Chapter 36: Contentment Is Happiness

"What... what just happened?" Miss Lin Yilin was a bit confused by the final turn of events.

She had originally expected the two to clash in a massive display of power, a spectacular beam struggle that would decide the victor amidst a grand show of force. Of course, she was certain that Mr. Phantom would win effortlessly; after all, she could sense just how much of his true strength he had actually utilized during the fight.

It was... well, he hadn't been serious at all. The only part he treated with any real dedication was his attempt to see if he could actually "rob" the Bloody Tycoon.

In the end, there was no high-octane clash of ultimate moves. She only saw the Bloody Tycoon charge up a massive energy wave, shout something, and then—poof.

"Hahahaha! That was hilarious!" Zheng Fan was even more direct. Using Lin Yilin’s body, he laughed out loud right then and there, showing no mercy to the remaining splatter of blood and gore.

"He wanted to 'buy my death'? He actually thought he could buy my death? That’s rich. He should have tried becoming the richest man in the Metropolis first, trash!"

Recovering from his uncontrollable laughter, Zheng Fan looked at the now much cleaner scene. The previous sea of red and chunks of flesh felt like nothing more than an illusion.

Zheng Fan reached out and condensed a singularity the size of a tennis ball out of thin air—the largest one he had absorbed so far.

"Well, the quantity is decent, at least. It’s a pity, though. All that money just went up in smoke. It would have been better if he’d left it for me," Zheng Fan remarked, weighing the large singularity in his hand.

"Mr. Phantom, you actually replicated the ability of a wealth-type hallucination... It’s incredible."

"Is it? It’s exactly because it’s incredible that it’s a hallucination, isn't it?" Zheng Fan replied dismissively.

"It’s not the same. While hallucinations are numerous and diverse, our current consensus is that a hallucination cannot transcend its own growth trajectory to acquire unrelated powers. In a sense, a hallucination that exists in symbiosis with humans is also constrained by them. But Mr. Phantom, thanks to the singularities you mentioned, you’ve broken that consensus."

"You aren't a wealth-type hallucination, yet you were able to mobilize property that didn't belong to you."

Zheng Fan didn't seem to care much after hearing this. "Whatever. I already have enough secrets of my own; they just give me more motivation to keep surviving in this world."

Seeing this, Lin Yilin stopped dwelling on Zheng Fan’s nature and pivoted. "It’s such a shame. Because he self-destructed for no reason, we didn't even manage to save Darochi."

"Hm? Why would we want to save him?"

"The bounty," Lin Yilin said seriously.

"He was the last direct descendant of the Cannetton family. The Bureau had a bounty commission for him. If we had saved him and turned him in, that would have been a high-profile achievement." She sighed helplessly. "Why did he have to be so short-sighted and blow himself up?"

The evaporation happened so quickly that she hadn't even had time to react, and by the time she wanted to ask Zheng Fan to use his talismans to separate the body, it was already too late.

Even if the infection hadn't mutated to that extent, it was still unclear whether her talismans could have saved him.

But they should have at least tried.

As it turned out, they didn't even get the chance.

Zheng Fan had been thoroughly amused by the other party's performance, while Lin Yilin was left feeling troubled.

"Alright, alright, cheer up. One must be content. At least our original commission is basically finished now, isn't it?" Zheng Fan patted Linde, whom he was carrying.

"I suppose... though I hope Mr. Linde will be alright."

"If the source of the hallucinations is gone, he should be fine."

"I don't mean the effects of the hallucinations; I mean him, personally..."

Knowing what Lin Yilin was implying, Zheng Fan could only say, "Then that’s not our concern. Like you said, we’re only responsible for completing the contract. At this point, we’ve done our job well enough."

With that, he hoisted Linde over his shoulder and walked toward the door.

Shortly after, the detached house was swallowed by flames following a series of explosions.

The Bloody Tycoon was gone, but some of Darochi’s core cronies didn't lose their fighting spirit; they resisted until the very end against Zheng Fan’s follow-up sweep.

They had even gritted their teeth and blown up the mansion themselves.

To ensure Linde wouldn't be caught in the blast, Zheng Fan had set aside his playful mood and left the scene under the glow of the fire.

Landing on the street outside the courtyard, he saw at the corner that the disguised garbage truck they had arrived in had already been secured by a team from the Shenlai Agency.

Someone was contacting the agency headquarters, likely reporting that they had mobilized forces to come here.

But just as they finished their report, the mansion exploded.

Shenlai Agency: ???

Everyone had been in the middle of a passionate team fight, using their collective wit to find the enemy's weakness, preparing for the final push into the enemy's stronghold—only for someone to tell them the enemy base just blew itself up?

Zheng Fan turned around with a smile and gave a light wave. "Ciao~."

...

That afternoon, Mrs. Caprice met the husband she had been longing for.

Although Mr. Linde had been treated by Lin Yilin and regained consciousness, his mind remained hazy and dazed. Upon seeing Caprice, his emotions collapsed, and he wept bitterly in his wife’s arms.

In that moment, he seemed to vaguely return to reality.

After learning the full story from Lin Yilin and having it confirmed by Linde, Caprice hesitated, wondering what to say. But after his emotions settled slightly, Linde took the initiative and said to her, "Let's get a divorce. I’m sorry."

After a moment of stunned silence, Caprice nodded, her eyes filled with tears.

Lin Yilin and Zheng Fan stood by as witnesses to the end of a marriage.

Even if the person returned, it didn't mean that what had happened was simply in the past.

Caprice could not forget the anxiety and fear she had endured during this time; she needed a more stable mindset and environment to raise her two children alone.

As for Linde, he intended to turn himself in.

Lin Yilin helped contact Officer Drake, who came to take him away.

After Linde left, Caprice paid the commission as promised and held Lin Yilin’s hands, bowing repeatedly to thank her. It was clear that the lady’s emotional state wasn't as composed as she had appeared in front of Linde.

After comforting her, Lin Yilin contacted the landlady, Ms. Chen, and saw Caprice off.

The next day, after verification and approval on the Bureau’s official website, the commission for Lin Yilin and Zheng Fan was officially closed.

Lin Yilin sat at the desk in the depths of the agency, typing away to record the incident.

One formal report had already been submitted to the Bureau, in which Lin Yilin had naturally "polished" the details, omitting unnecessary information.

What she was writing now, however, was the true account of everything she had seen and heard. This was a record belonging solely to the Zero-One Agency, not to be shown to anyone else without permission.

"Mr. Linde didn't end up in prison; he was sent to the White Cloud Asylum in the neighboring Cumulus District," Lin Yilin said while typing.

Nearby, a baguette with wings was teasing a piece of toast, making it run around.

Hearing Lin Yilin, Zheng Fan reverted to his original form, landed, and grabbed the toast in his arms. "It’s just being locked up in a different place, though his situation isn't surprising."

"The story of the Cannetton family has officially come to an end. Even though the Shenlai Agency felt like they didn't even get to exert any effort before it was over, their final cleanup was still clean and efficient. A large number of remnants were either killed or captured. It earned Shenlai quite a reputation again," Lin Yilin continued.

"Hahahaha," Zheng Fan chuckled.

Lin Yilin looked at him.

"Sorry, every time you mention the Cannettons, I think about that thing blowing itself up, and I just can't help it." Zheng Fan waved his hand in front of his mouth, signaling he couldn't help it.

Lin Yilin speechlessly turned her gaze back. "The incident involving the nameless casino that Darochi and the Bloody Tycoon cooked up has also come to light. It caused quite a stir online and was even reported by the Metropolis Daily."

"That has nothing to do with us anymore. After all, if you get directly involved now, you won't be able to explain where you got your skills."

Lin Yilin nodded gently. "One shouldn't be too greedy."

Contentment brings happiness.

But for those who have run out of options, that spider thread of greed is something they must grasp. It is unavoidable.

After a long while, the sound of typing came to an abrupt stop.

Lin Yilin stretched. "Finished!"

"Great! Then, the victory banquet we promised—let's go!" Zheng Fan raised his arms high, forgetting he was still holding the toast, which fell to the floor. However, a perfect piece of toast wouldn't mind such a small thing and let out a joyful yelp.

Seeing this, Lin Yilin showed a warm smile.

"Yeah, let’s go."