Hmm… I wanted to chat a bit more with him. Qianben Xixi stared at the disconnected call, feeling speechless. Was this man still holding a grudge? He was really too stubborn. And he didn't even tell her what kind of training it was, so she could at least prepare a little.
But at least she could rule out sports like tennis that required bringing your own racket, and activities like swimming that needed changing clothes… Still, the possibilities were quite broad, making it hard to pinpoint the exact event.
Ah, forget it. No point overthinking.
Gin's email arrived quickly. Besides an address and time, there were two short words at the end: 'Bring someone.' Qianben Xixi suddenly found it amusing—what a petty man. She quickly replied: 【Got it. I'll bring the head on time tomorrow : )——Asti】, as usual, adding a smiley face at the end.
"Sister Natsuya, who were you talking to on the phone?" Conan's voice suddenly came from beside her feet, tinged with deliberate cuteness. "Did something troublesome happen?"
Qianben Xixi quickly closed her phone and bent down to look at him. "Conan, what are you doing here?"
"Sister Ran asked me to check on you. You were on the phone for a long time~" Conan looked up and pressed further. "So, is there something going on? Everyone can help, you know~"
"Thanks for your concern, but it's nothing, really," Qianben Xixi replied.
"Oh, I see." Conan pretended to be innocent. "I was just curious—who were you talking to? I saw you hanging up a while ago. Did you have an argument?"
"Since when did you become so nosy, Conan?" Qianben Xixi crouched down and patted Conan's little head, taking the chance to ruffle his hair. It felt nice. In a better mood, she explained, "It was a senior from school, letting me know about a club activity tomorrow."
Conan: "Then why were you staring at your phone for so long? Everyone was worried~"
This little brat… Is he playing twenty questions?
Qianben Xixi felt a bit annoyed but kept a smile on her face. "Because you're still too young. Some things can't be shared with you~"
"I'm not that young anymore. I know a lot of things." Conan blinked, continuing to act cute in a voice that even made him cringe. "So, Sister Natsuya, just tell me, okay? I promise I won't tell anyone."
"Ah, well… Fine, but you can't tell anyone, okay?" Qianben Xixi hesitated for a moment, sighed, and whispered in his ear, "My boyfriend is upset, and I was trying to cheer him up."
"Cough… cough, cough." Completely unprepared for this answer, Conan stammered, his face turning red. "S-so, it was the senior from school?"
"That's right. Remember to keep it a secret~" Qianben Xixi stood up. "Alright, let's go, Conan."
"O-okay…" Conan nodded submissively and finally let Xiaxi take his hand as they returned to the others.
He really is just an innocent little boy, Qianben Xixi thought with amusement. Despite his sharp reasoning skills and tendency to ask questions until he's satisfied, the moment the topic shifts to boys and girls, he acts like a normal kid.
The next day at noon, after finishing lunch, Qianben Xixi closed the shop and headed to the address from yesterday's email as agreed. Although the training facility was located in Tokyo, it was somewhat remote. To save money, she had gone to a second-hand market on her way home yesterday and picked up a used skateboard, which she modified and reinforced slightly to serve as her means of transportation.
At 1:15 p.m., dressed in simple white athletic wear, carrying a black crossbody bag, and wearing a matching baseball cap, Qianben Xixi arrived at her destination fifteen minutes early, riding her skateboard. The trip took one hour and fifteen minutes in total, but she felt no fatigue. Instead, she felt exhilarated from the long-overdue exercise.
This surprised Xiaxi—she hadn’t expected this body’s physical fitness and stamina to be so good. It seemed the original owner really had participated in club training regularly, as her physique was far from ordinary.
Just then, Qianben Xixi’s phone rang. She took it out of her bag and glanced at it—it was an email from Gin. Though she found it odd why he always preferred emails, she opened it immediately.
[Reply to this email once you arrive, and someone will take you inside. —Gin]
[Okay, Gin, I’m here~ —Asti]
About a minute or two later, her phone chimed again with another email.
[Alright, go in. —Gin]
Qianben Xixi raised an eyebrow at her phone. Did this mean he wouldn’t be coming today? She had been curious about that man for a while now—what a shame.
Putting away her phone, Qianben Xixi approached the entrance of the training facility. When she first arrived, she had been taken aback—the training facility was actually a massive spherical building, entirely silver and black, exuding a distinct technological vibe. It felt like something from a completely different era compared to the antique flip phone she was holding.
Pretty impressive, she thought as she stowed her skateboard and walked closer. As expected, the door required both fingerprint and facial recognition to unlock, clearly surpassing the technological standards of this era.
But upon second thought, it made sense. After all, her university, Tōdō University, was the best in the country—bar none—and ranked highly worldwide. Not to mention, her graduate studies were in Information Science and Engineering, covering fields like computer science, virtual reality, robotics artificial intelligence, and information processing technology. It wasn’t hard to imagine that such a research institute would be at the forefront of innovation.
This training facility was likely one of their research achievements, which only deepened her curiosity.
Soon, she passed the fingerprint and facial scans, and the door slid open. Qianben Xixi stepped inside to find a pitch-black corridor, at the end of which stood a man in a black suit and sunglasses, waiting for her.
He seemed to be just a gatekeeper. After leading her into a massive semicircular hall, he said, “Please make yourself at home,” and quietly withdrew.
Upon entering, she was greeted by a 360° circular full-screen giant display, with every inch of the ceiling covered in screens as well, creating an immersive experience that felt almost like real space—utterly dazzling.
In the center of the arena, two figures stood on a raised platform, seemingly a man and a woman, holding sniper rifles as they competed in simulated shooting scenarios displayed on the giant screen before them.
Alright, now she finally understood what kind of club activity this was.
This was actually quite interesting.
Wasn't it just a Virtual Reality shooting game? Such a grand setup, even VR glasses were unnecessary—she could play this training game all day!
…
As the round ended, the lights in the arena brightened. Chianti and Korn descended from the high platform, guns slung over their shoulders, and immediately spotted Qianben Xixi below. They eyed her with curiosity and a hint of excitement.
Both were dressed in black, identical to the black-clad security personnel at the entrance. It made her feel out of place—her own white tracksuit was practically blindingly bright, standing in stark contrast to everyone else's black attire. She was like the brightest star in the night sky, impossible to miss.
“Are you the new member?” Chianti, with her short orange hair cropped just above her ears, spoke first. She licked the lip piercing at the corner of her mouth, eager and ready. “Come on, let’s have a match. I wasn’t fully satisfied with the last round.”
No self-introduction, just a direct challenge. Qianben Xixi raised a slender, elegant eyebrow, finding it amusing. But… she spread her hands to indicate she had no equipment.
“You don’t have your own gun yet?” Chianti was only slightly surprised. She pointed toward the high platform behind her. “Follow me.”
Qianben Xixi trailed behind the two, occasionally glancing around at the surroundings. Soon, they arrived at a small door on the high platform.
Chianti pushed the door open with a smirk. “Well? Take your pick. We have every model you could want.”
“Alright, thanks.” Qianben Xixi didn’t stand on ceremony. She walked into the Armory and casually selected an older model Sniper Rifle she had used before. “All set. How do we compete?”
“Tsk, within 500 Yards, your choice.” Chianti wasn’t one to waste time either. “You go first.”
“Fine.” Xiaxi had no objections. “Let’s start at 500 Yards then.”
Chianti nodded in agreement, then signaled toward Korn by the control room. Instantly, the arena darkened, the giant screen lit up, and the scene simulation began.
Meanwhile, a figure emerged unnoticed from the control panel, casually snapped a photo with a phone, and sent it.
“Boss, it’s started.” Vodka had just sent the photo when Gin’s call came through. “Boss, the one glowing white and green is that Asti.”
Completely absorbed in the game, Qianben Xixi had no idea that her white tracksuit was actually designed for nighttime sports, made of fluorescent material. With the lights off and everyone else dressed in black, not only did she stand out like a beacon, but she also emitted a faint green glow—a Fluorescent Green one at that. She was undoubtedly the most eye-catching person in the arena.
“Obviously, I can see that.” Gin’s icy voice came through the phone receiver, reaching Vodka’s ears. “Vodka, keep a close eye on her. I want to see if her skills are as glaring as her outfit.”
“Yes, Boss.” Vodka straightened up. “But Boss, shouldn’t it be ‘dazzling,’ not ‘glaring’?”
Gin: “…”
Gin felt too exhausted to respond.
Realizing that Gin seemed displeased, Vodka quickly changed the subject. “Uh, Boss, I’m already watching. How long until you get here?”
This time, Gin didn’t remain silent. He replied swiftly, “Ten minutes.”