### Chapter 11: The Middle Ground of Human Nature
Mo Tu stood in place, pondering.
Traveling to this city was the right decision; he just arrived last night.
But he didn’t go straight to his workplace; instead, he followed his own intuition and came here.
At first, he was surprised when he received a message about an impending supernova star eclipse. Then he hurried over from the neighboring city.
“The information I got through divination indeed suggests that possibility… So, we can’t let our guard down. We need to find the most effective breakthrough point, but not within the Night Watchers. It has to be with someone in this region?” Mo Tu nodded, deep in thought.
The most information he could gather was here, so he stayed overnight without telling his colleagues.
He always worked solo, only collaborating with his colleagues once he found key information and needed their help to solve the puzzle.
“Heh, the interference here is severe. Maybe there’s something beyond my expectations, but this seems like I’m on the right track,” Mo Tu chuckled softly.
He loved the feeling of having everything under control.
Even though he wasn’t quite there yet, he knew more than anyone else and acted faster.
Since he couldn’t get accurate information, all that was left was observation and judgment.
Just now, he noticed the first anomaly:
A silver-haired girl who seemed to have some incredible stars around her. Few people recognized him, and he rarely showed up at work, so this was big news.
“Let me observe for a bit.”
But first, he had to go check out the base.
With more information, he could better analyze and control the situation.
—
**Night Watcher Base**
Nian Lan and Lan Feng Suyu had already finished breakfast.
“What shall we do next?” Nian Lan asked.
Lan Feng Suyu pondered, twirling her pink fringe with her fingers.
“How about we go to a dessert shop and eat chocolate cake? Then we could have some morning tea and chat all day long.”
“All day?”
“Well, what else?”
Lan Feng Suyu looked at Nian Lan, seemingly perplexed by the question.
Nian Lan’s expression became stiff.
Chatting was too much for her.
She didn’t know how to talk about normal girl topics.
If asked about makeup brands or anything similar, Nian Lan might not say a single word.
So she was stuck with awkward small talk and being a quiet listener. Simple social activities were still doable.
Then, Lan Feng Suyu thought for a bit. “Hmm, two people seem a bit lonely. Why don’t we invite my other friends too?”
“Oh…”
Hearing this, Nian Lan wanted to turn and run back to her room.
The friends of friends are not necessarily your own friends.
These types of gathering activities involved many people, including strangers she didn’t know.
Such gatherings were the worst.
A shy and awkward little loli like Nian Lan would end up as an unnoticed wallflower or a subject of jokes.
No matter how you looked at it, it was awful.
Nian Lan didn’t want to participate in these gatherings of girls.
She’d rather stay alone in her empty room.
That would be perfect for her.
Just as Nian Lan was about to make an excuse and run, Lan Feng Suyu said, “Wait a minute. Most of my friends are Night Watchers, and they’re all busy on missions. Seems like nobody has time. That means it’s just us two then.”
“I see. Well, guess we can’t avoid it then.”
Prepared to say she had a stomach ache, Nian Lan felt relieved and smiled again upon hearing this. Two people were still manageable.
Human nature loves to strike a balance.
For example, forcing a social novice to talk all day might be reluctant.
But if she had to chat with strangers too, she might adjust and be okay with just the two of them.
Nian Lan was such a loli.
“Haha~”
Watching Nian Lan’s cute reaction, Lan Feng Suyu couldn’t help smiling, finding it amusing.
“Let’s go quickly. Today, I’ll treat you to lots of chocolate sweets.”
“Eating too much will give you cavities though…”
—
**On the other side.**
The Night Watcher Base welcomed a mysterious guest, hosted by Yao Can, the leader.
Looking at the black-haired man maintaining a mysterious smile, Yao Can’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
“Like rumors say, you really are quite young.”
“Am I? Not necessarily. If kids saw me, they’d probably call me ‘old man’.”
Mo Tu chatted casually, not feeling constrained in front of Yao Can.
“If you’re old, guess I might be called ‘boss’.”
Yao Can smoothly took the joke.
“Alright, enough joking. I want to know where you went yesterday. Why didn’t you report in?”
“After arriving in this city, I started working. Reporting isn’t as important as finding clues to the supernova star eclipses, right?”
Yao Can fell silent for a moment, dismissing the thought.
Having seen Mo Tu’s file, he knew his investigative skills surpassed any Night Watcher. He’d probably find important clues soon.
“Whatever. Do what you think is best. Just tell me if you find something significant.”
“Sure thing.”
As fellow Night Watchers of the same rank, they communicated more as partners than superiors.
Plus, Mo Tu was aiding from the neighboring city.
“Tell me some key information. Like, how did you know about the supernova star eclipse?”
Yao Can explained, “A future Night Watcher informed us. She has the Extraordinary Star certification [Know Star]. Her details made it sound very plausible.”
“Oh?”
Actually, extremely interested.
Even if Yao Can’s info sounded far-fetched, Mo Tu decided to believe.
Unusual circumstances often appeared, like the ‘future person’ disrupting things. This forced him to step forward.
An uncertainty factor could greatly affect upcoming events.
“Let me see her picture.”
Yao Can sent Nian Lan’s portrait and basic info.
Glancing at it, Mo Tu’s expression slightly changed, eyes widening.
“This is…”
Noticing the change, Yao Can asked, “Anything wrong?”
Mo Tu closed the screen, regaining his smile.
“No, it’s fine. She must be here, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then no problem. You keep watch, don’t let her get hurt.”
“Okay.”
Yao Can felt this guy was hiding something from him.
Before he could inquire, Mo Tu got up to leave.
“I’ll go now. Rest assured, I’ll put in everything I’ve got.”
“That’s good.”
With that, Yao Can lost interest in further questions.
