Daniel nodded, his mind racing faster than Sherman''s about the CIS.


    But there was nothing to be done at present. No international big shot had emerged to solve the


    problem instantly.


    "Alright, you can head out," Sherman said, massaging his temples with long and slender fingers.


    As Daniel turned to leave, just before he reached the door, Sherman''s voice followed him, "Turn the


    lights off on your way out, would you?"


    Daniel paused, a frown flickering across his face. He suspected that Sherman had summoned him


    in the middle of the night just to have him switch off the lights.


    The next morning.


    Anthea munched on a bagel while scrolling through her phone, her expression serene. Her delicate


    fingertips tapped the screen, then suddenly stopped on a page.


    It was a listing for an apartment rental.


    A house with three bedrooms and one living room cost five hundred bucks a month, which seemed


    fair.


    She tapped into the listing and started chatting with thendlord to set up a time to view the


    apartment.


    After breakfast, Anthea made her way to the address.


    The neighborhood was a mix of retirees and blue-cor workers, a far cry from luxurious but


    leagues better than a basement t.


    The apartment she was interested in was on the ground floor with a small garden out front.


    Thendlord, a kindly olddy with spectacles perched on her nose, greeted her in the


    unmistakable Cloudcrest dialect.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Through their conversation, Anthea learned that the olddy was a retired professor from


    Cloudcrest University.


    "How many of you are nning to live here, Anthea?" she inquired.


    "Just me, my mom, and my uncle," Anthea replied.


    The olddy nodded, "I don''t have many rules, just keep the ce clean. Myst tenants seemed


    nice enough but left the ce a mess!"


    Despite the time that had passed, thendlord was visibly upset recounting the ordeal.


    "Don''t worry, madam. We are very tidy," Anthea assured her. "If you like, you can drop by from time


    to time to check."


    This seemed to reassure the olddy, who then asked, "How old are you, dear?"


    "I''m eighteen." replied Anthea.


    "Got a boyfriend?"


    Anthea smiled softly, "I''m still in school."


    The olddy chuckled, "These days, kids start dating so young. As long as it doesn''t affect their


    studies, I guess it''s not a big problem."


    After signing the lease, Anthea didn''t go straight home. She headed to the tech district, considering


    buying aptop.


    She had just epted an ultra-rare mission the night before and aptop was essential.


    A desktop would have been ideal for her work, but considering portability, she opted for aptop to


    upgrade it herself.


    Though it would be a hassle to customize, it would be worth it.


    As she shopped, Anthea found herself missing her world and her personalputer.


    Picking out aptop, Anthea wasn''t picky about the brand. She just grabbed the cheapest one,


    knowing she''d be upgrading it anyway.


    She also bought several hardwareponents.


    The shop owner seemed impressed, "Didn''t take you for aputer geek."


    She gave a modest smile, "I just tinker around a bit."


    The owner could tell she was being humble. Her selection was too precise for ayman.


    Back at home, Anthea set to work assembling herputer.


    She rolled up her sleeves, revealing her slender arms. In no time at all, a standardptop was


    dismantled into pieces, unrecognizable from its original form.