The southern island gradually emerged from beyond the horizon. The emerald sea shimmered under the sunlight, the beach gleaming white as snow. A sea breeze swayed the coconut trees, their branches heavy with ripe fruit.
Green palms dotted the island. Cozy cottages and hotels were scattered across the landscape, overlooking the breathtaking view. In the distance, a cruise ship sailed across the water, adding a touch of romance to the scenery.
Huck raised the digital telescope Mr. Mad Hatter had given him. It quickly zoomed in several times at high magnification. Everything on the island came into view, tagged and analyzed by the telescope connected to the quantum computer.
"One destroyer disguised as a cruise liner. Three patrol helicopters concealed in the shadows of palm trees. Four watchtowers camouflaged as hotels. Nine patrol boats disguised as fishing vessels. Tsk, tsk."
"Boss, the rendezvous coordinates are less than a kilometer from the island. Won't we be spotted?" The one at the helm was Huck's recruited assistant. As an intelligence officer of the Party, Huck never acted alone. He had gathered a small team to assist him.
"Your first time participating in one of Mr. Mad Hatter's 'performances,' isn't it?" Huck lowered the telescope. "If he arranged it this way, there's a reason."
Splash.
An unusual sound came from beneath the hull. A slender hand suddenly emerged from the sea and hooked onto the railing.
The assistant immediately tensed, reaching for his pistol—only for Huck to press his hand down.
A graceful girl rose from the surface and climbed aboard with ease. Her movements were efficient, as if she were thoroughly familiar with everything on deck.
Her drenched diving suit clung to her body in a way that was almost sensual, yet her calm expression inspired curiosity rather than impropriety.
"Kirsch. Did Mr. Mad Hatter assign you a task?"
"Mm."
Kirsch removed her diving mask. Wet hair hung over her shoulders. She responded briefly before sitting on a deck chair, gazing toward the island.
"108°37′ East. 3°30′ North. Almost there, boss," the assistant reported.
No sooner had he finished than patrol boats encircled them from ahead.
Huck pulled a cigarette from his pack and prepared to light it, but under Kirsch's icy gaze he awkwardly withdrew his hand. "Heh... it's already arranged, right?"
As if his question had triggered a switch, fantastical lights illuminated the waters around the boat.
"Careful!" The assistant tensed again.
Huck, however, leaned casually against the railing and waved a hand. "Relax. Just Mr. Mad Hatter's standard performance."
The moment he finished speaking, water splashed up around the boat.
But instead of falling back down, the droplets hung suspended in midair, forming curtain after curtain of water screens shimmering with brilliant light.
A vast palace complex materialized around them. Along the white jade pathway leading to the grand hall, fish and shrimp swam leisurely. It was as if they had sunk into the legendary Dragon Palace beneath the sea.
"Won't such an over-the-top performance alert MOTH on the island?"
"Nope. If Mr. Mad Hatter dares to do it, he's made full preparations. They won't notice a thing."
"Back when we infiltrated that corporate building, he set up an entire nightclub in the middle of the security lobby—and not a single armed guard noticed."
The assistant sounded incredulous. "That's not magic. That's sorcery."
Huck shrugged. "Who knows? The boss' performances are just that outrageous."
Within the watery Dragon Palace, a brown top hat spun into the air and floated above them. They could clearly see that the inside of the hat was empty, like any ordinary gentleman's hat.
With a flip, a cloak unfurled—and a figure appeared beneath it.
"What a delightful surprise!"
Vill-V lifted the hat, landing lightly on the yacht with the tip of her toe. The water screens crashed down around them.
She wore a formal suit, ribbons and silk wrapped tightly around her body. Gem-studded fabric veiled her face, concealing her true appearance.
Her arms were covered by ornate gloves, her legs hidden beneath a long skirt. She seemed entirely enveloped in mystery.
The glow radiating from her made her appear like an emissary from another world.
Two patrol boats quickly approached. "Yacht ahead, halt immediately. This is a private resort area. Unauthorized—"
Before they could finish, the yacht accelerated sharply, slicing between the two patrol boats. The waves it generated rocked them violently.
With the throttle pushed to its limit, Huck muttered helplessly, "Alright. Looks like Mr. Mad Hatter isn't even trying to hide it. Quite the 'surprise.'"
The guards struggled to steady themselves before grabbing their radios. "Q4-9, unidentified intruders approaching!"
In truth, no report was needed. The exaggerated spectacle had already drawn the attention of every guard in the vicinity—including two helicopters.
Just as it seemed they would be surrounded, Vill-V spread her arms.
As if in cooperation, countless balloons suddenly rose from the island.
"Now is the moment to raise the curtain!"
"Balloons this time, huh? At least that's relatively normal," Huck muttered, deliberately avoiding imagining how difficult it would be to prepare so many automatically ascending balloons under MOTH's heavy security.
The more he imagined, the more terrifying Mr. Mad Hatter became.
Better to imagine what might rise above the next enemy base he visited—celebratory fireworks? A banner reading 'Happy New Year'?
Or, given Mr. Mad Hatter's disregard for human logic, perhaps the enemy base itself would transform into a rocket and fly into space.
The surrounding guards were stunned by the sudden abnormalities within the base. With their attention divided, they prioritized capturing the intruders.
In that moment of distraction, the yacht accelerated once more, breaking through the encirclement at a speed that made it seem almost airborne.
"After them!"
Patrol boats and helicopters pursued the yacht at full speed.
Some time later, at a rocky reef along another part of the island, four figures climbed ashore.
Vill-V and the others.
The yacht had merely been a decoy to draw the guards away.
Only now did Huck's assistant finally have time to observe Mr. Mad Hatter—the boss of his boss.
The entire figure was cloaked in a cape. Beneath the tall top hat was a black shadowed mask. From behind it came the lively voice of a young boy.
Strangely, Mr. Mad Hatter wore no diving suit, no oxygen tank, no mask—nothing.
How he had managed to swim underwater for half an hour without breathing was incomprehensible.
Huck had just stripped off his diving suit when Vill-V stuffed an armful of grenades into his hands.
"These are Chirp-Chirp Smoke Bombs."
Huck glanced at the instruction manual.
"Lonely Guardian's Fantasy Chirp-Chirp Smoke Bomb: Awaken the dormant love within 🩷 Infuse this loveless, cold laboratory with burning passion~🔥"
"Conductor's Note: Stimulates hormones and induces psychological effects. Within a certain radius, targets will feel an intense desire to grow closer to those around them. Recommended for use in crowded areas."
Is this really something you recommend for crowded areas...
"And when you think of islands and beaches, you can't forget water guns! Ta-da! The Bubble Blaster fires bubble beams. As for the exact effect—you'll find out when you use it."
Huck examined it. A large pneumatic water gun. Judging from the pressure chamber, it packed some force. Though no matter how strong, it couldn't rival a rifle.
Even accustomed to Mr. Mad Hatter's absurdity, Huck could not help thinking: Another incomprehensible weapon...
"Requesting permission to use the Scare Doll," Kirsch said calmly, as always requesting her favorite—and most efficient—equipment.
The Scare Doll appeared to be nothing more than a half-meter-tall cloth homu doll. In reality, it could contain an adult inside.
Kirsch did not understand its exact mechanism, but she knew the suit was extraordinarily agile. It could even crawl across ceilings—a perfect infiltration tool.
"Denied," Vill-V replied decisively.
The Scare Doll was meant to remain a secret.
If this operation exposed it to MOTH and allowed them to develop countermeasures, it would become troublesome to use in the future.
And besides, if a prop appeared again and again, wouldn't that be terribly boring? The cute audience would grow fatigued.
Kirsch lowered her hand.
Though she did not understand why Mr. Mad Hatter did not always pursue maximum efficiency, she obeyed orders.
Picking up her tactical backpack, she stepped into the shadows—and vanished from sight.