After the celebratory banquet, which was so grand it would be recorded in the school's history, following the "Mr. Pigeon" incident, weeks flowed by like the Seine River, neither fast nor slow.
Paris, this ancient and romantic city, gradually adapted to a brand new, almost bizarre, daily routine.
The city streets during the day had strangely become safer than ever before.
The thugs who once loitered in dark alleys and the small-time hoodlums collecting protection fees seemed to have been silently erased from the city by an invisible hand.
Citizens were surprised to find that they no longer needed to be on edge when returning home late, and children playing in parks were met with far fewer ill-intentioned stares.
However, this eerie "peace" came at an even more unsettling cost.
For Gabriel, several weeks had passed. It was the most efficient, yet most mentally exhausting, period since he became Hawk Moth. He seemed to have completely transformed into an emotionless "Akumatization index" distribution machine.
He no longer meticulously selected hosts with perfect negative emotions, full of dramatic conflict. Now, as long as his city-wide emotional perception network captured even the slightest, most trivial negative energy—
Whether it was a student's frustration over failing an exam, an office worker's annoyance at missing the bus,
Or even harmless quarrels between lovers—
He would immediately, without hesitation, dispatch a Akuma butterfly from his lonely lair at the top of the Agreste Mansion.
He was like a ruthless boss with KPIs, frantically pushing himself and his only "employee"—Nooroo, the fairy—to their limits.
Unless there was a major decision-making meeting for the Agreste Group that absolutely required his presence, he dedicated almost all his time to this large-scale, indiscriminate "Akumatization wave."
Within just a few weeks, Parisians had almost grown accustomed to the fact that "a new supervillain appeared today."
The news channels daily broadcast reports of all sorts of strange Akumatized Persons: "Noodle Man," "Misspelled Word Monster," "Square Dance King"... Citizens even began to discuss the villains appearing each day, with the same interest as following a TV series, wondering about their bizarre powers.
Most of the Akumatized Persons were quickly purified and dealt with, thanks to the increasingly skilled and perfectly coordinated teamwork of Ladybug and Cat Noir.
The two city heroes appeared almost daily above Paris; their combat skills rapidly improved through practical experience, and their fame soared, making them a household symbol of the city, like the Eiffel Tower.
However, events began to take a strange turn in a direction that even Hawk Moth himself had not anticipated.
It's unclear which Akumatized Person, still retaining a sliver of justice in his heart, started it, but a strange trend of "acting on behalf of heaven" began to quietly spread among these superpowered villains.
Not everyone engaged in indiscriminate, city-wide destruction like Stoneheart and Mr. Pigeon.
A small portion of them, after gaining the power bestowed by Hawk Moth, would outwardly subserviently agree, "Yes, Hawk Moth, I will retrieve the miraculous for you," but then immediately turn around and use this immense power for what they truly wanted to do.
For example, the newsstand owner, resentful from years of extortion by street thugs, after being dark transformed into "Clipping Man," who could control paper and make it as sharp as a blade, did not seek out the heroes.
He controlled countless newspapers, like a swarm of vengeful bees, and in a single night, he turned several notorious Parisian gang hideouts upside down. All the stolen money and criminal evidence were neatly wrapped in newspapers and delivered to the police station's doorstep.
There was also the middle-aged businessman whose family enterprise went bankrupt due to malicious schemes by business rivals. After being dark transformed into "The Judge," who could see through lies and materialize others' crimes, he wore a black top hat like an elegant gentleman and traversed Paris's financial district.
He didn't rob banks; instead, he transformed all the dirt, secret accounts, and illegal business contracts of his rivals who had once framed him and held grudges against him in the business world, into tangible evidence glowing with an ominous light. He anonymously scattered them like snowflakes at the entrances of major media outlets and tax departments, triggering a commercial earthquake that swept through Paris's upper echelons.
And a desperate father, whose family was persecuted by a gang, was dark transformed into "Shadow of Vengeance." He silently infiltrated the gang's lair, turning the evildoers, one by one, into eternally sleeping stone statues.
These "vigilante-type" Akumatized Persons cleverly avoided Ladybug and Cat Noir's patrol routes, carefully ensuring that their "achievements" would not be easily erased by the "Miraculous Restoration."
Even more, some Akumatized Persons, harboring deeper hatred, targeted families who had risen to power through dirty means in business and politics.
A carefully planned "accident" could make a seemingly impregnable dark business empire crumble overnight.
Immense pressure and fear forced some Parisian families with unsavory histories to sell off assets and flee in a hurry from this increasingly dangerous city.
And in this chaotic feast, Gabriel Agreste was the biggest silent enabler. He watched it all with cold detachment.
Because once these Akumatized Persons fulfilled their lifelong desires, that intense obsession would vanish, and after the butterfly left, they would remember nothing.
A considerable number of people, in that extreme satisfaction and emptiness, would choose to end their own lives while in the Akumatization state.
They would smile and turn into a handful of black ash, and the Akuma Butterfly would automatically fly back to Hawk Moth's lair, leaving no future troubles.
For him, this was a perfect, sustainable cycle. He could constantly test the heroes' limits, and also, through these people's hands, stir up the waters of Paris.
Nathalie and his massive Agreste Group, like a shark smelling blood, precisely and mercilessly devoured the vacant market shares in the market chaos caused by capital flight and power reshuffling.
Mayor Bourgeois was another guest at this feast, his mouth dripping with grease.
Because in these few weeks, he had been repeatedly hit by "divine justice" delivered by various bizarre superpowered individuals.
The most direct and absurd result was that Paris's public safety in these few weeks had actually skyrocketed, reaching an unprecedented level of excellence where doors were left unlocked at night and lost items were not picked up.
Citizens cursed Hawk Moth while simultaneously praising the "clean" streets.
Pickpockets were unemployed, hoodlums changed professions, and many ill-intentioned individuals, fearing that their misdeeds might one day be targeted by some "passing righteous Akumatized Person," fled en masse, escaping overnight from this increasingly "safe" city.
As for all of this, our Mayor Bourgeois remained firmly in control, adopting an attitude of detached approval.
Of course, he wouldn't be foolish enough to order the apprehension of Hawk Moth and those "acting on behalf of heaven" Akumatized Persons.
Hawk Moth was responsible for creating "problems," a portion of the Akumatized Persons were responsible for solving "social problems," and the heroes were responsible for solving the "problem of the Akumatized Persons themselves," and such actions formed a closed loop!
Moreover, as long as the fire didn't burn him or his precious daughter, all these matters were good things for him!
In a public televised speech, he tearfully and remorsefully condemned Hawk Moth's "evil actions of wantonly toying with people's hearts and disrupting social order."
Then, changing his tone, he used the most impassioned words to highly praise the great heroic spirit of Ladybug and Cat Noir, who "fearlessly faced hardships, fought day and night, and protected Paris." Incidentally, he also commended the "order and calmness" displayed by Parisian citizens during numerous crises.
After one speech, the citizens' anger towards Hawk Moth, their adoration for the heroes, and their affection for him, their "good mayor who always stands with the heroes," all reached a new peak.
"Elections?" he proudly gestured to his fawning aides during an internal city hall meeting, "Why worry about the next election?
If this trend continues, as long as my ideology doesn't falter, I believe I can be re-elected until I die! The problem now is, how can we better integrate the image of the heroes more closely with the glorious image of our city government!"
Those below immediately understood and showered him with flattery. Among them, an official most skilled at anticipating his superiors' wishes immediately proposed a highly constructive suggestion.
"Mr. Mayor, I believe we should not only support the heroes spiritually but also materially!
Think about it, heroes fight and risk their lives to save the city, they also need to eat and live! We can't let them not even have money to buy a baguette, can we?
If that got out and international friends found out, how bad would that sound! Just like in those old movies, heroes bleed and cry, it's too shabby!
This harms Paris's image as an international metropolis!"
This proposal instantly received high praise from Mr. Mayor.
Soon, a fund specifically for rewarding the two city heroes, disbursed from the "Paris City Government Special Contribution and City Security Fund," was secretly established.
Of course, the bank cards given to the heroes could not be ordinary bank cards. These two cards were subjected to a programmatic "deep modification" by a super hacker who had been dark transformed before and was proficient in data streams, under "voluntary" circumstances.
It was not linked to any personal account but directly connected to a massive, theoretically untouchable secret vault supervised by the city government.
This card could be used for purchases anywhere, like a regular bank card. However, every expenditure, regardless of size, would be instantly split by that complex program into countless tiny data streams, then dispersed through thousands of proxy servers worldwide into countless dormant accounts in different countries and banks, making numerous negligible, undetectable transfers, finally converging at the payment target.
If large amounts of cash needed to be withdrawn, this program could even stagger the time and location of withdrawals, then distribute these instructions across different ATMs globally, completing withdrawals at different times.
Unless someone could personally see the hero withdrawing a large sum of money on camera before and after his transformation, no one, no system, could trace the source and destination of this money.
The backend data and bank information would not be leaked in the slightest. This card was equivalent to a portable, inexhaustible vault with perfect anti-reconnaissance capabilities.
On a typical night after a battle, Ladybug and Cat Noir had just teamed up to defeat an "Eraser Demon" who had been dark transformed because he was criticized online for his "ugly drawings."
The two stood atop an ancient church, bathed in the cool moonlight, with the dazzling nightscape of Paris spread out beneath their feet.
They were about to part ways, as usual, before their transformations wore off. Just then, a man in a black suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, looking like a high-ranking government official, suddenly appeared before them.
"Good evening, Ladybug, Cat Noir." The man bowed politely, a formal yet friendly smile on his face.
The two immediately adopted a vigilant battle stance. "Don't be nervous," the man said with a smile, pulling out two high-quality black envelopes from his jacket. "I mean no harm. I am merely here on behalf of the citizens of Paris and Mayor Bourgeois to express our most sincere and practical gratitude to you."
He handed an envelope to each of them. Adrien and Marinette exchanged a look, both a little confused.
They cautiously opened the envelopes and found a regular bank card inside each.
"This is..." Ladybug asked, puzzled.
"This is a small token of appreciation from the citizens," the man explained. "It's the first payment from the 'City Hero Protection Fund.' From now on, a fixed amount of money will be automatically deposited into this card every month.
Please accept it; it's your deserved reward. Paris never shortchanges its heroes."
Being a hero... and getting paid? And a monthly "salary" at that?
This strange development left the two young heroes completely stunned.
They instinctively wanted to refuse, but the man was resolute, stating that it was a direct order from the Mayor Bourgeois, and if they didn't accept, he would be fired upon his return.
He also half-jokingly added, "Heroes need to live too; you can't have them paying for new clothes every time theirs get damaged, can you?"
Ultimately, under the man's repeated insistence and clever persuasion, the two confusedly accepted the two special bank cards.
After returning home.
Marinette lay on her soft bed in the attic, clutching the cold card, feeling as if she were dreaming.
Moonlight streamed through the skylight, making the card shimmer.
She told Tikki, who had flown out, everything that had happened today.
"I never... never thought that being a hero could earn money..."
She turned the card over and over, murmuring, "This feeling... it's so strange. It's like... like what we do has been given a price tag."
"What's so strange about that?" Tikki said indistinctly, struggling to stuff a whole cookie bigger than herself into her mouth. "You go to school, do homework, and design every day; aren't you also 'investing' in your future?
Your dad bakes bread; doesn't he sell it for money? You put in effort, saved the city, and received compensation. That's only natural!"
"But..."
Marinette still felt a bit awkward. "I became Ladybug to protect Paris, to protect people like Alya, my mom and dad, and... and Jaden... for these people I love.
It should be a pure thing. Once it's tied to money, it just feels... a bit off."
When she mentioned Jaden's name, her voice involuntarily softened, and a suspicious blush crept onto her cheeks. She couldn't imagine how someone like Jaden, who, like a true knight, selflessly protected others, would think if he knew she was "getting paid" for being a hero.
What... what would he think? Would he feel that his own actions had also become impure?
"Oh, Marinette, you silly!" Tikki flew to her nose and gently nudged her with her tiny antennae. "Think about it, every time you make a new design, don't you also need to buy a lot of expensive fabrics and materials?
With this, you can buy more and better materials to achieve your dream of becoming a top designer! This is also a kind of 'protection,' protecting your own dreams!
Besides, that Jaden, he's so smart, he'll definitely understand!"
After hearing Tikki's words, the knot in Marinette's heart seemed to loosen a little.
She looked at the card in her hand, imagining using it to buy the silk fabric she had always dreamed of, and the expression on her face finally changed from conflicted to a shy anticipation.
Meanwhile, in the vast, somewhat desolate bedroom of the Agreste Mansion, Adrien's thoughts were much more practical.
He returned to his bedroom, which was as empty as a small basketball court, and detransformed.
He looked at the card in his hand and let out a long sigh of relief. What he felt was not conflict, but a tangible sense of ease, a liberation from a certain predicament.
He really... really needed money.
Because the food expenses for that damned, picky Cat Noir, who only ate top-grade imported cheese, were simply too high!
Every time, he had to secretly squeeze out a large portion of his meager allowance to buy Plagg those expensive, cringe-worthy aged cheeses.
Now with this card, his financial pressure could finally be completely alleviated.
"Hmph, at least that fat Mayor Bourgeois has some conscience."
Plagg flew out of his ring and immediately pounced on the card, sniffing it vigorously, as if she could smell the aroma of cheese.
"You have the nerve to say that?" Adrien glared at him, annoyed. "Most of my allowance goes into your bottomless pit of a stomach!"
"Why wouldn't I have the nerve to say that?" Plagg immediately retorted righteously. "I consume an enormous amount of cosmic energy every day to maintain your transformation!
What's wrong with eating some cheese to replenish my energy? This is all work-related injury! It's a necessary expense to maintain combat effectiveness!
Do you understand! So, this card, half of it should rightfully be mine!"
Adrien was left speechless by her impeccable twisted logic and could only sigh helplessly, putting the card away.
He knew that his future "piggy bank" would, it seemed, still be named "cheese."
In these few weeks, school life had also undergone some subtle and wonderful changes.
With the help of Jaden's "celebration feast," Adrien finally succeeded in breaking through that invisible layer of ice.
He was no longer the lonely "blond model" instinctively equated with Chloé by everyone, but had truly begun to integrate into Nino, Kim, and Max's small group, which was full of laughter.
They would huddle around Max's tablet during lunch breaks, fiercely discussing the latest video games;
They would cheer for Kim's goal in P.E. class, and also complain about Nino getting caught secretly listening to music in class by the teacher.
More and more genuine, radiant smiles, like the sunshine of Paris, appeared on Adrien's face.
As for Jaden, in these few weeks, he once again became incredibly popular in a way he himself had never expected.
The recording pen that captured his "Abyss Declaration" was anonymously uploaded to the internet by some busybody.
This monologue, full of chuunibyou vibes, mysticism, yet possessing a damned, unique philosophical charm, spread like a virus among the youth of Paris.
Its popularity even far surpassed the humorous video of "teasing the villain." Countless young people hailed this speech as the "best quote of the year."
They repeatedly analyzed its profound meaning, completely deifying Jaden's image from a "brave knight" into a "bard from the abyss," a "philosopher chosen by darkness who sees through the world."
The most direct consequence was that several of the Akumatized Persons who appeared recently, after being dark transformed, specifically demanded to capture Jaden.
However, their goal was no longer to threaten the Mayor Bourgeois, but to force Jaden to deliver an impromptu, passionate, and epic live speech for their "tragic fate" and "great revenge."
Although these "fanatical fan" type villains were easily dealt with by Ladybug and Cat Noir, who were both amused and exasperated, this undoubtedly brought wave after wave of massive online traffic to Jaden and Chloé (as the "heroine" of that incident).
Finally, even Paris's largest television station, the most popular show that consistently topped the ratings — "weather girl" — officially invited Jaden.
They were holding a grand competition, selecting a champion from five thousand registered girls across Paris through various rounds, who would be awarded the title of "Annual weather girl."
And the production team wanted to invite Jaden to be the special guest for the live Saturday grand finale.
"Special guest? What do you want me to do?" Facing the overly enthusiastic call from the director of the show, Jaden was a little puzzled.
"It's simple! Mr. Jaden! Your popularity is absolutely skyrocketing right now!"
The director of the show, on the other end of the phone, said excitedly in an almost fawning tone, "We don't need you to do anything complicated!
You just need to, at the very end, when our champion girl is crowned, appear slowly from the stage lift as a mysterious guest, and then walk up to her..."
The director paused, then said in a dramatic, hushed voice:
"...Kneel before her. Then, with your magnetic voice that has captivated all of Paris, say one sentence — 'Congratulations, my weather girl.' That's all!"
Jaden held the phone, silent for a long moment.
He thought about it and decided that this invitation seemed... quite interesting.
So, he agreed.
And on the top floor of the Agreste Mansion, unknown to everyone, Gabriel looked at the news on the screen about the mysterious guest (Jaden) who was about to attend the "weather girl" finale, his eyes growing deeper.
His interest in this young man had reached an unprecedented level.
In these few weeks, more than once, in the dead of night, he had secretly dispatched his most covert Akuma Butterfly, hoping to sneak into Jaden's room while he slept, attach itself to him, and see if he could turn this interesting soul, full of dark charm, into his own collection.
But each time, it failed in a peculiar way.
Those butterflies, carrying his Akumatization energy, would become extremely calm when approaching Jaden's bedroom window.
They would either hover a few meters away from the bed, refusing to come any closer; or they would simply stop on the railing outside the window, completely ignoring Hawk Moth's instructions.
This unknown, uncontrollable feeling did not fill Gabriel Agreste with fear; instead, it made him feel a long-lost thrill called "excitement."
"Jaden..." he murmured, a cold, curious curve forming on his lips. "Who exactly... are you?"