Piper pulled out her phone and opened the map of the Janus District. She searched for a while but couldn't find anything called Hare's House.
She expanded the search to all of New Eridu.
"That's weird... Not even 'Cunning Hares' shows up. Did they not register their name at all? Is this place some kind of shady front?"
Beside her, Lucy offered, "Try searching for Gentle House."
"Gentle House?" Piper repeated, confused.
"I saw a post on the forum once. Apparently, Hare's House used to be called that before they rebranded."
Hearing that, Piper immediately searched for Gentle House—and sure enough, a listing popped up for an agency in the Janus District.
She scrolled through the reviews.
Most of them were negative.
Tons of complaints and criticism. Looked like Lucy was right—Gentle House really was Hare's House.
Piper sighed. "Just like Lucy said. The reviews are terrible…"
Lucy shrugged. "Well, that's pretty on-brand for us Sons of Calydon, too."
Caesar wasn't fazed. "Ignore the reviews. Whether you're in the city or out in the Outer Ring, there's never a shortage of people talking trash."
In the Outer Ring, the Sons of Calydon didn't exactly enjoy the best reputation—at least not outside their own turf.
Not that they were alone in that. Every gang in the Outer Ring had its reputation issues.
Lucy huffed. "Come on, let's just get this visit over with. I still have shopping to do."
Piper jumped into the driver's seat. "It's close. With the truck, we'll be there in ten minutes."
Most drivers would need twenty for the same route.
But for Piper, ten minutes was more than enough.
Soon after, Piper yawned and fired up the engine.
The modified engine roared to life. With a thunderous boom, the truck shot forward like a rocket.
Pedestrians on the street stopped and stared.
Piper spotted something in the rearview mirror she really didn't want to see. "Uh-oh. Cops."
Lucy groaned. "You're speeding in the middle of the city. What did you expect? Don't get me and the boss hauled into the precinct."
Piper smirked. "Relax. I'll lose 'em."
The next second, she hit a button on the dashboard.
In an instant, the truck surged forward again like it had a rocket booster installed.
As they neared an intersection, Piper didn't even bother slowing down—just cranked the wheel and drifted a perfect 90-degree turn into another street. Two wheels lifted off the ground as the truck nearly tipped over.
Then, miraculously, it stabilized and vanished around the corner.
She had successfully ditched the Public Security Bureau patrol car.
Piper yawned again, leaned back with her hands behind her head, one foot casually on the steering wheel, looking like she hadn't just pulled off a high-speed chase.
Lucy frowned. "Careful. Don't fling Caesar out of the back."
"Yeah, yeah," Piper mumbled. "Just had to lose the tail. Let's get this visit over with."
She yanked the handbrake and laid on the horn, urging pedestrians to clear the way.
While Piper, Lucy, and Caesar headed for Hare's House...
Elsewhere, on a nearby street...
Zhu Yuan was behind the wheel of a patrol car, tracking the speeding truck through the city and coordinating with nearby security teams.
"This is Team Zhu Yuan. A truck just sped into Section Eight. Stop it immediately!"
"Captain Zhu Yuan, the truck was too fast. It already left Section Eight."
"Captain, it's now in Section Nine—wait, we lost visual!"
Hearing the reports from other officers, Zhu Yuan's expression turned grim.
The truck was faster than she'd expected.
Zhu Yuan wasn't the best driver in the bureau, but very few outclassed her. Whether chasing criminals or responding to emergencies, she was usually the first on scene.
But today, she'd lost a truck after just one intersection.
Next to her, Qingyi shook her head. "Don't beat yourself up. That truck was clearly modded. Looks like a normal freight hauler, but it's probably packing an old-world jet engine or something. No wonder you couldn't catch it."
Zhu Yuan nodded seriously. "Senior Qingyi, I'll contact HQ and have them check the truck's info."
Qingyi replied, "Judging by the model, it likely came from the Outer Ring. The plates are probably fake. It's not worth chasing a dead lead. Better to pull more boots into the field."
That made sense. Zhu Yuan paused to think, then agreed.
Trucks like that weren't even legal inside city limits—it had to be from the Outer Ring.
She immediately contacted the Janus District for reinforcements.
But with many officers dispatched to maintain order around the new golden statue in the Federer District, extra help was scarce.
Out of options, Zhu Yuan called in Seth.
With three officers and two patrol cars, they fanned out to continue the search for the rogue truck.
Meanwhile, Piper had already blasted into the neighborhood where Hare's House was located.
She slammed the brakes, and the truck skidded to a stop right in front of the building.
Piper, Lucy, and Caesar climbed out.
They looked up and confirmed the sign—it clearly read "Hare's House," not "Gentle House."
Just as they were about to step inside...
A familiar voice barked from within.
"Who is it this time?! Every day someone parks out front is your personal lot—what is this, a free garage?!"
A familiar figure stormed out of Hare's House—it was Billy, one of the agency's staff.
As soon as he saw them, Billy froze.
Piper and the others were just as stunned.
"Ah—Billy?! What are you doing here?"