Pandora's Big Slap

National Central University of the Philippines, Campus Cafe.

The underground explosion, though intense, only caused a brief stir among the cafe's patrons. Within moments, everything returned to normal.

"Dr. Cleo," Lin Wei said with a calm smile, "as long as we sit here quietly and enjoy our afternoon tea, no one will disturb us."

Inside, Lin Wei was surprised by the tremor's strength and silently wished Otto bad luck. But on the outside, he kept his mysterious smile intact.

"After all," he continued, "I haven't told Schicksal that the person they've been searching for all these days is sitting right next to me, enjoying a delicious cup of coffee~"

With a polite gesture, Lin Wei motioned toward Jackal. "Please, help yourself."

Jackal's forced laughter couldn't hide her anger. "It really was you!" she snapped. "I actually thought you might try to keep up your act a little longer!"

He's the reason for all this chaos, and he has the nerve to talk about a 'thank you' gift?

The sheer boldness of it left her stunned.

"Don't worry, it won't be that much trouble," Lin Wei said, adding another sugar cube to his coffee and stirring it gently. "After all, if our conversation ends... unpleasantly... well, it's just a phone call away." He pointed out the window toward the foliage-shrouded, Egyptian-style laboratory. The chaos unfolding inside remained completely unnoticed.

It was a blatant threat, and Jackal understood perfectly. This man was unrestrained. She, on the other hand, was currently at his mercy.

The tremor had signaled the lab's destruction, but had Schicksal's Valkyries suffered any real damage in their hasty response? Jackal glanced at Lin Wei's unreadable face, unsure.

Even with Stan in charge, the lab was too cramped in its transformed state. A successful retreat would already count as a victory.

"Dr. Cleo, your coffee's getting cold. Would you like me to add some sugar?" Lin Wei asked with fake concern, noticing Jackal's stillness.

"No!" Jackal choked down the coffee in one gulp, as if swallowing not the bitter liquid but the man sitting across from her.

"So Dr. Jackal prefers her coffee black?" Lin Wei placed the sugar cube back down, pretending to be surprised. "Such a unique taste. Memorable."

Your damned face is memorable too! Jackal seethed. The coffee's bitterness helped cool her rage slightly, but the urge to rip Lin Wei's lips off remained strong.

"Don't worry. I've toured World Serpent bases before. Schicksal won't have it easy," Lin Wei said casually. He gestured for the waiter to refill Jackal's cup, acting as if he were on a date with a beautiful woman. The 'beautiful' part was true, but the 'woman' in question was undeniably venomous.

"Heh..." Jackal crossed her arms, sneering at his gentlemanly act. "How surprising that you have so much faith in me, despite this being our first meeting." Her tone dripped with sarcasm.

"Oh, you misunderstand, Dr. Cleo," Lin Wei chuckled. "I merely have faith in World Serpent's... 'humanoid machines.'"

Inwardly, he scoffed. Left to your own devices, you'd be in Otto's clutches by now. You're alive thanks to me, so my request for coffee is hardly unreasonable.

Compared to Jackal's misplaced confidence, the humanoid machines were infinitely more reliable. Their absolute rationality and quantum computing power allowed them to play a seemingly weak hand with surprising effectiveness.

Lin Wei, having experienced this firsthand on Coral Island, had a degree of confidence in them. Jackal, naturally, remained oblivious.

"'Your World Serpent?' Hmph, Lin Wei, such arrogance!" Jackal stood abruptly, glaring down at him. "You know the greatness of the Serpent, yet you address it with such disrespect?!"

Lin Wei stared up at her, bewildered. What is she on about?

"Excuse me..." Lin Wei raised his hands placatingly, utterly confused. "Does World Serpent pay my salary? Why should I 'revere' it? Your own Gray Serpent rejected my job application!"

"Ha ha ha..." Jackal's laughter took on a hysterical edge. Her golden eyes scrutinized Lin Wei with contempt. "Lin Wei, everything you have—your Divine Key, your Stigmata, your very life—you stole it all from the Serpent with your despicable methods!"

Her voice rose with each word. "Without the Lord, without World Serpent, without even that pathetic Hua who has forgotten who she is, without our mercy, you would be nothing! You have no right to sit here and threaten me! You..."

Before she could finish, a black box materialized in front of Lin Wei. It circled him rapidly, accelerating like a satellite, and then slammed into Jackal's face, striking her venomous mouth.

SLAP!

Pandora smacked Jackal, and it sounded kind of soft, but it was enough to shut her up from yelling. The hit was so strong it knocked Jackal back in her chair, and the chair legs scraped loudly on the floor.

After hitting her, Pandora just calmly went back to stand next to Lin Wei.

A waiter knocked and entered the room, addressing Lin Wei in a low voice. "Sir, please keep it down. You're disturbing the other patrons." She seemed to ignore the disheveled, mouth-covering figure of the renowned doctor.

"My apologies, a slight mishap. Thank you for the reminder. I'll be more mindful," Lin Wei replied politely. He waited for the waiter to leave before picking up a feather.

"Seriously, why am I getting so good at using this?" Lin Wei mused. Isn't this the Key of Corruption? Why am I using it like the Key of Sentience? Pandora showed no sign of displeasure at this thought, resting quietly in his hand in its box form. Lin Wei chuckled.

"Esteemed Dr. Jackal," he said, stroking Pandora, "it seems the Divine Key itself... disagrees with your assessment." As if to emphasize his point, Pandora began to spin around him silently.

Lin Wei remained unfazed by Jackal's rant. Even Yae Sakura merely commented that Jackal seemed to have lost her mind. However, the normally passive Pandora had a surprisingly fiery temper.

Well, she deserved that, Lin Wei thought.

Jackal, however, saw it as yet another humiliation. She glared at Lin Wei, hand clamped over her mouth, speechless not from choice, but from pain. She didn't dare remove her hand or check the damage in a mirror. To let him see her vulnerability would be unbearable. 

She maintained a facade of pride despite her disheveled state.

Seeing her pathetic attempt, Lin Wei suddenly felt foolish for having toyed with her. This is so unsatisfying, he thought. What a waste of time.

"Now, my dear Dr. Jackal, are we ready to have a civilized conversation?" He glanced pointedly at her hands, a deliberate jab at her pride. "I came with good intentions, yet you repeatedly rebuffed me. How disappointing." He sighed theatrically.

Good intentions? Hilarious! Jackal snorted, biting back her frustration.

"After all, I've met your Lord, Kevin. We had quite a pleasant chat." Lin Wei's smile twisted into something mockingly sweet. "And I'm also acquainted with fellow World Serpent members Gray Serpent and... Raven... oh right, Raven left." He feigned regret. "In any case, I consider my relationship with World Serpent to be amicable."

Jackal's eyes narrowed. He dares speak the Lord's name so casually?

"That's why, with Schicksal hunting you down, I felt compelled to offer a little assistance." Lin Wei's voice took on a patronizing tone. "A shame, really. I try to help, and this is the thanks I get? Insults and accusations?" He sighed again, clearly pretending to be hurt. If it weren't for me, you'd be a guest at Schicksal HQ right now.

His communicator beeped suddenly. "Schicksal Valkyries are withdrawing... looks like they came up empty-handed." Lin Wei chuckled, reading the message aloud.

Otto's praise for his accurate intel flashed across the screen, followed by an order to track down the remaining World Serpent "remnants" and report any findings immediately.

Despite the professional tone, Lin Wei sensed Otto's frustration.

Remnants? He scoffed. Who's he kidding?

Jackal trembled with rage. He's the one who called them in, and now he plays the good Samaritan?!

"It seems Dr. Jackal remains unconvinced of my goodwill." Lin Wei stood, smoothing his clothes and preparing to leave. "Don't worry. You'll thank me eventually." He smirked. Because without me, you'd be in Otto's hands. Even Gray Serpent might not be able to save you from that ice queen... unless he calls in the reclusive Hare.

Wait a minute… A thought struck him. Could the Honkai eruption in Manila be related to Hare somehow? He frowned. Before the Stigmata project, she was a walking Honkai reactor, spreading disaster wherever she went...

It's definitely possible! A sense of purpose filled him. I can't let Hare get involved! I do so much for this world…

"Dr. Jackal, you should leave here as well." Lin Wei's voice was cool, detached. "'Dr. Cleo' is no longer a safe identity." He offered his final piece of advice, waved goodbye, and added, "Thanks for the hospitality. Sadly, as someone from Shenzhou, I'm not a fan of coffee…"

With a smile and a bow, he left.