Slater was so frustrated he could have jumped up and given Arkle a piece of his mind. "Are you out of your mind? The staff have clocked out ages ago, how do you expect to find anyone now?"

Arkle scratched his head, clearly torn, but finally decided, "Doesn't matter if I find anyone or not, I've got to try. Can't just sit around doing nothing!" Without waiting for Slater's response, he turned and dashed back the way they came.

Seeing that they weren't getting anywhere with Slater, Scales and Mamie had no choice but to keep moving forward.

But oddly enough, as they walked through Zone A, it was like a ghost town-not a soul in sight.

Mamie was on the verge of tears. "What are we going to do? It's been nearly two hours since Roseanne disappeared, and here we are, running around like headless chickens without a clue!"

Seeing Mamie's tears falling like pearls, glittering and translucent, even the usually cool Scales started to panic.

"Hey, hey, don't cry. We're trying to figure something out, aren't we?"

"But have we come up with anything? No! Oh... I'm so worried about Roseanne. It's so dark, and the rain is pouring down. What if something has happened to her?"

"Scales, you're always so capable, and your family... your family's got connections. Can't you think of something?" Mamie sobbed.

Family...

A lightbulb went off in Scales' head. How could he have forgotten!

Damn it!

"Okay."

Mamie blinked. "What?"

"I said, okay. I'll find a way through my family."

"This... Are you sure? I didn't mean to guilt-trip you into it..."

After celebrating Scales' birthday at his place, Mamie realized just how influential his family was, but also how modest they lived.noveldrama

Forget the fancy stuff, their big old house didn't even have a smart toilet-just regular ones or squat toilets.

Mamie could really see the Dixon family's humble lifestyle.

Her plea was out of desperation, fearing the worst for Roseanne.

As Scales pulled out his phone, he explained, "Good thing you reminded me, or I would've totally forgotten I could turn to my family for help..."

He wasn't used to calling on his family's connections, and in a critical moment, it had almost slipped his mind.

"Are you sure this won't be an issue?"

Scales reassured, "Granddad always told me, if power isn't used to serve the people, then it's the worst kind of abuse."

Soon, the call connected—

"Jacques, it's Scales. Can you get granddad on the phone?"

Granddad had been abroad on a

state visi

net

these past two weeks. Calculating the time difference, it should be noon over there.

"Scales, is it urgent? The old man is taking his midday nap..."

"Yes, it's urgent."

There was a brief pause on the other end. "Alright, hold on."

"Thanks, Jacques."

Before long, Granddad's voice came through.

Scales quickly explained the situation and asked directly if Granddad could do something about it.

Lamont, upon hearing the news, immediately understood the gravity of the situation. A student had gone missing, and neither the school's teachers nor the botanical facility's staff had stepped up.

Didn't they realize how serious this was? Human life was at stake!

"Don't panic. I'll get someone to contact the facility's head right now to sort this out quickly." "Thanks, Granddad."

"Scales, you did good. In the future, if you find yourselves in a situation where no one's stepping up, make sure to contact us right away. This isn't about pulling strings or calling in favors; remember-human life is paramount!"

"Got it, Granddad."

While Scales was on the phone, Mamie wasn't just sitting idly by.

Remembering that Roseanne got along well with Mr. Reynolds, she immediately dug up Owen Reynolds' number and called him.

But after two attempts, there was no answer.

...

Owen Reynolds was currently at an academic symposium.