F-class thief? Sorry, I can steal anything.

Chapter 368 The Rabbit's Test

The alloy door slid open silently.

The sight behind the door made Chen Yifan's pupils shrink slightly.

This was not the combat command center filled with various instruments that he had imagined, but a huge, exaggerated hall that resembled a star museum.

The dome of the hall is a complete holographic screen composed of data streams, simulating the vast universe and galaxies.

In the very center of the hall, a huge sphere composed of countless runes and light paths floats.

Inside the sphere, a miniature city can be vaguely seen.

That's Kyoto.

Above the sphere, a hideous, scar-like, blood-red fissure was slowly rotating, emanating an ominous aura.

Star Gate.

There was only one person in the entire hall.

A woman dressed in a black cheongsam, with a slender figure and a somewhat aloof and distant expression, was standing with her back to them, quietly gazing up at the blood-red crack.

It is one of the twelve guardians of the Chinese zodiac, the Rabbit.

"Usagi-sama."

The team members behind Chen Yifan bowed in unison.

"You can go down now," Rabbit said in a cold voice without turning around.

"Yes."

The team members dared not disobey in the slightest, and after bowing again, they quietly withdrew from the hall.

In the massive command center, only Chen Yifan and Mao Tu remained.

"Star Official." Rabbit slowly turned around, its long, narrow phoenix eyes, like the most precise scanner, fell on Chen Yifan.

"Lord Rabbit." Chen Yifan bowed his head slightly, adopting a very humble posture.

In the Star Official's memory, he held the Rabbit in the deepest reverence.

This person is not only unfathomably powerful, but also a well-known "brain trust" within the Lamplighters, with a meticulous mind and amazing insight.

While Chenlong was in seclusion, she managed almost all the lamplighters on his behalf.

More importantly, the Rabbit is the guide for the star officials!

"You did a great job on the mission on Qingquan Road," Mao Tu said calmly. "That 'mother' of the S-rank talent is very valuable for research."

"It was thanks to the effective command from headquarters," Chen Yifan replied flawlessly.

"Is that so?" Mao Tu's lips curled into a faint smile as she walked towards him step by step. "I heard that you were at the scene and overruled the order to capture her alive, almost shooting that little girl dead."

Chen Yifan's heart sank.

Damn, she's bluffing me!

The news of what happened at the scene reached her ears so quickly? No, she couldn't possibly know that much detail, unless… she suspects me!

I've had my doubts from the very beginning!

Where did the problem occur?

Countless thoughts flashed through my mind in a split second.

Chen Yifan's face, however, revealed just the right amount of "guilt" and "lingering fear".

"I'm sorry, sir. The situation was urgent at the time. The mental shockwave from that 'mother' instantly wiped out nearly half of our forces. I... I just wanted to end the battle as quickly as possible and minimize casualties."

His explanation was reasonable and justified, a judgment made by a responsible captain in an emergency.

"Is that so?" Rabbit had already walked up to him, the distance between them less than half a meter.

A faint fragrance emanated from her, but Chen Yifan only felt a sense of unease, as if she were sitting on pins and needles.

This woman is too dangerous.

"But the information I received is that you were completely unharmed after being subjected to that level of mental attack."

The rabbit's eyes were fixed intently on him.

"Star Lord, when did your mental resistance become so strong? I remember your last assessment report showed that your mental strength was only B+."

Finished!

This is a fatal flaw!

Chen Yifan's brain was working at lightning speed.

At the time, he was only thinking about saving people and completely forgot about the character of "Star Official".

It's simply unbelievable that someone with B+ level mental strength could withstand the mental impact of an S-level talent without being injured!

How do you explain that?

He said he recently had an epiphany?

He claimed he ate some rare and precious medicinal herbs.

No, this is too fake!

In front of a shrewd person like Mao Tu, any lie will be exposed instantly.

At this critical moment, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he thought of the only possible reason to pass the test.

He took something out of his storage ring.

It was a broken, blood-stained fragment of a silver mask.

He picked it up casually after that member of the Council of Order self-destructed.

"Sir, this is it."

Chen Yifan handed over the fragments, a hint of lingering fear on his face.

"I found this on the corpses of those 'tin cans' from the Council of Order during a previous mission. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time and just casually put it away. Just now on Clear Spring Road, when that mental shock erupted, it was this fragment that suddenly heated up and shielded me from it."

The rabbit took the fragment and examined it carefully for a moment.

"This is... a core fragment of the 'Mind Barrier' generator? Something from the Council of Order." She recognized its origin. "You're lucky. But don't carry things of unknown origin with you in the future."

As she spoke, she applied slight pressure with her fingers, and the hard fragment turned into powder in her hand.

Chen Yifan breathed a long sigh of relief.

Bet right.

He used a seemingly reasonable "coincidence" to cover up his biggest flaw.

"It seems you're still that impulsive but lucky star official." Rabbit seemed to have dispelled his doubts, and his tone softened a bit.

"Thank you for your trouble, sir."

"Alright." Rabbit waved her hand. "Lord Chenlong is still preparing. Before I see you, please do something for me."

coming!

Chen Yifan's spirits lifted.

"Please give your orders, sir."

"Go to archives B-7 of the 'Kyoto Floating City' and retrieve a long-forgotten 'Pioneer' file." Mao Tu's expression turned serious. "Remember, this is confidential. No one else but you and me can know. After you get it, come see me directly."

"yes!"

Chen Yifan accepted the order and turned to leave the command center.

Watching his departing figure, Mao Tu's expression once again became inscrutable.

She murmured to herself, "Hopefully, you really were just lucky..."