Shen Sisi listened with a mixture of understanding and confusion. Seeing that Shen Cimo didn't want to say more, she finally nodded and continued eating.

After dinner, Shen Cimo frowned as he looked at the incoming call on his phone. "What's up? I'm off work now."

How could he not know that this assistant loved going to work so much?

"Mr. Shen, I saw Miss Qi Jiu by the roadside today. I didn't intend to follow her, but I went along the way to discuss cooperation with Mr. Wang. I saw Miss Qi Jiu heading towards the back mountain of City A."

The assistant hesitated for a moment, then said, "Mr. Shen, I've been agonizing over this for a long time before telling you. It's true that Miss Qi has her own freedom, but the back mountain of City A is deserted year-round. Perhaps you..."

Before the assistant could finish speaking, Shen Cimo interrupted him, "No need, Qiqi knows what she's doing. You don't need to tell my parents about this, and you don't need to mention it. Just pretend you didn't see it."

Just after hanging up the phone, before Shen Cimo could even take a sip of water, his phone started vibrating again.

This time, however, the phone screen displayed a string of gibberish.

"What?" Shen Cimo stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the room, his eyes slightly narrowed.

It's unclear what was said on the other end of the phone, but Shen Cimo's expression froze. He replied in a low voice, "Understood, prepare the helicopter," and then hung up.

On the other hand, although Qi Jiu accepted the mission from Death Gate Island on the black network, she did not report to Death Gate Island immediately, but instead went to the Matrix in F Continent, which is somewhat similar to Death Gate Island.

The helicopter had just landed on the Matrix helipad, and before Qi Jiu even got off, she could already see a group of people standing not far away on the helipad.

It looks like they've been waiting for quite some time.

Nan Chen was getting old, with gray hair, but despite this, he still rushed over to greet him as the plane landed.

"Qiqi!"

The old man looked very happy, and the group of executives behind him could hardly keep up with his pace.

"Old man, what are you doing on the tarmac instead of staying in your office? Are you still as nimble as you used to be?"

Despite her initial disdain, the girl quickened her pace upon seeing Nan Chen and went to help him, her movements unusually cautious.

"Elder."

"Elder, you're finally back! If you hadn't come back, we'd been nagging you about it so much our ears were practically calloused."

"Greetings, Elder."

The situation was extremely strange: a group of middle-aged and elderly executives were behaving humbly towards a girl who looked to be seventeen or eighteen years old. But to onlookers, it all seemed normal.

Qi Jiu simply nodded at the group of executives behind Nan Chen.

He then accompanied Nan Chen back to The Matrix.

"You silly girl, why did you suddenly come back? I thought it would be a while before I saw you again." Nan Chen walked to the tea table, took some tea leaves, and did so with great skill.

"Death Gate Island is nearby. Aren't you supposed to be on a mission? So I came to check on you, old man. Seeing you puts my mind at ease, and only then can I concentrate on my mission."

When Death Gate Island was mentioned, Nan Chen paused in his actions.

"Qiqi..."

"I know." Perhaps Nan Chen has said this too many times, because now Qi Jiu can tell what he's going to say just by looking at him open his mouth.

Nan Chen: "..." Is this what they call answering first? He hasn't said anything yet!

He sighed, waved to Qi Jiu, and only spoke slowly when he saw her sitting opposite him.

"Qiqi, it was an accident back then, you and I both know that, and Chuchu knows that too. It was something she did willingly. I think she didn't want to see you like a caged bird without your own thoughts because of her."

Nan Chen looked at Qi Jiu with heartache in his eyes.

To him, Qi Jiu was like a second daughter. They used to be very close, but after Chu Chu's accident, their relationship underwent a subtle change.

It feels like a barrier, but not quite. But...

The girl held the teacup in her fingers without saying a word, tilted her head back and drank the tea in one gulp, which made Nan Chen's heartache increase even more.

"Qiqi, I've always considered you my daughter, and I've never blamed you for that incident. Because I know that if it were you in that situation, you would have stood in front of Chuchu too. You are my daughter, and I don't want you to be unhappy."

He was the one most heartbroken by Nan Chu's death, but he believed that Qi Jiu felt the same way. He didn't want Qi Jiu to be unhappy for the rest of her life because of Nan Chu.

"Old man, I understand what you mean."

It was rare for the young girl to show such an expression. "Old man, don't you have anything else to talk about? Let's talk about The Matrix. You're so old, can you manage The Matrix well? If you really can't, then step down!"

Nan Chen: "..."

There are always treacherous subjects trying to harm me!

She was deliberately trying to ease the tension, but Nan Chen could easily see through it.

Since she doesn't want to talk about it, then let's not talk about it for now.

"Don't underestimate me, girl. While you were away, The Matrix was doing very well, thriving. But it would be even better if you were here. I'll sit here for a while, don't rush."

The two sat facing each other, like friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time, and at times, like father and daughter.

The Matrix helipad.

Su Chen looked at the helicopter that was already prepared in front of him and the girl standing in front of him, and his face fell.

"Sister Qi, are you leaving so soon? The Matrix is ​​recruiting recently, aren't you going to take a look at the new recruits? They haven't recruited anyone with exceptional abilities in the last two years, what if they do this year? What if you find someone you like?"

Qi Jiu only spent one day in The Matrix, and they hadn't seen each other for a long time.

I do miss her a little.

Although he's usually fierce and seems like he'd want to twist their heads off, he's actually quite kind to them.

Qi Jiu: "..." Thank you for praising me like that.

"No, it seems like they can't wait on Death Gate Island; they're in a bit of a hurry."

In just one day, Death Gate Island has been urging them several times on the black market.

They're as anxious as a mud horse wanting to be reincarnated.

Death Gate Island: "..."

Seeing that he couldn't persuade them no matter what he did, Su Chen had no choice but to let them go.

Death Gate Island wasn't far from F Continent. Qi Jiu took a short nap on the helicopter and when she opened her eyes, they had already arrived at their destination.

The island lord of Death Gate Island has a rule that only she can enter the island for this mission, since it involves power and it's normal for her to keep some secrets.

Just before disembarking, she reached into a box next to her and took out a silver mask that she had prepared beforehand. The mask had an exquisite pattern on it, and she put it on her face a second before stepping off the plane.