It was a strange coincidence. Just as Zoe Pierce and Miles Sherman were talking with the others, they spotted Nathan Lockwood and Erin Xavier approaching—people they might not run into for days on end.
Now that the whole team was assembled, there was no reason to stay outside.
The five of them entered the tent.
Inside the tent were only three chairs and a simple army cot.
Zoe Pierce glanced around and sat down on the cot first. There was room for one more person beside her.
The tent suddenly fell silent.
Zoe raised her eyes to the others still standing. "Why aren’t you sitting? Just grab a seat anywhere."
All eyes fell on the empty spot next to her. With three chairs and one cot, one person would inevitably have to sit by her side.
"Zoe, can I sit next to you?" Surprisingly, the first to speak was Erin Xavier.
He had an innocent look on his face, his expression so natural it was as if this was the most normal thing in the world.
’There’s nothing wrong with that.’
Without a second thought, Zoe replied, "Of course. You and Nathan should sit closer. Neither of you has been comforted yet."
With that one sentence, she effectively blocked off any chance for Miles Sherman and Chase Shaw.
Miles was fine, calmly taking one of the chairs. Chase, however, watched with glittering gray eyes, his lips pressing into a tighter line. Without a word, he observed Nathan Lockwood and Erin Xavier sit down beside Zoe before finally choosing the last empty chair.
Once all five were seated, Zoe’s hand casually reached out and took hold of Erin’s wrist.
Her slender, soft fingers were warm to the touch and carried a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance.
’Erin felt it again then—Zoe’s temporary marking had a profound effect on him. He just couldn’t stop himself from wanting to be closer to her.’
’He wished her fingers were in his palm instead of on his wrist.’
"The cleanup work here is expected to take about another ten days," Miles continued the topic from outside the tent. "After that, we’ll board a military Starship and head directly back to the Capital Star."
"We’ll probably be questioned separately then." That was to be expected.
The only problem now was...
"Zoe, when they ask about our reason for coming to Planet B36, do you want to tell the truth?"
This was, in effect, getting their stories straight beforehand, but Miles said it as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
Zoe could hardly believe those words had co from Miles, who was always the steadiest of them all. She wouldn’t have been surprised if anyone else had said it—Nathan Lockwood, for instance.
But this wasn’t the ti for surprise. She nodded slightly. "Let’s tell them."
One lie would inevitably lead to countless others to cover it up. After weighing the pros and cons, Zoe decided that her reasons for coming to Planet B36 didn’t conflict with the military’s interests.
They had only stumbled upon the problem by a twist of fate.
If it weren’t for the sudden Xenobeast Tide, they probably never would have told the military.
Now that it was impossible to hide, they had no choice but to be completely transparent.
"Then we’ll tell the truth. This kind of interrogation is rarely a one-ti thing. They’ll question us repeatedly to verify our testimony. But there’s no need to be too nervous. We’re students, so they won’t be too hard on us."
With that detail settled, there was nothing more to discuss.
「Ten days later.」
Just as Miles had said, the troops from Siren Star began to pull out, and the students were placed under separate supervision.
Adrian Chapman was put in charge of Zoe. Since she was the only Oga on the team, they didn’t assign an army Alpha to supervise her. Instead, a teacher from the Federal Military Academy was brought in.
Adrian Chapman had already heard the full story from Miles. He was torn between thinking Zoe was incredibly bold and feeling a pang of sympathy for her, knowing her actions were driven by the death of her parents.
He found himself admiring her. Even though Zoe was confined to her cabin and couldn’t go out alone, she never complained. She just diligently reviewed her studies and exercised every day.
Hardworking people always earn the respect of others, and Zoe had been this diligent ever since they arrived on Siren Star.
Her persistent, tireless effort was especially impressive.
She wasn’t putting on an act.
She was a good kid.
’Adrian Chapman figured he must be getting old.’ Watching Zoe’s movents, now so much crisper and more polished than on her first day, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
As they were about to disembark from the Starship and be transferred to a special interrogation facility, Adrian Chapman comforted her, "Don’t be afraid. I’ll be waiting right outside."
’If they made a single inappropriate move during the interrogation, he wouldn’t let it slide.’
Zoe had felt such kindness from the Federal Military Academy teachers several tis now. Hearing Adrian Chapman’s words, a small smile touched her lips, and her eyes shone brightly as she looked at him. "Okay. Thank you, Teacher Chapman."
Soon, the Hovercar arrived at a place completely unfamiliar to Zoe.
There were more people around her now.
Not only were there Betas, but also so Alphas.
They were all silently sizing her up.
They were no strangers to Zoe. After all, her face had just gone viral across all social dia. Zoe herself was likely the only one who didn’t realize just how strong her appeal was.
Beauty is the ultimate asset.
And she had more than just beauty; she possessed the admirable qualities people loved.
She had rcilessly claid the top spot as the "Dream Oga" for Alphas at every major academy. Many Alphas didn’t just want an Oga like her; they wanted a Comfort Officer like her.
In previous years, the "Dream Oga" voted on by the major academies had almost always been a celebrity Oga.
But this year, Zoe Pierce had co out of nowhere, surpassing all other Ogas to claim the top spot.
Then, like a shooting star, she had vanished without a trace.
She disappeared just as public curiosity about her reached its peak, leaving everyone wanting more.
So, when word got out through governnt connections that Zoe was about to be interrogated, it inevitably prompted a few extra questions.
How had Zoe’s team managed to get involved in another major incident so quietly during their ti off the grid?
These were all key governnt personnel. They were far more rational than the academy Alphas or the buzz on the Intelligent Brain. Zoe rely felt a few more eyes on her, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.
Inside the dark interrogation room sat an Alpha and a Beta.
A single, intense white beam of light shone down from above the table.
When interrogating an Oga, a Beta was always present, as they were the only ones unaffected by pheromones.
It was a fail-safe, ant to prevent an Oga from releasing pheromones to influence an Alpha.
It just goes to show that behind every ridiculous rule, there was once a ridiculous incident.
Outside the door, Zoe’s suppression patch on the back of her neck was ticulously inspected. Only after it was confird to be intact did soone open the door and gesture for her to enter.
The mont she entered the room, she could feel the silence and solemnity of the space.
The two people seated at the table also wore grim expressions.
Zoe sat down and faced the two of them. Adrian Chapman had already walked her through the basic procedure, so she didn’t feel any panic.
"Na?"
"Zoe Pierce."
"Alright, we will now begin the investigation regarding Planet B36. Please cooperate fully."
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