White Dove Pharmaceuticals
"So, which research institute is it this time?" Xiayu asked Alhaitham, a note of curiosity in her voice.
"White Dove Pharmaceuticals."
"Eh?! I remember that institute has ties to the Black Organization, doesn't it? You're not going to run into any danger, are you?" Even as she said it, Xiayu couldn't quite bring herself to worry about Alhaitham. She knew how rational he was — he rarely did anything without a plan and a way out.
"It's nothing. Just a routine academic exchange."
Sensing through his words that his emotions were perfectly calm, Xiayu let the matter drop. After all, even if a part of her own consciousness lived inside him, Alhaitham was, in a sense, an independent person — he knew what he was doing, and he could look after himself.
Still, she added one parting reminder: "If you ever need help, remember to say so."
Alhaitham nodded.
With the conversation finished, Xiayu turned her attention to bringing Lisa out as well.
She watched as Lisa appeared, dressed in a short purple skirt, her brown hair swept diagonally over one shoulder, the Electro Vision hanging at her throat like a pendant.
Xiayu sent a thread of her consciousness into Lisa's body, and before long, Lisa's green eyes fluttered open. She took a moment to sort through her memories, then smiled at Xiayu. "Hello, cutie. Long time no see — hmm, no, that's not quite right, we just saw each other in the mirror. Still, this is the first time I've looked at you from this angle. How interesting, heh~"
It was the first time Xiayu had ever been flirted with by a beautiful older woman — even if that woman was technically herself — and she felt her cheeks flush faintly.
Lisa noticed immediately and leaned in close. "My, cutie, are you blushing?"
Xiayu turned her face away and changed the subject outright. "Ahem. Lisa, what's your identity going to be?"
Seeing how embarrassed Xiayu really was, Lisa graciously let it go. "Let me think... Ah, yes — yours truly just got hired as a librarian at the Beika Library. I start work next week."
Xiayu realized this was yet another identity tied to the Conan storyline. Apparently every role she manifested going forward would connect to the plot in some way — which meant, sooner or later, each of them would probably cross paths with Conan in person.
Alhaitham and Lisa both had their own places to stay, so Xiayu didn't keep them. If anything came up, they could reach her through the system anyway.
Just then, Paimon announced the day's Daily Commissions, and Xiayu headed out to grind quests for Primogems.
Two days of hard work later, she had scraped together enough for roughly three wishes — still a good distance from a full ten-pull.
From the daily commissions and the occasional side quest that popped up, Xiayu had gathered that the work here wasn't so different from what you'd do in Teyvat: fetching cats, delivering packages, filling in for someone on shift as a temp worker. The rewards were modest, too — certainly nothing like what World Quests paid out in Primogems.
Now all Xiayu could hope for was more World Quests refreshing, so she could hit that ten-pull sooner. Counting her, the Syndicate had all of three members. For an organization, that was a woefully thin roster.
And while Xiayu kept grinding away for Primogems, the day of Alhaitham's official exchange with White Dove Pharmaceuticals finally arrived.
Alhaitham reached the institute's research facility precisely at the appointed hour. The official in charge was already waiting at the entrance.
The moment Alhaitham appeared, the man hurried forward to greet him.
After a brief exchange, the official gathered that Alhaitham had little enthusiasm for pleasantries and skipped straight to business, ushering him off to meet the researchers.
Throughout the exchange, Alhaitham spoke rarely — but the few remarks he did make gave the researchers' experiments a tremendous spark of insight.
The more they listened, the more the researchers marveled at the depth of his learning. By the end, they were inviting him to tour the laboratory's half-finished research — the portions fit for outside eyes, naturally — in hopes of gleaning suggestions for improvement.
Somewhere during the tour, Alhaitham felt the faint brush of being watched. His gaze drifted, apparently idle, across a discreetly hidden surveillance camera in the corner of the lab — and his expression never changed.
Everything he did was seen by the man behind the monitor. Seated in the surveillance room, keeping unblinking watch over Alhaitham and his party, were the Black Organization's own Gin and Vodka.
This was, after all, an institute under the Organization's control. With outsiders visiting, surveillance was simply a necessity — one couldn't have strangers seeing what they shouldn't see, or walking off with what they shouldn't take.
The institute was Gin's responsibility, and he had expected nothing more than a routine monitoring shift. Tedious, perhaps, but he hadn't let his guard down for a moment. Watching Alhaitham's every movement with sharp attention, Gin caught a detail worth savoring. "Interesting."
Vodka picked up on his partner's shift in mood at once. "Aniki, is this outsider up to something? Want me to take care of him?"
Gin stopped him with a look before Vodka could even rise from his chair. "No. He simply noticed the cameras."
"Huh? They're hidden that well — how'd he spot them?" Vodka was genuinely surprised, but he didn't doubt his partner's judgment for a second. If Aniki said the man had noticed, then he had noticed. The real question was how a mere visiting researcher had managed it.
"Heh. Round up a few of the peripheral members and test him," Gin ordered.
"Got it, Aniki."
Gin's eyes stayed locked on the face on the monitor, and his smile slowly widened. Let's hope you're not some rat sent by another organization. Because if it turns out otherwise — if that cool, rational face of yours ever breaks into terror and runs red with blood — well, that would be rather... exhilarating.
During a break in the tour, Alhaitham excused himself to the restroom.
On the way back from the restroom to the research wing, he walked along at an unhurried pace, quietly taking in his surroundings.
Ahead of him, a young woman appeared quite suddenly — short brown hair, a white lab coat, a cup held in one hand. She looked to be on her way to wash it.
Alhaitham compared the girl before him against the images from the anime, and knew at once who she was: Miyano Shiho, still inside the Black Organization.
Shiho eyed the unfamiliar man who had materialized in her path with wary caution. "Who are you? You're not from this institute."
"Alhaitham. A scholar invited here for today's exchange."
Shiho had heard that a visiting scholar was expected sometime soon, but she hadn't paid it much attention — so it was today, then. With the man's identity confirmed and no apparent connection to the Organization, she let her guard slip back down.
Seeing that she had no further questions, Alhaitham saw no reason to linger. He moved to step past her.
"Wait." Shiho hesitated, studying the scholar — he was dressed like a college student, barely into his twenties at most. After a moment of internal debate, she called out anyway.
Alhaitham turned back.
"If you don't have any pressing business here, leave. The sooner, the better." Having offered her one warning, Shiho didn't wait to see how he took it. She simply turned and walked away.
Alhaitham's brow arched slightly at the admonition. Nothing else crossed his face as he, too, left the corridor behind.