussy poured the bottles of life water into a bucket. "The alcohol purity is still not enough, but the heat value is close to 30MJ/KG. I can feel the energy contained in it."

"Gussy, hold on with pouring. Let me taste this Russian liquor."

Ma Youcai smirked and took a bottle of liquor from the box, twisting off the cap.

He had never tasted a 96% alcohol before, driven by curiosity, he put his mouth to the bottle and took a small sip...

That small sip almost took his life.

"Cough... damn it...!"

It felt like being slapped by a big man. Ma Youcai's mouth, nose, and throat were all in pain, and a strong burning sensation penetrated his stomach. He crouched on the ground, his face contorted in agony. He felt that if someone used this trick on him to extract a confession, he would confess right on the spot. This stuff was not meant for human consumption!

Seeing Ma Youcai's miserable state, Rengatsu sneered, "Spirytus is a seasoning. Drinking it directly could kill you."

Ma Youcai's face turned bitter, "It's so uncomfortable, I'll never drink it again... my tongue is numb."

Gussy placed a bottle of mineral water above Ma Youcai's head and said, "Let's discuss tomorrow's itinerary. We need to do a few things: first, get a means of transportation; second, go shopping; third, and most importantly, we need to get some money!"

"Does shopping require a lot of money?" When it came to serious matters, Rengatsu entered a serious mode. "What do we need to buy?"

"Photographic equipment, clothing, jewelry, etc., and when necessary, we'll need it to win people over."

"We still have five to six hundred thousand in our account. We can just buy what we need and make money later. Drinking some mineral water has made me feel a lot better." Ma Youcai said after taking a few sips of water.

"Six hundred thousand is indeed too little. Besides the preparation work, we also need to operate as a team, use capital to advertise for us. Ah, integrating fame and money is not easy, unless you're lucky, Youcai-kun." Rengatsu picked up an apple dipped in yogurt and took a small bite.

"Fame... money..." Ma Youcai looked at the crab in his bowl and suddenly slapped his thigh, excitedly looking at Gussy and Rengatsu. "I have a bold idea, do you want to try it?"

Rengatsu blinked her eyes. "Oh? If it's something like robbing a bank, count me out! Instead of lowering our worth to become bandits, it's better to directly control capital. The specific operation depends on what Gussy does."

"Alright, if you say so..." Being interrupted by Rengatsu, Ma Youcai felt like his intelligence had been diminished again. He decided to change the subject. "By the way, Miss Neon, are you full from eating those fruits? Come, try this crab."

Ma Youcai handed a bright red crab to Rengatsu.

"Thank you for your kindness, but I won't take a single bite." Rengatsu seemed to have no appetite.

Ma Youcai looked at Gussy. "How about you, would you like to try some?""This 550g crab will only take up my internal storage space. My food is energy, and solid food is meaningless to me."

Gussy had just finished eating and the alcohol had turned into water.

"Well, it looks like my stomach is going to have a tough time..."

Dinner quickly ended with discussion. There were too many seafood dishes, and Ma Youcai was already full after eating only a third. Looking at the remaining expensive ingredients, he felt regretful and envied those big eaters on the short video platforms.

"What a waste..."

With such complicated thoughts, Ma Youcai went to bed early, and Gussy returned to its own room.

Rengatsu opened her notebook, sat in the conference hall for a while, then packed up her computer and came to Gussy's door.

She was about to knock on the door when suddenly a strange man's voice came from behind.

"Are you Rengatsu Kurozawa?"

Rengatsu almost screamed. She turned around and saw a loli with her hands folded and a smile on her face. She realized she had been pranked.

"Gussy, your fake voice is so perfect, I almost believed it," Rengatsu exclaimed.

"Miss Rengatsu, your room is next door," Gussy bypassed Rengatsu, opened the door, and walked into the room, leaning back on the soft, fur-covered mattress of the bed.

"No, Gussy, I just wanted to talk to you about something," Rengatsu followed it inside.

"What do you want to say? Discuss truth and philosophy? Analyze cause and fate? If it's just casual chat, it's better to help me count how many stars there are in the sky," Gussy said.

"You're really humorous, very different from Xu Fang," Rengatsu smiled and said, "But it's not necessary to emphasize the difference between you and him just for the sake of it."

"You're right, have a seat," Gussy pointed to the chair beside the bed.

Rengatsu sat down and looked at Gussy.

"I'm curious, since your species is capable of reproducing, why don't you reproduce as much as possible? The more you are, the fewer people can threaten you, whether from a biological instinct or a security standpoint..."

"However, the more there are, the less stable it becomes," Gussy twirled the bandage on its wrist, "The reason why the subject is the subject is simply because it was born before me, other than that, there is no difference. Don't look at us with the perspective of an ant colony. Miss Rengatsu!"

"So you mean each individual is completely independent?" Rengatsu frowned slightly, "This does indeed increase the risk, but I'm even more confused now. In order to pursue stability, shouldn't Xu Fang have split off a Gussy? Of course, I'm not opposed to your existence, I just don't understand his behavior."

"It's simple, we can perfectly avoid risks by using the setting column," Gussy smiled, "All you're saying is 'concern' that I will betray the subject, but obviously, your concern is unnecessary because the setting column has created a paradox for us. If I were to truly betray the subject, I would not have been born. And since I have been born, it means I will never betray - this is the perfect protection measure, right?"

Used Ma Youjun's setting column? I had no idea!

"But why not create more duplicates using the paradox?"

"I've already said, the more there are, the less stable it becomes. The paradox is a contradiction caused by the system's lack of self-consistency. If too many conditions are put in, it's easy to make it self-explanatory."

Rengatsu instantly understood Gussy's words. She blinked her eyes and suddenly sighed, "I feel sorry for your existence, Gussy. You are a person with self-awareness, not just a tool. I actually hope you can go your own way."

"Oh? What should I do then?"

"If the subject is attacked by the God of Destruction, you will not be spared either. So it's best to find a way to cut off communication with the subject and stay outside the range of the God of Destruction's tools..."

As Rengatsu spoke, she felt that something was wrong with the atmosphere. A sense of crisis made her close her mouth."Hehe, do you really hope that I would betray you like that?"

"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant..."

Rengatsu's body froze, her entire field of vision dominated by Gussy's pitch-black eyes, their noses almost touching.

"Miss Rengatsu, please don't say things like that anymore, or else I really will kill you, you know!"

"..."

Gussy laughed and patted Rengatsu's shoulder, returning to a normal distance between them.

"Just kidding, Miss Rengatsu... Hmph, we're going to save the world together, how could I possibly harm an important teammate?"

"Ah, seriously, you scared me again."

Gussy got up from the bed and pulled on Rengatsu's sleeve. "We have to leave early tomorrow, so get some rest."

"Excuse me, I'll go to bed then."

...

Silently leaving Gussy's room, a shadow of gloom covered the girl's expression. Caressing her pounding heart, still trembling with fear, Rengatsu's hand gradually clenched into a fist.

She could sense that Gussy wasn't joking.

But why?

Xu Fang, even you...

...

Tonight, another sleepless night awaited her.