Upon hearing the information Lin Yu had deduced, Zhu Rong's face showed an expression of utter astonishment.

"Furbollo... you are truly terrifying."

Lin Yu looked at Zhu Rong, then threw down another new trump card.

He put on an air of complete confidence and spoke.

"In fact, Zhu Rong, your identities are not as hidden as you imagine..."

"A woman with red hair, red eyes, about this tall," Lin Yu gestured calmly, "That person is also operating under the code name 'Zhu Rong'..."

He laid out all the information he knew.

However, thanks to Lin Yu's current tone, demeanor, and rhetoric, Zhu Rong clearly had no idea this was the full extent of Lin Yu's knowledge.

Anyone seeing Lin Yu's supremely confident appearance would think he definitely had more information up his sleeve!

Thus, Zhu Rong was even more surprised: "How did you know... she should have been extremely clean, only taking the most covert missions."

"I have connections in the Outer City as well," Lin Yu said calmly. "So, do you think if a super-famous 'Detective' like me, with such extensive information sources in Sleepless City, wanted to know who is behind you, it would be... difficult to trace?"

As Lin Yu asked, Zhu Rong fell silent, his expression grave, seemingly pondering Lin Yu's words.

This was, in fact, the truth. If Lin Yu wanted to investigate further, he was confident he could find out exactly who was behind Zhu Rong.

It's just... Lin Yu didn't have the time—there were less than 72 hours left until Sleepless Sky Huoxing's Coming-of-Age Ceremony, which was also the time Lin Yu had to assassinate Alt Mercury. Lin Yu had to quickly figure out the intricate situation currently tangled within Sleepless City to ensure this intelligence would be useful during the assassination.

However...

Zhu Rong knew nothing of this!

After a long while, the silent Zhu Rong finally spoke again.

"Then why are you still asking me?"

"The biggest reason is that I'm lazy. If I can get the answer by asking, why not save some effort?" Lin Yu, wearing Furbollo's face, gave a highly persuasive reason. "Of course... there are other reasons. I'm giving you and your master an opportunity."

"An opportunity?"

Zhu Rong didn't understand.

Lin Yu looked at him: "In what you just told me, one statement was incorrect—that I have chosen my stance."

"I am not loyal to Sleepless Sky Huole, nor am I bound to her, Zhu Rong," Lin Yu said indifferently. "I am not like you."

"So, you said Sleepless Sky Huole knowing their identity would be detrimental to them, but... me knowing this doesn't mean Sleepless Sky Huole will know—just as I said at the beginning, I am not here on behalf of Sleepless Sky Huole."

Slowly, Lin Yu delivered the most important and final blow of the strategy he had crafted for Zhu Rong in this negotiation.

"Zhu Rong, I want to cooperate with the person behind you."

As Lin Yu spoke, Zhu Rong looked at him, his face showing an expression of utter shock.

Clearly, what Lin Yu had said completely exceeded Zhu Rong's expectations.

Lin Yu stood up directly.

"If you can't make the decision yourself, call your partner in Sleepless City and ask," he adjusted his hat. "I can help cover their identity... but the prerequisite is I need to know who they are and what they are planning."

"I'll be waiting right outside the door—come tell me when you have a result."

With that, Lin Yu left the "cell" directly.

He closed the wooden door and stayed in the corridor, silently counting in his heart.

Two hundred and thirty-six seconds later, a knocking sound came from inside the cell door.

*Tap tap!*

Lin Yu opened the door again and entered, a smile on his face.

"It seems he has great resolve!"

He said to Zhu Rong.

Zhu Rong didn't reply, only raised the communicator in his hand.

"She wants to speak with you directly."

As he spoke, Zhu Rong shoved the communicator into Lin Yu's hand.

Lin Yu picked up the communicator, and a woman's voice came from within.

"Furbollo, is it?"

Although the communicator distorted the voice somewhat, Lin Yu instantly recognized it...

It was indeed the voice of the woman he had met during the C-77 commission.

"It's me, Your Excellency—how should I address you?"

Lin Yu asked, and the woman said: "Zhu Rong."

"That won't do, the names would clash. I already have a Zhu Rong here."

Lin Yu retorted.

Zhu Rong also muttered: "Just how much do you like that name?"

The woman was silent for a moment before speaking again: "Then just call me Your Excellency."

"Are you from the Peerage Nobility?"

Lin Yu asked.

"You could say so."

The woman answered softly.

Lin Yu immediately spoke: "Sounds like you're the type who isn't very valued at home."

"You really are sharp." The woman said softly.

Lin Yu pressed further: "So, why assassinate Sheng Lan Kui's Steward... you're not from the Sheng Lan Family, are you?"

"I am indeed not," the woman said again. "As for why... is that a necessary condition for cooperating with you?"

"Of course, Your Excellency. To cooperate, I don't need to know who you are, but I should at least know what you want, right?"

Lin Yu said matter-of-factly.

"Fine, telling you is no problem," the woman spoke again. "I... or rather, we, chose to do this for the very reason you just mentioned—I am not valued within the family."

"No, it can't even be called 'not valued' anymore. Although I have the status of Peerage Nobility, the blood of Peerage Nobility flows in my veins, but there is almost no difference between me and not belonging to this family."

"So, telling you my name is meaningless. My name is almost never mentioned."

"Sleepless Sky Huo Shu, Sleepless Sky Huo Le, Sheng Lan Kui, Sheng Lan Lai, Qiu Xinliu, Qiu Xinli, Sherf Sorenson, Eris Mercury..."

"It seems only these people truly count as Peerage Nobility—they are destined to inherit their families, their corporations, while I, and people like me, can only be sold off like commodities."

"Our life choices are even fewer than those of Commoners."

As the woman spoke, her tone grew colder and colder.

"So, to climb up... to create even the faintest, most negligible possibility for our lives, we must stop at nothing."

"Even if it means hiring assassins, even if it might lead to eternal damnation, we will not hesitate!"

She said, then her tone calmed down.

"Alright... that's the end of my explanation regarding my own goals—do you still want to cooperate with me now?"

Hearing this, Lin Yu chuckled and said: "Don't you want to ask what I want?"

Hearing Lin Yu's overly relaxed tone, the other party thought for a moment and asked in return: "Then... what do you want?"

"I want to destroy the Peerage Nobility."

Lin Yu said calmly.