Reboot: Mechanic

Shi Tian's revelation hung in the air, heavy and pregnant with implications. 

The suspicion that Commander Theobold might be involved in their predicament had sent a shockwave through the group.

Vanessa, who had initially been taken aback by the question regarding the badge, now stared at it with newfound uncertainty. The badge, a seemingly innocuous item given to her by Theobold, had taken on an air of suspicion.

Mary, always alert and tactical, absorbed this revelation like a sponge. Her mind worked quickly, considering the possibilities and implications. If Theobold was indeed involved, it raised questions about his motivations and what other secrets he might be hiding.

Shi Tian's explanation shed light on his thought process. 

He had been skeptical of Vanessa's ability to sneak away from the elite soldiers assigned to protect her ever since Vanessa informed him back at the camp. 

This skepticism had led him to check on the monitoring system to discover whether someone was indeed tracking them or not. If there was nothing to be discovered, then Shi Tian would simply keep his thoughts to himself.

However, once there was a suspicion that was detected, Shi Tian instantly suspected that Vanessa might have an item that contained tracking or monitoring technology.

The implications were unsettling at the same time, and Shi Tian feared for the worst when that happened. 

If Theobold had been tracking them, it meant he had been aware of their movements and actions all along. It also suggested that he might have manipulated events behind the scenes.

Vanessa, breaking the silence, spoke with a mix of disbelief and frustration. "You're saying that Commander Theobold has been playing us from the beginning? But why? What could he possibly gain from this?" 

Shi Tian didn't respond to her question but instead asked her to recall something.

"Do you still recall how we met Commander Theobold?"

Vanessa nodded her head. 

Of course, she remembered how they met him. It was back when they were ambushed by Kralos Tal at the Horology Restaurant, and Theobold managed to track them down based on the trail they left. 

Suddenly, almost as if lightning had struck her head, Vanessa held a dazed expression.

"Are you implying that you were wary of Commander Theobold since then?" She asked in a disbelief tone. 

Shi Tian nodded his head. As if he would blindly believe someone he had just met, especially when they are a military commander of elite soldiers. 

So what if their reputation is good and they are described as honorable? 

That was merely on the surface, and who knows what kind of secrets they had concealed within themselves. 

Meanwhile, Vanessa's mind was thinking of another thing. Her expression seemed to have flared up as she looked at Shi Tian with a somewhat murderous intent. 

"Nathan, can you clarify one of my doubts?" She asked in a friendly tone. 

Though the more friendly one suddenly became, the more deadly it actually was.

As for Mary, she seemed to have realized something and decided to not intervene, pretending to be busy with the computer screen. 

And if Mary managed to realize it, how could Shi Tian not realize it when he was the main focal point now.

'Ah Shit…' Shi Tian cursed silently, knowing that he had messed up really badly this time. 

By revealing that he was suspicious of Theobold from the start, added to the fact that he had pushed Vanessa to Theobold's care, anyone would have been furious once they learned the truth. 

Cracking her knuckles, Vanessa smiled sweetly at Shi Tian. 

"So, despite having suspicion toward Commander Theobold, you still decided to hand me over to him. Do you want to die now or be tortured?" She asked gently. The tone was so soothing, almost as if it could melt one's person. 

Shi Tian swallowed a mouthful of salvia nervously, seemingly anxious and worried for his life. 

It was just a shame that his nervousness and anxiousness seemed to have been pacified thanks to his passive skill, prompting Vanessa to believe he had no remorse or guilt at all. 

"No reaction huh?" Vanessa raised an eyebrow in surprise, walking very slowly toward him. 

Shi Tian attempted to turn to Mary for help, but Mary feigned ignorance, almost as if she had turned deaf and blind. 

As he was distracted for that split second, Vanessa had already arrived in front of him, the distance between them was very minimal. They could even feel their breaths for being so close.

Some might be feeling jealous of Shi Tian's current position, but only the ones who truly understood the situation currently would be terrified. 

"So tell me, did you or did you not send me to a person that you don't even trust?" Vanessa's face wrinkled slightly due to the anger she was feeling as she asked him in a deep tone. 

Even if she had gotten an answer in her mind already, she wanted to hear him explain and answer her. 

Without a way to back out, Shi Tian sighed softly. 

He placed his hands on her shoulder, seemingly trying to hold her in place so that she wouldn't make any unnecessary movements while he explained. 

"Do you recall the conversation you were having in the room, Vanessa?" Shi Tian asked. "I'm not sure if you have noticed, but there aren't any soundproof walls built within there." He added, subtly reminding her of something. Vanessa's mouth was wide open in response. It was clear that she was trying to process the explanation he had given to her, and validating the words. 

Sure enough, she recalled having a conversation with one of her people back then and realized the culprit was her Uncle, Martin. 

In addition to that, it was also coincidentally the time that Shi Tian had decided to kick her out of the apartment. 

"You were eavesdropping on me back then?" She asked in a dumbfounded tone.

Shi Tian nodded his head in response. 

If he weren't eavesdropping outside, how else could he be knocking on the door right as soon as she finished her conversation?