Back at home, Chongzong sat cross-legged on the floor of his room, starting to meditate.

His mind was in chaos, only this Zen sitting practice could calm him down.

— Lost, but not dead yet.

— As long as he's still alive, there's still a way.

— Although it's irresponsible to think like this, ManranyamaSouren can handle the falsification.

— The problem lies in what Bai Yaxin will do after this.

— And, what ways can be taken to sanction Bai Yaxin.

With these thoughts in mind, something flashed through Chongzong's mind...he furrowed his brows and started to think carefully.

***

Downstairs from Chongzong's room is Usugi Yui's room.

Upon returning to her room, Usugi Yui threw herself onto her bed like a diver, burying her head in the pillow, feeling restless.

She had doubts about the Unadon operation from the very beginning.

But she also understood the fundamental nature of this operation - Bai Yaxin must be held accountable.

Despite her worries, she joined the operation instead of stopping Chongzong and the others.

And she even tried her best to ensure the operation went smoothly, like secretly seeking assistance from the police without Chongzong's knowledge.

But now, as things have escalated to this point, Usugi Yui keenly felt her own powerlessness.

Usugi Yui is just a high school student.

Her thoughts have shifted from wanting to sanction Bai Yaxin to simply wanting everyone to be safe in the end.

***

On the way back to the apartment, ManranyamaSouren and Van remained silent.

Usually, the quick-witted ManranyamaSouren would express some thoughts and discuss with Van from time to time.

But today, ManranyamaSouren didn't say a word.

Following behind ManranyamaSouren, Van, abiding by his duties as a retainer, also didn't speak first.

After returning to the apartment, ManranyamaSouren took off his shoes and sat on the couch, not in a lazy posture, but sitting upright and dignified as usual.

Van stood straight behind ManranyamaSouren without any slack.

The room was so quiet that one could even hear the breathing of the two.

More than ten minutes later, ManranyamaSouren suddenly took a deep breath, as if indicating that she had made up her mind and was ready to act, bringing Van’s attention back from contemplation.

"Van, contact the lawyer for me as soon as possible. Prepare for the battle." (ManranyamaSouren)

"Understood." (Van)

After Van contacted the lawyer, ManranyamaSouren dialed another number.

"It's me, you already know the outcome of our operation, right?" (ManranyamaSouren)

"Mm." (Unknown Male)

"Don't you have anything to say?" (ManranyamaSouren)

Surprised by the indifference of the man on the other end of the phone, ManranyamaSouren was taken aback because, based on her understanding, this man was not one to spare words.

"I am quite surprised." (Unknown Male)

"Yes, Bai Yaxin's cunning far exceeds our imagination." (ManranyamaSouren)

"No, I am not surprised about that. What's there to be surprised about in replacing crucial evidence for the crime?" (Unknown Male)

"I am surprised that you did not consider that." (Unknown Male)

The man on the other end of the call pointed out ManranyamaSouren's mistake without hesitation and with a tone of disappointment that he couldn't contain.

Those two sentences hit ManranyamaSouren right where it hurt, leaving her, who had always been eloquent, at a loss for words.

After a while, ManranyamaSouren replied in a faint voice, "You are right. It was my poor performance that led me to this situation."