The Magician of Clow

Chapter 1506 What Was Hidden Behind That Night (Part 1)
The moon hung high in the sky, and the night was quiet even after midnight.

The latter half of a winter night in Beijing is chilly and quiet. The bustling sea of ​​lights begins to quiet down, and the outlines of the major districts gradually disappear into the night. Darkness rises from the earth like the sea, engulfing the city.
As the traffic thinned and the crowds receded, all the daytime hustle and bustle subsided into quiet after midnight.

This vast city lies peacefully asleep, awaiting the awakening of tomorrow.
The night breeze drifted from the horizon into the alleyways, spreading the tranquility of the capital city in the late night.

Some people are turning over in their warm beds, dreaming of tomorrow; some are hunched over their desks, pursuing their ideals and future; some are steadfastly holding their posts on the night shift, upholding their responsibilities and maintaining stability.
Someone was cosplaying a flail and yelling excitedly.
"Aaaaaah! I was wrong! I was wrong! Ling!!"

The underground city, serving as a hangar for the "Night Tour" operation, is located beneath the Night Bureau.

After failing to charm his way through and shift the blame to his teammates, he finally resorted to his trump card—the idol male protagonist's heartfelt monologue!

According to Fang Ran's understanding of this move, after hearing his words, Ling should cover her face with one hand, deeply moved, then hug him and say, "You've worked so hard outside," while forgiving his actions. Finally, depending on the plot development, she might even go home and cook a couple of dishes herself, and give him some pocket money as well.

Unfortunately, reality isn't a romantic drama, and he overlooked a very important point.
No idol male lead is tied up like a dumpling while delivering heartfelt lines.
Seeing Fang Ran's blurry image, Fang Ling's brows twitched and she clenched her fists in a furrowed clench.

As someone who rose through the ranks of A-level, I've heard plenty of flattery, but this is the first time I've heard it so blatantly cheesy.
After hearing his string of cheesy and pretentious words, I felt a jolt of electricity run down my spine. I was filled with the absurdity of what he was spouting and the rage that he dared to act silly and play dumb at a time like this.

And there was something subtly off about hearing such words from him.
But that feeling quickly turned into shame, which then transformed into anger that made someone fly even faster.

Incidentally, since Ling had already dealt with him several times, she didn't actually plan to do it again this time.

But some people just have to bring it on themselves.
"I'll spare you this time."

At this moment, Ling stopped the mechanical rope, her face flushed with anger, and spoke, thus forgiving him for deliberately ignoring the "Creating a Card" and for trying to get away with using cheesy lines to charm his way out.
"But if you say those things again, I'll hang you up until tomorrow morning."

Then, he fell from the sky with a "whoosh," and suddenly realized that this spin was shorter than before. Fang Ran immediately put on a loyal and serious face and said:

"No, Your Majesty, I meant it all."

"Alright, let's put the A-7 and dark energy experiments aside for now. I'll look into the rest myself."

After hearing his blatantly obsequious words, she merely gave a emotionless hum and turned her head away, bringing the side topic to a close.

At this moment, Ling's exquisite, fairy-like face was serene and calm.
"Let's talk about what you were actually involved in during this trip to North America."

Hearing this, Fang Ran, who was dangling and swaying beside him, was slightly taken aback. He noticed the seriousness in Ling Qing's clear voice, and at the same time, he saw the girl's figure, now back to her peak.

In that instant, the light gold eyes slowly lowered their serene and profound light.

"Regarding that $650 billion, and what you saw inside the organization in New York at the end."

Setting aside the deep darkness of their chance encounter on the road, and discussing the truly crucial matter, Fang Ran, upon hearing Ling's earnest tone at the end, also became serious and began to recount that night once more.
During this time, Ling's fingertips would occasionally tap the virtual projection to record, and she would occasionally interrupt him to ask about details that he himself hadn't even noticed.

Then, after learning the detailed events of that night in New York from his perspective as the one in charge,
Ling's first reaction, so helpless she gritted her teeth, was...
"The hidden dangers caused by the Sage, people being taken away by the Deadline, the ultimate rule blocking the signal, plus the real-world scenario, all these ultimate disadvantages have piled up together,"

"You still choose to force yourself under these circumstances?!"

I felt the same way when he first mentioned it, and now I find his courage utterly unbelievable. Let alone their simultaneous appearance, any one of these three entities would be an insurmountable barrier.
Ling was even somewhat incredulous when she said this.

"Forehead"

Hearing this, Fang Ran, who was hanging to the side, felt a little ashamed, but then he straightened his face and spoke in a deep voice, looking like a tough guy:
"After all, a Kamen Rider can't run away in the face of battle."

Snapped--!
"Ah! My nose!!" Ignoring the guy who couldn't cover his face and could only howl because he was tied up, the focus was on using the environment, various forces, and attack points to break through the barriers and launch a desperate counterattack.

Ling was even more incredulous that this was a plan that this idiot could come up with, and most importantly,

He actually succeeded in the end.

That night in New York, various waves converged in the reality of thousands of people, evolving into the final two hours before the end.
Ling felt that even if she were in that situation, she couldn't guarantee she could solve the problem.

Moreover, the timing of that scene.
This sense of 'coincidence'.
"Um, is something wrong with Her Majesty?"

At this moment, Fang Ran, who had finally recovered after spinning around twice, looked at Ling, who was frowning slightly and deep in thought, and asked with some curiosity,
When asked by him, Ling composed herself, glanced at him, and spoke in a clear, crisp voice:
"Although you've resolved the New York incident, it's definitely not as simple as it appears to be—a financial and stock market conspiracy,"

"There are still too many unanswered questions behind this matter."

In that instant, a flick of the fingertip propelled the projection, and the intelligence projection interface in front of them silently expanded, transforming in a flash into a city model projection that meticulously recorded the action with numerous streams of light, a replica of that night's events in New York.

At this moment, the figure in the black and white dress stood behind the projection, and Ling looked down at 'that night' like a huge observer from outside the scene.
His light golden eyes were calm and deep, as if he wanted to pull out the many doubts hidden beneath.

"First of all, there's that amplification field. Although it uses real-world network channels, it spreads the effects of its abilities globally, meaning it can greatly enhance the strength of participants,"

"This incident clearly resembles an experiment by the Society on the amplification field, but what is its true purpose?"

A cool, clear voice cut into the light and shadow of this miniature New York. Fang Ran, a newcomer lacking sensitivity, might not yet realize it, but Ling understood perfectly well.
Something that can significantly enhance even A-level and higher-level capabilities is a genuine strategic weapon. It can dramatically alter the balance of power or trigger a major event like the one that just happened in North America.
Regardless of where it is ultimately used, it will inevitably affect the nerves of the Palace of Eternal Night and trigger various forms of competition.

"And no matter how you look at it, the Deadline and the Final Domination both had the opportunity to kill you in advance, but for some reason, they didn't do it."

Hearing Ling's analysis, Fang Ran, who had been hanging to the side, belatedly realized what was happening and subconsciously spoke up:
"Oh, is that so?"

In response, Ling turned her eyes to him, giving him a look that said, "What are you thinking, you weakling?"

"While you are indeed much stronger than before, do you really think you can be considered their match?"

Fang Ran: "."

(-*That being said, Your Majesty, your gaze is so hurtful.)
"Besides that, I always felt that Hermifis's behavior in this incident was a bit strange,"

"Finally, and most importantly,"

After a slight pause, Ling then stated the most crucial point of this North American incident:
"That $650 billion, all of the Society's various moves in the medical and energy sectors, are ultimately aimed at seizing this wealth through the financial stock market,"

"But what is the purpose of the association going to such lengths?"

Then, in the instant Fang Ran paused slightly upon hearing this, she traced a line of light with her finger above the virtual city, and asked in a calm voice, "Another possibility?"
Like that night's reality being submerged in another branch of fate.

"Have you ever thought about what would have happened if the Society had won that night?"

"What exactly are they going to do with this huge amount of money?"

No, I have about a thousand words left, and I can't possibly reach the planned ending point. I'll stop here for now. Speaking of which, I suddenly remembered a classic scene in anime where the female lead hugs the male lead and her large breasts press directly against his arm. But in my more than twenty years of life, I've never experienced that. (Sullen face) Emmm, ahhhhhh, why?! (Holds head in shock)