Harker had been staring at the ceiling for a while now.
Roland told him to stay put while he retrieved the DNA sample. He had also checked in with Roland's people on how the bribery was going, and it was going smoothly. As of 6pm, at sundown, they had already bribed 57 workers and shipped 32 jiaorens unnoticed to trucks that lead to the Santa Monica pier.
They had also bribed those in charge for head counting, that's why they don't have to worry about getting caught fast. It was all methodical, thanks to his best friend's skill in strategizing.
Everything was going according to plan, and yet he felt unsettled by just waiting here.
He had no problems listening to Roland before. Everything he said, he would just follow. Because not only did he know Roland's plan was logical, he had also put his trust in him more than anyone in this world besides his family.
But this was his mess, and Roland was taking the lion's share of cleaning it. Roland was even going inside the snake pit and putting himself in danger.
"UGH! Why does it feel wrong to rely on him somehow? It's always like this…." Harker said. "I feel like I'm somehow his greatest burden."
Yan appeared. "It seems to me that you feel guilty every time you ask him for help, Master…."
"Because it's just not fair to him! I don't like how unfair this friendship is. I get to benefit from him all the time, and I can just sit back and relax!" He rubbed his face. "I can only afford to buy him cheap birthday cakes and coupons to the BBB on his birthday! What kind of friend am I!?"
"If you care enough about these things, then you are already a good friend, Master." Yan told him.
"Pah….. It's just unfair. I can't stand unfair things." Harker thought. "I need to also do something. I'd go insane if I stayed here. And besides…."
His face flush red a little.
"Princess Jinzhu and her sisters are waiting for me. The least I could do is give them an update on what is happening. Just a quick stop everyday before the birthday party is enough."
Yan suddenly looked displeased for an eyeball. "Ah, I see now. It's not actually about Roland, but the princess. I should have known, Master."
'What? Both are the reasons why I have to go!" Harker argued. "And they're both logical reasons too! Maybe I will find something that can help us out somehow during the Big Day. It will be difficult to help the princesses escape because their room is more guarded and hidden."
Yan shrugged. "I guess so. But I have no doubt that if Roland gets here and you're not around, he'll be upset."
"I'll be quick!"
Harker jumped out the window and started swinging. He was more careful to go to swing at more secluded areas as people here pay more attention to all the sights and buildings, even taking pictures.
And so, despite promising his friend that he won't do anything that's not according to their plan, Harker left to visit the factory again.
He sneaked into the usual restaurant where the workers go. Now, they're having dinner. He transformed into Xi Hua again and lured one of them to the bathrooms.
It was the last day that he could do that. Xi Hua's absorbed DNA will run out tomorrow. That was why it was important that he take Mr. Xi's DNA before that happens so he can unlock Enhanced Snake Demon Ability.
Then, he would stand a chance at that overpowered hypnotizing skill.
Now wonder he was able to easily defeat Miss Lovette/Lady Aixiang so easily despite her working hard for power himself. There's a high chance that only Mr. Xi and his father have this hypnotizing ability. He had mentioned it as their solution for the 'poisoning', which was Lady Aixiang's body controlling Succubus' power.
Controlling the body was less powerful than hypnotizing. Because then, the person still has their consciousness on what was happening to them. But with Mr. Xi, it was immediate. He takes away both consciousness and will of the person. He could even get them to reveal the truth.
If Harker had that power, it would be easier to defeat monsters like him. These monsters….
They were rarely dumb. Vain and complacent, yes. But they were crafty, because of being raised to always having the danger of other monsters consuming or harming them. It was a dog eat dog world, beast eat beast for them.
He thought about these serious things while going into Princess Jinzhu and her sister's room. The guards were more tense, but Harker had easily talked his way through by saying the Boss sent him to photograph their situation. He even stole a camera from one of the workers.
"To make sure that you know, none of ém escaped again because certain people were not doing their jobs properly." He acted smugly while wearing the worker's face.
The guards were obviously flustered by this, and their embarrassment turned to anger. They hit Harker on the back of the head. "Fine, just rush it, will ya!? The one that escaped can change faces, it's not fair for us!"
Harker's face darkened. So Mr. Xi used his powers to learn from the janitor that he can change appearance.
Luckily, these human guards were dumbasses. But on the other side of the building, towards the exit, were the snake guards. Their forked tongue flitted out and their slitted eyes narrowed as he entered. They were much more cautious than the human guards. Mr. Xi must have deployed more of them. They were usually his own bodyguards but he decided that they watch over the mermaids more.
Harker opened the door and closed it. The no-CCTV thing really was a blessing, even though the electroshock device was pretty troublesome. He wished he could just rip it out of his stomach and every mermaid's stomach.
The best solution was probably to take them far away from the factory so the signal won't reach them. Or even out of the activation switch's range would do.
He saw Princess Jinzhu's back turned towards him, and she was fiddling with something. The other blind mermaids were asleep.
"Princess." Harker whispered quietly, approaching her. "Princess, I'm here—"
He stopped on his tracks, and his eyes widened on what the princess was fiddling with.
"Nggh…. Hah…. Can't get it out… There."
She was…..
Releasing giant unfertilized fish eggs from a slit on her tail. Her genital slit.
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