Nekomata was overwhelmed with guilt and self-reproach.
She lowered her head, tears dripping onto the ground as she clutched the medal tightly in her hands. She didn't dare meet Sam Li and Anby's eyes.
She was ready.
No matter how Sam Li and Anby chose to punish her—whether they hit her or scolded her—she wouldn't resist or try to escape.
Through her blurred vision, Nekomata saw Sam Li raise a hand, reaching out toward her just as he had when dealing with armed enemies before.
Meow!
Her body tensed, bracing for impact.
But the next second…
A warm hand rested gently on her head.
Still crying, Nekomata slowly looked up, following Sam Li's arm until she saw his calm, expressionless face.
"You… You're not going to hit me? At least scold me a little…"
Hitting a homeless stray cat?
Sam Li couldn't bring himself to do that.
In a flat tone, he said, "You violated the contract and tried to harm Hare's House. But since you admitted your mistake and helped save the people, your punishment is to have your commission fee doubled. Do you accept?"
Nekomata quickly wiped away her tears. "I accept…"
Based on their previous estimates, the commission fee was already an astronomical 500,000 Dennies.
If doubled, that meant she now owed 1,000,000 Dennies.
For a stray cat like her, a million Dennies was an impossible sum—she wouldn't be able to pay it off even if she sold herself.
But this time…
Nekomata wouldn't run away.
Even if she had to work in a café as a part-time cat or carry bricks at a construction site, she would find a way to pay off her debt.
She wiped her tears away and watched as Sam Li walked off into the distance.
A thought crossed her mind—if only she could follow him.
But in the end, she didn't say it out loud.
Stray cats like her were destined to wander.
Just as Nekomata hung her head and turned to leave, lost in thought…
She suddenly bumped into someone.
It was Anby, who had been silently standing nearby the entire time.
Nekomata panicked. "A-Anby? Why are you still here? Sam Li already left."
Anby spoke seriously, "I was waiting for you."
Nekomata's voice was hollow. "I know… You must be angry. I tricked all of you. Sam Li already punished me, so now it's your turn."
Hearing this, Anby shook her head.
"I'm not here to punish you. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have found the people in Canvas Lane or uncovered Vision Corporation's conspiracy. Just like Sam Li said, your merits and faults balance out—you've already received your punishment."
Nekomata looked up. "Then why are you waiting for me?"
Anby answered firmly, "To invite you to join Hare's House."
Nekomata froze. "Join Hare's House…???"
Seeing her shocked expression, Anby began counting on her fingers.
"You owe one million Dennies to Hare's House. At your current earning rate, you won't be able to pay it off in a lifetime. But Hare's House offers generous pay, strong leadership under Boss Nicole, and a promising future. If you join us, you'll be able to clear your debt much faster."
Nekomata hesitated.
She was torn, unsure of what to do.
Seeing this, Anby added, "It was Sam Li who asked me to invite you."
The moment she heard Sam Li's name, Nekomata's ears perked up.
Her eyes shimmered with tears as she muttered, "If it's an invitation from Sam Li… then I'll have to think about it."
...
An Hour Later – Janus District Police Station, New Eridu
Nicole and Billy had tried everything—leveraging media pressure, rallying public opinion—to force the authorities to pardon Hare's House for entering the Hollows.
But in the end…
They were still arrested.
Zhu Yuan and Qingyi took them into custody for assaulting someone in public.
To Nicole's surprise, however, Qingyi simply processed their paperwork, went through the formalities, and released them that same night.
Billy was dumbfounded. "That's it?"
Qingyi smirked. "What did you expect? Unless… you actually wanted to stay here for dinner? Sorry, but the police station doesn't serve extra meals. Now, get out of here—your friends are waiting for you outside."
Not wanting to risk Qingyi changing her mind, Nicole and Billy bolted out of the station faster than a pair of rabbits.
The moment they reached the entrance, they saw Sam Li, Anby… and the newest recruit of Hare's House—Nekomata.
Nicole's eyes lit up when she spotted Nekomata.
Grinning from ear to ear, she exclaimed, "One million Dennies! Nekomata, work hard, and one day you'll pay it all back!"
Seeing Nicole's triumphant expression, Nekomata suddenly felt like she had just been scammed.
Did Hare's House really offer such good pay?
No matter how she looked at it, Nicole didn't seem like a generous boss at all—if anything, she looked like a ruthless capitalist.
Still, with everyone gathered, Nicole clapped her hands.
"Alright! We've been busy all day, and I bet everyone's hungry. Tonight, I'm treating you all to a great meal!"
Sam Li nodded. "That's only fair."
Billy cheered, practically jumping for joy. "Boss Nicole is brilliant!"
Anby added calmly, "We're going to the new restaurant north of Radiant Plaza—the one with unlimited mackerel. Nicole already had me reserve a table."
The moment Nekomata heard "unlimited mackerel," her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"One mackerel, two mackerel—I'm gonna eat three whole mackerel, meow~!"
At the same time, she felt a little guilty.
Just a moment ago, she had been doubting Nicole, thinking she was nothing more than a greedy boss.
But now… maybe she had misjudged her.
Just as Nekomata was skipping along, fantasizing about eating as much mackerel as she wanted…
Nicole, who was leading the group, suddenly turned around.
"Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention—this dinner is split evenly. The cost will be deducted from your pocket money."
The moment she said that…
Sam Li remained completely unfazed and nodded. "That's fair."
Billy buried his face in his hands. "I knew it… I really thought Nicole had forgotten this time…"
Anby stayed calm. "Same thing happened last time."
Nekomata was stunned.
"Meow?! You can do that?!"
Her pocket money—which she hadn't even received yet—was already half gone thanks to ruthless Nicole.
Just moments ago, she had been praising Nicole in her heart.
But now, she saw the truth.
Nicole was a heartless capitalist.
Where her conscience should have been… was a bank account.
Or rather—
Two bank accounts that looked full, but were actually empty.