Half an hour later, Sam Li and Ellen emerged from the old construction site Hollows, bringing the kidnapped classmate with them.
Outside the Hollows, they reunited with the other students and teachers who had been separated and later rescued by Public Security.
After this ordeal, the students had a whole new perspective on the Hollows.
Those who used to fear it found new courage, now able to face its horrors head-on.
Those who had once been merely curious realized the dangers weren't limited to the Ethereals. There were also bandits—and the darker side of human nature...
With that, Sam Li had officially completed Ellen's commission.
As they parted, Ellen bowed her head slightly in gratitude.
"Sorry—I take back what I said about Hare's House. You're more professional than I imagined. Thank you for helping me out of a huge mess."
She wasn't just talking about the parent-teacher meeting—rescuing the kidnapped student had been no small feat either.
Had Sam Li not been there, she would've gone in herself. But she knew she wouldn't have done half as well.
Sam Li gave a mild smile.
"I was simply fulfilling the contract. No thanks necessary. If you need anything else, feel free to send a commission to Hare's House anytime."
They'd only briefly crossed paths during the incident at the Imperial City Hollows. No real interaction back then.
But after this assignment, they'd come to understand each other better—enough to call it familiarity.
A moment later, Sam Li turned to leave.
Ellen hesitated, then called out. She tapped her foot once and said seriously,
"Um… could I have your contact info? If you ever need Victoria Housekeeping services, you can reach me by phone…"
Her gaze flickered.
A rare hint of embarrassment crept onto her face.
Sam Li didn't refuse. He gave her his number and chat ID.
Just a few steps down the road, he heard a notification from his phone—it was a friend request from Ellen.
He accepted.
Then, with the birdcage in hand, Sam Li strolled off toward Sixth Street.
It was only four in the afternoon.
A coffee sounded good. Maybe a stroll with the bird afterward. Or he'd swing by Belle's video store to check for new releases. That would be enough for today.
...
Meanwhile, outside the old construction site—
After seeing Sam Li off, Ellen rejoined her classmates and teachers.
Still shaken from what had happened, the students were abuzz with discussion.
"I heard from the security officers that the Public Security Bureau caught the bandits. I thought they were bad at handling cases in the Hollows, but they were super efficient this time."
"Remember how Ellen chased after them? She was amazing!"
"No kidding. She fought the boss barehanded and held her own. I didn't know Ellen knew martial arts. Is that some Thiren thing?"
"Her brother was kidnapped. Of course she went all in…"
"The gang was called the Mountain Lion Gang, right? Pretty notorious from what I've heard…"
"Ellen's brother was brave too. He traded himself for a hostage…"
...
Amid the chatter, the girl who had been kidnapped earlier ran up and raised her voice.
"It wasn't the Public Security Bureau that beat the Mountain Lion Gang—it was Ellen's brother! He was incredible! He conjured a whole bunch of rock giants to thrash those bandits. Took them down in a flash—they were begging for mercy!"
She launched into a vivid retelling.
About how Sam Li punched the gang boss across the room.
How Public Security arrived late.
How Sam Li had single-handedly turned the tide.
In her eyes, Sam Li was nothing less than a savior.
"He must be someone sent by the gods to save New Eridu," she said dreamily, stars in her eyes. "He'll wipe out the Ethereals, close all the Hollows, and save the world…"
The other students looked at each other, confused.
They'd seen Sam Li do card tricks and conjure a butterfly once—but rock giants? Punching gang bosses across the room? Savior of the world?
Even the movies wouldn't go that far.
Just then, they saw Ellen returning and immediately swarmed her.
"Ellen, come on, don't keep it a secret! You went in with Public Security—what happened in there? How did you guys beat those bandits?"
"I didn't beat anyone."
"Can you teach me martial arts?"
"No."
"What about your brother? He was kidnapped—he didn't get hurt, did he?"
"He's not afraid of bandits."
...
Ellen was quickly surrounded by a barrage of questions.
She didn't even have the patience to do an extra exam question—these pointless questions weren't getting any answers either.
Thankfully, the teacher walked over.
She glanced at Ellen with surprise, clearly wanting to ask something herself.
But after a moment's hesitation, she raised her voice.
"Public Security is still investigating. No more gossip about the incident—let's not interfere with their work. We're leaving now."
She herded everyone back onto the bus and they began the trip back to school.
The bus sped down the road.
Not long after, it passed by Sam Li, who was walking ahead.
Someone shouted, "Ellen, look! It's your brother! Tell the driver to stop—let's give him a ride!"
Ellen shook her head.
"No need. Sam Li… my brother prefers walking. He likes birdwatching."
...
In truth, Sam Li didn't walk slowly at all.
In under thirty minutes, he was back on Sixth Street.
He took his usual seat outside Master Tingman's café and ordered a cup of the New Eridu Special.
Once he'd finished, he billed it to Hare's House.
As he was about to head over to Proxy's video store, he ran into Belle, the owner.
While chatting, Sam Li learned that Belle had just received a mission from Soldier 11—to help the Defense Forces breach the rebels' digital defenses and foil a new plot.
Belle looked serious as she warned him.
"Soldier 11 said the rebels know we were involved in what happened at the C97 Hollows. Word is they're planning retaliation—maybe targeting the video store and Hare's House. Be careful. And make sure to warn Nicole and Billy. Tell them to be extra careful on their missions."
She looked genuinely worried.
Getting on the rebels' radar was no small problem.
Sam Li, however, remained calm as ever.
"No problem. If they come after us, just call me."