The uproar caused by the terrorist attack did not die down with time. The public, furious and demanding justice, vowed to hunt down the culprits.
To quell the outrage, New Eridu Public Security swiftly declared the Nin-Village as the instigator behind the attack, and executed the members captured at the Victoria Housekeeping estate.
This move successfully pacified much of the public's fury.
Simultaneously, New Eridu Public Security intensified their efforts to apprehend the Nin-Village, but after a week of exhaustive pursuit, they had little to show for it—aside from a few clueless, low-level members.
As for the Nine Shadows of the Nin-Village and their key operatives, not even a trace was found. It was as if they had vanished from the face of the earth.
With that, the investigation hit a dead end. It was unlikely any significant progress would be made in the near future.
Meanwhile, Zhong Yan's life had begun to return to a state of calm.
He now sat in front of his home computer, browsing a charity donation website.
Using the alias "Zhong Shuren," he donated ten million Dennies to a foundation.
All of it would go toward helping those who had lost their homes or livelihoods during the terrorist attack.
He hadn't intended to demolish half a city block with one arrow. That night, after cooling down, Zhong Yan realized he had acted a bit impulsively.
In a densely populated area like that, he should never have used such a devastating technique.
Thankfully, the later Yasaka Magatama blasts were less destructive—otherwise the casualties would've been even worse.
And ten million Denny was the maximum donation he could make under the name "Zhong Shuren." Any more, and it would greatly exceed his publicly known income as a writer—drawing unnecessary attention.
"Ehne-ehne! (Zhong Yan, Miss Ellen replied to your message!)"
A small figure waddled over to his side. Looking down, it was the Ninja Bangboo they had rescued from the Hollow.
Unable to find a proper home for it, Zhong Yan had taken it in a few days ago and named it Pei.
Pei, a Bangboo once used exclusively by the Nin-Village, had been thoroughly reprogrammed by Uncle Enzo, severing all links to its former masters.
It still retained some Nin-Village intelligence, mostly pertaining to recent plans. However, it lacked knowledge about their headquarters or high-level personnel.
But Zhong Yan hadn't adopted it to gather information. He simply wanted a pet.
Bangboos were a local specialty of New Eridu. How could he not own one?
Despite being a specially trained ninja Bangboo, Pei's mental age was closer to that of a child—a fact that had become obvious over the past few days.
As for messaging Ellen—that was another matter entirely.
It had been nearly ten days since the attack. Ellen had spent this time recovering in the hospital and was now much better.
However, likely to avoid worrying him, Ellen had never told Zhong Yan she was injured.
Still, missing school for an entire week was enough to make anyone suspicious. And besides, Zhong Yan was the very person who had rescued her that night.
[Ellen: If you're so eager to visit, then come on over. I'll send you my location in a bit.]
Taking the phone from Pei, Zhong Yan saw her message right away.
Immediately after came the GPS coordinates.
"Looks like her injuries have mostly healed," he murmured, seeing her finally agree to let him visit. That alone was proof enough that her condition had improved.
Still, he wouldn't be certain until he saw her with his own eyes.
After a quick cleanup, Zhong Yan set out for Ellen's home, leaving the place in Pei's care.
…
The location Ellen sent wasn't far from Zhong Yan's place on Ninth Street. By subway, it was about a thirty-minute ride.
After navigating through unfamiliar streets, he finally arrived at the apartment complex where Ellen lived.
With the floor and unit number sent after the coordinates, he soon found himself outside her door and gave it a gentle knock.
For a moment, the room remained quiet—then footsteps approached. The door opened, and Ellen poked her head out.
"You got here fast. I was going to clean up a little first... ah well, just come in." Upon seeing it was Zhong Yan, she opened the door fully and handed him a pair of slippers she had prepared in advance.
She had known long ago that he would come visit someday, so she'd gotten a pair just for him.
And now, that foresight proved to be spot-on.
Zhong Yan hadn't expected her to be so considerate. Looking at the brand-new slippers, a gentle warmth bloomed in his chest. He slipped off his shoes and stepped inside.
"Make yourself comfortable. I usually live alone, so I don't keep things very tidy," Ellen said, lollipop in mouth, motioning him toward the couch. She brought him a cup of coffee.
Zhong Yan took the opportunity to look around the room.
Countless shark plushies filled every corner. Even the carpet and wall clock featured shark designs.
It was clear Ellen had a deep love for sharks—possibly related to the trace of shark blood in her veins.
Her injuries had improved significantly since that night.
To recover so much in so little time spoke volumes about the quality-of-care Victoria Housekeeping had provided. The equipment used in her treatment must've been top-tier, cutting-edge tech from across New Eridu.
That alone eased Zhong Yan's worries about her condition.
"You came to check on me... I guess you've seen enough now, huh? Don't stress yourself—I just didn't feel like going to school lately," Ellen said nonchalantly, curling up with her tail beside him on the couch.
In truth, her mind kept drifting back to the hauntingly vivid dream she'd had—a dream that felt all too real.
Because of her personality, she still couldn't bring herself to speak those feelings aloud.
She would never forget the image she saw just before dying... and the words Zhong Yan had spoken to her within that vision.
Perhaps it was that very moment that had allowed her to survive.