"So, you accidentally left your phone at the public library? What were you doing at the public library? It's not like you usually go there. Are you sure you didn't leave it there on purpose?" Elle probed while looking directly at Rei with her unwavering gaze. Elle's lips curled into a smile, showing no signs of anger, annoyance, or any strong emotions. The seventeen-year-old woman stared at one of her comrades with an incredulous expression.
Rei began to look uncomfortable; he cleared his throat softly and scratched his face slowly.
"It's okay if you don't believe me. Yeah, it does sound implausible, but I genuinely left it there accidentally. Zen asked me to go there to return a book he borrowed. If you want, you can ask Zen directly. After returning the book, I decided to sit for a while and look around. I chose a secluded corner seat and dozed off. Apparently, I didn't realize that I left my phone there. So, after nearly two hours of dozing off, I hurriedly left to go home. And my phone... was left behind," Rei explained in detail. He looked at Elle hesitantly, who always harbored suspicion towards him. It wasn't just Elle; almost every Wall member felt like Rei was hiding something. As if there was a massive wall behind him.
Elle nodded slowly as she listened to Rei's explanation, then glanced at Zen, who was still busy with his short phone call, before turning back to Rei.
"Alright, it does seem like you genuinely left it. So, how are you going to take responsibility? You know exactly what's on that phone, and you know exactly what the phone is used for. If the phone falls into the hands of the enemy, Wall could be finished. If it falls into the hands of a stranger, well, that's not a big deal. But if they turn it in to the police as lost property... that's trouble." Elle smiled again, as if she already knew that the phone had fallen into the right hands, as if Rei had intentionally given the phone to that person.
"I don't think it's an enemy. Zen is investigating it, and I've talked to him too. I'm sure it's not one of them. I've also told her that I'll retrieve the phone, so there's no need to involve the police. I understand it's an important item, Elle, I apologize. I promise I won't be careless again. I'll also take responsibility if any issues arise from this later on. I'm sorry," Rei whispered, lowering his head. He directed his gaze at the clean white marble floor, occasionally stained with dirt and blood.
Elle let out a small chuckle at Rei's apology. Elle more than knew that her members rarely slipped up. She also had a feeling that this incident would become quite interesting in the future.
"I'm not angry; didn't I ask you with a smile? I'm just concerned. As your leader and also a distant family member, I don't want you to get into major trouble. However, as you said, everything will be fine, and you'll take responsibility. I can feel relieved. My suggestion is to retrieve the phone quickly. Or have you already replaced its contents? That's also good; the phone is just a container. What's most important is its contents. Like humans, the body is just a vessel; what matters most is the mind." Elle pointed to her head, smiled, and got up from her seat.
The teenage girl slowly stretched her arms and let out a small yawn. She glanced at Sebastian, who approached her with a tray of various snacks.
"Well, Rei, I have to get back to work now. I hope your words are true, and I'm waiting to see the results of your promise. And... I also hope that the stranger who managed to make you and Zen trust her, even making that kid talk to her for hours, can come visit here. I'll be happy to meet her; Sebastian will make his best dishes. Right, Sebastian?" Elle asked while patting the taller man's body with the back of her hand.
Sebastian sweetly smiled, slightly bowing his body and nodding in response.
"Yes, Leader." Sebastian glanced at Rei, who was still seated there, before lifting Elle with one arm and heading towards Elle's workspace, leaving Rei alone. Elle waved her hand at Rei before resting her head on the shoulder of the man who had been her primary assistant from the beginning.
Rei let out a slow breath, leaning his back against the partition wall and closing his eyes. Faintly, he smiled with his mind drifting in many directions. There were many things Rei was thinking about—Zen, himself, Elle, Wall, and his duties.
Rei knew very well the risk of leaving his phone in a foreign place. That phone was the only thing that stored various secret codes of Wall, along with dozens of crucial numbers, spanning from government officials to other major underground syndicate members, highly classified like the core members of the TRIAD and their leaders, the British black nobility safeguarding Her Majesty the Queen from various crimes while managing the underworld in Britain, the Vatican, and other cooperating illegal syndicates that worked with Elle.
Storing data in that old-model phone was a deliberate choice by Elle to make it less traceable, hackable, or prone to data theft. Elle certainly had backups, but if the phone went missing, that's a different story. The phone usually remained in Elle's or Sebastian's hands, but other members could use it for specific needs, like Rei or Fai who needed some state secrets or had to contact a specific member whose number was stored inside. The rule was that the number could only be reached through that phone; it couldn't be contacted using personal numbers or any other means. It was an agreement between Elle and these people; if Elle needed them or if there was something that needed to be discussed, she'd contact them through that phone.
In emergencies, like being attacked or facing death, Elle was allowed to reach out to them using another number or device. That's how crucial and significant the phone Rei left with Chairey was, and if this bad news spread throughout the team, especially to Fai, who always acted cautiously, he'd be furious with Rei and Zen for not promptly retrieving the phone. They even enjoyed talking and getting acquainted with the stranger, as if the lost phone was just an ordinary device.
Rei rose from his seat, straightening his body slightly, and once again observed Zen, who was still engrossed in conversation with Chairey.
"Well, it seems like they get along well. What were they really talking about? I've never seen Zen talk to any other woman for that long, except for Mia. It's hard to believe. Maybe this unfortunate incident is a good start for Zen, and I should figure out how to invite Chairey to the headquarters without raising questions about what's inside and our work. Should I just say that we're all hosts and Elle is the manager? Well, that's a good idea. Besides, the appearance of Wall's members is just as captivating as the hosts in those clubs." Rei chuckled at his own remark, his face brightened by seeing the change in Zen. He didn't realize that this event would bring about changes to all the members, including himself.